For Nintendo, slow and steady makes sense

April 20th, 2013, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster

Software delays on Wii U may frustrate - but Nintendo knows that its long-term success is built on game quality, not "winning" sales wars
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com


Of the many and varied approaches to PR which have been attempted by game publishers and platform holders in recent years, few have been quite so successful as Nintendo's now semi-regular "Nintendo Direct" broadcasts. Not only has the content being announced generally been of a very high standard - and particularly pleasing to the Nintendo faithful, of course - the presentation style has helped to humanise Nintendo's executives, making likeable personalities out of people in rules traditionally dismissed as "suits" at other companies. Nintendo now enjoys the unique privilege of a devoted following and guaranteed coverage for its broadcasts, along with a halo effect of likeability around the company as a whole - a superb pay-off for a clever but reasonably straightforward approach to PR.
"The presentation style has helped to humanise Nintendo's executives, making likeable personalities out of suits

This week's Nintendo Direct was no exception. It was light-hearted and likeable, but included plenty of impressive, crowd-pleasing news about 3DS software - most notably the announcement of a sequel to 1991's much-loved Zelda game, Link To The Past. Arriving on top of what's already an extremely impressive pile of software in the 3DS pipeline, it's hard to see how 2013 could be anything but a success for Nintendo's handheld; October's Pokemon titles alone should guarantee a Christmas bonanza for the platform, with the rest of the line-up being the icing on the cake.
Even as the 3DS builds and builds towards a market size which many considered impossible only a couple of years ago (my own take was that 3DS would do well but wouldn't rival the ultimate success of its predecessor, the DS; I stand by that, but it looks increasingly possible that I'll be proved happily wrong), rumblings of discontent abound. Nintendo made clear in advance of this week's broadcast that it was going to be about 3DS software, yet the announcement of new titles for 3DS seemed only to deepen dissatisfaction with the slow pace of launches on the Wii U.
This is a merry-go-round with which we're probably all familiar by now - Nintendo launches a new console, there are several months of slow software launches and title slippages, then finally things seem to get into gear and software starts to pour out of the creative floodgates in Kyoto. Apologies are profuse; next time will be better. Next time, of course, is exactly the same. Recently, Satoru Iwata has been criticised - not unfairly - on the grounds of this pattern. "We'll do better next time!" sounds a lot less credible the fourth or fifth time. For new Wii U owners wondering where Pikmin or The Wonderful 101 are, these pledges certainly sound hollow.
While criticism of any company on the grounds of failing to live up to its promises is completely valid - and it is absolutely not the place of consumers to come up with excuses for multi-billion dollar corporate behemoths - I'm not sure that this specific criticism has legs when it comes to Nintendo, at least from a business perspective. It seems to me that it misses the point of what exactly Nintendo is; what exactly the company does, and where its value lies.
"Nintendo would survive the failure of a console platform. It will not survive a sufficiently serious sullying of the Mario brand"

Certainly, if you look at the Wii U right now, it's not doing well. It's probably overpriced, it's certainly lacking in seriously compelling software and it's not building its installed base at the rate it needs to in order to be a sustainable platform for developers. While the 3DS is going great guns (slower in the west than in Japan, but still by no means doing badly), the Wii U is a dark spot for Nintendo - a product which shows all the hallmarks of potential market failure.
That would be bad. Yet there's something that would be worse - much worse, in fact. Imagine a scenario in which Nintendo, shaken by slow sales of the Wii U, reacted by doing what many commentators seem to demand of them - speeding up the release schedule for Wii U software. I have no doubt that, given sufficiently aggressive management and a sufficiently devil-may-care attitude to bugs and balance issues, Nintendo could pump out a number of really big-name titles on the Wii U before the end of the year - possibly even getting all of its biggest franchises represented on the console. This is hardly blue-sky thinking; nearly every developer has experience of seeing a game they worked on being pushed out unfinished to meet a schedule.
The reason Nintendo, thankfully, doesn't do this is because Nintendo's management understands where the value of its company lies. The "Wii U" brand, or even the "Wii" brand, has only been around for half a decade and probably won't be around for much more than another half-decade, at best. This console generation will only last five years, if things go well. The company's character and franchise IP, though, is an extraordinary long-term treasure trove. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid and the huge range of smaller but much beloved IPs (witness the delighted reaction to Earthbound, a game most people have probably never heard of, or the critical fawning and solid sales of Fire Emblem) are things of exceptional value - but their value lies not in the character art or the trademarks or any of the tangible assets associated with those IPs. Their value lies in goodwill and adoration from consumers, all of which is predicated on the fundamental assumption that when Nintendo puts one of these names on a game box, the game inside is, almost without exception, going to be excellent.
If we work from that basis, understanding that fundamental principle, then we run into a conclusion which is logical, inevitable and yet completely different from any conclusion that we might ever reach about the Xbox or PlayStation businesses. The conclusion is this - it would be better for Nintendo to let the Wii U founder than for it to rush out or otherwise compromise on the quality of its games. Not just "better" in a creative sense - better in a cold, unfeeling, commercial sense. Games and franchises are the core of Nintendo's business; it will, with some effort, survive the failure of a console platform. It will not survive a sufficiently serious sullying of the Mario brand.
"Sony and Microsoft are effectively consumer electronics firms, while Nintendo is a toy company"

Nintendo understands this. I interviewed Satoru Iwata many years ago, just after he had announced the Wiimote controller at TGS, and asked him what he would do if the company's brave and unusual experiment didn't grab consumers' imaginations. His answer was blunt - Nintendo has a lot of money in the bank (it still does, the scale of its financial assets being something of a bugbear among investors), and if the Wii had failed, it would just come up with a new idea and make a new console. The unspoken but implicit subtext was this; "even if the Wii fails, we'll still have Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and all the other things that make us 'Nintendo'". That remains every bit as true today as it was six years ago.
This aspect of Nintendo's thinking can be difficult for those of us more familiar with the traditional console businesses operated by Sony and Microsoft to wrap our heads around - yet it makes perfect sense if you consider Sony and Microsoft to be effectively consumer electronics firms, while Nintendo is a toy company. A consumer electronics firm, pushing a format that it desperately needs to be adopted by third-party content creators (think of the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle), simply must "win" the battle with that format. If it starts losing, it will throw every resource at its disposal behind a push for victory; the single most important thing to that company is the platform, so everything else falls below the singular priority of making the platform into a success. A toy company, however, launches a new toy before Christmas - if it's a huge hit with children, it'll make sure to ship more of them next year, perhaps adding bells, whistles and accessories to the mix, but if it's not a hit? The toy company doesn't go bust, or hope that by launching a new helmet for the space marine, the toy will start to jump off shelves; rather, it devotes itself to inventing a new toy for next Christmas, and the cycle continues.
It's an imperfect analogy, of course, and none of this is to say that Nintendo isn't committed to making the Wii U into a success. Accepting defeat and trying something new is on the menu (whereas it's unthinkable for Sony or Microsoft), but it's far from being the preferred option; Wii U won't go down without a fight. However, in light of so many comments essentially asking, "What on earth are Nintendo thinking, not having X, Y and Z title out on the Wii U already?" - well, this is what they're thinking. They're thinking that the games are more important than the console, in the long term. Despite any frustration this may cause, I think gamers ought to be happy that on this rare occasion, the best commercial interests of a company align so perfectly and neatly with the doctrine of spending as much time as necessary to make the best game possible.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...dy-makes-sense

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Nintendo: "This is the year of 3DS"

April 20th, 2013, 22:54 Posted By: wraggster

The next 12 months will be crucial in the success of 3DS, says Nintendo.
The firm believes this is the year that it will upgrade customers from DS to its latest portable, thanks to a major year of releases, headlined by Luigi’s Mansion, Animal Crossing, Brain Training, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon.
The company told MCV that these games will be backed by significant marketing campaigns that include TV advertising.
“Our aim is obviously to upgrade as many DS owners as possible and with our strongest ever software line up and with games which appeal to all of our different audiences, this year really is the year of 3DS,” said Nintendo UK’s marketing boss Shelly Pearce.
“3DS has really come into its own over the last two years. The 2013 software line-up is the strongest we’ve ever had and combined with a diverse back-catalogue that includes both Nintendo favourites like Mario, Professor Layton and Zelda as well as titles like Kid Icarus and Heroes of Ruin or New Style Boutique, there really is something for everyone.”
Commenting on the marketing activity this year, 3DS product manager Roger Langford added: “You can expect to see extensive sampling, heavy weight TV campaigns, significant online activity and a focus on building communities via social media and events.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...of-3ds/0114400

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GAME to exclusively sell Nintendo eShop codes in Europe

April 20th, 2013, 22:49 Posted By: wraggster

GAME has partnered up to become the exclusive retailer of Nintendo eShop codes in Europe, as VG247 reports.The retailer is selling codes both online and in their online store. Interestingly, many games being sold online are cheaper than if they were purchased on the Wii U or 3DS eShop. For example, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is £41.99 on the GAME store, down from £49.99 on the eShop proper.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/game...o-eshop-codes/

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Play “Super Mareo Bruhs” in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive thanks to this mod

April 20th, 2013, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster

Some intrepid modders have created a playable version of Super Mario Bros. within Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as Ars Technica spotted.Two players can play the mod, which features stompable Goombas, collectible coins, and even a leaderboard.To play Super Mareo Bruhs, hop onto one of Reflex Gaming’s servers that is running cs_office, find the frightfully accurate-looking SNES console (called the SMES here), and have fun.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/play...s-to-this-mod/

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Something About Japan: the 3DS games coming Direct to the west

April 20th, 2013, 22:46 Posted By: wraggster

This week’s Nintendo Direct revealed the Western release of a number of hit Japanese games for 3DS, among them Square Enix’s Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, Level-5′s Professor Layton And The Azran Legacy and Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei IV.Bravely Default will retain its bizarre name as it makes the localisation leap sometime this year. Released in Japan in October 2012, the RPG has sold over 300,000 copies and has been hailed by many as a return to form for Square Enix, with a turn-based combat system similar to Final Fantasy V, lots of voice acting, innovative community features and AR use, plus multiple endings.Ahead of the game’s original release, producer Tomoya Asano spoke to Japanese site 4gamer about how StreetPass had been implemented to enhance gameplay.“It uses three main elements of communication,” he said. “One is the reconstruction of your village. You can accelerate your progress in building item shops and so on by recruiting the characters of people you StreetPass with. It also enables you to buy stronger weapons (from these shops).”He also detailed the Abilink system, whereby you can borrow job classes from your StreetPass buddies. “And the third element is that you can ‘summon’ friends to deliver a powerful blow,” he said.The game also makes use of the 3DS’ AR functionality, with a nine-minute intro where characters prance about your living room. “There are a few other places where you can use AR,” said Asano, “but we’ve implemented it in such a way that you can still proceed if you’ve left your marker card at home.”Just two weeks after Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was released in Japan, a PC-only sequel, Bravely Default: Praying Brage, was announced. Given that “brage” is a word sometimes used in connection with both pornography and violent attacks, let’s hope they change the name of that one if it also heads West.Level-5 has said that Professor Layton And The Azran Legacy will be the puzzle-mad prof’s final outing. And in Japan, while the game sold 130,000 copies in its first week in February, there’s no denying that the series is losing its lustre – there was a time when Layton games would move 300,000 units in their first week. Famitsu gave Azran Legacy a score of 32/40, made up of four 8/10s in its cross-review.

http://www.edge-online.com/features/...t-to-the-west/

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Wii U and 3DS game releases to 'increase dramatically' in 2013

April 19th, 2013, 01:54 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has promised hungry Wii U and 3DS owners that there'll be a dramatic increase in the number of games released for each system as the year progress.

Released in 2011, the handheld was initially criticised for its light software line-up, and Wii U's game library is also taking time to flower.But yesterday Nintendo announced a range ofnew 3DS games, and US boss Reggie Fils-Aime told GamesIndustry.biz that the pace of releases "is going to be dramatically ramped up" over the next nine months.The rest of the year is looking equally bright for Wii U, according to the executive. "What I would say about Wii U - and what Mr. Iwata has said - is that the pace of launches has been slower than we hoped. But as we prepare for E3, the pace of launches for Wii U is going to dramatically increase."Additionally, Fils-Aime said Nintendo has seen a significant increase in 3DS game sales this year in the States, with digital offerings playing a strong role."We have 15 Nintendo-published titles available, both physically and digitally [on the 3DS]," he said. "So far in 2013, of those 15 available in this format, 11 per cent of sales have come through full digital downloads of those games."So far in 2013 - through April 15 - 3DS game sales are up 55 percent versus last year, counting both physical and digital."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...cally-in-2013/

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US Nintendo downloads: Lego City Undercover 3DS, Pokémon DLC

April 19th, 2013, 01:53 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has released this week's list of new digital content for its gaming platforms.

This week's update focuses squarely on 3DS, with Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins arriving alongside Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns 3D and other digital re-releases.Here's the full list:Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DSLEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins - This prequel to LEGO City Undercover on Wii U reveals the origin story of Chase McCain, one of the city's most celebrated crime fighters. Chase McCain is on his first assignment as a police officer, and it's up to the player to help him clean up LEGO City. By changing into different disguises, Chase has access to unique abilities, such as putting out fires as a firefighter and breaking open doors as a robber. With multiple areas of LEGO City to explore and a boatload of collectibles, the chase has most certainly begun. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins will be released in retail stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS on April 21.Pokémon NewsDLC for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity - New Mystery Dungeons are now available for purchase in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity! Those looking for the STRONGEST Mystery Dungeon will find it in Strongest Trail! Don't forget, Poké Forest is a FREE download until April 30!Pokédex 3D Pro Sale Ends Soon - Fans have until 9 a.m. PT on April 19 to get their hands on the Pokédex 3D Pro application at the special discounted price. Visit the Nintendo eShop today to purchase and download this application for only $9.99.Nintendo eShop SaleLIBERATION MAIDEN - LIBERATION MAIDEN is a full-scale 3D sci-fi shooter created by acclaimed developer SUDA51 from Grasshopper Manufacture, creator of fan-favorites Lollipop Chainsaw, No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned. Set 100 years in the future, LIBERATION MAIDEN puts players in the role of Shoko Ozora, piloting a humanoid robot called Kamui. Purchase the game from the Nintendo eShop at a discounted price of $4.99 until 9 a.m. PT on May 30.CRIMSON SHROUD - CRIMSON SHROUD was created by game designer Yasumi Matsuno, whose previous works include industry cornerstones such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story and Tactics Ogre. CRIMSON SHROUD reimagines the tabletop RPG and puts the power of the dice in the hands of the player to determine his or her fate. Purchase the game from the Nintendo eShop at a discounted price of $4.99 until 9 a.m. PT on May 30.AERO PORTER - Designed by Seaman creator Yoot Saito, AERO PORTER combines puzzle and simulation game play as players sort color-coded luggage onto conveyor belts while avoiding mishaps and delays at an airport. Purchase this game from the Nintendo eShop at a discounted price of $2.99 until 9 a.m. PT on May 30.Dress To Play: Cute Witches! - Create a little witch and design her outfit in the dressing room. When you finish, get ready to set off on an adventure as your character flies away on her broomstick to a peaceful world inhabited by fantasy characters. Purchase Dress to Play: Cute Witches! from the Nintendo eShop at a discounted price of $1.99 until 9 a.m. PT on April 24.BearSharkBearShark Season Finale - The newest hit series from Nintendo Video wraps up this week with the final episode of BearShark Season 1. In a fitting end, Bear and Shark chase Steve through a nursing home. Don't miss the fast-paced action, and be sure to watch for a very special announcement.Also new this week:

• Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  
  
• Mystery Murders: Jack the Ripper (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  
  
• Puzzler Brain Games (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS - Available April 23)
  
  
• Puzzler World 2013 (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS - Available April 23)
  
  
• Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  
  
• Tetris: Axis (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  
  
• Witch & Hero (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
  
  
• Puzzler Brain Games (DSiWare on Nintendo DSi - Available April 23)
  
  
• Puzzler World 2013 (DSiWare on Nintendo DSi - Available April 23)
  
  
• Working Dawgs: Rivet Retriever (DSiWare on Nintendo DSi)

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ds-pokmon-dlc/

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Luigi edition Nintendo 3DS LL gives Mario's brother his due, but only in Japan

April 19th, 2013, 01:40 Posted By: wraggster

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3DS still outpacing predecessor in comparative sales, says Nintendo

April 19th, 2013, 01:39 Posted By: wraggster

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Circle Pad Pro accessory will ruin your Nintendo 3DS XL's silhouette for $20

April 19th, 2013, 01:37 Posted By: wraggster

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Nintendo and GAME announce Multiplayer Mayhem events

April 19th, 2013, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster

3DS is to have a starring role in a host of Multiplayer Madness events staged across 15 GAME stores this Saturday.
Owners of either 3DS of 3DS XL can bring their consoles to participating stores on April 20^th to take part. The event runs between 10am and 6pm.
Attendees will have the opportunity to try LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins ahead of its UK 3DS launch on April 26^th. Demos for Fire Emblem: Awakening and Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow – Mirror Of Fate will also be available.
Also available will be various multiplayer challenges across titles including Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Luigi’s Mansion 2.
The participating GAME stores are as follows:

• Westfield Stratford
• Birmingham Bullring
• Trafford Centre
• Meadowhall
• Reading Oracle
• Coventry
• Braehead
• Metro Centre (Red Pathway)
• Bristol Cribbs Causeway
• Lakeside (Shopping Centre)
• Cardiff St Davids
• Merry Hill
• Nottingham Victoria
• Leeds Headrow
• Maidstone

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TV push for new Pokémon

April 19th, 2013, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo will kick off a year-long marketing push for Pokémon with next month’s Mystery Dungeon game.
The 3DS title, subtitled Gates to Infinity, is getting a three-week kids TV campaign ahead of its launch on May 17th.
It’s the first of many Pokémon releases this year, which climaxes with the launch of Pokémon X and Y in October.
“We are planning a strong yet targeted launch campaign to support this release and really kick start what is a big year for Pokémon,” says Vanisha Kavia, junior product manager at Nintendo UK.
“We will also continuously re-promote the title over the course of the year.”
This TV campaign will be backed by a digital pre-order and social media campaign aimed at existing Pokémon fans and introducing kids to the brand.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is also going to appear at the Pokémon Brand Tour taking place over the summer.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/tv-pu...ok-mon/0114312

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The Legend Of Zelda 3DS – first impressions

April 19th, 2013, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster

Unusually for Nintendo, a new game revealed in yesterday’s Nintendo Direct was playable the very next day at press events across the globe. Iwata spoke yesterday of this new top-down Zelda’s use of height and volume, so it was apt that our 20 minute play through a single dungeon stage took place atop a blustery, rain-battered building, home to Nintendo’s PR agency.From the ground floor up to the boss battle on the dungeon’s roof, Zelda 3DS feels immediately familiar. Like so much of Nintendo’s 3DS output, the game’s play with depth and perspective invites players to nudge the 3DS’ slider upwards every few minutes. Thankfully, it is perfectly playable in 2D. However determined Nintendo might be to encourage play in three dimensions, 3DS just doesn’t seem destined to excite the games playing public in the same way DS once did.The art style recalls Ocarina of Time 3D; bright cartoonish colours, yes, but none of the characterful cel-shading that lent Link’s wide-eyed DS outings such whimsy. This demo dungeon’s muddle of red and brown perhaps isn’t the greatest showcase for the game’s looks either. Happily, the game’s visuals and perspective are secondary to what appears to be this new game’s headline act. Though the internet has christened this game A Link To The Past 2, expect the game’s official suffix to play on Link’s Merge ability.Tap the A button when Link is standing next to a wall and he’ll be flattened out and sucked right into it. Here Link switches from 3D model to chalky sketch outline – a quirk yet to be explained in a narrative sense, but one which has a clear functional purpose; to offer players an escape route and make them think differently about the tight, efficient spaces in this game’s dungeons.Sword in hand, Link works upwards through the usual enemies and gentle switch puzzles until reaching an apparent dead-end. Having exhausted his options in the default top-down view, Merging allows, for a limited time, Link to explore an alternative plane. It allows him to cross previously unbridgeable gaps and, when you are lead outside to the dungeon’s exterior, to walk inside and around obstacles blocking progression across a series of moving platforms.Swing Link’s mallet – a more familiar tool – down upon the smiling, spring-loaded faces in this dungeon and he can stand upon them, leaping up a floor after a few moments. Link’s bow and arrows are here too, but firing at red and blue switches from a distance has always been part of Link’s adventures.These are early days for The Legend Of Zelda on 3DS; the game is without a final title and this brief demo dungeon might not even appear in the final game, Nintendo’s PR reps tell us. It delivers what one might expect from a new top-down Zelda in three dimensions, with one intriguing new mechanic and some neat plays on depth and perspective. One hopes there is a lot more to come in terms of innovative mechanics, because right now, Merge doesn’t feel like it can carry an entire Zelda adventure by itself.

http://www.edge-online.com/features/...t-impressions/

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Wii U Virtual Console out in North America next week

April 18th, 2013, 01:12 Posted By: wraggster

The Virtual Console will arrive for real on Wii U next week, a Nintendo Direct presentation revealed. The launch lineup includes Excitebike, Super Mario World, Mario Bros. Punch-Out, Super Metroid, Balloon Fight, and F-Zero, with GBA games and N64 games planned for the future.

You might notice that some of these Wii U Virtual Console launch games ... are already on the Wii U Virtual Console. F-Zero, Balloon Fight, and Punch-Out were released for 30 cents as an early preview.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/wi...ica-next-week/

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Zelda: Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons on US 3DS eShop May 30

April 18th, 2013, 01:11 Posted By: wraggster

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Shin Megami Tensei 4 hits North America July 16, EU arrival confirmed

April 18th, 2013, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

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Nintendo: 30% of Fire Emblem sales on eShop, Luigi does better at retail

April 18th, 2013, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster


Nintendo's executive vice president of sales and marketing, Scott Moffit, revealed during a Nintendo event in San Francisco that Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon has sold 415,000 copies in the US, while 3DS RPG Fire Emblem: Awakening has sold 240,000. This data will be reflected in tomorrow's NPD report.

According to Moffit, "the vast majority" of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon sales have come through retail. More than a third of Fire Emblem's sales (80,000) have been through the eShop, with over half of those individuals coming back to purchase a map pack. Moffitt says nine more map packs are planned for Fire Emblem: Awakening, with three of those nine due later this month.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/ni...does-better-a/

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Injustice: Gods Among Us Wii U doesn't support iOS app

April 18th, 2013, 01:08 Posted By: wraggster

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3DS has sold 8 million units in the US

April 18th, 2013, 01:01 Posted By: wraggster

The 3DS has sold 8 million units in the US, 1 million more than its predecessor.
This figure comes out of an interview with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime at GamesIndustry International. Fils-Aime noted that software sales are on the rise, too. "When the NPD numbers come out later this week, you're going to see life-to-date 3DS game sales surpass 20 million units in the US," and that's only counting physical units. "3DS game sales are up 55 percent versus last year, counting both physical and digital."The NoA president also stated that of the 15 Nintendo-published titles on the 3DS, 11 per cent of those sales in 2013 have been conducted digitally over the eShop. He added that 80,000 of the 240,000 copies of Fire Emblem sold to date have been purchased digitally."Through that connected experience, consumers have downloaded more than 41 million items from the eShop," Fils-Aime added, though this statistic includes more than just games as it covers "everything from full games to applications like Nintendo video, DLC, demos, free items, and more."Fils-Aime was less keen on discussing the Wii U's sales performance, but seemed confident about its future. "What I would say about Wii U - and what Mr. Iwata has said - is that the pace of launches has been slower than we hoped. But as we prepare for E3, the pace of launches for Wii U is going to dramatically increase."He has a point. It's easy to rag on the Wii U now, but remember when everyone thought the 3DS was going nowhere fast? Or the original DS? Or the PS3? Even the Xbox 360 was sorely lacking in exclusives its first year on store shelves. Now if Nintendo announces a Wii U line-up as cracking as its 3DS announcements earlier today, it could still have some fight left in it.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...nits-in-the-us

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Mario & Luigi: Dream Team release date confirmed

April 18th, 2013, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has confirmed a Mario & Luigi: Dream Team release date of July 12 in Europe and July 18 in Japan.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made the announcement during the ongoing 3DS-focused

Nintendo Direct event

.The game takes place on Pillow Island where mysterious dreams exist. Mario and others are invited to the island for sightseeing. The plumber can go back and forth between the real world and Luigi's dream world to save Peach.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ate-confirmed/

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