Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 1 Comment

When titles in the Mario and Zelda series are being developed, one can bet that Shigeru Miyamoto oversees a great deal of the production process each day. However, that can’t be said about every Nintendo title. Miyamoto has stated that sometime he might only check in on a product “once a week or even once a month.”

“Our department has so many people working on different projects. Some titles I’m deeply involved in and others I’m not so deeply involved in. Sometimes there is software I check on just once a week or even once a month. But I’m always getting reports on how games are going, then I make comments or decide to change aspects of the game. When games are nearing completion I usually get more deeply involved.”

You might also be interested to know that Miyamoto regularly eats lunch with Satoru Iwata, swims at least once a week, and believe it or not, Miyamoto is often late to work.

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Wii | 2 Comments

Shigeru Miyamoto told the Official Nintendo Magazine last week that the next Zelda title might not be shown at E3. So, does it seem plausible that the title Miyamoto was referring to will release in 2009? According to Lazard Capital Markets’ Colin Sebastian, yes. Sebastian believes that not only will a new Zelda game release in 2009, but Princess Peach will show her face in a new title as well. The Princess Peach prediction seems more likely to release next year than Zelda, but it does appear to be very random that Sebastian would even begin discussing Princess Peach at all.

Source

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 2 Comments

“The figures [NPD numbers] across the board [Wii, 360, PS3] are fantastic. There’s no question about it. The industry continues to display signs of being recession proof. As far as platform strategy, our plans of supporting all platforms with titles is completely supported by the November numbers.” – Christian Svensson, Corporate Officer/VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development

Nintendo definitely had an amazing November with about around 3.5 million units sold between the Wii and DS. In terms of the Wii, this should prove to third parties that the system still has staying power and perhaps the November numbers will convince a few companies to step up their support for the platform.

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 1 Comment

Unlike the typical multiplatform game, a good majority of critics have been giving the Wii version of Shaun White Snowboarding the most accolades. The game has also sold fairly well at 259,000 copies sold in November and the Wii version has raked in 40% of those sales. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that a sequel is in the works.

Said Shaun White himself, “Now that I have the knowledge and I can speak to programmers better and I understand a lot more about what’s possible and what’s not possible, this will all help with the next game.”

Source 1, Source 2

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Holiday shoppers visiting Toys“R”Us Times Square will find a new surprise waiting for them—a new Nintendo department offering an interactive way to have fun, while experiencing the wide range of Nintendo products available this holiday season and beyond.

The Nintendo department, located on Level One of the Toys“R”Us international flagship store, is nearly 1,000 square feet and is easily visible from the store’s windows overlooking Broadway. Visitors to The World’s Greatest Toy Store™ will find an interactive Wii™ wall within the department, offering shoppers the chance to play select Wii games. Additionally, shoppers interested in sampling a portable experience can play one of eight Nintendo DS™ systems with a variety of games. The department also features a Nintendo gallery, showcasing images from Nintendo’s history of classic and current games.

The Nintendo department also features specially trained Nintendo experts who can walk shoppers through the department’s experience and provide information about Nintendo products. Shoppers can easily identify these experts by their special Nintendo-branded uniforms.

“What we’ve been seeing all year long is the expansion of video game fun to people of both genders, and all ages and tastes—there’s literally something for everyone,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “But in recent weeks, Nintendo products appear to be appealing to even more people, as every form of fun is being measured against a price tag. And that’s what makes this experience in Toys“R”Us so compelling—all the fun and information is available right at your fingertips.”

“Toys“R”Us Times Square is the premier New York City destination for families, and Nintendo offers the ultimate family gaming experience, making a partnership between our two brands the perfect match,” said Bill Lee, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Toys“R”Us, U.S. “The new, dedicated Nintendo department at Toys“R”Us Times Square allows us to offer customers an exceptional interactive experience for testing out the latest Nintendo products.”

In addition to the new, experiential Nintendo department, shoppers can also find the full range of Nintendo products in the “R” Zone department on the store’s Lower Level.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

A few days ago, it was reported that 17-year-old Daniel Petric shot his his father and ended up killing his mother because they would not allow him to play Halo 3. According to an Ohio newspaper, the Chronicle-Telegram, the boy’s lawyers are concentrating their defense case on his insanity, which they argued resulted from video games.

Petric’s lawyer argued today that the boy’s obsession with Halo 3 contributed to his insanity and thus should not be found guilty. It was further added that Petric did not have any prior intentions to kill his parents, and rather, the event was a “spur of the moment decision.” However, Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tony Cillo countered by stating that the boy was fully cognizant of his actions when he shot his parents.

Petric could receive a lifetime jail sentence if he is convicted of all charges. A decision will be announced on January 7th.

Source 1, Source 2, Source 3

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 1 Comment

Contrary to Hideo Kojima himself, it looks as though the next Metal Gear title has been revealed ahead of schedule. The latest Famitsu shows that the series will be heading to the iPhone. A scan demonstrates touch elements, and speculation has begun that the game is a Metal Gear Solid 4 spin-off.

For Nintendo gamers, although this news may be mostly disappointing, at least the ends any additional speculation. Although, who knows. Perhaps one day we’ll see a Metal Gear DS – The touch aspects in the Metal Gear title for the iPhone would obviously work on the DS.

Update: Changed the story following new information

Source 1, Source 2, Source 3

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

18-year-old Lamar Roberts recently pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse-knowingly/recklessly, which caused the death of a seven-year-old girl. Roberts’ girlfriend, Jennifer Finch, also pleaded guilty in May to child abuse-negligently.

Roberts and his girlfriend were babysitting Zoe Garcia when they decided to do movements similar to those performed in Mortal Kombat. These actions, sadly, let to the death of the seven-year-old.

There has been some doubt that Mortal Kombat was the primary reason for the young girl’s death. Reports say that there was at least one incident in which Roberts was abusive towards Zoe Garcia when drinking.

Finch’s prison sentence was changed after an agreement was reached that she would successfully take part in a six year youth offender program. Roberts’ sentencing is scheduled for January 16.

Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

Nintendo News

Club Nintendo Offers Special Membership for Fans

Starting today, Nintendo welcomes its North American fans to Club Nintendo™, a special club that rewards members for registering Nintendo products and completing surveys. Nintendo fans can sign up by visiting Club.Nintendo.com. After joining, fans can register select Nintendo hardware and Nintendo-published games in exchange for Nintendo Coins, which can then be redeemed for limited-edition Nintendo rewards available only to Club Nintendo members.

“Club Nintendo gives fans what they want – access to exclusive rewards for their loyalty to our brand and our products,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America Inc.’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We’re offering some unique items as a way to say thanks for their support of Nintendo.”

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Posted on 15 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 9 Comments

Update: Club Nintendo is now live. Visit the website here

Club Nintendo went live a couple of minutes ago (although the placeholder has returned – temporarily, we assume). Here’s the first details on the service:

Earning coins

Wii game register = 50 coins
DS game register = 30 coins
VC/WiiWare titles/Wii Channels = 10 coins

– Indicating your intent to buy a game. You’ll earn 10 extra Coins after you buy it, register it and complete the survey.
– Registering a Nintendo game and completing a quick survey within 4 weeks of its launch. You’ll earn an additional 10 Coins!
– Completing a Post Play survey that will be available within 4-6 after the release of a game. You’ll earn an additional 10 Coins!

Prizes thus far:

Game & Watch Collection – 800 coins
White Nintendo DS Game Card Case – 600 coins
Hanafuna Cards – 800 coins
Mario Party Playing Cards – 500 points
Animal Crossing Playing Cards – 500 points
Mario Nintendo DS Game Rack – 600 coins
Nintendo DS Game Card and Stylus Set (Black) – 600 coins
Nintendo DS Game Card and Stylus Set (Super Mario Bros. Theme) – 600 coins
Nintendo DS Game Card and Stylus Set (Animal Crossing Theme) – 600 coins
Nintendo DS Lite Case (Silver) – 400 points
Wii Remote Holder – 300 coins

Platinum/Gold status info:

600 coins in a Club Nintendo year (July 1 to July 30) can receive a free gift + Platinum rank
300 coins in a Club Nintendo year can receive a different free gift + Gold rank

Read past the break for some information about product registration…

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