The Strong Museum opens a DICE Awards exhibit
The Academy of Arts and Sciences (AIAS) holds its annual DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) awards to recognize outstanding video games and the individuals who bring them to life., Basically, they’re like the Oscars of the gaming industry. Today, they’re opening an interactive exhibit at The Strong’s National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY to showcase winners and significant titles across gaming history.
The exhibit will feature a touchscreen exploring the history of the Academy, which has celebrated achievements in video gaming for 20 years. There will be a Greatest Hits section featuring Game Of The Year winners from Goldeneye to Fallout 4, along with a case full of artifacts and documents pulled up from the museum’s vaults. The Strong Museum plans to keep the exhibit open year-round, updating it annually after each series of awards.
Source: The Strong Museum
Nintendo’s 2DS is now cheaper than ever. Play these games.
Who needs stereoscopic 3D, or a hinge? Nintendo’s cheaper, flatter 2DS is now a mere $80. It even includes a free digital copy of Mario Kart 7. That’s a bargain for a current-generation handheld, but where should you start your games collection? How about here, with Engadget’s favorites. (And remember, the console plays DS games, so there’s over ten years of hits to pick from.) We’d still advise starting with some of the most recent titles, which include animal villages, a particularly weird Zelda title, Square Enix’s resurrection of the JRPG, and Mario, somewhere, along the way.
Nintendo has a new game plan
In case you didn’t get the message yet, Nintendo is trying lots of new things. To that extent, it’s formalizing some of that in its official charter next month. While most of it is rewording in places, the updated charter includes new references the manufacturing and selling of medical devices and computer software — the latter possibly being different from the gaming software it’s famous for. It also offers a reminder of all the things that Nintendo does that you might not know about, including office equipment and the management of “restaurants, dining halls, cafes”. (Where’s my Mario Cafe?)
Former president Satoru Iwata had intimated some of the company’s moves into healthcare, including a “quality of life” arm that Nintendo was interested in developing. It worked on both a sleep monitor and a Wii-connected “inconsistent” vitality sensor that was eventually canned. Whether the reworded charter represents a stronger, concerted push, or just formalizes what Nintendo’s trying out in recent years, remains to be seen. It’s not the only new approach for the games maker: it launched its first mobile game, is looking into movies, and is even building theme park attractions in Japan. (Coming! Summer 2020!)
New ideas are needed: the company dropped almost 40 percent in overall profits in its latest earnings report. The Cliff Notes version? Nintendo is profitable, but game sales are shrinking.
Via: Polygon
Source: Nintendo (PDF)
‘Pokemon Go’ field test signups are now live
Pokemon Go, the mobile app that allows users to travel the globe on their own Pokemon journey, is finally open for registration for United States users. Niantic Labs’ field test is available to sign up for right now, with users being chosen to try out the upcoming game later on.
Like Niantic Labs’ alternate reality app Ingress that takes place in the real world, players are encouraged to get out of the house and go outdoors to catch various Pokemon, engage in battle with other trainers and complete special challenges.
If chosen for the field test, which requires either an iOS or Android device, users will be required to keep their experiences with the game confidential, with progress removed before the full game actually makes its debut later this year. According to Niantic, game data will actually be completely removed multiple times during the test, so if you plan on participating and are chosen, it’s prudent to bear this in mind.
The app was previously available for Japanese users to test out, and while there’s currently no concrete release date for the full version of the game out there at the moment there’s still plenty of footage to find online from testers if you’re curious about how the app actually works. For now, you can sign up for the chance to be one of the early adopters with their own real-life Pokemon journey.
Source: Polygon
‘Yo-Kai Watch 2’ invades the US this September
Yo-Kai Watch 2 is on the horizon, and it’s headed to the US this September, with a second season of the anime series to follow. Originally launched last November for western audiences, the 3DS title served up decadent and accessible role-playing goodness, with collecting elements for the youngsters and meaty side quests and commentary for adults.
The sequel launches September 30 with over 100 new Yo-kai to collect and fight alongside, a new town outside of the area of Springdale, time travel, and a new and improved Yo-kai watch. Its being split into two distinct versions, each with its own rare Yo-kai that can only be found in its unique game: Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Yo-Kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls.
The second season of the animated series will follow heroes Nate, Whisper and Jibanyan as they continue their adventures with the brand new Yo-kai Watch Model Zero. There’s also a whole new line of toys coming by way of Hasbro to snap up, including the new Yo-kai Watch itself.
While Yo-Kai Watch didn’t enjoy the exact same success as Pokémon in the west, it still managed to grab plenty of consumers’ attention, with plush Yo-kai, collectible medallions, trading cards and various other merchandise selling like hotcakes behind Nintendo’s 3DS release and in support of the series that airs on Disney XD. Not long ago Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble, a mobile tie-in, debuted on iOS, enjoying a comfortable Top Ten spot in the App Store.
Now might be a good time to brush up on your “Gera Gera Po” dance moves, play the original Yo-Kai Watch or watch the series on Netflix. There’s a lot to catch up on.
Via: BusinessWire
Nintendo is thinking about getting (back) into the movie business
As Nintendo continues to stretch beyond gaming for new money-making opportunities, it might get into the movie biz. According to Nintendo spokesman Maokoto Wakae, details are undecided, but the results could be a big movie release… or a straight to DVD / Blu-Ray affair. The company had broadly referenced the opportunity for using its popular characters and titles in future movies mid-2015, buried in this financial report, but then the mention of “visual content production” could have been directed at Nintendo’s recent Star Fox animation — it’s keeping busy with its IPs.
According to the AP, filmmaking is one of the future investments Nintendo plans to make once it sells its stake in baseball team the Seattle Mariners. Japan’s Asahi Shimbun says projects could include 3D animation, with the games maker reportedly talking to film companies about collaboration possibilities. As long as it’s better than Pixels — we’ll probably be open to whatever’s in the pipeline.
Source: AP, Asahi Shimbun (Japanese)
Get your hands on ‘Monster Hunter Generations’ on July 15th
Monster Hunter Generations lands in North America and Europe on July 15th, specifically for the 3DS. Plus, Nintendo is launching two limited edition, Generations-branded 3DS XL handhelds, one for each region. The blue version will go on sale in North America and red is for Europe — both will be available on July 15th alongside the new game.
Generations is the western version of Monster Hunter X, Capcom’s popular creature-tracking and -battling RPG that hit Japan in November 2015. Last we heard, Generations was due to hit North America and Europe in the summer. A Monster Hunter Generations demo will show up on the 3DS eShop before the game launches, though there’s no firm date for that quite yet.
Source: Monster Hunter Generations
The new ‘Ace Attorney’ lands in September
Phoenix Wright and his band of lawyers, circus performers and spirit mediums are making their way to North America and Europe. The newest installment for the courtroom-slash-visual-novel franchise Ace Attorney will be released in the West in September this year. It’s called Spirit of Justice and will (unfortunately) only be available as a digital download from the Nintendo eShop, just like Dual Destinies, for $30 (£25 / €30).
The 3DS game is set in the Kingdom of Khura’in, where lawyers are persecuted and trials are conducted by spirit séances. Best thing about it is that it’s bringing back beloved characters from the older installments, including Miles Edgeworth, Ema Skye and even Wright’s original ramen burger-loving sidekick Maya Fey. What would make it even better, though, is if its success leads to the North American and European release of The Great Ace Attorney. Because we’re sure a lot of fans would love to play Wright’s ancestor and solve cases with Sherlock Holmes.
Source: Capcom
Nintendo’s new mobile games will be free-to-play
Nintendo’s upcoming smartphone renditions of popular franchises Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing will be free to play, according to DeNA’s Chief Executive Isao Moriyasu.
The actual terminology Moriyasu used is “free-to-start,” meaning you won’t have to pay anything to get started with either game, but they will of course be monetized. Given Nintendo’s efforts in the handheld realm and the increasing number of mobile apps arising from the partnership between Nintendo and mobile company DeNA, this could very well be the norm going forward.
Unfortunately no additional details were given surrounding how the apps will utilize the free-to-play model. Animal Crossing on its own uses “bells” as a currency for players to purchase items, pay off their in-game homes and more, so it’s very possible there could be a similar model in the mobile app. Fire Emblem is a strategy role-playing game notorious for featuring game modes where members of your party can succumb to permadeath, but perhaps a freemium model could offer options to bring them back for a fee.
This is an unsurprising move given the company’s recent track record of releasing games like Pokemon Shuffle and Pokemon Rumble World as freemium options, both available via 3DS/2DS and mobile titles. Both rely on “energy” to continue playing if you run out of the allotted currency. Games like Nintendo Badge Arcade offer free plays each day and dangle additional badges to collect in the faces of those unwilling to pay further to explore, and Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball gives players the option to haggle to purchase in-game minigames.
It’s not clear how Nintendo will handle these high-profile franchises just yet, but free-to-play will almost certainly get more consumers invested than premium pricing. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Source: WSJ
Nintendo 2DS drops to $80 on May 20th
The 2DS is getting yet another price cut on May 20th. Less than a year after Nintendo brought it down to $100, from $130 originally, the company revealed today that its handheld console will now cost $80. That puts the 2DS in impulse-buy territory, so long as you’re willing to live without the three-dimensional effect found on the flagship 3DS. It does come with a digital copy of Mario Kart 7, though, which is about a $20 value on its own.
Yesterday, Nintendo also announced the release date for Pokémon Sun and Moon, in case you’re looking for a reason to spend $80 on the 2DS. Although those games won’t be available until November 18th, there are plenty others coming out over the next few weeks, including Kirby: Planet Robobot and the long-awaited Mighty No. 9.
Source: Nintendo (Twitter)
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