Iwata: Wii U's More Conventional Controller Brings The Core Back To Nintendo

Traditional core gamers will return to Nintendo thanks to the Wii U controller's more standard layout, according to the company, saying they were turned off by the Wii's remote. Speaking to investors at a briefing in Japan on Wednesday (as covered by Japanese gaming blog Andriasang), company president Satoru Iwata said that core gamers did not want to abandon their preferred, comfortable controller approach in favor of the Wii's motion-sensing remote. Despite the Wii U's tablet controller's appearance, it features a traditional dual-analog setup with a cross-pad and both face and shoulder buttons, just like the controllers offered by the core-preferred Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Wii U's high-definition graphics -- a feature missing from the original Wii -- should also attract the core, says Iwata. In fact, major first-person shooter creators have already shown interest in bringing their products over to the new console, he says. According to Iwata, Japanese developers observing the company's Zelda-themed HD demonstration at E3 said that they could not have replicated its effects on other current machines. That demo, he said, was made in a relatively short amount of time, suggesting that it will not be difficult for third parties to squeeze out similar visuals in their products. Nintendo typically offers a transcript of its shareholder meetings soon after they take place. One is not available at press time, but Gamasutra will report on any interesting developments should one become available.