Tag: Nintendo - Page 133
Highlights low eShop sales and policies lagging behind Sony and Microsoft
Brandon Sheffield is, arguably, just the sort of developer Nintendo should be wooing — he produces games through his own studio Necrosoft, is an editor on Gamasutra and is a familiar face at industry events such as GDC (Game Developers Conference) and IDF (Independent Games...
News Nintendo Is Shutting Down Its Taiwan Subsidiary
Nintendo Phuten employees will leave by the end of this month
The Big N's Taiwanese subsidiary, Nintendo Phuten, will shut down at the end of May with employees leaving by the end of this month, Taiwanese website GNN reports. Nintendo Phuten is responsible for distribution and sales of the company's hardware and software in Taiwan; with a population...
News New Instalment In The Popular Fatal Frame Franchise Coming To Wii U
A match made in heaven...or hell!
A new entry in Tecmo Koei's Fatal Frame horror series is coming to Wii U with collaboration from Nintendo, Famitsu reports today. No release date or final title have been revealed, but this announcement alone is enough to send Fatal Frame fans into a tizzy. The last entry in the series, Grasshopper Manufacture's...
Feature The Nintendo Easter Egg Hunt - 2014
Not literally, please understand...
Last year we celebrated Easter Sunday with The Nintendo Easter Egg Hunt, so it's only polite that we do so once again. While getting from start to finish is part of the challenge in any game, finding its quirky secrets is a whole other aspect worth exploring. Last year we gave you six 'Easter Eggs' to consider...
News Nintendo Joining the White House for its 2014 Easter Egg Roll
Yolks like fun
The Easter Egg Roll, taking place this year on Monday, 21st April, is a time-honoured tradition in which children use long-handled spoons to race their ovoids down the South Lawn of the White House. It should come as no surprise that Nintendo would want in on the fun this year, as the event practically begs for a tie-in with Yoshi's...
News Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Could Have Been a Nintendo Exclusive
Developer predicts decision will "haunt them for the rest of their days"
The Skylanders series, developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision, is currently a phenomenon in the gaming industry, generating huge revenue through both software and the many, many accompanying toys. The combination of a game and toys that directly interact has...
Video The Awesome Super Smash Wars Trilogy Has Almost Finished
Return of the Hero
We've made no secret of the fact that we're fans of James Farr's work, having shared a number of his animated videos over the past year. His work to date has included some excellent Ghostbusters / Nintendo mashups, and his latest project has been to blend the big N's universe with the original Star Wars Trilogy. Before now we've...
News 'Mr. Tetris', Henk Rogers, Discusses Game Boy Sales and Nintendo
"It would be nice to see them gain some momentum again"
This year is undoubtedly notable for one of the best-known franchises in gaming, as Tetris celebrates its 30th Anniversary. It was created by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union in 1984, and in one of the smartest video game business deals ever made Henk Rogers travelled to Russia to secure...
News Nintendo Registers An Intriguing S.T.E.A.M Trademark For A New Game
Full title "Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace"
Trademark filings can mean a great deal or nothing at all, but at the very least indicate ideas that are rattling around or projects that could come to pass. That's why it's intriguing when Nintendo files records for new games, especially with names as interesting as this...
Feature A Round-Up of the Best Nintendo-Related April Fools' Pranks
We pity the fools
So, it's 1st April. That makes manoeuvring the internet an act of danger at every click as we try to figure out what's real and what isn't. This year, to be frank, few pranks have genuinely fooled anyone, but will have hopefully raised a smile — or a scowl, in some cases.
News Rusty's Real Deal Baseball Has Some Interesting Localization Changes
The character himself underwent a full makeover
The folks over at Tiny Cartridge have discovered a couple of interesting design changes made to Rusty's Real Deal Baseball during the localization process. Nintendo's next foray into free-to-play garnered some attention for its unconventional take on the model, which involves in-game haggling to lower...
News Take a Look and be Jealous of This Beautiful Monster Hunter 4 3DS XL
The stylish handheld was released in Japan yesterday.
Impatient for Monster Hunter 4 to hit Western shelves in its Ultimate guise? Japanese fans have not only been playing Monster Hunter 4 since September 2013, but yesterday they got this stunning 3DS XL (or LL, as it's known in the country) in a colour Nintendo calls "Rajang Gold." Take a look:...
News Nintendo Bringing Pokémon to the Midwest Gaming Classic
Will it drop some Poké-news?
Nintendo may be passing on PAX East this year, but it'll make an appearance at next month's Midwest Gaming Classic in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Held on the 12th and 13th April, the Midwest Gaming Classic is a retro-centric trade show featuring everything from arcades and pinball machines to tabletop board games. One of...
News Game Boy Classic Donkey Kong Land Is Coming To The Japanese 3DS Virtual Console
You'll go bananas about this news
Fans of the naked ape wearing only a tie will be pleased to hear the 1995 Game Boy title Donkey Kong Land is being released in Japan on the 3DS Virtual Console early next month. Released a year after the success of the Super Nintendo original, Donkey Kong Land has the Kongs recapturing their banana hoard when...
News Swedish Speedrunner Breaks Record For Fastest Zelda: Majora's Mask Playthrough
Because he can
Speed-runs seem like a dime a dozen these days, with new records being broken all the time. Although they seem like a fad to some, others are extremely passionate about them and spend a generous amount of time figuring out how to beat the clock. A few months back, we talked about one such individual, Cosmo Wright, whose January 2013...
News Nintendo Passing on PAX East 2014
Not shipping up to Boston
There is some potentially disappointing news for Nintendo fans heading to PAX East this 11th-13th April. A Nintendo spokesperson has reportedly confirmed with Polygon that the company will not have a showing at the Boston event: Interacting directly with our fans and letting them play our games firsthand is a key...
News Record Attendance At GDC 2014 With More Than 24,000 Visitors
Next year's event scheduled for 2nd-6th March
UBM Tech Game Network, the organizers behind the Game Developers Conference, announced today that a record-breaking 24,000 attendees visited the Moscone Center in San Francisco last week for one of the industry's biggest events. The figure represents steady growth from last year's event, which could...
News Super Mario McDonald's Happy Meals Hit the Flagpole in the UK on 19th March
Pictures, so many pictures!
Not long ago we shared the surprisingly glorious news that Super Mario McDonald's Happy Meals were coming to the UK, a clever piece of marketing due to the ongoing popularity of the ever-present big M. The big N and M have now provided further information and, most importantly, images of the collectible toys. There'll be...
News Nintendo of America Launches eShop Indie Website
Links, links everywhere
With the eShop platforms increasingly becoming integral parts of the Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo is likely to continue to increase its support for the stores. Much has been done to ease entry requirements, a process that began on the 3DS, while the Wii U store has opened up new avenues with development tools and access through...
News Nintendo's Expensive New Development Building Isn't Very Exciting
Not on the outside, anyway...
Nintendo is still producing some of the most fun, creative and enjoyable gaming experiences that money can buy, but it's also well-known for business pragmatism and a steady, focused approach to its work. That certainly applies to the buildings it constructs for its employees in Japan, and they can only truly be...
News Nintendo and Retro Studios Speak on Resistance to Going Mobile
"I want Nintendo games to be played on Nintendo hardware."
Some Nintendo fans may be sick of hearing about it, but talk of Nintendo's potential if it decided to shift some work to iOS and Android devices still perks the ears of a number of investors. The jury is asked to consider the financier who suggested a model where players would pay 99 cents...
News Japanese Prime Minister Says the Country's Economy "Can Learn From" Nintendo
Keeping the faith
Nintendo's stock market value and current financial results may be a long way short of the recent glory days of the Wii and DS era, yet despite that drop in fortunes the company still has substantial cash reserves and is emphasizing plans to evolve its business and return to significant success. The 3DS continues to perform —...
News GBA Titles Super Mario Ball And Pac-Man Collection Rated By Australian Classification Board
Headed for Wii U Virtual Console
Following the trend of the past few weeks, another pair of Game Boy Advance titles — expected to arrive sometime soon on the Wii U Virtual Console — have been classified by Australian Classification Board. The classifications have revealed Super Mario Ball (also known as Mario Pinball Land) and Pac-Man...
News Pre-orders for Mario Kart Ride-on Available at Toys 'R Us in the United States
Comes with a 100,000-mile or 1-Blue Shell warranty
Remember that sweet-looking Mario Kart ride-on we reported was coming to the UK later this year? Turns out Toys 'R Us customers in the United States can already put money down on the same set of wheels. Pre-orders for the Super Mario Kart Ride-on are currently open at the Toys 'R Us website. The 6V...
Soapbox Nintendo Soundtracks - Where Are They?
Kerry wonders why Nintendo's not wired for sound
I’ve recently (finally) got around to playing Fire Emblem: Awakening, and like all other beings with functioning ears after the first few battles I decided the soundtrack was incredible; so I took off into the wilds of the internet to try and buy a copy for myself. The joy of hearing such wonderful...
News Nintendo's Battles With Clones and Copycat Smart Device Games Continue in the Far East
Issues in the Chinese market, among others
We've highlighted multiple examples in the past of smart device games that are either direct or exceptionally close clones of Nintendo titles. In one sense a form a flattery, it's an ongoing concern for Nintendo that its content is presented without license and, in many cases, with a lack of quality that...
News Console Wars Book Paves The Way For Movie Written By Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Nintendo or Sega, the ultimate question
In many respects the current home console scene is relatively complex. Nintendo is pursuing its own ideas and philosophies, while Microsoft and Sony are in a tug of war over resolutions, framerates and probably things called gigaflops. Throw in the rise of smart device gaming, some stuttering micro consoles...
News Mario Kart Ride-on Racing into the UK Later this Year
"Billy, why'd you peel all the bananas?"
Let's admit it: some things just feel wasted on the young. With Nintendo stating its desire to increase its IP licensing, those of us who are adults can at least get away with buying the new plushies and figures and such that will come of this. But a licensed replica of Mario's very own Mario Kart as a...
News Famicom Remix 1 + 2 Coming to Retail in Japan
A one-two nostalgic combo right in Japan's childhood
NES Remix was a pleasant surprise when suddenly announced for the Wii U eShop, and the appearance of its slightly more mature cousin NES Remix 2 is a good sign that this particular brand of retro carnival play is taking off. It may come to the delight and/or great envy of others, then, that Japan...
News Nintendo UK Launches a New "Nintendo Girls Club" YouTube Channel
No boys allowed
Nintendo, across multiple regions, has been stepping up its marketing efforts to target various demographics, and Nintendo UK has now launched a YouTube channel with very obvious intentions. It's called "Nintendo Girls Club". Currently focused on 2DS and 3DS videos, this appears to have had a soft launch a month ago with some older...
Weirdness Purchase This "Nintendo Dolphin Prototype Console" at Your Own Risk
Ever wanted to own a Nintendo development kit?
Of course you have. Before your very eyes is an elusive and very rare development kit for Nintendo’s sixth generation console - the Nintendo GameCube. Also codenamed "Project Dolphin" back in the day. An eBay seller from Canada, who has been a member of the site since 2005 and has a user rating of...
News Now There's a Kirby You Can Wear
You won't look ridiculous either
Gaming fashion is sadly all-too-often nothing more than a current-gen logo or character ripped from some art you've already seen plastered everywhere, and then printed on a "one size fits all" (allegedly) black t-shirt, or an ironed-on bit of pixel art slapped roughly in the middle of the chest area if you're after...
News Nintendo's UK Store Shows The Love With Valentine's Campaign
Use the #LoveNintendo hashtag, or else
It's almost here, the day that gift card retailers and flower sellers dream of every year, hoping that love in the air will sell enough roses to buy that new car they always wanted. Valentine's Day is coming, giving couples a chance to buy each other gifts and show extra romance, while those that are single...
News Intriguing Data Helps Explain Nintendo's Smart Device Strategy
Games aren't necessarily the route to glory
Following Nintendo's recent Q3 investor briefing, the reaction to its much-anticipated smart device strategy was decidedly mixed, with Satoru Iwata's announcements on a dedicated development team with the objective of producing free "services" in an app not quite representing the move into the iOS and...
Guide Nintendo Publishes a "New to Wii U?" Guide
Links galore
With Nintendo preparing to push the Wii U throughout 2014, promising major releases, system updates and features to boost the role of the GamePad, it's only natural that newcomers will seek out some advice and tips for making the most of the system. Nintendo of Europe is doing its part with a new guide article to point readers towards...
News Super Mario Hopping Into McDonald's Happy Meals in the UK
And hopefully elsewhere
When considering some challenges facing Nintendo in the current market, it's common for fans to bemoan what they consider to be undercooked or uninspiring advertising and marketing. To take the undercooked description one step further, there is some positive news for those in the UK that feel the Nintendo brand needs more...
News Nintendo Completes Share Buyback, Including Some Holdings of Hiroshi Yamauchi's Family
$1.1 billion of shares purchased
Yesterday we reported that Hiroshi Yamauchi's heirs had expressed a desire to sell some Nintendo shares, with the inheritance from the former Nintendo President set to bring related taxes upon the family. This tied in with Nintendo's previous announcement that it was planning to acquire up to 10 million of its own...
News Team Meat's Name Originated From a "Random" Nintendo Press Release
"It'd be an honour to be featured on a Nintendo console but"...
It's almost forgotten history now, but there was a time when Super Meat Boy was coming to the WiiWare service — we even interviewed Team Meat when half of us was called WiiWare World, with the Nintendo system a priority for the small development studio at that point in February 2009...
Feature Breaking Down What Nintendo's QOL Platform Could Mean
Potentially a large, developing market
Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing this week included a few surprises and, in limited detail, some of Nintendo's key strategies for the coming year and beyond. Yet it was the final announcement that caused the most head-scratching and, not surprisingly, didn't prompt investors to rush to buy up Nintendo shares;...
News Satoru Iwata States That Nintendo Should "Abandon Old Assumptions" About Its Businesses
Hiroshi Yamauchi "would tell me to carry an air of confidence"
As anticipated, this week's Q3 financial results Investor Briefing from Satoru Iwata attracted plenty of attention. The moment that Nintendo drastically revised its sales and projections down in January was also the point when plenty of speculation and ideas on the company's future were...
News Nintendo Share Price Drops In Reaction to Investor Briefing
Let's see if it pops back up again...
While diligently following the progress of Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing, we were keeping track of a Wall Street Journal live blog that observed that, as the presentation progressed, the Tokyo exchange wasn't exactly giddy at what was being said, with the share price falling. It seems like that's played out,...
News Satoru Iwata Announces a "Quality of Life" Platform Business of "Non-Wearable" Technology
To be unveiled this year, target release after 1st April 2015
In what was the finale of Satoru Iwata's Investor Briefing, the Nintendo President has announced that the company is developing a new business platform that will be focused on "Quality of Life" (QOL) in the health sphere, utilising its history as an entertainment business to engage people...
News Nintendo Confirms Plans To Acquire Up To Ten Million Of Its Own Shares
Already owns 13,793,439 shares
In a notification document accompanying today's Q3 financial reports, Nintendo has confirmed plans to acquire up to ten million of its own shares up to 31st March, the end of the financial year. This isn't uncommon, as Nintendo already holds 13,793,439 of these Treasury shares, though the planned increase is still a...
News Nintendo Q3 Results Bring Net Profit, But Warnings of Projected Losses Remain
3DS hardware surpassed 40 million lifetime sales
Following its revised projections from earlier in the month, Nintendo left little scope for surprise in its financial results. Overall there was a net profit, but warnings remain that typically slow Q4 sales would contribute to end of year losses like those projected; there were also some landmarks...
News Nintendo States There Are "No Plans" to Bring Mini-Games to Smart Devices
Satoru Iwata's Corporate Management Policy Briefing will reveal more
The Nikkei, a prominent business newspaper and website in Japan, recently published an article outlining its understanding of Nintendo's upcoming smart device strategies, highlighting its expectations of what will be announced later this week when Satoru Iwata provides an investor...
News The Nikkei Reports Potential Nintendo Smartphone Strategy, to be Announced This Week
Marketing and mini-games on the agenda
Nintendo recently announced major reductions in its sales and financial projections for this financial year, prompting various calls for action throughout the media and from fans. Those calls have naturally included suggestions to jump into the smartphone and tablet markets, though Satoru Iwata has stated that...
Ninterview Stepping Into The Nintendo Arcade
Alex Crowley tells us about collecting cabinets and his love for DK
When gamers refer to and discuss retro gaming, we suspect that in most cases the conversation revolves around ageing consoles, cartridges and CDs; occasionally, the debate may even revert to libraries and choices on services such as Nintendo's Virtual Consoles. Yet an integral part...
News Nintendo "Confident" in PC Box Anti-Piracy Case Following European Court of Justice Decision
It's complicated
Nintendo has been involved in a number of legal cases to shut down and cease the sale of products used for "modding" its consoles, with the resulting uses circumventing the official functionality of the hardware. A current ongoing case in Italy is with PC Box, with Nintendo pursuing a case due to the company marketing and selling...
Video James Farr's Awesome Star Wars and Nintendo Mashup Continues
This time it's The Empire Strikes Back
Back in October we shared the latest animation from James Farr, Super Smash Wars: A Link to the Hope, which had already followed thoroughly entertaining efforts that combined Nintendo franchises with those such as Ghostbusters. The good news is that the animator has returned to give his spin on the second Star...
Talking Point Nintendo's Wii U Struggles Bring a Challenge, Not Doom
The wider picture shows more than "Nintendoomed"
So, it was a funny old day at Nintendo HQ. Within a short space of time we went from 3DS topping hardware sales in the U.S., alongside the Wii U enjoying its "highest month", to Nintendo confirming major reductions in its sales and financial projections. The timing of this — after the December NPD...
