Wii U Miiverse is a social network for gamers
Posted 26 Aug 2012 at 20:20 by Joshua Phillips
Iwata believes that the Wii U Miiverse is like a social network for gamers, where they can share and enjoy experiences together.
Iwata does note that it wasn't concieved to compete with other social networks but was created as a way for gamers to communicate about the games they're playing.
"I feel that we need to create - or present - a gaming platform as the place to create that 'social graph' for folks who are in gaming circles."
Iwata knows that people currently use social networks to talk about or even create groups about the videogames they enjoy but believes the experience would be far richer if everyone in that network enjoyed videogames.
"Of course the internet does provide a lot of that interaction but it's not built for that purpose. For example, Facebook is something that connects you socially with a lot of different folks, but that doesn't guarantee that the people you are going to have interactions with via Facebook are interested in games. And what I'm saying is that I don't believe that the life experiences that you have - and those might be with people you are connect with on Facebook - are not equal to the gaming experiences you might have with a lot of different folks."
But Miiverse wasn't created for the sole purpose of multiplayer gaming, in fact, one of the core reasons for creating Miiverse was so that single player games can still feel like a connected and shared experience. You'll no longer have to log onto Twitter to tell everyone about the incredible time you've had on Zelda, you can do it in real time, whilst also gaining some vital tips from your gaming friends.
"We have reached an era where even a single-player experience can have a social component that is very important. And I think, again, that social component is mandatory."
Iwata then took a hazy look back to the past and recalled how he used to enjoy discussing Super Mario with his friends. He hopes that more people can excitedly discuss their passion whilst on their consoles with Miiverse.
"Early on, when I played a Mario game, it was really fun for me to sit and chat with my friends about, 'Hey I found coins over here, there's a hidden place.' or 'This is how far I got' That interaction was great. It was really a lot of fun, and I think you'll agree that it was also great to help your friends in playing a Zelda game by saying, 'Hey, this is how you get past this boss or solve this puzzle.'
Are you looking forward to Miiverse? The thought of Iwata popping up and saying "Hey! Listen!" in Zelda has us very excited.