Tag: Industry - Page 26
Talking Point 3DS XL's Media Potential
Look ma, no glasses!
One of the biggest shifts of the last generation has been the evolution of games consoles into entertainment centres, allowing almost all forms of media to be played back through your TV. It’s a far cry from the old cartridge systems when gaming ruled supreme, but thanks to their knowledge outside of video games both Microsoft...
News FIFA 13 Faces Licensing Dilemma with Rangers FC
What to do?
Many that follow football — or soccer — have more than likely heard about the troubles faced by Scottish Glasgow-based team Rangers FC. Despite being one half of the overwhelmingly dominant 'old firm', along with Celtic FC, Rangers got itself into trouble with the tax-man and lots of other people who were owed money. The club...
News Michael Pachter: Activision Demanded Wii U Pro Controller for CoD
Wii U 'a solution in search of a problem'
For those that didn't know, last week Brighton — South England — hosted the Develop conference, where many figures from the industry chewed the fat and debated the games industry. Being one of the big three console manufacturers that also has a new system on the way, it's only natural that the subject of...
News Dylan Cuthbert Talks Star Fox, Game Development and Miyamoto
Interested in returning to Star Fox in the future
Dylan Cuthbert is a name well-known to fans of the original Star Fox, as a member of the Argonaut development team that relocated to Nintendo HQ in Kyoto to work on the Super NES title. Cuthbert's had a long and successful career since, and his studio Q-Games was most recently seen on a Nintendo...
News Square Enix: Nintendo Works With a 'Different Perspective'
Going its own way
One debate that has swirled around Wii U is its graphical power and grunt, with many debating whether it's on par, stronger or potentially weaker than its Microsoft and Sony counterparts. One thing we do know is that it produces HD visuals and that Mario and company have never looked so pretty, all while coming out with its...
News Nintendo Determined to Beat Hackers with Wii U and 3DS
Pirates beware
Most will agree that, when it came to online functionality and security, Wii and DS were both below par. Hacking and modding on both systems appears to have been widespread, which not only led to issues with some online games but, most importantly for Nintendo, cost the company money due to the extensive number of pirated games on...
News 3DS Sales Momentum in U.S. and Europe is 'Not so Good'
Post-Holiday slump
When it comes to sales in Japan, 3DS has been the undisputed number one for a number of months, finishing top of the hardware charts and often out-selling all other consoles combined. The story elsewhere, however, isn't as rosy, and while we're probably not looking at poor sales of the level that prompted a significant price-drop...
News Iwata Expects Wii U to Last a Generation
Microsoft doesn't seem to agree
An obsession that has plagued video gaming since its earliest days is power, whether it was the 'BIT' wars of the 1990s or the current-day complexities of graphics processors. Wii has been a staggering success that has faded away in its twilight years, arguably because its lack of power has deprived it of many big...
News Satoru Iwata: 'Deep' Online Services May Have a Cost
'Ordinary' services should be free
Satoru Iwata has recently chaired the latest Nintendo Shareholder's AGM, and as expected faced some tough questions about the future of the company and its plans. One subject that came up was online services, primarily whether the enhanced functionality on Wii U and the developing role of Nintendo Network on 3DS...
News Wii Has Featured Fewer New IPs Than Rivals
Is anyone surprised?
It's a fairly common perception that Nintendo is typically happy to reproduce its existing IPs rather than develop new characters or franchises. That theory was put to the test over at Gamespot, where the numbers of new franchises per year were calculated for Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3, restricted to each company's own developed or...
News Nintendo of America Appoints New Digital Strategy Executive
Meet Duncan Orrell-Jones
To show it's serious about a digital future, Nintendo of America has created a role — senior vice president of network business — and appointed Duncan Orrell-Jones to the new position. Orrell-Jones will lead the company's digital strategy for 3DS and Wii U in North America, reporting directly to Nintendo of America...
News SEGA Europe Closes Five Offices, Shifts Focus to Digital
Sea change
SEGA Europe has closed regional offices in Spain, Germany, France, Benelux and Australia as it changes focus from retail to digital. SEGA Europe will now shift its priorities to developing new and existing digital content while its retail games will stick to established IP like Sonic the Hedgehog, Aliens, Football Manager and Total War,...
News Retailers Confidently Predict Wii U Will Cost £250, or Less
Pricing could lead to a 'sure success'
With the launch of Wii U creeping ever closer, key details of price and release date are still under wraps, leading to the usual range of predictions and guesses. We've seen speculative prices ranging from £199 on Amazon UK — since removed — to €399 on Amazon Germany, though the latter has since dropped...
Talking Point 3DS XL - Why Now?
The timing is both predictable and strange
The upcoming release of 3DS XL, the sizeable update to the original model, is hardly a surprise. Nintendo has constantly iterated its handhelds in an effort to attract more consumers and, to put it bluntly, make a lot of money: we can’t even argue that the XL is arriving earlier than expected, as the gap...
News Reggie Fils-Aime: Fanbase Demands Are 'Insatiable'
Don't worry, he still loves you
Reggie Fils-Aime was a busy man during E3, leading Nintendo's main press conference and persistently spreading the word about Wii U and 3DS. As is expected, a lot of what was said was towing the company line, but in a more relaxed exchange with Kotaku, the Nintendo of America boss shared his views on the expectation...
News Nintendo UK Boss David Yarnton to Leave Nintendo
Pastures new
Nintendo UK general manager David Yarnton is to leave the company after nearly 20 years of service. Yarnton took the position of general manager in September 2003, steering the UK ship during the successful Wii and DS eras and overseeing the launch of 3DS last year. Before taking up the UK position Yarnton served as director of sales...
Talking Point Are E3 Conferences a Dying Breed?
E3 is changing
9am PDT, Tuesday, E3 week. For Nintendo fans, this time and date is akin to New Year's Day, ringing in the next big batch of games Nintendo has to offer and beginning a week-long celebration of all things gaming. Nintendo’s E3 press conference has created some magical moments over the years, from the reveal of The Legend of Zelda:...
News Ubisoft Expects Five Million Wii U Consoles in First Six Months
Doesn't consider the console to be a risk
Ubisoft has recently taken up the role as a major third-party cheerleader for Wii U, and in a recent interview with Reuters, the company's CEO Yves Guillemot continued to talk up the system and its launch prospects. Guillemot had this to say about his expectation that Nintendo will manufacture five million...
News Yoshinori Ono Still Overworked Despite Health Scare
Strong arm tactics
On a press tour of Asia earlier this year, Yoshinori Ono was admitted to hospital and stepped down from his role as Street Fighter producer following the health scare. While you might have expected Ono's hectic work schedule to slow down after the incident, a new interview with Eurogamer.net reveals that's not the case. Ono...
News ShopTo Lists Wii U at Speculative £280
Games listed at under £40
Nintendo stated that it would not be unveiling the price or release date for Wii U at E3, and sure enough it steered away from those details. Lack of information never keeps online retailers down, however, as ShopTo.net has posted product pages and estimated prices for Wii U and some of its biggest announced titles. The...
News Nintendo Shares Drop After E3 Press Conference
Shareholders are unimpressed
Nintendo's E3 press conference prompted a mixed reaction from the attendees and viewers around the internet, with the Wii U-focused presentation apparently failing to gain widespread support and praise. That same reaction has been reflected in the Japanese stock market since it opened today, with the company's shares...
Feature Retro Console Launches - NES
Sharing the power
In recent weeks we’ve written about console launches such as Wii, 3DS and GameCube. This is all because we’re currently gearing up for the Wii U launch later this year, and E3 promises to build hype and excitement to astronomical levels. In the coming months most of us will learn all about Wii U online with various websites...
News 3DS Passes Six Million Sales in Japan
And in 'The Americas', probably
We all know that 3DS has been doing well in Japan recently, consistently out-performing all other consoles combined on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, it's just passed yet another landmark — six millions sales. As reported by Andriasang, retail tracker Enterbrain has confirmed that it passed the mark last week, with...
News Retailers Call for Summer Blockbusters
Too many games in Q4
Last December we complained about the overcrowded Holiday release schedule, making the simple point that being bombarded with too many games in the approach to Christmas was bad for gamers and publishers alike. The final three months of the year may be wonderfully exciting if you have deep pockets and a lot of spare time, but...
News Peter Molyneux Wants More From 'Lacklustre Wii U'
Better specifications and big games needed
As Nintendo's press conference at E3 gets closer, many will be focusing on what the company has to say about Wii U. News about the console has been slow to come through, and we've had plenty of contradictory comments from developers regarding what the system can do in terms of graphics and performance. It...
News SEGA Won't Be Attending Gamescom
Joins Nintendo as major absentee
Gamescom is Europe's equivalent to E3, the biggest consumer and trade show for video games in the region. It's set to take place in Cologne, Germany from 15-19th August, though it will do so without two of the biggest names in the industry. Nintendo has already confirmed that it won't be attending this year, instead...
News Analyst Calls for Mario on Non-Nintendo Platforms
Is that a flying pig?
After today's financial reports confirmed major losses for Nintendo, there are once again calls for the company to take its greatest IP treasures onto other platforms, such as smartphones and tablets. We've heard this all before, with investors saying similar things when Nintendo dropped the 3DS retail price. It's as likely now...
News Nintendo Posts First Annual Loss in 30 Years
But lower than expected
Nintendo made a 43 billion Yen net loss in the past financial year. A straight currency conversion puts the loss at $529m USD or £327m GBP. The company had originally predicted a 65 billion Yen net loss, but clawed back some of the deficit with strong software, particularly in Japan. The Yen also devalued compared to the...
News GAME Getting Back On Its Feet After Takeover
Reward cards and trade-in deals return
In recent weeks we've reported on the troubles at UK retailer GAME Group, with a number of high profile titles on Nintendo systems not being stocked and the company eventually going into administration, with over 2000 jobs lost. While our thoughts and best wishes are with those staff, there was positive news...
News Sonic Designer Hirokazu Yasuhara Joins Nintendo
It's just not natural
Hirokazu Yasuhara, an instrumental member of Sonic Team during the 1990s, has taken a new role at Nintendo of America. Yasuhara — sometimes known as Carol Yas — was game planner on the original Sonic the Hedgehog before directing and designing the best of the hedgehog's 16-bit adventures. His final game at SEGA was...
News Baker and OpCapita Deal Saves GAME
Better late than never
GAME has left administration after less than a week. Investment firm OpCapita negotiated a sale of the company's UK assets to Baker Acquisitions Limited, bringing GAME Group out of administration and providing it with the necessary capital to continue trading over the near future. Baker has confirmed there are no more plans...
News SEGA to Cancel Games, Focus on Existing IP
Dark days
SEGA has revealed it's to slim down its Western operations and cancel some games to combat an operating loss in the current financial year. The publisher hasn't stated which games will be cancelled but did reveal its desire to focus on strong-selling IPs such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Football Manager, Total War and Aliens. From our list of...
News Mobile Dev: "Iwata Makes Me Fear for Nintendo's Future"
Troubled times
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said last year that Nintendo is not interested in producing free-to-play software, displeasing Ben Cousins, director of free-to-play software company Ngmoco. Speaking to Develop, Cousins discussed his belief that console manufacturers are frightened of free to play games: The only platform where...
News Video Games Become the Biggest Entertainment Medium in UK
Take that, movies
At times being a gamer can still be a taboo subject: saying that you're a gaming enthusiast may cause others to raise their eyebrows. Though video games are arguably still trying to earn the same cultural respect as films and music, when it comes to earning cold, hard cash, games are on top. According to the ERA (Entertainment...
News Keiji Inafune Gives Rallying Call to Japanese Developers
'It must happen now'
It seems that the Japanese game industry has become a notable topic at this year's Game Developer's Conference. As we reported yesterday there was some controversy around comments made by indie developer Phil Fish, yet some would agree that, despite the bluntness and innacuracy of saying that Japanese game 'suck', there are...
News Indie Developer Phil Fish Says Japanese Games 'Suck'
Clearly hasn't been playing much Nintendo
The Japanese game industry is undoubedly facing challenges, and in the opinion of some is losing its influence as the homeland of gaming: as Keiji Inafune said at the Tokyo Game Show in 2009, for example, 'Japan is over'. That said, a comment made by indie developer Phil Fish at a GDC (Game Developer's...
News Rising Star Games To Open American Office
Rising in the West
Popular European publisher Rising Star Games has revealed it's to open an office in California. The company has also formed Rising Star Games Digital, a — wait for it — digital publishing division for the ever-growing download market. RSG hasn't revealed any digital plans for Nintendo formats, but said recently it will...
News Nintendo Expects To Make a Loss in FY 2011
It's tough out there
Even though the 3DS has hit 15 million sales worldwide, it's not been enough to help Nintendo post a profit, with the company expecting to post an operating loss of 45,000 million Yen in this financial year. Nintendo revised its financial expectations this morning as follows: Net sales — revised down from 790,000m Yen to...
News Dawn Paine to Leave Nintendo UK
Fond farewell
Nintendo UK's long-serving marketing director Dawn Paine is leaving the company. Paine has served ten years at Nintendo, during which she oversaw the marketing campaigns for Wii, DS and 3DS, as well as games phenomena including Wii Fit Plus and Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, among others. Paine leaves Nintendo to join Universal...
News Industry Analysts: 3DS is Bouncing Back
But there's still work to be done
We may only just be embarking on a new year, but reports are already surfacing that the 3DS enjoyed a positive holiday period, particularly with the news that over four million 3DS consoles have been sold in the United States. With the recent boom of sales in Japan, it's clear that the handheld is enjoying its most...
News Millions of Wii Games Pirated in 2011
Mario left all at sea
The Wii may be in its twilight years, but a large number of its retail titles are still being being downloaded and played illegally. Website TorrentFreak compiled figures of downloads in 2011 from a number of sources and trackers, providing results for three major formats, though these are estimates rather than official...
News Nintendo Faces More Calls to Embrace Mobile
Everyone's in on the act
Andy Payne, chairman of UK Interactive Entertainment — the UK's games industry trade association — is the latest in a long line of industry notables to call on Nintendo to create games for smartphones. Speaking at Liverpool's Develop conference, Payne spoke in response to an audience statement that platform exclusivity...
News Investors Urge Nintendo to Develop for Smartphones
If further alienation is something it wants to avoid
It's taken just several months for Nintendo to issue the 3DS's first price-cut since the console's launch; a move which Nintendo is hoping will play a part in giving the console a much-needed boost after sales have been less than expected. According to investors, there's another move that Nintendo...
News Cliff Bleszinski Thinks Wii U Naysayers Will Still Buy It
Gears of War creator sounds confident
The Wii U has got a lot of people excited and Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski is no exception. Speaking to IndustryGamers, he spoke confidently on Nintendo's ability to sell the Wii U to gamers ― even the ones who aren't convinced with Nintendo's upcoming home console. Regarding the naysayers who dismiss...
News Amoebattle Featured in Indie Showcase Top Ten
Only Nintendo game nominated
Real-time strategy game Amoebattle is evolving onto DSiWare later this year, and it's already lined up in a high-profile indie games showcase this month. The Develop Expo's Indie Showcase highlights the best independent studios in the world, with Intrinsic Games featuring alongside nine other teams. Amoebattle is also...
News Iwata: "Difficult to Launch Hardware Close to Its Announcement"
The timing of the 3DS and Wii U is certainly debatable
Everyone loves a bit of gossip, and what better gossip is there in the video game industry than what new consoles are capable of? That appears to be one of Nintendo's main problems when it's in the process of unveiling new hardware. Like the company and its products or not, many are interested...
News Nintendo Invests 16 Billion Yen in Kyoto R&D Building
Got to spend money to make money!
Japanese news publication Nikkan has recently reported on Nintendo's new Kyoto, Japan facility and the amount of investment the company has put into the project. As translated by Andriasang, Nintendo is investing ¥16billion (approximately $204million or £127million) into the new building which will be situated at...
News Yasumi Matsuno's Gaming Skills Have Reached Level-5
Just the right kind of experience
This week's issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu contains an interview with Yasumi Matsuno, a former staff member at Square Enix who now finds himself under the employment of Professor Layton studio Level-5. As translated by Andriasang, the video game designer with acclaimed titles such as Vagrant Story,...
News WayForward Founder Speaking at Westwood College on 25th June
Voldi leads the Way
WayForward is one of the most prolific producers of games for Nintendo handhelds, from licensed titles like Thor on DS to downloadable gems like Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Mighty Milky Way. The studio's founder and Tyrannical Overlord, Voldi Way, is set to speak at California's Westwood College on 25th June, and all for free...
News Sony President Thinks 3DS is Just an Updated DS
Aside from the 3D, same old same old, apparently
It seems Sony executives still don't appear too wowed by Nintendo's 3DS, despite both sides acknowledging that different demographics are being targeted by each company's handheld system. Is this a lack of sportsmanship, or a genuine lack of excitement? Sony Computer Entertainment president Shuhei...
