E3 2012: Watch Entire Nintendo Wii U Pre-E3 Presentation Here

Ahead of the full Nintendo E3 presentation this week, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata used the opportunity of the company's pre-E3 2012 Nintendo Direct briefing to unveil a raft of new details relating to the upcoming Wii U console. If you missed the briefing, we've posted the full half hour long video below - and Nintendo fans will be hugely excited to see the hardware details that Iwata reveals... http://youtu.be/bmbGApm1uN4 For us, the stand-out details are the functionality of the Gamepad - which will combine universal remote control-like features with those of both tablets and conventional controllers to what looks like impressive results - the pro controller (which we have already discussed here), and the smart looking Nintendo Network features, dubbed the Miiverse. It is that Miiverse - which will no doubt be seen as a direct competitor to both Microsoft's XBox Live and Sony's Playstation Network - that represents the best software advancement for Nintendo, considering how frustrating the company's absence from the online arena has been for die-hard Nintendo fans. With the Miiverse, and some of the specific features of the console, Nintendo are unveiling a new gaming mantra - "Together Better" - pushing the social elements of gaming in a way that they have never explored so far. That includes a focus on social networking - something of a founding principle of the Miiverse - with video calling, social networking and text-based communication all part of the set-up. Whether that includes Twitter and Facebook compatibility remains to be seen - but that would be a fairly sizeable oversight if Nintendo do choose (as expected from some quarters) to leave the network closed. The new embracing of social gaming could well spell bad news for the other big console makers, especially if the release of the Pro Controller does indeed suggest a move towards deeper game experiences than was previously offered by the Wii. Because the Wii U will be actively encroaching on their market share in a way that the Wii never managed, which can presumably only be good for both Nintendo's struggling finances and the market as a whole. All-in-all the Wii U looks hugely impressive, with the E3 Nintendo conference now taking on added excitement as we wait to see exactly which game titles will be released on launch. Stick with WhatCulture for more E3 coverage as it happens.