This information is based on data collection from March 28 to April 24…
1. [PSP] Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Taisen Z Hakai-hen (PSP) – 315,642 / NEW
2. [DS] Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 Professional – 300,417 / NEW
3. [PS3] Pro Baseball Spirits 2011 – 116,982 / NEW
4. [PSP] Amagami (EBKore+) – 115,373 / NEW
5. [PSP] Pro Baseball Spirits 2011 – 101,195 / NEW
6. [PSP] Earth Defense Force 2 Portable – 76,248 / NEW
7. [PSP] Persona 2: Innocent Sin – 72,249 / NEW
8. [PSP] Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection – 62,878 / 164,391
9. [DS] Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS – 50,580 / NEW
10. [PS3] Dynasty Warriors 6 – 48,986 / 424,358
Even though the Wii was released more than four years ago, launch games such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess still cost $50 at most retailers. Might that be changing soon, though?
According to Kotaku, Nintendo is set to announce a “Wii Select” budget friendly line this month, which is comparable to “Players Choice” used in past video game generations. The lineup of games include Zelda, Mario Super Sluggers, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Wii Sports. These titles will be sold at a $19.99 price point.
Kotaku’s sources say that Wii Sports will become a part of “Wii Select” because Nintendo is planning a new bundle for the console. Mario Kart Wii will take Wii Sports’ role in the packaging, and the sports title will now be sold separately.
Kotaku also reports that a $50 Wii price cut is set May 15. This matches a number of rumors we’ve heard recently, so we may hear something official from Nintendo soon.
Nintendo has taken a fairly big step forward by implementing a one-code friend system for the 3DS. But there’s no question that the company still has much work to do when it comes to online functionality with their systems. Satoru Iwata discussed that issue at a financial results briefing last week, and addressed the topic of developing products internally.
The policy “Jimae-shugi” (doing things by one’s bootstraps) you mentioned has two aspects: it is a great honor to succeed in a business by making the best use of our own unique strengths, but on the other hand, it is a shame to fall behind the times clinging to it. I believe that it is the key to Nintendo, which develops both hardware and software in-house, to create new experiences which have been neither enjoyed nor requested by consumers, and let them say, “This is the very thing I have been wanting to play” once they have actually tried it. The more we depend on outside resources for this point, the more strength Nintendo will lose. It is vital for Nintendo to reinforce this point and cultivate developers inside the company. I hope that Nintendo is continuously considered as a company which is particularly good at such a thing, and I will make efforts for this.
We’ve seen some rather crazy ideas accomplished with the 3DS, yet the system is barely a month old. You remember the giant Augmented Reality card/Mii, don’t you? That was certainly impressive, but the video above is also… interesting.
A fan apparently decided to tattoo the AR card onto his arm. The only downside I can think of is that he won’t be able to easily use the “Star Viewer” application. The tattoo is definitely a symbol of dedication to Nintendo!
“This tattoo is a near-exact copy of the ? augmented reality card that comes with the 3DS. It seems a bit sensitive to a very specific brightness of light– not too bright, not too dark. I think I need to go back and have the card outline added, since I think it works in lower light because of lower contrast. This video was shot in my bathroom because it was the best place to set up a tripod and hold my arm and the 3DS at the right angles. Still, the AR is a little jumpy because my arm is at a slight angle.”
Satoru Iwata’s GDC speech gained quite a bit of attention, though not for the right reasons. His words were misinterpreted and taken out of context, but his presentation set off mobile developers. At a financial results briefing last week, Iwata was finally given a chance to defend himself. You can check out his response below.
First of all, regarding my presentation at GDC, we have posted my entire keynote speech on our websites, but I am very disappointed with one thing.
Many reports said that I talked about a conflict between the quantity and the quality of video games, which made me think that reporters should have at least written an article after reading through the full text of the presentation since we have posted the Japanese translations of the entire keynote speech. I have never mentioned the conflict between quantity and quality at all. Some articles based on this misperception even said, “Nintendo hard hit by video games for smartphones and social games, and criticized them as low quality” but, again, I have never said such a thing at all. The only message that I had hoped to convey at GDC was, since my keynote speech was dedicated to the game developers, that, without carefully trying to preserve the value of the games we develop, the digital distribution revolution could very easily depreciate their value, which might make all of us have a hard time.
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (3DS) – T
ExerBeat (Wii) – E
Chrono Trigger (Wii) – E
Dream Trigger 3D (3DS) – E
Junior Island Adventure (DS) – E
Reel Fishing 3D Paradise (3DS) – E
Zimo: Mahjong Fanatic (DSi) – E
Transformers Dark of the Moon AUTOBOTS (3DS) – E10+
Transformers Dark of the Moon DECEPTICONS (3DS) – E10+
Let’s Create! Pottery (DSi) – E
– Called the “Nintendo Feel”
– While the Wii was about the controller, this will be about controller, the graphics, and the new software
– The screen on the controller isn’t just hard like the iPad, it brings a new “Feel” dimension
– Moving your finger across the screen allows you to feel the difference between soft, smooth, and rugged textures
– Could be used for feeling fur on Nintendogs, drawing patterns in desert sand, feeling the breeze on a lake, getting burned from lava, or figuring out the structure of a very old tree
– Playable at E3
– Vitality sensor could be a key feature
A report from IGN a few weeks ago stated that Nintendo would announce the Wii’s successor before the end of April. And that’s exactly what Nintendo did. The company released a short press release confirming the console’s existence last week, only saying that more news will come at E3.
Although we did receive a summary as to why Nintendo announced Project Cafe before E3 a few days ago, we now have the direct quote from Iwata. Iwata also explained why he chose not to reveal the system at GDC.
“Next I would like to tell you why we announced Wii’s successor system at this time, not at GDC. Naturally, the earlier we announce a new system, the more speculation will be encouraged and there will be a higher risk of information leakage from those who are working cooperatively on it outside Nintendo. In addition, a lot of people interested in our next move might be less amazed at E3 if we disclose too much information in advance.
At the same time, however, if we make a totally surprising announcement at E3 on the spot, which would be an effective way to astonish people, some busy people might say, “Oh, Nintendo is a mischievous company. I could have visited E3 if I was informed of the announcement in advance.” We decided to make the announcement at this time because now is our last opportunity to inform people so that they can arrange their travel schedule for E3.”
The Wii Vitality Sensor was one of the more odd announcements made at E3. Almost two years later, we haven’t heard much about the peripheral at all.
Satoru Iwata discussed the status of the Vitality Sensor at a financial results briefing last week. Although he believes that the “project has a lot of interesting potential”, Nintendo isn’t sure when they will be ready to release it.
“Also, concerning Wii Vitality Sensor, I imagine that you are worried about that because it hasn’t been put on the market even though a long time has passed since it was initially announced. This is a totally new type of entertainment, and there are large individual differences in the biological information of humans. For example, if it was acceptable that only 80% of the users thought the result was natural, then we could propose this to consumers right now. However, we are aiming for a level of quality in which 99% of consumers feel comfortable, and that is why this project is taking time to complete. I feel that this project has a lot of interesting potential, and we would like to continue this project without giving up, but it is difficult to overcome this hurdle, so please understand that now I cannot clearly say when we will be ready to put this on the market.”
