3DS

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Wii | 2 Comments

“Nintendo’s overall performance has fallen short of our expectations, with software down over 30% and Wii hardware units down almost 50%. The company may have faced supply constraints for its hardware, but staple titles like Wii Fit with Balance Board and Wii Play were also well below historical levels. We are hopeful that the supply situation for hardware and for these key titles will correct in March; if not, we think that weak sales may suggest waning consumer support. We expect continued momentum for the PS3 due in part to its list of exclusives in early 2010 (Heavy Rain, God of War III, MLB the Show 10, et al) and Blu-ray compatibility. We are less sanguine about a March or April catalyst for the Wii, as there are no exciting first party exclusives until May (Super Mario Galaxy 2). Over the last several years, the Wii has benefited from being the cheapest console, but a consistently declining tie ratio causes us some pause. We believe that the PS3, with multiple high-profile exclusives and the newly-announced Move Controller, and the Xbox 360, with Project Natal, may begin to cut into Nintendo’s market share later this year, and think that it is possible that the three consoles divide the market more evenly at holiday. The DS continues to sell at an amazing pace, and we expect solid sales in March with the end-of-month introduction of the DSi XL. We also expect solid software contribution in March from the release of the Pokémon games, which we project will sell 5 million units combined world wide. We found the company’s announcement of the 3DS somewhat ill-timed, coming the week before the launch of the DSi XL. In our view, the company’s announcement warned consumers that the DSi XL would be obsolete within a year, and we were surprised at the timing.” – Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter

I’ve got to admit, Nintendo’s first-party lineup for the first few months of 2010 is bland. However, it’s possible that the company is allowing third-party titles like Red Steel 2 and Monster Hunter Tri to shine. And then we’ve got three fantastic titles – Super Mario Galaxy 2, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, and Metroid: Other M – all within about a month of each other. Regarding Sony and Microsoft, we’ll have to wait and see if they are able to capture the same type of success Nintendo has with their motion control devices.

Source

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, Rumors | 3 Comments

This is a response from a Nintendo customer service representative regarding Golden Sun DS…

Hm…I’m not too sure about this. We don’t know what the original email said and that could have influenced the response. That said, stranger things have happened. And we all know that Twilight Princess ended up on the GameCube and Wii. So, you never know! We’ll just have to wait until E3 to hear new information about Golden Sun DS.

Thanks to 357 Lobster for the news tip!

Source

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Wii | 9 Comments

3DS

– New Nintendo handheld
– Will be shown at E3
– Craig believes 3DS will be the actual name
– DSi is the stop-gap
– Backward compatible with the DSi
– One of the screens will be stereoscopic 3D
– Peer thinks the top screen will be the 3D screen, bottom screen touch
– Craig thinks Nintendo bought the screens from a public company or have to reveal they sold a lot of screens to a certain company, Nintendo wanted to make an announcement themselves
– NCL only cares about themselves, not really NOA, Nintendo of Europe, etc.
– Coming out by the end of March
– Apple sneaking in on Nintendo, iPhone can’t do stereoscopic 3D
– Everyone’s 3D jazzed because of movies like Avatar
– Professor Layton, brain games, could be neat in 3D
– Multiple third-parties have apparently received confirmation from Nintendo that nVidia Tegra chip isn’t being used
– Craig doesn’t believe high-profile third-party devs don’t have the actual dev kits
– With the DS, devs were only able to work with one screen, devs had to constantly send the kits back and forth, get the new one with touch screen, etc.

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Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Rumors | 8 Comments

This information comes from David Perry’s Twitter account…

“Excited about the Nintendo 3DS. I’ve got the Fuji 3D Camera with the same tech. It’s cool and I’ve been wanting to see it used for games.”

Perry is most likely referring to the FinePix REAL 3D W1 camera, which used a “Parallax Barrier System” to display 3D images. Since the 3DS was announced, the system has been rumored to be using similar technology. The only question is, can we trust Perry’s words completely? We’ll have to wait a little longer for a confirmation at Nintendo’s E3 presentation in June.

Source 1, Source 2

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 4 Comments

Just to be clear, these aren’t official images of the 3DS. They’re simply fan renditions of what the handheld might look like.

Source 1, Source 2

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 4 Comments

Camille Guermonprez, founder of Arkedo Studio…

“This could be pretty exciting. As you may know, Arkedo always loves it when we have to take one specific ergonomic feature, and play around with it. So with the DS-from-the-future, we can’t wait to put our hands on it. It definitively sounds like fun and the potential could be huge, as often is with Nintendo. Count us in.”

Owner and creative director of Renegade Kid, Jools Watsham…

“Based on what I’ve heard about the 3DS specs, I think it will be the best handheld system to date. To be honest, I think the 3D aspect of the console is just the icing on what is already an extremely powerful system. I expect the 3DS to have the graphical power of a GameCube, plus all of the other delights such as two screens, rumble, motion control, wi-fi, and an analog stick. The 3D feature is wonderful, for sure, but it will only be appropriate for certain things. [Nintendo] produces the best handheld systems, [the system will] deliver a platform worthy of a successor to the Nintendo DSi. [I am] very interested in developing for the 3DS.”

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Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 9 Comments

“Our focus on 3D right now is on the console. There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity on PlayStation 3 with 3D. The amount of interest in 3D from the retail side and game publishers is off the charts. We know we have a hit with 3D on PS3 and we’re going to concentrate our efforts there. I think it remains to be seen where Nintendo goes with 3D on a portable. Having been in the portable space for quite awhile, I think it’s an interesting move but one I’d like to see where they go from a demographic standpoint. 8 and 9 year olds playing 3D is a little bit of a stretch given where some of our research is right now.” – SCEA’s Director of Hardware and Marketing John Koller

I’m not surprised by this response in the slightest. Even I admit that I’m a bit skeptical about playing games in 3D. However, I was also skeptical of the DS and Wii remote…And we all know how those devices turned out.

Source

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News | 0 comments

“It is unfortunate for the Nintendo DSi XL, new hardware announcements certainly impacts consumers’ willingness to purchase old hardware that may be ‘obsolete’ in less than a year. But I am sure people plan on not buying the Nintendo DSi XL just as much now as they did yesterday. Gamers have been patiently waiting for an announcement on what will succeed the Nintendo DS. Three years ago I remember seeing people bust out their Nintendo DS at the airport, on trains, waiting in-line. Now recently, I’ve noticed more and more are turning to the iPhone to quench their entertainment thirst. Also, the DS is plagued with piracy, something that Nintendo can barely control. Their only true power-move to stop piracy is to simply start all over again with new hardware. I don’t think its success will come into question. Release a new Mario title, promise us a new Link game is on the way, and dazzle us with Donkey Kong in 3D, and gamers will line-up around the block to buy one.”

Right now, I don’t know why anyone would pick up a DSi XL if they are aware of the 3DS. The 3DS will be capable of playing DS and DSi titles, so why not wait a few months? We’re only about a year – if not less – away from a new handheld release.

Source

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 9 Comments

This information comes from Ken Toyoda, chief spokesman at Nintendo….

“We wanted to give the gaming industry a head’s up about what to expect from Nintendo at E3. We’ll invite people to play with the new device then.”

The 3DS being playable at E3 is a good sign that the device will launch sooner rather than later. This also answers some of the questions regarding why Nintendo decided to announce the handheld today rather than at their conference in June. Now the question is, what type of software will be on display at E3?

Posted on 14 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 9 Comments

Update: Yomiuri Shimbun notes: “it is believed that the system will use a Sharp 3D LCD panel.” Meanwhile, Mainichi Shimbun says that Nintendo has briefed developers on the system and as expected, software will be made available for launch.

This information comes from Nikkei, which is generally a very reliable source of information. Just to be sure, though, I’m marking these details as speculation…

– Analog Stick
– vibration pack
– tilt sensor under decision
– wireless connection speed up
– battery life up
– smaller than 4″ screen

Source 1, Source 2