Nintendo's upcoming home video game console, under its working name, "Wii U", may have a large impact on future generations of gaming. This is mainly due to the fact that it will be including a tablet device as a controller. The idea of a tablet controller is revolutionary; games will be enhanced and played in a way they have never been before.
While the Wii U's release date has been set at November 18th, 2012, much of the information about the system is speculation by fans. The biggest detail released directly from Nintendo is the fact that the Wii U will have a tablet controller. One of the most recent rumors about this system is that it's price seems to have been set at $300 by Nintendo. Despite the fact that this is more expensive than the original Wii was at launch, most high end tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the iPad are set around the $400-$500 price range, and current generations consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 are priced higher than $300.
The Wii U's inclusion of a tablet is exciting for many different reasons. For one, it will enhance normal gaming experiences. Game developers will now have the chance to enable the use of the tablet peripheral in creative new ways. For example, a player may be able to look down at the tablet while gaming and see a map, just as if the character were looking at a map himself, increasing a player's level of immersion with the game.
It is also possible (and very plausible), for Nintendo to release downloadable games for players to play directly on their tablet. This will make the Wii U a much more family friendly experience; people will no longer be fighting over who gets to play video games and who gets to watch television. Gamers can game on the tablet while their family members watch television at the same time, thus ending the age-old battle between parents and children in a way rivaled only by the GameBoy.
Hopefully, Nintendo's recent history of innovation will spark an interest in the other major gaming industries to come up with the "next big thing." Nintendo released the original Wii and was followed up by Microsoft and Sony creating sopycat devices; the Xbox's "Kinect" and the Playstation Move. My hope is that after the Wii U's release, other major gaming companies will try to top Nintendo's innovations, rather than coming up with a copycat gimmick.