So we all know we wanted use of more then one WiiU controller. Nintendo stated the controller is so expensive that it isn't in the books right now. However a recent patent suggests Nintendo is finding an alternate control system. This peripheral turns your existing Wiimote into a touch pad. We know for a fact that WiiU games will use the Wiimote so this peripheral could most definitly be for the WiiU as well even though it is shown working on a Wii.

The patent from Nintendo explains a little how the device will work saying "The magic of mirrors makes the device work. When you touch the pad an infrared LED turns on and the amplified beams from the LED bounce off the mirror and are interpreted by the controller as position data. If you don’t touch the pad, the remote works just like a standard Wii remote." But how will you be using this new touch pad in games for the WiiU? "in-game drawing pad or to add a mouse pointer interface to a video game." Essentially this device will give gamers a similar touch control system to say the WiiU controller without the price tag of the WiiU controller or the added features. It will be a separate control device and it is unclear exactly what software will be using it.

Rumours are suggesting that the new Sonic game which Sega has said "includes the use of the Wii U mini-tablets for up to a 4 person multiplayer." Seems to suggest gamers can use multiple tablets on a single console, if that is the case then this device might not be 100% necessary.

How do you see this touch pad being used in future Wii and WiiU products? Do you think the peripheral is an ingenious idea? Is this device actually going to materialize for WiiU or is it just another patent Nintendo is making to leave the window open for making such a device?

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Stupid. Just allow the system to connect to more than one of the regular tablets.

If so many companies can sell sub-$100 low-end android tablets, there is no reason a touchscreen with no connects, wifi, large memory, cpu, gpu, etc couldn't be sold in mass production with a price around $50 to $60.

that looks terrible and as superchunk stated -- a poor substitute for using multiple wii U tablets.

Hm I don't know I guess we'll have to wait till E3 to see how it plays.

That's not gonna happen.

So WiiU is going to be a Wii duct taped with a mirror?

I don't understand... Better wait the WII U "final form" at E3 .