Jun 06
Jun 05
Jun 05
It’s apparent this afternoon that Gamestop is seeing the first of a line of Nintendo-send “Basic Recall” notes for the Wii U basic 8GB model. This model is the smallest and least expensive of the Wii U units out on the market today, this suggesting that the machine is not being called back by Nintendo
Jun 05
Jun 03
May 30
May 30
Nintendo has outed a fresh batch of hardware and accessories for Japan, including a white Wii U 32GB console and a larger battery for the tablet GamePad controller to address runtime claims. The new white Wii U 32GB Premium edition should arrive in Japan on July 13, functionally identical to the existing black model aside from the new casing; it’ll go on sale alongside a new Rapid Charging Stand for the Wiimote, which Nintendo says will cut down the amount of time gamers will need to have the motion-sensing controller on charge.
That will consist of a new battery and back panel, which will slot on to replace the existing back panel, and a new charging cradle onto which the Wiimote sits. It’s unclear exactly how much extra runtime the accessory delivers, or indeed how much charging time it cuts.
Meanwhile, there’s a new battery for the GamePad, offering 2,550 mAh of power which Nintendo claims is good for between 5 and 8 hours of runtime. That’s a big improvement on the original 1,500 mAh battery, which was one of the most criticized elements of the Wii U gaming experience: some players were seeing three hours or less before they needed to recharge.
The replacement Wiimote battery and cradle bundle will be priced at 4,200 yen ($42), while the battery on its own will be 2,625 yen ($26); the GamePad battery will be 3,150 yen ($31).
As for the Nintendo 3DS, there’s the new Luigi special edition of the XL version of the glasses-free 3D handheld, which we now know will hit shelves on July 18. It’ll be priced at 22,500 yen ($224) and come with a 4GB card in the box.
Exactly when – or indeed if – availability of the new hardware will spread outside of Japan remains to be seen. Nintendo is ramping up to a software-centric E3, the company has confirmed, with a much-needed games refresh expected at the show. There’ll also be companion events held at Best Buy stores across the US and Canada, where gamers will be able to try out some of the new titles before they’re officially on sale.
Nintendo reveals Wii U bigger batteries for GamePad and Wiimote, more is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
May 29
May 29
Nintendo has listed the 110 Best Buy stores that will give impatient gamers an opportunity to play new Wii U and 3DS titles alongside their launch at E3 2013 next month, as part of its attempt to boost enthusiasm in the fact of Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles. The scheme, revealed earlier this month, will see select games put up for in-store play, though not offered for sale at that stage.
In the US, 89 Best Buy stores will be participating; the remaining 21 will be in Canada. Times on two days will be set aside for access, first from 4-8pm local time on Wednesday, June 12, and then again on Saturday, June 15, at 1-5pm local time.
The events are part of what Nintendo has already confirmed will be a software-focused E3 appearance for the company, with no new hardware expected. That’s arguably the biggest gap in Nintendo’s line-up, however. The company saw fewer sales of the Wii U than expected in the early months of 2013, blaming the shortfall on a lack of high-profile titles.
Although the stores are known, which titles will be shown is still unclear. One possibility is Nintendo’s exclusive on SEGA’s upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic Lost World, which will only be available on Wii U and 3DS; however, it could also be Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, or a number of other games.
It’s not the first time Nintendo has taken its consoles on the road to try to stimulate interest. Ahead of the launch of the Wii U in November 2012, Nintendo put sneak-peek booths in some Best Buy stores so that gamers could sample the motion-tracking console.
Participating Best Buy US stores:
Alabama
Birmingham
HuntsvilleArkansas
Fort Smith
North Little RockArizona
PhoenixCalifornia
Culver City
Elk Grove
Emeryville
San Jose
Tracy
VisaliaColorado
DenverConnecticut
ManchesterDelaware
WilmingtonFlorida
Brandon
Fort Myers
Gainesville
Kissimmee
Miami
PensacolaGeorgia
Augusta
Duluth
Savannah
SmyrnaIowa
Cedar Rapids
West Des MoinesIllinois
Bloomington
SchaumburgIndiana
GreenwoodKansas
Overland Park
WichitaKentucky
Florence
Lexington
LouisvilleLouisiana
HarveyMassachusetts
Cambridge
Dedham
WorcesterMaryland
Frederick
Glen Burnie
WheatonMichigan
Ann Arbor
Flint
Grand Rapids
Rochester HillsMinnesota
Eden PrairieMissouri
St. LouisNorth Carolina
Cary
Fayetteville
Pineville
Winston-SalemNew Jersey
Iselin
West Paterson
WoodburyNew York
Albany
Amherst
Long Island City
Syracuse
Valley Stream
West NyackOhio
Fairborn
North Olmsted
Reynoldsburg
ToledoOklahoma
Oklahoma CityOregon
PortlandPennsylvania
Erie
King of Prussia
Pittsburgh
Reading
WhitehallSouth Carolina
Greenville
North CharlestonTennessee
Brentwood
Knoxville
MemphisTexas
Arlington
Austin
Houston
McAllen
The Woodlands
TylerUtah
SandyVirginia
Charlottesville
Glen Allen
Virginia BeachVermont
WillistonWashington
LynnwoodWisconsin
Greenfield
Nintendo lists Best Buy locations for E3 game previews is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
May 25
The next generation of console gaming is upon us. Nintendo has already launched its Wii U, Microsoft’s Xbox One will be launching sometime later this year, and Sony has revealed several details about its PlayStation 4.
But unlike its chief competitors, Sony has decided against showing off the design of its next console. The company announced the device earlier this year, talked about its specs, but wouldn’t show what it actually looked like. And when the console was recently featured in a teaser for the upcoming E3 gaming trade show, Sony once again decided against showing off the device.
It’s not immediately clear why Sony hasn’t shown off the PlayStation 4. The company has, of course, been asked numerous times why it doesn’t want to show the console yet and each time, it has sidestepped the question. The move is unprecedented, if nothing else, and could be either good or bad.
See, now that we have seen the Wii U and Xbox One, the onus is on Sony to shock us. The PlayStation 4’s design can’t be something that bores us or doesn’t have as good a look as its competitors. And by hiding it under a shroud of mystery, Sony is only calling more attention to the console than it otherwise would.
That puts extra pressure on Sony at the E3 gaming show. If the console is truly something that blows our socks off, all the secrecy would have been worth it. But if Sony’s PlayStation 3 ends up being just another black box that doesn’t have anything special built-in and lacks some unique design quality, we’ll all be rather bored. And being bored in the world of gaming is a very, very bad thing.
“To make the discussion all about hardware couldn’t be worse”
Sony needs to take the attention away from its product design and start focusing more on its game library. The move the company should be making right now is to show off the PlayStation 4’s design and be done with it. To make the discussion surrounding Sony’s next console all about hardware couldn’t be worse for the company.
If history has taught us anything, it’s that software sells hardware. The Dreamcast died off because its software library was sub-par compared to that of its competitors. Sony’s PlayStation became such a hit because it had so many games available. The console’s design didn’t really matter all that much.
In this case, I’m going to give Sony the benefit of the doubt. I think the PlayStation maker truly understands the dynamics of the gaming industry and doesn’t want to take too much focus off the games. I believe, therefore, that Sony has something quite special up its sleeve. And rather than just let Microsoft and Nintendo take E3 by storm, it wants to show off something that we’ve never even thought about from a hardware perspective.
Of course, all of that could be wishful thinking. But if history serves us correctly, it tells us that Sony can pull off some miracles. And it needs another one right now.
Why Won’t Sony Let Us See What the PS4 Looks Like? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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