Tag: Hardware - Page 21
News Wii U and Its Controller Near Their Final Form Factor
Reggie Fils-Aime talks design and tablet trend
Although the aesthetic design of the Wii U controller may look similar to tablet devices, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime points out that the company is not trying to tap into the tablet market. During a VentureBeat interview, Fils-Aime spoke about Wii U's development and how it took...
News Over 1 Million 3DS Consoles Sold in Japan
Software sales aren't too bad, either
The 3DS is approaching its forth month on the Japanese market, and video gaming magazine Enterbrain has reported that the handheld console has reached an important milestone in terms of hardware sales. It's taken the 3DS 13 weeks to surpass one million domestic sales, slightly slower than the original DS which...
News Miyamoto: "3DS Could Be a Convenient Wii U Controller"
Ah, the possibilities
With Nintendo considering the prospect of making Wii U games that use more than one of the new controllers, it's apparently possible that we could even be using the 3DS as an additional controller too. During E3 2011, Shigeru Miyamoto was asked by Switched On whether gamers would be able to use two of the touch pad Wii U...
News Wii U Uses 25GB Discs and Lacks GameCube Compatibility
Good news, bad news?
Along with the unveiling of Wii U at E3, Nintendo subsequently revealed further details regarding the technical specifications of the console. There is, however, plenty we still don't know about Wii U and with a scheduled launch in 2012, we can expect these unknowns to be revealed slowly like a season of Lost. A couple of things...
News Wii U Games Using Two New Controllers Being Considered
The more the merrier, right?
For all the questions that Nintendo's appearance at E3 2011 answered, many more new ones have arisen. Nintendo EAD designer Katsuya Eguchi is working on a five-player Wii U prototype game that utilises just the one Wii U controller and four regular Wii Remotes and Nunchuks. Is this because the Wii U controller will have...
News Wii U Hopes to Rectify Problems that Wii is Experiencing
Terms like "core" and "casual" pop up, again
Without getting into semantics, the Nintendo Wii was and still is a huge success. With all the people that the console managed to please, there's naturally a percentage of people it failed to win over. With Nintendo's next console, the company hopes to fix several issues that come as a result of being...
News Wii U Touch Screen is Resistive, Not Capacitive
Lost? Let us explain
The 6.2" screen in the centre of the Wii U controller is likely to use the same resistive technology that features in the DS and 3DS consoles, rather than the more advanced capacitive system used in modern smart phones and Apple's iDevices. Hardware images released by Nintendo show a stylus being used on the touch screen,...
News Wii U's IBM Power Processor Means Business
Companies hook up again
IBM has been providing chips for Nintendo consoles for years and will continue to do so, as the two are joining forces once again to power next year's Wii U. IBM's Power microprocessor will run the console, though neither IBM nor Nintendo has given any clock speeds or solid figures, other than stating it's a bespoke chip for...
Fact Sheet Wii U - 1080p HD Confirmed, No BluRay
Nintendo embraces HD in 2012
After announcing the Wii U earlier today Nintendo has now revealed some details of the hardware behind the new system. As expected the console will be a full HD console with 1080p/720p output via HDMI, it will also feature a multi-core PowerPC processor which may be comparable with Xbox 360. As always Nintendo has tried...
News Nikkei Corroborates Previous Wii 2 Controller Rumours
Japanese newspaper chimes in
On Tuesday, Nintendo will take to the stage as it delivers its presentation at this year's E3 expo, at long last revealing details on the Wii's successor. So naturally, there's just enough time for more rumours to be backed up by another source. Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that the console could launch as early as...
Talking Point Should Nintendo Try to Recapture 'Hardcore' Gamers?
What is hardcore anyway?
In recent weeks the internet has been overloaded with rumours about Nintendo’s next home console, the successor to the phenomenally successful Wii. The rumours followed the usual pattern; anonymous sources said it was coming, speculation raged, ideas about the console started to find a level of consistency, and finally...
Rumour Project Cafe Controller Contains a Camera
Kitchen sink also rumoured
The controller for Nintendo's new console, currently codenamed Project Café, gets more and more feature-packed with every rumour. The original rumours revolved around a 6" touch screen, but now a source close to industry magazine Develop has apparently revealed a new feature: a camera. "A person close to the...
News Are We Nearing the End of Consoles? Nintendo Thinks Not
Nintendo's director of PR thinks consoles are too unique to die off
Fox News recently ran a story in which it suggests the traditional home console may soon be losing its place in our home as consumer demands evolve and smartphones provide deeper gaming experiences . Well, it starts off with a rather bold statement claiming that "the end is...
Rumour Wii Successor Won't Have a Traditional Hard Drive
SD cards might be sticking around
With E3 2011 just weeks away, there's still plenty of time for rumours and claims from anonymous sources to surface about Nintendo's next home console. Kotaku's sources have revealed that the console will supposedly have 8 gigabytes of on-board flash memory instead of a more traditional hard drive, a significant...
News Nintendo Reinforcing Western Development for Wii's Successor
Despite what some might think, Nintendo can't do everything by itself
Nintendo has a number of things to get right with the successor to the Wii, or else it risks facing more competition from its rivals than it needs to. Aside from setting a new paradigm in video gaming, Nintendo will have to build on the momentum that the launch of the 3DS has...
News You Won't Get a Nintendo Console with a Buttonless Controller
That satisfyingly soft click is here to stay
With the introduction of touchscreens and motion controls, the cynical gamer might think it's a matter of time before Nintendo abandons the use of buttons all together. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata assures us that that's not what the company has planned. During an Analyst Meeting earlier this week, Iwata was...
News Nintendo's Profits Show a Significant Drop, This Year Should Improve
Decreases in sales explained, and Nintendo's forecast for this fiscal year
Although Nintendo has claim to notable achievements with its hardware ― the DS has proved to be the best-selling handheld ever and global Wii sales have surpassed the 86 million mark, the company's profit numbers for the fiscal year ending 31st March 2011 show a...
Talking Point Can Nintendo's Next Console Top Wii's Success?
Where to go after you've conquered the world?
The Wii is Nintendo's most successful home console ever, with 86 million machines sold around the world since it launched in 2006, but with the recent announcement of Nintendo's new console it's time to peek forward to the future. Wii was a remarkable success because it did something drastically...
News Relax, the Vitality Sensor is Still in Development
Nothing to get worked up about
The Wii Vitality Sensor made waves at E3 2009 as one of the most bizarre Nintendo add-ons of recent times, then all-but disappeared from gaming radars as Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the 3DS drew all the focus in last year's show. The sensor's invisibility caused many to suggest Nintendo had quietly ditched the...
News 3.6 Million 3DS Consoles Sold Worldwide
"A smooth start" says Nintendo
Nintendo predicted 4 million 3DS sales in its first month, but the company's investor meeting reveals it didn't quite hit it, selling 3.6 million consoles around the world since its Japanese launch on 26th February. On the software side of things, around 9.43m 3DS games have been sold around the globe, with two titles...
News Nintendo Confirms New Console
Releases next year and playable at E3
Nintendo Japan has indeed confirmed the existence of its new game console, set for release in 2012 according to a new press release from Nintendo. Sadly, we still don't have any official images of the console or its controller. Nintendo has also stated that the system will be playable at this year's E3 show in...
News It's Cafe Time on Nintendo's Development Site
Update: Images now removed
Update: The images have now been removed from the development site, but are archived here for reference. Many gamers and media outlets have been snooping around Nintendo's development site Wario World for some time now in the hopes of catching even a morsel of information about Nintendo's upcoming home console. Now it...
Rumour Nintendo Stream Coming Sooner Than We Think
Rumoured name and release details revealed
According to a report today on IGN, Nintendo is considering Stream as one of the names for their upcoming game console. An IGN source also claims that the console might possibly see a release as soon as late October 2011, although it would seem more likely for Nintendo to wait until early 2012 in an effort...
News 3DS Soars Back to the Top of the Japanese Hardware Chart
The back and forth struggle between 3DS and PSP begins
After a dominating start, sales of the 3DS in Japan have slowly been on the decrease and more recently, have been overtaken by the PlayStation Portable in the hardware sales chart. Now, it seems the 3DS is regaining momentum as the sales figures from last week are revealed. For the period...
Rumour Could This Be the Next Nintendo Console?
More scrumptious rumours to mull over
Well the rumour mill marches on with yet another interesting development in the form of some pictures that may or may not be of the actual Wii successor. While it's easy to see that the system and controllers match the descriptions we've already seen popping up around the internet lately, there's absolutely no...
Rumour We May See a New Nintendo Console at E3
Sources say Nintendo set to announce new home console
Well it seems that our little hint about a new console possibly coming from Nintendo in our recent article about the Wii price cut might be coming true after all. Game Informer has just let loose with what could be the biggest E3 rumour to date: according to multiple sources, Nintendo is getting...
News Nintendo Said Unto the Patent Office: Let There Be Wii Light
Another wacky peripheral gets uncovered
Nintendo's always been one for experimenting with peripheral accessories designed to boost the functionality of its hardware. From football controllers, to inflatable horseback saddles, Nintendo's patented them all. A recent uncovering by Siliconera
Guides Upscaling Your Retro Consoles for HDTV Sets
The quest for the perfect picture
Getting a pin-sharp, colourful image on a modern gaming console is about as hard as falling off a log. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 support HDMI output for true HD gaming, and although the poor old Wii is still stuck in the land of 480p, it’s still capable of kicking out a pretty decent image via component...
News 3DS Vision Lens to Change the Way You View 3D
April Fool!
This was an April Fool's joke. Just in case the 3DS's three-dimensional prowess isn't enough for you, Nintendo has just announced plans to augment its already impressive offering by introducing the new 3DS Vision Lens just in time for the holiday season. The bizarre-sounding accessory promises to get you in touch with your games like...
News Fils-Aime: Next Home Console Unlikely to be 3D
Are you bothered?
Nintendo's taken handheld gaming by the ankles and slung it into the 3D pool, so it's long been a question whether the successor to the Wii will also be capable of pumping out 3D visuals too. According to the president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime, it doesn't look likely. Speaking to CNN, 3DS producer Hideki Konno spoke...
News Nintendo Responds to 3DS Black Screen Error
How widespread is it?
We've heard numerous reports from users suffering a black screen error on their shiny new 3DS consoles that halts any game mid-flow, causing a hard reset. Nintendo has now released a statement on the matter, though it doesn't go into much more detail than the advice displayed on-screen. If anyone is experiencing any problems...
News 3DS Helps Developers Render Fog Effects Via Its Own Chip
Such a handy handheld
If the 3DS was to be personified, it would surely be a hip youngster helping old ladies cross busy streets. However, when we say old ladies, we mean games developers, and by crossing busy streets, we actually mean render in-game fog effects. Close enough. In D3Publisher's upcoming retro shooter Dream Trigger 3D, there's a level...
News Japan Selling More 3DS Consoles Than Other Platforms Combined
Last week's figures are in
Following the highly successful Japanese launch of the 3DS, Nintendo's hardware sales have been continually dominant as the handheld stays at the top of the charts after its first full week. According to digital entertainment data tracker Media Create, the 3DS sold 374,764 units during the launch weekend of 26th February,...
We take Nintendo's 3D portable wonder for a spin
To say that the buzz surrounding the upcoming Nintendo 3DS system is insane would probably be the understatement of the century. The system has garnered an incredible amount of hype and anticipation over the past year since it was announced and now that we've had a hefty dose of playing time on the...
Hands On Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality Games
Taking a reality check
The striking autostereoscopic screen of the Nintendo 3DS might be responsible for the console gaining countless column inches over the past year or so, but here at Nintendo Life we've been equally as impressed with the potential offered up by the external cameras. Augmented Reality isn't anything new - it's been big news in...
News 3DS Arrives at Nintendo Life
And we've got the pics to prove it
Well after months of anticipation, the Nintendo 3DS system has finally arrived at Nintendo Life Towers, with more units still on the way. As you can see from the picture at the right, we got the Aqua Blue color, along with Super Street Figher IV 3D Edition and Ridge Racer 3D to go with it. You can also get a look...
News Iwata Talks 3DS Expectations and Wii Successor
Both systems sure to have plenty riding on them
With the 3DS having just launched in Japan, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has expressed the company's hopes for the handheld system and the stance Nintendo is taking towards the eventual successor to the Wii. During an interview conducted by Yomiuri Online (as translated by AndriaSang), Iwata hopes that...
News Iwata: Monthly 3G Fees Will Decrease the NGP Userbase
We wouldn't want that to happen with the 3DS, would we?
He may think that the 3DS and Sony's Next Generation Portable (NGP) will appeal to different demographics, but intrinsically, the two systems share more in common with each other than the rivals let on. One difference however, is the inclusion of a 3G service on the NGP, and Iwata has shared...
Everything you want to know about Nintendo's new 3DS console
With an absolute barrage of information swarming around as we approach the upcoming release of the Nintendo 3DS system, we thought now might be a good time to sit down and sift through the mess and try to add some answers to the many questions that have been floating around. Rather than...
News Even in Pieces, the 3DS is a Sexy Piece of Hardware
Naked sample
You've seen the photos, you might even have held one in your hand, but it's unlikely you've seen a 3DS from the inside. Until now, that is, with Chinese site TGBus exposing the machine's guts for all to see. There aren't too many surprises beneath the machine's hard resin case, with the usual array of buttons, cables and chips, but it's...
News 3DS Audio Features Aren't Exactly Out of Tune
From soundtracks to voice chat, the handheld holds the note pretty well
Don't let the visual side of things take all the limelight with the upcoming 3DS: the aural tricks that the handheld console can play aren't too shabby either. Nintendo of America recently responded to gamers' questions on the wonder machine and the answers were more than...
News There'll be Plenty of 3DS Consoles at Launch, UK
Nintendo beefing up supply chain
With pre-orders reportedly outpacing the pre-release demand for Wii in 2006, gamers and retailers across the UK might be worried there won't be enough stock after March 25th to keep up with demand. Nintendo doesn't want you to have to ring around stores, refresh websites and chase delivery vans to get your hands on a...
News 3DS Too Full of Gadgets to Make a 3DS Lite Possible
Iwata talks, size matters
Ever since before the 3DS was officially unveiled, gamers claimed they would wait until the so-called "inevitable" revision that has accompanied all Nintendo's portable hardware over the years: you need only look at the number of iterations of the original GameBoy, GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS consoles to...
News Top Screen Backlight to Blame for 3DS Battery Life
Too bright by half
There's no dressing it up: the 3DS's battery life of 3 - 5 hours is disappointing. Ryuji Umezu, the system designer, talked to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata about the many features that sap away the machine's battery life, with the main culprit, as you would expect, the 3D top screen. Explaining that the most energy-hungry...
News Reggie Explains Why Nintendo Stuck With Friend Codes For 3DS
Easier now for gamers, but is it the most convenient overall method?
Nintendo knows that one area it needs to improve on is its online strategy, and in particular, the online functionality of its range of hardware. With the upcoming 3DS, the company is hoping to improve on several areas that its been lacking in in recent years: one example is a more...
Nintendo spills the beans on the 3DS and all of its features and hardware specs
We've already seen tons of information floating around about Nintendo's upcoming 3DS system, but with today's revelations, we decided it was time to collect all of the various bits of information into one tidy spot. You can check out all of the information we currently...
News Nintendo Confirms 3DS Will Be Region-Locked
To what extent?
Back at E3 2010, Nintendo revealed that the decision on whether the 3DS will be region-locked hadn't been made yet, and just earlier this month, an alleged portion of a Nintendo support email spoke of "region codes" being built into the 3DS system and its games. Ahead of Nintendo's dual 3DS conference tomorrow, the company...
News Iwata Hints at 3D Video Recording with Future 3DS Updates
Another string to the 3DS's bow
Along with the games that are in production for the upcoming 3DS, it seems Nintendo has allowed itself enough room to experiment with other uses and applications for the device. In a 3DS edition of Iwata Asks, the President of Nintendo Japan Satoru Iwata talks about the popularity of 3D cameras and hints at the...
News So This is What a Naked 3DS Looks Like
Machine strips off
While we all know that the 3DS's technology isn't powered by wizards and warlocks, it's still surprising to see just how mundane the machine's insides are. Following the handheld's "vacation" from a Chinese production line, some enterprising console lover has taken the console apart and displayed its guts for all to see...
News Contents of 3DS Box Revealed
Charging cradle and 2GB SD card included
Everyone loves packaging, and Gizmodo has just revealed what's inside that of the 3DS. As well as the system, the box will hold a charging cradle, AC adaptor, 10cm touch pen, 2GB SD card, six augmented reality cards and instruction booklets, screen shots of which were earlier posted by Famitsu. They also...
