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Iwata Unboxes Wii U, Takes Lid Off System's Online Functionality

by Jeff Cork on Nov 07, 2012 at 02:05 AM

Nintendo did a little unboxing of its own in the latest installment of its Nintendo Direct series. The company's CEO, Satoru Iwata, donned white gloves and went through what players will find within the Wii U's packaging when it launches on November 18. Once everything was out, Iwata followed up by showing off how the system's online functionality works.

As you can see in the video below, the system supports up to a dozen different user accounts, each of which includes its own save games and settings. Once your Mii and account is created, you'll see them in the plaza pictured above. Players can tap their friends' Miis to see what they're playing and to open up chat windows. Good news for Wii users: You'll be able to transfer your Virtual Console games over to the Wii U using an SD Card.

Perhaps the most interesting bit of information revealed in the video is that players will be able to pause their games and browse the Web using the GamePad's screen – without getting booted out of the action. That's going to be a huge help for players who turn to FAQs and other online resources when they find themselves stuck.

The video is in Japanese, though an English version should be coming soon.