Wii U Online Component Will Be “Free To Play”
Nintendo U buyers will be able to take advantage of the company’s online component “Miiverse” as a “free to play and connect” option when the video gaming console rolls out later this year.
Nintendo announced the lack of a pricing plan during its annual shareholder meeting where company officials announced the lack of online pricing.
While Nintendo has had problems attracting third-party support in the past officials promised during the meeting that third-party interactions for the Nintendo Wii U were being handled differently from past attempts.
According to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the company doesn’t reject the possibility of an online paid service in the future, however the user base associated with Nintendo gaming is less likely to pay for such a system when compared to PS3 and Xbox 360 users. While Microsoft earns $50 per year for Xbox Live online gaming support the Nintendo audience tends to be younger and have less expendable if any disposable income.
When asked how the tech firm plans to attract third-party publishers Iwata said the company was working more closely with third parties during the development of the Nintendo Wii U, sharing key company information with third-party partners right when it was made available to the company’s own internal teams.
The Miiverse will offer users a general chat function, screenshot sharing and even the ability to leave tips for friends inside the games you play. Players can also work together to find a solution and can respond in either text or video through the Wii U GamePad’s webcam feature.
