By Spook.
Thursday, 5. November 2009, 14:06:02
dsiware, Spook, nintendo, WiiWare
...
According to reports by
IGN UK, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's CEO, has admitted to investors that the current WiiWare and DSiWare market is small. But he offers a solution: WiiWare demos.
He states that as a part of a test program, a few WiiWare titles are going to be offered with a demo, with which he hopes to increase the market by luring more users into the service this way. This is because they are aware of the fact that most users only browse the WiiShop channel (or the DSi one) when they already know which title they are going to buy, which limits the market possibility a good deal. He does go on, however, to admit this is not THE solution to this particular problem. So, let's see how well this one plays out.
So far, there are not reports as to whether or not the service is going to make it outside of Japan.
By Spook.
Thursday, 5. November 2009, 03:23:48
news, nintendo, games, Spook
...
Remember the
'gag clause' they put into Miyamoto's contract? Well, Nintendo should review that. Shiggy has done it again and went on to 'spill the beans' on an interview granted to
GameLife, stating that the next Legend of Zelda game for the Wii will in fact make use of Motion Plus for a more realistic experience.
n this (installment of the series), we're using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you're actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand. In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we'll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience.
Now, I get how Motion Plus could help swordplay, and call me paranoid if you like, but how would you improve AIMING by removing pointing at the screen and using the add-on instead?
Nintendo, however, has yet to make an official announcement on this, so things are a little unclear as to whether the game will only use Motion Plus as a complement or if it will be mandatory to be able to play it, so stay tuned...maybe the announcement will come at next year's E3 (boom, baby!
).
By Spook.
Monday, 2. November 2009, 17:24:04
news, industry, software, nintendo
...
No surprise here: Wii Sports Resort has sold a lot of copies. In great contrast with
past declarations of bad Wii sales and lowering earnings forecast for the company, Nintendo has informed investors it's top selling software, confirming that Wii Sports Resort has sold nearly 7 million copies to date, and the original Wii Sports nearing the 51-million-copies mark.
Following those games, Wii Fit stands at 22.5 million copies sold, Mario Kart Wii at 18.4 million, Wii Play 24.4 million, and Wii Fit Plus 2.13 million.
On the DS front, New Super Mario Bros. (with a long-awaited Wii 'sequel' coming up this month) is nearing 20 million copies sold. Mario Kart DS sales have hit 16.1 million, Tomodachi Collection 1.45 million and Professor Layton and Pandora's Box is at 1.26 million.
Via
GamesIndustry.
By Spook.
Friday, 30. October 2009, 14:01:05
news, industry, nintendo, Spook
It's a harsh world out there, right now... Especially if you're a videogame company such as Nintendo. Although sales did go up with the recent price cut, the measure didn't boost sales enough to reach past levels (which is a bad thing as a specific, but in general Nintendo did manage to rake in billions in profit). But don't take it from me, take it from THE MAN himself.
Wii has stalled. We were unable to continually release strong software, and let the nice mood cool. We were unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing.' In the game market, once you’ve lost the momentum, it takes time to recover. - Satoru Iwata
So, Nintendo's president blames the lack of good software (and would you rebate that?) and has stated that while sales went up with the price cut, it wasn't enough to recover from the low ones from the first half of the year. But he has hope: he expects to sell 20 million consoles by March 2010 (maybe with
Wii 2?
).
Via
GamesIndustry.
By Spook.
Friday, 30. October 2009, 02:12:29
news, Spook, wii
All right, so it's NOT a general rule...but wouldn't that be something? Canadians have been famous for their bacon for ages, and now they 'make history' by making a 12-year-old surrender his Nintendo Wii in exchange for his freedom. We're not kidding.
The
Winnipeg Sun reports that Judge Marvin Garfinkle (it's obvious why the guy's bitter with a name like that) has arranged for a 12-year-old boy, who has been in a lot of trouble with the law lately, surrender his Nintendo Wii as a sort of bail. The terms, the article states, are that the boy keeps peace, appearing for court dates, live with his grandma, and participating in a bail management program. Should the boy fail to honor the agreement, the court gets to keep the console.
He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii, and if he doesn't comply, he loses it. - Judge Garfinkle
The boy's lawyer, although the brat has spent some time in court already for breaking his school's door windows with a rock-filled sock and chasing and beating another boy, among other mishaps, claims that the boy is not violent but instead just someone who often finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I know it doesn't look good. I've never seen him enraged, I've never seen him upset. He's a 12-year-old who is generally quite scared. - Serena Puranen, Lawyer.
By Spook.
Monday, 26. October 2009, 16:25:20
news, Spook, japan, dsiware
Square Enix will be releasing this week it's mobile title, Kuni Yaburete Sanga Ari (Hills and Rivers remain) onto DSiWare. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, such title is only slated for a Japanese release, with no word on whether or not this title will ever make it outside Japan (let's hope it does, as long as it is a good one).
The game features 4-player wireless gameplay, updated stylus control, and according to reports, some exclusive maps when in multiplayer mode. The game will be sold at 800 DSi Points (around US$8) and will be available from October 28th.
Via
Andriasang.
By Spook.
Tuesday, 20. October 2009, 17:54:54
news, Europe, nintendo, Spook
...
Black Wii is in Japan, now Black Wii will be in Europe. Nintendo has announced that it will be releasing a Black Wii Bundle across Europe this month.
The bundle will be available as a Limited Edition pack including a Wii, WiiMote, MotionPlus, and Nunchuck (all in luscious black), and of course, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. The bundle will be available in the UK and Ireland on November 6th, while the rest of Europe will have to wait until November 20th to get their anxious hands on the shiny, new console.
Of course, separate versions of each accessory will be available in black, including the Classic Controller Pro in the same dates across Europe. No pricing details have been given out yet, though.
Via
Nintendo UK.
By Spook.
Sunday, 18. October 2009, 20:01:27
news, nintendo, Spook
It seems Nintendo is getting ready to unveil an online surprise for its fans, or so teases Denise Kaigler, Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs in
IGN's Nintendo Minute while commenting on the positive response the new Nintendo Channel has been getting.
We're working on a little surprise for those who connect their Wii to the Internet, so keep your eye on the Nintendo Channel for that announcement to come in the near future.
What do you guys think? Could this be that the Connection Ambassador Program is finally coming to the US? Could they FINALLY get more games to use WiiSpeak (or give it better functionality than the dreadful WiiSpeak channel)? Could they be getting rid of Friend Codes?! Personally, I think it'll have something to do with video streaming...
By Spook.
Thursday, 15. October 2009, 00:03:58
nintendo, hardware, news, Spook
...
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
By Spook.
Friday, 9. October 2009, 00:00:01
japan, wii, Spook, nintendo
...
It's official: Nintendo loves Japan (I wonder why
). In just a day, the company announced a couple of Wii bundles, a new Pokémon game, and two new WiiMote colors for the region. Is this fair? No, it's not. (Well, maybe it is after seeing the colors)
Nintendo announced that it will be releasing a new Pokémon spinoff, titled Pokepark Wii: Pikachu's Big Adventure. And, you guessed it, it's a mini-game compilation. The game, categorized as an action title, consists of your beloved monsters performing at different events inside a theme park.
As for the bundles, retailers will have different bundles for two games: Tales of Graces (available December 10th) and Samurai Warriors. For the first bundle, it will include a white Wii, a white Classic Controller Pro, and of course, the game. For the second bundle, you get a few other choices. You can have the game with a black Wii, a black Classic Controller Pro, and a postcard, or just the game and the Controller, but if you're feeling wealthy and already own a Wii, you can opt for the Treasure Box which includes the game, a Controller, a figurine, soundtrack, and artbook.
The WiiMote's colors are going to be blue and pink, and will be available just in time for the release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii on December 3rd.
By Spook.
Wednesday, 7. October 2009, 13:17:05
industry, news, nintendo, Spook
At least for BusinessWeek. Even though the Wii's seen a very steep decline in sales (now, it seems, picking up again following the long-awaited, very-much-needed price drop), the DS/DSi's lead on the market being shorter every month with the PSP very close and the iPod/iPhone empire growing stronger every day, Nintendo has managed to stay afloat. And BusinessWeek acknowledges it by naming Nintendo this year's World's Best Company.
Sure, Nintendo started off the year with a more than 50% drop in revenue, but arguing with more than two and a half BILLION dollars in revenue is really hard. And even though Wii sales are down, it still maintains the lead by a very considerable ammount on the world's console market.
With visionary leadership and a three-tiered product development process that brings together top management, development staff, and marketing and administrative teams, the Japanese game maker been able to create new hardware without sticking to conventional notions in the video game industry. - BusinessWeek
The ranking is set by consulting firm, A.T. Kerney, who went through the 2,500 largest, publicly-traded companies looking for the best earnings and generated value while also maintaining leadership outside of their home territory. In case you were wondering, Google came in second, Apple in third, Doosan Heavy Industries in fourth, and Hyundai Heavy Industries in fifth.
By Spook.
Monday, 5. October 2009, 21:28:23
news, games, Spook, wii
...
The AWSOME cover of Game Informer's next issue blows the lid on Dinsey's upcoming (and so far, secret) game, Epic Mickey. The game is real.
Many leaks have surfaced in the past, including some pretty interesting artwork. Now, this cover confirms that the game is real, and apparently it will also reveal that it is in fact a Wii exclusive. The plot, also, will have something to do with the paintbrush seen in Mickey's hand.
Let's wait and see. Disney as we've never seen it before? Yes, please.
By Spook.
Sunday, 4. October 2009, 19:43:44
news, games, Spook, wii
...
According to a few reports and interviews, Monster Hunter Tri in the US MIGHT include Wii Speak support and eliminate the online play fee present in the Japanese version.
As you might know, the Japanese version of the game not only does not have Wii Speak for online play, but it includes a monthly fee if you want to keep playing it online (sort of the point of the game). This side of the ocean, however, the story might be a little different. Here's what they have to say about the online fee.
It's something that we're looking into at the moment and there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, Monster Hunter isn't as popular in the West, so it might put people off. Secondly, Japan doesn't have Friend Codes, so Capcom run all the servers and the monthly fee is essentially to pay for those costs. - Chris Kramer, senior spokesman for Capcom USA. (GamingUnion)
As for the Wii Speak support, they know it's something many people want (and to be honest, only a handful of games include).
We're looking into right now whether it's technically possible or not. And so if it is, maybe we'll make an announcement. If it isn't, you know, if it realistically can't be done, then I'm sorry we may have to leave it out. But we're looking into it. - Ryozo Tsjmoto, producer for Capcom. (G4)
By Spook.
Thursday, 1. October 2009, 13:16:54
dsiware, Spook, DSi, hardware
...
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.
By Spook.
Monday, 21. September 2009, 20:18:32
news, industry, discussion, hardware
...
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...
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