The word out of Nintendo in regards to the Wii U’s tablets back at E3 was that each console would only be capable of supporting one at a time due to technical troubles. However, website Develop has reason to believe that the manufacturer is cracking away at a workaround that would allow a second tablet to function with each system.
According to “a trusted game development executive,” there are “numerous indications” within the coding of the platform that indicates it is being prepped to operate with a second touchscreen controller. Their anonymous source informed them that, in addition to RAM capacity and processor speed, a second controller option is still being kicked around by the Kyoto, Japan-based company.
The tipster claims that Nintendo’s engineers are closing in on overcoming whatever limitations have heretofore prevented them from achieving 1980s-level multiplayer functionality with the system.
But while a second tab may become a reality, a third or fourth one is almost certainly out of the question. The chances of that happening are said to be slim to none.
Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo Company, Ltd. mentioned during the Electronics Entertainment Expo that he believed a second tablet would price the system out of the budget of many of the more casual-gaming consumers the company is targeting with their next-gen console. Develop’s insider says that this too is no longer the case, however.
The Big N has reportedly tuned in to consumer feedback and now sees a second controller as a near necessity. So give yourself a pat on the back for complaining about the issue on that message board that one time those hundreds of times.
“Nintendo now know [sic] they absolutely need to support two tablets,” the source informed Develop.
“At E3 they didn’t commit to this, but they know how important it is to make it technically feasible to support two screens,” he continued. “Even if that affects framerate, as a developer and player, I don’t care. It needs to work. Developers will design appropriate games for this. If you’re building a quiz game you’re not going to give a shit about the framerate.”
The Wii U is set to be in “final form” at next year’s E3. It is unlikely that we’ll get too many more concrete details about the device, its software lineup or multiplayer abilities before then. But keep your browser right here for all the scuttlebutt that is sure to continue flowing in before next July.
[Source: Develop]
[Image via The Gadget Site.]
