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E3 2012 | Nintendo Confirms No Multi-touch for Wii U GamePad

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By Adam Riley (Adam Riley)

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11545 on 06.06.2012 at 23:34

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E3 2012 | Nintendo Confirms No Multi-touch for Wii U GamePad on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo has gone on record to confirm suspicions - there will be no multi-touch on the Wii U GamePad. Whilst many may bemoan the fact that devices such as the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets allow for 'pinching' when zooming in and out of on-screen information and images, the actual game-specific uses of such a feature have yet to be successfully implemented into iOS gaming products.

Therefore, it comes as no shock that Nintendo has decided to save on the costs of Wii U by not including anything more than a general one-touch screen for the GamePad, where a stylus or your own finger can be easily used to access whatever is required on the GamePad's impressive HD screen.

The full interview, with the Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Nintendo, Charlie Sciabatta, can be seen here:

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Nintendo - E3 2012: Exclusive Wii U Interview, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

As for the specific quote about the Wii U GamePad, it was as follows:

The new screen is not multi-touch. Well, with the DS certainly it's not multi-touch and people have really enjoyed that interface and have found it sufficient for their needs for gaming. If you add something like multi-touch you do up the cost, and so we're trying to strike the right balance between the robust set of features and capablilites for the hardware but also make it affordable to people.
- Charlie Sciabatta, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Nintendo.

Do you feel that Nintendo has dropped the ball and multi-touch gaming should have been included in the Wii U hardware?

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Vorash Kadan is offline.

Vorash Kadan on 07.06.2012 at 01:02#1

Well this sucks...SOOOOOOO much gameplay potential lost here. This is the ONE thing that Vita has over 3DS & now U...it's got multi touch in both front AND back which is the only redeeming feature about Vita. And no I don't give a rats flying ASS about 3G since AT&T service sucks & SOny was retarded to not sign a deal with Verizon instead.

It is not wise to speak on subjects you do not know all facts about, nor is it smart to judge a game based on looks alone. PSN: Nintendo_Gamer 3DS: 4296-3029-7422

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justonesp00lturn is offline.

justonesp00lturn on 07.06.2012 at 01:35#2

I don't see why it would need multi-touch. How do you even have both hands on the screen and hold the controller in a way that you have access to the tactile buttons? It has four shoulder buttons, four face buttons, a d-pad, and two analog sticks, what could you possibly need multi-touch for? PS3 and 360 do just fine without any touch interface let alone mutli.

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TAG is offline.

TAG on 07.06.2012 at 06:13#3

I'm not too bothered about it. I think it's probably worth saving the money to not include it.

TAG: That American Guy

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

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Hawk is offline.

Hawk on 07.06.2012 at 06:24#4

It doesn't bother me. It worked well enough for my DS, it should work fine for the U.

Working like a fiend isn't very fun... and surprisingly isn't very fiendish either.

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Mush is offline.

Mush on 07.06.2012 at 06:46#5

Nintendo devices have always had the most responsive touch screens anyways, I don't care for multitouch, it wouldn't add anything to the gameplay.

justonesp00lturn said:
I don't see why it would need multi-touch. How do you even have both hands on the screen and hold the controller in a way that you have access to the tactile buttons? It has four shoulder buttons, four face buttons, a d-pad, and two analog sticks, what could you possibly need multi-touch for? PS3 and 360 do just fine without any touch interface let alone mutli.

Totally agree with you, it only needs single touch because you'll only ever be using it to switch out weapons, type messages, etc.

KingDom (guest) on 07.06.2012 at 07:41#6

Thank f*ck. God I hate iphones. That kind of sh*t would be a dealbreaker for me.

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Angus is offline.

Angus on 07.06.2012 at 10:15#7

I'm glad they've gone for this. Screens that allow multi-touch tend to be heat and not pressure sensitive. I'll want to use a proper stylus with a thin tip as opposed to the stubby rods they sell as styluses for Apple products.

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Mandown is offline.

Mandown on 07.06.2012 at 11:23#8

I can see it losing out on some great games developed in the future, for the other two.

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justonesp00lturn is offline.

justonesp00lturn on 07.06.2012 at 18:26#9

Linkyshinks said:
I can see it losing out on some great games developed in the future, for the other two.

The other two don't have touchscreens at all, so what makes you say this?

NNID: crackedthesky
My blog, mostly about writing: http://davidjlovato.wordpress.com

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Phoenom is offline.

Phoenom on 08.06.2012 at 06:15#10

Multi-touch really isn't needed, especially if it would reduce accuracy of the Stylus; as old-fashioned as it may now feel in comparison to Smartphone tech, proper accurate stylus one-touch support is far better for Drawing and the like.

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Mandown is offline.

Mandown on 09.06.2012 at 07:10#11

justonesp00lturn said:
Linkyshinks said:
I can see it losing out on some great games developed in the future, for the other two.
The other two don't have touchscreens at all, so what makes you say this?

Not yet, but I think it's safe to expect they will with their next console controllers. New multi-touch devices in the coming years will be very powerful, they'll get great game that won't need traditional controls. If WiiU could support them, the console could get these games too.

Nintendo likes to criticise mobile games en-mass for lacking quality, I don't know about you, but I see a lot of that on ALL Nintendo's download services.

The multi-touch games of the future will only improve, as hybrid chips improve. The sad fact is, such a hybrid chip could end up being more powerful than WiiU CPU, within the next few years, if progression continues at this current rate.

( Edited 09.06.2012 08:49 by Linkyshinks )

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Marzy is offline.

Marzy on 09.06.2012 at 11:34#12

Phoenixus said:
Multi-touch really isn't needed, especially if it would reduce accuracy of the Stylus; as old-fashioned as it may now feel in comparison to Smartphone tech, proper accurate stylus one-touch support is far better for Drawing and the like.

This is exactly why I prefer a traditional touch-screen for the Wii U controller. I want to be able to paint on it when Colors U is released. Smilie

( Edited 09.06.2012 11:35 by Marzy )

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justonesp00lturn is offline.

justonesp00lturn on 09.06.2012 at 23:53#13

Linkyshinks said:
justonesp00lturn said:
Linkyshinks said:
I can see it losing out on some great games developed in the future, for the other two.
The other two don't have touchscreens at all, so what makes you say this?
Not yet, but I think it's safe to expect they will with their next console controllers. New multi-touch devices in the coming years will be very powerful, they'll get great game that won't need traditional controls. If WiiU could support them, the console could get these games too.
Nintendo likes to criticise mobile games en-mass for lacking quality, I don't know about you, but I see a lot of that on ALL Nintendo's download services.
The multi-touch games of the future will only improve, as hybrid chips improve. The sad fact is, such a hybrid chip could end up being more powerful than WiiU CPU, within the next few years, if progression continues at this current rate.

When the next consoles are released multi-touch will be the last of Nintendo's worries. The then-super underpowered Wii U will have the same third party support problems the currently super-underpowered Wii has.

NNID: crackedthesky
My blog, mostly about writing: http://davidjlovato.wordpress.com

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