On this week’s episode: Spirit Camera, the system update, Ketzal’s Corriders and eShop demos.
Consider this update part news and part rumor.
An unconfirmed report from a South Korean newspaper suggests that online gaming giant Nexon has reached out to EA about a potential takeover bid.
Once the rumor circulated, EA shares rose nearly six percent. They rose $1.22, or 8.1%, to $16.23. According to Forbes, “stock lately has been trading close to a 52-week low”.
3DS Downloadable Content
3D Classics Hoshi no Kirby Yume no Izumi no Monogatari (Kirby’s Adventure) – 600 yen
ARC STYLE: Sangokushi Pinball – 700 yen
Bloody Vampire – 600 yen
Virtual Console
Megami Tenseish? Gaiden Last Bible (Game Boy Color) – 600 yen
DLC
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Songs (Four Songs) – 150 yen each
Fire Emblem: Kakusei Character (Marth) – FREE (04/19-05/31)
Fire Emblem: Kakusei Character (Roy) – 250 yen
Fire Emblem: Kakusei Characer (Leaf) – 350 yen
Video Content
Nintendo Direct presentation
Pokemon Black/White video
Guild 01 video
Project X Zone video
Etrian Odyssey IV video (stream)
Culdcept video
3D Rune Factory 4 video (download)
3D Etrian Odyssey IV video (download)
3D Little Battlers eXperience Baku Boost video (download)
Mario Tennis Open preview video
3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure video (3D, download)
During Nintendo’s last financial results briefing in January, president Satoru Iwata made it clear that the company was readying itself to sell Wii U and 3DS retail software through digital means.
These plans were reiterated today in Nintendo’s fiscal year earnings report.
The company wrote in the document:
Moreover, Nintendo will push forward with “Nintendo Network”, which is the network service for the “Nintendo 3DS” and the “Wii U”, and offers game experiences, which enable users to compete and interact with others all over the world, and provide add-on content by utilizing its network functions.
Furthermore, for the purposes of adapting to the changes in the environment surrounding the video game market and creating new business opportunities, Nintendo is envisioning the digital distribution of packaged software and is aiming at expanding the business.
It seems as though Nintendo will be implementing this functionality before April 2013. Nintendo’s hardware/software forecasts for the upcoming fiscal year – which ends on March 31, 2013 – “include the quantity of the packaged software by means of digital distribution.”
Cave Story 3D will be launching in Japan on July 26 for 5,040 yen. We’ve been hearing that the game will feature collaborations with Dragon Slayer, Crazy Climber and Ikki.
Meanwhile, there’s a new version of Cave Story in the works for the eShop.
Famitsu has posted some shots of Project X Zone’s newly confirmed characters. Earlier this week, we heard that God Eater’s Alisa and Soma, Dead Rising’s Frank West, Darkstalkers’ Lei-Lei, and Resonance of Fate’s Zephyr and Leanne will be included in the roster.
There could be more character confirmations on the way. Project X Zone isn’t due out in Japan until later this year.
Nintendo has provided information from its latest financial results. There’s a whole lot of sales mumbo jumbo and random statistics, so we’ll just post a summary of the information below.
– Net loss of 43,204 million yen on sales of 647,652 million yen
– Last year: net gain of 77,621 million yen on sales of 1,014,345 million yen
– Nintendo cited price reductions for the 3DS and Wii, stronger yen
– Operation loss was 37.3 billion yet
– Exchange loss of 27.7 billion yen brought Nintendo’s ordinary loss to 60.8 billion and net loss to the 43.2 billion noted above
– Sales of 820 billion yen and net profit of 20 billion yen expected for the current fiscal year ending March 2013
– Major releases for Nintendo this current fiscal year: New Super Mario Bros. 2, Animal Crossing
– New Brain Age hitting Japan this summer
– Wii U release still the same: on track for end of the calender year launch
– Hardware/software forecasts for the current year (previous year in parenthesis); Wii U included in Wii figures
DS: Hardware 2.5 million (5.1 million), Software 37 million (60.82 million)
3DS: Hardware 18.5 million (13.53 million ), Software 73 million (36 million)
Wii: Hardware 10.5 million (9.84 million) , Software 70 million (102.37 million)
Ubisoft has registered two domains for “Rayman Legends”. Both “RaymanLegends.com” and “Rayman-Legends.com” were acquired by the company yesterday.
Perhaps this will be the name of Ubisoft’s rumored Rayman Origins sequel. Then again, it could be a brand new Rayman unrelated to Origins. Or this could be nothing at all!
So where’s Kirby’s Block Ball? Or how about Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3?!
This week’s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:
Nintendo 3DS™
Nintendo 3DS System Update – The latest Nintendo 3DS system update is now available. For a full list of what is included, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/system-update. (For Nintendo 3DS)Nintendo eShop
Block Factory – Create and share puzzles with this predefined falling-block puzzle game. Your goal is to avoid filling the playing field to the top. When a block hits the top, the game is over. (For Nintendo 3DS)
