Nintendo: We love indies

August 30th, 2013, 21:12 Posted By: wraggster

Fils-Aime discusses how the firm is working on improving developer support

Nintendo is working hard on building an infrastructure to support independent developers on its 3DS and Wii U platforms, says Reggie Fils-Aime.
Speaking to IGN, the Nintendo of America president said the firm, which in the past has been criticised for its indie support and lack of online focus, is spending more time than ever on learning how to support developers.

He admitted that its unique hardware, such as the dualscreen nature of the 3DS and the use of a second-screen on the Wii U, meant it wasn’t always easy for developers to get to grips with its platforms without experience.
“The independent developer, especially those developers who have experience, who’ve shown real capabilities, we love those independent developers,” said Fils-Aime.
“And what we’re doing is creating even more of an infrastructure for a brand-new independent developer, someone who’s never created content before, to be effective on our platform. So it’s an area that we’re spending a lot more time and a lot more energy to create the infrastructure to help these developers publish their content and be effective. It’s something that we have had to learn how to do. Because our systems aren’t straightforward for a developer who hasn’t had a lot of experience.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...We-love-indies

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Harvest Moon: A New Beginning UK release date named

August 30th, 2013, 01:27 Posted By: wraggster

3DS farming simulation Harvest Moon: A New Beginning will finally get a UK release on 20th September, the European arm of publisher Marvelous has said.Europe is typically a year behind the rest of the world for Harvest Moon launches, and New Beginning is no exception. It launched last year in Japan and North America, the first title in the series designed from the ground up for 3DS.This incarnation's additions include increased customisation for your boy or girl farmer and a larger world to explore.It arrives - better late than never - in time for Harvest Moon's 15th anniversary in Europe. More than a million copies of the series have been sold here to date.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ase-date-named

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Wii U Basic stock to become "limited" in UK

August 30th, 2013, 01:25 Posted By: wraggster

The Wii U's Basic 8GB model will become "limited" in the UK, Nintendo has told Eurogamer.Nintendo will now focus on the console's Premium 32GB flavour, available from next month in one of two new bundles."The current Wii U Basic Pack will become limited in supply," a Nintendo UK spokesperson said. "However we are always looking for fun and interesting ways to package up our products for different groups of fans."Wii U's Basic model has sold poorly since the console was released, and Nintendo has previously admitted over-estimating demand for the cheaper version.In reality, the 8GB model could only hold 3GB of data after installing the Wii U's system software and creating a user profile - not enough even to download launch title Nintendo Land.Nintendo announced a pair of Wii U Premium bundles yesterday afternoon for launch next month, with one of Zelda: Wind Waker HD or Lego City Undercover included.Both are available for £259.99 at GAME (Nintendo itself does not set retailer pricing in Europe) - £40 less than the Premium console originally launched for.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-limited-in-uk

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US Nintendo eShop update: Pokémon, Rayman, Zelda

August 30th, 2013, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster

This week's list of new download content for the Wii U and 3DS eShops in US brings a number of big names to the table.
The original NES Legend of Zelda is now available on the Wii U Virtual Console, along with Wario Land 3 for the 3DS.
And Rayman Legends is out September 3, which we called the "best experienced on Wii U" in our Rayman Legends review.
Here's the full update list:
Nintendo eShop on Wii U
Pokémon Rumble U - Battle your way through enemies and experience an epic adventure. The world of Pokémon Rumble U is split into several areas with fearsome bosses. Get ready to take on multiple battle stages using all 649 Pokémon as you progress through each area - you'll have to be victorious in each one to continue. You can also purchase Pokémon Rumble U NFC Figures to help you on your journey. NFC Figures can be scanned using the Wii U GamePad controller to receive in-game Pokémon. NFC Figures are optional and sold separately. They are not required to complete the game.
Rayman Legends - Conquer a new platforming adventure in the biggest Rayman game ever created. Use the Wii U GamePad to take out enemies, manipulate platforms and cut ropes to clear a path. Rayman Legends is available on Sept. 3.
Virtual Console on Wii U
The Legend of Zelda - It's dangerous to go alone! Take this. In The Legend of Zelda, the original masterpiece that started it all, help Link collect the captured pieces of the Triforce, rescue the princess and thwart Ganon's evil plans.
Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS
Wario Land 3 - Smash, bash and crash your way through more than two dozen gigantic levels in search of hidden keys, treasures and mystical music boxes. Become Fat Wario, Zombie Wario, Vampire Wario and other zany forms. Seek out the 100 treasures to reveal secrets, open new levels and power up Wario with even more abilities.
Nintendo eShop Sale
BIT.TRIP SAGA - BIT.TRIP SAGA, the Nintendo 3DS game that morphs all six BIT.TRIP games into one, is on sale for a limited time starting Sept. 1. Experience the challenge of the rhythmic galaxies through the head of CommanderVideo, and ride along with him as he completes his mission and returns home. Download the game at a discounted price of $4.99 until 9 a.m. PT on Sept. 15.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-rayman-zelda/

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Scribblenauts Unlimited gets EU release date of December

August 30th, 2013, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has announced that the long-delayed Wii U and 3DS versions of Scribblenauts Unlimited are to arrive in Europe in December - more than a year after its US debut.
The game was originally planned for release alongside the Wii U in November 2012. While the US version honoured this date, the EU versions were pushed back to February 2013.
The PC version arrived in EU that month, but the Wii U and 3DS versionswere delayed further to an unspecified date in 2013. A developer from 5th Cell said at time of the delay that the slip was due to "stuff I can't talk about ... things outside of development".
Nintendo said in a statement: "It has come to light that some changes need to be implemented within the game before we launch them across Europe."
The delay is thought - but not officially confirmed - to be linked to a lawsuit filed by 'Nyan Cat' creator Christopher Orlando Torres against 5th Cell and publisher Warner Bros. for the game's unauthorised use of the popular internet meme character.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-of-december/

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Nintendo: "We don't want to walk away" from 3D gaming

August 30th, 2013, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Scott Moffitt insists that the new 2DS doesn't represent backpedaling, notes that it's all about reaching huge audience at $129
[h=3]Nintendo of America[/h]

In light of the announcement of the Nintendo 2DStoday, we sat down with the company's executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt to talk all about the new entry in the portable space. In this exclusive interview, conducted by USgamer's Jeremy Parish on behalf of GamesIndustry International, we find out who the 2DS is really for and how it fits into the increasingly crowded mobile and handheld market. Interestingly, we also see that Nintendo remains confident in 3D gaming despite the fact that its 2DS dispenses with it altogether. At the end, Moffitt even takes a dig at Sony, saying Vita's sales show that Nintendo's approach is the one that's actually working.
Here's the full Q&A. Enjoy!

Q: As someone who's made a pretty significant investment in digital purchases for 3DS, I feel there may be some games that work better on 2DS than on 3DS -- Virtual Console, for instance. But the 3DS games that have 3D functionality, I'd rather keep them on the 3DS. It's not really possible to do that...
Scott Moffitt: It's not tied to an account. Yeah. We haven't solved that yet.
Q: Are you working on solving it? It sounds like, to date, Nintendo has been pretty content to keep things as they are.
Scott Moffitt: If you look at the account system, the network ID system that exists now on Wii U, that's an effort for us to move beyond a device-centric approach to an account-centric approach. But we haven't done it on the handheld side of the business at this point. We hear that feedback. We hear that criticism, or whatever you want to call it, from time to time. We're not blind to it. But it's not something we've solved.
Q: I feel like this device forces the issue.
Scott Moffitt: Yeah. I would just challenge… If you have a 3DS and you enjoy playing it there on a bigger screen… I wouldn't think we would expect you to be part of the buyer base.
"A lot of it is driven by wanting to achieve a price point that is more accessible for consumers...Removing the 3D capability allowed us to get to a better price point"

Q: Well, like I said, if I'm playing NES games or New Super Mario Bros., that sort of thing, I can already tell just by holding this...
Scott Moffitt: It feels more familiar to you?
Q: Playing those games on 3DS, the D-pad and button placement isn't ideal. So I could see some people wanting to carry over part of their library to this and have dual devices, the way you can own an iPhone and an iPad and still share content between those devices.
Scott Moffitt: Yeah. I guess all I can say is that you weren't directly in our crosshairs as we were assessing the market potential for this initiative. You never can guess who's going to respond to a new piece of hardware.
But I think our expectation was that we were primarily trying to address the value barrier that might exist for some consumers to playing a 3DS. They could be DS owners that haven't yet upgraded to the 3DS because of price and because they love playing their old DS games. It could be young kids just entering the video game market, and parents not wanting to buy them a $200 gaming system. Now we're much closer to $100, which makes it much more affordable for them. I think that was probably the audience we expected or intended to design the unit for. But I think it's good feedback.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...from-3d-gaming

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Roundtable: Is Nintendo sounding a retreat?

August 30th, 2013, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

With a Wii U price cut and a DS which drops 3D, is Iwata backing down?
Nintendo dropped two pieces of news this week with the unveiling of the 2DS and a $50 price cut for the Wii U Deluxe Edition bundle, bringing it down to $300. The new handheld abandons the glasses-free 3D feature and clamshell case design of the 3DS, but brings the price down to $130 in the process. Meanwhile, the Wii U's price cut will be accompanied by a new bundle featuring a Legend of Zelda-themed GamePad and a digital version of the WindWaker HD remake included right out of the box.
Both made for big headlines, but will they lead to big sales? Will the price cut work considering the Wii U Basic Edition was already available for $300? Is customer confusion going to be an issue with the 2DS? Do you believe Nintendo's insistence that they aren't backpedalling on 3D? Which announcement will wind up being more significant for the company? The GamesIndustry International team weighed in on the news for this week's staff roundtable.

[h=2]James Brightman[/h]It would be redundant for me to say that the Wii U desperately needed a price cut. Now that it's finally got one, I do like its chances slightly better this holiday, especially when combined with Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Wii Fit U. It's too bad Mario Kart 8 isn't coming this holiday season, because to me, it's poised to move more Wii U hardware than any other game. Even in the demo I played at E3, it looked incredibly polished and fun with new gameplay mechanics. Unfortunately, Nintendo is not selling Wii U in a vacuum and consumers are going to be looking at Xbox One, PS4, tablets and other game-playing devices this Christmas. If the hype and purchase intent around next-gen consoles is as highas GameStop claims it is, Wii U is going to have a tough time, regardless of its slightly lower $299 price point.
The 2DS' hingeless, child-friendly design has met with a mixed response.

Besides, price conscious parents are more likely to skip right past Wii U in favor of one of Nintendo's own handhelds. The new 2DS is likely to do gangbusters alongside Pokemon X and Y this holiday season. For $129, consumers can get a system that already has a wealth of great content - albeit now played without the 3D function. I have to agree with Brendan on that point, however; customer confusion is something that Nintendo is going to have to put considerable time into avoiding. Marketing will be key for solving this problem, but Nintendo's track record of late with marketing is pretty darn poor. The Wii U was terribly marketed, and even now with better software on the horizon I've yet to see Nintendo truly convey the value and appeal of the Wii U. Maybe they can do better with promoting 2DS.
At the end of the day, we all have to remember that Nintendo is Nintendo. The company isn't in any console or handheld race. It's racing against itself, and as long as it can boost its bottom line and post a healthy profit at the end of the year, shareholders will be happy, Iwata's job will be safe, and it ultimately won't matter one bit that Wii U sales are quickly lapped by the competition.

[h=2]Steve Peterson[/h]The Wii U will certainly do better at $299 than at $349, especially against a $399 PlayStation 4. Still, the main driver will be software, and Nintendo's got some strong offerings late this year and early next year. I don't expect a dramatic sales increase for the Wii U, though; the price cut still leaves it more expensive than an Xbox 360 or PS3. Looking ahead there's no reason to expect new must-have software every month or two. Nintendo alone can't produce Wii U titles at that pace, and third-party support is not strong and likely never will be.
"Looking ahead there's no reason to expect new must-have software every month or two"

The Wii U will sell better with this price cut and the more compelling software coming out, but it will never lead the monthly sales reports for consoles. The Wii U will probably establish a position as a strong alternative console for those gamers looking for family fun who aren't interested in shooters, RPGs, sims and sports.
The 2DS is an interesting strategy. The $129 price point will certainly be attractive and keep the overall 3DS momentum going. Marketing-wise, the naming is confusing and difficult to figure out, but that follows right in the footsteps of the Wii U. I don't think Nintendo will be able to turn the 2DS/3DS/3DS XL line into a juggernaut like previous handhelds. Continued pressure from smartphones and tablets will keep this line from becoming a superstar, but it should do quite well. If Nintendo can hit $99 with the 2DS for Christmas 2014, that would keep the line going strongly into the future.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ding-a-retreat

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Nintendo cuts Wii U UK price by around £30, includes new free game

August 30th, 2013, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has cut the trade price of Wii U, with retailers knocking around £30 off the RRP.
The price reduction does not take effect until October 4th, and seeing as many UK retailers have already cut as much £100 off the recommended price, it is unlikely to make a huge dent on Wii U's current performance.
What may make a bigger impact are the new games bundled with the hardware.
Nintendo Land is no-longer included, instead Nintendo is offering two bundles - one featuring The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD (plus special edition hardware design) and the other including LEGO City Undercover.
The new sets are available from October 4th at the new price. GAME has a pre-order of the special Zelda version of Wii U for £250.
A Nintendo spokesperson said: "We've reduced the European trade price of the Wii U Premium Pack to retailers from October 4th. At the same time we'll be launching the Zelda bundle (32 GB) and the Lego Premium Pack (32 GB) which will also be available to the retailers at the same lower trade price as the traditional Wii U Premium packs which are currently available in the market place

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...e-game/0120550

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Here's how the 2DS lines up against 3DS and 3DS XL

August 30th, 2013, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo now has three options for those looking to buy into the 3DS family – and this chart explains it all very clearly.
The freshly announced (and arguably confusingly branded?) 2DS is your entry-level model. It costs £109 (expect that to translate to around £100 everywhere very shortly), lacks 3D and doesn’t fold. But it’s certainly an appealing option for kids and could perform very well this Christmas.
The 3DS is your entry-level full-spec machine while the 3DS XL offers no extra functionality but packs bigger screens and, it’s certainly fair to say, a very premium feel.
Check out the infographic below (click for a bigger version):

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2DS' twin screens are actually a single screen

August 30th, 2013, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo twin-screen 2DS isn’t quite what it appears.
USGamer reports that the new hardware actually houses a single, large touchscreen which is separated into two and, in the case of the lower portion, reduced in size by nothing other than the handheld’s plastic casing.
This means that it is only Nintendo’s firmware that prevents the top screen being touch enabled and stops the hidden portions of the panel being utilised.
Could modders reverse this, effectively creating a large-screen touch-enabled Nintendo tablet. We’ll see.
The site also notes that 2DS isn’t currently scheduled for a Japanese release, quite possibly due to the machine’s ongoing dominance in the region. Perhaps once those numbers begin to wane Nintendo will look for a release to reinvigorate it.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/2ds-t...screen/0120556

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OPINION: A Nintendo tablet? Is it now only a matter of when, not if?

August 29th, 2013, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has an annoying habit of defying what many people expect them to do.
After conditioning the games press into expecting precise and targeted Nintendo Direct messaging, yesterday's 2DS announcement was a bit of a ham-fisted mess.
While lots of people will peer at the peculiar 2DS and wonder what it means, it has left me convinced that Nintendo's investing smartly in what lies ahead, and what lies beyond the DS/3DS line.
Maybe its next move in handheld games will be into that area we've all wondered about: a proper Nintendo-style tablet device. And if Nintendo moves in this direction, I reckon it will do this world justice.
2DS is a sensible step for Nintendo. It is cheap both in terms of RRP and cost, seems correctly targeted at the value end of the market, physically it looks robust, and it launches just as Nintendo plans to release the latest in its evergreen Pokemon franchise.
But it's just a single step, a short stride.
The bigger leap, a more relevant tablet-style device in tuned with the future of handheld games could be next.
I know: it's massively obvious to point out that a Nintendo games tablet will follow. And conversely a lot of people - my colleagues included - think it's ludicrous, that Nintendo will forever march to the beat of its own drum. After all, Nintendo's charm lies in how unpredictable it is.
But there's plenty of evidence that points to Nintendo at the very least investing better for what lies ahead, if not a specific tablet device.
Nintendo earlier this year merged its home hardware and handheld device design teams into one big unit, with the express aim of sharing know-how, technology, and building a bridge between consoles and portables. The 2DS itself looks like the first product of that, and a move towards-slate style devices - its 'two' screens are in fact even one large touch-screen to cut costs. Then there's Nintendo's existing tablet the Wii U controller, itself an experiment in the second screen ideas borne from asking how small touch screens can interact with big-screen games.
I'm not the first to think these things add up to more, and I won't be the last. But there are two particular factors at play around 2DS, and Wii U, that have me excited by the prospect of Nintendo's next full hardware platform, should things play out in this direction. And it really has to launch something new sharpish - Wii U isn't cutting it, and the dual-screen format has limited life-span, as I argue below.
A NEW GENERATION
Firstly, there's the marked speed with which 2DS has appeared and what that might tell us about some subtle shifts for Nintendo.
Nintendo characteristically refreshes its handheld hardware every year, so in a sense the 2DS is a bit overdue. But this time around the device is explicitly chasing the cheaper end of the market, and in some ways is pushing its handheld to the sub-£100 ultra mass market audience at least a year earlier than you'd expect.
That's a surprise because this year the 3DS has done very well. It is the only format *growing* its software sales this year in the UK, outselling all others.
So arguably Nintendo has done well enough this year to potentially work through Christmas without any shift in primary target demographic, as it is doing in Japan where 3DS rules and 2DS isn't being released.
Some key reasons could explain why Nintendo has stepped things up a gear, however:
- The core audience XL is aimed at has been saturated - adults and Nintendo fans have had their fill, especially given how spoilt for choice they have been this year in terms of first-party games on 3DS.
- Plus there is pressure around every corner from Nintendo. It is feeling pinched by both newcomers and incumbents, from iPad to the threat of next-gen. So a highly competitive price and youth-friendly device is a good way to steel the business ahead of Christmas.
That just leaves Nintendo to speed up the DS/3DS/2DS transition swiftly in order to wrap this platform's story up ahead of schedule.
This would certainly please investors in the short-term, while Nintendo dreams up its next move. Even with buckets of cash in the bank, company president Satoru Iwata has been asked by analysts and commentators about having to compete with other game markets on iOS and beyond. It's reached the point where he is politely exasperated by this talk - no, Nintendo doesn't consider smartphones direct competition; yes, they are still focused on marrying their own hardware and software concepts; no, he won't resign just because the firms sales have slowed after the most successful period in its history.
2DS in that context leapfrogs ahead to the chapter where Nintendo is growing its audience once again, and priming a new generation (of humans, that is, not hardware) with the core IPs that will prop up the next format.
GETTING SOFTWARE RIGHT
And it's how Nintendo is approaching software which gives me further cause for optimism about what might come next in its handheld games efforts.
Lazy commentary says that Nintendo should retreat from consoles and sell its games on other formats. That's bollocks. And even coldly and trying to be rational about it, this isn't something that seems likely in the medium-term. Nintendo's entire organisation is built around hardware plus software, not one or the other - whether you look at it from a management point of view, examine its forecasting, or just think about its pockets of sales, distribution, marketing, R&D and design talent.
But that has only become such a widely-repeated view due to the frustration with how Nintendo's performance in hardware is inconsistent in contrast to overall consistency amongst its studios. As a software company, it's generally still the one to beat. Be glass-half-full about it, though, and in that sense Nintendo's already halfway to having a good format. (Let's put third-party publishers to one side for this discussion - Nintendo treats them as an anomaly most of the time, so we may as well do that too.)
These days Nintendo is doing its best to share what it knows about said software with external developers, although you might not know it.
Despite all the noise from Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has been pretty keenly courting indie developers too. It of course knows that the unknown microstudio of today might be the Mojang of tomorrow. It also needs to fill the bare shelves on its digital stores. Open cooperation with these new developers has primed a growing number of them to think again about Nintendo. Anecdotally, I understand that from a developer relations point of view Nintendo has upped its game measurably. While it may not have charismatic public figures engaging visibly and loudly the way SCEE's Shahid Ahmed is or the way Xbox Live man Chris Charla has, Nintendo has been allowing its most prized internal teams in Japan to give feedback on indie parent games. Having feedback from those akin to Miyamoto's protoge is a real USP that will tempt any game developer. And as for free dev kits: Nintendo has been giving hardware to developers for yonks, I have been told, it just hasn't felt the need to send a press release out about it.
It's this activity that has helped Nintendo gain some digital retail cred; eShop on both 3DS and Wii U are far from perfect, but they have taken Nintendo from an excruciating standing start to an active platform thanks to its internally-made games and this from small indies.
So, Nintendo clearing the decks for a new generation of portable hardware plus its behind-the-scenes efforts to improve its marketplace for games content certainly says to me there's a deeper investment in future console formats, not just the tail-end of its existing ones.
But even if it doesn't add up to that, at least we can argue that Nintendo is moving quicker than many have given it credit for in recent times.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/opini...not-if/0120564

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Nintendo returns to its roots with its cheap, chunky 2DS

August 29th, 2013, 23:52 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo’s 2DS drew the full spectrum of reaction as it was announced this afternoon, described as a smart move by some and batshit crazy by the rest.It’s a flattened-out 3DS minus the auto-stereoscopic top screen – cheaper, chunkier, targeted at kids and set to be launched alongside a new Pokémon game, it’s difficult to argue against 2DS as a business and marketing proposition. Its aesthetic appeal and size can certainly be questioned, though – is this the first Nintendo handheld that doesn’t actually fit in your pocket? Smart positioning can’t disguise just how strange this thing looks – those two screens make sense in clamshell handheld with a hinge between them, but on the front of a flat, tablet-style device? Bizarre.Nonetheless, Nintendo’s retreat from glasses-free 3D isn’t surprising. Once 3DS’ biggest selling point, playing this way just isn’t practical for most. 2DS will remove any lingering doubts over the health effects of 3D, the subject of some damaging tabloid stories around the original 3DS’ launch – Nintendo was even forced to discourage children aged six or younger from using the handheld, an idea completely at odds with its past successes in the handheld market.2DS resets Nintendo’s ill-fated pursuit of the older game player, a trend which can be traced back to the rampant success of DS Lite, which took a little of Apple’s sleek minimalism and applied it to a games handheld. It worked, and spurred Nintendo on to launch DSi, which took that idea further still. With its glasses-free 3D screen, relatively high launch price and a flurry of early marketing targeted at twentysomething tech audiences, the 3DS launch felt like Nintendo had started to neglect its traditional heartland. A weak software line-up certainly didn’t help 3DS’ cause, of course. It took a price cut and two Mario games to really turn the handheld around.Though it has increasingly dabbled in the sexier end of the portable market, Nintendo remains a toy company, not a tech giant. 2DS will be criticised by many for looking a bit ‘Fisher Price’, but surely that’s the intention; in its chunky plastic casing we can see Nintendo reverting to what has always made its handhelds so successful. Fans will always demand new adventures from old favourites, but all a Nintendo handheld really needs is a low price, parent-friendly aura and a Pokémon game or two. 2DS will have all of those in its corner when it launches on October 12.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/nint...ap-chunky-2ds/

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Just Dance Kids 2014 grooving to retail this October

August 29th, 2013, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Mario Party: Island Tour hit 3DS Nov. 22

August 29th, 2013, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Mario Party: Island Tour will both be released for the 3DS on November 22 in North America, Nintendo has announced. Both games will cost an unsurprising $39.99.

Mario Party: Island Tour, previously known as simply Mario Party, was originally revealed during a Nintendo Direct last April. The game includes seven boards and Augmented Reality-flavored mini-games. Meanwhile, A Link Between Worlds is set after the events of A Link to the Past, and now Link has the ability to become two-dimensional at advantageous times. Sounds kinda familiar.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/28/ze...d-tour-hit-3d/

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Nintendo 2DS hands-on

August 29th, 2013, 01:06 Posted By: wraggster

Just as Apple is rumoured to be working on a budget-price iPhone to attract a larger audience, Nintendo is hoping to capture a different userbase with the 2DS, the latest iteration on its handheld formula. Its launch is unlikely to upset anyone who's recently bought a 3DS or 3DS XL - and don't expect either of those two models to disappear any time soon. Positioned at a lower price point and targeted at a wider market, the fact 2DS will launch alongside family-friendly titles Pokémon X and Y on 12th October is no coincidence. The wedge-shaped handheld will be a sibling to the existing 3DS family, an additional option rather than any sort of replacement or improvement.Top of the list of changes is the removal of the console's 3D option. Once the 3DS' headline feature, Nintendo's much-boasted-of glasses-free 3D functionality was quietly sidelined as an additional novelty following the console's price cut and marketing relaunch. No 3DS games technically require 3D, after all, although some are undoubtedly enhanced by it being an option (Super Mario 3D Land's viewpoint shifting puzzles spring to mind).Much could be made of Nintendo's decision to excise even the option of 3D, then, but its removal here is less of a U-turn than immediate impressions might suggest. The feature is still present in the 3DS and XL, after all - there is no indication of new models for either of those tiers. A version of the handheld without 3D is simply confirmation of what has been apparent for some time across the wider technology and entertainment sectors - that the pull factor of 3D as a point of differentiation is not as convincing as once expected. The post-Avatar 3D bubble burst a long time ago - this is Nintendo finally moving on.
The 2DS' other big change is the removal of Nintendo's iconic DS and 3DS clamshell design. It's the first Nintendo handheld since the days of the Game Boy Advance family to be a simple, flat shape, and there is something of the company's earlier handhelds in its form. Nintendo has imagined a taller version of the first Game Boy Advance, now with two screens nestled in the middle instead of one.The twin displays are back to the original 3DS' dimensions following Nintendo's supersized XL versions. Simply put, there's no difference in how games look on 2DS and 3DS when the latter is set to its 2D mode. Another change is the 3DS' dual speaker setup. The 2DS only has one, although stereo and surround options are still available via headphones. And, unlike the 3DS XL, you will get a charger included.Inside the console it is very much the 3DS in a new shell - it runs the same firmware and has the same DS back-compatibility. It even has the 3DS' twin camera on its rear so you can take 3D photos. These are displayed in 2D, naturally, but can be swapped over to 3DS via SD card to be viewed in three dimensions.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...o-2DS-hands-on

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Nintendo dates major US Q4 releases for Wii U and 3DS

August 29th, 2013, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has released a confirmed list of US Q4 release dates for Wii U and 3DS, confirming that Super Mario 3D World will be released in US on November 22 for $60.
That's ahead of the originally projected release window of December, and puts it on shelves in time for North America's Black Friday shopping riot.
The release schedule also confirms that The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will get an early launch via the digital eShop, where it will be available from September 20, ahead of the October 4 retail date.
Wii Party U - October 25, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is out December 6. Wii Fit U and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games remain chalked up for - 'this holiday'.
Highlights on the 3DS include The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, releasing November 22 alongside Mario Party: Island Tour.
Nintendo of America announced today plans to cut the price of the Premium Wii U by $50 effective September 20. It also revealed the Nintendo 2DS, a new "more affordable" Nintendo 3DS model set for release in October, which plays all 3DS games but in 2D mode only.
Here's the full release schedule, which also includes third party software release dates:
Wii U

• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Sept. 20 (downloadable) and Oct. 4 (packaged) - $49.99.
• Wii Party U (bundled with a Wii Remote Plus controller and stand) - Oct. 25 - $49.99.
• Super Mario 3D World - Nov. 22 - $59.99.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Dec. 6 - $49.99.
• Wii Fit U - this holiday season.
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games: - this holiday season.

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Nintendo dates major US Q4 releases for Wii U and 3DS

August 29th, 2013, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has released a confirmed list of US Q4 release dates for Wii U and 3DS, confirming that Super Mario 3D World will be released in US on November 22 for $60.
That's ahead of the originally projected release window of December, and puts it on shelves in time for North America's Black Friday shopping riot.
The release schedule also confirms that The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will get an early launch via the digital eShop, where it will be available from September 20, ahead of the October 4 retail date.
Wii Party U - October 25, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is out December 6. Wii Fit U and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games remain chalked up for - 'this holiday'.
Highlights on the 3DS include The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, releasing November 22 alongside Mario Party: Island Tour.
Nintendo of America announced today plans to cut the price of the Premium Wii U by $50 effective September 20. It also revealed the Nintendo 2DS, a new "more affordable" Nintendo 3DS model set for release in October, which plays all 3DS games but in 2D mode only.
Here's the full release schedule, which also includes third party software release dates:
Wii U

• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Sept. 20 (downloadable) and Oct. 4 (packaged) - $49.99.
• Wii Party U (bundled with a Wii Remote Plus controller and stand) - Oct. 25 - $49.99.
• Super Mario 3D World - Nov. 22 - $59.99.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Dec. 6 - $49.99.
• Wii Fit U - this holiday season.
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games: - this holiday season.

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Zelda: Wind Waker HD to get early launch via US eShop

August 29th, 2013, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will be released in US two weeks early via the the Wii U eShop.
Having confirmed earlier today a US retail release date of October 4 - the same day as its retail release in Europe - the firm has now revealed that the game will get a digital download release via the US eShop two weeks prior on September 20.
It also confirmed that the game will cost $49,99 - $10 less than the typical retail software price of $60. There's no word on whether the EU eShop will also play host to an early release.
As well as HD graphics and a tuned-up game experience, the title will support off-TV GamePad play and Miiverse functionality.
Nintendo has also added a new 'Hero mode' to the game, which is essentially a harder difficulty setting, upping the challenge for players who want enemy encounters to be more perilous.
Nintendo of America announced earlier today that the game will be packed into a special Zelda Wii U premium bundle for £249.99, along with confirming plans to cut the Wii U's price by $50.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-via-us-eshop/

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Wii U price cut, 2DS don't solve problems - Pachter

August 28th, 2013, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

Analyst says both moves will help, but Nintendo still lacks compelling console game lineup, and portables will still be hurt by mobile
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com


Nintendo's big announcements today will help the company in the near-term, but don't address some underlying problems, according to an investors' note from Michael Pachter. The Wedbush analyst kept his neutral rating on the company, but raised his 12-month price target on Nintendo stock from ¥10,000 to ¥12,000. It's currently trading just below the ¥12,000 mark.
"We expect the price cut to drive higher sales, but believe the Wii U will remain challenged by a lack of compelling first- and third-party content this holiday," Pachter said. "By the time a significant number of high-profile Wii U games have been released, Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PS4 will have launched, creating direct next generation competition and impacting any potential lift from those titles."
As for the new portable, Pachter said he expects the introduction of the 2DS to spur sales 25 percent in the near term. However, Pachter believes that dedicated gaming handhelds of all types will continue to be hurt by the growing smartphone and tablet market.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...oblems-pachter

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Nintendo: "We don't want to walk away" from 3D gaming

August 28th, 2013, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Scott Moffitt insists that the new 2DS doesn't represent backpedaling, notes that it's all about reaching huge audience at $129
[h=3]Nintendo of America[/h]

In light of the announcement of the Nintendo 2DStoday, we sat down with the company's executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt to talk all about the new entry in the portable space. In this exclusive interview, conducted by USgamer's Jeremy Parish on behalf of GamesIndustry International, we find out who the 2DS is really for and how it fits into the increasingly crowded mobile and handheld market. Interestingly, we also see that Nintendo remains confident in 3D gaming despite the fact that its 2DS dispenses with it altogether. At the end, Moffitt even takes a dig at Sony, saying Vita's sales show that Nintendo's approach is the one that's actually working.
Here's the full Q&A. Enjoy!

Q: As someone who's made a pretty significant investment in digital purchases for 3DS, I feel there may be some games that work better on 2DS than on 3DS -- Virtual Console, for instance. But the 3DS games that have 3D functionality, I'd rather keep them on the 3DS. It's not really possible to do that...
Scott Moffitt: It's not tied to an account. Yeah. We haven't solved that yet.
Q: Are you working on solving it? It sounds like, to date, Nintendo has been pretty content to keep things as they are.
Scott Moffitt: If you look at the account system, the network ID system that exists now on Wii U, that's an effort for us to move beyond a device-centric approach to an account-centric approach. But we haven't done it on the handheld side of the business at this point. We hear that feedback. We hear that criticism, or whatever you want to call it, from time to time. We're not blind to it. But it's not something we've solved.
Q: I feel like this device forces the issue.
Scott Moffitt: Yeah. I would just challenge… If you have a 3DS and you enjoy playing it there on a bigger screen… I wouldn't think we would expect you to be part of the buyer base.
"A lot of it is driven by wanting to achieve a price point that is more accessible for consumers...Removing the 3D capability allowed us to get to a better price point"

Q: Well, like I said, if I'm playing NES games or New Super Mario Bros., that sort of thing, I can already tell just by holding this...
Scott Moffitt: It feels more familiar to you?
Q: Playing those games on 3DS, the D-pad and button placement isn't ideal. So I could see some people wanting to carry over part of their library to this and have dual devices, the way you can own an iPhone and an iPad and still share content between those devices.
Scott Moffitt: Yeah. I guess all I can say is that you weren't directly in our crosshairs as we were assessing the market potential for this initiative. You never can guess who's going to respond to a new piece of hardware.
But I think our expectation was that we were primarily trying to address the value barrier that might exist for some consumers to playing a 3DS. They could be DS owners that haven't yet upgraded to the 3DS because of price and because they love playing their old DS games. It could be young kids just entering the video game market, and parents not wanting to buy them a $200 gaming system. Now we're much closer to $100, which makes it much more affordable for them. I think that was probably the audience we expected or intended to design the unit for. But I think it's good feedback.
Q: Will you still be selling the original DS?
Scott Moffitt: The original DS? Yes, the original DS, that's $99. The DS still exists, so it's really four [items in the lineup]. Certainly our emphasis and our priority is on the 3DS platform. That's where we've made our commitment. That's our future. So we are not developing gaming content for DS at this point. Our resources are focused on 3DS. But that'll still be in the lineup, yes.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...from-3d-gaming

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