Iwata on licensing Nintendo’s characters
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments
Nintendo announced a new approach to character licensing at its financial briefing last week. Whereas the company previously guarded its characters closely, Satoru Iwata confirmed plans to make IP more widely available and “actively expand” its character licensing business.
Iwata later clarified to investors that Nintendo won’t likely approve each request. Rather, Nintendo “will judge, based on our own criteria, if that licensed product really leads to consumers’ smiles in the medium- to long-term, and if it is in direct competition with our core business.
More: Satoru Iwata, top
Iwata on 3DS/Wii U profitability, Mario Kart/Smash will drive Wii U, more
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 11 Comments
Thanks to the 3DS’ install base, Nintendo now feels that it can turn a profit with the system’s software. President Satoru Iwata mentioned to investors last week that the company has “many key titles to be released in this calendar year and we will strive to drive profits from these titles.” 3DS overall is expected to be “the key profit-driver for the next fiscal year”.
With Wii U, on the other hand, Iwata admitted that “it is not easy to make a significant profit with the current units sold.” But with Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. acting “as our main drivers”, Nintendo “would like to make sure that the markets will thoroughly acknowledge the value of Wii U, including the titles that we have released to date.”
Iwata elaborates on plans and goals for smart devices
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 2 Comments
Last week, Nintendo confirmed plans to take advantage of smart devices in a number of ways. This will demonstrate “the value of our entertainment offerings, thus encouraging more people to participate in Nintendo platforms.”
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata elaborated on the company’s plans and goals for smart devices during the Q&A portion of its investor briefing. You can find his comments in full below.
More: Satoru Iwata, smart device, top
Yamauchi family interested in selling Nintendo shares, buyback terms disclosed
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments
The family of Hiroshi Yamauchi has a “desire to sell” its shares, Bloomberg reports. Yamauchi was president of Nintendo for over 50 years and passed away last September.
Yamauchi’s heirs currently maintain 10 percent of the total shares for Nintendo. Yet despite the family’s interest in selling its shares, it’s unclear just how much they intend to part with.
Meanwhile, Nintendo will initiate its buyback program worth totaling 114.2 billion-yen ($1.1 billion) tomorrow. The company could puchase as many as 9.5 million shares (7.4 percent) at 12,025 yen each.
More: Hiroshi Yamauchi, top
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U screenshot (2/3/14)
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Wii U | 5 Comments
Along with today’s screenshot, Sakurai passed along the following message on Miiverse:
A size comparison of Lucario’s standard special attack, Aura Sphere, in its weakest and strongest states. The attack is faster and more powerful when the Aura Sphere is bigger.
Nintendo Download (2/6/14, Europe)
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U eShop | 0 comments
This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:
Wii U
My Farm – €7.99 (£7.19)
Wii U VC
NES Open Tournament Golf – €4.99 (£3.49) – 60Hz Version
3DS
Animal Hospital Demo
DSiWare
Hidden Expedition Titanic – €7.99 (£7.19)
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Price Reductions
3DS
BIT.TRIP SAGA €9.99 (£8.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Girl’s Fashion Shoot €14.99 (£14.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Virtue’s Last Reward €12.49 (£9.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Shifting World €9.99 (£8.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Super Black Bass 3D €9.99 (£8.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi €16.99 (£14.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Jewel Master Cradle Of Rome 2 €9.99 (£8.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Jewel Master Cradle Of Egypt 2 €9.99 (£8.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
Beyblade Evolution €14.99 (£14.99) until 06/03/14, 23:59 UTC
URBAN TRIAL FREESTYLE €3.49 (£3.15) until 13/02/14, 23:59 local time
More: Europe, Nintendo Download, top
Retro originally wanted to include Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze’s dynamic 3D camera in Returns
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii, Wii U | 5 Comments
It’s not unexpected for developers to abandon a few ideas while making games. For Retro Studios, the team was able to take some elements abandoned for Donkey Kong Country Returns and implement them into its direct sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
One feature scrapped from Returns but included in Tropical Freeze is the game’s dynamic 3D camera. Retro was forced to cut the idea due to a lack of time, but managed to save it for the Wii U title.
Retro Studios president Michael Kelbaugh told ONM this month:
“As a game developer, I’ve felt that you always leave something on the drawing board that you wish you could have got in and you’re always tormented by the thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we have included…?’ I really believe, however, that those thoughts inspire future games and ideas that you use on the next game. For example, the dynamic 3D camera we used in Tropical Freeze was something we wanted to work into Donkey Kong Country Returns. We didn’t have the time, so we implemented it into Tropical Freeze instead.”
Thanks to joclo for the tip.
Rumor: SEGA releasing new Sonic game on Wii U in 2015
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Wii U | 12 Comments
Jazwares, a toy maker which produces Sonic the Hedgehog products, appeared at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair last week. The company brought along the sign that seemingly reveals the existence of a new, untitled Sonic game. Assuming the image above is believable, we’ll be seeing the Blue Blur in a new title on the Wii U, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2015.
Miyamoto reconfirms Smash Bros. for Wii U for 2014
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 8 Comments
During the Q&A portion of Nintendo’s investor briefing held earlier in the week, Shigeru Miyamoto reconfirmed that Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will launch this year. Miyamoto didn’t mention the 3DS version in his response, in case you’re wondering. I don’t think it’s worth making much of yet, but it’d be interesting if the two versions had separate launches.
Tomodachi Collection: New Life seeing localization?
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS | 3 Comments
Tomodachi Collection: New Life appears to be heading west. Satoru Iwata apparently told reporters earlier this week that Nintendo is currently deciding on what can/can’t be kept for the game’s overseas launch.
“Nintendo is working on the right balance of localizing Japan-oriented games just enough so that foreign audiences can enjoy them,” The Wall Street Journal reports. Iwata believes that the situation is ultimately “all about balance.”
Iwata also said that, at the development stage, Nintendo must “work even more closely with the U.S. team,” to ensure that preferences in the states are considered. The US is an important region for the company, as 40 to 50 percent of its sales originate from the territory.
