In this week’s Famitsu, four notable Japanese developers revealed their top 3 games of all time. Puzzle & Dragons creator Daisuke Yamamoto, Monster Hunter producer Kaname Fujioka, Siren and Gravity Rush producer Keiichiro Toyama, and Ogre Battle designer Yasumi Matsuno shared their choices.

Polygon translated selections and comments for all four developers. You can find the results below.

Ubisoft share price falls up to 32% amidst game delays

Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in General Gaming, General Nintendo, News, Platforms, Wii U | 2 Comments

Understandably, Ubisoft’s stock took a hit this week after they announced the delay of two of their biggest titles this holiday season: Watch_Dogs and The Crew. Both games were pushed into 2014, and shortly thereafter the company’s shares fell by the biggest margin they’ve seen since they debuted on the stock exchange all the way back in 1996. On top of that, we recently reported that the company said Rayman Legends and Splinter Cell: Blacklist sold below expectations, which probably contributed to their troubles.

Via Gamespot

Aonuma explains why Nintendo doesn’t take an annualization approach with Zelda

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 4 Comments

Big franchises like Call of Duty tend to see new releases each year. But in the case of Zelda, it usually takes Nintendo quite a long time to develop a new entry.

Majora’s Mask was intended to be the original exception. Following Ocarina of Time in November 1998, Nintendo had wanted to get the N64 sequel out the door just a year later.

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma told Shacknews that Miyamoto came up with the idea:

Aonuma answers fan questions about Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, again teases Majora’s Mask connection

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 1 Comment

Zelda fans have asked series producer Eiji Aonuma a few things about A Link Between Worlds. You can find his full responses below.

Ubisoft revises financial forecast in light of game delays

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments

Ubisoft announced delays for two of its biggest upcoming games today: Watch_Dogs and The Crew. As a result, the company has revised its financial forecast, with a loss now expected for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

According to Ubisoft:

“Watch Dogs and The Crew, previously planned for release in fiscal year 2013-14, are now scheduled for 2014-15. The revision of targets for 2013-14 is principally a reflection of these changes. The Company now targets sales of between €995 million and €1,045 million and a non-IFRS operating loss of between €(70) million and €(40) million. Prior targets were sales of between €1,420 million and €1,450 million and non-IFRS operating income of between €110 million and €125 million.”

Wondering what the above is in USD? Here’s the breakdown: total sales of around $580 million USD lower and an operating loss between $54 million and $94.5 million.

Source, Via

Games analyst speculates that uninformed retail staff are partially to blame for poor Wii U sales

Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in General Nintendo, News, Platforms, Wii U | 4 Comments

“There was nothing that you could put in front of everybody that said, ‘This is what the experience is.’ I think one of the things that was a real indicator of that was just, anecdotally, if you went into a retailer and you talked to somebody in the games department, they didn’t even understand what it was. I did the secret shopper kind of thing, and they would say, ‘Well, there’s no difference between the Wii and Wii U.’ I’m standing there, looking at them, going, ‘Wow!’ I think that right there was an anecdotal piece of evidence [showing] that people didn’t get it.
“There should have been a Wii Sports-type game that let everybody get it. Those huge franchises would have gotten the loyal Nintendo person, but it was Wii Sports that got all the people outside the Nintendo world to look and say, ‘This is a really, really neat, fun thing to do.’

“I think there was something really special about the Wii and the way that whole thing happened that they didn’t even know was going to happen. I don’t think there was the possibility that the Wii U was ever going to repeat that. I’m not sure they expected that [either].”

– IHS Electronics & Media’s Senior Games Analyst Christine Arrington

Arrington does not give any details on her research, and the only concrete evidence she brings to the table is anecdotal. This appears to be purely speculative.

Benzinga, Via NintendoLife

Aonuma: where A Link Between Worlds fits into the Zelda timeline, Yuga not a Gerudo, triforce, bracelet usage, more

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments

Interviews with Eiji Aonuma stemming from his appearance at the New York Comic Con continue to pour in. IGN was yet another site that managed to sneak in a few questions about the series, and more specifically, A Link Between Worlds. Topics addressed in IGN’s talk include the game’s position in the timeline, Yuga, the triforce, why the bracelet was picked as the means of transitioning between Hyrule and Lorule, and more.

You can find a Q&A roundup below. IGN’s full piece is located here.

Ubiquitous Entertainment makes its Javascript framework compatible with Nintendo Web Framework

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U eShop | 0 comments

Ubiquitous Entertainment’s smartphone Javascript framework “enchant.js” is now compatible with the Nintendo Web Framework. “Glandarius WingStrike” is one upcoming Wii U title based on the technology. Those who sign an agreement with Nintendo will receive access to the plugin.

Source, Via

Aonuma: Zelda film would have to “change what a movie is”, would be more interactive

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 1 Comment

A Zelda movie may not be out of the question. At the very least, series producer Eiji Aonuma says he’s “talked about” the subject with creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

If we were to see a Zelda film, it wouldn’t be your typical viewing event. Aonuma told Kotaku that Nintendo would to “make it more interactive, like you’re able to take your 3DS into the theater and that leads you into participating in it somehow.”

Aonuma added, “We wouldn’t want to make it the same as any other movie. We want to somehow change what a movie is.”

“This is something that me and Mr. Miyamoto talked about. If we were to make a Zelda title, if we had interest in doing that, I think really what would be most important to us is to be able to play with the format of a movie, make it more interactive, like you’re able to take your 3DS into the theater and that leads you into participating in it somehow. We wouldn’t want to make it the same as any other movie. We want to somehow change what a movie is.”

Source

Ancel says Nintendo’s greatest strength/weakness is innovation, Big N comes out with “biggest surprises”

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 6 Comments

Ubisoft’s Michel Ancel shared a few words about Nintendo while speaking with ONM this month.

According to the Rayman creator, innovation is the company’s greatest strength as well as its greatest weakness. This goes hand in hand with risk-taking, he believes.

Ancel also said that “the biggest surprises seem to come from Nintendo.” Miiverse and the GamePad were both pointed to as examples.

Ancel’s comments in full:

Nintendo’s greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is innovation. It’s a company that takes a lot of risks. Few people understand that innovation involves risk-taking, because you don’t control everything on the market.
Today, the biggest surprises seem to come from Nintendo. People may like those surprises or not, but that’s a fact. Miiverse was a surprise, the GamePad was a surprise. What will come next? I can’t wait!

Thanks to joclo for sending this our way.