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Nintendo DS News is a News and downloads site for All Nintendo Handhelds and Consoles including the Gameboy, NES, N64, Snes, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS, GBA and Snes, We have all the latest emulators, hack, homebrew, commercial games and all the downloads on this site, the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
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January 21st, 2010, 18:50 Posted By: wraggster
Indie developers have praised Nintendo's DSiWare channel for offering them an avenue which with to get their games directly to consumers, but have highlighted a number of ways in which the service could improve.
Echoing comments made by studios of WiiWare earlier this week, developers called for an increased advertising push by Nintendo focusing on the DSi's internet capabilities in order to increase the number of owners using it to go online, as well as a more user-friendly DSi Shop.
Developers also cited problems with marketing their titles, due to a convoluted system in place for gifting points to the press for them to download games, and questioned the lack of a ranking system in the store in order to properly rank titles.
"We're extremely happy that DSiWare even exists," said Jason Schreiber, CEO of Powerhead Games, the studio behind acclaimed DSiWare title Glow Artisan. "A year ago we had no way to put out Glow Artisan. From our perspective, how cool is it we self-published our own original DS game?"
But the service could improve further as Nintendo continues to grow it, said Schreiber, suggesting that a 'spotlight' section of the shop would make it easier for users to pick out good games.
It's essential the ergonomics of the whole shop are improved, added Mateusz Makowiec, VP of business developer at Teyon, creators of Robot Rescue and Ball Fighter.
"Browsing games in the DSi Shop becomes more and more difficult as the number of titles grows and there's a lack of trailers or demos," he said.
The lack of rankings within the store make it tricky to navigate games, agreed Thierry Platon, creative director at BiP Media, the studio behind DSiWare Viking Invasion. "Your game stays one week with the label 'new' on the DSi front page - if you are lucky Nintendo will only release three games on the same week - and after it's in alphabetic order.
"For now, there are few games on DSiWare - but at the end of 2010 this will be a real problem."
"As Nintendo grows its service I'd love it if great games were easier to find," added Schreiber. "There should be a one-click solution to buy DSiWare games online. Marketplace.xbox.com is an example of one way to do this, but any system that can turn a website link into a sale would be a win-win-win for all involved."
In terms of marketing titles, developers shared many of the same problems those developing WiiWare had encountered - little notice of when a game will go live on the DSiWare channel makes it difficult to plan promotions or get code to press in a timely fashion.
"When it comes to release dates [Nintendo] could work more closely with developers on this issue. It would make release dates more predictable for us and allow us to plan PR activities," said Makowiec.
It should also introduce some sort of promotional points for the press - "We'd like to be able to gift points for reviewing purposes - right now it's complicated," he added.
Schreiber however argues that while an Apple-like beta program to distribute pre-release games to the press would be welcome (if a lot to ask), the onus of marketing still falls primarily at the feet of the developer. Although he says it would be helpful if the press paid more attention to digital titles.
"May I politely suggest the press could be less concerned with games that aren't out yet in favour of finding great games players can actually buy? Indie games live and die based on the reaction in the press and word of mouth," he said.
Despite that, Powerhead released Glow Artisan "in the dead zone between Christmas and New Year with almost no hype," he says.
"We spent our marketing budget on the ESRB rating and crossed our fingers that the game was good enough to generate its own buzz. The nature of independent games - DIY everything, including marketing - requires patience at times. We expect Glow's popularity to grow as more people find it, play it, love it and spread the word."
Marketing for the service itself is a different matter, with most developers agreeing Nintendo could do more to push the DSi's internet capabilities and its digital store.
"I think Nintendo doesn't promote their digital services with the energy we expect from such a successful company," said Makowiec. "It looks like it's not their priority at the moment. Everything else is a consequence.
"I agree with Nintendo that digital download publishers should take care of PR activities for their games. However a promotion of the whole service would help everyone, including Nintendo.
"Due to limited resources, we can't build DSiWare or WiiWare awareness among DSi/Wii consumers. Nintendo could also improve their consoles' connectivity rate - I expect it still doesn't look very well."
Overall though, developers agreed the potential for the service was good, with all of them planning further DSiWare releases based on the performances of their released titles.
"We consider Nintendo digital platforms a tremendous opportunity to expand our publishing," said Makowiec. "Overall we're happy with the DSiWare potential and plan a lot of releases for this year."
"While many other developers and studios chase the great white hope that is the iPhone, we have stuck to a format which has a core fanbase who purchased the device because it plays games. These users want to purchase more software and are eager to look for it day in, day out," added Nic Watt, CEO of studio Nnooo.
How it evolves in the future is, of course, paramount to its continued growth - and some question whether Nintendo will follow the lead of more user intuitive and interactive services offered by, for example, Apple's store.
"It's hard to argue with success and Nintendo has historically done very well with its 'walled garden' self-contained gaming universe," concluded Schreiber.
"But the current trend towards networking everything socially isn't going away."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...lity-to-evolve
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January 20th, 2010, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster
It could have happened to any man with any console. But for Chris O'Brien, newspaper columnist, it happened with the Wii. The father of two bought his kids a Wii for Christmas, but returned it. Too many hidden costs.
The San Jose Mercury News columnist recently explained the sticker shock that had him returning his $199 Wii and all the stuff he felt he had to buy along with it.
Hmmm. One controller + two kids = eye-gouging fights Christmas morning. I knew I needed another one, which cost $49.
Then I began looking for a couple of games to go with it. I knew we'd be paying a bit more for these. But as I looked at some games we wanted, like "Lego Rock Band," I realized that I needed other controllers, like a microphone, drums or guitar. These could run another $100 or more if I got all of them. So I passed and didn't get any games, figuring they could just play the games that came with it for now.
As I examined the box, I realized that I had forgotten that the Wii could also be connected to the Web. The problem here was that our cable modem is in the kitchen (don't ask) and the TV is in the living room. Guess that's a headache I'd have to figure out later.
As I was finally checking out, the cashier asked if I wanted any batteries. "Batteries? For what?" I wondered. She explained that the controllers ran on batteries. Gulp. I grabbed a package of rechargeable batteries, for about $30.
Having spent about $90 more than I expected, I had a few knots in my stomach on the way home and was kicking myself for not doing my research. Bad columnist. Bad.
He talked to his wife about it and returned everything.
If you want to know how O'Brien's Wii-less Christmas went, read the rest of his column. Gaming consoles may be dropping in price, but they never are as "cheap" as the price tag says, no?
http://kotaku.com/5453144/no-wii-for...console-return
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January 20th, 2010, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.nintendomax.com/portal.php
IceVAN offers a remake for the DS's Run and gun "Sgt. Zero Helmet", produced in 2009 for the ZX Spectrum by mojontwins. All like Metal Slug, you must rush and knock everything to free the hostages in 4 different levels, a very good remake as we love them.
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January 20th, 2010, 22:47 Posted By: wraggster
POWDER 112-1 released by insin
A port of POWDER to the Wii using SDL Wii.
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January 20th, 2010, 22:26 Posted By: wraggster
[Segher] has reverse engineered the hardware and command set for the NES CIC chips. These chips make up the security hardware that validates a cartridge to make sure it has been licensed by Nintendo. Only after authentication will the console’s CIC chip stop reseting the hardware at 1 Hz. The was no hardware information available for these chips (go figure) so [Segher] had to do some sleuthing with the tools at hand which include some rom dumps from the chip pairs. He was nice enough to share his findings with us. We’re betting they’re not of much use to you but we found it an interesting read.
http://hackaday.com/2010/01/20/nes-c...rity-in-depth/
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January 20th, 2010, 18:39 Posted By: wraggster
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January 20th, 2010, 02:05 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.nintendomax.com/
Copper offers a version of its emulator NIFI "Pang DS" which emulates 8 roms for MAME games & Pang Super Pang with the support of multi-player please.
History:
V2.0: 19/01/2010
* Version NIFI
* Version compiled with devkit pro libnds R27 and 1.4 + (FIFO optimized)
* Reversal of game screens added
* Screen enhancement resized
List of supported sets:
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Pang (World)
Pang (bootleg, set 1)
Pang (bootleg, set 2)
Buster Bros.. (U.S.)
Pomping World (Japan)
Super Pang (World 900914)
Super Pang (Japan 901023)
Super Buster Bros.. (U.S. 901001)
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Games 2 NIFI
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Launch the server:
* Select the set
* Press A to start the game normally
* Once the rom initialized, press SELECT to start the server
* A screen waiting player appears
* The B button allows to return to normal mode if necessary
Launch Customer:
* Select the same set as the server
* Press START to start the game client mode
* A selection screen players waiting appararaît (Name + DS MAC address)
* If necessary (several players waiting) to select the right player with the PAD
* Press A to start the game with 2 players
* The B button returns to the menu if necessary
Confirmation server:
* When a player wants to play a confirmation message appears
* Press Y to start the game with a player or X to deny a player
* If the server has been launched on the title screen with at least 2 tokens the game starts automatically
In 2 players mode:
* Each player can then press START to join the party
* Each player can add chips by pressing X
* The DS server controls the player and the blue DS client controls the red player
* In case of deadlock over a second, it is possible to go solo mode by pressing SELECT
* Once back in solo mode 2 players control the blue player (the red is still present on the screen but uncontrollable)
* The loading condition is not available in 2 player mode but the state backup is available
http://www.dev-fr.org/index.php?topic=4430.new#new
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January 20th, 2010, 01:49 Posted By: wraggster
Takara Tomy made an actual Mario Kart toy. This is more than Mario in a remote control go kart. We’ve seen that before. The Choro Q Hybrid! Mario Kart Wii Vs. series has cars, a racetrack, and a system where you can use items during the race.
Classic items like mushrooms, Koopa shells, and banana peels are in the game. The controller has LEDs that let you know which of the five items you have.
- Mushroom – gives the driver a speed burst.
- Banana peel – attacks an opponent behind you.
- Koopa shell – attacks an opponent in front.
- Thunder – freezes your opponent.
- Star – protects the driver from an attack.
Items actually effect cars so you’ll see Mario zip along straightaways after chowing down on a mushroom. The Mario Kart Wii Vs. set has cars for Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, and Wario. Head over to Inside Game’s report from Toy Forum 2010 to see more photos of the vehicles and racetrack. The Choro Q Hybrid! Mario Kart Wii Vs. cars are scheduled to go on sale in June.
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/01/19...ure-race-cars/
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January 20th, 2010, 01:44 Posted By: wraggster
New Special offer from Play Asia:
Kirby Super Star Ultra for Nintendo DS re-imagines one of the most beloved Kirby games of all time. Kirby Super Star Ultra features new graphics and fully rendered animated cut scenes.
With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight.
On top of the main modes, there are also three new touch-screen-controlled mini-games that can be played with up to three friends via DS Download Play. Not only that, but players can go on Kirby adventures with a friend via local wireless as well
The soft and bouncy Kirby is having his Ultra Super Deluxe Adventure, and you are going with him. The Nintendo DS game is available for the unbeatable bargain price of US$ 19.90 only. The game is region free and in Japanese.
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-2al-84-n.html
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January 20th, 2010, 01:35 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo's told Eurogamer that Metroid Prime: Trilogy has not been discontinued in the UK.
That means shops can still re-order the game from Nintendo and replenish depleted stock.
Earlier this month, a Nintendo spokesperson said the opposite, and told the internet that the game was "no longer being shipped". Those keen to buy the game were pointed towards the second-hand videogame market.
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January 19th, 2010, 23:32 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo may be a lot of things, but stupid it ain't. Cashing in on yet another gift-giving holiday, the console sales leader is bringing Americans a pair of freshly paint-licked Wii Remotes that should appeal to the his-and-hers demographic that seems to grow in number at this time of year. As you can see above, grabbing one will set you back $54.99, which is about the same price as the regular MotionPlus bundle. So, even if you weren't thinking about wooing your loved one with yet another Wii peripheral, at least the US now gets a 200 percent improvement in MotionPlus color choices. How is that not progress?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/p...day-pre-order/
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January 19th, 2010, 18:47 Posted By: Shrygue
via Computer and Video Games
Nintendo has chucked us a confirmed its release schedule for Spring 2010, highlights of which include the DSi XL, Picross 3D and Mario Ka... we mean Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.
It also reaffirms the March 26th release of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, as Nintendo announced last week.
Here's the full list:
Nintendo Hardware Q1 2010
Nintendo DSi HW (Pink) + Nintendo Presents Style Boutique bundle - 12 February
Nintendo DSi XL (Brown/Wine Red) - 5 March
Nintendo DS Q1 2010
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (Ubisoft) - 11 February
Jonas Brothers (Disney Interactive Studios) - 5 February
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom (SEGA) - 12 February
Phantasy Star Ø (SEGA) - 12 February
Puzzle Chronicles (KONAMI) - 18 February
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgworth (Capcom) - 19 February
Alice in Wonderland (Disney Interactive Studios) - 4 March
Picross 3D (Nintendo) - 5 March
Pokémon HeartGold + Poké Walker accessory (Nintendo) - 26 March
Pokémon SoulSilver + Poké Walker accessory (Nintendo) - 26 March
Avalon Code (Rising Star Games) - March
Sonic Classic Collection (SEGA) - March
For the Nintendo Wii lineup, check here
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January 19th, 2010, 18:47 Posted By: Shrygue
via Computer and Video Games
Nintendo has chucked us a confirmed its release schedule for Spring 2010, highlights of which include the DSi XL, Picross 3D and Mario Ka... we mean Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.
It also reaffirms the March 26th release of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, as Nintendo announced last week.
Here's the full list:
Nintendo Wii Q1 2010
Resident Evil Zero (Capcom) - 22 January
Tatsunoko vs Capcom (Capcom) - 29 January
U-SING : 2 Microphone Edition (Mindscape) - January
Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep (Nintendo) - 5 February
Karaoke Revolution (KONAMI) - 11 February
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll (SEGA) - 12 February
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (SEGA) - February
The Sky Crawlers (NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe SAS) - February
Alice in Wonderland (Disney Interactive Studios) - 4 March
Silent Hill Shattered Memories (KONAMI) - 4 March
CALLING (HUDSON SOFT CO.,LTD.) - 18 March
Rune Factory Frontier (Rising Star Games) - March
Red Steel 2 (Ubisoft) - March
Fragile Dreams (Rising Star Games) - March
For the Nintendo DS lineup, check here
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January 19th, 2010, 17:02 Posted By: wraggster
Heres a new product just released by Neoflash and for fans of N64 a Dream product.
A Little about the reviewer
Ive been an emulation and homebrew fan for as many years as i can remember (since around 1996 i think) but nothing i repeat nothing is better than playing on the real hardware.
Back in the Megadrive(genesis) and Snes days i owned a Super Wild Card and a Super Double Pro fighter, both cost about 300 pounds and ill admit that it was a great way to play games that i would never have been able to afford or because of stupid region lockouts.
So the day when Neoflash announced they were working on a Flash Cart for the Nintendo 64 called NEO Myth 64, i wanted one so badly, the chance to relive the best of the N64 and to play games ive never played was too much of a thrill to behold.
Now i must point out that being a webmaster of a homebrew site makes me no expert, im just as clueless as most newcomers, i like websites and i like posting news, i like to know that if i need a certain release i should be able to find it on my sites (hopefully :P).
First off Heres some screens of the N64 Flash Cart in and out its Packaging:
Front Side View in Packaging
Back Side view in Packaging
The NEO N64 Myth cart
Neo 2 Flash Cart - Which Holds SD Cards up to 8GB
The Neo n64 Myth Cart and the neo 2 Cart split apart
The USB Lead
You also get a Mini CD with a load of Drivers on for all Neo Products.
Specs of the N64 Flash Cart
Heres what Neoflash claim it does:
* Support the N64 rom size up to 512M
* Support all save type perfectly included the flash save, not need the same save type N64 game cart to work together
* Support 100% N64 games perfectly
* Download games from PC to NEO2 cart directly via USB port
* Upload/overwrite game save to PC via USB directly
* Multi-CIC support, can use any N64 cart to boot Neo Myth on N64 console
* Support Multi games, can download 2 games at the same time and swap the game via switch
* Can select the N64 menu run from Neo2 game cart or N64 inner menu flash (under developing still)
* Upgradeable! Support upgrade the N64 Myth cart CPLD logic core through the NDP upgrade kit
Getting Started
The N64 Flash Cart did come with a Mini CD of drivers but sadly there was no actual drivers for the N64 Flash Cart, so first off you need to head on over to Neoflash Forum to download the latest version of the software, once youve downloaded it (15MB) then click on to install to the directory it wants to, pretty straightforward for anyone.
Clicking on the Neo 2 Ultra Menu Icon (look on your desktop or in new programs) will lead you onto a screen that looks like this:
Now get your Neo Myth N64 Flash Cart and making sure that the cart that says 512M is inserted (or the Neo 2 Card with an SD Card inserted), connect the USB Lead to the Cart and Plugit into your Laptop or PC.
It Should have no problems and automatically find drivers installed when you installed the software above, i had no problems using Windows Vista but with Windows XP Pro SP3 it wouldnt load the drivers properly, i did post a thread at Neoflash and was given instructions on how to fix this. (Try a different USB Lead it may be that)
Adding Roms etc
Ok carrying on from the screenshot above if everything went ok youll be able to start the juicy part, first off i did a quick format of the card, it took around 30 seconds to do, so no real biggy.
Next on the list was to Add Roms to the Cart (Homebrew Roms and Emulators can be found at links Below)
Adding Roms is as easy as clicking the add rom button and going to whereever your roms are, for some strange reason the cart/software at the moment only holds 2 roms but i would think that will change in later versions of the firmware/software.
Once you have added the roms you require then click on N64 Burn, depending on how big your roms are will depend on how long it takes to copy to the cart, give it a few minutes, it also verifies each burn.
Now one thing to take into consideration is that if you have a USA N64, you will need a USA game plugged into the back of the N64 Myth Cart, If you have a Pal N64 youll need a Pal game plugged in.
I have both a USA and UK(Pal) N64 and thankfully the Power supplys/TV Leads are universal so im able to swap at pleasure.
Heres a pic of the Cart plugged into the N64
Now for Homebrew roms you dont need anything else to boot them but say you want to boot one of the games that requires the Expansion Pack
Games that need the Expansion Pack are the likes of Donkey Kong 64 and Zelda--The Majora's Mask and Perfect Dark, it also ups the resolution on many other games too.
Onto the Gaming
Ok youve Burnt your games onto the Flash cart and you have the Flash Cart installed in the N64 with the correct region game in the back, now its time to turn on:
It loads automatically into the game as you can see, if you did burn 2 games theres a little lever on the top of cart that you push over if you want the other rom to load at the start before you turn the console on.
Games ive Tested So Far
Donkey Kong 64 - Perfect
Star Wars Battle for Naboo - Perfect
Diddy Kong Racing - Perfect
GoldenEye 007 - Perfect
Perfect Dark - Perfect
PilotWings 64 - Perfect
Killer Instinct - Perfect
Star Wars Episode I - Racer - Perfect
Stunt Racer 64 - Perfect
Yoshi's Story - Perfect
Over at Neoflash theres a more complete list of whats working and save issues etc.
Conclusion
Today was one of them times when i was took back to the reasons i truly love the homebrew/Emulation scene. The Flash Cart seems easy to use, The adding of roms to the cart is as easy as they come so a big plus factor there, its a shame at this moment in time it only supports 2 roms, hopefully thats one thing that will be updated soon.
Having no drivers and documentation on the CD will make it a little hard for newbies but i would think that most people that are going to buy this are the hardcore N64 fans of old.
On the whole the roms it plays is great and if you have the expansion pack you can play just about every single N64 Game released and all homebrew and emulators too.
The price for the Flash Cart is $199 so it will put a lot of people off but to retro collectors/major emulation fans it will be very worth it, if you owned one of the back up systems for the N64 this will be much more preferable as theirs no moving parts to break. Yes for that price you can buy a heck of a lot of the games but theres some genuine gems that are very hard to trace these days and the homebrew factor makes it worth it for me.
My advice is to those who are tempted is go for it, the flash cart does what you really want it to and thats play Nintendo 64, a big thumbs up for Neoflash on this retro cart.
I suppose like everything it depends how big a fan you are and what finances you have to spend on gadgets, for me it does what i want it to and its also seen the re-emergence of a Homebrew scene for the N64, we have already seen releases of ScummVM for the N64 and theres also Snes, Nes, MSX, Master System/Game gear and Gameboy Emulators for the N64.
Links of Interest
Ic2005.com - Official Sellers of the NEO Myth 64 N64 flash cart and Neoflash Products.
Neoflash Forum for all discussion regarding the flash cart.
N64 Development forum at Neoflash.
N64 Homebrew News and Emulation Site at DCEmu.
Homebrew N64 Games at N64 Scener.
Homebrew N64 Demos at N64 Scener.
Icequake n64 Site
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January 19th, 2010, 14:33 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo needs to do more to promote WiiWare to its users, as well as encourage the simple act of connecting the console to the internet, according to independent WiiWare developers.
While Wii buyers are, initially, herded in the direction of internet connectivity with a pre-installed video, Nintendo's digital services aren't being pushed hard enough, developers have told GamesIndustry.biz. Continued marketing by Nintendo is needed - in the form of targeted advertising - if users are going to keep visiting the Wii shop and spending money on digital titles beyond their first purchase.
"We feel that Nintendo is not doing enough to promote the service at all," said Jag Jaeger, VP of Las Vegas-based studio JV Games, whose WiiWare releases have included Pong Toss and Incoming! "We feel that the vast majority of Wii owners have absolutely no idea that they can even connect to the internet."
It's a view shared by many - analyst Michael Pachter recently estimated that as few as 20 per cent of Wii owners - in contrast with up to 80 per cent of PS3 users - had ever connected to the internet.
And Nintendo's launching of a dedicated 'Ambassador' scheme, which gives users 500 points for every person they help to connect to the internet through the Wii, indicates the company itself is all too aware of this problem - and is keen to correct it.
The company has also just embarked on a three-week long TV campaign - in the UK at least - focused around Wii and DSi internet connectivity, and its digital stores. The ads in particular show a user accessing WiiWare and purchasing Bonsai Barber - a third-party title from studio Zoonami.
This support for the service is exactly what has been lacking up until now, according to some studios.
"Nintendo, in my opinion, could do more to keep the WiiWare and DSiWare stores in customer's minds," said Nic Watt, CEO and creative director of Sydney, Australia-based studio Nnooo - creators of WiiWare's myNotebook and Pop.
"It is great that every new customer knows about and uses these services when they first connect their Wiis or DS. However, how many continue to frequent those stores? I think it is and should be Nintendo's responsibility to have a continued marketing presence to maintain people's awareness about the service."
In terms of Nintendo support once a developer has actually created a WiiWare title, experiences seem to differ vastly.
"Nintendo's stance to developers from the start has been: here's the service, follow our rules, you're on your own and we're not getting involved unless you create controversy," said Jaeger.
"Nintendo could really help by throwing developers a bone. Help create a more even playing field by allowing developers to use Nintendo resources. Even a more fair use of the Nintendo Channel would help. Pokemon will be advertised for months while third party titles get a week usually."
This problem with a lack of resources is compounded by the fact developers often have very little notice of when their game will go live on the service.
"We are not notified until almost the last minute when the title will really be released. That by itself makes it hard to plan any promotions," pointed out Jaeger.
"Basically the product goes onto the service, you get a press release by Nintendo, and you might be on the recommended list, then you are off to fend for yourself."
A further issue can arise when a US company is planning a European release and vice versa, due to the disadvantage a small studio is at when faced with language barriers and a lack of contacts in those territories - and has limited resources to throw at the problem.
"Being an American company we had no experience or contacts in Europe for our Beer Pong release," said Jaegar. "We essentially relied completely on Nintendo to help with marketing the title. We felt completely let down in this avenue as a small blurb on a press release typically has little effect."
Watt argues though that Nintendo provides adequate means for developers to market their games - citing the Nintendo Channel's various benefits, which include games videos and demos, Nintendo.com and a weekly email that goes out to subscribers.
He agrees that developers do get short notice on when their game will go live - and says that Nintendo could do more to inform the press on upcoming releases - but says that it's a necessary result of Nintendo's rigorous testing process.
And when it comes to the marketing of titles, that job falls singularly at the feet of the developer, he adds.
"It is hard and frustrating and doesn't feel like part of making a game, but if you want to break away from the publisher/developer model of funding, you have to accept the areas a publisher is traditionally good at and do those areas yourself.
"Nintendo are not publishing your game for you, they are putting it on the shop shelves. You don't expect EB to promote your game, so why expect Nintendo to?"
In terms of improvements to the service itself, those suggested included a direct WiiWare link, a universal payment system for DSiWare and WiiWare, full sized screenshots and new and improved ways to keep customers informed on new products.
But even with improvements pending, the success some developers have had with the platform is largely encouraging.
"EA were boasting last year about Burnout Paradise selling 20,000 units on PSN within its first month. One colour of myNotebook achieved that number inside its first month on sale. For us that is a significant milestone," said Watt.
Every WiiWare product Nnooo has released onto WiiWare has recouped development costs within its first six weeks on sale.
Unlike the iPhone, the Nintendo userbase is committed to gaming, with many fansites dedicated to spreading the word on quality titles, Watt points out.
"If you are looking for advice on what WiiWare and DSiWare game to buy, you can find a site in seconds with a review of that game," he said. "Show me a website for XBLA or PSN which does the same. How many users of the iPhone actually care about or research the software they buy? How many have bought an iPhone because it is the best phone and iPod out there? And how many of those users are actually actively looking for software, reading reviews or becoming informed about what is out there?"
"We are huge fans of Nintendo and truly love their system and will probably always support it," concluded Jaeger, whose studio is currently working on Dart Rage and a second version of Pong Toss.
"That said, Nintendo has always been really inept in their networking department. Creating a system so locked down that it becomes unusable defeats any purpose of creating it. Just to say you have it isn't enough."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...iiware-support
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January 19th, 2010, 12:50 Posted By: wraggster
Massive marketing push to drive home Nintendo’s digital message hits UK
Platform holder Nintendo has silenced any critics that have accused it of failing to back its new digital services to kicking off a huge three week TV advertising campaign in the UK.
With the first TV spots airing last night, the new campaign is already running during prime time TV slots in shows such as Channel 4’s Big Brother.
One ad focuses on the Wii’s digital features, such as the recently launched BBC iPlayer Channel. Also outlined is in-game DLC, with Activision’s Band Hero used to demonstrate the technology. WiiWare features prominently, too, thanks to an appearance from Bonsai Barber.
The DSi campaign touches on a number of topics including the Facebook application, the console’s free and integrated games, DSiWare and the technicalities of getting your handheld online.
There’s plenty of in-store action lined up too, with POS designed to inform consumers about the benefits of getting their machines online – as well as explaining how they do it.
“The online capabilities of both Wii and Nintendo DSi are being pushed very much to the fore in 2010,” Nintendo explained in an exclusive MCV supplement.
“So it’s apt that the year starts with a high profile TV ad campaign and a significant in-store push.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37202/WiiW...-TV-ads-arrive
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January 19th, 2010, 12:33 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.nintendomax.com/portal.php
Goldensun2 offers the v3.0 of its utility "Homebrew SD Manager" which allows for simplified management of your SD card for the Wii.
News:
- Changing the interface
- The option to change the image of a homebrew has been deleted
- View a list of homebrew or icons
- Added speed faster
- Management of right click
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January 19th, 2010, 12:29 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.nintendomax.com/portal.php
Update 2.4.4 for Wind Pro DSi, multi-application PC emulators including 3 for the Nintendo DS (No $ gba / DeSmuME / ideas) and 1 for Game Boy Advance (VBA-M) and tools (customizable emulator / Zoom / etc ...).
Reminder: Uninstall the old installation before installing the new version.
News DSi 2.4.4
- New icon for iDeaS (256x256)
- New icon for DeSmuME (256x256)
- New translations for VBA
- New iDeaS Traditional Chinese translation
- New NO $ Zoomer Simplified Chinese translation
- New NO $ Zoomer Traditional Chinese translation
- New NO $ Zoomer Italian translation
- Better language detection DeSmuME
- Better setup program (lang configurations)
- New DeSmuME SVN 3284
http://windspro-en.blogspot.com/
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January 19th, 2010, 12:24 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.ds-scene.net/
A new update for Manic Miner in the Lost Levels.
A remake of the ZX Spectrum game from 1983.
VERSION HISTORY
v1.00 - First release - 27 October 2009
v1.01 - Minor bug fix, 'seal' display added to title
v1.02 - Fix to seal display, graphic changed in Game Over sequence.
v1.03 - Fix to crumbler behaviour, music moved to external file system.
v1.04 - Fix to minor title screen corruption when all modes are unlocked.
v1.05 - Tune added, Score modification for WillyWood, Small tweaks.
v1.06 - Fix to Save bug.
http://headsoft.com.au/index.php?cat...&page=download
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