Nintendo Wii U Tablet with NFC
Nintendo Q3 results briefing reveals their new Wii U tablet styled console will have NFC on-board = Very Cool: http://bit.ly/z6kxAA
In his third quarter financial briefing, Nintendo President Saturo Iwata revealed that the Wii U will include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which could be used to link games with real world items and support simple, instantaneous, micropayments. If implemented successfully, the ability for Wii U owners to instantly purchase in-game items or Wii U apps, without needing to share credit card details, could give the newly confirmed ‘Nintendo Network’ an edge over Xbox Live and the Playstation Network.
By enabling NFC transactions on its Wii U controller, Nintendo could open the door to impulse purchases of in-game content and Wii U apps from the comfort of the sofa, without even needing to access the TV. Many consumers are cautious about sharing their credit card information with Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, with both services having experienced security concerns in the past year. By implementing a secure and instantaneous payment system, Nintendo could overcome some of the difficulties associated with getting consumers to embrace digital distribution on consoles. See full article via Venture Beat.