Minecraft Wii U doesn't support resource management on GamePad

The Wii U version of hit game Minecraft will not support resource / inventory management on the console's GamePad controller. The news has been confirmed by developer Mojang's director of creative communications Owen Hill.

Hill, in response to a fan query on Twitter, said the game doesn't support the feature "at the moment." He added: "It's just used as an alternate screen if someone is using the TV." Nintendo announced the Wii U version of the wildly popular block-based building and adventuring game on Monday 7 December.

The first complete version of Minecraft was released on PC and smart phones in 2011, with further releases following in 2012 on Xbox 360, 2013 on PlayStation 3 and 2014 on PS4 and Xbox One. Its enormous popularity among gamers young and old has made it a success on every platform.

The Wii U version is the first to arrive on a Nintendo platform, but arrives well after the game has already appeared on other devices. With this in mind, fans were hopeful that this version would utilize the three-year-old console's features – chiefly the GamePad, the core controller which houses a second screen.

Using that second screen to allow players to manage their resources felt like a no-brainer, but the game – at least initially – will not support that. It will however arrive on Wii U with six content packs previously released for other versions of the game with additional packs available for purchase.

Minecraft Wii U will be released on Nintendo's eShop on 17 December with a disc release to arrive sometime in the future.

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