Nintendo is merging the physical and digital gaming worlds with new NFC figurines that can import data into Wii U games.
The gaming giant today at E3 showed off the Amiibo figurines, which can communicate with in-game content and allow gamers to develop their own characters over time. By placing the figurine on the Wii U GamePad, the NFC technology allows data to be transferred from the toy directly into the game.
The idea is similar to Skylanders, but Nintendo’s figurines can work across different games. The figurines will first work with Super Smash Bros for Wii U, the company announced today, while other games like Mario Kart 8 will support the new devices in the future. There will also be a way to use the Amiibos with 3DS games with a special piece of hardware.
Perhaps the Amiibos will help spur some much-needed sales for Nintendo, which has struggled to keep up in the console space with Sony and Microsoft. Earlier this year Nintendo announced a $228 million loss for 2013, and last week the company revealed it will be closing their European headquarters in Germany, laying off 130.
You’ll be able to purchase the figurines this holiday season. Nintendo didn’t reveal details on pricing.
Check out this video for more details:
