Nintendo 'plans Wii U app store'

Nintendo is building an app store for its next console, the Wii U, according to reports. The app store will go "far beyond" the current online stores that Nintendo provides for its DSi and Wii consoles.

"Wii U owners will be able to use apps that operate on the Wii U itself, such as MLB, TV and others that run independently on the Wii U's controller," The Daily Telegraph reported.

The Wii U, which launches in the second half of this year, has a tablet-style controller with a 6.2-inch screen, raising the possibility that it could run a variety of independent apps.

The report, citing "a person familiar with the matter" said it was "unknown whether Nintendo plans to monetise its app store with a points system, which it currently uses for WiiWare and DSiWare, or with a more Apple-like pay-to-play system".

It was not confirmed if the app store would permit third-party developers to submit their own apps, as Apple and Google currently do with their app stores. The Daily Telegraph

Source:  www.todayonline.com/TechandDigital/Digital/EDC120104-0000016/Nintendo-plans-Wii-U-app-store