05/20, 5:53pm
Nintendo may have improved tablet controller's ergonomics
Nintendo may have slightly redesigned the tablet-like controller for its forthcoming Wii U console. A photo of a more ergonomically-designed controller appeared briefly on the Twitter feed of a developer, before vanishing shortly thereafter. The Wii U is expected to be showcased in full at this year's E3 being held early next month in Los Angeles, and likely will be released either over the summer or in the fall.
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05/17, 10:51am
Nintendo DS works with Toyota in-car navigation for control, more
At a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Toyota showed off its upcoming Estima Hybrid minivan. At the same time, equipping the van with an aftermarket Smart Navi NSZT-W62G GPS head unit will let a Nintendo DS control the GPS system of the car, 4gamer reported. The DS needs to have a Kuruma de DS (meaning Use DS in the car) cartridge inserted, which allows the portable games console to communicate with the head unit over Bluetooth.
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05/11, 11:07am
Nintendo will no longer sell Aqua Blue 3DS
The 3D TV clip service for the 3DS console Nintendo launched last June in Japan will be discontinued on June 20, making its run just under a year. Called Itsu no Ma ni Terebi, it translates to SpotPass TV, and features short, two-minute 3D clips from eight shows. The service was brought out in collaboration with Fuji TV. Nintendo will continue to offer 3D videos intermittently through its Nintendo Video Channel.
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05/10, 3:35pm
DSi XL to cost $130, DSi just $100 as of May 20
Nintendo on Thursday revealed that it will lower the purchase prices of its DSi XL and DSi handheld consoles on May 20. The price of the DSi XL will drop by $40 to $130, while the DSi will see a bigger, $50 reduction to just $100. Between the two systems, Nintendo offers over 2,000 downloadable or retail games.
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05/07, 9:30pm
Blockbuster UK leaks 25 Wii U launch titles
Amid the rumors and speculation surrounding Nintendo's forthcoming Wii U console, leaked screens from Blockbuster UK purport to show the 25 games likely to accompany the Wii U when the system launches later this year. The supposed lineup shows a range of offerings, from party games, to fitness titles and big franchises appearing for the first time on a Nintendo system.
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05/04, 1:28pm
Zelda creator behing latest Nintendo patent
A newly discovered USPTO patent from Nintendo reveals the video game hardware and software maker may be working on a new tourist-guiding system. Thought up by Shigeru Miyamoto of Legend of Zelda fame, the patent talks about tracking users carrying a portable game console, a DS Lite in this case, by way of overhead infrared transmitters. The console would then communicate with a server that would light up signs built into the building to guide the user.
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04/30, 11:05am
Nintendo now up to five 3DS colors
Nintendo started off the week by adding a fifth color to the 3DS. It now comes in a Midnight Purple along with the existing black, blue, pink, and red. The color doesn't have a special bundle attached.
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04/28, 5:35pm
Lenovo investment Eedoo makes costly motion gaming
A recent Lenovo investment, Eedoo, is drawing criticism for the upcoming launch of China's first mainstream motion gaming system, the CT510. Pitched as a family entertainment system, the system is conspicuously like Microsoft's Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360 but is intended more as a general device with HD movie playback, karaoke, and motion-driven exercise apps. At $600, however, it costs more than the $399 US price of Microsoft's most advanced Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle.
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04/27, 6:00pm
Rayman Legends trailer shows Wii-U touch controls
A trailer for Rayman Legends has leaked online, showing what appears to be touch controls and NFC capabilities of the Wii U. The trailer has since been said by Ubisoft to not be a representation of the final game, nor the Nintendo console.
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04/27, 1:00am
No direct selling to end-users yet
In an approach that appears to be a stepping stone to further digital selling, Nintendo has announced that it will begin offering digital copies of selected titles for the Wii U and 3DS systems through retail channels. The approach will allow buyers to visit actual game shops or the online sites for those shops and make purchases, and can choose to have either physical copies or digital downloads delivered to their console's SD card through a 16-digit download code.
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04/26, 4:40pm
Hopes to bring it back to profitability this year
With its latest financial report (PDF), Nintendo has admitted that it is selling its 3DS portable gaming console at a financial loss. This is only since it dropped its price in late July to boost sales, from the original $250 to just $170. The gaming giant did go on to say it plans to stop selling it below cost by the middle of the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2013.
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04/26, 6:40am
Nintendo struggles with gaming-first hardware
Nintendo has posted (pdf) its first annual loss turning in a result around $458 million into the red. The downturn has been blamed on the rise of mobile gaming on smartphones, and a lackluster holiday quarter where its aging Wii console and dramatic price reduction on the 3DS blew a hole in its finances. The said that it hopes to turn its fortunes around in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 by launching its next-gen Wii U console and by starting to sell its 3DS for a profit, where it is currently selling it at a loss.
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04/21, 12:20am
Nintendo 3DS gets UI firmware update
Nintendo chose an unusual Saturday window to update the 3DS in addition to introducing New Super Mario Bros. 2. New firmware will let users organize folders as well as more easily slip in game expansions and patches. More features were expected as part of an ongoing Japanese event.
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04/17, 11:35pm
Patent awarded to Nintendo for gameboy emulation
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently awarded Nintendo patent number 8,157,654 for emulating older handheld consoles. Specifically, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance handhelds are targeted for emulation on external "low capability" computing devices such as airline seat-back displays. It's not immediately apparent what Nintendo plans on doing now that the patent has been awarded.
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04/13, 11:10am
NPD data shows Xbox 360 out front again
New NPD data published late Thursday gave the Xbox 360 not just a sustained lead in March but a rare milestone in hardware overall. At 371,000 units, Microsoft's console stayed in the lead for overall sales for the 15th consecutive month. The $430 million spent on the hardware and its games, however, was also larger than the combination of money spent supporting the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3.
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04/12, 4:50pm
Nintendo 3DS arrives at Louvre as tourist guide
As reported last year, Nintendo's 3DS has now began serving as the tourist guide at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Officially called The Audioguide Louvre - Nintendo 3DS, it's an audio guide that has visual tools to enhance the museum-going experience. An interactive map is also preloaded, also letting users know their location in the museum.
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04/11, 1:15pm
Joel McHale explains viral video to Nintendo
Nintendo has created a YouTube video (below) advertising the 3DS with comedian Joel McHale. In a staged meeting, McHale from The Soup and a Nintendo representative simultaneously discuss how to make and subsequently create a viral video using typical clichés.
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04/09, 6:15pm
Quarter of manufacturing costs on components
The Wii U is rumored to cost Nintendo $180 per unit to manufacture, according to sources of Forget the Box. Component costs are expected to be $50 of that total. "Cutting production costs to maximize profits is Nintendo’s main concern with the Wii U," the sources claimed.
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04/05, 3:05pm
Nintendo 3DS outsells Sony gear for second week
Nintendo's handheld 3DS gaming console has topped the sales charts in Japan for week of March 26 to April 1. While this is the second week its was atop the charts, the week saw nearly a 30 percent boost from that earlier week, now at 121,921 units, according to numbers reported by Media Create (viaAdrianSang). The numbers were large enough that the total of 3DS sales outnumber the combined numbers of all of Sony's consoles, including the PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and PS2.
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04/05, 7:40am
Hirai to unveil One Sony strategy in next week
Sony in a brief message called for a corporate strategy meeting on April 12 in which it would outline the company's new direction for the media. Details were short, but it would involve just-instated CEO Kaz Hirai. Most expect the discussion to center around Hirai's definition of a "One Sony" strategy meant to eliminate the 'silos' that have kept Sony divisions either isolated or even competing against each other.
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04/03, 7:15pm
Nintendo pinning hopes on tablet shape over speed
Nintendo's upcoming
Wii U console may be less powerful than its predecessor. Citing developers, GamesIndustry.biz reports that, although the tablet-like gaming device may support full HD imaging, its graphics processing power may be less than that of the current generation of gaming devices. This could prove a disappointment to avid gamers when the system is released later this year.
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04/01, 5:20pm
GAME gets last minute rescue
UK retailer GAME was partly saved from its fall into administration Sunday after private investment group OpCapita agreed to buy 333 of the stores. The terms of the deal weren't made clear, but are expected to have OpCapita shoulder some of GAME's debt. OpCapita Managing Partner Henry Jackson saw GAME covering a necessary part of the British gaming industry.
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03/31, 12:45pm
Google Maps gets pseudo 8-bit mode for April Fools
While Electronista and MacNN intend to keep April Fools' reporting to a minimum, Google has offered a rarity by making one of the first gags for the year and also making it truly interactive and accessible. A one-off Quest mode in Google Maps turns the navigation tool into its "NES" version. Most features continue to work, but it now has a Legend of Zelda-style overhead map and renders Street View in an 8-bit color palette like the now 27-year-old Nintendo console.
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03/24, 12:05pm
Epic Mickey 2 gets remote add-ons just for Wii
Epic Mickey 2 developer Junction Point and its hardware accessory partner PDP have shown a pair of special Wii Nunchuk add-ons being built just for the game. The lead, an updated version of the Paintbrush Chuk, resembles Mickey's magic paintbrush and now has a glowing blue tip. A completely new entry, however, is based around newly introduced second character Oswald's remote and has both a glowing pink remote as well as a unique red analog stick.
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03/21, 10:00am
Nintendo 3DS gets automatic 3D music videos
Nintendo on Wednesday began giving 3DS owners a promised set of 3D music videos. Anyone who has the Nintendo Video app will start automatically pulling a set of videos that take advantage of the glasses-free display, such as "The Rifle's Spiral" by The Shins. B.O.B. and Wale have videos in the app today, while Skrillex and OK Go are among those in the near-term queue.
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03/09, 3:55pm
Nielsen shows Apple infiltrating gaming
New Nielsen data has shown that cross-platform gaming is seeing heavy inroads, including from Apple. About 24 percent of US homes used at least two gaming platforms, but diversity was especially high among those who had a traditional handheld. In homes where a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP was was used by a child under 12, 66 percent also had some kind of iOS device.
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03/09, 1:55pm
NPD sees big rebound in February
Results posted late Thursday by the NPD Group chalked up a significantly improved February for gaming following a bleak January. Console hardware sales were up 87 percent over what they were in January, to $381.4 million, helped not just by 426,000 Xbox 360 sales but also by the PlayStation Vita. Sony had just four days of hardware sales that weren't directly quantified, but they were enough that the increase would have been a more modest if still healthy 62 percent.
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03/08, 11:20am
Epic Games pushes for faster PS4 and next Xbox
Epic Games is concerned that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony might let Apple take over in gaming by being too conservative with their hardware, the developer's VP Mark Rein said in a discussion this week at the Game Developer Conference. The Bulletstorm and Gears of War creator told CVG his company was "constantly pushing" hardware designers to make high-end systems to give a clear incentive to pick their systems over what Apple makes. Rein liked Apple, but he didn't want TV gaming to disappear by eroding the gap in experiences.
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03/06, 8:15am
Nintendo moves 4.5m 3DS in US in first year
Nintendo on Monday touted the resiliency of the 3DS by claiming banner first-year sales in the US. It sold 4.5 million of the glasses-free 3D console in the 12 months since its arrival, or nearly twice the 2.3 million of the original DS sold in a similar span. Reaching the milestone came also with many more games sold, at nine million to five million, and pure revenue that more than doubled from $540 million to $1.2 billion.
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03/04, 10:40pm
We review Sony's flagship handheld console
Many had written off Sony from the mobile gaming arena not long into the PSP's history: high prices and a lack of major games kept it on the sidelines as the Nintendo DS took over. Apple and Google have seemingly been poised to deliver a killing blow with much better general abilities and cheaper games. The PlayStation Vita, then, is a chance at redemption. We'll gauge in our PS Vita review whether it has accomplished that goal or at least made a valiant effort.
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03/02, 12:30pm
Nintendo defends third straight patent lawsuit
Nintendo has fought off a patent lawsuit relating to its Wii Balance Board and software in Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus games. A Maryland US District Court judge summarily dismissed the case, which was brought on by IA Labs. In a statement after the ruling, the video game maker went as far as describing IA Labs as a "patent troll," or a company that has no meaningful products and exists solely based on lawsuits and royalties.
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02/21, 11:10am
Nintendo Wii U may become general-purpose
Nintendo might transform the Wii U into a full media hub if mentions of early discussions are accurate. AdWeek had heard this weekend that Nintendo had been in talks with "several major media companies," including music and sports providers in backroom CES chats last month. The console designer was even said considering a cable TV deal with Comcast, similar to the Xbox 360's live TV.
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02/20, 9:15am
Nintendo 3DS fastest-selling handheld console
Nintendo confirmed a milestone for both itself and the gaming would by revealing that the 3DS should now be its fastest-selling console. The system took less than a year to reach the five million-unit sales mark in its home of Japan, four weeks faster than the 56-week record set by the decade-old Gameboy Advance. The DS took 58 weeks to get to the same point.
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02/17, 1:00pm
Next-generation Xbox to carry Durango codename
Microsoft is internally referring to the third-generation Xbox console as Durango, Kotaku claimed to have learned from multiple sources near the project. If true, this means any future news and rumors will center around this name, though the finalized name on the console and packaging will differ and isn't yet known. Durango is the name of one of Mexico's 31 states, which follows the theme started by Natal, Microsoft's codename for Kinect and a city in Brazil.
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02/17, 10:15am
Foxconn institutes third recent pay raise
Foxconn on Friday significantly raised pay for its floor workers in China for the third time in about one and a half years. An entry-level factory worker in Foxconn's main facilities at Shenzhen would now get between 16 to 25 percent more pay per month depending on whether or not the person passed a technical test. The pay would be equivalent to 1,800 yuan ($286) base or 2,200 yuan ($349) with the certification.
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02/16, 11:05am
Nintendo now offers Hulu Plus on Wii console
Nintendo has made available the Hulu Plus app for US owners of its Wii home gaming console, as expected, though delayed. While the monthly fee to the subscription-based streaming TV show service will be $8 per month, new users will get a free, two-week trial. The service offers over 16,000 episodes from 400 current and classic TV shows from ABC, Comedy Central, Fox, NBC, MTV, and others.
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02/14, 8:50pm
AMD CTO Eric Demers leaves for non-GPU firm
Another AMD executive departure has fueled speculation Tuesday. Graphics division CTO Eric Demers is known to be exiting the chip designer as of February 17. Former Apple executive and current primary CTO Mark Papermaster would temporarily take over during his absence.
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02/14, 11:30am
Sony targets adult gamers, mobile users with Vita
Sony on the eve of the PlayStation Vita's first US wave has kicked off a record $50 million ad campaign to recapture its place not just from Nintendo but from Apple. The most Sony has ever spent on any PlayStation launch in the US, the campaign includes both online spots as well as traditional billboards and TV spots. Where PSP ads focused on younger gamers, though, Sony's new Vita ads (below) will focus on adults, where the allure is to "never stop playing" PS3-level games while on the road and with others.
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02/13, 10:45pm
Nintendo gets Mobiclip for vide streaming
Mobiclip quietly confirmed Monday that it had been bought out by Nintendo. The new subsidiary of the console giant didn't explain details, including the value of the deal or what it would be producing with Nintendo's help. The company has been making primarily video codecs for the console universe, including Microsoft and Sony.
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02/13, 12:00pm
ThinkGeek unveils iCade 8-Bitty at Toy Fair
ThinkGeek picked the American International Toy Fair to bring out the iCade 8-Bitty, a much more portable alternative to the iCade cabinet. The wireless iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch gamepad is conspicuously styled like (though not identical to) the original NES controller with four face buttons, Select and Start, although it also has two shoulder buttons. It works with the same iCade-friendly titles, such as Atari's Greatest Hits, as well as any others wanting to use the freely available support.
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02/13, 9:55am
Apple volunteers for wide audits of factories
Apple on Monday took the step of asking the Fair Labor Association to orchestrate "special voluntary audits" of its last-stage suppliers. The investigations, which include Foxconn plants in Chengdu and Shenzhen, began the same day. They include both interviews with "thousands" of workers over conditions as well as inspections and document reviews.
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02/09, 8:50pm
Xbox 360 sales drop year to year but still ahead
New NPD data has once again given the Xbox 360 the lead in console sales in the US during January, but in grim conditions. At 270,000 systems in the month, it had enough to outpace the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3, whose sales researchers were keeping secret. However, its performance was noticeably worse than a year ago, where it had moved 381,000 systems.
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02/06, 10:05pm
Application initially submitted in 2010
Sony has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a tablet-like game controller. The Position-Dependent Gaming, 3D Controller, and Handheld as a Remote in many ways conceptually resembles Nintendo's
Wii U's tablet-like game controller. Sony actually began the application process for the technology in July 2010, almost a year before Nintendo showed the system.
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02/05, 11:25pm
PS Vita on smooth track according to Sony
Sony in its results call Friday was confident that the PlayStation Vita was selling well so far. Having moved slightly more than 535,000 units in its first three weeks, according to Media Create data, company CFO Masaru Kato didn't see "any problems" with results so far. The comment came even after shipments had dipped to just over 18,000 in January and had been mostly steady since.
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02/01, 10:10pm
Specs said to change often
Nintendo has reportedly continue to make adjustments to the technical specifications for its upcoming Wii U game console. In an interview with Dutch magazine NGamer, Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi suggests that the hardware specs have been "changing constantly" since the game studio first began developing for the upcoming device.
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02/01, 7:45pm
3DS has free Wi-Fi hotspots in 21 countries
Nintendo has inked a deal with free-hotspot.com to offer free Wi-Fi service to Nintendo 3DS owners. The arrangement will provide the hand-held game console's users with free access to over 5,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. These are dispersed within in 21 European countries.
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01/30, 6:10pm
Voice to text to aid disable students in classroom
Nintendo is partnering with Japanese service provider NTT DoCoMo to bring speech recognition tools to the classroom. Together, the two companies are using Nintendo's DS handhelds to display a teacher's words directly on the handheld gaming device's screen as they are spoken. The intent is to help students with disabilities learn better.
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01/30, 3:45pm
No new Xbox in 2012, said Microsoft France exec
Despite rumors to the contrary, Microsoft will not release the next-generation Xbox 360 in 2012, according to Cedric Delmas, Microsoft France marketing director. In an interview translated by Eurogamer, he said nothing will be revealed for a new Xbox at this year's E3 show in June. Other claims have pointed to an E3 2013 reveal instead.
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01/30, 8:45am
Nintendo 3DS Pearl Pink hints US on February 10
Nintendo hoped to seize on Valentine's Day by putting out a stand-alone Pearl Pink version of the 3DS. The gaming handheld, previously available only in a bundle for Americans, will be available by itself. It had been available in Japan as early as September.
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01/27, 12:50pm
Wii U may launch under a different name: source
Nintendo is reportedly considering changing the name of its upcoming game console, the Wii U. The reason for this internal mulling, CVG heard, is supposedly due to the confusion with the 3D and 3DS, which Nintendo found to be too similar in the public eye. It supposedly fears the same would happen with the Wii U and its existing Wii.
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