Minecraft coming to the Wii U?

Next generation models of both the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox have been battling each other for supremacy of the seventh generation of video game consoles, while Nintendo has found a niche in gaming with their Wii U console. While 4J Studios is currently working on ports of Minecraft for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, many Nintendo players have been hoping for a Wii U port of the game. Minecraft for the Wii U would make sense with Nintendo's demographic, it's an entertaining and appropriate game for all ages.

But a Wii U port has never materialized, or been mentioned by 4J Studios. Minecraft developer Jens has said in the past on his Twitter account, "Microsoft has an exclusivity deal for consoles. When it runs out we’ll consider Minecraft for PlayStation, but Wii U is very unlikely." However, it seems like Minecraft for the Wii U console may very well be a reality.

Nintendo-focused gaming news site Nintendo Enthusiast reports that we could see a Minecraft Wii U Edition as early as Summer of 2014. The article states, "According to our source, [4J Studios] is currently in possession of Wii U dev kits. Although the game is simultaneously in development for Xbox One and PS4, the developer is said to be focusing on the GamePad for the Wii U version."

Nintendo hasn't been alien to the idea of Minecraft on the Wii U platform, as Damon Baker (Nintendo’s Senior Manager of Marketing for Licensing) has said, "We’re big fans. We have a continuing relationship with Mojang, and respect all the work that they’re doing, but no announcements at this time. [Nintendo] keeps track of what everybody’s doing. [Nintendo is going to PAX Prime to discuss with developers] whether they’re making games for other platforms or not. We’ve got our own favorites that we’ve had conversations with. So I think it’s always a work in progress."

Of course this is all a rumor at this point, although it is worthy to note that Nintendo Enthusiast is notable for the reliability of it's rumors. They correctly reported the release date of the Nintendo Wii U, the development of a Wii U TV app, the development of a competitor to Xbox Live/PSN, and others. We think this rumor could most certainly be true, as Minecraft for the Wii U makes logical sense for Nintendo and all the facts line up. See the source link below for the original article, as well as Nintendo Enthusiast's track record.

Source: Nintendo Enthusiast, Rumor Accountability Report 2011-2014