Rumor: Wii U hitting Europe in November, before Thanksgiving in the US
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
Word on the street in that issues with manufacturing have caused Nintendo to “delay” the European launch of Wii U.
CVG sources say that Nintendo initially planned to ship the console in November. At one point, a major publishing firm executive, whose company is working closely with Nintendo, felt that an early 2013 launch was likely. No need to worry though: Nintendo has guaranteed a 2012 release.
As far as the US is concerned, the goal is to get the Wii U ready before Thanksgiving.
Wii U’s manufacturing issues apparently stem from its technology. The controller is complex and features a wide array of components, including its own power supply. If CVG is to be believed, Nintendo has not yet shared the Wii U’s launch date due to these problems, but it should be noted that such issues shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Most console launches tend to face a bit of trouble before launch.
Retailers post Wii U boxart images
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
Update: Bumped to the front page with a FIFA 13 boxart from GameStop.
We’ve seen so many Wii U “boxarts” that’s it has become difficult to know what’s reliable and what isn’t. However, the images above may have more credibility compared to past photos.
Amazon.ca has posted Wii U boxarts for Assassin’s Creed III, Just Dance 4, and Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth. Target has the same boxart up for ACIII.
No, this doesn’t mean that these will turn out to be the final Wii U boxes. We probably won’t know for sure for a couple of months.
3DS XL may have screen scratching issues
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Rumors | 0 comments
Some European consumers have been experiencing screen scratching issues with the newly launched 3DS XL. The scratches have been appearing in the form of various dots on the top screen, occasionally forming lines.
When the original 3DS hit store shelves, users also complained of screen scratching on the top screen. In some cases, this continued even with with more recent 3DS units.
It’s currently unclear how big of an issue screen scratching could turn out to be for the 3DS XL.
These Wii U rumors can’t be true
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
There are some odd Wii U rumors floating around today, but what’s even stranger is that some of the speculation is receiving a lot of attention. I thought it’d be best to clear up some of the confusion.
The first rumor, coming from Click, claims that BioShock Infinite will be released for Wii U. Click cited Take-Two’s earnings call as the source. The problem is, no one mentioned a Wii U version during the call (read the transcript in full here). Don’t forget that there were lots of people listening, yet no one managed to report on the announcement until today? Pretty fishy. There’s other evidence indicating that this rumor is silly, but I think you get the point.
Next comes conjecture that Medal of Honor: Warfighter is in development for Wii U. Examiner lists the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Vita as the game’s other platforms. However, EA recently denied rumors that Warfighter is coming to Vita. My guess is that the author simply used Wikipedia (which currently contains inaccurate information) in creating his article. While it’s still possible that Warfighter could make its way to Wii U (and maybe EA will make an announcement during its Summer Showcase today… or not), this Examiner article isn’t a confirmation in the slightest.
Finally, you may have see a Wii U “launch list” being circulated from GameStop. This appears to be nothing more than a pamphlet that the retailer is handing out to consumers. It doesn’t really confirm anything at all… it’s just a list reproduced from the official lineup Nintendo shared months ago. We still don’t know the final list of launch games, nor do we know when any of them will be available.
That’s all for today. Remember, never trust anything you read unless it’s made officially official (yes that’s redundant!).
Rumor: 3DS XL debut sales in the UK “a little shy of five figures”
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Rumors | 0 comments
So the 3DS XL is doing pretty well in Japan thus far. How about in the UK?
While not confirmed, a report suggests that the system “shifted a figure a little shy of five figures” – that would be under 10,000 units. This may not seem too impressive, but keep in mind that the estimate is based on sales tracked over a 24 hour period, not a full week. It did manage to outsell the first 3DS by a factor of just over 2:1. When the 3DS originally launched, it was on the market for a full week.
The 3DS XL’s debut may have contributed to a rise in software sales. Mario Kart 7’s sales increased by 45 percent, Super Mario 3D Land climbed up 37 percent, and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games rose 25 percent.
Rumor: GameStop to begin taking Wii U pre-orders first week of September
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
Rumor has it that GameStop will begin taking widespread Wii U pre-orders in early September – the first week of the month, more specifically.
Nintendo Everything reader Andrew Holland tells us that the news comes from a local GameStop manager. Andrew was also given a look at a listing of upcoming titles with placeholder release dates and prices, as shown in this post.
GameStop hasn’t officially said when it’ll begin to take pre-orders for the Wii U. However, consumers can already reserve a number of games for the console right here.
GameTrailers editor in chief says Wii U will cost $299
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
GameTrailers editor in chief Shane Satterfield has offered some insight into the Wii U’s pricing situation. If he’s to believed, Nintendo will be pricing the console at $299.
Speaking on the latest episode of “Invisible Walls”, Satterfield said:
“We’re going to assume that the Wii U is going to cost $299. And I have heard through certain channels that that is likely going to be the price of the system.”
Most consumers would certainly welcome a $299 price tag. But it’s unclear if any items would be bundled into the package. Some potential buyers are hoping that Nintendo Land will be provided as a bonus, similar to how Wii Sports came with each Wii console when the system launched.
Rumor: Biker Bash in development for Wii U
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
It appears that Slightly Mad Studios and Gamagio are bringing “Biker Bash” to Wii U (probably through the eShop) as well as Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Steam.
While an official announcement hasn’t been made, a comprehensive document has been discovered outlining the game’s numerous features and various elements.
The document describes Biker Bash as “a bike racing game that combines classic gameplay from titles like ROAD RASH/MOTORSTORM with modern fighting mechanics from STREETFIGHTER IV/FIGHT NIGHT and drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st Century with next-gen graphics, gameplay, and social features… all at a downloadable price point.”
Included in Biker Bash are various single-player and multiplayer modes, competitive gameplay with friends, combat during racing, weapons and power-ups, items and upgrades, and more. Also mentioned is a RAGE meter that, when filled, can be used to “Rage Boost” past the competition or eliminate others on the race track.
Images from the document can be found above. You can also view the entire PDF here.
Rumor: GameStop release sheet suggests mid-November launch for Wii U
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
Yet another document indicates that the Wii U will arrive in mid-November.
An internal release sheet obtained by The Verge says that some of the console’s earliest games hit store shelves on November 14. It goes without saying that the Wii U won’t launch on a Wednesday, so a November 18 release would be more likely for the system.
The list does raise some questions, however. A number of titles are listed with a placeholder January 1, 2013 date and much of those prices aren’t final.
Expect Nintendo to share its official launch information for Wii U in September.
Rumor: Ubisoft making Assassin’s Creed III DLC team
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 0 comments
Ubisoft is very pleased with pre-order figures for Assassin’s Creed III, it seems. A rumored note sent out to GameStop employees contains lots of praise for assisting the company in smashing its expectations.
More importantly, the note indicates that Ubisoft is “currently in the process of creating a complementary development team that will begin working on post-launch episodic content to continue the Game of the Year experience that Assassin’s Creed 3 will undoubtedly deliver.” It goes on to say more succinctly, “With a dedicated team specifically to this content we plan to set the bar for quality DLC in our industry.”
Along with an Assassin’s Creed III DLC team, a “Season Pass” is mentioned. Unfortunately, not much is said about this (and we’re not sure if it applies to the Wii U version). It’s possible that some sort of discount could be offered for buying all DLC at once though.
The note in full has been attached above. Ubisoft may make all of this official soon.