Japan getting new Wii U firmware next week to allow for SUICA payments
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 1 Comment
Nintendo is releasing a new firmware update in Japan next week. The update, version 5.1.0J, will allow for SUICA payments. You can read about that new functionality here.
More: Japan
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Screenshot (07/18/14)
Posted on 10 years ago by Jarop(@gamrah) in News, Screenshots, Wii U | 5 Comments
Forgotten about Star K.O.s? Sakurai hasn’t! Today’s screenshot details what happens when a knockout occurs from the ceiling:
Bayonetta 2 – Cities and Waterways design blog
Posted on 10 years ago by Jarop(@gamrah) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
The Platinum Games blog was updated again today to talk more about the design of Bayonetta 2, this time in relation to the in-game cities and waterways and what real world places inspired them. Below is an excerpt of what lead environmental artist Hiroki Onishi had to say :
I think the most challenging thing we faced after our trip was conveying how important water was to the everyday lives of the city’s inhabitants. In Venice, there were no roads for cars to run on, because there were no cars—everything was handled by boats. There were no gates in the rivers to make sure travel was simple. Even refrigerators and laundry machines were carried to houses on small boats before being loaded up on push carts. We had to carry all our equipment on a boat to our hotel, and then drag everything along bumpy stone paths. It was a new experience for all of us, and it gave us some slight culture shock. Yet I think it was things like these that gave Venice a unique artistic quality that was interesting to express in the game. If anyone from Venice were to play the game and actually relate with our depiction of the citizen’s daily lives, I’d be honored.
Be sure to go check out the blog post, a very interesting read!
More: Bayonetta 2, Platinum Games
NFC payment coming to Wii U in Japan from July 22
Posted on 10 years ago by Jarop(@gamrah) in News, Wii U, Wii U eShop | 4 Comments
Popular smart card company Suica is partnering with Nintendo to allow for NFC payment on the GamePad in Japan. Suica are best known as rechargeable non-contact smart cards that can be used to pay fares when travelling on Japanese trains. These cards will work exactly as you would expect, allowing for the NFC capabilities on the device to load funds onto the system without the need to input any code like with traditional eShop cards. There will be a special promotional deal as well, adding 1 reward point for every 200 Yen spent to Suica’s reward program.
Amazon Japan giving out cleaning cloth with Bayonetta 2 pre-order
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 10 Comments
Those who pre-order Bayonetta 2 from Amazon Japan will receive a unique bonus. The retailer is handing out a cleaning cloth while supplies last. It’s a bit of an odd bonus, but we can’t complain too much about free stuff!
More: Bayonetta 2, Japan, PlatinumGames, pre-order
June 2014 NPD: Wii U, 3DS hardware sales
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments
US Wii U and 3DS hardware sales are in for the month of June. Nintendo’s console sold roughly 140,000 units whereas the company’s portable moved 150,000 units.
As mentioned in an earlier post, Wii U hardware sales are up by over 223 percent compared to last June. The 3DS is up 55 percent over May, though it’s down from June 2013’s 225,000 units.
June 2014 NPD: Nintendo’s response – US Mario Kart 8 sales at 885,000 units, big Wii U hardware/software increase
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 8 Comments
Nintendo has responded to this month’s NPD report and dished out some impressive statistics about its platforms and games.
The company’s PR is highlighted by lifetime US sales of Mario Kart 8. The game moved another 470,000 units last month, bringing total sales to 885,000 copies.
Mario Kart 8 helped boost Wii U sales. Hardware and software in June 2014 were up 233 percent and 373 percent respectively compared to June 2013. First half Wii U hardware and software sales are up by 48 percent and 129 percent respectively over the same period last year.
Let’s not forget about 3DS as well. The handheld’s hardware sales for June increased by more than 55 percent over May. Tomodachi Life was a success having sold over 175,000 combined physical and digital units.
You’ll find Nintendo’s full NPD response below.
June 2014 NPD: top 10 best-selling games in the U.S. – Mario Kart 8 takes the second spot
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 4 Comments
NPD Group has released a listing of the top ten best-selling games in the U.S. for the month of June 2014. The results can be found below.
1. Watch Dogs (PS4, 360, Xbox One, PS3, PC)
2. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
3. Minecraft (360, PS3)
4. UFC (PS4, Xbox One)
5. FIFA 14 (PS4, 360, Xbox One, PS3, Vita)
6. NBA 2K14 (360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
8. Call of Duty: Ghosts (360, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, PC)
9. Tomodachi Life (3DS)
10. Grand Theft Auto V (360, PS3)
You can find more details from this month’s NPD report over on GamesBeat.
Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden clips, site open
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii U | 0 comments
They don’t have any audio, but you can find a few additional cips from Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden above (no audio). The game’s website is located here.
Jett Tailfin heading to North America this month
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
Late last month, Funbox Media announced an October launch for Jett Tailfin in Europe. Hoplite Research Games made an announcement of its own today and confirmed that the Wii U title will be available in North America this month.
A specific date was not revealed.
As a refresher, here’s a look at what Jett Tailfin offers:
