Nintendo sold fewer Wii Us in a year than Xbox Ones or PS4s sold in two months
Nintendo’s had a pretty tough year trying to push its Wii U into homes, as evidenced by the latest sales figures released today. Since this time last year, the gaming giant has just about doubled the number of Wii Us sold cumulatively, going from 3.06 million units to 5.86 million units as of December 31st. That’s right, only 2.8 million Wii Us — along with 17.68 million software titles — were sold during 2013, which is pretty worrying when compared to the 3 million Xbox Ones and the 4.2 million PS4s sold in just the first couple of months after they launched. It’s also nowhere near the 100-million-unit milestone achieved by the original Wii, which easily beat the more expensive consoles from Microsoft and Sony in the same generation.
On a brighter note, Nintendo managed to sell 12.9 million 3DSs in 2013, making it a total of 42.74 million units plus 152.29 million titles since its debut in February 2011. Alas, net income is still down by 29.9 percent year-over-year to 10.2 billion yen ($98.7 million). With no plans to offer its games on other platforms, we sure hope Nintendo’s increased R&D spending will guarantee a solid comeback this year. More details in the PDF document linked below.
Source: Nintendo (PDF), (figures)
Nintendo bosses take big pay cuts in penance for Wii U failure
We don’t really need numbers to tell us the Wii U’s flopping, but figures released today quite clearly spell it out. Something’s gotta give at Nintendo, and that something is head honcho Satoru Iwata’s salary, and that of his chums. The AFP is reporting Iwata’s paycheck is to be cut in half, which is the same reduction he took as recompense for poor early uptake of the 3DS, while several of his execs will see a 20 to 30 percent drop. Much to the frustration of Acer’s top tier and their dwindling income, Iwata & Co’s pay cut is only a temporary measure to claw back some cash, with things changing again in July when sentences have been served. Perhaps it’s time for Nintendo to think about a move into mobile after all? There’s money to be made from apps, or so we hear.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Polygon
Source: AFP
Daily Roundup: prescription frames for Google Glass, Pebble Steel review 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.
Google Glass gets prescription frames
Google’s making good on its promise to deliver a headset with prescription frames. The eyeglasses are currently available as a $225 upgrade for Google Explorers, but early adopters will be able to pick up a pair as early as this afternoon. Click the link for details about styles and insurance options.
Nintendo denies smartphone mini-games
If the idea of Nintendo mini-games on your smartphone made you feel happy inside, get ready for a letdown. The company confirmed that it has no plans to make its software available to non-Nintendo devices. Click on through for more information.
An early look at in-car iOS
Developer Steven Troughton-Smith found workings of Apple’s expected in-car experience hiding in the public version of iOS 7.0.3. He also managed to crank up a preview of the interface through an emulation of a vehicle display. Click through for a video and more details.
Pebble Steel review
Smartwatches aren’t typically known for their sleek design, but the Pebble Steel is certainly a looker. At $249, Pebble’s new all-metal wearable may cost a bit more, but it’s got the right amount of bling to make up for it. Follow the link for our review.
GetGlue and i.TV combine to create tvtag for iPhone, focus on real-time updates about live TV
After powering second screen connected TV experiences for other companies including DirecTV and Nintendo’s TVii app, i.tv acquired TV check-in service GetGlue last year to pull those experiences together. Now, GetGlue is relaunching as tvtag, an advertising-supported one-stop information and social network centered around television watching, full of information from broadcast partners, augmented in real-time by a team of live curators and TV viewers. At launch, the reworked app is available only on the iPhone, but CEO Brad Pelo tells us a version for Android is due in a few days, with a web experience and iPad-ready version launching shortly after that. The i.TV app is sticking around for now, but will be updated in the future, while DirecTV and Nintendo are already lined up for integration with the new platform.
The check-in and sharing features — and built-in user base — from GetGlue remain, but it’s the curated info that the company expects will separate it from other services. The “taglines” are built by over 50 employees creating high level tags for live TV (covering the majority of what viewers are watching, on any channel), which users then fill in with additional captures, comments and reactions. It’s also why tvtag thinks users will choose to open this app over Twitter and Facebook while they’re watching TV, with the ability to search info from sources like IMDB and Google, or add to the tagline with their own notes and doodles. Those taglines are available for browsing later for DVR viewing, but this experience is about live TV. For events like last weekend’s Grammys or Pro Bowl, and the upcoming Super Bowl, it can push play-by-play updates, as well as constantly refreshed stats and field positions.
Other than the big social networks, competition to provide synced TV info on other screens like your phone, tablet or PC is fierce, with everyone from Google Now, Dijit’s recent acquisition Miso and Yahoo’s IntoNow offering similar features. IntoNow is one of the most similar, adding the ability to ID TV content via audio and a complete feed of images from live TV channels to the mix. tvtag is more than an app however, and since it can open up access as an SDK or API, we may see its features and content pop up in other apps and on other devices soon. Still, given the following GetGlue has been able to attract we expect to see plenty of tvtag shares popping up in our timelines — we’ll see if its exclusive information and tight TV-focused environment is enough to keep its audience coming back.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Nintendo
Nintendo denies smartphone software rumor, says it has ‘no plans’ to offer mini-games on rival hardware
Nintendo? Making games for other hardware? Not so fast. Nikkei’s widely reported tale of Mario et al. coming to a smartphone near you is unlikely to happen — at least in the way we were all half-hoping for. The company has told Engadget that it has no plans to offer “mini-games” on smartphone platforms, reiterating its CEO’s statements in prior financial reports that touched on using smart devices to better promote its games, characters and hardware. You’ll just have to wait for that briefing from Iwata-san, later this week, to discover exactly how the company plans to grab a few more coins. The full statement follows below:
“Nikkei’s article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo’s willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products.
However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo’s intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices. “
Nintendo reportedly planning mini-games and content for its biggest rival: the smartphone
Japanese newspaper Nikkei has a generally good record for getting the scoop on Nintendo, and this one could be pretty important. According to this report, Nintendo will announce plans to create “progressive” content for smartphones — the very devices that many reckon is chipping away at the company’s casual gaming audience. We won’t be seeing a full-length iteration of a Zelda title, but it could include background stories (video content is mentioned), offer a tour of in-game worlds and (least interestingly) the very latest news on retail games headed to Nintendo’s own hardware. Mini-games would introduce new characters and, as Nintendo has apparently told it to Nikkei, would be free to try, at least for a short period.
The report adds that Nintendo will hold off on paid-for games and in-app purchase, instead hoping that its smart device morsels would whet the appetite for full-version — full-price — console game purchases. CEO Satoru Iwata had already mentioned late last year that the company needed to “take advantage of [smartphones’] existence.” Nintendo hasn’t confirmed or denied the report yet: we reached out for comment earlier today. Nikkei says that Nintendo will announce these plans later this week, when Iwata-san discusses the game maker’s Q3 financial results. (Spoilers: there’s going to be some bad news.)
Source: Nikkei (Japanese)
Nintendo’s Mobile Push to Focus on Marketing Demos, Not Full Games
Earlier this month, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata indicated Nintendo was looking into a new business structure involving “smart devices” after the company experienced its third consecutive annual loss in light of increasing competition from mobile platforms.
While that statement was interpreted by some as an indication of Nintendo’s plan to develop game titles for iOS and Android, it appears that the company instead intends to use smartphones to market its existing handheld and console hardware and game lineup.
According to a report from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei [Google Translation] (via Dr. Serkan Toto), Nintendo will introduce a free app that includes information on new games, including videos and character profiles along with some smartphone mini games.
But Nintendo will not simply put Mario, Pokemon or other games on smartphones. According to the report, Nintendo plans to use Android and/or iOS devices (not confirmed at this point) to market its console games.
To be more concrete, The Nikkei writes that Nintendo wants to use smartphones to expand its potential user base by spreading information about new game releases, i.e. by using video to introduce future titles. (This will probably happen through some kind of official Nintendo app.)
Nintendo’s mini games are said to be playable demos of console games, but full versions of the titles will only be available on Nintendo hardware like the Wii U and the 3DS. The idea is to give players a small taste of the gameplay in order to entice them to purchase content on the Nintendo platform.
Mobile devices from Apple and Android and more popular consoles from Microsoft and Sony have devastated Nintendo’s earnings in recent years. According to a report from App Annie, consumer spending on games for iOS and Android is now 4x that of dedicated gaming handhelds and sales of the Xbox and PlayStation have far outpaced Wii U sales. Though Iwata has said that Apple is “the enemy of the future” he has stated publicly that he will not provide Nintendo’s “precious resources” to other platforms.
Nintendo is expected to make an announcement about its new mobile app on Thursday.
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Weekly Roundup: PlayStation Vita TV review, T-Mo’s ‘Mobile Money’ and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The future of Nokia featurephones
Engadget’s Brad Molen discusses Microsoft’s impending acquisition of Nokia and how the deal might change the future of the manufacturer’s once-mighty featurephone linup. Follow the link for more information.
PlayStation Vita TV review
Sony’s PS Vita TV media streamer is cute, quiet and about the size of a deck of cards. You can even pair it with a PS3 DualShock controller and viola, you’ve got games. But would your $96 be better spent on a more portable PS Vita? Click the link for our review and find out.
T-Mo’s ‘Mobile Money’
T-Mobile’s latest endeavor is a personal finance product called “Mobile Money” that combines a smartphone app and branded prepaid Visa card. Best of all: you don’t even have to be a customer to sign up for it. Click on through for details. Click on through for details.
Uber-rare NES game lands on eBay
Back in the 1990′s, the Nintendo World Championship toured the US with 116 custom game cartridges containing special levels from Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer and Tetris. If owning a gem like that makes you flutter on the inside, now might be your chance! Click the link for details.
Filed under: Misc
Rare NES game sells for nearly $100,000, even rarer one appears online
Remember the ratty copy of Nintendo World Championships that popped up on eBay earlier this week? After a fast and furious auction, the ultra-rare cartridge sold for a staggering $99,902. Naturally, such eye-watering figures have prompted two more collectors to sell their prized possessions online. First up, there’s a mint-condition grey edition with an intact label, but if you’re not fussed about stickers, then there’s the even rarer gold edition up for grabs. Considering that only 26 of the 116 cartridges were gold, produced specifically for Nintendo Power prize winners, it’s an even rarer find for the 8-bit enthusiast. If you missed out on a chance to bid for the original and want a do-over, then perhaps this is your lucky day.
[Image credit: mtnlife, eBay]
[Thanks, Danny]
Source: Gold (eBay), Gray (eBay)
One of the rarest games in the world just landed on eBay
If you’d seen this ratty-looking NES cartridge at a yard sale, you’d be forgiven for not giving it a second glance. If you’d paid a few bucks to take it home, however, then congratulations: you just won the admiration of every gamer in the world. The 1990 Nintendo World Championship toured the US with a custom game that asked players to beat levels from Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer and Tetris in less than seven minutes. Just 116 of these carts were produced, each one going to finalists and competition winners — making it one of the rarest Nintendo titles ever made. Now, this not-so-gorgeous-looking copy, where some misguided fool decided that scrawling “Mario” in ballpoint was an adequate replacement for the torn label, is available on eBay. The starting price is $5,000, less than half of the $11,500 someone paid for one in 2011, but you’d better hurry up and sell those organs, as the auction’s due to finish in less than 48 hours.
[Image credit: mursean,eBay ]
Via: Wired
Source: eBay
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