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ESRB Hints At Street Fighter II On Virtual Console
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: CAPCOM, Fighting, Nintendo, Retro, Wii,
1up.com has done a little trolling through the ESRB database and found some interesting titles. Games like Kirby’s Adventure and Kid Icarus appear in the database for the Wii, but a new entry, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior is listed. While this title could be for something other than the Virtual Console, this seems unlikely. Hopefully, having Capcom on board will mean that gamers will get to see other classic titles like Bionic Commando.
Read More 
| 1up
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Four New Titles In US Virtual Console
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo, Retro, SEGA, Wii,
Nintendo today made four new Virtual Console titles available in the US. The titles include Ice Hockey for the NES at 500 points, Gunstar Heroes and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine for the Genesis at 800 points each, and Alien Crush for the TurboGrafx16 at 600 points. The titles are a decent mix; the most interesting is probably Alien Crush, a classic pinball release. Mean Bean Machine, based around the Puyo Puyo play mechanic may also interest puzzle game fans.
Read More | Nintendo
Interlink Files Patent Dispute, Hopes to Profit off of Wii Success
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, Politics, Wii,
It seems to be the new norm in consumer electronics manufacturing - if you start to make money off of a good idea, you’d better stockpile lawyers and money to defend it against patent lawsuits. First Creative vs. the iPod, then Immersion vs. PS3 Rumble, now this. Interlink electronics, creator of those pointers businessfolk use for corporate presentations, is suing Nintendo over the Wiimote and its use of a trigger button, claiming that that Nintendo is infringing on their patent #6,850,221 “Trigger Operated Electronic Device”.
Granted, I’m a bit biased, but it seems to me that there’s absolutely no merit in their claim. Here’s the timeline of events, just to keep things straight:
- September 29, 1996 - Nintendo releases the N-64, featuring a 3-pronged controller with the infamous Z-trigger underneath the anolog stick. Nintendo goes on to sell 32 million consoles worldwide
- 1997 - Interlink files patent for “Trigger Operated Electronic Device”
- February 2005 - Interlink is granted patent for a device that bears resemblance to the Wiimote (see figure at right), including a remote-style shape and a trigger on the underside of the device.
- September 2005 - Nintendo unveils the Wiimote at the Tokyo Games Show
Given that Interlink had no plans to get into the gaming world, and that Nintendo had been using trigger-style technology before Interlink even filed their patent, I find it hard to believe that this case has any leg to stand on.
Read More | GameDaily.biz
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Nintendo: Hold on To That Wii-Mote
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, Internet, Rumors, Wii,
In response to some of the recent stories of Wii-motes damaging friends, family, and expensive electronics (some credible, some not so much), Nintendo felt it would be a good idea to send out a reminder to all the Wii owners out there. The bottom line? Hold on to that Wii-Mote! And don’t flail your arms around at hundreds of miles per hour, ya dumby!
See an image of the e-mail from Nintendo, after the jump…
Click to continue reading Nintendo: Hold on To That Wii-Mote
Xbox.com: Buy Your Girlfriend a DS Lite or a Wii
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Internet, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360,
Xbox.com’s “Gamerchix” section has some suggestions on what and what not to get your girlfriend for christmas. The items at the top of their must-buy lists?
* Xbox 360 Wireless Headset
* Microsoft Points
* Subscription to Xbox Live
* Gift Certificates to EBGames or GameStop
* Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
* DS Lite
* Nintendo Wii
* Candles
* Spa gift certificates
You read that right - Microsoft thinks your girlfriend would just LOVE one of Nintendo’s fine products this season. Either Microsoft is extending a hand to Nintendo, or this is some brilliant subversive marketing (“See kids, the Wii is for GIRLS!”). And is the “Candles” suggestion right below the Wii a sly reference to the Wii Sensor Bar hacks that we’ve been seeing around? Perhaps I’m just giving them too much credit…
Read More | Xbox.com
Iwata Believes Nintendo May Beat Earnings Estimates
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Hardware, Nintendo DS, Wii,
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata recently spoke with Reuters after the launch of the Wii in Japan. In this interview, Iwata indicated that stronger than expected sales for the DS may help take Nintendo past their previous earnings estimates. There was some worry from both Nintendo and market analysts that the launch of the Wii might leech away sales from the DS; so far, it looks like that hasn’t happened. Instead, the momentum Nintendo has accumulated with the DS may be driving the popularity of the Wii up through a halo effect, much like Apple experiences with the iPod. It is still too early to tell if that is the case; consoles usually will see strong numbers at launch. Until the market has time to shake down, it will be hard to see how the DS and the Wii affect each other’s sales.
Read More | Reuters
Official Media Create Wii Japanese Sales
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Nintendo, Wii,
Japanese entertainment sales tracker Media Create has released their figures for the first two days of the Wii launch in Japan; according to their surveys, the Wii console has sold a little more than 350,000 units in the first two days. In addition, the top four software sales titles were Wii Sports at 176,167 units, Wii Play at 174,297 units, The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess at 139,000, and the latest WarioWare title sold 63,954 units. Overall, the software sales tie rate hit 1.8, much better than the sub-1.0 tie rate of the Playstation 3.
The Japanese audience did not pick up Zelda at the 75% ownership rate in the US, but since the Japanese Wii did not come with a pack-in game like the US console, gamers were probably more split between Zelda and the other titles. Wii Sports would be more compelling for the casual gamer and also costs 4800 Yen ($41) to Zelda’s 6800 Yen ($59). Wii Play sells for 4800 Yen, but comes bundled with an additional Wii Remote, so gamers looking to get an extra controller would find this an attractive option. Still, Nintendo’s first party titles all sold well with the launch of the Wii. Unfortunately for third-party publishers, sales figures drop off significantly after that. Overall, it is hard to see the Wii launch as anything but a massive success for Nintendo in Japan.
Read More | eg Japan
What happens when you introduce a non-traditional system to an unfamiliar demographic? Crazy stuff like this. Wow, I’ve heard the controls are tricky for Wii Boxing, but if this is what I need to get a knockout, count me out.
Wii Sells Nearly 400,000 Consoles On Day One
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Nintendo, Wii,
Reports from Japan’s Wii launch indicates that nearly all of the 400,000 console that Nintendo shipped were sold in the first day of sales. Forbes reports on news from Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun that by noon on Saturday, nearly all of the initial console allocation had snapped up by anxious gamers. Estimates suggest that Sony has shipped less than 200,000 Playstation 3 consoles to date, and while Microsoft saw a small uptick in Xbox 360 sales after the release of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, suggesting that Nintendo has grabbed the lead in the Japanese front of the console wars.
Read More | Forbes
Today many retailers, including Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, and Toys “R” Us listed the Wii in their Sunday fliers, and most sold out quickly. It hardly seems like it has been only two weeks since the launch of the Wii. Demand is still running high for the console, as gamers continue the hunt. Gear Live’s Bleeding Edge crew has video documenting their long wait for Nintendo’s new console on launch day. Check out the video from a Game Crazy in Nintendo of America’s hometown on November 19th, Wii day, to see some of the swag giveaways, witnessing from the cult of Nintendo, and some really bad Wii jokes.
Read More | The Bleeding Edge
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