Nintendo confirms Wii Fit U retail release next week

January 3rd, 2014, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster

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Nintendo sorry for Christmas eShop hiccups

January 3rd, 2014, 22:27 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's sorry the eShop didn't work properly over Christmas and has had to delay the release of Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter as a result.When those apps, originally due 27th December, will now arrive, wasn't information Nintendo shared.The good news, however, is that the eShop is up and running on all systems again."We sincerely apologise for the recent inconsistencies and thank you again for your patience and support," blushed Nintendo on Twitter and on its official support site.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-eshop-hiccups

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US: GTA V, Wii U on sale at GameStop this weekend

January 3rd, 2014, 22:30 Posted By: wraggster

US retailer GameStop is hosting a final Holiday sale this weekend which brings discounts to games and consoles including Wii U and GTA V.
The 'Last Holiday Weekend' sale starts Friday, January 3 and concludes on Sunday, January 5. It includes discounts of up to 50 percent on a selection of items.
Highlights include Grand Theft Auto 5 for $39.99, $20 off the original price, and the Wii U Skylander hardware bundle for $249.99 after a $50 reduction.
Killer is Dead is half-off at $19.99, NBA 2K14 for PS3 and Xbox 360 is slashes to $39.99 and it's also offering a $10 discount on all versions of Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
Here's the full list of discounts:

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Bravely Default demo hits US eShop

January 3rd, 2014, 22:34 Posted By: wraggster

A Bravely Default demo is now available on the US eShop.
The demo features a unique side-quest that is not available in the full game, while character development progress will carry over to the main game.
Like other 3DS demos, the Bravely Default taster can only be launched 30 times. However, this limit can be extended by putting the handheld in sleep mode instead of powering it off entirely.
Nintendo of America has announced a Bravely Default release date of February 7, 2014.
Developed by Silicon Studio, the team behind 3D Dot Game Heroes, Bravely Default is a JRPG that utilises the familiar turn-based battle system seen in Square Enix's Final Fantasy titles while making use of the augmented reality features built into 3DS.
The 3DS game will be available at retail and on the eShop at launch. A collector's edition will include the game, an art book, 34 AR cards and the soundtrack.
Publisher Square Enix is to release a sequel to the game titled Bravely Second.

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

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Wii Fit U gets US retail release on January 10

January 3rd, 2014, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has confirmed a January 10 release date for the physical retail version of Wii Fit U.
The game was previously released in digital form via the Nintendo eShop on November 1, 2013 in Europe and US, and got a retail release in Europe on December 13.
In US, the main bundle will include the Wii Fit U game, a Wii Balance Board and the Fit Meter accessory for $89.99. Those who already own a Wii Balance Board can grab the Wii Fit U game and Fit Meter for $49.99. The Fit Meter is $19.99 on it's own.
A one-month free trial of the full game is available now for download via the Nintendo eShop until January 31. Those who download the trial can keep the game forever by buying and syncing a Fit Meter to their console.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...on-january-10/

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US Nintendo eShop update: Mega Man X2, Super Punch-Out

January 3rd, 2014, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

This week's slate of Virtual Console games include classics from the Super Nintendo era.
2D shooter Mega Man X2 and arcade boxing game Super Punch-Out!! were two of the best games from Nintendo's 16-bit era, and will arrive on Wii U on Thursday as part of the latest Virtual Console update.
3DS owners are also this week treated to a free playable demo of Square Enix's latest fantasy RPG Bravely Default.
Here's the full official eShop update list:
Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
Bravely Default - Demo Version - Square Enix's highly acclaimed fantasy RPG is an ambitious game that bolsters its turn-based combat with a compelling new risk/reward system that RPG fans will obsess over. Explore Luxendarc as Tiz and other memorable characters on a visually stunning quest to restore balance to the world. Download the free demo and experience an exclusive side quest that is not available in the main game. The full version of Bravely Default launches for Nintendo 3DS in stores and the Nintendo eShop on Feb. 7.
Nintendo eShop on Wii U
Dr. Luigi - There's a new doctor in the house! Dr. Mar - or, uh, Dr. Luigi is a new twist on the classic virus-popping puzzle game. Use L-shaped pills in a new game mode and compete with players locally or online. Dr. Luigi is now available exclusively in the Nintendo eShop.
Virtual Console on Wii U
Mega Man X2 - Guide Mega Man X through eight stages in his search to destroy the remaining Mavericks, gain their powers and uncover the secret entity guiding them all. Also, pilot powerful new vehicles like the mobile attack cycle, and, with help from the good Dr. Light, discover incredible new abilities hidden in capsules buried throughout the world. Only then will X will be ready to face his destiny as a Maverick Hunter!
Super Punch-Out!! - Featuring the tight game play and humor the series is known for, this sequel to the NES classic sees Little Mac return to the ring with the World Video Boxing Association belt once again at stake. Slug your way through the grueling, sweat-pounding matches against a cast of characters with unique patterns.
Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS
Mario Tennis - Mario Tennis offers three fun-packed modes of tennis play! Practice your swings and shots in Exhibition Mode; go on the Mario Tour, which offers three different save slots to start your very own tennis adventures; or take a break from the workout, and try your luck on some Mario mini-games.
Nintendo eShop Sales
Atlus Sale - The holidays may be over, but Atlus wants to continue giving away gifts into the new year. Now through 9 a.m. PT on Jan. 6, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor: Soul Hackers, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legend of the Titan, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, and Code of Princess are all on sale in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS.
Also new this week:

• CastleStorm (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Bird Mania Christmas 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Cubit The Hardcore Platformer Robot (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• EDGE (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

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Contra 3 headed to EU Wii U Virtual Console

January 3rd, 2014, 22:39 Posted By: wraggster

Super Nintendo shooter Contra 3: Alien Wars is bound for the European Wii U Virtual Console.
The game was originally released in the region in 1992 under the alternative title Super Probotector: Alien Rebels. The EU-only Probotector games starred robots instead of human soldiers Jimbo and Sully, but otherwise featured identical levels and gameplay.
The EU debut of Contra 3 on Wii U will be likely based on the US version of the game, where an English-language version was originally released.
It's EU Virtual Console release date is yet to be specified, according toGoNintendo.
Contra - or Probotector - is a 2D side-scrolling shooter series with single-player and two-player co-op modes that have you shooting your way through alien hordes and tackling notoriously difficult end-of-level bosses. Contra 3 is considered by many to be the best in the series.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...rtual-console/

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Spoofing Pokemon Trades

January 3rd, 2014, 22:47 Posted By: wraggster


[Adan] had an old Game Boy sitting around, and without anything better to do decided to investigate the link cable protocol with a microcontroller. He had a Stellaris Launchpad for the task, but initially had no project in mind. What he came up for this adventure in serial protocols is a first gen Pokemon trade spoofer that allows him to obtain pokemon without having two Game Boys, or for the weird ones out there, “friends.”
The Game Boy link protocol is extremely well documented, so getting data from the Game Boy to the Launchpad was as simple as a soldering up an old link cable connector to a piece of perf board. After figuring out the electronics, [Adan] looked at what happened when two Pokemon games tried to trade pokemon. When two Game Boys are linked, there are two in-game options: trade or battle. Looking at the data coming after the ‘trade’ option, [Adan] found something that could possibly be the data structure of the Pokemon being sent. He reverse-engineered this all by himself before discovering this is also well documented.
Bringing everything together, [Adan] figured out how to trade non-existent Pokemon with a small dev board. Right now he’s only transmitting Pokemon that are hard-coded on the Launchpad, but it’s very possible to transmit the Pokemon values in real-time over USB.
Thanks [Dan] for sending this in, and no, we don’t know what’s up with the influx of Pokemon posts over the last week. Video of the spoof below.

http://hackaday.com/2014/01/02/spoofing-pokemon-trades/

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NES Remix contest canceled due to exploit, director apologizes

January 6th, 2014, 01:08 Posted By: wraggster

File this under "A Few Bad Apples Ruining The Bunch:" A time attack contest forNES Remix has been canceled due to players utilizing an exploit to decrease their times. The winner of the contest was set to have their run officially recorded by Nintendo, which obviously won't be happening.

In a comment on one of the game's Miiverse posts, the game's director, Koichi Hayashida, apologized for the inconvenience and thanked players for their time. "In the interest of being as fair as possible, we decided to terminate the event without recognizing the fastest time," Hayashida wrote. "We sincerely apologize for this matter, particularly because the vast majority of people played fairly."

The exploit seems to be related to repeatedly pausing the game, as there is a short delay between when gameplay resumes and the clock resumes. In other words: wibbly-wobbly, .

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/05/ne...or-apologizes/

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Bravely Default outfits, ages altered in Western release

January 6th, 2014, 01:12 Posted By: wraggster

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Zelda A Link Between Worlds tops Japanese chart

January 6th, 2014, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds debuted at No.1 on the Japanese software chart during the week ended December 29.
Released in November 2013 in western markets, the new 3DS entry in the Zelda series sold 225,000 in its first week of availability in Japan, according to Famitsu data republished on NeoGAF.
Elsewhere, the PS3 and Vita versions of Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster made top five entries. The title is set for release in the west this March.
3DS was the clear frontrunner on the hardware front with close to 210,000 sales, followed by Wii U with near 80,000 and Vita with 75,000.

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Super Smash Bros. trophies will differ between 3DS, Wii U versions

January 7th, 2014, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

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Nintendo to pay royalty to 3D patent holder for every 3DS unit sold

January 7th, 2014, 23:47 Posted By: wraggster

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No plans for Alien: Isolation on Wii U, dev says

January 8th, 2014, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster

Creative Assembly's just-announced Alien: Isolation will not appear on Wii U any time soon, the developer has confirmed.PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the sci-fi survival horror were all revealed yesterday after months of leaks and speculation.Once again, it seemed, the Wii U had been overlooked. Today, Creative Assembly confirmed its decision not to develop the game for Nintendo's home console."Right now, we don't have plans to put the game on Wii U," Creative Assembly wrote onTwitter. No further explanation was given.It's still early days, but Eurogamer's first look at the game suggested it showed promise: "If measured on potential alone, perhaps the developer's already done enough to slay the beasts that haunt the franchise, and to have earned a new and exciting start for the Alien series," Stace Harman wrote in our Alien: Isolation preview.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...wii-u-dev-says

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Nintendo's 3DS region-locking can be circumvented

January 8th, 2014, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

Enterprising 3DS owners have discovered an exploit that will disable the handheld's region-locking.
The 3DS is the first Nintendo handheld family to pose restrictions on all of its games from other regions - meaning that you can't import games from Japan or North America unless you also have a 3DS from the same region to play them on.Happily, the method does not involve any tampering with the hardware itself - nor does it allow for the booting of pirated game ROMs.But you will need a certain amount of know-how to implement the solution, which is described in full over at the GBATemp forum (thanks, Kotaku).Both the 3DS and Wii U have region-based locks on games. The sole exception is the Nintendo 3DS Louvre Guide, which is region-free.Eurogamer has contacted Nintendo for comment.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...e-circumvented

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Region Free Cart Loading with EmuNAND No flashcards

January 8th, 2014, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster

via http://gbatemp.net/threads/region-fr...hcards.360261/

Hex Patching, the good ol way

Code:

0000FC20: AD 63 43 68 DB EA 16 8C EB 1D DA 8A 3E DD 81 0F0000FC30: FB 1E000FFAF4: A6 F3
From Normmatt

Gateway 2.0B2 Launcher.dat (wont provide link at not allowed to GBATemp rules so no one please post)
+
Patched with the above Hex
=
Gateway Mode loads Retail Carts but with Region Free, you can even still use the EmuNAND so can have 7.1.0-14

this will not play ANY Roms, only official carts

You can use this without any need for a 3DS Flashcard also
so if you want your 4.1>4.5 Console to have EmuNAND and Region Free Patches only, this is for you

Enjoy

Download the File to Patch the Launhcer.dat

http://filetrip.net/3ds-downloads/ut...10-f32592.html

all you need is a DS Flashcard working on 3DS Firmwares 4.1>4.5 for this
because you can use the Gateway installer.nds to install the MSET Exploit and then load your new patched Launcher.dat

1. Download file
2. Copy GW's launcher.dat into the same folder as the *.exe
3. Start the *.exe. It should show "file patched successfully"
4. Copy the Launcher.dat into the Root of your microSD card
5. Install the Exploit (with the GW_INSTALLER.NDS)
6. Now you can go to Settings -> General Settings -> User settings -> DS profile
7. Your 3DS is region free

Ive noticed alot of News sites appear to be reporting this

WRONG

when coming to updating to 7.1.0
Once the patch is applied

DO NOT USE THE NORMAL UPDATE METHOD

you must first create a EmuNAND otherwise you will update your normal NAND and loose the Exploit
Please follow the Instructions included in the Gateway files on how to create the EmuNAND

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Mario & Luigi: Dream Team 3DS XL bundles $150 at Walmart

January 9th, 2014, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

Walmart is now offering the limited-edition Mario & Luigi: Dream Team 3DS XL bundle for $149.99, $50 off its original price.
The bundle first arrived in the U.S. in December, when it retailed for $200. It includes a silver 3DS XL system with a gold outline of the plumber brothers printed on the front and a 4GB SD card with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team pre-installed.
Regular blue and red 3DS XL systems retail for $199.99, meaning buyers can score a limited-edition system and recent game for $50 less than a standard system by itself.
In our Mario & Luigi: Dream Team review, we found that it "excels at throwing up a constant barrage of funny, thrilling and game-altering surprises, all of which gel together with the kind of finesse and confidence that Nintendo fans have come to demand."
A variety of other limited-edition options, including a Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 3DS XL bundle and Pokemon X & Y themed systems, have provided several tempting deals for prospective portable gamers within the past few months.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nintendo-3...dheld/32372315

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Nintendo share price surges after China lifts console ban

January 9th, 2014, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's share price rose almost eleven per cent following China's decision to lift a ban on the sale of foreign video game consoles.
Pending government approval for individual companies, the suspension of the near 14-year ban will enable foreign firms such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to manufacture game consoles within Shanghai's free trade zone and sell their products across the country.
Following the announcement, Nintendo's share price rose nearly eleven per cent on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, from ‎14,380 ($136.92) to ‎15,850 ($150.90) by Tuesday's end, the BBC reports.
Nintendo had previously circumvented the ban with the iQue, an all-in-one Nintendo 64 console and controller that could be pre-loaded with games rather than using cartridges. It also enjoys success in China with iQue versions of its handhelds.
However, the lifting of the ban will allow Nintendo to legally release Wii and Wii U to a large and potentially lucrative new audience.
Chinese government ministries originally decided to ban consoles in 2000 due to fears about the impact games were having on young people, leading to an increase in popularity of PC gaming in internet cafes.
Despite the ban, consoles have remained available in China through illegal means, although most game players currently enjoy the pastime on PCs and smartphones.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...s-console-ban/

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Inazuma Eleven quietly joins North American release calendar

January 9th, 2014, 00:49 Posted By: wraggster

North American soccer fans may finally have an opportunity to enjoy Japan's fan-favorite, anime-styled Inazuma Eleven, assuming a new listing on Nintendo's upcoming release calendar is to be trusted.

Inazuma Eleven, for those not in the know, is a series of roleplaying games developed by Level-5, the same studio responsible for the Professor Layton series as well as Dragon Quest 8 and its sequel. In short, this is a group that knows how to craft good RPGs, and despite the dissonance created by the phrase "soccer roleplaying game," the Inazuma Eleven series has proven a fan-favorite since its debut. The franchise has even spawned a successful manga adaptation though, like the games, those comics have never appeared in North America.

With that in mind, if you visit Nintendo's most recent release calendar, you'll find an unexpected listing entitled "Inazuma Eleven" for the 3DS handheld scheduled for North American release in the first quarter of 2014. That should be happy news, but as Tiny Cartridge states, "everything about this is weird." Despite indications that the game should appear in the very near future, Nintendo has yet to make any announcement regarding the series; that calendar listing is the only word we've seen of this mystery game. Furthermore, the listing makes no mention of which of the Inazuma Eleven entries the calendar might be referring to. It seems most likely that the game in question would be Inazuma Eleven 3 as that game was released in Europe in September, though there's nothing to guarantee this supposition.

We've attempted to contact Nintendo, first to see if this listing is an error, and if not, to ask which game is planned for imminent North American release. We've yet to receive a response.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/07/in...ease-calendar/

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Nintendo wins Wii peripheral lawsuit, obtains suing company's patent portfolio

January 10th, 2014, 00:03 Posted By: wraggster

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New Nintendo eShop releases: Gradius, Chibi-Robo Photo Finder

January 10th, 2014, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

Let's face it, the eShop is easing out of holiday hibernation. Just four new releases this week, and that's if you count a demo of 2D platformer Jump Trials Supreme.

That said, 3DS owners can augment their household reality with Chibi-Robo Photo Finder, while Wii U types can augment any reality with arcade shoot-em-up Gradius. If you're looking for a bit more, Atlus games Code of Princess,Etrian Odyssey 4, and Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers are all on sale, along withDarts Up 3D and Aqua Moto Racing 3D.
http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/09/ne...-photo-finder/

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Alien: Isolation joins the Wii U no-show list

January 10th, 2014, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster

Creative Assembly’s upcoming survival horror outing Alien: Isolation looks unlikely to be making the jump to Wii U.
When asked about the possibility on Twitter, the game’s official Twitter account replied: “Right now, we don't have plans to put the game on Wii U.”
What makes it all the sadder is that the Wii U’s Gamepad seems like a perfect candidate for some distracting off-screen radar checking living room action.
Sega’s survival horror joins a vast catalogue of multiformat titles on the way in 2014 that are skipping Wii U including Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Thief, South Park, Dark Souls 2, The Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid V, The Elder Scrolls Online, Destiny, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dying Light and Mirror’s Edge 2.
Multiformat titles that ARE coming out on Wii U include Watch Dogs, The LEGO Movie and The Amazing Spider-man 2.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/alien...w-list/0126550

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Next Level Games 'super happy' with Nintendo relationship

January 10th, 2014, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

Luigi’s Mansion: 2 developer Next Level Games is more than happy pinning its flag to the Nintendo mast.
The Canadian indie is behind a number of Nintendo exclusives such as the Wii version of Punch-Out and Mario Strikers charged. It also developed the Wii versions of Tom Clancy: Ghost Recon and Transformers: Cybertron Adventures.
"We are doing only Nintendo products now," co-founder Jason Carr told Gamasutra. “We have worked with a lot of other companies before, and we're super happy with our relationship with Nintendo.
“There's no reason to look anywhere else. They keep giving us better and better IP to work with, and as long as we do our job and make good games for them there's no reason for us to venture out.”
Carr also highlighted the importance Nintendo places on developer happiness, adding: “Miyamoto-san… always asks us, ‘Is the team having fun? Are they having fun making the game?’
“It's really important that the team's enjoying themselves there, because they feel – and I agree – that if you're miserable it'll follow suit in your job.”
Last year Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said that: ““If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results employee morale will decrease and I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/next-...onship/0126549

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Marvel's Agents of Shield spotted using Mass Effect 3 concept art

January 10th, 2014, 23:21 Posted By: wraggster

BioWare developers have responded in good humour to the news that a limited edition Mass Effect 3 print was used as an episode backdrop in Marvel TV series Agents of Shield."I eagerly await our honorary Agents of Shield badges," Aaryn Flynn, general manager for BioWare's Mass Effect and Dragon Age studios in Edmonton and Montreal, wrote on Twitterlast night."Wait, you didn't get your helicarrier?" responded BioWare cinematic designer John Epler.Mass Effect producer Michael Gamble noted that imagery from the print had already been appropriated, bizarrely, for the album artwork of "Futuristic Mob" by rap duo The Jacka and Double-00.ABC and EA have remained silent on the matter.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-3-concept-art

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Yoshi's New Island release date confirmed for US

January 10th, 2014, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo of America has confirmed a Yoshi's New Islandrelease date of March 14.
The 3DS platformer will be available in stores and from Nintendo eShop as a digital download.
Announced in April, the game is being produced by Takashi Tezuka, who served as creative director on 1995's original Yoshi's Island for SNES.
The game maintains series gameplay mechanics such as Yoshi's flutter jump, ground-pound and egg throw, while introducing new ones that make use of 3DS features like gyro sensor functionality.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...firmed-for-us/

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3DS sales top 11.5 million in the US

January 10th, 2014, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

US 3DS sales have surpassed 11.5 million units, Nintendo claims.
The company said on Friday that the latest lifetime hardware sales figure is for the entire 3DS family of portable systems, which also includes 3DS XL and 2DS.
The new 3DS sales total is up from 10.5 million units reported in mid-December.
More than 16 million combined packaged and digital 3DS games were sold in 2013, an increase of more than 45 per cent over 2012's total, according to Nintendo of America.
"Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
"We're not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come."
Lifetime UK sales of 3DS, 3DS XL and the new 2DS combined topped two million units in December. The handheld device was also the best-selling game system of 2013.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ion-in-the-us/

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King Dedede confirmed for Smash Bros 4

January 10th, 2014, 23:29 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has revealed that King Dedede, the arch rival of Kirby, will be returning as a playable character in the fourth Super Smash Bros. game.

Dedede's first playable appearance in the series was in the third game, Wii title Super Smash Bros. Brawl.


Rated by Smash Bros tournament players as an upper mid-tier character, Dedede's weight made him one of the best defensive characters in Brawl and one of the hardest in the game to knock out of the stage.

Dedede is only the latest in a number of returning characters who have been confirmed since the game's original reveal. Others include Luigi, Captain Olimar, Sonic, Princess Peach and Toon Link.

New characters will be making their Smash Bros debuts too. This Super Smash Bros trailer revealed Capcom's Mega Man and Animal Crossing's villager will be playable for the first time in the series, while Wii Fit Trainer was confirmed shortly afterwards.

Most recently, it was announced that Rosalina and Luma from Super Mario Galaxy will also feature for the first time.

Super Smash Bros. will launch on both Wii U and 3DS in 2014.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-smash-bros-4/

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3DS game sales up 45% in 2013

January 11th, 2014, 11:09 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has revealed that combined eShop and retail sales of 3DS games hit 16m units in 2013.
That represents a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent,Polygon reports.
Furthermore, the combined lifetimes unit sales of 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS have now hit 11.5m in the US.
"Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players," Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt said.
"We're not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favourite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/3ds-g...n-2013/0126608

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Disney Magical World revealed, coming to 3DS on March 11

January 11th, 2014, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster

Tucked inside an innocuous report on just how well the 3DS performed during 2013 comes word of an upcoming handheld game entitled "Disney Magical World."

"Disney Magical World is a new game featuring dozens of Disney characters in a variety of Disney-themed worlds," reads Nintendo's description. "Players can customize their characters with hundreds of Disney-themed outfits and accessories, all while managing a café, planting crops and collecting Disney character cards. Players help different characters solve problems or find missing items."

While that's where the scant information on Disney Magical World ends, we do know that on March 11 it will appear on both the 3DS eShop and in retail stores.

Update: NeoGAF users believe that Disney Magical World is an English localization of Disney Magic Castle: My Magical Life, a game developed by Namco Bandai and released in Japan last July. Nintendo has yet to confirm or deny this idea.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/di...s-on-march-11/

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Set sail for Yoshi's New Island in March

January 11th, 2014, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

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Teaching Mario to Play Pong and Snake Through Innumerable Exploits

January 11th, 2014, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster


This is the coolest classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) hack we’ve seen in quite a while. What you’re seeing is called “Super Mario World (Total Control)” by [Masterjun]. Our first recommendation is that you , then come back here for an explanation. Similar to what we saw for Pokemon Yellow on Gameboy, [Masterjun] created entire Pong and Snake clones within Super Mario World. He also created a menu and ending screen, along with his trademark smiley face graphic. Even more amazing is that this was unveiled live on a real SNES running an unmodified game cartridge. [Masterjun] actually used dual multitap cables, effectively connecting 8 controllers to a SNES. This gave him enough bandwidth to quickly download his new binary through the controller ports alone.
Welcome to the world of Tool Assisted Speedruns (TAS), where emulators and scripts are used to create high-speed runs through video games. The runners often work frame by frame, painstakingly inputting commands to create the perfect run. Game bugs and glitches are often exploited in these speed runs. In fact, in runs such as this one, the speed run takes second place to showing off the exploit. The output of speed run creation is a script file of control inputs which can be executed on an emulator to “re-run” the TAS at any time. This script can also be saved to a PC or Raspberry Pi and played back into the controller port of a real game system. A PIC based hardware translator is used to convert the data to NES or SNES controller format. As one might expect, these scripts run open loop. With no feedback from the running game, they can and do become desynchronized due to differences in console hardware, such as the tolerance of the oscillator crystal. When everything is in sync and does work , the results are awesome.

http://hackaday.com/2014/01/10/teach...able-exploits/

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Final game in Guild 01 series rated by Australian Classification board

January 13th, 2014, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster

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Tell-all explores the Wii U's development problems

January 13th, 2014, 00:31 Posted By: wraggster

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Clones Blue Screen

January 13th, 2014, 00:42 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.gateway-3ds.com/

We are investigating the issue about the recent blue screen bootrom error some users have reported, and we have discovered this is caused by memory corruption due to flawed copying or modifications of our official Launcher firmware.

We can reassure our users that our official (unmodified) Launcher firmware is free from such memory corruption and is 100% safe to use.

We specifically warn users to:
- Avoid clone Launcher firmware
- Avoid the region-free patches made by Normmatt

We have also heard the request for region free in Classic mode, and we will add this feature to our future firmware updates.

We feel sorry for the users that are affected by this error, but we have issued warnings in the past about the clone cards for this exact reason.
We pride ourselves to do thorough testing before release, the same cannot be said for our so-called “competitors”.

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Highway Run

January 13th, 2014, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster

via http://dsgamemaker.com/dsgmforum/vie...a87854bca80a19

My first DSGM game. Here's what the great Eldude had to say about it: "Excellent 2nd post!"

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Diamond Snatcher"(demo)

January 13th, 2014, 00:45 Posted By: wraggster

via http://dsgamemaker.com/dsgmforum/vie...a87854bca80a19

Just a quick demo I made demonstrating my "Turning and Walking Forward" tutorial.

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AngelWires DS Games

January 13th, 2014, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

Via http://dsgamemaker.com/dsgmforum/vie...a87854bca80a19

My competition games:
"Bunny Bomber" (Easter competition)
I love the animation with the little chicken in the airplane.

Bunny Bomber.ndsBunny Bomber(547.56 KiB) Downloaded 1 time
"Bounce 'em" (Homebrew kit competition)

Bounce em.ndsI think I should've spent more time thinking of a better title...(647.56 KiB) Not downloaded yet
"Christmas Past" (Christmas competition)
I still love the poem at the beginning of the game.

Christmas Past.ndsI'll tell you four stories, of Christmas's past, and all of their glories.(1.44 MiB) Not downloaded yet

"Chase the Turtle"
I made this game with my then 5 year old brother. He did the graphics and gameplay designing I just did the programming. It was great being able to tap into the imagination of a small kid.

Chase The Turtle.ndsThe title says it all.(458.06 KiB) Not downloaded yet
"Organism"
This was a really hard but fun little game that I'm now actually turning into an android app.

Organism.ndsGreat game, but better on smartphones.(482.56 KiB) Not downloaded yet
"Link's Crossbow Training DS"
Quite possibly the game I'm most proud of. This game surprises me even now, with the level select menu, the achievements, and credits I'm blown away by how it turned out. I still wish I could fix the saving and loading though.

LinksCrossbowTrainingBR6.ndsIt's actually not technically "finished" yet. But I'm not going to mess with the saving and loading any more.(3.83 MiB) Not downloaded yet
"Road Kill"
Just a quick idea I had when my mom almost hit an armadillo with the car on the way home from Church.

Road Kill.ndsFoggy Mountain Breakdown FTW(2.33 MiB) Not downloaded yet
"Visus"(demo)
A great idea I may remake someday. But for now it's just a short demo with a long intro.

VisusBR2.ndsSomeday I may try something like this again... Someday...(461.56 KiB) Not downloaded yet
"Micah Man 7"
The funniest game I may have ever made. If you can get through the monotonous gameplay there's a goldmine of comedy.(at least to me it's funny)

Micah Man 7.ndsMICAH MAN!!!!!!(577.06 KiB) Downloaded 1 time

I tried to order them all chronologically, but it's just too hard to remember.

If you'd like me to explain how anything works in any of my games I'd be glad to help as best I can. (I don't have the source code for anything though, so I'll just have to guess)

Well anyway here they are. I'm getting incredibly nostalgic looking through these old games. I don't pop around the forums much anymore since I started using Gamemaker, but I hate to neglect the community that really fostered my growth as a game developer. So for those of you that helped with my noobish questions, gave me feedback on my games, and inspired me with your creations, Thanks. If any of you are members of Gamejolt shoot me a friend request ( http://gamejolt.com/profile/angelwire/12811/ ). And if you're not, then you should be.
Thanks again.
"It didn't end at the Roman Colosseum, Christians still die." Voice of the Martyrs
My blog:
http://angelwirestudio.blogspot.com/

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M64Py 0.1.9 (bugfixes)

January 13th, 2014, 01:04 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/

M64Py is a Qt4 front-end (GUI) for Mupen64Plus 2.0, a cross-platform plugin-based Nintendo 64 emulator. Front-end is written in Python and it provides a user-friendly interface over Mupen64Plus shared library.

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DeSmuME 0.9.10

January 13th, 2014, 01:16 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emulation64.com/view/2427/DeSmuME-0910/

DeSmuME is a Nintendo DS emulator running homebrew demos and commercial games. The original author of DeSmuME is YopYop156. He has stopped working on it on the beginning of april 2006 and passed the torch to a new team of developers.



Here is changelog for latest version:

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Bgb 1.4.3

January 13th, 2014, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster

BGB is a GameBoy, GameBoy Color, and Super Gameboy emulator/debugger which runs on Windows. Program features accurate emulation of the hardware, powerful debugger, SGB multiplayer with up to 4 gamepads and TCP/IP game link support, graphics with GDI, DirectDraw, Direct3D, OpenGL output, and HQ2X, Scale2x, scanlines, blocky filter, accurate/high quality sound emulation, bandlimited synthesis, GameGenie and GameShark cheat, and more.



Here's changelog since v1.4.1:

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SuperJarioES Released

January 13th, 2014, 01:19 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emulation64.com/view/2423...ioES-Released/

Jason Ladere, author of Jario64 (N64 emulator), informed us about his new project - written in java SNES emulator - SuperJarioES. As you can see, for initial release, it works quite well.



Here's full info:

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Early Wii U hardware underpowered and suffered from a poor tool chain, claims dev

January 13th, 2014, 22:23 Posted By: wraggster

But indies defend console, saying criticisms only reflect early iterations of SDK and praise Nintendo support
The Wii U is difficult to develop for compared to other consoles and has an underpowered CPU for a new-gen console, an anonymous developer has claimed.
In a tell-all to Digital Foundry, the developer, who worked with an early version of the hardware and development kits for a launch title, claimed that while other consoles had mature tool chains that could be integrated with their development environment, the Wii U made it difficult to compile and run code.
The developer said that even though Nintendo had provided an integration of their development tools into Visual Studio, broken features meant the studio instead had to fix the issues, rather than just focusing on game development.
The anonymous game maker added that contacting the console firm had also been difficult, and answers to queries would often take as long as a week due to translation issues.
Citing problems with the console's CPU, the dev claimed that for their studio's particular game, certain features had to be cut back as it was not powerful enough.
On a positive note however, the GPU was said to be "very capable", and could potentially be used to pick up the slack from the CPU.
"There was even some discussion on trying to utilise the GPU via compute shaders (GPGPU) to offload work from the CPU - exactly the approach I expect to see gain traction on the next-gen consoles - but with very limited development time and no examples or guidance from Nintendo, we didn't feel that we could risk attempting this work," said the developer.
"The GPU is better than on PS3 or Xbox 360, but leagues away from the graphics hardware in the PS4 or Xbox One."
The developer also stated early concerns over Nintendo's online network and MiiVerse, and what was labelled only a "partially developed OS" just weeks before the launch of the Wii U - which required the infamous day one patch for console owners to fix it.
In a scathing assessment, the anonymous game maker said Nintendo was struggling with third-party support due to the aforementioned tool chain problems, communication issues with the firm itself and low sales.
"We eventually released our game and it was generally well-received, so the management sat back to see what kind of sales figures we would get for all our efforts. Without going into detail it would be fair to say that the numbers we were seeing were less than impressive. In fact we would be lucky to make back all the money that we had invested in making the game in the first place, and although the management publicly supported the Wii U platform, it is unlikely that we would ever release another Wii U title."
[h=5]Case for the defence[/h]Despite the criticism, a few developers have come out in defence of the Wii U.
Nami Tentou founder and Ping 1.5 developer Christopher Arnold said most of the complaints in the article referred to pre-retail SDK problems, and that the post-release SDK does not contain any of the issues mentioned.
"Most of the main complaints pointed at in the article from the dev is aimed at pre-retail release SDK problems," he tweeted.
"I can safely say that the post release SDK kit given to developers now do not contain any of the listed problems and being an early on developer on any new hardware will pose challenges to those unfamiliar. Programming and coding is most of the time trial-and-error.
"Wii U game development takes the same amount of work and attention as a Xbox 360 or PS3 game development. They've done their process of making their API understandable and useful to seasoned programmers. Wii U development = any other game console development time."
In the latest issue of Develop, Nyamyam studio co-founder and Tengami developer Jennifer Schneidereit said the self-publishing process for the Wii U "had been really good so far", and the firm had worked with the indie to ensure a smooth development process and help the team overcome any hurdles.
It should be noted that in an attempt to make development easier for some indies, Nintendo has also released its Web Framework, a development environment used to make Wii U software with HTML5 and JavaScript
"There’s a level of contact that just doesn’t exist when working with Apple for example," she said.
"In order to self-publish on the Wii U I started by signing up to Nintendo’s developer program. It took a few days for the confirmation to come through. From there we soon had access to the developer portal and all the tools and development documentation.
"Soon after we got two Wii U dev kits sent over from the US. These initial steps were very easy and each step had a clear contact person for me to reach out to in case I had any questions. I was a little surprised that there was so much personal contact between us as a developer and Nintendo early on, which is unusual in this day and age and I definitely appreciated it."
What are your thoughts on developing for the Wii U? Have you encountered any difficulties? Are you happy with the hardware and development kits?

http://www.develop-online.net/news/e...ms-dev/0188021

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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds $30 at Fry's through Thursday

January 14th, 2014, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster

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Christian-themed shooter Super Noah's Ark 3D returns to SNES

January 14th, 2014, 01:21 Posted By: wraggster

Twenty years after it earned notoriety as the sole unlicensed game on the Super Nintendo (not to mention a Christian-themed, first-person shooter),Super Noah's Ark 3D has returned to the console.

For those unaware, Super Noah's Ark 3D isn't a very good game, but it is rare and collectors view it as an interesting piece of trivia given that the game was built on top of id Software's Wolfenstein 3D engine. Creator Wisdom Tree was refused a license for SNES development due to the game's overt religious imagery, so after relying on a special pass-through cartridge designed to circumvent the anti-piracy measures of the SNES, the game was released via mail order and in certain specialty stores. Nintendo's restrictions against religious imagery no longer apply to the SNES, allowing retro developer Piko Interactive to license and re-release the game on a proper SNES cartridge.

If you visit Piko Interactive's site, you'll find the game listed at $40. That price is for the cartridge by itself, though if you'd like a box and manual to go along with your new old game, the price jumps to $70.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/ch...turns-to-snes/

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FCEUltra Win32 mappers modified (12.01.14)

January 14th, 2014, 11:40 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/

A new build from the NES emulator FCEUltra-Win32-mappers-modified has been released. This emulator is based on FCEUltra source code snapshot (fceu-0.98.13).

Quote:
Changelog:

• 12.01.2014
• BANDAI boards - eeprom emulation
• BANDAI boards - fixed savestates
• BANDAI boards various fixes
• UNIF 8157 - fixed according to hw
• UNIF BMC12IN1 - fixed with correct hardwre info, new "12-in-1" dump is working now
• UNIF MIHUNCHE - new source for the old board/mapper
• UNIF PEC-586 - 512K carts supported, fully supported exp ppu mode finally!
• UNIF PEC-586 - russian keyboard emulated
• UNIF T-262 - fix according to hw
• fceux sync
• mapper 12 hardware dip switch
• mapper 154 - fixed
• mapper 183 - second level crash fix
• mapper 2 - reverted mirroring hack, too much games are corrupted (TODO: make a new mapper for Russian Highway Star with CRC check)
• mapper 225 - mirror fix
• mapper 253 - fixed dragonball garbled graphis TODO: irq
• mapper 53 - supported ines format of SUPERVISION UNIF board
• mapper 88 - really fix now
• more crc mapper checks
• 24.03.2013
• UNIF DANCE2000 - new board for "Dance 2000 12-in-1"
• UNIF FK23C - fix VRAM size to 256K, need for the newer 120-in-1 dump
• 17.03.2013
• mapper 5 - more SRAM size detection database entries
• mapper 178 - added more features of 8/16M cartridges with 32K SRAM,according to the hardare tests
• UNIF 09-034A - added support for SMB2j Lite Alt version
• "Golden KTV" redefined to mapper 71 as unrom without bus conflict
• fixed palette ram reading, fixes the "Hero on Devil Lands (Ch)" palette

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New NES dumps by CaH4e3

January 14th, 2014, 11:43 Posted By: wraggster

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

CaH4e3 updated his site with the following message:
- PEC-586 Pyramid Education Computer (Unl)[U][!]. One of my last totally forgotten dumps, even if you have seen this before more than one time, - The Educational Computer PEC-586 Pyramid by Dongda Company. Mapper itself was not so hard to emulate, the most crazy thing about this cartridge is that it uses its own video mode, 1-bpp plain bitmap mode. There were some others are popping out in China, similar to this one, so with the help of our Chinese friends, we emulate finally it's video mode. The main goal of this mode is that you can write 1-bit tiles into tilemap area, but no need to write NT anymore. So 8K or CHR-RAM is enough to cover the whole screen at once with this bitmap.
The last barrier before release was its keyboard. It's visually identical to Subor, but operation is different. So I was need to write another one keyboard support to FCEUmm and FCEUX. So I did it finally and it mostly works, besides still need keys layout corrections.
Most interesting, that this system has LPT and Audio-jack connectors on the cartridge itself. Don't know, why it's done, since the cart is useless without the console and vice versa.
There are some more systems on the same hardware exists, mentioned above Chinese version with expanded PRG ROM, and one more interesting Educational Computer called "Sonic REC-9388". The last one has its own software divided into carts-modules and which can be inserted into one of three internal mini-cartridge slots. Both Chinese ones and Sonic use it's own keyboard hardware so can't be emulated with the same PEC-586 keyboard.
- NARC (R) [!], Rush'n Attack (R) [!]. A couple of years ago I released bad, but mostly fixed and restored ROM of the Russian version of the game "NARC". Now since I have a new working copy I did redump and you can play it without glitches now. In addition, another Russian translation from the same 1995-1996 years, Russian version of Rush'n Attack.
News source: http://cah4e3.shedevr.org.ru

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puNES 0.78

January 14th, 2014, 11:43 Posted By: wraggster

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES emulator for Windows/Linux has been updated. Changes:
- Implemented mappers 28, 42, 91, 105, 153.
- Implemented the openbus on the read from $4016 and $4017 (for improved accuracy).
- Improved handling of IRQ in the mapper 64 ("Hard Drivin.nes" now works correctly).
Linux version:
- I've forgotten to implement the scrollbar in the window of uncompress roms (that only appears when there are more roms in the same archive). Fixed.
- Now the minimum version of supported gtk2 is 2.18, so the emulator can also run on older distributions (eg Ubuntu 10.10 or Linux Mint 9).
Windows version:
- Fixed a bug in the management of the turbo buttons that did not allow proper operation.
File: Download
News source: http://forums.nesdev.com

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UAE Wii 10

January 14th, 2014, 11:44 Posted By: wraggster

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

Commodore Amiga emulator for Nintendo Wii has been updated. Changes:
- Added Gamecube controller support;
- Added graphic virtual keyboard with IR Wiimote pointer called by "+" button;
- Added Wiiflow support;
- Added new menus to save and load 5 configuration files;
- Added audio menu with new options;
- Path of last selected file remembered in the menu;
- Added Picasso96 memory configuration;
- Added number of floppies configuration;
- Added refresh rate option;
- Added blitter exact cycle option;
- Added 24/32 bit cpu address space option;
- Chip memory up to 8MB;
- Consistency check of configuration options with gui messages;
- Automatic reset emulator after memory or kickrom change;
- Removed noise entering the GUI;
- Fixed bug in blitter exact and adreess space configuration;
- Fixed bug in sound floppy configuration;
- Fixed bug in page up/down;
- Patch to increase rendering speed in double buffer mode;
- Case insensitive file order in the file menu.
File: Download
News source: http://uae-wii.googlecode.com

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John GBC/Lite/John NES/Lite 2.16

January 14th, 2014, 11:45 Posted By: wraggster

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES emulator for Android has been updated. Changes:
- fixed bugs for Android 3.x;
- changed screenshot format.
News source: http://play.google.com
News source: http://play.google.com
News source: https://play.google.com
News source: https://play.google.com

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RockNES 5.12

January 14th, 2014, 11:45 Posted By: wraggster

via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- Fixed a potential crash when activating the sound recorder.
- Fixed $4016/17 reads, value must be ORed with $40.
- Fixed mapper 64 IRQs (game Hard Drivin' works).
- Changed APU sound output gain, sounds louder and better.
- Optimized APU sound resampling values.
- Added an option to disable PPU clipping (left 8 pixels).
- The NSF player now displays "no title" if there's no string.
- Improved iNES header context saved into a text file.
- In the disassembler, the code is now refreshed before saving to a file.
- Removed a boring popup warning message if savestate file isn't found.
- Renamed "-videocard" config option to "-graphics_mode", since there's no "card".
- Fixed other minor things and annoyances, plus removed unused stuff.
File: Download
News source: http://rocknes.web.fc2.com

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New Hacks Added

January 14th, 2014, 11:48 Posted By: wraggster

The following Hacks have been submitted and approved to the database (in submitted order oldest to newest):

• Shinobi Masked (Improvement)(Shinobi)(NES)
• Eternal Veldt (Improvement)(Final Fantasy VI)(SNES)
• Rock n’ Roll Racing Hack v15 (Addendum)(Rock n’ Roll Racing)(GEN)
• My Little Pony - Dr. Discord’s Conquest (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• The Legend of Zelda Simplified (Improvement)(The Legend of Zelda)(NES)
• Mega Man Reved Up!! (Complete)(Mega Man)(NES)
• Dr. Luigi (Complete)(Dr. Mario)(NES)
• Mega Man III - ICFE (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Shining Tactics Absolute Final Edition (Complete)(Shining Force II)(GEN)
• Arcana Hardtype (Complete)(Arcana)(SNES)
• Dragon Warrior 3 Hardtype (Complete)(Dragon Warrior III)(NES)
• Mario End Game (Complete)(Super Mario World)(SNES)
• Chrono Trigger Lavos’ Awakening (Hardtype) (Complete)(Chrono Trigger)(SNES)
• Ogre Battle Hardtype (Complete)(Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen)(SNES)
• Gen 6 Typing (Improvement)(Pokémon Red)(GB)
• Rockman 5 - Dark Return (Complete)(Mega Man V)(NES)
• Rockman 6 - MasterX (Complete)(Mega Man VI)(NES)
• Rockman 3 - Return of Dr.Wily (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Rockman 2 - God World (Complete)(Mega Man II)(NES)
• Rockman 3 - God World 2 (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Rockman 4 - God World 3 (Complete)(Mega Man IV)(NES)
• Rockman 5 - God World 4 (Complete)(Mega Man V)(NES)
• Rockman 6 - God World 5 (Complete)(Mega Man VI)(NES)
• Rockman Cray 5 (Complete)(Mega Man VI)(NES)
• Rockman Cray 4 (Complete)(Mega Man V)(NES)
• Rockman Cray 3 (Complete)(Mega Man IV)(NES)
• Rockman Cray 2 (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Mega Man III - Against The World (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Rockman 3 - Deft (Complete)(Mega Man III)(NES)
• Rockman Cray (Complete)(Mega Man II)(NES)

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Pokemon Gold Beta/Alpha REVIVAL 1.3 IS OUT!

January 14th, 2014, 11:50 Posted By: wraggster

Once again, the Revival of Pokemon Gold’s beta and alpha stages presses on, and to an extent of reviving the Safari Zone!
The Safari Zone has all the unused fleeing Pokemon, and many Pokemon you would see in the Red/Blue Safari Zone but is still having more Pokemon added. It’s even accessible!
This hack contains all but one Pokemon, the Japanese Jynx and has every Kanto Pokemon’s beta name. Every map is finished, and even a few unused things are re-used but there are still a few to be done that require implementing.
This hack is updated frequently, with 1.3 being the biggest not including 1.3b, 1.3b2 and 1.3SilentHills since they were betas/indevs.
The picture shown is the player’s edited sprite which is now a girl that is meant to be similar to the beta girl.
The Related URL is the Facebook Page for this ROM Hack where all the latest updates, help ads, bug announcements to warn others and everything to do with the game’s development are.
I hope you will enjoy this hack.

https://www.facebook.com/PokeMonBetaAlphaRevival

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Wii-Tac-Toe 0.8 released

January 14th, 2014, 11:56 Posted By: wraggster

Wii-Tac-Toe is a Tic-Tac-Toe game for the Nintendo Wii. It was programmed in C++ using devkitPro along with GRRLIB.
The game can be played alone vs the CPU or with a friend using one Wii Remote controller. The game AI does not always do the same moves, so the fun never stop.
To win the game, you have to place three marks (O or X) in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row. If the grid is filled completely and no one has won, well, it's a tie game. Start over and try to beat your opponent.

Version 0.8

• Could now be played with 2 Wii Remotes
• View FPS when pressing the + button
• meta.xml is fixed
• Library update
  • libogc 1.8.11
  • libfat 1.0.11
  • Mini-XML 2.6
  • UTF-8 CPP 2.3.4
  • Boost 1.52
  • GRRLIB 4.3.2
  • FreeType 2.4.4
  • libpngu (libpng 1.6.8 and zlib 1.2.8)
• http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii-Tac-Toe

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GCMM 1.4c released

January 14th, 2014, 11:56 Posted By: wraggster

A GameCube Memory Card manager.GameCube/Wii Memory Manager is an application to backup Nintendo GameCube savegames.
Gcmm is a project started by dsbomb and justb, which is based on Askot's modification to add SD support to the mcbackup libogc example.
I (suloku) have updated the code to newest libraries to port it to the Wii system, and what I find more important: restoring savegames now works properly.

http://code.google.com/p/gcmm

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TailTale 1.0.0.5 released

January 14th, 2014, 11:57 Posted By: wraggster

Similar to the classic Tetris strategy must falling Blocks are sorted by color.
Once four or more same-colored Stones together, they dissolve and release if necessary through the sliding blocks further down a chain reaction.
If the field is completely filled so the player has lost.

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/TailTale

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Brut Press Shoshinkai 1994 Virtual Boy report

January 14th, 2014, 12:01 Posted By: wraggster

Brut Press (ブルートプレス) was a monthly Japanese video magazine about video games. Volume 17 of the magazine from December 12, 1994 covered Nintendo's 1994 Shoshinkai Show, including the 3 minute Virtual Boy report below:

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/news...hp?storyid=376

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ScummVM Wii 1.6.0-test candidate beta3

January 14th, 2014, 12:05 Posted By: wraggster

via http://wii.gx-mod.com/modules/news/a...p?storyid=3194

AReim1982 continues to improve ScummVM Wii and already offers an update. After making the sources compatible with the latest development libraries devkitPPC, libogc and libfat, he now addresses bugs and has just correct one that affected the function of "solid addition" games that caused a dump without code course. This is now fixed and therefore can scan the parent directory containing all your games to add to the ScummVM simply the world. You can activate by holding UP (d-pad of the wiimote held vertically), the "Add" button becomes "Solid Add" button. The scan time course depend on the number of sets contained in the parent folder, so be patient.

Feel free to report bugs you might encounter directly on official forums Scummvm.org. ScummVM Wii 1.6.0-test candidate beta3 Official website: http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t = 13357

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ScummVMDS test build dsi/3ds

January 14th, 2014, 12:06 Posted By: wraggster

via http://mobiles.gx-mod.com/modules/ne...p?storyid=9911

After a long journey through the desert, development ScummVM Nintendo DS seems to (finally) back with a new update offered by agentq in early 2014 year. In addition corrriger the touch screen problems on Nintendo 3DS, a new build (L) makes its appearance, allowing the execution of RAM intensive games like The Dig and Full Throttle in DSi mode.

Note: Nintendo DS is limited in RAM, ScummVMDS is divided into builds, ensuring the execution of each specific games. Do not forget to check the readme to know the list of compatible games, and what can buil launch. ScummVMDS test build dsi/3ds Official website: http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t=13485

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Nintendo sorry Wii U still lacks TVii feature in Europe

January 15th, 2014, 00:43 Posted By: wraggster

More than a year after its launch, Wii U still lacks one of its main system features in Europe: its cunningly-named electronic programme guide TVii.
A button for the feature has been present on the system's pause menu since the console was released in November 2012, although pressing it only brings up an error message.Nintendo had previously promised to launch the feature in Europe during 2013 - which has obviously now come and gone."We would like to apologise that we were unable to bring the Nintendo TVii service to Europe in 2013 as originally planned," the company wrote on its official site (thanks, Nintendo Life)."Please continue to keep an eye out for further announcements regarding this service in the near future."TVii works with your existing TV channels and any streaming subscriptions you may have (in the US, services such as Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video). You can use the service to select and launch programmes, then watch via your TV or on the GamePad itself.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ture-in-europe

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'Comic Studio' 3DS app seeking release outside Japan

January 15th, 2014, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster

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Behind the Scenes of Wii U Software Development

January 15th, 2014, 01:13 Posted By: wraggster

Digital Foundry has published an article from an anonymous but trusted developer outlining the challenges of developing for the Nintendo Wii U. The piece confirms some common perceptions of Nintendo, such as their attitude to third party developers, and presents a few surprises, like networking code not being made available to outside developers until the console was almost on sale.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/0...re-development

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Nintendo slashes digital price of key Wii U and 3DS games

January 15th, 2014, 01:18 Posted By: wraggster

An error or a wonderfully generous sale? Either way, a host of top Nintendo IP can be had for pennies on the Nintendo Store right now.
Digital versions of Wii U titles The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 are currently available for £8.95 each while Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team are currently priced at £7.95 each.
There are a few other discounts too, such as 3DS title LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins for £6.95.
All the deals can be found through this link.
If the sale is deliberate it’s surprising to see Nintendo so savagely undercutting the High Street prices of key titles – not that it’s that easy to find Wii U or even 3DS games on the High Street anymore, of course…
UPDATE: Although we’ve not heard anything officially from Nintendo, many of the prices have now been raised to their previous levels, suggesting it was indeed an error. However, some of those who did manage to place an order at the discounted price are saying they HAVE received their download codes.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...-games/0126696

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RetroArch NGC v1.0.0.1

January 15th, 2014, 02:24 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic.php?t=15202&f=6

Toad King offers the 1.0.0.1 version of " RetroArch NGC "porting multi-platform" emulator Retro Arch "for the Nintendo Gamecube.

Quote:
Core exchange

Mupen64
• Fix audio float overflow bugs - Fixed Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer, Tsumi to Batsu / Sin and Punishment (on PC)
• Alternate controls work differently now - you start with Original controls - press 'Select' to toggle 'Alternate Controls'
• (Core) Added MusyX ucode for RSP HLE - Fixed sound in contention games - games like Hydro Thunder affects, Gauntlet Legends, 2/Resident Evil Biohazard 2, etc.. Graphics in Resident Evil 2 still messed up though with RSP HLE - change to cxd4 RSP for now to render the graphics accurately.
• (Core) Other incidental exchange.
• (Core) Some preliminary work on getting graphics to show up in Conker's Bad Fur Day for glN64 FCEUmm • Memory leaks and other bugfixes courtesy of Alcaro Exchange Platform Gamecube / Wii • Input exchange courtesy of Jacobeian - MIGHT finally fix long-standing bugs input • Full FBA shoulds work again • New Input Settings option - Analog to D-Pad mapping

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Wii RetroArch v1.0.0.1

January 15th, 2014, 02:25 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.nintendomax.com/viewtopic.php?t=15201&f=54

Toad King offers the 1.0.0.1 version of " Wii RetroArch "porting multi-platform" emulator Retro Arch "for the Nintendo Wii.

Quote:
Core exchange

Mupen64
• Fix audio float overflow bugs - Fixed Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer, Tsumi to Batsu / Sin and Punishment (on PC)
• Alternate controls work differently now - you start with Original controls - press 'Select' to toggle 'Alternate Controls'
• (Core) Added MusyX ucode for RSP HLE - Fixed sound in contention games - games like Hydro Thunder affects, Gauntlet Legends, 2/Resident Evil Biohazard 2, etc.. Graphics in Resident Evil 2 still messed up though with RSP HLE - change to cxd4 RSP for now to render the graphics accurately.
• (Core) Other incidental exchange.
• (Core) Some preliminary work on getting graphics to show up in Conker's Bad Fur Day for glN64 FCEUmm • Memory leaks and other bugfixes courtesy of Alcaro Exchange Platform Gamecube / Wii • Input exchange courtesy of Jacobeian - MIGHT finally fix long-standing bugs input • Full FBA shoulds work again • New Input Settings option - Analog to D-Pad mapping

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Gearboy Git (2014/01/14)

January 15th, 2014, 02:26 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Gearboy Git (2014/01/14) is compiled. Gearboy is a Nintendo Game Boy emulator written in C++. The emulator is focused on readability of source code, but nevertheless it has good compatibility. A lot of effort has gone into this in order to follow OOP and keep it as simple as possible.

Gearboy Features:
* Fixed timing for scanline 0

Gearboy Git Changelog:
* Fixed initial LCDC register state for GBC
* Raspberry Pi project updated to SDL 2.0.1, input is not working though

https://github.com/drhelius/Gearboy

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GBA.js Git (2014/01/14)

January 15th, 2014, 02:28 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

GBA.js Git (2014/01/14) is released. Jeffrey Pfau released a new GameBoy Advance emulator. The project began last July. The first prototype took him five weeks. But it has worked for several weeks and several hours a day online prior to the first public version. The program runs on JavaScript. It is available online and works in a modern web browser. It runs on Chrome 20, Safari 6.0, Firefox 15 + (without sound) or Opera 12. It should also run on Internet Explorer 10. Firefox and Opera are particularly slow, it is better to use Safari or Chrome.

As a matter of law, no rom is provided on the official website. However, you can load these roms on your machine. The emulator does not handle compressed files. So please only download roms decompressed. The application sometimes crashes if the file has special characters.

Currently all parts of the GameBoy Advance hardware are implemented. You can save and load backups, send on your machine or your machine. GBA.js is able to take screenshots. It can set the emulation paused. It supports games containing real-time clocks (eg Pokemon).

GBA.js Git Changelog:
- Add proper support for GamePad API and untested support for Mozilla GamePad API

http://jpfau.github.com/gbajs/

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DS-Rom Organizer v6.0.1.0

January 15th, 2014, 02:30 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

DS-Rom Organizer v6.0.1.0 is released. DS-Rom Organizer is a tool for Windows that is designed for making management and organization of your Nintendo DS Games easier. It allows you to easily store your games in the application, view all of its information, organize the way you want, and even get them transferred over to your “Device” with the press of 1 button.

To make management easy, many different features have been implemented into DS Rom Organizer to enhance your experience:
- Flexible Layout. Create it your own way.
- CD / DVD / HD / ISO Burning
- Black List
- Custom Favorites
- Auto Save Queue
- Multi Threaded
- Auto program updater.
- Skins
- Organize your game lists the way you want in as many lists desired
- Sort or filter based on game data (such as name, number, size, country, etc)
- Multi Select
- Auto Website checker
- Supports nds, zip, 7z and rar
- Ability to view game information
- Official game database updated Daily
- Verify your games to make sure they will work properly
- Game Trimming to get rid of empty space in your games
- Save Game backup for your precious save files
- All Kinds of Device options.
- Multi Language
- Import / Edit games that are not recognized by the official game database
- Import Covers/Images/Info files straight into the Database. No more 1000’s of files all over the place
- And much more!

DS-Rom Organizer v6.0.1.0 Changelog:
- This will fix a list of bugs along with some new features.

http://www.dsromorganizer.com/

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Dolphin Git 4.0-611

January 15th, 2014, 02:31 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Dolphin Git 4.0-611 is compiled. This is the trunk of Dolphin Project. Dolphin is the first Gamecube emulator able to run commercial games! Dolphin is a Gamecube, Wii and Triforce (the arcade machine based on the Gamecube) emulator which supports many extra features and abilities not present on the original consoles. It has a partial Wii support and plays most Gamecube games.

Dolphin Git changelog:
- Added a check for a redundant mov in the fastmem writes code.
- TextureConverter: remove implicit int->float convertion

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jyjttk

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Fceux SVN r3039

January 15th, 2014, 02:34 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

Fceux SVN r3039 is compiled. FCEUX is a cross platform, NTSC and PAL Famicom/NES emulator that is an evolution of the original FCE Ultra emulator. Over time FCE Ultra had separated into many separate branches. The concept behind FCEUX is to merge elements from FCE Ultra, FCEU rerecording, FCEUXD, FCEUXDSP, and FCEU-mm into a single branch of FCEU. As the X implies, it is an all-encompassing FCEU emulator that gives the best of all worlds for the general player, the ROM-hacking community, and the Tool-Assisted Speedrun Community.

Fceux SVN changelog:
r3039
PEC-586 russian keyboard support
some fixes to subor keyboard layot (anyway, unused currently, todo: reckeck key mapping)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2rl5dt

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RockNES v5.12

January 15th, 2014, 02:35 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.emucr.com/

RockNES v5.12 is released. RockNES is a Nintendo (NES) emulator that supports total PPU emulation, total intelligent emulation (including VRCVI intelligent, used by some Japanese games), battery backed RAM, Famicom DiskSystem, VS Unisystem, and some 70 different mappers. In gain, RockNES includes lots of different video modes, as substantially as the ability to loading and economise your back at any stage. You can flush record movies of gameplay.

RockNES v5.12 Changelog:
- Fixed a potential crash when activating the sound recorder.
- Fixed $4016/17 reads, value must be ORed with $40.
- Fixed mapper 64 IRQs (game Hard Drivin' works).
- Changed APU sound output gain, sounds louder and better.
- Optimized APU sound resampling values.
- Added an option to disable PPU clipping (left 8 pixels).
- The NSF player now displays "no title" if there's no string.
- Improved iNES header context saved into a text file.
- In the disassembler, the code is now refreshed before saving to a file.
- Removed a boring popup warning message if savestate file isn't found.
- Renamed "-videocard" config option to "-graphics_mode", since there's no "card".
- Fixed other minor things and annoyances, plus removed unused stuff.

http://rocknes.web.fc2.com/

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Disney Magical World ships 500,000 in Japan

January 15th, 2014, 21:14 Posted By: wraggster

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F-Zero and 1080 Snowboarding are the latest Club Nintendo rewards

January 15th, 2014, 21:17 Posted By: wraggster

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Renegade Kid wins back rights to DS shooter Moon

January 15th, 2014, 21:21 Posted By: wraggster

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Speedrunners make Super Mario World reprogram itself to play Pong, Snake

January 15th, 2014, 21:23 Posted By: wraggster

A programming loophole in the Super NES platformer Super Mario World has given speedrunners the ability to build and execute arbitrary code during gameplay, leading to the creation of fully playable minigames built on top of existing cartridge assets.

An in-game hack takes advantage of a convoluted glitch that was in order to finish the game in an impossibly quick span of time using software emulators. Starting at the 1:40 mark in the video above, the hack is deployed, and new code is written using an array of eight emulated Super NES controllers -- no keyboard input or explicit programming language is used to create these new minigames.

The discovery follows up on a [video=youtube;3UnB1fomvAw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5T81yHkHtI"]similar hack[/URL] for Pokemon Yellow that allows players to overwrite the game's code using only the Game Boy's controller input. Fans have since used tool-assisted speedrun tech in order to produce in-game art and other stunned onlookers. Have speedrunners gone too far this time? Is there anything we can do to stop them?

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/14/sp...f-to-play-pon/

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New Nintendo eShop releases: Unepic, Castlevania 2, F1 Race Stars

January 17th, 2014, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster

Things are still a bit slooooooow as far as new eShop content goes - that headline covers all of this week's new releases - but hey, let's pick apart the bones.

Unepic has been around since 2011, but today marks its debut on Wii U. It's a platformer with RPG elements, evoking classic D&D and NES-style gameplay - or, in the words of Nintendo's own blurb, "Unepic is a mixture of platform game, role game and joke that takes place in a huge castle of medieval fantasy. It is set in the eighty's style, but completed with the most actual features."

Ahem. As for F1 Race Stars Powered Up Edition, the Wii U edition of Codies' cutesy karter adds four tracks, nine accessory packs, and motion and tilt controls for a GamePad steering wheel. Also, there's Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest to keep the Virtual Console ticking along.

Lastly but not leastly, Etrian Odyssey Untold is half-off at $20 until January 27.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/16/ne...-f1-race-star/

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Nintendo slashes Wii U sales forecast from 9m to 2.8m

January 18th, 2014, 00:15 Posted By: wraggster

UPDATE: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has apologised to shareholders for the company's business performance but pledged to stay in office, Nikkei reports (as translated by NeoGAF).Iwata admitted responsibility for today's poor financial results but said that the first order of business was restoring momentum as soon as possible, and that he will stay as president to see this through.ORIGINAL STORY: Nintendo has cut dramatically the number of Wii U and 3DS consoles it expects to sell by the end of the financial year.Wii U's estimated sales are down from 9 million to 2.8m, while 3DS is down from 18m to 13.5m.The company now expects another full year loss.Net income for the year had been pegged at a profit of 55 billion yen (£322m), but is now expected to be a net loss of 25 billion yen (£146m).The launch of Wii U hardware bundles and key games such as Super Mario 3D World helped the struggling platform a little, but the console still fell short of Nintendo's recovery plans "by a large margin"."In particular, sales in the US and European markets in which we entered the year-end sales season with a hardware markdown were significantly lower than our original forecasts, with both hardware and software sales experiencing a huge gap from their targets," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata explained today."In addition, we did not assume at the beginning of the fiscal year that we would perform a markdown for the Wii U hardware in the US and European markets. This was also one of the reasons for lower sales and profit estimates."It's somewhat surprising to see how much the 3DS also underperformed - despite being2013's the top-selling hardware platform in the US and over here in the UK it still did not meet Nintendo's lofty overseas targets."Nintendo 3DS did not reach our sales targets in the overseas markets, and we were ultimately unable to achieve our goal of providing a massive sales boost to Nintendo 3DS in the year-end sales season," Iwata said."Using the US market as an example, Nintendo 3DS became the top-selling platform in the last calendar year... however, the estimated annual sales of the Nintendo 3DS hardware remain significantly lower than our initial forecast at the beginning of the fiscal year."Despite the losses, there has so far been no indication that company president Satoru Iwata's job is in danger.More details of the company's financial situation will be published at the end of the month, Nintendo concluded.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...rom-9m-to-2-8m

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I won't resign, says Iwata

January 18th, 2014, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has insisted he will not resign from his position despite accepting responsibility for the company's abject commercial performance.
On Friday, the company slashed its Wii U sales forecast from 9 to 2.8 million units - a dramatic reduction that it expects will swing its full-year results from profit to loss.
Iwata joined Nintendo's corporate planning division in 2000Iwata apologised to shareholders in Kyoto for the extent of the under-performance, and insisted his intention was to rapidly reverse the company's fortunes. According to a report from Japan news groupNikkei, the Nintendo executive insisted he would not resign.
Sales of both Wii U and the 3DS handheld are significantly under expectations. However, throughout 2013 the 3DS was the best-selling console across the US, Japan and many parts of Europe. The system sold record numbers on certain occasions.
But the company's Wii U business is currently in gradual decline, with its first six months outperforming the most recent six. Globally, software for the original Wii still outsells the Wii U's. Meanwhile, the release of Super Mario 3D World - an acclaimed game that was expected to drive sales - has not stimulated the market, with the game failing to pick up meaningful sales in the west.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...gn-says-iwata/

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Smash Bros 4 3DS screenshots show all-star cast

January 18th, 2014, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster

A batch of screenshots for the 3DS version of Smash Bros. 4 has surfaced online, offering a glimpse at how the portably version is coming along.
The portable version of the game is in development alongside the Wii U version in partnership with Namco Bandai, with series creator Masahiro Sakurai in the producer's chair.

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Nintendo 'thinking about a new business structure'

January 18th, 2014, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo is doing plenty of soul-searching in light of its recent abject commercial performance.
On Friday, the company slashed its annual Wii U sales forecast from 9 million to 2.8 million units - a dramatic reduction that it expects will swing its full-year results from profit to loss.
"We cannot continue a business without winning," Iwata said on Friday during a press conference attended by Bloomberg. "We must take a sceptical approach whether we can still simply make game players, offer them in the same way as in the past for 20,000 yen or 30,000 yen, and sell titles for a couple of thousand yen each.

"We are thinking about a new business structure," Iwata added. "Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It's not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone."
Investors and analysts have urged Nintendo to broaden its horizons and boost profits by embracing smartphones on multiple occasions over the past few years, but Iwata has always insisted that his responsibility is to plan for the long term, not simply to make a quick buck.
Iwata also said today that there are no current plans to reshuffle Nintendo's management team, and that any announcement regarding potential pay cuts will be made when the company posts its third-quarter financial results in late January.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ess-structure/

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Nintendo TVii misses 2013 European debut, company apologizes

January 19th, 2014, 21:30 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo TVii, a free service which allows users to connect to internet-based video on demand services like Amazon Instant Video, Netflix and Hulu Plus, as well as cable and dish networks through the Wii U, has been delayed in Europe. Nintendo TVii was scheduled to arrive in European markets by the end of 2013, but almost three weeks into 2014, TVii is still a no-go.

Nintendo has apologized for the delay on their UK website. "We would like to apologise that we were unable to bring the Nintendo TVii service to Europe in 2013 as originally planned," a post reads. No specifics were given as to when the service might make its debut. Instead, users are asked to "please continue to keep an eye out for further announcements regarding this service in the near future."

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/19/ni...ny-apologizes/

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Pokemon HeartGold, SoulSilver soundtracks now on iTunes

January 19th, 2014, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster

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Platinum wanted Miis in Wonderful 101, could be featured in a sequel

January 19th, 2014, 21:43 Posted By: wraggster

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Iwata: Nintendo 'thinking about a new business structure' following weak console sale

January 19th, 2014, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster

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Pachter calls for Nintendo to go third party

January 20th, 2014, 00:06 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo needs to bring its rich slate of IP to rival platforms, US analyst Michael Pachter has said.
The call to go third party comes following today’s significantsales forecast revisions from the platform holder and the insistence from president Saturo Iwata that he will not resign.
“The Wii U has clearly not resonated with consumers,” he said on Twitter. “3DS selling ‘fine’, but is down around 50 per cent from average DS levels last decade.
“Nintendo software is still great and will continue to be. However, if software remains proprietary, sales are limited when they sell fewer hardware units. The first step to recovery is to acknowledge the problem. I have not seen anything from Mr Iwata that acknowledges that there is a problem.”
Pachter has for many years now called for serious revisions to Nintendo’s business strategy.
Nintendo can still lay claim to some of gaming’s most cherished IP, with brands such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon (co-owned), Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Animal Crossing, Kirby, Starfox, F-Zero, Metroid, Fire Emblam, Wario Ware, Wii Sports, Brain Training, Pikmin, Nintendogs, Advance Wars and Donkey Kong to its name.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/pacht...tforms/0126884

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Iwata: "It's not as simple as moving Mario onto smartphones"

January 20th, 2014, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

Becoming a third party publisher is not the easy answer to reversing Nintendo’s ongoing problems, president Satoru Iwata has argued.
Iwata vowed not to resign earlier today after Nintendo cut its sales predictions for Wii U and 3DS, leading Michael Pachter to call for the platform holder to take its IP onto rival platforms.
Now Bloomberg reports that while Iwata concedes that a restructuring of sorts is needed at the Kyoto firm, he doesn’t believe that abandoning its hardware offer is the answer.
“We are thinking about a new business structure,” Iwata stated. “Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It’s not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone.
“We cannot continue a business without winning. We must take a sceptical approach whether we can still simply make game players, offer them in the same way as in the past for ¥20,000 or ¥30,000, and sell titles for a couple of thousand yen each.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/iwata...phones/0126907

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Iwata's Wii U and 3DS statement in full

January 20th, 2014, 00:39 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has released a lengthy statement clarifying the events that led up today’s damaging sales forecast reductions.
Nintendo this morning reduced its Wii U unit sales forecast for the current financial year from 9m units to just 2.8m units. It also cut its 3DS sales prediction from 18m units to 13.5m.
Here are some highlights:
“As year-end sales constitute an extremely high proportion of the annual sales volume in the video game industry and the annual financial performance of a video game company rests heavily on its performance in the year-end sales season, we put in place various promotional activities in order to promote sales and expand our audience in the year-end sales season of the previous calendar year. However, it is now expected that our sales will fail to meet our previous forecast by a large margin.”
“Nintendo 3DS continued to show strong sales in the Japanese market. The unit sales for Nintendo 3DS in the previous calendar year amounted to approximately 4.9 million units, falling short of our aim of five million units by a small margin. However, as I explained before, given that every gaming device from the year 2000 onwards apart from Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS did not reach sales of four million units even in their peak years, we can say that the sales figure for Nintendo 3DS in the last calendar year was indeed very high.”
“Outside Japan, while its market share increased as we continued to release compelling titles throughout the year, Nintendo 3DS did not reach our sales targets in the overseas markets, and we were ultimately unable to achieve our goal of providing a massive sales boost to Nintendo 3DS in the year-end sales season. In Europe, while the individual markets showed different results, France was the only market in which we experienced relatively strong sales, and we failed to attain our initial sales levels by a large margin in other countries.”
“Wii U sales showed some progress in the year-end sales season as we released various compelling titles from the summer onwards, launched hardware bundles at affordable price points and also performed a markdown of the hardware in the US and European markets; however, they fell short of our targeted recovery by a large margin. In particular, sales in the US and European markets in which we entered the year-end sales season with a hardware markdown were significantly lower than our original forecasts, with both hardware and software sales experiencing a huge gap from their targets. In addition, we did not assume at the beginning of the fiscal year that we would perform a markdown for the Wii U hardware in the US and European markets. This was also one of the reasons for lower sales and profit estimates.”
Here’s the statement in full:
We would like to explain the modifications of the full-year financial and dividend forecasts announced today.
We revised our full-year consolidated financial forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 that we announced at the beginning of the fiscal year by estimating new net sales of 590 billion yen against the initially projected net sales of 920 billion yen, new operating loss of 35 billion yen against the initially projected operating profit of 100 billion yen, new ordinary income of five billion yen against the initially projected ordinary income of 90 billion yen, and new net loss of 25 billion yen against the initially projected net income of 55 billion yen. Foreign currency assumptions for the end of the fiscal year have been revised from 90 yen to 100 yen per U.S. dollar and from 120 yen to 140 yen per euro.
Revised consolidated unit sales projections are, as outlined in “Notice of Full-Year Financial Forecast and Dividend Forecast Modifications,” 13.5 million units of the Nintendo 3DS hardware and 66.0 million units of the Nintendo 3DS software, 1.2 million units of the Wii hardware and 26.0 million units of the Wii software, and 2.8 million units of the Wii U hardware and 19.0 million units of the Wii U software. There are no modifications to our initial projections for the Nintendo DS hardware and software.
As for the estimated annual dividend, if the actual consolidated financial results are in line with our modified financial forecasts, there will be no annual dividend per share. However, on the basis of our dividends paid in the last two years, we have set a minimum of 100 yen for the year-end and annual dividend per share for this fiscal year.
As year-end sales constitute an extremely high proportion of the annual sales volume in the video game industry and the annual financial performance of a video game company rests heavily on its performance in the year-end sales season, we put in place various promotional activities in order to promote sales and expand our audience in the year-end sales season of the previous calendar year. However, it is now expected that our sales will fail to meet our previous forecast by a large margin.
Giving a detailed explanation on our sales performance in and leading up to the year-end sales season by platform, Nintendo 3DS continued to show strong sales in the Japanese market. The unit sales for Nintendo 3DS in the previous calendar year amounted to approximately 4.9 million units, falling short of our aim of five million units by a small margin. However, as I explained before, given that every gaming device from the year 2000 onwards apart from Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS did not reach sales of four million units even in their peak years, we can say that the sales figure for Nintendo 3DS in the last calendar year was indeed very high. However, outside Japan, while its market share increased as we continued to release compelling titles throughout the year, Nintendo 3DS did not reach our sales targets in the overseas markets, and we were ultimately unable to achieve our goal of providing a massive sales boost to Nintendo 3DS in the year-end sales season. Using the U.S. market as an example, Nintendo 3DS became the top-selling platform in the last calendar year, according to NPD, an independent market research company, with its cumulative sales exceeding 11.5 million units; however, the estimated annual sales of the Nintendo 3DS hardware remain significantly lower than our initial forecast at the beginning of the fiscal year. In Europe, while the individual markets showed different results, France was the only market in which we experienced relatively strong sales, and we failed to attain our initial sales levels by a large margin in other countries.
Wii U sales, on the other hand, showed some progress in the year-end sales season as we released various compelling titles from the summer onwards, launched hardware bundles at affordable price points and also performed a markdown of the hardware in the U.S. and European markets; however, they fell short of our targeted recovery by a large margin. In particular, sales in the U.S. and European markets in which we entered the year-end sales season with a hardware markdown were significantly lower than our original forecasts, with both hardware and software sales experiencing a huge gap from their targets. In addition, we did not assume at the beginning of the fiscal year that we would perform a markdown for the Wii U hardware in the U.S. and European markets. This was also one of the reasons for lower sales and profit estimates.
We therefore modified our unit sales estimates in accordance with our performance in the year-end sales season and after the turn of the year, and the drop in software sales had the largest negative effect on our profit forecasts.
Also, yen appreciation against the U.S. dollar and euro, which on one hand affects dollar-based and euro-based sales positively, also increases costs incurred in foreign currencies when they are converted to Japanese yen. While the yen remained very strong for a sustained period of time, Nintendo made a concerted effort to pay more of its manufacturing costs in U.S. dollars in order to minimize its impact. However, as the era of the exceedingly strong yen concluded, our domestic business, which had been progressing at a relatively strong pace, has seen an increase in manufacturing costs, while our overseas business, which is yet to reach its full potential, has not fully benefited from the weaker yen yet. In terms of our profitability in the current fiscal year, therefore, we were unable to sufficiently take advantage of the weaker yen.
As for advertising expenses, and research and development expense forecasts, we made revisions to increase them by eight billion yen and 15 billion yen respectively from their forecasts made at the beginning of this fiscal year. We expect advertising expenses to increase due to the effect of the expenses incurred in foreign currencies to be converted into Japanese yen by using weaker yen rates. The estimated increase of research and development expenses is based on reflecting our ongoing enhancement of the development structure, and new research and development activities. These increases contributed to lowered estimated profit forecasts.
We expect that we will post ordinary income despite the operating loss situation. This is because we now assume that the yen will be weaker than our original assumptions at the beginning of the fiscal year, and re-evaluation of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd. at the end of the fiscal year as well as foreign exchange gains at the time of cash receipts and conversions of foreign funds into yen, among other factors, are expected to exceed the projected operating loss.
On the other hand, we expect to post a net loss despite expecting ordinary income mainly because we need to reverse deferred tax assets in relation to the losses carried over from the previous fiscal years mainly in the United States, as we can no longer expect our financial performance to recover in the current fiscal year.
We will provide more information on our short-term as well as mid-term prospects at the Corporate Management Policy Briefing to be held on January 30, 2014, which will take place in Tokyo a day after we announce our financial results for the third quarter.
These are all of the explanations about modifications of our full-year financial and dividend forecasts.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/iwata...n-full/0126873

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Nintendo should "get out of the Wii U business" - Pachter

January 20th, 2014, 00:55 Posted By: wraggster

The Wedbush analyst sees Nintendo ditching the Wii U and pulling a Sega, but only for a limited time before it launches new hardware
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com


When a company is in trouble, everyone in the industry seemingly comes out of the woodwork to offer up advice. Unsurprisingly, following the bad fiscal report from Nintendo today and the word from CEO Satoru Iwata that the company is examining a new business structure, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has chimed in, commenting in his latest note to investors that it's time for Nintendo to abandon the Wii U.
"It is clear to us that the old Nintendo model of proprietary hardware supported by compelling proprietary software is broken," he said. "Nintendo's proprietary software continues to be first rate, but its console hardware is not competitive; the Wii U is under-powered relative to next generation offerings from Sony and Microsoft, and is not competitively priced (priced similar to current generation offerings from the competition). We don't think Nintendo should exit the console hardware business, but think it should consider getting out of the Wii U business, and consider going back to the drawing board on consoles. Nintendo has a console in the marketplace that isn't working, and if it continues to tilt at windmills, its software sales will suffer."
So what's the solution for Nintendo? In Pachter's opinion, the company must swallow its pride and start publishing its first-rate software on competing platforms. Then, once Nintendo is ready to bring a more competitive console to the market, it can withdraw its support from the other systems and focus on its own platform again.
"Under its current business model, if Nintendo discontinued the Wii U, it would sell no console software. We believe that it should reconsider its 'all proprietary, all the time' model, and should consider making its proprietary console software available on other platforms until it is able to release a new console. Once Nintendo has a new console on the market, we think it would make sense for the company to pull all of its software from the PS4 and Xbox One, and go back to being a proprietary software maker. In the meantime, we believe that the company has a problem that it is not acknowledging or addressing," he stated.
Additionally, Pachter believes it's high time that Nintendo give in to the world of smartphones, but only with legacy software: "The company's handheld woes are far more complicated. The handheld business is not failing, but Nintendo handhelds have lost share to mobile and tablet games, and the company will have trouble getting that back. We believe that Nintendo would benefit immensely from embracing mobile and tablet, placing GBA games on those platforms for paid download ($4.99 - 9.99) and developing a broader audience, then releasing current games on the 3DS and exploiting its larger customer base by convincing them to buy a 3DS and a more expensive game. That's hard to pull off, but we believe that Nintendo has the IP to do so."
"We don't believe that Nintendo's troubles are indicative of anything other than that it has an uncompetitive console in the marketplace and mobile is cannibalizing dedicated handheld sales. If Nintendo management addresses these problems, we think that the company has sufficiently strong IP to reverse course and become profitable," he concluded.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...siness-pachter

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Nintendo's Next Move: Consolidation

January 20th, 2014, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's Wii U has been struggling while the 3DS has performed admirably - how can Nintendo build on its strengths?
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com


A lot of virtual ink has been spilled about Nintendo in the last couple years, as the original Wii faded into the annals of history and the Wii U struggled to gain any real traction in its first year. Meanwhile, Nintendo's 3DS (and 2DS) continues to defy conventional wisdom and is selling quite well in an era that screams "smartphones have killed the dedicated handheld." It's amazing what the right price and some amazing software can do.
But the fact of the matter is that Nintendo is failing to keep up with the pace of technology - I'm not only talking about graphical horsepower here - and the company is going to have to think long and hard about its next big move in the games business following 3DS and Wii U. I'm not suggesting, as so many others have ad nauseum, that Nintendo take the Sega route and abandon the hardware business, nor am I pushing them to develop for smartphones and tablets.
But after the Wii U lives out the rest of its GameCube-like days and the 3DS nears the end of its successful lifespan, what's Nintendo to do? Launch yet another console, perhaps this time bringing the processing power up to speed with the competition? No, that would be foolish, and it's clearly not the Nintendo way.
To me, the answer is clear. It's time for some consolidation. Scrap the idea of a traditional console. Engineer a new portable console hybrid that gives players the best of both worlds.
Being in the hardware business is difficult enough these days. New consoles require enormous amounts of R&D, manufacturing and marketing. Rather than push out another Wii (or some new console brand) why not consolidate hardware lines and focus on one, singular product? Leverage the business that has been so kind to you since the days of the first Game Boy and focus on your ultimate strength.
"It's time for Nintendo to really sit down and think about its future. Every successful company must endure transformations"

The difference is that the next portable should be far more versatile. Platform differences in today's market are already blurring. Consoles, microconsoles, PCs, Steam Machines, Smart TVs... it's all blending. What matters most is the games, and Nintendo's first-party efforts have always shined. The key here is to engineer a portable that also effectively functions as a home console when you want that big screen experience. Merge that portable with a compelling, feature-rich network like Xbox Live or Steam, and suddenly Nintendo is dominating living rooms again.
It's clear that add-on controllers for tablets and phones will never catch on to the point that mobile could ever truly work as the centerpiece of the living room. But a dedicated handheld, designed by video game engineers with traditional controls, that can play AAA games when connected to the TV while also offering the typical Nintendo portable experience - how could a gamer pass that up?
What I think needs to happen next is Nintendo must use its more than ample cash on hand to build up a real network, to dive headfirst into the online world and create its own ecosystem (a la Steam) that indies, third parties and of course Nintendo games can thrive in. The world is increasingly digital, the potential of PlayStation Now is evident, and even if the cloud doesn't take off right away, day one digital downloads are commonplace on both new consoles.
To its credit, Nintendo has moved more in the direction of digital releases on both 3DS and Wii U with its eShop and a number of indies have been supportive as well, but Nintendo can and should do a better job in building up its network.
A network-centric all-in-one portable is something Nintendo could easily do. The technology is there, and if the obstacles holding back cloud gaming can be overcome, Nintendo could future-proof this new hybrid console as well.
What the company must do now, however, is get aggressive. Poach the competition. Hire top engineers from Microsoft, Sony, Apple and Google. Build out a best in breed network. Stop being so insular and focus on the needs of markets besides Japan. And for Mario's sake, cater to third-party developers for a change. Sony's developer-centric approach with PS4 is winning people over. And the decision that both Sony and Microsoft made to use a familiar PC-like architecture is easing the transition for developers. Nintendo must learn from this and bring outside development back to its side. Assisting more developers with funding in exchange for timed exclusivity might help this cause.
"It's meaningless for third parties to take risks by developing games for the Wii U," Tokai Tokyo Securities analyst Yusuke Tsunoda told Bloomberg back in December. If Nintendo intends to stay relevant, the company must do everything in its power to avoid associating sentiments like this with its future platforms.
Shigeru Miyamoto is getting closer to retirement everyday. Satoru Iwata's tenure as CEO is already on somewhat shaky ground. It's time for Nintendo to really sit down and think about its future. Every successful company must endure transformations. Nintendo's already undergone a few since its playing card days well over 100 years ago. With a streamlined approach to hardware, a robust network, and a developer-first mindset, Nintendo can successfully navigate the 21st century and hopefully outlive me.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-consolidation

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3DS RPG Rune Factory 4's European release cancelled

January 20th, 2014, 18:06 Posted By: wraggster

The European release of Nintendo 3DS role-playing game Rune Factory 4 has been cancelled, MarvelousAQL has announced.MarvelousAQL Europe issued the following statement to Eurogamer:"We regret to inform you that the European release of Rune Factory 4 for Nintendo 3DS has been cancelled."While MarvelousAQL has made every effort to secure the title's release for this territory, it is, unfortunately, not possible to do so at this time."MAQL and MAQL Europe would like to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm for their European releases. Please look forward to announcements on new MAQL titles over the coming months."While MarvelousAQL declined to explain the decision, it may have something to do with last year's closure of Rune Factory developer Neverland after it declared itself bankrupt.Rune Factory began life as a spin-off of farming sim Harvest Moon, albeit one where you could wield a sword and battle monsters.Four numbered titles have been released to date for DS and 3DS. Rune Factory 4, already released in Japan and North America, was due to arrive in Europe in spring 2014.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ease-cancelled

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This piracy-enabling 3DS flashcard tried to prevent itself from being pirated

January 20th, 2014, 18:08 Posted By: wraggster

3DS flash card manufacturer Gateway has been accused of allowing users' 3DS consoles to become irretrievably bricked by a secret "kill switch" it introduced in a recent update.Report indicate that the doomsday trigger will activate if users attempt to modify a file within Gateway's illicit game launcher - something many recently attempted after a method to circumvent the 3DS' region-locking was discovered.Once activated, the code will corrupt the 3DS' NAND flash memory beyond repair - leaving some who have used the device with no choice but to send their handhelds to Nintendo for repair.Gateway cards - and other brands - are easy enough to find online.

Users notice that Gateway had introduced the new code via a recent software update, although the company has yet to publicly acknowledge the addition. GBATemp forum users report that its purpose is, ironically, to protect the piracy-enabling code from being pirated itself.Gateway has previously bemoaned the launch of copycat devices which use modified versions of its earlier code, but repackaged and sold as separate products.The company advertises its flash cards as a way to "play backup 3DS ROMs" via its launcher firmware. The sale of such devices is outlawed in many countries, including the UK, although they are still easy enough to find and buy online. Once loaded with game ROMs, the device itself allows for users to play pirated games with little trouble."We are investigating the issue about the recent blue screen bootrom error some users have reported, and we have discovered this is caused by memory corruption due to flawed copying or modifications of our official launcher firmware," Gateway wrote on its official site."We specifically warn users to avoid clone launcher firmware [companies which sell modified, older versions of Gateway's code] and avoid the region-free patches made by Normmatt [the user behind the recent region-free discovery]."

"We can reassure our users that our official (unmodified) launcher firmware is free from such memory corruption and is 100 per cent safe to use."
Gateway

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Rune Factory 4 cancelled in Europe

January 20th, 2014, 18:25 Posted By: wraggster

Marvelous AQL has announced that 3DS title Rune Factory 4will not be released in Europe.
The news was confirmed in an official statement from the publisher, in which it said: "We regret to inform you that the European release of Rune Factory 4 for Nintendo 3DS has been cancelled.
"While Marvelous AQL has made every effort to secure the title's release for this territory, it is, unfortunately, not possible to do so at this time. MAQL and MAQL Europe would like to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm for their European releases. Please look forward to announcements on new MAQL titles over the coming months."
Rune Factory 4 was first released in Japan in July 2012. A localised English version was released in North America in October 2013.
Rune Factory studio Neverland announced in November 2013 that it would file for bankruptcy and cease operations, citing "changes in the business environment".
In its last Rune Factory 4 preview, NGamer praised the title's "fresh ideas" and talked up the "fine art looking particularly resplendent in 3DS sharp-o-vision".

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...led-in-europe/

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Smash Bros. 3DS screenshot hints at a single-player mode

January 20th, 2014, 18:27 Posted By: wraggster

Masahiro Sakurai has posted a new screenshot from the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Miiverse.
The image, which shows Mario standing in an unfamiliar green environment with futuristic platforms, looks to be from some sort of single-player adventure mode.
However, a comment from series creator Masahiro Sakurai posted alongside the screenshot specifically states it is not from Subspace Emissary, a side-scrolling beat-em-up mode last seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
"Pic of the day. Where am I......?? To be clear, the new Super Smash Bros. games does not feature a story mode like The Subspace Emissary," he said.
Although Kid Icarus: Uprising studio Project Sora and series lead Masahiro Sakurai are heading up the project, Namco Bandai is handling development duties on the upcoming Wii U and 3DS Smash Bros. games.
Namco Bandai's team includes producer Masaya Kobayashi (Ridge Racer) and director Yoshito Higuchi (SoulCalibur).
"All the top creators from Namco Bandai are gathered here to create a never-before-seen dream team for this project," Kobayashi said when the partnership was announced in June 2012.
"We will fully utilise our experience and knowledge in action/fighting game development, technical capability, and organisation strength, and we hereby promise you that we will developer the best and most powerful Super Smash Bros. titles ever!"
Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS have not yet been given release dates, though they are expected to launch in 2014.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-player-mode/

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EU eShop update: Unepic, Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels

January 20th, 2014, 18:28 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has detailed this week's European Nintendo eShop update.
The main highlights are Unepic on Wii U and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels on Wii U Virtual Console.

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Iwata clarifies: Nintendo is not done with consoles

January 20th, 2014, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster

Last week, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata mentioned that the company was rethinking its business strategy following poor sales of the Wii U console. Speculation that Nintendo would cease building consoles immediately followed, but Iwata assures fans and investors that this is not the case.

"The spread of smart devices does not spell the end of game consoles. It's not that simple," Iwata stated. "It doesn't mean that we should put Mario on smartphones." Instead, Iwata sees the new ubiquity of mobile devices as a platform that Nintendo could and should tap to promote its console releases. Here he cites GungHo Online Entertainment's Puzzle And Dragons as an example, pointing out that the 3DS incarnation of the game sold more than a million copies in its first month of existence, despite Puzzle And Dragons being available as a free-to-play offering on all manner of mobile devices.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Iwata remains convinced that good games can sell consoles, regardless of how technologically impressive they might be - though modern customers need more convincing than earlier generations. To that end, Nintendo is reportedly pouring money into research and development, and "Mr. Iwata promises to surprise game players in the future."

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/20/iw...with-consoles/

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Rhythm fighter Kickbeat listed for Wii U by German ratings board

January 21st, 2014, 00:27 Posted By: wraggster

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New Super NES cartridge Nightmare Busters now shipping worldwide

January 21st, 2014, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

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UK retailer price cuts: Wii U Premium for £180, Xbox One £410

January 22nd, 2014, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster

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Activision bringing Cut the Rope: Triple Threat 3-game pack to 3DS

January 22nd, 2014, 21:36 Posted By: wraggster

Activision Publishing has announced plans to bring the Cut the Rope series to the Nintendo 3DS in "early 2014." Cut the Rope: Triple Treat combines three games in the ZeptoLabs franchise: the original mobile release and its expansions Cut the Rope: Experiments and Cut the Rope: Time Travel.

Cut the Rope is a single-player physics-based puzzle series where players must devise the best way to make a piece of candy fall into an adorable little monster's mouth. Basically, it's a game about healthy eating habits, as written by small children. According to an announcement press release, Triple Treat features over 650 levels, in-game achievements and leaderboards.

Since first arriving on the competitive mobile scene, Cut the Rope has struck big with players, surpassing 3 million downloads soon after its 2010 launch. Originally published by the EA-owned Chillingo, Cut the Rope's expansions and sequel were subsequently self-published by ZeptoLabs.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/22/ac...ame-pack-to-3/

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Ace Attorney GBA trilogy awaits retrial on 3DS

January 22nd, 2014, 21:46 Posted By: wraggster

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Pokemon Bank launched in 'certain Asian countries'

January 22nd, 2014, 21:51 Posted By: wraggster

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Mighty Bomb Jack leaps to Wii U Virtual Console this week

January 22nd, 2014, 21:54 Posted By: wraggster

An unexpected blast from the past hits the Wii U Virtual Console on Thursday in the form of NES cult classic Mighty Bomb Jack.

Originally based on an arcade game of the same title, Mighty Bomb Jack is a relatively standard NES-era platformer. The game's protagonist uses the titular bombs as his main weapon, but most of the game focuses on precise jumping, seeking hidden treasure and that particular brand of video game weirdness you only see in Japanese games translated to English during the late 1980s.

Nintendo did not announce Mighty Bomb Jack's upcoming re-release, leaving it instead for fans to find on the Virtual Console. As a result, we can't say for certain what price will be attached to the game, though if it falls in line with most other Virtual Console NES releases Mighty Bomb Jack should feature a $5 price tag.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/21/mi...ole-this-week/

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Cut the Rope: Triple Treat Noms its way on to Nintendo 3DS

January 22nd, 2014, 23:33 Posted By: wraggster

ZeptoLab and Activision cut Om Nom free of his rope so he can further his exploration of consoles.
Cut the Rope creator, ZeptoLab has teamed up with Activision to launch Cut the Rope on the Nintendo 3DS.
The new version, Cut the Rope: Triple Treat combines the previous BAFTA Award-winning adventures of Om Nom, including Cut the Rope: Experiments, and Cut the Rope: Time Travel in an all-new 3D experience.
The new game is packed full of 650 levels, containing more than 50 hours worth of candy-nomming gameplay. It also boasts the precision control of the Nintendo 3DS stylus, online leaderboards, in-game achievements, stereoscopic 2D visuals during gameplay and animated Om Nom stories.
Misha Lyalin, CEO of ZeptoLabs, previously spoke about Cut the Rope’s performance on consoles and mentioned that it may also be comeing to the Xbox One and PS4 platforms.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/games/nint...ndo-3ds/042779

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How Can Nintendo Recover?

January 22nd, 2014, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

"Nintendo's revenue and profits are tumbling faster than Mario into a bottomless pit. Company executives recently suggested the next-generation Wii U console would sell 2.8 million units between April 2013 and March 2014 — significantly below the 9 million units predicted in previous estimates. Contrast that with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, which sold 4.2 million and 3 million units, respectively, in their first six weeks of release. In lowering its hardware and software estimates, Nintendo also expects to take a loss by the end of its fiscal year in March. Nintendo's attempt to carve a niche for itself as an ecosystem for casual gamers has also run into a massive obstacle in the form of smartphones and tablets, which quickly developed into popular gaming platforms. Nintendo isreportedly considering a 'new business model,' according to Bloomberg, with its CEO telling a gathering of reporters in Osaka: 'Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It's not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone.' While Nintendo could probably made some good money off legacy gamers by bringing its (much loved) portfolio of older titles to iOS, Android, and other platforms, that move to mobile might further weaken its hardware sales. So what do you think? If you were in charge of Nintendo, how would you turn it around?
http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/0...ntendo-recover

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Original Phoenix Wright trilogy getting bundled for 3DS

January 23rd, 2014, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom is to release the first three Phoenix Wright games on 3DS.
Gematsu reports that the SKU will be called Ace Attorney 123: Wright Selection and will be released in Japan on April 14^th priced at ¥3,990 (£23).
Included on the cart will be Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Ace Attorney: Justice For All and Ace Attorney: Trials And Tribulations, all of which will support the console’s 3D screen.
Also included will be an English script as well as a limited edition release that includes a CD of some description.
Don’t forget that Professor Layton Vs Phoenix Wright is already down for a European 3DS release at the end of March.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/origi...or-3ds/0127040

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Gamecube Robot is More Than Meets The Eye

January 23rd, 2014, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster


[Joshua] had his old Gamecube kicking around. Rather than let it gather dust, he took it into the machine shop at Harvey Mudd College and used its body as the shell of a mobile robot. With a bit of thought, it turns out that you can fit quite a lot inside the rather small Gamecube case. [Joshua] started with a couple of R/C plane style brushless outrunner motors. These motors generally give more torque and spin slower than their inrunner counterparts. Several thousand RPM was still too fast to directly drive the LEGO tires though. He needed a gear reduction.
Gears and tight spaces usually send people running for the SDP/SI website. We’ve used SDP/SI parts before, and have found that they make incredibly accurate gears and assemblies. Things can get pricey, however, when you’re buying two of everything. In search of a solution a bit more within his college-student-budget, [Joshua] looked at radio control servos. R/C servos have some rather strong output gears, especially the metal gear variety. Even with strong gears, parts do break in crashes, so replacement gear sets are available and cheap. [Joshua] settled on gears made for Hitec servos. His next problem was finding a pinion gear for his motors. That turned out to be easy, as 64 pitch gears commonly used in RC cars mesh with metric servo gears. The final results are great. His robot has tons of torque and plenty of speed to zip around. The only thing it’s missing is a brain. Videos after the break.

http://hackaday.com/2014/01/21/gamec...meets-the-eye/

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Nintendo: Time to Break Open The Piggy Bank

January 23rd, 2014, 00:06 Posted By: wraggster

Virtue CFO Asif Khan believes Nintendo must use its ample cash to buy its way back to relevance - perhaps an investment in Oculus?
[h=3]Nintendo[/h]nintendo-europe.com


Just last week, Nintendo pre-announced a horrendous sales miss for their fiscal year ending March, 2014. This has led to a flurry of blog posts, articles and tweets about Nintendo's impending death. As I have said before in my articles, Nintendo is not going to die. However, this recent Wii U sales data does have me concerned as a fan of the company as well as an investor.
Nintendo's ADR, NTDOY, is the third largest holding in the Virtue LLC portfolio that I manage and I have repeatedly stuck my neck out defending the company in myGame Trader articles and also when talking to my family, friends, and colleagues. The magnitude of the sales miss announced last week, and the drastic reduction in Nintendo's estimates has me questioning a number of things going on at the company.
Were their sales expectations wishful thinking or did they actually believe these numbers could be hit?
When a company misses their own sales projection by over 60 percent, it is toeing the dangerous line of misleading investors. Either the management team is full of eternal optimists or they did not see the writing on the wall. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that management needs to change. I am not saying that Iwata must resign, rather that the whole team at Nintendo must change how they view their business and the industry as a whole because they have proven to be out of touch.
"Nintendo has a great opportunity to take a minority stake in Oculus VR, or buy the whole dang company"

Just how long can Nintendo keep its head in the sand with respects to mobile?
It is obvious that Nintendo can not and should not make its own phone, but why not try to monetize legacy content in an environment with hundreds of millions of smartphones in the pockets of people around the world? I understand that 3DS has been much more successful than the Wii U, but I believe that releasing NES titles for mobile is not going to cannibalize sales of the 3DS as much as some inside and outside the company may believe. Nintendo has an opportunity to create a tiered system for releasing their content, where some virtual console titles will be made available on mobile phones and the new AAA Nintendo titles will still be made exclusively for 3DS/Wii U. The current walled garden philosophy isn't going to cut it. Super Mario 3D World was one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2013, yet the Wii U sales still were pathetic. The idea that software sells hardware does not seem to be working, so why not sell some older software on proven hardware platforms that are still growing?
How long can planned obsolescence, incremental innovation, and proprietary intertwining of an ecosystem continue before consumers become disenfranchised and bored with the brand?
This is not just a question for Nintendo, but now seems like a great time for them to address it. The Wii U is severely underpowered when compared to the PS4, Xbox One, and upcoming Steam Machines. In a market with so many high quality choices, why does Nintendo perpetually gravitate towards being a low cost, lower tech option? The NES and SNES were not nearly as guilty of this and they remain some of the best selling consoles of all time. I dream of a day when Nintendo actually makes a machine with a lot of horsepower. We can call it the Mega Nintendo Entertainment System! The planned obsolete Wii U hardware led them to lose support from EA, which I think was a serious factor in the sales miss this holiday. There are very few consumers in Europe that are going to buy a game machine that doesn't play FIFA, as is the case with Madden here in the US. Nintendo must do a better job of creating an ecosystem that 3rd party developers want to be a part of, or else they will eventually suffer the same fate as Sega.
Why not acquire growth and innovation?
Nintendo has a mountain of cash, which allows them to take risks and fail from time to time. This is why they have been around since 1889 and have been able to adjust to market trends. Virtual Boy was a complete flop, but it was an attempt at doing something new and exciting. I had a chance to see Oculus VR's Rift Crystal Cove prototype at this year's CES, and it was a mindblowing experience. Clearly VR is a user interface that is very close to being ready for prime time, and Microsoft and Sony are putting up barriers to Oculus. Nintendo has a great opportunity to take a minority stake in Oculus VR, or buy the whole dang company. Either way, this is an example of how Nintendo could acquire innovation and show that they are still a brand that can wow people. Even if they don't acquire the whole company, supporting and developing games that use Oculus VR's innovative tech would be a great way to differentiate Nintendo from Sony and Microsoft.
If that is too crazy of an idea, why not acquire Sega or Capcom? One of the main problems Nintendo has is their development cycles are so long that they never seem to have enough quality titles available. Expanding their development teams to include Sega and Capcom is something they can easily do with their balance sheet and would be accretive to earnings within a few years. Instead of sitting on a pile of money, Nintendo should do something to grow the company before it starts bleeding cash.
Why not license existing brands out to film/TV studios in an effort to achieve profitability and improve brand recognition in key demographics?
"Wii U is not Dreamcast, and Nintendo could continue at this pathetic pace for 20 more years before going bankrupt"

Nintendo has made movies in the past, and they have had TV shows, but they currently aren't doing either. Nintendo could easily monetize their brands by licensing content to Disney, Sony or anyone else in Hollywood that wants to make money. It is a low cost, high return effort on their part and would help them get out of the hole they are in financially. At the same time, it could reinvigorate their brand in the eyes of an age group that has no recollection of the NES. Put simply, bring back the cereal, Nintendo!
Are they even trying?
The fact that I could put forth all these ideas for how to grow the company's earnings organically or through partnerships and acquisitions shows that there is a way out for Nintendo. Wii U is not Dreamcast, and Nintendo could continue at this pathetic pace for 20 more years before going bankrupt. Part of me feels like this whole generation is a "kick the can down the road" move on the part of Nintendo. 3DS and Wii U are evolutionary products, not revolutionary. Perhaps Nintendo already has its next product in the works and it will address a number of my concerns above. Maybe this recent sales miss is the kick in the behind the company needed to change course.
What I know for certain is that Nintendo still makes some of the best games in the world, it has some of the most recognizable characters in the world, and millions of fans worldwide. Not every decision at a video game company should be about profits and losses, but when a company has three straight years of losses and misses sales by an egregious 60 percent something has to change. The status quo will not work anymore, Nintendo. I have not sold any of my shares because I still believe that the company can turn this around, but it needs to realize that 2014 is a lot different than 2006.
When I bought the stock in 2010, in was with a 3-5 year time horizon. After this recent sales miss, I have realized that it will take close to 6 more years before we know if Nintendo really is going to turn it around or not. It remains the cheapest stock that I own on a number of valuation metrics, but companies are usually cheap for a reason. Nothing is going to appear undervalued when things are going well, and it is very apparent that things are not going well at Nintendo. Something has to change.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...the-piggy-bank

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Gateway 3DS 2.0 multiROM teaser

January 23rd, 2014, 02:09 Posted By: wraggster

Hello loyal Gateway 3DS fans! (you know who you are)

Today we will briefly take a break from our intense development cycles to present you with our latest progress on the MultiROM functionality for the Gateway 3DS 2.0 release. But first a few words from the team.

As you might have noticed, our milestones have been slipping a bit lately. The original release date for 2.0 was planned early january, but certain events have thrown a wrench into our schedule.

We are still investigating individual brick incidents reported by legitimate Gateway 3DS users. So far, many isolated brick incidents that were blamed on us have been debunked in one way or another and turned out to be associated with use of the clones modified versions of our official release files.

Now, without further ado; enjoy this quick teaser video of the upcoming Gateway 3DS ROM selection menu. As you might be able to tell we're doing our best to tightly integrate this with the existing system and make the task of switching to a different game a pleasant and fast experience for all Gateway users.



http://www.gateway-3ds.com/

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Yoshi's New Island gets 3DS release date

January 23rd, 2014, 20:56 Posted By: wraggster

3DS platformer Yoshi's New Island will launch in Europe on 14th March, Nintendo has revealed.It means that Mario's egg-spitting dinosaur pal will arrive here in Europe on the same day as in North America, both as a physical release and a digital download.Pre-order the game and Nintendo UK has said you'll get a Yoshi Egg Game Case. There's no word on which retailers will offer the trinket, although GAME usually partners with Nintendo on such things.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...s-release-date

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US Nintendo eShop update: Mighty Bomb Jack, Life Force

January 23rd, 2014, 21:53 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo has added two NES games to its Virtual Console service as part of its weekly US eShop update.
Platformer Mighty Bomb Jack is now available on Wii U and shoot-em-up Life Force joins the 3DS' Virtual Console lineup. Nintendo will also discount 3DS JRPG Shin Megami Tensei IV and 3DS action platformer Fractured Soul on eShop over the next few weeks.
Here's the full official list:

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Time is running out for Nintendo Wii U

January 23rd, 2014, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster

The UK games industry still has faith in Nintendo, but told MCV that drastic action is needed to save Wii U.
The biggest names at games retail – talking under the condition of anonymity – say a significant price cut and a bundle with upcoming blockbuster Mario Kart 8 will help alleviate short-term issues surrounding Wii U.
Nintendo issued a profit warning after sales of its console fell significantly short of target. 2.8m Wii Us were sold worldwide last year, missing its quota by 6.2m.
“A sub-£200 machine will help, and Mario Kart is desperately needed to reach the fans,” said the games boss of one of the UK’s biggest retailers. “We also need something revolutionary that makes use of the second screen and has mainstream appeal, which is easier said than done.”
The top buyer at one online games store added: “There is only one real last chance for Wii U and it is Mario Kart 8. It could still be the game that sparks interest in Wii U, but it would need to be combined with a more mass market retail price.”
A games exec at a mass market outlet added: “£199 and Mario Kart 8. Simple.”
Despite the poor numbers, UK trade figures believe Nintendo has a plan.
Xbite boss Steve Thomas said: “Nintendo will have something up its sleeves that again will add a new dimension to gaming.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/time-...-wii-u/0127107

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'Nintendo was dead to EA very quickly' after Wii U launch, source claims

January 23rd, 2014, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster

An anonymous source has supposedly told one website that EA’s relationship with Nintendo was crippled shortly after the launch of Wii U.
"Nintendo was dead to us very quickly," an ‘EA source’ toldCVG when asked about the publisher’s sudden change of heart following Wii U’s arrival.
"It became a kids IP platform and we don't really make games for kids. That was pretty true across the other labels too. Even the Mass Effect title on Wii U, which was a solid effort, could never do big business, and EA like Activision is only focused on games that can be big franchises".
The publisher had FIFA, Madden, Need for Speed and Mass Effect ready for the system’s launch but has since seemingly abandoned the system, despiteprotestations to the contrary.
However, all the positive PR noises in the world can’t mask the fact that none of EA’s future titles are currently earmarked for Nintendo’s struggling machine.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...claims/0127102