Playdate: Chilling out in the Mushroom Kingdom
It’s been a long week, folks — and there’s only one proper way to unwind: a cool drink, some Twitch friends and your Super Mario Maker levels. That’s right, we’re returning to our vault of level submissions to torture Sean and have a good time. Join us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage or right here in this post starting at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific. Didn’t get in on our last Mario Maker event? Drop your level codes into chat, and we’ll make sure to give them priority.
DeNA CEO confirms that first Nintendo mobile games will be free-to-play
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Last month, Nintendo and DeNA revealed that their first mobile game developed together would be called Miitomo. While it won’t be coming out till March 2016, the announcement left many questions unanswered, and apart from wondering exactly what the gameplay in Miitomo would be like, we were also left wondering how much the game would cost. Well, that particular question has been addressed by DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu who confirmed that Miitomo and future Nintendo mobile games will be free-to-play.
That news isn’t particularly surprising given DeNA’s background in working on free-to-play titles, however it does beg the question of whether Nintendo would ever release a mobile game that featured one of its iconic franchises in a free-to-play mobile game. We know that Nintendo will be using some of its more “recognizable” IP in future mobile games, but we’re going to go out on a limb and assume that the use of the IP itself will be the only resemblance we’ll get to the games that we love – think match-3 Mario Bros. Still, we could be completely wrong – let’s see what Nintendo and DeNA have up their sleeves.
What do you think about the fact the Nintendo mobile games will be free-to-play? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Wall Street Journal via gamesindustry
The post DeNA CEO confirms that first Nintendo mobile games will be free-to-play appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Next for Nintendo: Zelda reboots, fresh Splatoon gear and more
Nintendo announced a slew of upcoming titles and their release dates — as well as new content for existing franchises — during the company’s Nintendo Direct livestream on Thursday. Gird your loins and prepare for Zelda reboots, fancy new Splatoon arenas, and so. many. amiibo sets.
Source: Nintendo of America (Twitter)
Um, Cloud from ‘Final Fantasy VII’ is heading to Smash Bros.
You haven’t accidentally stumbled into an alternate reality where Final Fantasy VII was actually developed by Nintendo. But, the following is still true: Cloud from Final Fantasy VII will be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Nintendo dropped the announcement right at the end of its Nintendo Direct livestream today.
Watch today’s Nintendo Direct right here
Nintendo Direct is back and ready to deliver some serious 3DS and Wii U news. Today’s live stream starts at 2PM PT (5PM ET/10PM GMT), and the US version is viewable at the bottom of this post (or see region-specific streams here). Don’t expect any details about the NX or Nintendo’s mobile games — today is poised to be all about the Wii U and 3DS only. This is the first Nintendo Direct since President Satoru Iwata’s death in July; former Nintendo of America and Pokémon USA President Tatsumi Kimishima is now the head of the company. So, grab a banana, pull up a chair and prepare for a brand new Nintendo Direct.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD’ hits Wii U in 2016
It’s official: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD exists and it’s heading to Wii U on March 4th, 2016. Twilight Princess HD introduces a new Wolf Link amiibo, which is included in a special game bundle. The game shares some data with the new Legend of Zelda game heading to Wii U in 2016 as well. Rumors of Twilight Princess HD‘s existence first hit the ‘net in October. Nintendo made the official announcement today during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
‘Star Fox Zero’ lands on Wii U in April
Star Fox Zero makes its way to Wii U on April 22nd, 2016, barrel rolls and all. The game was originally due on November 20th, but in September, Nintendo announced its delay into 2016. “we will need a little more time to work on areas such as the unprecedented discovery that we want players to experience in the game by using two screens, and further polishing the level designs and perfecting the tone of the cut scenes,” Nintendo said at the time. The company announced the new release date during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
Nintendo’s first smartphone games will be “free”
Nintendo recently decided that the lucrative smartphone gaming market might actually be worth a look after all and teamed up with DeNA Co. to develop its first batch of titles. At least five are planned so far, leading through to 2017. DeNA has now added that the first few games released under the partnership will be free to play.
Anyone remotely familiar with modern gaming, and not just in the mobile space, knows that free to play is an interchangeable term for free with in-app purchases or micro-transaction riddled grind-fest, if you’re the cynical type. To be fair though, neither Nintendo nor DeNA have detailed exactly how they plan to monetize their smartphone games, so we could just be looking at mostly harmless advertisements or palatable cosmetic in-game items. Although DeNA’s 60 existing apps in the Play Store haven’t set a very promising precedent.
“Games currently in the pipeline are all free to play,” – DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu
Various industry reports have indicated that the free to play segment of the gaming market is by far the most profitable, especially in the Android ecosystem and even more so in Japan. This is sure to have caught Nintendo’s attention, as the company failed to hit its recent profit forecast for the three months ending in September. DeNA, on the other hand, has been fairing a little better despite struggling to break into foreign markets. DeNA saw its April to September net profit jump up 50 percent from a year earlier, reaching ¥16.2 billion ($132 million) for the quarter.
The why: Freemium models and in-app ads spur growth in mobile app revenue
Back in October, the two companies announced that their first mobile app will be called Miitomo, which is more of a social network/messaging app that uses virtual Mii characters than an actual game. Both companies’ share prices fell following the announcement.
Are you looking forward to Nintendo’s free smartphone games?
Nintendo Direct returns on Thursday with Wii U and 3DS news
The next Nintendo Direct takes place on November 12th at 2PM PT (10PM GMT), and it promises news and trailers for a slew of Wii U and 3DS games. This is Nintendo’s first live-streamed news program since April — and it’s the first since the death of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. For many viewers, Iwata encapsulated the appeal of Nintendo Direct, as he helped the company have fun in delivering its news (and appeared to have an adorable banana fetish). Former Nintendo of America and Pokémon USA President Tatsumi Kimishima is now the head of Nintendo. For its Thursday show, Nintendo promises updates on coming Wii U and 3DS games, and it says this Nintendo Direct will not feature news about its coming console, the NX, or its mobile endeavors. Catch region-specific streams of Nintendo Direct on Twitch (US, UK).
Source: Nintendo
The After Math: Pop culture phenoms
Quentin Tarantino is taking some serious flack this week for his comments on the #BlackLivesMatter debate. As such, we’re taking a look at some other franchises that are sure to get your geek blood pumping harder than the first time you listened to Gangnam Style. Here are the numbers you deserve, not the numbers you need right now.
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