4. Third-party support for Wii U
John Riccitiello, head honcho at uber-publisher EA took to the Nintendo stage at this week's E3 2011 press conference to head praise on the gaming potential of the new Wii U. It was the first time that EA has so publicly thrown its considerable weight behind Nintendo and, make no bones about it, it is indicative that Wii U is being seen as a serious prospective money-spinner for publishers.
EA offers Wii U support: Third-party games publishers clearly see potential
Others speaking or sending their Wii U love via video-messages at Nintendo's E3 press conference included Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft CEO and Ken "the BioShock man" Levine, from Irrational Games. Plus, there was lots of clear support for adult-themed hardcore shooting games on Wii U from the likes of Sega and THQ on show – all of which help to endorse the potential of Nintendo's new toy among the core.
And with a "third-party developer round-table" scheduled for later tonight in Los Angeles, expect further news on other partners and the latest plans for 3DS and Wii U from a wide range of developers very soon.
5. New Super Mario Bros. Mii
Not an 'official' announcement, as such, New Super Mario Bros. Mii is one of several tech demos that Nintendo has been showing off to the press behind closed doors (ie it is not publicly available to play on the E3 showfloor).
New Super Mario Bros. Mii shows off the potential for the Wii U's touchscreen controller better than almost anything else. The tech demo basically looks identical to New Super Mario Bros. Wii from back in 2009, with the same image you are seeing on the screen also appearing on the touchscreen in front of you.
NSMB Mii: One of the more interesting Wii U demonstrations on show
Which means you can choose to play it on your TV or use the Wii U's familiar-feeling four-button scheme and dual joysticks to play it on your lap (or in bed, or slouched on the couch, or wherever you like really!). You can also use the new left and right triggers or the Wii U's touchscreen to control the game in new ways.
