Nintendo Wii U App Store in the Works

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Work on the Nintendo’s next-generation Wii U console gaming system is still under wraps, but sources say that Nintendo already has a full-fledged app and game store in the works.

Nintendo is planning to launch the Wii U by second half of 2012, according to an earlier report by our gaming editor Eric Abent. Even before any official announcement, game enthusiasts and gaming media are already getting excited about the Wii U’s new touch- and motion-based interface.

But apart from the console itself, what’s interesting is that Nintendo is developing a game and app ecosystem for the Wii U, as reported by The Daily. The application store will be a full-blown app store, which is unlike Nintendos’ current offerings, the Wii Shop and the DSi shop. These two current app stores are meant for “light” apps and games, but the upcoming app store for the Wii U will be a full-fledged store that offers a wider variety of applications.

Sources also say that Wii U owners will be able to acquire apps meant for the Wii U itself, as well as apps that can independently run on the Wii U controller. With the controller’s tablet-like design, it’s likely that gamers will be able to use the controller to do some tablet-related tasks, like browse the web, read and send email, run social networking apps, and the like.

One question, though, is whether Nintendo plans to monetize its app store through actual money-based systems (like Apple) or a points system, which Nintendo uses in WiiWare and DSiWare. Either way, we’ll eagerly await more news about Nintendos’ plans for the Wii U and the still-unnamed app store for its next-gen console.