Industry News, Industry Features

A recurring theme for the company

While Nintendo is, to most of us, simply a games company that gives us entertainment products, it's also a global corporation that's often put under pressure to guarantee standards in the treatment of manufacturing workers and to ensure appropriate sources for raw materials. Last year it fell foul not only of a...

Holiday season will put Nintendo in a "very good position"

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has been speaking to Kotaku about the current state of the Wii U, and has delivered some typically bullish predictions — as well as admitting that the console has struggled to satisfy core gamers. Talking about the "next-gen verses current...

Nintendo CEO owns up

With sales flagging and third-party support very thin on the ground, the Wii U is certainly having a hard time of late. It's only been on the market for half a year, yet many within the industry are ready to write it off completely. Coming off the back of the incredible success of the original Wii, the new console's failure to...

"They've probably got a plan, and you should never underestimate Nintendo"

Former Bullfrog, Lionhead and Microsoft Games Studios boss Peter Molyneux has once again voiced his opinion on Nintendo's place in the industry, directly contesting Shigeru Miyamoto's assertion that working with both hardware and software offers advantages to the Japanese...

"I think they're going to fix the problem"

Nintendo may have some killer titles of its own coming to Wii U this year and beyond, but third-party support for the console has been uncertain almost from day one. Electronic Arts has backed away from the platform, and staunch supporter Ubisoft appears to be getting cold feet. Thankfully, it's not all...

"It makes you wonder why the company even bothered"

The Wii U GamePad is the console's unique selling point, offering players a different way to experience HD gaming. However, like all new ideas, it takes time to fully explore and exploit the potential offered by a second screen, and it's fair to say that we've yet to see the best the GamePad is...

What's yours should be yours

Microsoft has shot itself in the foot so many times over the past few weeks that we imagine it's running perilously short on toes right now, but one of the biggest PR disasters it has experienced has to be the Xbox One's policy regarding game ownership. When you buy a game for the forthcoming console, you're effectively...

Is the Wii U about to lose one of its biggest supporters?

Ubisoft has confirmed during its recent investor meeting that it will be scaling back support for Nintendo's Wii U console. The French publisher — which has Assassin's Creed IV, Watch_Dogs and Rayman Legends all scheduled to hit the system before the end of 2013 — also stated that it...

Not looking to move to smartphones any time soon, then

Abandoning hardware and becoming a software-only company would rob Nintendo of many "strong environmental advantanges", according to the company's most famous staff member. Speaking to GamesIndustry International, Shigeru Miyamoto has refuted claims that making software for other hardware would...

“They have a really great team there"

There once was a time when Nintendo was seen to be somewhat ignorant of indie developers, but that certainly isn't the case these days, as is evidenced by comments made by Capybara's Nathan Vella. Vella — who was speaking at recent independent gaming showcase — had nothing but praise for Nintendo's recent...

Considering Wii U for future titles

Nintendo's relationship with EA has been a subject of much speculation as of late. It's been unclear whether or not the publisher considers the Wii U part of the next generation of home consoles alongside Sony's Playstation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, and some of EA's major titles seem to be skipping Nintendo's...

Donkey Kong Country Returns designer Tom Ivey moves on

As we all know, Armature is a company founded by former Retro Studios staff members — and it would appear that they've added another to their ranks. According to his CV on LinkedIn, Tom Ivey — who was one of the designers on Donkey Kong Country Returns, which was recently ported to the 3DS...

"One single game can change a platform's fortunes"

Ubisoft came under fire when it decided to make Rayman Legends multi-platform and rob the Wii U of one of its more high-profile exclusives, but while rival publishers take a step back from Nintendo's console, the French veteran is continuing to display its support by developing games like

"Otherwise a whole generation of young people will miss out on their games"

Industry veteran and Eidos life president Ian Livingstone has once again aired his opinion that Nintendo should develop games for other systems. Speaking at the Bristol Games Hub — a non-profit organisation based in the South West of England — Livingstone warned that...

Also says gamers see tablet and mobile as "perfect substitutes" for 3DS

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has delivered his company's latest set of predictions for the video game industry, and the findings make grim reading for Nintendo fans. Pachter feels that with the PS4 and Xbox One looming on the horizon, hardware price cuts are likely across...

"I respect Nintendo"

GungHo Online Entertainment is one of Japan's rising stars, thanks largely to the amazing success of its iOS and Android title Puzzle & Dragons, which has been downloaded more than 14 millon times and generates $3.4 million a day in revenue. When you're a growing company, it's natural to aim high — and GungHo CEO Kazuki...

Xbox creator claims only 5% of players make use of the feature

Always online. Games tied to a single console. Indie developers can't self-publish. Just when you thought Microsoft couldn't have made a bigger hash of its Xbox One announcement, along comes the company's head of interactive entertainment Don Mattrick to attack backwards compatibility...

Times they are a changin'

A recent study has revealed that in the first quarter of 2013, more cash was spent on iOS games than on 3DS and PS Vita software combined. This marks a slight change from the previous quarter, where it took iOS and Google Play's combined spend to overshadow dedicated handheld gaming systems. This quarter, iOS alone has...

"We wanted to be prudent on our expectations"

Ubisoft has forecasted that Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag will sell less than its direct predecessor, despite the universal appeal of the new game's nautical setting. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has high hopes for the new entry in the best-selling series, but has decided to be cautious regarding sales...