Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

Note: The event is now over and the full round of details can be found below.

Nintendo is holding their typical investors meeting following their quarterly earnings report that the company posted last night. Our usual source for information, David Gibson, is attending the event and has been sending out live tweets.

We’re posting details from the meeting below. Keep checking back, as this post will be continuously updated until it’s finished.

– Spirit Camera hasn’t sold well in Japan thus far
– Iwata and Miyamoto are at the meeting
– Iwata feels responsible for revising down Nintendo’s financial forecast 3 quarters in a row
– 3DS sales are still strong in the U.S. after Christmas
– The fact that the Wii is declining isn’t unique to Nintendo; The PS3/360 are down year-over-year in Japan as well
– This will be the worst year financially, Nintendo thinks they’ll be able to break even on the 3DS hardware
– 200 titles coming to 3DS
– 60% of 3DS users have connected to the Internet
– Nintendo wants to expand digital offerings, but its in an infant stage currently
– Wii U will arrive before Christmas
– Nintendo are preparing appropriate titles for Wii U’s launch
– Wii U will have near field communication (NFC)
– NFC will be planned internationally
– DLC still planned
– Nintendo needs more time to do more feasibility studies on market/needs for DLC
– Wii U to have an individual account system rather than previous per hardware
– More Internet/digital news in the future
– Nintendo has built a “pillar” for digital content and can now takes risks
– Nintendo’s digital plans include user-to-user communication and sharing
– Nintendo will be looking to improve 3DS and focus on software to improve profits
– Super Mario titles will drive a lot of profitability
– Digital: If a Super Mario player gets tired, they can sell extra content digitally and will drive extra revenue (not entirely clear)
– Higher communication among users and satisfaction could improve hardware sales and install base could rise
– Digital aspect isn’t an enemy; digital content won’t be priced so it cannibalizes packaged content
– Shouldn’t decline third-parties if they want to offer item billing
– 3DS doing well in Japan
– In the U.S. and Europe, consumers were more cautious and title delays from Nintendo/third-parties had an impact
– Nintendo has learned that there shouldn’t be stagnant periods between software launches
– Digital software can extend the life of a title
– Kokuniki (3DS) enables sharing of dairy; popular title for females
– Third year of 3DS is crucial to determine ultimate software/hardware potential
– Miyamoto not retiring, but is allocating time to “chat” to the young developers
– Miyamoto is trying to teach those who haven’t been involved with development before and hopes there will be new ideas
– Iwata is critical of Wired’s report about Miyamoto retiring; message should have been Miyamoto is always considering retirement
– Miyamoto isn’t hands-on with the juniors; they watch him
– Miyamoto’s basic work is to make a big hit
– Iwata says the priority is to satisfy current 3DS users and prepare titles that will expand the user base combined with network
– Miyamoto: Wii U’s network has to have a new concept to be different
– Digital sales will be improved drastically but not dramatic for sales/profits next year
– Nintendo is a fan of the Amazon recommendation system, wants to improve/allow access by others

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Wii U | 0 comments

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments

Rumors about the Wii U have been in full force these past few weeks, and we’re still months away from E3.

CVG is reporting today that Nintendo is considering changing the console’s name. The site states that “serious discussions are ongoing at the highest level in the US and Japan as to whether the firm should cut its losses and give the console a different name.”

There was quite a bit of uncertainty last year when Nintendo first revealed Wii U. Some were under the impression that Nintendo was simply creating a new controller for their current home system and weren’t planning on launching a new piece of hardware.

Likewise, there has been confusion about the 3DS. The company has been placing red box stickers on game boxes to show that the software is for a new handheld and isn’t compatible with the DS. A tagline has also been added to TV spots: “This is not DS. This is Nintendo 3DS.”

Perhaps Nintendo will be looking to avoid another round of confusion with Wii U. The name is obviously extremely similar to Wii, and the two consoles maintain similar appearances.

Source

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Tomb Raider is one PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 title that won’t be made for Wii U.

Crystal Dynamics Global Brand Director Karl Stewart explained that the studio wouldn’t be interested in simply porting the game. If they were to develop a title for the console, they “would build it very differently and would built it with unique functionality.”

Stewart said:

“When we started developing the game we made a conscious decision that it was all about building the game for a platform and making sure the game was specific to that platform. Given that we’ve been working on the game quite a while before Wii U was announced I think it would not be right to try and port it across. If we started building a game for the Wii U we would build it very differently and we would build it with unique functionality.”

Thanks to Jake for the tip!

Source

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Rumors regarding a summer/early fall release for Wii U can now be put to rest.

During an earnings conference in Japan, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that the console will ship this holiday season in North America, Europe, and Australia. It seems that the company is planning a worldwide launch.

Thanks to ehead and 4Him for the tip!

Source 1, Source 2

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

New Dragon Quest X details accompanied today’s screenshot update. We learn about the methods of transportation in the game – such as the railroad – and the quest system.

The new information is as follows:

– Use the railroad to travel in the world
– The five continents of the game world are connected by “extreme long distance railroad”
– Magic train can instantly transport you to your destination
– Rula Stone transportation: the item remember locations you’ve previously visited, travel quickly to these destinations
– Each stone remembers just one location
– Stone can be reprogrammed to a different location
– Can hold multiple stones at once
– “Mini stories”/quests will be offered in downloadable form
– Some quests are specific to particular job types, others are specific to continents
– Martial Artists’ Quest: You open a training book that you received from a youth and see a quest left behind by a legendary martial artist.
– Warrior Quest: This mysterious quest is given to you buy a mysterious elder. You’re asked to travel to a certain location.
– Monk Quest: This quest asks that you find a particular person. To complete the quest, you’ll need to figue out the meaning of a mysterious poem.

Thanks to 4Him for the tip!

Source

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono provided some cryptic statements when asked about the Wii U in a recent interview. The Street Fighter X Tekken producer hyped up the console and said “Wii U will be a console with so many and unique possibilities that it will be difficult to show them in the box they are going to sell it or to be published by magazines and other mediums.”

Ono also teased that there’s more to Wii U than what Nintendo showed at last year’s E3.

His full comments are as follows:

“What we saw last E3 is not a reflection of everything this console is able to offer. We have been trying the development kits and some of its new characteristics will improve its possibilities. It isn’t something like Kinect or similar accessories, it’s something different.

“I can’t tell you more about it because, if I do, Nintendo will send assassins to finish me! (laughs) But let’s say that Wii U will be a console with so many and unique possibilities that it will be difficult to show them in the box they are going to sell it or to be published by magazines and other mediums.”

So… Maybe we’ll see a new Wii U project from Ono at this year’s E3?

Source 1, Source 2

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments

New rumors have started to surface regarding the Wii U’s capabilities.

Last night, we heard that the system was supposedly 20% less powerful than Microsoft’s next home console and today, a source speaking with Develop – originating from late 2011 – says that the Wii U will be twice as powerful as the Xbox 360. The site says it “could achieve roughly twice the processing and graphical potential of Microsoft’s current generation machine.”

Apparently some studios were expecting more power from the console.

Develop’s source said:

“I’ve heard [a project designer] complain it’s underpowered compared to what Nintendo announced, resulting in people having to de-scale their plans.

Along with this rumor, Develop has learned “that a prominent UK racing studio has committed to support Wii U with one project each year.”

Source

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments

IGN has published a new rumor regarding Microsoft’s next console.

While most of the article focuses on the system’s release date and some technical specifications, there was a terse statement included regarding a comparison to Nintendo’s upcoming console. The site claims that the next Xbox “will yield 20-percent greater performance than Nintendo’s forthcoming console, the Wii U.”

I think most gaming enthusiasts had assumed that both Microsoft and Sony’s next consoles would end up being much more powerful than Wii U. However, it’ll be tough to make any true comparisons until the final specs of all of these systems have been provided.