NZ date set for Wii U

After months of rumours and debate, the next-generation of consoles has been scheduled for release on November 30.

Following yesterday’s European Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo Australia has announced the Wii U, successor to the Wii, will be upon us before the end of the year.

The new console is of course HD and will feature two hardware packs upon launch, including titles like FIFA 13, Black Ops II, Rayman Legends and classic franchise game Super Mario Bros. U.

The Wii U Basic Pack is going for AUD$349.95 (NZ$444) and comes with a console with 8GB of internal storage and the Wii U GamePad, while the premium pack will set you back AUD$429.95 (NZ$545.55), which comes with a 32GB consoles, a stand, charging cradle, sensor bar and free Nintendo Land game.

Judging from the size of the hardware, Nintendo have not shifted their focus to digital gaming with this leap into the next-generation. 8GB is not a whole lot of space to fit downloads into, so Nintendo have clearly decided to target this console at those who buy games on disc.

The console is being pushed massively by a fairly hefty number of launch titles, including Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Epic Mickey 2, Madden 13, Assassin’s Creed III and Batman: Arkham City; however, not a lot of the bigger, AAA games are actually new for the Wii U.

To compete with the home entertainment aspects that are rumoured to be included in the Xbox 720, the Wii U can stream video from Hulu, Amazon and Netflix directly to a TV, while the touchpad shows additional information like scores and stats in sports games and previews for films.

So it looks like Nintendo is trying to play with the big boys in both worlds – targeting the massive market for the original Wii, but also gently stepping into Sony and Microsoft’s hardcore gamer territory.

Will it pay off for them? Or do you think the Wii U will fail to get a break through with the more serious gamers? Let us know in the comments below.