The beauty of modern game systems is that as time passes, they generally only improve with age thanks to the ability to update the software to add new features and enhancements. With that in mind, Nintendo has now officially released its first major software update for its latest console, the Wii U.

The primary focus of the update is system performance. The Wii U has come under fire for long load times and other sluggish performance problems, many of which had less to do with the internal hardware and more to do with software bugs.

The new firmware update also includes the ability to copy data between two USB drives directly, allows downloads and installations in the background while you play, and the ability to boot directly into “original Wii mode” by holding the B button while starting up the console.

This is just the start of the performance improvements according to Nintendo, with another system lag update expected to arrive sometime this summer. Anyone manage to grab this update to Nintendo’s console yet? If so, do you notice an improvement in overall performance or not?

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Ever had the urge to use a new Wii U controller for gaming and other activities on your PC?  Developer and modder Chris Manning has bridged the gap and created software that makes it possible.

He has enabled the Nintendo’s Wii U big pad controller to communicate with your PC systems and even was kind enough to make the software available to you for download so you can mess around with this tweak as well. According to Manning, he isn’t done there, he is now working to release a new update that will allowing streaming to work and add touch screen support to the Wii U pad.

Chris adds, “Follow the readme.txt closely!  This requires a bit of technical know-how to get working.” Below is a video of the software in action and a link to download your own copy.

Without touch and streaming capabilities, the use potential for this Wii U Controller ‘mod’ is limited at this stage, but there is plenty of future potential here. What do you think?

SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD

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Simply dubbed the Wii U “GamePad,” this tablet-esque controller will have dual thumb sticks, along with standard d-pad, L/R shoulder buttons, ZL/ZR shoulder buttons, A/B/X/Y face buttons, start, select, TV control, power, home, and a 6.2-inch 16:9 LCD touchscreen. There’s also motion control (accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor), a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble, a sensor bar, a stylus, and NFC support.

While we haven’t heard anything concrete about price yet, we have learned that having all that tech in a controller is going to cost you in battery life. You can expect to only get three to five hours per charge. Given many people’s propensity towards marathon gaming sessions, this could prove to be a huge problem. Can you imagine being in the middle of an awesome session of Zelda or Mario Kart, only to have your controller die on you? Not good. And it takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge it.

As far as other major highlights about the Wii U, it’ll use an IBM Power-based multi-core processor, AMD Radeon-based high-definition GPU, internal flash memory, SD card slots, USB storage, Wii U and Wii optical discs, 802.11/b/g/n Wi-Fi, four USB 2.0 ports, legacy support for Wii controllers and accessories, up to 1080p video (including HDMI), video chat, Internet browser, and video entertainment (Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, etc.). There’s also something called Miiverse, which is like a Mii social network to post messages and challenge friends to games.

What do you think? Are you buying a Nintendo Wii U when it launches this holiday shopping season?

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The launch price will be reportedly between $350 and $450 with the release planned for November 23. Technical details include DirectX11 support, Unreal Engine 4, 2GB of RAM (560MB for OS), Radeon HD 6770 graphics, and some pre-installed software. I imagine that last bit will be similar to some of the “channels” that we have on the current Nintendo Wii.

There are still “multiple versions” of the console with various developers, so the design has not yet been finalized. The touchscreen controller is definitely in there, but the trigger buttons won’t be analog. There’s also word of some inclusion of the Wii Vitality Sensor. The UI on the Wii U will be customizable in some way and, catching up with Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo will be offering some sort of achievements system.

Ubisoft’s planned games include Rayman Legends, The Avengers, Assassin’s Creed 3 (running at 60fps at 1080p), Just Dance 4, and Killer Freaks from Outer Space. EA, Valve and Crytek are all working on Wii U titles. Valve specifically is working on Portal ports and a digital distribution platform.

Chalk this up to rumor for now, but Nintendo should be making some formal announcements at E3 next month.

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For those of you who are wondering about that “Nintendo Network” logo which appeared on a dummy box for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, it’s certainly a reality and it has now become official. The Nintendo Network is the new name for the company’s online service on the 3DS and it will also be available on the Wii U after it arrives late this year.

The new service will be different from their existing Nintendo Wi-Fi connection services. According to company head honcho Satoru Iwata, the network will offer “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content“. They are planning to offer retail games for sale via digital download and add-on content will be available as well.

Iwata revealed that the 3DS already has the infrastructure built into it. “This concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure“, he said, “We will prepare the same infrastructure for the Wii U. However, we have not decided the concrete timing of when we will start it“.

As for the Wii U, the service will enable multiple personal user accounts per system, which will finally end their policy of tying software purchases to a single system.

It’s certainly a good thing that Nintendo is finally thinking seriously about the internet. What do you think?

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Think about the ramifications. We’re already used to playing retro hits (via the Virtual Console) and smaller games (as WiiWare), but the “full blown app store” for the Wii U may have a separate section with apps for the controller. This means you can carry that controller around the house and use it like how you would an iPad, Galaxy Tab, or Kindle Fire. It could have email, web browsing, Twitter, and basic media enjoyment. These apps are meant to go beyond “just” video games, though when you’re ready to game, it can do that too, of course.

Games on tablets and smartphones are biting into Nintendo’s profits, so why not bite back by offering smartphone and tablet-like apps right back to its marquee home gaming console? The Wii U is expected to launch later this year.

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