Iwata Admits Wii U & 3DS Connection Has ‘Limitiations’

Satoru Iwata was recently discussing the problems of Wii U and 3DS integration, apparently using the 3DS as a controller will involve sacrificing its Internet connection: “First, I would like to answer from the perspective of whether it is technically possible or not. I will say that it is technically possible. However, there are some limitations, while the Nintendo 3DS is communicating with the Wii or the Wii U, the Wii or the Wii U will not be able to access the Internet, and this technical restriction will remain unless we add some special hardware.”

“If we decide that using the Nintendo 3DS as a controller for the Wii U is the most obvious choice, we will do so without hesitation but, on the other hand, if software from Nintendo for the Wii or the Wii U system could not be enjoyed without the Nintendo 3DS, some consumers might feel that Nintendo is saying that consumers must buy both systems.

“So that consumers will not think of Nintendo as a company that made the Nintendo 3DS a controller because it wanted consumers to buy both hardware systems, we will not adopt this idea unless connecting the two systems is the most natural thing to do. As for connecting multiple gaming devices, we actually did this in the Nintendo GameCube era.

“We connected the Nintendo GameCube and the Game Boy Advance and called it ‘Connectivity.’ Over a period of more than ten years, Nintendo has proposed similar entertainment features several times, and we received a certain level of response, but we feel that something like this that has a high threshold will not really spread among consumers.”

“At that time, there were other problems, like a cable sold separately was necessary to do this, so we would like to think of it as a possibility now that the communication can be done wirelessly, but even if we should do this, we would like to develop this service so that we will not receive comments from consumers saying, ‘Why does Nintendo force us to buy both systems?'”

Thanks to CVG for the info.