New Wii U console features social networking (Image Courtesy: Renato Gizzi)

Ahead of the E3 video games conference, Nintendo has released a few details about its new Wii U console which features social networking and promotes Miiverse in which users can see what others are playing, share self-created game content and swap gaming tips.

Designed for Miis around the world to meet, Miiverse resembles social networking of sorts as it allows communication with other players in real-time using the Wii U Game Pad.

Miis will congregate in the plaza around icons representing different titles, enabling the user to check what games are popular at the moment, including titles that one doesn’t own, also letting user find friends who might be interested in the same title as s/he.

Miis will be able to communicate with both players they know, and simply other players who are in the plaza at the time who speak the same language as they do. Players can send text messages as well as drawing and images. They can also share screen-shots from a game on a wall within Miiverse.

Additionally, Miiverse will also allow for in-game posting, so users can leave messages and tips for friends who might play a game later. A spoiler checkbox in the messaging system can help prevent the user from finding out more than s/he wants to know about a game during play.

Miiverse will be supported by both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The network can be accessed through PC, smartphone via a Miiverse web app. The presentation also showed changes made to the game pad including redesigned thumbstick controllers, extra buttons and a card slot to add data to the device.