Nintendo may not be holding a global media event during this year’s E3, but considering how much information they’ve been sharing over the past couple of months in regards to upcoming software and hardware information in their Nintendo Direct videos, we […]
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While Nintendo is certainly banking their future on the Wii U console, especially with the announcement of other next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4 and presumably Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox, the console has not exactly been a commercial success and has […]
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Not exactly earth-shattering news in the weeks leading up to E3, but Nintendo Japan announced some nice little additions to its Google-powered Wii Street U. The panoramic mapping service is getting support for the proprietary Miiverse social network, letting you share favorite locations and tag images with emotions like “amazing,” “beautiful,” “fun” and “scary.” And for those times when you don’t want to give too much away, you can set things to “spoiler.” More update spoilers can be found in the source link below.
Filed under: Gaming, GPS, Nintendo
Via: Neogaf
Source: Nintendo (translated)
Microsoft and Sony’s enthusiasm about the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 may not be matched with equally vigorous sales, Activision president Bobby Kotick has warned, admitting that the game publisher is preparing itself for a potential slump come launch. “We continue to face the uncertainties of the console transition” Kotick said during Activision’s financial results call with investors earlier this week, highlighting Nintendo’s struggles with the Wii U as evidence that all is not well with next-gen hardware. The Wii U “has had a very slow start” Kotick pointed out.
The so-called transition Kotick describes is one of an evolving gaming industry, where players aren’t perhaps so wedded to their dedicated, heavy-duty consoles as they were at the launch of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Factor in the remaining questions that surround even Sony’s officially announced PlayStation 4, and Kotick is readying for an uphill struggle.
“There are still many unknown factors,” he explained on the call, “such as pricing, launch dates and quantities, the level of first-party support and, importantly, consumer purchase intent in a world where consoles are no longer just competing with each other, but also with new platforms, such as smartphones and tablets.”
Those mobile platforms have risen in gaming prevalence over the intervening years, with more casual titles at the $0.99 price point in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play market gaining traction on iPhone and Android. Apple’s iPod touch has also become a compelling gaming system, with improvements in the company’s homegrown processors leading to more impressive, near-console-quality titles.
In short, it’s a very different market from what Microsoft and Sony are used to, and one in which Kotick seemingly suspects they may find the reception to the Wii U to be the rule, not the exception. “All of these factors further heighten our concerns heading into the back half of the year,” he concluded, “particularly during the very competitive fourth quarter.”
Activision has already warned that World of Warcraft online multiplayer subscribers are dropping, though the game publisher says it is confident its other projects will maintain sufficient momentum to keep profits up.
[via ExpertReviews]
Xbox 720 and PS4 could face Wii U-style apathy Activision CEO warns is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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 announced a few weeks ago it would not be holding a global press conference at this year’s E3, instead choosing to hold smaller, more direct events that would invite western journalists to check out some of their upcoming titles. We now have more information as to what Nintendo is planning exactly according to an E3 invitation received by Ubergizmo.
The invitation sent from Nintendo says it will give media “the chance to get closer to the games through a unique hands-on experience” prior to E3′s official start in what the company is calling will be its “Wii U Software Showcase.” On the morning of June 11, Nintendo’s most iconic game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo of America’s COO Reggie Fils-Aime will take part in a short presentation at 10:30 a.m. PDT, followed by a gameplay and Q&A session starting at 11 a.m. PDT. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Xbox Infinity Allegedly “Confirmed” As Next Xbox’s Moniker, Star Wars Pinball Launches As Standalone Title On PSN Next Week, 
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Nintendo is trying to get people to buy the new Wii U, but it just isn’t working, according to recent sales numbers. Now, the Japanese gaming giant is hoping that helping developers port their smartphone content to the home gaming console with conversion software will help entice buyers, according to the Japan Times.
Smartphone apps on a home console isn’t a novel idea: Sony began encouraging devs to bring their mobile phone hits to the PlayStation network a while ago, and continues to add mobile-first titles to the ranks of the Vita’s portable library. But there’s nothing really indicating that’s making a major difference in terms of attracting customers. After all, why would people seek out those titles on consoles, portable or otherwise, when they’ve already got myriad devices to play them on natively, including the iPhone, Android smartphones and the iPad?
Nintendo looking for ports of smartphone titles is a quick and dirty way to build out a larger software library, and for developers, a way to at least explore a new delivery vector to reach customers they may not already be reaching. But it will probably be a limited audience, made more so by the fact that anyone who’s already a fan of the title on mobile would probably be disinclined to pay for it all over again.
Porting is also a strategy that hasn’t really seemed to have been successful for anyone so far. BlackBerry has encouraged developers to port their Android apps over to BB10 using its own super-simple tool, which by all accounts takes only a few minutes to do its magic. But even still, it’s finding it hard to get developers on board, and that’s going from one mobile platform to another. Incentivizing conversions for mobile devs to bring their titles to a home console will likely be tricker still.
It’s been brought up before, but it bears repeating: Nintendo would probably stand to gain a lot more by reversing the situation, and porting its own blockbuster titles to other platforms, the way that Sony has flirted with doing, and the way that other publishers like Square Enix and Capcom have fully embraced. Admittedly, neither of those are hardware makers like Nintendo, but arguably that makes things more imperative for the Mario creator, which is having a really rough go of its hardware efforts, with lots of money sunk into a brand new console just at the beginning of what has been a 10-year release cycle in the past.
I wouldn’t mind having something like Dots on my Wii U, if I had or cared about one, but it’s not going to convince me to go buy that console. On the other hand, I’d love Super Mario World on the iPhone (a legit version, not via emulator) and would pay dearly for the pleasure. You’ve got the funnel all wrong, Nintendo, and it isn’t going to bring the people back.
In an effort to increase profitability, Nintendo is rumored to be looking into smartphone apps for their Wii U gaming console. Nintendo is hoping that the boost of the number of games available for the Wii U will increase sales for the new console, as well as offer a more diverse library of games to play.
According to The Japan Times, Nintendo has been offering game developers conversion software for use with mobile devices and consoles that allows smartphone apps to be played on the Wii U, and Nintendo is encouraging developers to create smartphone games that can be playable on the company’s gaming console.
This comes after Nintendo is continuously reporting poor sales for their new console, selling way less than they expected during the last quarter, and reporting a $366 million operating loss, which is the company’s second annual operating loss in a row. Nintendo is apparently hoping that the addition of smartphone apps will turn things around.
It’s certainly a bold move on Nintendo’s part, but it slightly makes sense. The smartphone games would be played on the Wii U GamePad’s 6.2-inch touchscreen display, which is obviously the ideal playing field for a smartphone and tablet game. However, we’re not sure how these games would be implemented, as far as being able to use the physical controls, or if you’ll be able to beam the game to your TV through the console. Hopefully there will be a field of options available if smartphone apps eventually do come to the console.
[via The Japan Times]
Nintendo Wii U smartphone app support rumored is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Fans of the cult-classic Nintendo Gamecube game Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem were probably pleased to hear Nintendo extended its trademark last month, but unfortunately, that has yet to spark any real interest in the company publishing a sequel to the game sometime in the near future. Since Nintendo doesn’t seem to be doing anything with the Eternal Darkness name, development studio Precursor Games has taken it upon themselves to release a spiritual successor called Shadow of the Eternals.
Speaking with IGN, Precursor Games says Shadows of the Eternals is expected to be released on the Wii U and PC initially and will be told through 12 episodes. Precursor Games will be launching a crowdfunding campaign, that is expected to launch later today, asking for a total of $1.5 million to develop the game and will include a variety of stretch goals. If Precursor is able to raise money beyond its initial $1.5 million, that additional money will help in contribute stretch goals that will include future episodes, additional characters, platforms and in-game perks. “The more money that we raise, the more we can deliver, which is a win for everyone,” says Precursor.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: The Sims 4 For PC And Mac Release Confirmed For 2014, Leaked Microsoft Email Hints Next Xbox Won’t Need Always-On Internet, 
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