Rumor: Wii U to feature a NFC "Gamer Card" device for Streetpa

[Deleted_171835]

Earlier today, the NFC functionality of Wii U was previewed in a leaked Rayman Legends trailer that showed Ubisoft character action figures being migrated into the game by simply sitting them on the Wii U tablet display. We've gotten word that the tablet won't be the only NFC device featured with Wii U.

According to Geno, a small device that's comparable to Pokemon's pedometer (seen with Heart Gold and Soul Silver) will accompany Wii U to "Street Pass" gamers everywhere. This small device can be carried inside a pocket or can be clipped upon one's waist. The device currently has no name but 3rd Parties have nicknamed it the "Gamer Card". It's a small low res color LCD device that shows an image of your Mii and a few stats about you. The device will gather the Nintendo Network profiles of the people you come in range with allow you to play games and communicate with them via Wii U. The slogan for the device is "When you walk back from work or school and log into Wii U you will have met new friends and even more enemies."

Source

If true, that's pretty cool. They could probably make a 3DS app that you sync with the Wii U as a replacement for this device, too. This could even work with smartphones that support NFC. Just open the Nintendo StreetPass app and place your phone on the controller.

 

[AlanJohn]

comparable to Pokemon's pedometer

Gets me every time.

 

[jalaneme]

i would prefer to use the 3DS to get streetpass for both Wii u and 3ds instead of another separate device.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

the lack of active users and the dumb 1000 steps limitation ruined the streetpass functionality. Hope this not happens to this "game card".

 

[Guild McCommunist]

i would prefer to use the 3DS to get streetpass for both Wii u and 3ds instead of another separate device.

Technically this isn't a separate device, just something that comes with the Wii U.

That being said I never saw the appeal in StreetPass and I really don't see why people pursue it.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Isn't the reason we have a Wii-U forum is because of these rumor threads?

Anyways, I'm with jalaneme, I wouldn't want to have to carry 2 separate devices with me everywhere I go, I'd rather use a 3DS. They could easily make an app that does the same thing and put it on the eShop, then they wouldn't have to spend cash on the hardware (no matter how small the cost may be, it's still better).

 

[NeoGohan]

i would prefer to use the 3DS to get streetpass for both Wii u and 3ds instead of another separate device.

not everyone has a 3DS

 

[Jan1tor]

That is kind of cool idea. I do understand why the seperate device though, because everyone that will own a Wii-U may not already own a 3DS. I'm sure they will end up with a feature on the 3DS though that would allow it to connect to the Wii-U. You can right now for some Mii exchange. I would like to see the 3DS also be used as a second controller for the Wii-U. My main problem is I rarely get hits and I take my 3DS everywhere I go, and I don't live in a small city, I'm in Akron OH by a large city Cleveland. I probably get one or two hits a month. It just seems like people in the states don't take it with them that much or they don't have the wireless turned on. Mine in on 24/7.

 

[LunaWofl]

"When you walk back from work or school and log into Wii U you will have met new friends and even more enemies."

D: But I don't want to meet new enemies!!!

Spoiler

Just recolor the ones I have already, and increase their stats...

But otherwise, this is an okay idea ;

 

[heartgold]

Sure, extra gimmicks are welcome. Nintendo fans will take anything. I agree with the person who said there should be an app or some sorts for the 3DS and Wii-U connectivity doing the same job.

 

[prowler]

nintendo is trying so hard to make a home console portable.

 

[Gahars]

This isn't much of a draw for me. Street Pass is streets behind.

 

[yuyuyup]

This is what Nintendo should do with the Wii U. Give it EXTREMELY GOOD 3DS connectivity and sell a tablet-less Wii-U to 3DS owners.

My justification for my response to this topic: at first glance at the topic I thought this was about 3DS connectivity. But it is actually about carrying around ANOTHER thing, instead of what could have been a perfectly good connectivity option.

 

[ItsMetaKnight]

comparable to Pokemon's pedometer

Gets me every time.

Grow up.

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Supposing this is true, it'd be nice if there was an alternative for devices that already included NFC technology. Google still wants NFC tech in every Android phone for Google Wallet, so why not just make a smartphone app rather than have us carry another device around?

 

[Fluto]

I was going that they'll make this for the 3ds but oh well

 

[Prof. 9]

Lovely idea. I hope it can sync with a 3DS as well; I feel the 3DS is a little too big and expensive to carry around, but a transmitter the size of a Pokéwalker could work very well.

 

[notmeanymore]

StreetPass needs more. Lots more. I just can't figure out what would be best sent.

 

[ferofax]

Streetpass works perfectly fine as it is. it's just that Western geographical areas are too large to effectively saturate them. and besides, the entire reasoning for Streetpass revolves around Japan (and Tokyo) being supersaturated with population.

also, there's another Japanese mentality at work-- the need to connect without actually having to put much effort into it. it's a "ronery" thing. ronery people wanna be talked to without having to actually approach people, and Streetpass gets that perfectly -- it lets you connect with people without actually having to go talk to them to ask for their FC/number. i mean, if you didn't wanna share your Mii or whatever, you'd just turn the darned thing off. but since you left it on, you wanna get tagged as well.

anyways, i think it's good that Nintendo is experimenting with features, but all these extra side devices is starting to get overboard...

 

[Sychophantom]

Streetpass works perfectly fine as it is. it's just that Western geographical areas are too large to effectively saturate them. and besides, the entire reasoning for Streetpass revolves around Japan (and Tokyo) being supersaturated with population.

also, there's another Japanese mentality at work-- the need to connect without actually having to put much effort into it. it's a "ronery" thing. ronery people wanna be talked to without having to actually approach people, and Streetpass gets that perfectly -- it lets you connect with people without actually having to go talk to them to ask for their FC/number. i mean, if you didn't wanna share your Mii or whatever, you'd just turn the darned thing off. but since you left it on, you wanna get tagged as well.

anyways, i think it's good that Nintendo is experimenting with features, but all these extra side devices is starting to get overboard...

My 3DS units are so ronery.

I think you nailed it. Not to mention one other thing, which is at least in my area, a lot of people don't understand Streetpass, and think it will work if you shut the unit off entirely.

Yesterday I took some of my clients to a used game store I frequent, and the clerk was trying to explain Streetpass to someone. When every other handheld system is turned off when not in use (I am not counting iDevices), trying to make the point that you can just close the lid and you may actually get something out of not turning it off is a bit new, especially to the casual gamer crowd.

I ended up taking one of mine out to show the buyer, and getting a Streetpass off the unit for sale before he understood it.

Nintendo has done a decent job of making Streetpass simple to understand, but Americans have had far more practice being stupid and set in their ways.