This is a rumor that has been around for a few days now, but yesterday it became a very much discussed topic on the net, the rumor: there is a DSi successor already in the works, and it will be released by the end of 2010 (that's next year, folks!).
Nintendo, according to the 'anonymous sources' quoted on BSN's report, is already working on the next DS handheld console and is planning to release it by the end of next year (probably just in time for the Holiday rush).
To fuel the rumor even more, there's also talk about nVidia's newly announced next generation of their single-chip solution, Tegra (available early 2010) will be the processor of choice for Nintendo's new baby. This came in as a result of nVidia's CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang's bold remarks that Tegra would account for 50% of their revenues in the next few years. nVidia and Nintendo partnered up last March to allow Wii developers to have access to nVidia's PhysX SDK, so the possibility of a new partnership is not so out of place. And the cherry on top is the rumor that, should the next DS use Tegra, it would be DS compatible. (pictured DS is a fan concept)
Ready to get your black WiiMote and MotionPlus? Are you going to add a black Nunchuck to the mix? Well, it turns out that you'll be able to do this very soon. Nintendo announced today that they'll be releasing a black WiiMote + MotionPlus bundle and a black Nunchuck by November 16th.
The WiiMote/MotionPlus bundle will be sold at US$50, while the Nunchuck will go for US$20. Get your wallets ready.
The Wii Remote revolutionized not only how people play games, but also who plays them. The new color lets people customize their setup, and the controllers make great stocking stuffers for players of any age. - Cammie Dunaway
The Console Wars are still raging and the latest attempt to win them has been to cut their prices. First, it was the PS3 and XBox 360 that made the move (following the expectation of the new PS3 Slim), and when the bomb hit, the Wii finally announced its own price cut. On the handheld side, the PSP did the same following the release of the PSPGo, as did the DS Lite after DSi way back when. Now, the numbers are out (at least in Japan):
Although the price cut did increase sales a little for the Wii, it didn't manage to beat PS3 sales in the region. Some say it's because the PS3 also had Ninja Gaiden released this week, some say it's because the PS3 Slim just has a good thing going on right now. Whatever the reason, the Wii is still behind in Japanese regional sales.
On the handheld front, the PSP 3000 is slumping ever further, not being able to trump the DSi even after the price cut and the fact that it is now cheaper than Nintendo's handheld revision.
Here's the list of sales for this week (previous weeks numbers in parenthesis): * DSi: 53,293 (63,342) * PSP: 51,215 (17,334) * PS3: 37,538 (39,960) * Wii: 35,392 (11,731) * DS Lite: 10,661 (15,057) * X360: 4,244 (4,854) * PS2: 2,179 (2,347)
Nintendo's licensing policy is just getting more ridiculous every time they open their mouths. This time it's the turn for DSiWare; Australian site, Nintendo Life, has confirmed that DSiWare purchases are locked to the specific hardware they were downloaded to and cannot be transferred to another DSi unless you send it to Nintendo.
According to their interview, if you download a game or app for your DSi, it stays there forever. Should you get bored of the color and want to change your DSi, you lose all of your purchases. Yup. All of them.
The only way that DSiWare titles can be transferred from one handheld to another is by sending them back (both devices) to Nintendo so that they can perform their super secret procedure. Oh, but wait! That's not the end of your ordeal! Oh, no! Nintendo will only authorize the transfer IF the original DSi is broken and/or damaged.
Although Nintendo of America seems to be a little more user-friendly than Aussie Nintendo, there's still hope that such a policy is not in effect this side of the ocean (but not too high, though). And as GameSpot points out, should you read Nintendo's End User license, you'd get why:
...software downloaded from Nintendo DSi Shop is licensed to you, not sold.
That is one bold affirmation, Mr. Wada; so bold, we hope it's true (and preferably a little sooner than that). Square Enix Presiden, Yoichi Wada, has said that he expects Nintendo to release a new Wii by 2011, with features resembling those of the PS3 or XBox 360 (high-def graphics, HD Video playability, and network and multimedia features) and might even come with a new kind of controller (let's hope its not the Vitality sensor).
Mr. Wada's statements do not end there...Oh, no! He goes on to claim that Sony's and Microsoft's upcoming motion-sensing technologies will have little to no impact at all on their sales, claiming that their systems are already well targeted and unless a great deal of good motion-sensing games come out from day one, the new controllers will be more of gimmicks than actual controllers (ouch!). He also notes that actually developing motion-sensing games is quite a difficult task.
Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine. Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small. They are an extension of the gaming function.
But he does have a motion-sensing technology of choice: Microsoft's Project Natal. Wada even goes on to say that this will become the standard for the industry in the near future. Maybe he has a crystal ball or something...
Rejoice, Europe! You're getting shiny, new colors for your DSi! If the rumors are true, of course... According to reports from a Nintendo distributor, three new colors will be available for DSi shoppers by the end of October (on the 23rd to be exact if the report is accurate). Now Euro gamers will have blue, navy, and red on their DSi to choose from.
While the fact that around this time Sony will be releasing the PSPgo and would make it look as a move for Nintendo to boost DSi sales and beat the PSPgo, reports that the aforementioned handheld is dead before it even arrives (retailers refusing to stock Sony's new mini-wonder, pre-orders not even being touched, distributors refusing to give publicity, mixed reviews, and insanely high pricing) make it look as if this was not the true reason why the colors would be released.
Bear in mind that Nintendo has NOT made an official announcement yet, so take this as is: RUMOR.
First it was Toys R Us, then it was Target... This time, it's Best Buy who comes into the Wii price-drop rumor confirmation with this leaked BestBuy printed ad, apparently coming from an inside source.
Everything points towards a new US$200 price point for the Wii, in what would be an obvious response to Sony's lower PS3 price tag and subsequent Microsoft's XBox 360 reaction to match it. Is this lower price a permanent thing? Is it just a seasonal promotion? Are these VERY early Thanksgiving offers? Is Santa Claus waking up early this year? You be the judge...
Although rumors about the pricing had already surfaced before, it is now official, alongside a release date. Wii Fit Plus is set to hit shelves in the US on October 4th at US$99 if you buy it with a Balance Board, and at US$20 if you buy just the game.
It is also worth noting that, with this Wii Fit 'update', the original Wii Fit game (and bundle) is now being phased out, so Nintendo is no longer re-stocking the game to retailers. It is unclear if the original Wii Fit game will ever be released as a stand-alone version.
Although we won't be delighted with Black Wiis or blue remotes, Nintendo of America is giving us a treat: Black Wii Remotes and Nunchucks (alongside matching jackets and Motion Plusses).
NoA has announced that they will be selling a WiiMote + Motion Plus bundle this Holiday season (jacket included), alongside a stand alone nunchuck. According to the press release, this is the first new color for the Wii Remote and accessories, so hopefully that means we'll be seeing more colors in the near future.
They also announced two new colors for the DSi as of September 13th: white and pink. With this, we now have four color choices for Nintendo's new handheld and...one color for the home console. Well, at least we get black remotes.
What? This is a Nintendo blog, you say? How is this Nintendo-relevant, you ask? Well, before you get your knickers in a knot, allow me to explain. Yesterday, Sony announced what we all knew: The PS3 Slim was real, and what's more, it would be cutting the 80GB current model by US$100 (to US$299) until stock runs out. Now, this may be good news to Sony lovers...but for the rest of us, it means a GREAT re-thinking of things.
Microsoft, for instance, will have to match the US$299 price on its premium SKU and eventually phase out the 60GB model to match Sony's newest default. Analysts predict US$299 will become the new industry standard, so finnancially-troubled Sony and Microsoft will have to struggle to keep profits while maintaining the price. The problem for Nintendo is, of course, this new pricing. For 50 extra bucks you get a high-def console, BluRay player, superior multimedia-and-PC connectivity, and a much bigger hard drive than that of a Wii. Wanna bet how many players are willing to wait a few more days to save those 50 dollars and buy a US$299 PS3 instead of a US$250 Wii?
Let's wait and see how Nintendo reacts. But more importantly, how will YOU, our readers, react?
UPDATE (08/22/2009): X-Box 360 Elite now drops US$100 and sells for US$299. And so it begins. Also, the new PS3 Slim will be US$299 as well, with a 120GB hard drive.
Well, this is just turning ridiculous. First, it was the horse riding peripheral that boggled us earlier this week; now, it's a 90-dollar piece of equipment to simulate bike riding (with three different resistance levels). Will the peripherals for the Wii never end?! Make a GOOD game that uses ONE of them instead of making the Wii the most expensive cheap console, thanks to useless, pricey 'extensions'! ¬.¬ I mean, a regular bike (or even a static bike) goes for around that price!
Granted, this is just a rumor. But if it ever turns out to be true, that would be just the drop needed to overfill my glass. The image portrays what, according to NeoGAF user, Kswinston, is a business market-research presentation that reveals the bike peripheral.
BBQ-making?! Seriously?! Walk your dog?! GO WALK YOUR REAL DOG, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! ¬.¬'
Click here for the full size image, courtesy of Gamespot.
If you own a Psyclone Essentials or a React charging station, then you should contact the distributor and find out how to get a replacement. Why? The stations have been reported to overheat and cause hand burns; therefore, there's a recall in place.
The charging stations, manufactured in China, distributed in the US by Griffin International, and sold by Target, Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Amazon are being recalled by the distributor since there have been six reports of the battery pack overheating, with two confirmed incicdents where it led to hand burns.
Six incidents of overheating have been reported to the firm. Two consumers reported minor burns to the hand. Consumers should immediately stop using these recharge stations and contact Griffin International to obtain information on how to return the product and receive a free replacement. - US Consumer Product Safety Comission
This Nintendo-filed patent will probably never see the light of day, but that doesn't keep people from digging up the drawings and seeing what Nintendo is up to: an inflatable cushion to simulate riding a horse.
According to this Siliconera post (where you can see the rest of the drawings), Nintendo filed a patent registration for an inflatable cushion that will house the WiiMote between your legs (yeah, that'll help the WiiMote's phallic jokes) and use the Nunchuck to simulate the reins or any other usable item, such as a whip, bow, club, or sword. The device, supposedly, could be used to simulate riding bulls, camels, elephants, burros, dolphins, whales,dragons, griffons, unicorns, giant eagles, hang gliders or other aircraft, a magic carpet, a motorcycle, a jet-ski, and land or sea exploration vehicles.
I think most of us probably see this as a Zelda-perfect peripheral.
Well, it's not exactly Natal, but it sure has the same concept. These guys from a Japanese University have built a realistic holographic machine that not only tracks your hand movements with a simple two-WiiMote rigg, but using their propietary ultrasound system, allows you to FEEL the objects on screen. Cool!
The year is 1989. The console wars are raging on and the handheld market is nearly non-existent (Let's face it, Game & Watch was way too simple). Until Nintendo released the GameBoy and set the standard for handheld gaming, active even now. The portable system was released in America on July 31st, 1989. Today, 20 years later, its legacy lives on and the sales record and overall industry impact it generated have yet to be surpassed. (And the fact that not even a more powerful, color-screened Sega handheld could dethrone it is quite a feat).
IGN has a nice video to remember those years, in case you want to watch. Happy Birthday, GameBoy!
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