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  • Nintendo Patents A Wii U Gun Peripheral

    Nintendo Patents A Wii U Gun Peripheral

    Two Nintendo patents granted yesterday reveal that Nintendo is already planning peripherals for its new system, the Wii U. The peripheral patented appears to be a light-gun-style device which incorporates a Wii Nunchaku-type design into the grip and holds the Wii U pad in a position facing the user. An illustration of the peripheral can be seen in the illustration above.

    What could such a peripheral mean for gaming on the Wii U? There really is no telling, and it is not even known if Nintendo will release the device. It could be used to display a map in an adventure game, or it could be used to keep track of ammo or other traditional heads-up display (HUD) elements for a first-person shooter. The most creative use of it that I can come up with on my own is as an augmented-reality view of on-screen elements, such as a night-vision, infrared camera, or a Lens of Truth for the savior of Hyrule. But none of those uses actually require the peripheral. I’m guessing it is simply for an unannounced Wii U Duck Hunt game. From the patent application:

    …one can easily hold the input device 220 as if to hold a gun, and the controller device is particularly suitable for a shooting game, or the like, in which game operations are performed while assuming that the controller device is a gun.

    Interestingly, the illustrations of the peripheral were not the only images in the application provided by Nintendo to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. There are many images of the Wii U and the devices it interacts with. One of the images even shows a charging dock for the Wii U pad:

    An patent illustration of the Wii U charging dock

    This one shows how a shuriken could be “thrown” on a television screen using a stylus on the Wii U pad. Could that be one of the mini-games included at system launch with a new Wii Sports title?

    A Wii U shuriken-throwing patent illustration

    Here’s a drawing, also included in the patent application, of a person using the Wii U pad as a golf tee:

    A patent illustration of the Wii U pad being used as a golf tee

    What do you think? Does the Wii U look fun? Will it be an improvement over the current Wii in any significant way? Leave a comment below and let us know.

  • Nintendo To Offer Same Day Retail/Digital Download

    It looks as though video game giant Nintendo has fired the first shot across the bow of the digital download war. For a few months now, rumors have been swirling that the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft will either have no disc drive at all, or will start offering digital copies of their games on launch day. Well now we get news that the latter is exactly what Nintendo plans to do. On the heels of a glaring loss in profits at the tune of $350+ million, going forward, all in house games (first party) will be available day one as a digital download. Also Nintendo will not set the prices for the titles, they will leave that up to the retailers!

    The service will originally launch for the 3DS with the title “New Super Mario Bros 2,” and shortly there after they will offer it to the Wii U as soon as it comes out.

    “For our digital business to grow drastically,” president Satoru Iwata said, “it is imperative for us to expand the exposure of the digital download products to potential consumers.” This is something that developers have been getting on Nintendo about in recent years. They do not advertise their download service or online gaming service very well, and they have a hard cap on how big of a file you can have.

    Even in the face of such a huge loss in profits for a fiscal year, Iwata still refuses do look into the possibility of porting games to mobile phone systems. Imagine the vast truckloads of money they would make by even putting Super Mario Bros. on the App Store? They would destroy Angry Birds!

  • Leaked Rayman Legends Trailer Shows Off Cool Wii U Tech

    Rayman Origins was one of my favorite games from last year. It was a refreshing platformer in an age where we don’t see that many anymore besides the odd Mario title. It was also one of the most absolutely beautiful titles to be released in years as the game looked like a living cartoon. Unfortunately, the game didn’t do as well as I would have liked, but it is apparently getting a sequel.

    That sequel is called Rayman Legends and the trailer for it has leaked. The trailer contains plenty of surprises, but let’s just focus on the actual game for now. It’s obvious that the Legends subtitle means that Rayman will be traveling through various world myths as you see a medieval level complete with dragon and a Greek level that’s reminiscent of Disney’s Hercules.

    The gameplay itself still looks amazingly fun. It retains the 4 person co-op platforming gameplay of the original which is a good thing in my book. I’m of the opinion that Rayman got 4 player platforming right when other contemporaries got it so wrong. Looking at you, New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

    Another new feature coming to Rayman Legends is the addition of online multiplayer in some capacity. The trailer features a soccer mini-game as the example so we don’t know if the game will allow online co-op in the actual levels.

    The trailer in question features a surprise though. We get our first look at the game running on the Wii U. That’s not all though as we also get a look at the unique functionality coming to the Wii U version courtesy of the tablet controller. It shows the game being played by four people with three of them using Wii remotes.

    From there, you can see the player using the tablet to raise platforms by touching the screen. There is also some kind of NFC scanning technology going on with the player putting a Raving Rabbid on the tablet’s screen which then brings the hare-brained little devils into the level. What’s more interesting is the player picking up a figurine of Ezio at the end. Are we going to get an Assassin’s Creed cameo in Rayman? I sure hope so.

    Like I said, the trailer is a leak and Ubisoft is going into full on damage control at the moment. That means the video is not available on YouTube anymore, but we’ve got you covered. Rather, I should say French gaming site Gamekult has us covered. They still have the video up on their own player and here it is for your enjoyment. Check it out and tell us what you think.

    [h/t: Eurogamer]

  • Nintendo Posts First Ever Annual Loss Due To Slow 3DS Sales

    Remember when Nintendo was on top of the world raking in all that money with the Nintendo DS and the Wii? You might want to remember those days fondly because Nintendo won’t be seeing them for a while. With struggling Wii sales and a massive 3DS price cut last year, the company has definitely seen better days.

    Nintendo released its fiscal year earnings report to investors and it doesn’t look great. For the first time since Nintendo has been a public company, it has posted a loss. It’s not as big of a loss as Sony’s posting earlier this month, but losing $455.9 million is still a pretty big hit.

    The loss was due to a variety of reasons. The number one reason we can point out is the rocky start to the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. The console launched at $250 last year and nobody was buying it. As an emergency measure, Nintendo lowered the price to $169.99 and sales took off then. It wasn’t enough to beat back those first few months of bad sales though.

    Another reason is the Wii’s struggling performance to stay relevant. The console only sold 9.84 million units last year which isn’t a super great number. That’s the kind of sales we were seeing from the Gamecube in its twilight years. Thankfully, the Wii U is hitting later this year and Nintendo is hoping to see a solid return from it.

    The third reason is the major reason most Japanese companies are hurting – the strong yen. To truly understand how badly the yen hurt Nintendo, just look at how much of their sales came from overseas. The earnings report lists oversea sales at 499.4 billion yen, or 77.1 percent of the company’s total sales. With the majority of its sales coming from overseas coupled with a strong yen, it posted an exchange loss of 27.7 billion yen.

    So what is Nintendo going to do to turn this around? First, its going to stop selling the Nintendo 3DS below cost in the middle of this fiscal year. The company didn’t clarify whether this meant raising the price of the 3DS again or if the components that make the handheld are coming down in price. I sure hope it’s the latter because raising the price again would be a bad move.

    The company also announced a couple of sure fire hit 3DS games coming out this year that should help spur sales including New Super Mario Bros. 2, Animal Crossing and a new Brain Age title. The company also said that it plans to have the Wii U out in Japan, the United States and Europe before the end of the calendar year so that should help as well.

    To be honest, the loss isn’t that bad. It just seems bad because it’s Nintendo, the company that never posts a loss. Nintendo will probably say a few more things about it in the coming weeks. Nintendo of America might even issue a statement. We’ll keep you posted on any changes.

    [h/t: Kotaku]

  • Wii U Parts Priced At $180, Won’t Sell For Under $300 [Rumor]

    Brand new consoles usually contain components that cost far more than the actual price of the console. Microsoft and Sony were both selling their respective current generation consoles at a loss for years while making up for it with game sales. Nintendo, on the other hand, has always sold Wii for a profit since the components that made up that system never amounted to the $250 launch price. It looks like Nintendo is taking that path again if the latest rumor is true.

    Forget the Box spoke to sources close to the manufacturing of Nintendo products and found that the Wii U’s components only cost about $180. It seems that the tablet controller makes up a decent portion of that cost with its components estimated at a price of $50.

    With the components being priced at $180, you would think a launch price of $200 or $250 would be in order. Not so according to these sources who say Nintendo is currently finalizing costs, but won’t go below $300 when the console launches later this year.

    Why the high price? It seems that Nintendo is “cutting production costs to maximize profits” and that it’s the company’s “main concern with the Wii U.” This is all to “build back confidence in investors.” The increased costs could also be associated with “including software with hardware, R&D, shipping costs, marketing/promotion, transportation, packaging costs, and carrying/holding costs.”

    The rumored price of the components seem to confirm reports that the Wii U is not all that powerful. That claim has also been challenged though with Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford telling Joystiq that the console is “pretty powerful” and that it’s “a really nice bridge to the next generation.”

    For those now worried that the Wii U is doomed to be eclipsed by current gen hardware at launch, don’t worry about it. While the sources say that Nintendo chose “an economical GPU and CPU,” they also said that these components could “keep up with the performance of today’s current consoles.”

    Interestingly enough, the sources also say that performance wasn’t the main focus of the system. They say that Nintendo now has a bigger focus on “downloadable content, applications, video content, digital distribution and services to create a stream of revenue.” This makes sense as rumors were going around that Nintendo was looking for video content partners.

    All of this is just rumor for now though. It’s not worth getting all worried over until E3 comes around and we get our first look at the system in action. It’s going to be nothing but conflicting reports until June, but at least it will provide us with some entertainment.

    Do you think Nintendo is wise to price at Wii U at $300? What about the rumored cost of components? Let us know in the comments.

  • Nintendo Licenses Green Hills’ MULTI IDE For Wii U Developers

    Nintendo has been acting characteristically un-Nintendo-ish the past few months. They have been focusing more on third-party developers and getting them the solutions they need to maximize gaming experiences on their platforms. Their latest license is further proof of their commitment to third-party developers.

    Green Hills Software announced on Tuesday that they are supplying their MULTI Integrated Development Environment to Nintendo to supply third-party developers with the technology. Even if you haven’t heard of Green Hills, you probably have used a product that integrates their technology.

    Nintendo’s senior managing director of integrated research and design, Genyo Takeda, says that they chose Green Hills because their software “because it generates highly optimized code, and Green Hills provides excellent global support.”

    So what does this MULTI IDE software provide to developers? Quite a lot actually as it focuses on creating software quickly with the least amount of bugs possible. According to the product page, MULTI IDE combines a “debugger, editor, code browser, configuration manager, and other tools into one integrated package.” The software uses C, C++ and EC++ compilers to generate “the fastest and smallest code for 32 and 64-bit processors.”

    Another great tool from this software is the DoubleCheck. It’s used to find bugs early in development so costs don’t skyrocket. It makes perfect sense too since the later a team finds a bug, the more expensive it is to go back and fix. If you can find the bug during development, you can fix it at no cost to the team.

    The debugging performance isn’t just relegated to finding bugs during development either. It’s pretty much a given that the Wii U is going to use a multi-core processor since it’s on par with the Xbox 360 and PS3 which also have multi-core processors. This adds an extra layer of complexity to development and Green Hills claims their software can find bugs related to multi-core development faster than anything else on the market.

    What may be the coolest development tool available, however, is TimeMachine. This tool allows you to find bugs that may be harder to reproduce. Take for example during testing you find a bug, but can’t reproduce it. According to Green Hills, with TimeMachine you can go back to that moment when the bug first appeared to find out what caused it.

    All in all, it’s looking like a pretty great software suite for developers making games for the Wii U. This is on top of the previous announcement last month that Nintendo would be licensing out Autodesk’s software development suite to developers making games for the Wii U. It’s not explicitly stated in Green Hills announcement, but we can assume the contract is similar to the AutoDesk deal. Developers wanting to get a hold of this software will have to make their games exclusively for the Wii U.

    Like I said, this is a brave new Nintendo that we’re seeing here. They’re getting aggressive about third-party support and combatting the image that they don’t care about their third-party partners.

    We must ask ourselves though: Who is Nintendo targeting with this software? Most developers work with publishers that buy these tools for them, so they have no need for it. It makes most sense that Nintendo is targeting independent developers, because most of these smaller studios can’t afford the costs associated with these tools. Nintendo obviously wants the best content on the Wii U and giving smaller developers access to these tools will make games on the Wii U look and play better.

    What do you think about Green Hills partnering with Nintendo on the Wii U? Do you see it as the gaming giant finally taking third-party developers into consideration? Let us know in comments.

  • Rumor: Wii U To Get World of Warcraft, Among Others On eShop

    I love new console releases. They bring out the best rumors, and by best rumors I mean the kind of rumors that require a salt mine. Today’s rumor comes from Dual Pixels who claims to have the skinny on the Wii U’s eShop launch when the console comes later this year.

    Some of these titles could very well happen, while some are absolutely insane. This is why rumors are so much fun though. For a moment, we get to imagine a Nintendo that actually makes smart business decisions and gets Valve on board with its console.

    The full list of rumored titles is as follows:

    Level 5
    Professor Layton Chronicles (Level 5)

    Activision
    Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD-Complete (Activision) (Launch)
    Goldeneye 007: Reloaded (Acitivsion) (Launch)
    World of Warcraft (Activsion) (Launch)

    Capcom
    Resident Evil: The Mercenaries Bio Ops (Capcom)
    Okamiden HD (Capcom) (Launch)

    Electronic Arts (EA)
    Boom Blox Wii U (EA)
    NFL Blitz Touchdown (EA)
    Burnout: Rush Hour (EA) (Launch)
    Shank 2 (EA) (Launch)
    Crysis (EA) (Launch)

    Gaijan Games
    Bit Trip Runner 2 (Gaijan Games) (Launch)

    Namco Bandai
    Tank! Tank! Tank! (Namco Bandai)
    Meteos (Namco Bandai)
    Pac-Man Battle Royal (Namco Bandai) (Launch)

    Nexon
    Dragon Nest (Nexon)

    Nintendo
    Big Brain University (Nintendo) (Launch)
    Super Mario Strikers Unlimited (Nintendo) (Launch)
    Fluidity: Toxic (Nintendo) (Launch)

    Sabarasa
    Protocol (Sabarasa) (Launch)

    SEGA
    Rodea the Sky Soldier (SEGA)
    Renegade Ops 2 (SEGA)
    Phantasy Star Online 2 (SEGA) (Launch)
    Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (SEGA) (Launch)

    Spicy Horse
    Big Head Bash (Spicy Horse) (Launch)

    Square Enix
    Demon’s Score (Square Enix/Epic)
    Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Wii U (Square Enix)

    Telltale Games
    The Walking Dead (Telltale Games) (Launch)

    Ubisoft
    UbiArt Presents: Sketchtarium
    Red Steel 2: Locked a Reloaded (Ubisoft)
    I Am Alive (Ubisoft) (Launch)

    Valve
    Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve) (Launch)
    DotA 2 (Valve)

    The source speaking to Dual Pixels also tipped them off about Assassin’s Creed 3 being announced for the Wii U. That did come to pass so he at least gets some cred for being able to guess the obvious. With these titles, however, it’s hard to verify any of this. A lot of this just looks like a fan boy’s wet dream.

    The funny thing with gaming though is that you can’t just disbelieve every rumor you hear. There are a few small sites like this that get massive scoops before anybody else. It’s happened before and it will happen again. I’m just saying to start digging out that salt so you can have a hefty amount of it when considering this rumor.

    Do you think any of these games have a chance of coming to the Wii U? Let us know in the comments.

  • Rumor: Nintendo Looking To Add Video Content For Wii U

    Rumor: Nintendo Looking To Add Video Content For Wii U

    It’s no secret that Microsoft and Sony have both been immensely successful with their game consoles that also act as entertainment hubs that include features like Netflix and Hulu. It seems that Nintendo wants to get in on the game.

    According to unnamed sources speaking to Ad Week, it appears that Nintendo is in preliminary talks with content producers to bring video services to their next home console – the Wii U. The sources say that Nintendo wants to move away from being just a traditional gaming console to be more of an entertainment hub where anybody can find some sort of entertainment on the device.

    There are also sources saying that Nintendo is looking to Comcast to provide cable television on their new console. It’s rumored that Nintendo executives were meeting with “a select number of content companies” at CES last month. The sources say that they were wanting to focus on sports and music content.

    This wouldn’t be the first time that Nintendo has dabbled in online video delivery. The Wii allows for streaming of Netflix and, more recently, Hulu Plus content. The 3DS also has a Netflix app alongside the Nintendo Video app that provides new original content every week.

    This is all just speculation and rumor now, so don’t expect any kind of news until E3. If Nintendo has any kind of media content plans, all will be revealed at their press conference in June.

    Speaking personally, I could see Nintendo doing something in regards to digital content. In the early concept video for the Wii U, they show a boy transferring a game over to the tablet-like controller while his father watches sports on the TV. Media content deals could allow for somebody to watch content on the TV while the one with the controller can watch something else entirely.

    These concepts are nothing new, however, as tablets have been offering the same functionality for the past few years. The Wii U can’t sell itself solely on providing digital media content. Nintendo has always strayed away from offering such content because they like to focus on the games. Nintendo, if they want to succeed, has to keep doing this with the Wii U. Original video content can be a nice incentive to buy a console, but it’s the games, not that content, that is going to sell the hardware.

  • New Xbox To Feature Tablet Controller

    We previously reported on the changes that may be coming to the next Xbox. There’s an even bigger change coming if reports are to be believed.

    CVG is reporting that sources close to Microsoft are claiming that the new controller for the Xbox 720 will “be a matt-black media hub with a mission to bring games to life in your living room with augmented reality, directional sound, and a four-player, finger-tracking Kinect.”

    The sources claim that Microsoft is experimenting with a tablet-like controller that’s more comparable in size to the PlayStation Vita than the Wii U’s current tablet controller. It describes it as being “an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.”

    “That touchcreen will be second only to Kinect in how you operate your console,” the source said. “It could be a remote control when you’re watching TV, a browser when you’re on the internet, extra buttons and information when you’re playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your game with you.”

    Such a move would be costly as having a tablet controller is already causing speculation that the Wii U is going to be expensive despite it’s cheap internal hardware. To answer that question, the sources claim that the new Xbox would keep internal hardware costs low by going with a cheap CPU and GPU. If you already want to set aside money for the new Xbox, even though it’s two years out at best, you’ll have to pony up about $600.

    The new Xbox rumors just keep pouring in which makes it plausible that an E3 2012 reveal is in the works. We’ll keep you updated on all the rumors that, if true, could make a huge splash at E3 this June.

  • Nintendo Announces New Online Service

    Hear ye, hear ye, gentle Nintendo gamers, your days of suffering under the abysmal Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will soon be at an end.

    Nintendo during their quarterly report yesterday announced their intention to create the Nintendo Network. IGN reported that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was quick to distance their new online framework from their previous abomination.

    “Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers.”

    The publisher plans to first introduce personal accounts for the Wii U. This will put their next console in line with the Xbox 360 and PS3 who have allowed the same functionality since launch. Online profiles will no longer tied to your system or individual software. Iwata said that they will be able to construct and offer the personal account system by combining a multitude of different services and content.

    In a more interesting direction, Nintendo also announced their plans to offer full titles over the service to both the Wii U and the 3DS. They aren’t saying when this program will start, because the 3DS is currently out and could support such full retail downloads, but they do have the framework in place to deliver such a system. Iwata said that they will have to consider retailer relations before they start offering games over digital channels. SD card limitations are also being taken into account.

    The Nintendo Network will also be obviously offering paid downloadable content. The first title to take advantage of this will be Square Enix’ Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which allows players to purchase new songs. The title launches in Japan on February 16.

    “As a software maker, Nintendo believes that its packaged software should be sold to our consumers in a form so that the consumers will know in advance that they can enjoy playing the software they purchased just as it is,” Iwata said. “We believe that our consumers will be able to feel more secure if we offer our add-on content as an additional structure in which those who love the game will be able to enjoy it in a deeper way for a prolonged play time.”

    Nintendo ended the online network segment of the report by promising to achieve compatibility for all the games on their platform under their new Nintendo Network.

  • Gaikai Predicts Death Of Game Consoles

    Gaikai Predicts Death Of Game Consoles

    What would happen if one of the big three console manufacturers dropped out of the console race?

    That is what was hinted at CES this week when Nanea Reeves, CPO of Gaikai, predicted that one of the current console makers would be making a next generation device. Gaikai is a cloud-based gaming company that streams full games to web browsers.

    At a panel titled, “The State of the Games Industry” panelists were asked about current and future trends that will affect the games industry. During this panel, Reeves was quoted by Industry Gamers as saying, “I think some will have one more cycle and I think others will not. I think that will be the big news at E3. That’s just my prediction.”

    She declined to say which one she thought would drop out, but she remained adamant that one of the three console manufacturers would.

    To add fuel to the fire, Mike Vorhaus of Magid Advisors, said that he thinks Nintendo would announce their dropping out of next gen hardware.

    The only thing wrong with that is that the Wii U is their next console that debuted last year at E3 and is still being shown at trade events like CES.

    The other two, Sony and Microsoft, present other theories. Sony has already confirmed that there won’t be a showing of their next generation of hardware at E3 and Microsoft has said nothing. There have been unconfirmed reports though of the next Xbox being a tablet-based Windows 8 experience.

    My personal opinion is that it’s too early to tell. As E3 in June draws closer and more details are revealed, it might be easier to make a conclusion. It could have just been wishful thinking on the part of Reeves as her company is focused on cloud gaming, which is in direct competition with the convenience of physical media-based consoles.

    Either way, it’s an interesting way to start the year and to get the speculation rolling. The last major player to drop out of the console race was Sega in 2001. If it were to happen again, it would be the biggest news of the year.

  • CES 2012: Nintendo Shows Off Wii U Console

    CES 2012: Nintendo Shows Off Wii U Console

    Nintendo is showing off their forthcoming Wii U console at CES today, according to various reports. It appears that not much has changed since the console was announced at the 2011 E3 conference, but the hands-on experience is generating a lot of positive buzz.

    Last month rumors began circulating that Nintendo was preparing its own app store to run on the console, though representatives at CES are apparently keeping quiet on that issue. They are also keeping quiet on pretty much everything else. Questions about the console’s inner workings, pricing, release date, and launch titles have gone unanswered. What is known is that the console has HD video output (something sorely missed in the first Wii console), and that it includes a tablet-like controller with a 6.5-inch touchscreen with motion controls and front- and rear-facing cameras. There are several game demos available to play and/or watch on the floor at CES, including a glimpse at a Legend of Zelda game that has many a fanboy drooling.

    The console is due out sometime in 2012, probably around Thanksgiving, if the launch of the Wii is any indication. Meanwhile, check out a video (courtesy of The Verge) of the Wii U in action, then let us know what you think in the comments.

  • Nintendo Developing An App Store For Wii U Console

    It seems that Nintendo still has a few surprises up its sleeve with the new Wii U console set to launch next year. The Daily is reporting that Nintendo has been developing an app store for the next generation gaming console. The current Wii console sports the Wii Shop Channel, which allows users to download games – including all their favorites from past Nintendo consoles – and a few other app-like channels and utilities, like Netflix, this would be an honest-to-goodness app store. Rumored apps include MLB.TV (which is coming to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 this Spring). Many of these apps will also run on the Wii U’s tablet-like controller, which sports a 6.2-inch screen, a camera, microphone, gyroscope, and accelerometer.

    The Wii U, announced in April and unveiled at this year’s E3 game conference, continues Nintendo’s focus on innovation in the way games are played. Nintendo’s first Wii console, which launched in late 2006, constituted a significant shift in the so-called console wars. Before the Wii, Nintendo had been engaged in a game of one-upsmanship with Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation 2, both of which sported comparable technical specs and a game library more geared toward older, more hard-core gamers. With the Wii Nintendo altered its entire strategy: instead of perpetuating the graphics and processing arms race with Sony and Microsoft, they chose to pursue a more unique and intuitive control system, targeted at the casual gamer market that the Xbox and Playstation had all but ignored.

    The strategy worked well. The Wii enjoys a significant lead over the competition in global market share (though Microsoft is top dog in the US). What’s more, the Wii brought motion control to the world of gaming, as Microsoft and Sony have since developed their own unique versions of the concept (Xbox Kinect and Playstation Move, respectively).

    The Wii U is set to launch sometime in 2012, and is expected to be HD compatible (like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but unlike the current Wii). Many details are still unknown – pricing for the console, pricing for the app store, and a more specific release date chief among them. Whenever it launches, though, the Wii U looks to be an exciting addition to the gaming world. Check out the console’s E3 trailer below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

    [Source: The Daily]

  • Wii U Footage Taken From Other Consoles

    What do you do if you are big time video game creator and your company is in a rush to debut their upcoming next generation console, only you don’t have the necessary game footage to give it a proper showing off to the public? Well, if you’re Nintendo and this is the E3 expo we’re talking about, apparently, you take footage from other, already available consoles and demonstrate it as your own.

    Apparently, decision makers for the Nintendo brand were so eager to show off the upcoming Wii U at E3, it didn’t matter if the footage being shown was even for the console being shown. From their perspective, the final product will feature graphics that look as good as the demonstration’s, so what’s the problem? In case you’re curious, Nintendo’s entire E3 presentation is available at the official site, and there’s a YouTube of the Wii U presentation:


    Apparently, even YouTube members were hip to Nintendo’s plan, something the most popular comment of the embedded video demonstrates, [sic]s remain in place:

    When the Wii, PS3 and 360 had their demos back in the day they showcased games like Super Mario Galaxy, Killzone 2 and Gears of War. Which far surpassed anything graphically that the PS2, GameCube, Xbox had to offer. While the WiiU showcased current gen games running on their competitors platforms. The WiiU’s press conference just seems like such a nonevent in comparison.

    Over at GameTrailers.com, one of their correspondents confronted Reggie Fils-Aime, the President of Nintendo America about the Wii U’s presentation, and that’s when we arrived at the “that’s what it’s going to look like when the Wii U is released” explanation, which is transcribed to read:

    “We’re talking a year away from when the system’s going to launch. The system’s going to be 1080p,” Fils-Aime claimed. “You’re going to see games that take full advantage of a system that has the latest technology and can push out some incredible graphics.”



    Of course, currently, there’s no way of knowing whether the Wii U’s graphical prowess is anything near the PS3 or the Xbox 360. Yes, the Zelda footage on the flat-screen television looks nice (at the 3:02 mark of the trailer), but, without knowing for sure, can you trust that the Wii U was responsible for the footage? Luckily for Nintendo, there’s another video that features the Zelda game, meaning it’s OK to take responsibility for the images.


    Reaction to the Wii U has been lukewarm as well — so much so, in fact, Nintendo’s stock took a hit after the announcement was made. Apparently, there are doubts about how successful the upcoming console/controller/please-get-rid-of-the-Wii-controller device will be.

    The demonstration of a prototype at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry’s annual convention, in Los Angeles on Tuesday, appeared to leave investors disappointed and skeptical. Nintendo Co. shares closed at 16,970 yen ($212.44), down more than 5 percent.

    As far as the graphics of the device goes, the Wii U’s spec sheet indicates it will support the major resolutions, including 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i; and the screenshots of the obligatory Super Mario game that will undoubtedly be released when the Wii U launches don’t look bad either. Too bad Nintendo was too concerned with showing off instead of being honest. Besides, it’s not like the false boasting improved the company’s financial outlook.

  • Wii U, Lego City Stories Announced at E3

    The speculation surrounding Nintendo’s new console is over as the company unveiled the new device, entitled the Wii U, at their E3 keynote today.

    It turns out not to be the Wii 2, or “Project Cafe” or even simply “Nintendo” as some speculated. The Wii U looks to bring HD gaming to Nintendo staples while sticking true to its motion play roots.

    The huge innovation that comes with the Wii U is the touchscreen controller. It pretty much looks like we speculated, with a large screen and built in front-facing camera.

    Here are some specs of the console and controller, from the Nintendo E3 site:

    • Console is 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long
    • Console supports 1080p quality with HDMI and Component outputs
    • Internal flash memory, with external USB hard drive or SD card memory expansion options
    • IBM power-based multi-core microprocessor
    • The controller has a 6.2 inch 16:9 widescreen touch screen, built in accelerometer and gyroscope, microphone, sensor strip, stylus, and front facing camera

    The controller can be used as a standalone gaming device or in congruence with a larger TV, though the latter is the preferred method of play. For instance, a game being broadcast on the TV screen can be fully transferred to the handheld screen mid-play.

    Nintendo announced some titles that will be coming out for the Wii U, including Batman Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden 3, and Ghost Recon Online. One that has been rumored for some time that was also announced is Lego City Stories.

    Also available on the 3DS, Lego City Stories is a continuation of the very popular Lego games featuring plots from Batman, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It is described as an “open world game packed with action, humor, and a city full of LEGO vehicles coming exclusively to Wii U and 3DS.” Sounds like Grand Theft Auto: Lego to me. Maybe with less prostitute killing, however. (Maybe not?) Image courtesy of the Lego wiki:

    The Wii U will be released sometime in 2012.