Jun 14

Nintendo’s Iwata talks about Wii U’s place in the living room

Posted in: nintendo, Today's Chili, wii
Nintendo took some inspiration from the TV remote for its Wii controller, and it apparently thinks its new Wii U controller could well be the “TV remote of the future.” That’s just one tidbit from All Things D‘s sitdown with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who also talked more broadly about the Wii U’s new role in the living room. As evidenced by E3, that will include catering to more hardcore gamers than the Wii did, but Iwata says the Wii U is also an effort to take some of the couch time back from folks playing games on tablets, smartphones or laptops. To that end, Iwata says that Nintendo’s mission is to “shorten the distance between people and gaming” and remove some of the barriers involved with console gaming, further adding that it’s also trying to “reach out to the people who are not interested in video games.” Though it’s not saying much about it, Nintendo’s no doubt hoping to win back a few investors as well. As you may have noticed, the company’s stock slipped significantly following its E3 announcement and, while it’s bounced back a bit since, it’s still well off its Wii-fueled heights of recent years.

Nintendo’s Iwata talks about Wii U’s place in the living room originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAll Things D  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Jun 14

Wii U has last-gen Radeon inside, still more advanced than PS3 and Xbox 360

Posted in: AMD, nintendo, radeon, Today's Chili
Wii U Crysis

Slowly, but surely, we’re starting to piece together what’s going on inside that mysterious white box known as the Wii U. IBM was a little coy about the multi-core CPU it was providing, but did tantalize us by mentioning the name “Watson” in describing some of its underlying tech. Now details about the custom Radeon GPU are starting to surface and, while certainly capable, it’s not exactly cutting edge. At its heart is a chip similar to the R770 found in AMD’s last-gen cards like the 4890 and, before you dismiss it, remember the PS3 and Xbox 360 are still capable of pumping out impressive visuals while packing five-year-old silicon (The 360 is essentially running a souped up ATI X1900). The custom core also supports Direct X 10.1 (Microsoft runs out of steam with Direct X 9) and Eyefinity-like multi-display tech for up to four SD video streams — though it’ll be up to Nintendo and developers to put that to good use. In case you’re still not convinced of the Wii U’s graphical prowess, Crytek has said its advanced CryEngine is “pretty much” up and running on Nintendo’s upcoming console — and, if it’s good enough for Crysis, it should be good enough for you.

Wii U has last-gen Radeon inside, still more advanced than PS3 and Xbox 360 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGame Watch, Develop  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jun 13

Nintendo finally sells millionth 3DS unit in Japan, lives in the shadow of older brother

Posted in: 3ds, DS, gaming, handheld, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, sales, statistics, stats, Today's Chili

A million in (Japanese) sales is a far cry from failure, but even big daddy Satoru Iwata admits the 3DS isn’t quite living up to expectations. Nintendo’s tenderfoot handheld finally hit the mark after 13 weeks, a snail’s pace when compared to the original dual-screen wunderkind, which reportedly made the grade in a mere four. The 3DS’ predecessors will undoubtedly forgive it for being a late bloomer, it’s the competition it ought to worry about; the PSP sold its first million in about seven weeks. The 3DS could still plow its way to the top — but with the PlayStation Vita looming large on the horizon, and the fledgling handheld having already lost a round the PSV’s predecessor, Nintendo could be in for a rough ride.

Nintendo finally sells millionth 3DS unit in Japan, lives in the shadow of older brother originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceMainichi  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Jun 13

Nintendo 3DS has resistive touchscreen for backwards compatibility, what’s the Wii U’s excuse?

Posted in: 3ds, controller, e3, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, screen, speculation, Today's Chili, touch, touchscreen

In case it somehow snuck in under your radar, E3 just happened. The LA-based gaming extravaganza is where Nintendo introduced its next generation of home console, the Wii U, also served as the location where our buddies from Joystiq caught up with Hideki Konno, the company’s 3DS hardware chief. When queried as to why the 3DS uses the same, nowadays archaic, resistive touch technology as in the original DS, Mr. Konno answered candidly that “it’s all about the backwards compatibility. We have to play DS games on this and we want to make sure they work.” Not an unreasonable assertion by any means, however those same Joystiq sleuths also determined pretty conclusively that the Wii U’s bodacious 6.2-inch controller also uses a resistive touchscreen — could the primeval tech be getting recycled again for similar reasons? Nintendo’s made no announcements about game compatibility on the Wii U beyond confirming that it’ll play all Wii titles, but this at least it gives us some extra food for rumination (and speculation) while we wait for the new console’s 2012 release.

Nintendo 3DS has resistive touchscreen for backwards compatibility, what’s the Wii U’s excuse? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceJoystiq (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Jun 10

E3 2011 wrap-up: Wii U, PS Vita, and a whole lot of motion gaming

Posted in: e3, Microsoft, nintendo, sony, Today's Chili
E3 2011 wrap-up: Wii U, PS Vita, and a whole lot of motion gaming

This year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo was pretty amazing, featuring plenty of fresh new hardware and some… innovative titles for serious consoles. Sony renamed its NGP to PlayStation Vita, while Nintendo unveiled its Wii successor, designated only by an extra vowel: U. Despite the (now even more) goofy name, the Wii U stole the show, its 6.2-inch touchscreen controller opening the door to a world of potentially awesome games — and to what will surely be a whole new generation of shovelware. The show may be over, but the our coverage still burns — just like our hearts after one last night at Daikokuya.

Liveblogs

Major announcements

Impressions

But that’s only the beginning! Be sure to check out our E3 2011 event page for the full suite of news.

E3 2011 wrap-up: Wii U, PS Vita, and a whole lot of motion gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Jun 09

Nintendo bringing ‘Red Flare’ 3DS, new Wii package to Japan this summer

Posted in: 3ds, availability, game, Japan, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, price, Today's Chili, wii
Now that we’re all sitting on summer’s doorstep, Nintendo has decided to add a little heat to its 3DS lineup, with a new ‘Red Flare’ handheld, coming to Japan next month. Offering a sanguine alternative to the Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black variants, this little fireball will retail for ¥25,000 (about $312) when it hits Japanese stores on July 14th — just in time for the release of Star Fox 64 3D. The company is also planning to unleash a new Wii bundle on June 23rd, which will package two Wii Remote Plus controllers (one in black or white, one in blue) with Wii Sports Resort software, for ¥20,000 (around $250). No word yet on whether these offers will be coming Westward anytime soon, but you can find more information in the translated press release, after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo bringing ‘Red Flare’ 3DS, new Wii package to Japan this summer

Nintendo bringing ‘Red Flare’ 3DS, new Wii package to Japan this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GameWatch  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Jun 08

Nintendo Wii U FAQ

Posted in: nintendo, NintendoWii, Today's Chili, top, wii

Nintendo’s next console, the Wii U, has got us excited. It combines the best parts of the Wii with the graphical power of the other consoles and throws in the most insanest, ridiculously awesome controller we’ve ever played for good measure. But I’m sure you guys have questions. Here’s what we know about the Wii U so far. More »

No Comments
Jun 08

Are In-Game Ads Successful?

Posted in: gaming, nintendo, playstation, Today's Chili, xbox

This article was written on December 26, 2006 by CyberNet.

I am still stuck in the days of the original Xbox but one thing that I have noticed over time is that in-game advertising has been increasing. I have never really paid attention to these ads because that is not where my focus is supposed to be. For example, when playing a baseball game there might be advertisements on the homerun wall or behind the catcher, but if I’m engaged in the game I won’t have time to look at them. So how effective can these be?

A recent post by Joystiq talks about a consulting company who studied the results of advertising in sports games:

120 game players participated in the study, all aged 18 or above. Each person was selected with specific regard to their gaming preference and experience. Players are then assigned to a particular title spread across eight sports. Titles included Gran Turismo 3, NBA Live and Project Gotham Racing 3. The consultancy then used its measurement tool, the SFI, to monitor player behaviour and matched engagement and receptiveness levels with game events and game play dynamics.

Results showed an astonishing variation in consumer engagement. Overall, SFI scores were comparatively low, especially when contrasted with the prevalence of brand placements. Highest SFI scores were found with NBA Live and Smackdown Vs Raw; however, recall and recognition figures were surprisingly low; a pattern evident across all titles. Moreover, PGR3 elicited no consumer engagement at all, resulting in 0% on all scores.

These results demonstrate a significantly poor level of engagement with consumers and exposed an apparent weakness within games to efficiently capture consumer attention.

I’m not sure if advertisers are looking to subconsciously attract the attention of the users, but this just doesn’t seem to be effective. A better type of advertising that I think will really take off is in things like Microsoft Virtual Earth. Microsoft is currently placing advertising billboards on top of buildings that will attract the attention of someone who is browsing a city in 3D. In this situation the user is probably more likely to see and process the information presented on the billboard.

Do any of you notice these in-game advertisements?

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:


No Comments
Jun 08

Nintendo admits its Wii U highlight reel was spiced up with PS3 and Xbox 360 footage

Posted in: console, e3, gaming, interview, Microsoft, nintendo, ps3, sony, Today's Chili, video, wii, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Nintendo’s E3 2011 keynote yesterday gave the world its first official look at the all-new Wii U hardware plus (we thought) a glimpse at the graphical capabilities of its next console. As it turns out, the impressive list of upcoming games for the 2012-bound console was just that, a list, with the visuals we saw on screen coming from PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of said titles. Nintendo of America chief Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed that to be the case in an interview with GameTrailers, where he also points out that the eventual Wii U games will look at least as good as their PS3 / 360 counterparts. Which is why, in his eyes, it’s okay to show us those games being played on the competition’s (current-gen) hardware. He does remind us that the Wii U will be delivering graphics at a 1080p resolution, and points to the garden tech demo that also graced E3 as an indicator of what can be done with Nintendo’s next console. That’s all well and good, but maybe tell us in advance next time, Reggie?

Nintendo admits its Wii U highlight reel was spiced up with PS3 and Xbox 360 footage originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GamesIndustry.biz  |  sourceGameTrailers  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Jun 07

Hyperkin SupaBoy portable SNES console hands-on (video)

Posted in: e3, hands-on, nintendo, portable, Today's Chili, video

Sure, all the morning’s news may have been surrounding a vowel-augmented console from Nintendo, the Wii U, but a certain other Nintendo console that has fewer vowels is also seeing some well-deserved love here at E3 2011. It’s the classic SNES, and its been reborn as the SupaBoy, courtesy of Hyperkin. It’s a handheld version of the console that’s basically intended to fulfill a gamers’ desire for portable classic gaming but without having to ask for advice in the Ben Heck Forums. Click on through for some impressions of this handheld wunderconsole.

Gallery: Hyperkin SupaBoy Hands-On

Continue reading Hyperkin SupaBoy portable SNES console hands-on (video)

Hyperkin SupaBoy portable SNES console hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: