Hasta La Gadget!

Nintendo hinted it was improving its notoriously rudimentary online access with word of the Nintendo Network early this year, and was even more adamant at E3 about making a big push into digital video. Some have accused the company of nothing but flag-waving — if that’s true, the waving is about to turn into a full parade through a new hire. As of July 1st, Nintendo is bringing on Disney’s former Interactive Media Group senior VP Duncan Orrell-Jones to take on the just-minted role of senior VP for the company’s Network Business group in the US. He’ll be handling the overall American digital strategy, which covers both gaming as well as content. We’ll need to wait awhile before we see the results, but if it helps make sure friend codes never rise from the dead to haunt our Wii U, we’re all for it.

Continue reading Nintendo takes on Disney veteran as senior VP for digital in US, gets serious about this whole internet thing

Nintendo takes on Disney veteran as senior VP for digital in US, gets serious about this whole internet thing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In what could be a move for Nintendo to drum up last-minute excitement for the Wii U, the man at the head of the Super Smash Bros franchise will give a rare public keynote address at a game developer conference later this summer. Masahiro Sakurai gained Internet fame in the months leading up to Super Smash Bros Brawl because of his constantly-updated blog that became the source for all Brawl-related news.

But when it comes to making appearances at trade shows and professional events, Sakurai largely remains in the background. However, as Nintendo tries to prove that the Wii U and 3DS are strong contenders in this ever evolving gaming market, it has decided to allow the developer to give a headline address at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in August.

While Sakurai is most known for his involvement in the Smash Bros environment, he is also the one who created the iconic pink blob Kirby, and he also headed up the recent Kid Icarus revival on 3DS. In other words, he has nothing but solid street cred when it comes to Nintendo. It’s unlikely we’ll see any major Super Smash Bros announcements at this event, but Sakurai’s speech will no doubt be analyzed to death for any insight into his current projects.

[via CVG]

Super Smash Bros head to deliver coveted keynote is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you didn’t think Nintendo hit it out of the park at E3, that isn’t Nintendo’s fault. It’s yours. Such was the message in a recent Kotaku interview with the man at the top of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, who called gamers “insatiable.” He feels that no matter what, they won’t be pleased. He was responding to the criticism the company faced at the big trade show earlier this month.

Fils-Aime was quoted as saying, “One of the things that, on one hand, I love and, on the other hand, that troubles tremendously about not only our fanbase but the gaming community at large is that, whenever you show information, the perspective is: ‘Thank you, but I want more. Thank you, but give me more.’ … “For years this community has been asking, ‘Where’s Pikmin? Where’s Pikmin? Where’s Pikmin?’ We give them Pikmin. And then they say: ‘What else?’ For years this community has said: ‘Dammit Reggie, when you launch, you better launch with a Mario game’. So we launch with a Mario game, and they say, ‘So, what’s more?’”

What could be the most exciting part of the Wii U – Nintendo’s new online Miiverse network – was only briefly touched on. We know that the new Mario game will sell millions of Wii U units, but so did Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros Wii. Those weren’t the problem with the Wii. It was attracting the hardcore gamer and getting decent third-party content that caused problems.

[via Kotaku]

Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime blames you for being unimpressed at E3 is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.