Nintendo News

New Wii U information (and rumors) begin to emerge

Last year, Nintendo announced the Wii U at E3. The reaction was mixed. While developers seemed to be interested, gamers were cautious. Especially since the system wears the Wii brand.

This week, however, new information has surfaced, though some if it is most definately rumor.

What was shown at E3 2011 was not even close to final spec

Yoshinori Ono, known for Street Fighter, has come out and said that Wii U is drastically different than what was shown at E3 2011.

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This is intriguing, and a bit scary. "Diffuclt to sell acrous magazines and other mediums" to me sounds like a nice way of saying "people will think it sucks when they first read it, but when they play it they will change." We all know how closed-minded Nintendo naysayers react to these kinds of things. They WON'T play it, and will bash the experience that they did not experience.

While it is easy to be "their loss," remember, marketing is about perception. Nintendo wants "core" gamers back this time. The system can't be seen as a bunch of gimmicks to them, but I fear it will be.

Near-Field Communication (NFC)

Add this to the confirmed list. Nintendo announced that WiiU's controller will have NFC technology buiilt-in. NFC was originally designed for cellphones. It's the technology behind those "tap transfers" where you tap your phone to someone else's to share things. It has also been used for farecards in some mass transit systems.

This has augmented reality gaming written all over it, as the WiiU will be able to interact with objects in the real world.

It is worth noting that this may have been what Yoshinori Ono was talking about, but I have not heard anything concerning this.

Not Wii U Afterall?

Rumor here, but one I hope is true. Wii U may not be the final name of the console.

Final Product at E3 2012

All will be answered here, and at a shortly-after event in Tokyo. So, come June 5, all will be told.

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An open letter to Nintendo on SOPA - Update

UPDATE: Tech news outlets are reporting that Nintendo, Sony, and EA have dropped support for SOPA! If this is true, I applaud these companies for seeing the light and the problems with this bill.

Dear Nintendo:

Let me begin by saying that I believe that content creators have all right to defend their creations. StarFox-Online (SF-O) has always had a policy of discouraging game piracy and actively bans the distribution of pirated games through our community.

For some reason, rights holders always seem to throw a straw man argument out there that those who oppose laws like SOPA oppose protecting copyrights. This is certainly not true. Those who seek to profit from the works of others or freeload on the backs of content creators do not have the moral high-ground, and should face the consequences of their actions.

That said, the punishments should fit the crimes. Copyright law in recent years is becoming more and more strict, and in some instances copyright crimes now carry heavier sentences than violent acts, such as assault and battery. Certainly copyright infringement is less of a threat to society than physical violence, so why the sentencing incongruence?

By their very nature, fansites rely heavily on the content of the work(s) that the sites are about. While there are already legal gray-areas with fansites, SOPA presents a new danger.

Fansites are important. They serve as a word-of-mouh network of free (to the content owner) advertising. Fansite owners and community members are the MOST LIKELY to buy the product out of all possible customers. Fan networks generate hype, and their members spread the word to others.

Thankfully, Nintendo has thus far chosen not to bully their fans by filing lawsuits against fansites unless there is actually game piracy going on. I applaud Nintendo for this.

BUT, Nintendo has disappointed me with their decision to throw their support behind the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

This Infographic explains why SOPA is bad better than I can, but in a nutshell it allows the blocking of websites without the full due process of law that is the Gold Standard of the American legal system.

It also makes running a site that links to copyrighted material a felony crime, even if the links are posted by site users.

The law is so broad that sites like SF-O fall in violation of it. But it isn't just fansites like us. Even big names like Google and Facebook would be in violation of this law.

Defending copyright is one thing, but wholesale censorship is another. This bill CANNOT pass.

Nintendo, for the sake of your fans, PLEASE withdraw support for this bill until the language allowing for wholesale censorship are removed.

Copyright is important, but it is not more important than free speech. The Constitution speaks of copyright in ONLY by the words "promoting the useful arts," but it speaks of free speech much more directly: "Congress shall pass no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." Both free speech and free press are threatened by this bill.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. may be a foreign corporation, but Nintendo of America is in the US and should understand that laws restricting these freedoms are unconstitutional and fundamentally un-American.

So, once again, I ask on behalf of Nintendo fans and internet users everywhere, please, Nintendo, rescind your support for this bill.

Sincerely,
DZComposer - Owner and Admin of StarFox-Online

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Zelda Skyward Sword ships with orchestrated CD

I'm not sure if it is just the early production runs that include it, but if you pick of Skyward Sword right now, you will receive a CD of orchestrated Zelda music.

Any Nintendo fan or fan of epic orchestral music who is planning on picking up Skyward Sword: this incentive to pick it up ASAP, just in case the CDs only come with early runs.

Star Fox turns 20 in 2013. Nintendo: Please do this for Star Fox, too!

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Cafe get's named: WiiU.

So, the final name is WiiU. It will be full HD.

The demo reel show was pretty much all hardcore games, which is a good sign, but the name is NOT indicative of a hardcore agenda. I really hope Nintendo keeps their eye on the ball, and with this name their uphill battle will be even more uphill, as core gamers associated the Wii brand with "lame."

Screen can function as display for console while someone else watches TV: No external display required.

Motion Control, also works with Wiimotes and other Wii peripherals.

Video Chat via in-controller camera!

"Flick" content from controller to TV.

Zelda game shown on-screen, but no info given as to whether this is a new game.

2 Circle pads, a D-Pad, 2 Z triggers, L+R, ABXY. Rumble. Touchscreen. Mic, speakers, motion sensors, camera.

Iwata made it clear that Wii U is NOT a portable.

EA seems to be a pretty big partner for this. EA's CEO teased us with an implication that the Battlefield series may come to WiiU.

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Nintendo seeking online consultants?

The online service from Nintendo has always been, well, lacking. Even on the recently-launched 3DS. Friend Codes are a problem. Both parties need to add eachother's friend codes to establish a friendship. The problem is, if one person does it, the other is not notified.

In their investor report, Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata talked about something that could change all of that. He acknowledged that Nintendo is lacking in "network services," which is investospeak for online. He mentions that the company is accepting outside help here.

Consultants could be just the thing Nintendo needs here. Some outside input that says "Friend Codes Suck, do this instead" would be welcome.

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Src: http://www.nintendo....10426qa/02.html

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NCL Confirms Cafe, playable at E3.

It is now official. Nintendo Co. Ltd (Nintendo Japan) has confirmed that a new system will be unveiled, and playable, at E3 in June, and that it will launch in 2012.

Iwata told Bloomberg News that since 3D TVs are not yet commonplace, it will not emphasize 3D like the 3DS.

Still no confirmation on controller or specific hardware rumors.

SRC = http://www.bloomberg...or-in-2012.html

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Wii Successor to be announced at E3 2011?

Game Informer, along with several other gaming news sites, are reporting that Nintendo is preparing to unveil a successor to Wii at E3.

Not much on specifics, but the thing will be capable of 1920x1080 Progressive over HDMI (About Damn Time, Nintendo). Also, it is rumored to pack more horsepower than the PS3. Whehter or not that is the Wii vs Xbox 1 level or if it is Gamecube VS PS1 level, is unknown.

Nintendo is also rumored to want to regain the hardcore gaming crown it lost after the SNES days. A reminder to Iwata-San and Reggie: Animal Crossing won't cut it, let Retro Studios shine here.

It will also be backwards-compatible with Wii software (and likely GCN software by extension). This means Motion Control will return, and implies a late-model IBM Power-PC architecture.

Some sources indicate Nintendo may tease us a bit before E3.

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3DS Launches in US

The 3DS is out! If you want one, they are now available. I'm getting mine in a few hours.

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3DS US/Euro Release date, Price

3DS will launch on March 27, 2011 at an MSRP of $249.99 in the US.

Europe launch on March 25, 2011, with pricing set by individual retailers. IGN has found a range of £219.99 - £229.99 in the UK.

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3DS gets Japan Launch Date, Price

The 3DS will go on sale in Japan on Feb. 23, 2011 for a price of ¥25000. At current exchange rates, that comes out to $297.44 US. Of course, this is pretty meaningless as NOA will set the US price, probably somewhere closer to $250.

No specific dates for US or Europe, though NCL said to expect them in March.

No word on software launches.

A video shown at the press conference confirms that the Miis will be making an appearance on 3DS. It shows someone having their photo taken, and a Mii automatically generated to match the photo!

There will also be a "Virtual Console" providing old Game Boy games.

The video also shows a charging dock. Whether or not this replaces the power cord or is an optional accessory was not mentioned.

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