Reggie on Wii U power, insider compares performance to next iPad, lots more
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments
Reggie Fils-Aime has opened up on the Wii U’s power… slightly. The Nintendo of America president commented on the console in an interview with Kotaku, which comes as part of a larger article about the hardware overall.
Reggie first pointed out the faults with the Wii, including the lack of HD support and limited online functionality. He noted that these issues have been fixed with its successor.
“…as third-party publishers make their decisions somehow they’re going to view competitive systems more favorably than the Wii U. What I would tell you is that, fundamentally, the reason certain games didn’t make it to the Wii was because, first, the developer or publisher had invested in art at an HD level. For them to rework that art to an SD level was a cost they were unwilling to accept. Second, that the online capabilities especially for in-game purchase, or things of that nature, [were things] they viewed it as a key part of their business model, which the Wii didn’t support. Looking to the future, both of those issues have been solved with the Wii U.”
Off-screen New Super Mario Bros. U footage with audio
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii U | 0 comments
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed to have unique features on Wii U and 3DS
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
The image above is said to have been shown by SEGA of America’s licensing team during the Las Vegas Licensing expo. It indicates that the Wii U and 3DS versions of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will offer unique features.
That makes sense given what the Wii U GamePad and 3DS have to offer. Now we just need to see how the development team plans on taking advantage of these pieces of hardware.
Nnooo’s Wii U impressions, Spirit Hunters done
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Videos, Wii U | 0 comments
You’ll find the latest updates from Nnooo’s Nic Watt and Bruce Thomson in the video above. They talks about the Wii U, as well as Spirit Hunters, and escapeVektor. Both games should be releasing toward the end of the year.
Wii U controller photos
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
Above are a few more shots of the Wii U GamePad and Pro controller. These pieces of hardware are naturally two of the more interesting aspects of the system, which is why we’re showing them off once again!
Thanks to Tim T for the tip.
Ubisoft: Wii U will “start to please the hardcore gamers”
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments
It’s unfortunate but true: the Wii caused a strong divide between casual and core gamers. Lengthy periods of the lifecycle convinced some players that the console lacked more engaging, deep experiences, ultimately leading them to ditch the console.
Nintendo obviously hopes to avoid a similar situation with Wii U. Fortunately, there’s one believer out there who believes the system can appeal to all kinds of gamers.
Speaking with MCV, Ubisoft EMEA MD Alain Corre stated that the Wii U will continue to strike a chord with families, but will “start to please the hardcore gamers too.”
“We are playing both fields because we think it will appeal to the family the way the Wii did, and start to please the hardcore gamers too. We have been a strong believer in Wii U since day one, and a strong vision for gamers. We have been working closely with them, and we know our brands appeal to Nintendo gamers.”
Nintendo wants you to use the Wii U every day
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo hopes your Wii U won’t be collecting dust, as the company wants users to take advantage of its features on a daily basis.
Nintendo UK’s now ex-general manager David Yarnton has said that this won’t be limited to just games. Its usage extends to the online space, TV watching, and more.
Yarnton said:
“Wii U is an unprecedented product. It’s something we want people to pick up every day. Not just for gaming, but also for things like going online and watching TV. The range of software has very broad appeal. I think it will be good for the market.”
Separately, Yarnton discussed demand for Wii U. When asked if people need this console in their lives, he replied:
“A lot of times people don’t realize they need a device like this in their lives until they see it.”
EA looking at GamePad and SmartGlass similarly, Madden Wii U “will be the real deal”
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
EA sees some similarities between the Wii U GamePad and Microsoft’s SmartGlass. Cam Weber, the label’s general manager of American football, said that from a conceptual standpoint, look at the two technologies “in the same kind of way.”
According to Weber:
“Conceptually we look at it in the same kind of way. I think our designers are trying to solve problems around, ‘How do you take advantage of the smart glass, on either device, and what kind of functionality does that unlock? And I think it’ll benefit both.”
“To be more specific, we have Wii U in development now [for Madden], we’ll learn from it and it’ll take us further in terms of delivering on the SmartGlass.”
Remember how some of EA’s sports titles on Wii used a visual cartoony style? Well, you won’t be seeing anything like that on Wii U. Weber promised that Madden for Nintendo’s new console “will be the real deal.”
Weber said:
“I can’t really talk about it much, but I think what we’re doing is really cool. Maybe we’re not hearing a lot about [Wii U] today or in this week, but I certainly believe it’s going to be a product we’re going to be proud of.
“Here’s what I will say, and she (EA PR person) may not want to hear me say this, but it’s the truth: Whatever we release on the Wii U will not be a cartoony, dumbed-down, arcade football experience. It will be the real deal, HD simulation football.”
Another topic brought up in the same interview is the possibility of NCAA Football on the system. However, Weber wasn’t able to confirm the franchise for Wii U.
Reggie talks about Nintendo’s insatiable fanbase and more
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime believes the company’s fans have an insatiable apatite.
He feels that Nintendo delivered on a number of fan requests at this year’s E3, such as a new Pikmin, a Mario game launching with a new console, and a brand new project that brings big franchises together in Nintendo Land. Despite this, most fans have been vocal in saying that the Big N’s conference was a disappointment.
Reggie commented on this and more in an interview with Kotaku. Find out what else he had to say by heading past the break.
Sakurai tells fan to lay off Namco Bandai
Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata delivered the surprising news last night that Namco Bandai would be playing a significant role in the next Smash Bros. entry as one of its main developers.
There are some franchise followers out there who weren’t pleased with the announcement. One person went as far as to send an angry tweet to Masahiro Sakurai, writing that Namco Bandai is “incompetent”. The fan additionally said that Sakurai shouldn’t be involved with the development process.
Unsurprisingly, Sakurai wasn’t amused with the comments. He responded with the following:
“Knock off looking down on them with narrow-minded thinking.”
This is a very unconventional move for the Smash Bros. series and Nintendo as a whole, but we might as well give the project a chance, right? I mean, we don’t even know anything about the Wii U/3DS games yet.
