As everyone already knows, Nintendo’s flagship gaming console, the aging Nintendo Wii, is due for a big upgrade really soon. The replacement was announced at E3 today, known as the “Wii U”. It will deliver features that will significantly change the gaming experience for users, including the long-awaited high-definition video that the Wii lacked. According to Nintendo, The name “Wii” stood for “We,” for how the console can be enjoyed by many people together, while “U,” or “You” stands for how the console can be enjoyed by someone individually. A pretty unique and interesting marketing move. Here is what you need to know about the new console: The Wii U, is very similar to the original Wii; it consists of two parts: the controller and the console itself. The console remains fairly unaltered despite the smaller form factor and slightly thinner design. The Wii Remote, as the controller was called, is now gone. Instead, the company replaced it with a large tablet-like device with a large 6-inch touch screen: The new controller seems to sport a new front-facing camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a stylus (for those of you who are still old-fashioned), and dual analog sticks. There are also navigation controls at the bottom of the controller. The thing that makes it remarkable though is the ability to work independently from the main console. If the TV is off, a full featured version of the game will be displayed on the controllers 6-inches instead, while data is quietly and wirelessly transferred back and forth between the console and the controller. Nintendo stresses that the Wii U is not a portable gaming device though, since the remote needs to periodically communicate with the main console, but it is pretty close to being one. As much as it might appeal to users, we feel that many will miss the older and less intrusive remote, which is now history. The Wiimote was particularly interesting since it could force users to move arond in order to play the game effectively, a feature that many other developers later copied (think PlayStation Move). While the new controllers sport an accelerometer and gyroscope, which would in theory enhance motion controls by a lot, the touch screen and extra features will likely make it heavier. If you are a fan of the old remote however, you will be happy to know that the Wii U will support all current-generation accessories. Either way, it seems to be a great advancement for Nintendo and a much needed upgrade to the Wii-console which had not significantly been touched since 2006. The Wii U will be available sometime in 2012, with no release date being set. [Videos credit: Engadget] Stay tuned for more news and info on this topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed. Authors: