2012 marked the year Nintendo finally started to understand the social aspect of video games. Chatting and playing games with friends on the Wii U still isn't quite up to par with the likes of Xbox Live, but it's a start. According to a presentation this afternoon, Nintendo is looking to expand Miiverse a bit, with a smartphone app. Will Nintendo actually break the trend and release something on the App Store? 

Today's Nintendo Direct presentation included news on a number of upcoming game titles and enhancements to the Wii U, including the long-awaited Virtual Console. But keen to our interests, Nintendo will also finally take a look at the previously disregarded smartphone arena.

"The fun of video games is not only just playing games, but also sharing experiences together with people," said Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata. "Even though they live far away, their skill levels are different or their experience does not happen at the same time. We want Wii U to be the system that brings everyone together.”

Miiverse is the social hub of Nintendo's new Wii U console, offering channels focused on particular games or interests. Users are able to interact with one another via posted messages or drawings (utilizing the Gamepad screen).

According to Nintendo, expanded Miiverse features will initially roll out as a browser-based experience. But sometime "in the future," the company will also add a smartphone app.

Of course, before we get too excited about the possibility of an official Nintendo app making its way to Apple's App Store and our iOS devices, it's important to understand the history of these two companies. Nintendo sees Apple as a direct competitor in the handheld space, as the cheap games of the iPhone potentially offset sales of the Nintendo 3DS.

Today's release does not go into detail about which smartphone platform will receive a Miiverse app. But if Nintendo is serious about expanding its social presence, can it really afford to ignore iOS?

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