Wii U 'Miiverse' Not Supporting Twitter or Facebook

Nintendo have now confirmed that the new Wii U will not have either a Twitter or Facebook App.

"What we have discussed so far... I think it is the other way around, from any devices in the future you will be able to access the Miiverse, from mobile phone or laptop. You can check what's going on and even participate." - Laurent Fischer, Nintendo Europe, speaking to GI International.
The explanation seems plausible enough because iOS and Android apps will quickly appear on their representative markets and there will likely be some web based interface to link up to your achievements etc. But, with Xbox 360 and PS3 having solid link ups with the major social network brands, it seems odd - or maybe suicidal - that Nintendo would want to go it alone. Here at WhatCulture! we are big fans of social networks, they are a great way of communicating with friends and fans across the globe quickly and efficiently without forcing people to check the website every ten minutes for new content and that is without even mentioning old girlfriend stalking potential. So, what makes Nintendo think that it is above this idea?
Laurent Fischer goes on to say: "On the Wii U we do have additional reasons for connecting, we talked about things like the video chat system, nothing revolutionary but it's going to be convenient, it's going to be easy. And the Miiverse is the one actually that I believe has a very unique feature which is we put ourselves in the situation of making sure the people you can communicate with they are somehow already in a kind of community. The community will be the Wii U owners, who will have this common interest for video games and our expectation about that is it's going to be a way to enhance the idea of sharing information on the video game."
Ah, so they think that by creating an isolated culture of Pure Nintendo fanboys, that they can escape the pollutants of the rest of the world? Sorry, maybe projecting a little in order to take a massive cynical side swipe there. The idea does seem to be lock the community away so that it only interacts with itself through the console. If you want to use Facebook, go on your computer and use Facebook is a message I understand, but Nintendo surely has to realise that in a market where people may only be able to afford one of the leading consoles, the more you have in your arsenal to draw people in, the more likely it is that your product will be the one sat under the TV in the most living rooms.
Contributor
Contributor

The Adrian Poole is a member of the human species who occasions upon writing infrequently about those things It both loves and loathes. For more madness from this fool, why not read his blog here.