New Console Incoming

T-Minus 30 days and counting.

Don't get used to the frequency that I put out these blog posts... I'm not too sure I'll be able to focus as much as I want to in the next couple weeks due to work on my book and the game.

I just couldn't help myself.  Did you know that we'll be playing the Wii U in less than a month?

I have been waiting as patiently as possible for Nintendo's next system.  E3 2011 was like Christmas to me - there's always something surprising about Nintendo's new hardware, and I wasn't dissapointed by the idea of a tablet controller that amplifies the way that we play.

We know what it is, now, and we know what it's capable of:

• Two SKUs will be available on November 18th: a $299 model that's basic, and just comes with the system and the tablet controller, and a $349 model that includes a game, some accessories, and a discount to their premium internet service (among other things). 
• Nintendo is coming into the modern age with it's own answer to Microsoft Live and PSN with their Nintendo Network.  Whether or not it integrates well with the rest of the software remains to be seen.
• None of the games coming out with the system utilize a second tablet controller.  Nintendo is focusing on what they've branded asymetrical gaming - the idea of one person getting a different experience than the person next to them.
• The tablet controller is a nice way to remove all the muddy hud elements from your main screen.  While some people might find it jarring to move from the main screen to the one in your hand, it might make gameplay more immersive.
• The delay on the controller is less than 1/60th of a second.  For some people, that means the controller in your hand will be able to display game content faster than your television.
• One of Nintendo's least talked about apps, TVii, looks to be a nice way to integrate your streaming video services (Hulu, Netflix), your cable television, and your DVR. 
• The Wii U has one of the most robust launches for a new console.  While some of the games are coming late (Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 3) and others are multiplatform (Assassin's Creed 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2), this is the strongest batch of software that's launched alongside a system since perhaps the Dreamcast.

Personally, I'm very excited for the New Super Mario Bros. U, Zombi U and Rayman Legends, but I've also been patiently biding my time for when I could get my hands on Darksiders 2 and Assassin's Creed 3.  I wanted to experience those games for the first time on the new tablet controller and see whether or not they impressed me.

What are you expecting from the Wii U?  Do you even think you'll be able to get a hold of one?  Last time Nintendo released hardware, it took people months, almost half a year to get their hands on them.