The game industry is, undeniably, already well on its way into a new era. It is, like a certain presidential candidate, change we can believe in. It is both an exciting time (as a player) and an uncertain time (as a developer). But it is also a highly lucrative time, as is usually the case when truly disruptive trends begin to come to a head (see also, iPod).

Hardware and software sales continue to trend well into the billions of dollars; industry figureheads like former Sony exec Phil Harrison have allegedly stepped down because of blowback against some of the newer game ideas that are making money where there wasn’t any to be made in the past; and, since I would be remiss to not include it in a post on a fansite devoted to passionate discussion about its very being, there is, without question, Nintendo. (more…)

Is the tide turning? Was I actually right for once with one of my now infamous pro-Nintendo Infendo rants?

I only ask because this morning I read something that was borderline Bible end-of-the-world Revelations territory: Wii software sales for December were officially higher than the market leader, Xbox 360.

This spectacular feat actually occurred last month in the wake of the annual video game software sales Mecca, the “holidays,” and it’s been confirmed by the bastion of video game bloggers’ stats everywhere, NPD.

I wonder… how will the naysayers spin this one? (more…)

OPINION — It’s officially time for 3d party developers to put up or shut up.

The act of complaining about developing games for a Nintendo console and turning a profit against the big bad Ninty and its cadre of 1rst party behemoths has officially been exposed as the pathetic, cry baby act that it is. (more…)

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Nintendo DS(TM) and Wii(TM) finished strong in 2007, commanding sales in the holiday shopping period and finishing the year as the two best-selling video game systems in the United States, according to new data just released by the independent NPD Group.Nintendo DS was the top-selling U.S. system of 2007, with nearly 8.5 million sold, including more than 4 million in November and December alone. Wii placed second, with nearly 6.3 million sold through the year, more than 2.3 million of which sold in the final two months. (more…)

There’s word today that Nintendo will update a Nintendo 64 game on the Virtual Console with some modern day features. Over at Wired’s Game|Life, Chris Kohler reports that Pokemon Snap, due out soon for the VC, will come complete with some Wii-specific content, including the ability to send snapshots of your little monster things to friends.

Sounds exciting right? Right?! No, of course it doesn’t. But, as has been pointed out by Kohler, this has wider, far more exciting implications than Pokemon traveling the Intertubes. Like online Mario Kart 64, for example.

But I had my own idea, and it’s pretty simple. Nintendo should revive NES Achievers/Player’ Forum, a staple of Nintendo Power magazines long past, and make it a robust online leaderboard/contest channel. Has Xbox Live done this already? Somewhat. But not with Nintendo branding and that cas-core goodness the Infendo staff so loves right now. And not with Virtual Console integration that would see old farts from the 1980’s reliving the competition of their youth with original NES games. (more…)

They’re at it again.

Just like last year’s site-killing Xbox 360 deal, Amazon is again asking customers to vote on which products they’d like to see get an insane discount. Round 1? Three video game consoles. The Wii is being offered for $79, if it wins. Right now it’s in the lead by a good margin, with the PS3 trailing in second and the Xbox with 14%.

Other notable contests: High def DVD players. The HD DVD one from Toshiba is currently winning over a Blu-Ray one and a TiVo.

There are 1,000 units available for the winning console. If you’re an Amazon customer, go vote!

The unofficial sales numbers rolled in listing some surprising results. Metroid Prime 3 has managed to shift over 400,000 copies in its first week. Andy Robinson, over at CVG, clearly summed up the success…

Metroid managed to shift over 400,000 copies in total, which must be big news for developers ogling at Nintendo’s console and proves that traditional “hardcore” games can still sell on the home of Wii Sports and Cooking Mama.

What was really surprising was comparing sales to other big titles last week. Prime 3 has outsold the highly anticipated Bioshock, Blue Dragon, and Warhawk combined.

What’s that word I’m looking for….”pwnage”…that’s it!

Before you head over the GamePro interview between Vicious Sid and Sony Computer Entertainment of America President Jack Tretton, you have to close you eyes and do a little imagining for me. First, picture Jack Tretton shirtless and lying down on a massage table. Yeah, I know, it’s frickin’ weird, but bear with me on this one, please. Next. imagine Vicious Sid standing over him, massage oils already rubbed into his hands, generously applying some kick ass moves, holds and massages to Jack Tretton’s back while he asks questions like,

“Speaking from a personal perspective, I’m not a terrific fan of the Wii. I think it’s great for the industry, but it doesn’t speak to me as a gamer. The technology is pretty limited and I think that in 2-3 years that it could go into this casual Tamagotchi kinda thing. It seems like a different industry almost.”

Now, my track history aside, the Wii comments aren’t even what got me. It was the shoddy, irresponsible journalism that make me spit up the Klondike bar I had finished slurping down only minutes earlier. If ever there was visual proof that the current gaming media is ready to fall from grace, this interview was it. (more…)

As the final ripples from E3 subside this week (whether for good or for now remains to be seen), Nintendo president Satoru Iwata leaves us with some passing comments that he probably wouldn’t have been caught dead making even just four or so months ago.

“Sony’s PS2 sales of 100 million units is an extraordinary number that our home game console business has not achieved,” Iwata told Reuters. “But if we can make our bid to expand the gaming population a continued success, we could exceed that.”

He’s using an “if” statement there, but even still if the cards all fall into place with this Blue Ocean strategy, then there’s really no telling how many consoles will be sold. The DS, I’d argue, looks like it may have already passed the tipping point, so we’ll see where that little white (and onyx. and pearl. and pink …) gem can go from here, won’t we?

With more than 120 million units sold (except mine; I won mine from an after prom party in 1999), the PS2 defined a generation of gaming. Games were made first and foremost for the PS2, and then developers starting thinking about everything else. If the Wii were to take even half that number with this latest spate of consoles out today, then I think we’ll see some very interesting games indeed.

Is it the “death of the hardcore gamer” as I’ve been reading all over the place these days? Not really. Let’s be all grandiose and bombastic, shall we? Let’s call it the birth of some new innovation.

Ok, so there was no laughing. From Nintendo anyway. I, on the other hand, had a guffaw or ten. Two hundred and forty days into the life of your console, and you’re cutting prices? Sigh. And I was having such fun battling the PS3 as a rabid Nintendo fanman (I am no boy).

Nintendo’s George Harrison takes Sony out to the woodshed and beats the snot out of it with his trusty solid silver custom Wiimote:

George Harrison, Nintendo vice president, stated that the firm isn’t at all threatened by Sony’s latest move. He implies that a $200 price cut would be necessary to significantly boost sales of the console. “A $100 price drop won’t make a difference,” said Harrison. “Can Sony afford a $200 price drop? I don’t think so,” he added.

Funny, because $200 is exactly what Kazumi Kitaue, head of Konami’s North American and European operations, said the PS3 needed to get back into form and … wait for it .. retain Metal Gear exclusivity:

“I don’t expect a substantial impact… With $500, you can buy a personal computer,” he said. “Since Metal Gear was born on the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps.”

And spare me the digg.com stories says sales are up 2400% and Amazon.com’s top seller right now is the $499 PS3. Sales went up after a price drop? You don’t say!

NPD just announced US hardware numbers for the month of May. They are as follows:

1. DS - 423,000 units
2. Wii - 338,000 units
3. PSP - 221,000 units
4. PS2 - 188,000 units
5. 360 - 155,000 units
6. PS3 - 82,000 units
7. GBA - 81,000 units
8. GCN - 10,000

DS sales solid and steady, Wii down slightly (though still selling a grundle), and the PSP benefited nicely from its recent price drop. Looks almost exactly like every other month over the last half year, so I’m not even going to say anything ’cause everything has already been said, no?

There’s owning the competition, and then there’s owning the competition. And then there’s whatever the heck Nintendo is doing right now. Therefore, the competition — such as it is at the moment — has officially been Nintend-owned in May. (more…)

The gaming industry is having a difficult time comprehending Nintendo’s recent success.

Many gamers who have since moved on exclusively to more “mature” Xbox and PlayStation offerings even suggest that the “Wii bubble will burst any day.” That is people will grow tired of Wii’s novelty and inferior graphics in the long-run despite the similar and ongoing success of Nintendo’s DS.

As for me and my house, I’m more than pleased with Wii games right now and beyond.

(more…)

Ok, so that headline is a tad misleading. I’ll come out and say that right away. But you have to forgive me for the slight deception, because Nintendo is selling more than 100,000 DS units per week and the Wii is now the prime minister. Ok, it’s not, but wouldn’t that be just the cutest little thing ever?

On a more serious and sane note, the Wii did sell 69,748 units, bringing the year-to-date total to over 1.6 million units.

Here are the full sales figures for the week ending June 3:

DSL: 123,140
Wii: 69,748
PSP: 26,358
PS2: 11,814
PS3: 8,998
Xbox 360: 2,219
GBM: 310
GBASP: 247
GC: 226
DS: 71
GBA: 16

And there is absolutely no truth whatsoever to the rumor I’m starting now that Japanese retailers are offering a free PS3 with every PS2 sold. None at all.

I spent a few minutes today trying to figure out what Tyler Bleszinski was trying to say in his guest column for Newsweek. Something about the Wii’s success killing hardcore gaming. Even now, I’m not so sure I know what the heck I just read. Hardcore gamers are led Zeppelin? The rest of us are the Bee Gee’s?

First, it was that he was disgusted that grandmas were buying Wii games and that publishers were on the precipice of this casual gaming chasm, ready to jump in headfirst. But then he assured us that he knows hardcore games aren’t going away. Then Wii Sports was a tech demo and everyone is going to stop what they’re doing and make copies of it My head is spinning, but I think I know what the problem might be. (more…)