Wii U’s Touch-Screen Controller to Have NFC Capabilities

[Maura]

[FONT=&amp]

Gamasutra has managed to unearth a nugget of very fascinating information from Nintendo’s financial briefing event in Japan last week, where Nintendo President Satoru Iwata talked about the Wii U’s touch-screen controller’s near-field communication (NFC) capabilities. According to the President, these capabilities will enable the controller to interact with other devices that also have NFC capabilities. It will work in just the same way as NFC-capable smartphones and smart cards do now, using radio communication to interact with another NFC-equipped item when close to, or touching, it. [/FONT]

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world," said Iwata.

[FONT=&amp]Iwata added that NFC could also be used to make micropayments. Just imagine the marketing potential for Nintendo, such as being able to package toys with a game that could then interact with a game![/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39877/Wii_U_controllers_latest_secret_revealed.php[/FONT]