Nintendo has been slower to embrace downloadable games and other content for its game consoles compared to Microsoft and Sony. However, a new rumor claims that Nintendo"s next major console, the Wii U, will have an app store that will offer much more content. The Daily reports via unnamed sources that the Wii U"s app store, which is still officially unnamed, will have a wider variety of apps to download.
While details are scarce, we can speculate that the Wii U"s app store will feature more video-based apps than the current Wii. At the moment, only Netflix is available for the Wii in the US while the BBC"s iPlayer is available in the UK.
Sony"s Playstation 3 has a number of video features, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu and its own video download store. Microsoft has recently been adding a ton of video apps for the Xbox 360, including a recent update when it added items like UFC and Dailymotion. The Wii also has a web browser, based on Opera, and a few other small apps that offer information like weather and news. At the moment, Nintendo has yet to reveal if there will also be a web browser for the Wii U.
The Daily also says that some of the apps for the Wii U will be able to be used outside of the console itself. That likely means that the Wii U"s 6.2 inch tablet-like touch screen controller will be able to run apps downloaded via the Wii U as well.
Currently, Nintendo uses a points system to purchase games and apps for the Wii, similar to Microsoft"s Xbox 360 console. It"s currently unknown if Nintendo will stick with the points system for downloading games and other apps for the Wii U.