Nintendo Japan: Wii and DS internet multiplayer services will shut down, Video for 3DS too
Nintendo Japan is putting internet-connected services for some of its older consoles out to pasture, although it’s not clear when or if these plans could impact the US. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection that served the original Wii and DS units is scheduled to turn off internet multiplayer gaming and many other (but not all) services May 20th (English Nintendo Australia release here), while the free Video app that launched for the 3DS in 2011 will be unplugged at the end of March. Services that will keep working on the DS after May include the DSi Shop, DS Browser, DSi Browser, while the Wii keeps Hulu, Wii Shop Channel, Internet Channel, Delivery Channel and YouTube.
A similar notice has appeared on the Nintendo Australia site as well, and we’re checking with Nintendo America to find out if the shutdown is worldwide. Newer Nintendo Network games that arrived around the 3DS and local multiplayer apparently keep on chugging, but if you have a long-distance score to settle in Mario Kart DS, we’d suggest scheduling a match now.
Source: Nintendo Japan (1), (2), Nintendo Australia
The ‘Superbad’ and ‘This is the End’ team is adapting a book about the ’90s video game war
The duo behind This is the End is making a movie about the the ’90s battle between Nintendo and Sega. That’s right, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who also wrote and executive produced 2007′s Superbad) are adapting Blake Harris’ forthcoming account of the power struggle between the two gaming companies. At this point, details are otherwise scarce and Harris’ book doesn’t release until this May. We do know that Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle That Defined a Generation is comprised of some 200 interviews with former employees from each company, but that’s about it. Goldberg’s and Rogen’s past work leans toward the R-rated and comedic sides of things, so it could be interesting to see how their take on one of gaming’s more storied tussles plays out when it finally hits.
[Image credit: cplbasilisk/Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Nintendo
Via: Polygon
Source: Booktrade
The original Legend of Zelda goes first-person for Oculus Rift demo
What happens when you cross Being John Malkovich with NES classic The Legend of Zelda? You get the terrifying Oculus Rift demo seen in video below the break. The mod is currently just the game’s overworld and its first dungeon, but there are plans to scale up the whole game to VR playability by March of this year (yes, for free — this is Nintendo’s property, after all). Should you already have an Oculus headset and a strong constitution, the demo’s available right here.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Wearables, Software, HD, Nintendo
Via: Kotaku
Source: VirtualReality.io
Nintendo to add more NES remixes, GameBoy Advance titles to Wii U this Spring
Unless you still own a GameCube GameBoy Player, it’s probably been awhile since you’ve seen a GameBoy Advance title up on the big screen. Come April, that could change: Nintendo announced today that the Wii U eShop will start carrying GBA classics this Spring, starting with Metroid Fusion, Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (both of which were 3DS Ambassador bonuses, by the way) and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Naturally, Japan’s getting a similar pen of classic releases, but its library of pending GBA games includes Mario Advance 2, Wario Ware, Golden Sun, F-Zero and Advance Wars — Japanese gamers were also teased with a price-point: ¥650 a pop (about $6.35).
If that’s not enough nostalgic news to tide you over, Nintendo did have /one/ more thing to announce. Remember when Nintendo cherry-picked specific moments from a ton of classic NES games and released them in a mini-game bundle a few months back? It’s at it again: NES Remix 2 is everything the original downloadable title was, but to a collection of NES classic picked from later in the original Nintendo’s life cycle. This means there will be remixed and scripted challenges from games like Punch-Out!!!, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Metroid. The new Remix also includes a “new” full-game titled Super Luigi Bros. — essentially a mirrored version of the NES classic with Mario’s younger brother in the starring role. When was the “Year of Luigi” supposed to end again?
Source: Nintendo Direct (1), (2)
PlayStation 4 tops next-generation console sales in the US for January
As it turns out, Microsoft’s lead in US next-generation console sales was short-lived. The NPD has just released estimates which show that the PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One during January. Neither the NPD nor Sony is providing exact numbers, although Sony Senior VP Guy Longworth states that PS4 sales were almost twice as high as Microsoft’s. The system was certainly alluring enough to drive game sales during the quarter — the PS4 was the platform of choice for five of the top 10 games, while the Xbox One was never higher than second.
Microsoft also isn’t divulging Xbox One figures, although the NPD tells us that the system was the runner-up in hardware sales. The company can trumpet the strength of the overall Xbox brand, though. Together, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One represented 47 percent of game sales; the Xbox 360 was also the most popular system for five of the top 10 software releases. Nintendo has a silver lining on its dark cloud, too. Game sales for the 3DS and Wii U respectively increased by six and 26 percent year-over-year. That’s no mean feat when overall spending was down by a quarter. Whichever platform you prefer, we wouldn’t declare the console wars over — not when expected system sellers like Titanfall could easily shift the balance of power.
This just in: PS4 the #1 selling game console in the US in January, still #1 worldwide. Thanks, guys! pic.twitter.com/1vOFmtUukX
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 13, 2014
per @LuckyLongworth: PS4 was #1 in sales for next gen consoles in January, nearly doubling the nearest next gen competitor.
– Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 13, 2014
Filed under: Gaming, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo
Source: PlayStation (Twitter), Xbox Wire, Geoff Keighley (Twitter)
Nintendo finally starts testing free-to-play titles in eShop, will let gamers haggle for DLC
At E3 last year, Nintendo gave itself until March to launch a free-to-play title in the Nintendo eShop. That same week, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that the gratis game would be based on Steel Diver, a 3DS launch title. Today, Nintendo delivered, releasing Steel Diver: Sub Wars on the 3DS eShop. Technically, it’s not the first free-to-play title to grace one of Nintendo’s online storefronts (that distinction goes to Namco’s Tank! Tank! Tank!), but it is the publisher’s inaugural first-party attempt at aping the mobile gaming market. It won’t be its last either. During today’s Nintendo Direct livestream, the company also announced Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball, a mini-game collection that will let players haggle over the price of DLC expansions.
In the wake of floundering Wii U sales and underwhelming financial performance, what these titles represent may be more important than the content of the game. Despite Satoru Iwata’s insistence that it “doesn’t make sense for Nintendo to do business on smartphones,” these releases show that his statement might not apply to how Nintendo runs its business — augmenting a barebones gaming experience with piecemeal purchases and expansions has far more in common with the smartphone gaming market than Nintendo’s traditional competitors. It sounds a little dicey, true, but it’s also the kind of experimentation the company needs to dabble in if it hopes to suss out its next-gen strategy. Oh, and if you just dropped by to take a peek at the new game trailers, skip on past the break; they’ll be there.
Gaming deals of the week: 2.5.14
For those folks out to nab up a bit of fun this week, we’ve compiled a few gaming deals that will certainly lend a hand. From the latest Call of Duty installment to a 17-inch gaming laptop, we’ve got a variety of picks to suit a range of gamer sensibilities. Browse the options we’ve selected just past the break.
Just window shopping? No worries. Join us and add the gadgets you’re shopping for to your Want list; every time there’s a price cut in the future, you’ll get an email alert!
Alienware 17
Price: $1,600
Regular Price: $1,800
Engadget Score: 87
Buy: Amazon
We gave the Alienware 17 high marks for its gaming performance, solid keyboard/trackpad and build quality. What didn’t we like? Well, we found this 17-incher to only last about three hours into a Battlefield 4 marathon before needing a charge. See for yourself how this beast matches up with the best gaming laptops available with our compare tool.
Nintendo 3DS XL
Price: $170
Regular Price: $200
Engadget Global Score: 82
Buy: Amazon
Nintendo outed the larger version of its 3DS handheld back in 2012, and now it’s now available at $30 less than original sticker price — if you don’t mind the red/black color scheme. The larger screen is the key feature here, but the in-hand feel and improved battery life (under certain conditions) are also welcome improvements. According to our price drop tool, the $170 price tag is on par with the 90-day low for the most part. Want to hold out for a bit? You can keep an eye on the 3DS XL to save a few more bucks by adding it to your Want list.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Price: $39-$40
Regular Price: $50
Buy: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC
Released back in November ahead of the new console launches, the latest installment of the CoD franchise dropped $11 on Xbox 360 and PS3 — one dollar less than the PC and Wii U options. Our pals over at Joystiq gave the title 3.5 out of 5 stars (PS4 version).
Ion iCade Core
Price: $13
Regular Price: $100
Engadget Global Score: 84
Buy: Provantage
How about an arcade-like feel for your iOS gaming exploits? Ion’s iCade Core can do just that. The device doesn’t have the retro stylings of the first-gen iCade, but we were quite pleased to find that it worked as advertised. Of course, a modest $13 investment is a minimal risk to give the device a shot. This price is consistent with the lowest we’ve seen in the last three months, thanks to our trusty price drop tool.
Filed under: Gaming
Nintendo is making smartphone apps, says Satoru Iwata, with a chance of Games
Nintendo has been sending some very mixed messages over the last few days regarding its stance on making apps, specifically games, for smartphones. First they were said to be looking into it, then a Nintendo official denied that it was an eventuality. Thankfully, Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata has today put an end to all doubt regarding this issue; he announced that Nintendo is officially making smartphones apps to show “the value of our entertainment offerings, this encouraging more people to participate in Nintendo platforms”.
This is a pretty round-about way of saying that these apps could range from anything from demos to catalogues of trailers, or basically any advertising material that Nintendo deems enlightening. While Iwata didn’t directly address the issue of Nintendo games appearing on smartphones, he did add that “I have not given any restrictions to the development team, even not ruling out the possibility of making games or using our game characters. However, if you report that we will release Mario on smart devices, it would be a completely misleading statement” which I’m reading as ‘don’t get your hopes up’.
Even so, it is exciting to think that Nintendo is finally turning some of its attention to the mobile platform, but for Nintendo purists everywhere, it’s almost depressing to see the state of affairs that Nintendo has gotten itself into that has led it to this point. What do you think about Nintendo opening up development for smartphone apps? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Nintendo via Kotaku Australia
Daily Roundup: camera with gun-like sight, Nintendo execs take pay cut, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nintendo execs take big pay cuts
It’s no secret that Wii sales haven’t exactly met expectations. To make up the difference, AFP is reporting that several Nintendo execs are taking significant pay cuts. Click the link for details.
Olympus Stylus SP-100 with unique gun sight
Olympus’ new $400 Stylus SP-100 camera packs 50x superzoom and mid-ranged specs, but its unique “Eagle-Eye” viewfinder might make photographers feel like they’re shooting more than just photos. Click the link for more information.
AT&T is leaving subsidized phones behind
AT&T matched T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” campaign with its so-called Next plan, and it seems to be working. Click through for more information as Engadget’s Brad Molen breaks down the future of the US wireless industry.
Underwhelming Google Glass games
In an effort to inspire developers to populate the Glass ecosystem, Google threw together some games for the headset … and they’re nothing to write home about. Click the link for details.
Filed under: Misc
Nintendo’s strategy to save its gaming kingdom: DS virtual console on Wii U, GamePad focus, on-demand service
It’s been tough times for Nintendo. Its Wii U console has sold, in a year, 5 million units. Sounds decent enough, until you realize that’s roughly the same number as both the PS4 and the Xbox One — both on sale for mere months. Nintendo kicked off a business strategy briefing today in Tokyo, but it won’t involve playing Nintendo titles elsewhere. The CEO announced at the start of the presentation that he wasn’t pessimistic about the future of the company, reiterating that Nintendo would not be giving up the hardware side of the business. So what’s stopped the Wii U from succeeding so far?
Nintendo’s CEO announced at the start of the presentation that he wasn’t pessimistic about the future of the company, and that they would not be giving up on hardware
The Nintendo boss admits that recognition of the GamePad’s role has been difficult, and that many people view it as an accessory for the console. Most interestingly, however, was the mention of an on-demand gaming service across games consoles, with the service based on your Nintendo ID rather than a device you owned. Bigger news still, is that you will see Nintendo DS games appear on the Wii U, via virtual console. Iwata added that the team will seek a partner to increase exposure for games and hardware — it will even, gasp, license character rights to other companies.
When it comes to gaming on the Wii U, the CEO said they will focus on games that make the most the tablet-esque GamePad, especially titles with NFC — expect to see announcements on this at E3 2014. Mario Kart 8 will also launch in May, and will apparently make strong use of the GamePad. At the same time, Nintendo is working on ensuring a faster start time when its used without a TV.
He said that Nintendo needed to identify new markets and opportunities. According to David Gibson, senior research analyst at Macquarie Securities in Tokyo, Iwata added that it “doesn’t make sense for Nintendo to do business on smartphones.” More nebulously, the company will, however, “actively” use smart devices to connect with customers, making the approach sound more like an app than playable game demo. Nintendo’s Iwata added that simple advertising wasn’t enough, and that the company needed any smartphone presence to be fun and engaging.
Finally, the Nintendo CEO said he wants to find Nintendo’s next “blue ocean”, and thinks that it could be health. He reckons entertainment is tied to quality of life (Vitality Sensor anyone?) — the games maker will continue developing its health and fitness software, but without getting into the current scrum of wearables. No Nintendo GameBand, then.
Source: NIntendo, David Gibson (Twitter), WSJ
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