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Nintendo Is Making A Full-Blown App Store For Wii U

News publication The Daily is reporting that Nintendo is currently hard at work creating a full-blown app store for the Wii U. Whilst there are already small applications available for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi the app store for the Wii U will go far beyond this offering a much wider variety of apps.

Wii U owners will be able to use apps that operate on the Wii U itself, such as MLB.TV, and others that run independently on the Wii U’s controller. Given its tablet-like design and 6.2-inch screen, it’s not hard to imagine being able to check email, browse the Web, post to social networks and even get some gaming in

– The Daily’s Matt Hickey

162 thoughts on “Nintendo Is Making A Full-Blown App Store For Wii U”

    1. Davin Ockerby (aka Platinum Lucario)

      Actually, it would be more than likely that Nintendo will have their very own applications, it would be more than likely for the applications to be in a section on Nintendo eShop on the Wii U.

        1. The definition of application ( for those who don’t know app is short for application) is
          1.
          the act of putting to a special use or purpose: the application of common sense to a problem.

          This could be any thing, it could just be an enhanced e shop

          1. The dsi shop has a ton of shovelware, so does the wiiware, its a shame theyll be bringing all that crap to the next gen console, i really thought the shit storm of crap games was going to end with the wii, now i see i was wrong.

            1. Did ya’ll read are ya’ll just that stupid. Apps are anything from games to programs. Nintendo doesn’t like app gaming so would’nt you think our apps would be like umm YouTube, ESPN, news, yahoo. Think dumbasses plz think

              1. Yes and even non gaming apps on nintendos shop are ridiculosly useless, most of it is shit, nexflix is ok but it laggs (i had xfiniti) and yes it still lagged, my 3DS had nexflix and it was horrible, also who downloadd a fucking calculator on a system.

        2. The word “app” is nothing more than a shortened word for application. PC’s have use applications for a long time. Want to know what it means? It means programs. The eShop has “Applications” as its own section for individual programs such as Swapnote.

    1. This comment is really stupid. Nintendo is aiming to sell as many consoles as possible, and that will require an appeal to a casual market. If it is so true that smartphones are Nintendo’s competition , then why not use their tactics against them.

          1. So instead of Nintendo starting to develop games for Apples own App store, Nintendo will be developing for their own app store, and with luck, many big-name apps that are already on Apple, like Doodlejump, Pocketgod, Angry Birds, Jelly Car, etc etc etc etc, would then start to transfer over to Nintendo’s app store as well, bringing even more people to the Wii U. I mean, the controller is kind of like a iPad but with buttons, so think of all the different apps we could get on something like that! Whoever thinks Nintendo creating an app store exclusively for the Wii U is a bad idea is obviously not very bright.

            1. Apps are not games only. I don’t see why a lot of you are automatically thinking that. Didn’t they state they don’t like app gaming and they already have a virtual shop. What’s the point in app gaming then

              1. They didn’t say anything about this so called “app gaming” thing someone seems to have invented on the spot. It’s smartphone gaming that they dislike It is not the same thing.

                1. Anyway…. it was “The Daily’s Matt Hickey” who used the word “app”, not Nintendo.
                  And also… who cares?
                  While Nintendo keeps releasing all my games everything is all right.

      1. Nah it VIrtual Console
        sony went did their ps1 classic 690% of games are even ps1 classic.
        FF1-6 except 3(JP)
        Chrono Trigger and a bunch other.

      2. Which is part of the Wii Shop Channel. I’d agree that the only things even close to non-game “apps” are the channels, and there’s not a lot of those.

    1. There is no one who sues Nintendo and gets away with it. The only thing more formidable than Nintendo’s game-development history is its legal-battle history.

      1. But they did win a lawsuit against Microsoft. Microsoft complained about the trademark ‘Appstore’ for being to general, but the judge declined.

    2. Apple didn’t make up the phrase nor were they the first to use it as a big marketing tool or even copyright it.
      Android has been using the name since it started and Apple didn’t complain since it started off as simply a short form term for “applications” or sotware on a computer.
      Apple don’t care about others using it, in fact they like it since it reminds people of Apple and gets people to get annoyed at other companies saying they stole it.

      1. While the eShop could definently use a lot more 3DS exclusives, it’s getting better. And when demo’s start coming to North America, well, that will make it better, too.

  1. Okay it’s cool and all, but it’s just a necessity these days. PS3 and 360 have had features like this for years…just saying

    1. Nintendos tablet controller will blow those 2’s dicks off… They won’t be able to compete with a REAL app store at all.

  2. Hopefully this is better than the Wii Shop Channel. It was horrible! (except for some Virtual Console games, WiiWare sucked). There is also a rumor that GameCube games will be on the Virtual Console service for the Wii U. Hopefully it’s true. Then all the Virtual Console games on Wii will be moved to Wii U. We might then have a chance at seeing games like Pokemon Stadium 1 & 2. Luigi’s Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, and Mario Kart Double Dash. Good games, not shovelware.

    1. Really? I didnt mind the Shop Channel,and WII ware did not suk…u just gotta look for the right Ware…like Bit trip…EPIC STUFF!!!

      1. Well, yeah. But the majority of WiiWare games sucked. There were about just 10 (maybe more) good WiiWare games. But there were more than 100 crappy WiiWare games. I want Nintendo to bring AAA games to their “Online Store”. The 3DS’s eShop is a big improvement (in my point of view) to what Nintendo usually does. Hopefully the Wii U does better too.

      1. Lol wut? Just because games you don’t want are on a system, you’d buy it, then throw in the trash…. Oh and app store games>>> cooking mama, ALL THOSE SHITTY petz games, hill billy hunting, and all the shovelware on the wii. Plus all those sorry ass games were like 10x more exspensive when they were first released.

  3. All I want is to have it where we can make accounts so that if we need to buy a new system for whatever reason we can without losing everything we bought. I had gotten a new Wii for Christmas since the one I got on launch stopped reading discs and I’m pissed that I can’t transfer my VC/WiiWare games to the new Wii so I have to keep a half-functional Wii around.

    1. you do know that the disk read error is an easy thing to fix (you can send it to nintendo and get it fixed free if its just a dirty lens). And 2nd, im sure i read that you can send them to nintendo so they can transfer EVERYTHING over. It was an article about if you have an insured system, dont return it to retailers cos you’ll loose ur saves, send it to nintendo and they’ll transfer the whole lot onto a new system!

      1. stevey, not everybody can do that, i have an NTSC wii and i like in the arab countries, you can’t send a wii from there.

    1. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
      farmville, oooh that horrible
      horrible
      wretched
      disgusting
      petrifying
      monster
      its even scarier than fighting vampires in skyrim

  4. I am not surprised they are doing this, however since they said they have been in talks with multiple developers including Valve (steam) and EA (origin) I would have thought they wouldn’t make a sinlge app store but instead an area through the other two (either the choice between them or one, even though I want them to give us the option of multiple retailers).
    Still whatever they do, they better streamline the TV/movie area. Sony and microsot hove botched up that multiple times – put all the TV stuff in one place and allow me to see dierent shows without having to exit one application and put another one on. Simply because it is such a hassle I haven’t used them to watch TV or anything other than simply putting a blu-ray in my ps3.

    I am liking on the 3DS how it downloads an icon for new free software when it is on sleep mode – hopefully they continue this on the wiiu (maybe actually download it and just offer to delete) it would save a lot of time, especially having to search through or what is and what isn’t free.

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  6. I like how nobody goes like “omfg, Nintendo copies other companies.”
    If any other company gets some feature which is alike something Nintendo has as well, everyone starts flaming and bashing that company. A lot of you guys are true fanboys, sadly.
    Oh well, now to the actual topic: I just hope for Nintendo that they won’t keep the name “App Store” or “Apps”. That would be so not-Nintendo-like. I thought they would be a bit more original instead of offering the same things as smartphones already do. Plus, other systems offer something like this already as well.

    1. This makes no sense…… at all. What is being copied? The 3ds already has applications on it. It won’t be called “app store” so what do you mean copying?

      1. I wouldn’t call the things they offer right now “apps”. Actually, they offer games and nothing else. There are like 2 or 3 extra things like clocks and calculators, but they are also based on games since they are Super Mario-themed or something like that. As I said, they offer games, they do not offer the kind of things that are called “apps” nowadays. Not yet, at least. So, by starting to offer them they would be “copying” other companies. I hope I could make it a bit more clear now.
        Oh, and I wrote “copying” in quotes because that’s actually not really my definition of copying. It’s just the impression I got of what the fanboys seem to understand as “copying”. Strangely enough they never use it when it comes to Nintendo but to other companies.

  7. This doesn’t surprise me, seeing as how both the Wii and 3DS have an online store. They both also have (albeit very few) downloadable apps, and I’m interested in seeing how the Wii U will expand upon what’s already being offered on current systems.

    It’d be nice if the Wii’s library of Virtual Console and WiiWare games was available from day one on the Wii U, with the addition of GameCube, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast games on the Wii U’s Virtual Console.

    Something of note as well is the example app that was given, MLB.TV, that could work on the Wii U. If Nintendo could get serious, non-gaming apps like this, and more like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon’s app, ESPN, and many others on the Wii U, then I feel that Nintendo is headed in the right direction with the Wii U.

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    1. Wayyyy fuckin better than retail shovelware and game droughts. Fuck its almost 2012 phone games are huge! Nintendo needs all markets, including this one to stay relevant. Gamers don’t like change, but you don’t have by anything you don’t like.

  9. Smart move. Nintendo is really trying to make this a console for everybody. See all the Apple fanboys rush the Wii U.

  10. Well, if it’s anything like the 3DS, then I’ll be able to check my e-mail while playing using the web browser. Maybe they can strike a deal with Direct TV or Timewarner Cable (in the US) to use your Wii U as a receiver and control your programs that way. Think about it, the main channel would be on the TV while the second channel would be on the controller to watch two channels at a time.

    That sound good, but I’m more interested in the games. Please have gamecube support from day one. There are some games that I couldn’t get in their physical form and some of the ones I have have scratches on them, not to mention they have two discs (RE Zero). Maybe they can share this with the 3DS and all. I’m glad the year is over. Maybe we could hear a little more after this, even if they’re rumors.

  11. There isn’t going to be any app games imo. Just look at the apps in the eshop. There’s NO games watsoever. There’s no point when there’s a virtual shop that has virtual console games and Wii/dsi ware which is our own version of app gaming. The way I see it, its gonna be apps like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, yahoo, blah blah blah. Even netflix is an app

  12. Sceptical about this seeing as they made out that this would be the case with the 3DS and there haven’t really been any non-gaming apps so far…

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      1. It’s a good game…. just because it’s not nintendo doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about it.

        It IS a sony exclusive however.

      1. You guys obviously don’t know about Peteriuss, he’s a very loyal Nintendo fan, and he loves witness Sony or Microsoft failures, but since his natural language is not the english one, it isn’t terribly good, therefore many mock about this fact, so well known is this that there’s a trend recently going on here, ‘fake Peteriusses’, and that ‘gye’ up there is one of them. The real Peteriuss would never say something good about Nintendo’s competitors, neither he would ask for or wish one of their exclusive games.

        Just to let you. Cheers.

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  15. Nintendo’s genius!! It’s a business company after all, so what Nintendo are doing here is to broaden their market, even more than what they did with the Wii, first with the channel esque aproach and now they’re taking it to the next level making it even more appealing for the non gamer consumer. Some pleaded and even tried to press Nintendo to embrace the mobile or smartphone market and they succeeded in this, Nintendo is embracing what they may benefit the most of, the apps, but instead of migrating their franchises to that market, they’re bringing mobile-like apps to their systems, wich I think is something good and won’t detrive the core gamer consumer from sticking to their Nintendo system.

    Genius business, Nintendo genius.

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  18. This is a excellent news if you ask me. I want innovation and more features in game consoles than just playing normal video games. As long as the main games are the main focus, extra features should not hurt. If anything, it will bring more sales. Let’s not worry about “shovelware”. We DO NOT have to buy them if we do not want them.

  19. This is just one of the great reasons for me to purchase the Wii U. Nintendo’s very own app store is probably one of the best strategic moves they’ve ever made. Imagine the freakin’ possibilities of using the app… especially checking emails, surf the web, etc. Iwata-san and the Reginator is really kicking some serious butt. Look forward to next year’s E3!!!!!!!!!

  20. we want facebook & youtube nico nico video this nico nico video very popular site in japan psp vita it has app already they meet the company nico nico video they are lucky sony ;_; nico nico video is better then youtube and facebook all site piss off i want nico nico video only i want to see anime !!! video games latest in japan gameing culture!

  21. app psp vita better then wii for real i can’t not believe nico nico video japanese stie has conformed already i need nico nico video is we want facebook & youtube nico video is better then youtube nico nico video it has video games news and culture games is japanese stie music cooking food anime news gaming news

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  25. hi there your wright nico nico app is better then youtube app becuase i found nico nico app on itune store and i use nico nico video app on my iphone ipad and ipod also contacted nico nico inc at niconicoinc.com for trying get nico nico video app on nintendo 3ds as well

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