Hasta La Gadget!

Nintendo wants to compete with cheap tablets more than ever, but just not the way you think. The company will release a new version of the 3DS — the Nintendo 2DS, which has a tablet-esque form factor. As the name suggests, it is a 2D-only handheld console compatible with 3DS and DS games. At $129.99, the 2DS is $40 cheaper than its sibling. The company also announced a $50 price cut for the Wii U on September 20, ahead of the releases of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

While the 3DS is doing well, it’s another story for the Wii U. As of June 30, Nintendo reported 3.61 million sales. As a reminder, in July 2007, seven months after the release of the Wii, the company was selling 1.8 million consoles each month. Now, Nintendo wants to compete on price to stay relevant.

But the console still lacks games. Many third-party publishers, such as Electronic Arts, Activision and Ubisoft, will only release their games on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 will cost $399 and the Xbox One $499.

Nintendo probably thought that launching the Wii U a year before its competitor was the right move to get a head start. But it is hard to convince existing Wii owners that the Wii U isn’t just a tiny upgrade with a tablet-like controller. The name of the console itself doesn’t help. It finally is an HD console from Nintendo, but it’s hard to communicate about the number of pixels on a screen.

With the 2DS, Nintendo finally built a gaming tablet. It could have a certain appeal to parents who are hesitating between a cheap Android tablet and a Nintendo handheld console, but the form factor doesn’t seem very practical for gamers, and especially children with tiny hands.

Available on October 12, the 2DS will retain the same features as the 3DS, except its main feature — the 3D display. It has the same stylus, Wi-Fi and comes with a 4GB SD card. While $130 is cheap, 3DS games are still more expensive than iOS or Android games. But you won’t find Mario on your iPad.

As Nintendo suggests in the 2DS promo video, the new console is “a handheld gaming system from Nintendo like you’ve never seen before.” Everyone can agree that Nintendo is right on this one.

An earlier version of this article misstated the price of the 3DS. It is $40 more expensive than the 2DS ($169), not $50.

Well, this is certainly a surprise. While the other big names in gaming are rolling out their new home consoles, Nintendo’s bringing a new handheld to the table. Called the 2DS, it looks like a 3DS laid flat without the hinge, and as you might surmise from the name, no three dimensional graphics. IGN reports that the 2DS will come in red and blue (with the front either being black or white, depending upon region) and will cost $129 when it arrives on October 12. For your money you get a handheld that packs dual screens, two cameras round the back, a single speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus a 4GB SD card.

The new handheld is considered to be a part of the 3DS family, and as such, it can play all 3DS and regular Nintendo DS games, and also provides access to 3DS apps like the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo is positioning the 2DS as a far more affordable option than the $169 3DS, which should make it the more palatable choice for parents with small children. Strong move, Nintendo, get ’em hooked while they’re young.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile, Nintendo

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Via: IGN

Source: Nintendo UK (Twitter)

Nintendo Wii U owners were most likely aware The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was set to be released this October, but an official release date was never announced by Nintendo. That all changes today as the publisher has just announced the title will be made available in North America on October 4. (more…)

The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Releasing On October 4 original content from Ubergizmo.

The Nintendo Wii U may not be getting much love from third-party developers these days, but they’re certainly trying their best to persuade their long-time fans to believe in their latest video game console. That’s why they put together a little video that highlights all of the Wii U exclusives that are both currently available and are planned to be released within 2013 and 2014. (more…)

Nintendo Wii U Exclusives Highlighted In New Promotional Video original content from Ubergizmo.

It’s true — we already gave Gamescom 2013 a quick wrap up, but now that the sun has finally set on the show’s public days, it’s time to look back on the past week and sift through the madness. Upon closing the Koelnmesse’s doors, Gamescom announced the show’s final numbers: over the course of five days 340,000 visitors from from 88 countries marched across 140,000 square meters of exhibition space. That’s a 23 percent leap in attendance over the previous year, and it’s hardly a surprise: the event was host to over 400 world premier announcements and gave many attendees their first look at Microsoft and Sony’s next generation consoles. Combined with the more humble announcements that came out of GDC Europe, it turned out to be a pretty fantastic week for gaming. Read on for a breakdown of our time in Cologne, a look at the Gamescom 2013 show floor and a group chat between Joystiq and Engadget editors on the show’s biggest announcements.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo

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