Hasta La Gadget!

Sheesh… will you folks ever learn? There will never, ever be a Wii replacement. It’s the console that keeps on giving, and also the one that’ll never perish. It’s the end-all answer to the world’s gaming needs, and even though greater than 50 percent of the US has an HDTV, Nintendo won’t ever have to support that unwanted “1080i” format. All sarcasm, angst and bitterness aside, Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata recently affirmed that there’s no Wii successor on the near-term roadmap. Specifically, he stated that he “doesn’t think that there is an immediate need to replace the Wii console; but of course, at some point in the future, the need will arise.” To cap things off, he added: “We currently do not have an answer as to what point in the future that need will come.” As much as we’d love to point out just how far behind the game Nintendo is in terms of graphics, we can’t argue with the sales figures, and until the collective consumer wallet deems true HD support a necessity, we suppose the Wii can just keep on keepin’ on. Much to our chagrin.

Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata: no ‘immediate need to replace the Wii’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo’s press conference is the second of the big three at this year’s E3 video-game conference. The event kicks off Tuesday morning, at 9:00 A.M. PT (Noon ET). Editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff and senior editor Brian Heater will be on hand to live-blog the event.

So, what to expect from Nintendo’s big show? One thing’s for sure: There will be plenty of spectacle. At last year’s press event, the video-game giant released new versions of the Wii controller, Wii Fit, and a new multi-player Super Mario title.

This year, the most persistent rumor is about the unveiling of the Nintendo 3DS, a glasses-free portable gaming console that will serve as the successor to Nintendo’s massively popular DS. There’s also some talk of a Wii HD–a new console with amped-up graphical power. And look for possible new versions of popular Nintendo titles such as Starfox, Zelda, Kirby, and F-Zero.

Update: Check out the full transcript of our live blog, including commentary and photos, after the jump!

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first hockey stick accessory for the Wiimote — the folks from CTA naturally have you covered there as well — but it is the first to be bundled with a game, and garner the glowing recommendation of Wayne Gretzky himself. The game in question here is EA’s forthcoming NHL Slapshot, which comes with the pint-sized hockey stick pictured above (just one, it seems) that holds both the Wiimote and nunchuck — it also thankfully has a foam blade that should prevent any TV disasters. Just a gimmick, you say? Not according to Gretzky, who says that it’s actually “very realistic” and “almost like playing in the NHL” — yes, really. Interestingly, the game’s creator also seems to have hinted at future versions for Natal and PlayStation Move, saying that the Wii version is “going to be a really good test.” Look for it to be available on September 7th.

EA’s ‘NHL Slapshot’ packs Gretzky-approved Wiimote hockey stick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We understand that Wii Fit has dubious health benefits at best (whatever CTA Digital might say top the contrary), but apparently word hasn’t reached the Navy’s top brass. According to the Navy Times, recruits need more work than ever before to get into fighting shape, “given that many young people prefer computers and video games” to sports and physical activity. The solution, says Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam Robinson, is to use break in would-be sailers slowly, introducing “the equivalents of Nintendo’s Wii Fit or Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution” in basic training. This sounds rather silly to us, but what do we know? We’re lovers, not fighters.

Navy Surgeon General eyes Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution for boot camp originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Wii Weighted Gloves turns gamer into virtual badass, actual outcast

Wii Weighted Gloves turns gamer into virtual badass, actual outcast originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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