Nintendo has unveiled the eagerly anticipated Wii U, the successor to its hugely successful Wii, and with the new platform the company is hoping to recapture the old magic, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Among the highlights, the new game console broadcasts hi-def video and features a touchscreen tablet-like controller that detects motion, interacts with the television screen and can switch the action back and forth between touchscreen and TV.

The new system will ship next year at a price that has not yet been announced. Presenting the platform at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, “company executives said they were trying to appeal both to the hard core players who account for most game sales and the more casual gamers that bought the original Wii in huge numbers,” the story reports.

"As an industry, what we haven’t achieved yet is a platform that is equally satisfying for all players," said Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo. "This is exactly what we intend to create with our new home platform."

The story reports: “Like its predecessor, the Wii U features a sleek white console that can be controlled by motion. Where it differs is in its controller, a large tablet-like device that features a 6.2-inch color touchscreen at its center. The touchscreen can be used both to play games and as a stand-alone display. If parents walk into the living room and want to watch a television show, their children can shift the entire game to the display on the tablet.”

The original Wii, which bowed in 2005, sold better than 86 million units and restored Nintendo to prominence in the game space.

Here’s a video demo of the new Wii U: