Forget The Box reports that Nintendo is in talks with iOS developers to port apps to the gaming company’s Wii U platform, including an offer to assist with porting and publishing.

Few details have been released of Nintendo’s plans for potential partners, although it has previously been suggested that the company is planning an app store to offer customers access to “bite sized games” to complement its fully-fledged console offerings. In addition to games, multimedia and other content may be available.

Wii U is the company’s next-generation home console, but also includes a tablet-type controller with touch-screen (pictured).  The intention is to provide a second screen for gamers, for example to display information which does not appear on the television, or to provide different viewpoints in multiplayer games – but the addition of apps will enable it to offer a more tablet-like user experience

The move marks a change of strategy for Nintendo, which has previously been critical of app developers and their business models – especially as its premium pricing model contrasts so drastically to the freemium model widely adopted by mobile developers. It has also declined to move into the iOS space itself, while its own downloadable games business (DSiWare) for its DS handheld console has seen limited success.

According to Flurry, there has been a notable shift in US portable games revenue in favour of Android and iOS, at the expense of the Nintendo DS and Sony’s PSP.