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Nintendo Speeding Up Wii U Start-Up For Faster Off-Screen Play
Nintendo wants to speed up players' ability to play the Wii U without using the TV, and an update planned for this Summer should help.
In Nintendo's third quarter briefing results, it points out that the Wii U GamePad has an at least 20-second start-up time, severely hampering the pick-up-and-play factor of the Wii U. Nintendo thinks one of the console's biggest advantages is the ability to play the console without turning on the TV, and it wants to speed up that process.
The Summer update apparently applies some of the principles of TVii, which uses the GamePad's functions without bothering the console itself. In theory, players would be able to start software without having to make a stop by the Wii U's main menu. Nintendo is not able to demonstrate the update yet, but says it will be available this summer.
[Source: Nintendo]
Our Take
I'm a big fan of playing off-screen. The majority of my playtime with Super Mario 3D World, for example, has been exclusively on the GamePad while my family watches television. Anything that can make that process quicker gets a thumbs-up from me.
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