Count Yuji Naka as one of Wii U’s early supporters. Naka hasn’t said if he’s working on a project for the platform, but he’s “really looking forward to seeing what Nintendo has in store”.
Naka told GamesIndustry:
“I always get very excited when thinking about the next round of next-gen hardware that’s coming and what kind of unimaginable specs they could have. Wii U is taking a completely new and innovative approach, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Nintendo has in store there.”
Yuji Naka was the head of SEGA’s Sonic Team and one of the original developers of Sonic the Hedgehog. He’s since moved on to form his own studio, Prope.
We’re still waiting to see one of Prope’s more promising games on the market. Rodea the Sky Soldier, originally announced for Wii and 3DS, still hasn’t seen release. One can’t help but wonder if the title could end up on Wii U.
When you purchase a Nintendo-published game (or a few select third-party releases), each product comes with a registration code for Club Nintendo. But a new patent may indicate that those cards could be phased out for a new system.
In place of the inserts, a code would instead be included on the box itself. This may make registration easier and consumers would be less likely to lose codes.
Naturally questions would arise about the possibility of fraud. However, a fairly in-depth system described in the patent includes preventative measures.
As described by NintendoWorldReport, the finder of the patent:
“While printing the code on the exterior could lead to fraud, Nintendo envisions a system where all registrations are tracked with purchase information. If an account has several duplicate registrations, the customer’s account is flagged and potentially revoked. An example is if a rogue store employee copied and registered serial numbers after selling an item to a customer, but before the customer had a chance to register it.
“The system would also tie in with retailers in an attempt to reduce fraud. Upon purchase, the code is scanned into a computer at the retailer. This tells Nintendo that the product was purchased legitimately, which is of special concern in regard to Nintendo point cards. If customers register a product on Club Nintendo but later return it, the Club Nintendo coins for that product are removed from the account. If a customer has already spent those points, he/she will be disallowed from returning the product. The system would require a computer at each retailer to handle scanning and reporting of the serial numbers.”
We should point out that the patent was published yesterday, but was filed in 2010. Make of that what you will.
Wii VC
The King of Fighters ’97 – Hmmm…
Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge – Recommended
3DS Download
Zombie Slayer Diox – Hmmm…
3D Classics: Kid Icarus – Recommended
3DS VC
Dragon Crystal – Grumble Grumble
Metroid – Recommended
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream – Recommended
Shinobi – Recommended
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble – Recommended
DSiWare
Aha! Spot the Difference – Hmmm…
Pirates Assault – Grumble Grumble
Zuma’s Revenge – Recommended
