Nintendo is hiding a little spy in the “Nintendo Channel”. That spy will share all your dirty little secrets to Nintendo. To find out how the channel is doing it, hit the jump.
(more…)
Was your Wii flashing blue this morning? Nope, it wasn’t another Mario Kart challenge .. the Nintendo Channel is now available to download! I hopped on my Wii, went to the Shop Channel, and started the download. Firing up the Nintendo Channel plays a short video preview of what the channel contains. After that, I downloaded a demo of Crosswords onto my DS, watched video previews for a couple Virtual Console games, and told Nintendo what I thought about Mario Kart Wii and Wrecking Crew.
It’s a fun channel to explore, so check it out and let us know what you think!
[Thanks for the tip, Roger!]
WiiWare launched today in Japan along with a handful of games and the reactions have been — if we’re going to reduce each to a word or phrase — muted, surprising and “frackin’ expensive!” (more…)
Wii Fit is big in Japan (1.5 million sold in three months) and arguably will be as big if not bigger in the US when it goes live in a month or so (more people, more people who subscribe to new “weight loss” gimmicks, Wii’s existing momentum among people outside the now incorrectly described “core” or “traditional gamer”). But, just in case, Nintendo is allegedly preparing a massive marketing push to ensure the peripheral is seen and experienced by as many people as possible. I’m talking Oprah here people, Oprah. (more…)
WiiWare isn’t even out of the oven officially yet and its already got a proper Bomberman game scheduled for release. And this is not mini-game Bomberman, no, but honest to goodness 8-player simultaneous bomb on bomb action.
[Japanese link via Kotaku]
Some of the Wii Channels released thus far have been, in a word or two, slightly less useful than a urinal in the women’s restroom. The new Japanese TV Channel, which serves as a 3D TV Guide of sorts, however, might actually be one of the first that you’ll use on a regular basis (Japan only, but an interesting concept nevertheless).
[Wii TV Channel Isn’t Dumb — Kotaku]
Just when I thought I was getting a hold on the pile of video game paraphernalia I received over the holiday a Netherlands-based developer said today that the mysterious WiiWare download service will definitively arrive in “2-3 months.” My wallet quivered a little in fear at the news, but as it has been so many times in the past 12 months, it was overridden by my blind loyalty to video games and Nintendo. Silly wallet.
Anyway, according to Engine Software — but not Ninendo (which denied a specific launch date entirely) — WiiWare is slated to hit online-enabled Wii’s the world over in March. Engine also conveniently was able to announce its first WiiWare title, codenamed Project Bang!, which the developer said is “a casual game type with very addictive gameplay for one or two players.” Sounds pretty original. The title will also take advantage of the Wimote’s motion sensing capabilities. Getting warmer, and that’s much better that my planned WiiWare title idea: Commander Boring’s Adventure into Tax Town. It only uses the A button and avoids using images of any kind. And color.
Engine Software’s past titles include — are you sitting down? — a co-development credit on High Scool Musical: Livin’ The Dream (GBA) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Circle of Spies (DS) with A2M and an assist on the Nintendo DS version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge (I’m thinking they probably picked out the colors).
Hmm, my wallet just got its confidence back. Still nice to see some WiiWare news out there though.
Live in Japan? Give the gift of Virtual Console games this holiday season with the latest feature to grace the Wii.
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…)
So I had a long day at work and didn’t actually hear about the “Minna no Nintendo Channel” until I got home this evening. Immediately hearing the news I downloaded the channel so that I could see what the buzz was about and deliver it straight to the Infendo readers.
When you log in, the channel gives you the same messages as the Mii Contest Channel (i.e. do you want to recieve message updates, etc.). Once you log on, a video starts playing automatically- and the quality is surprisingly good. The video is an informercial esque add for Wii Fit with Miyamoto and some atheletic looking people talking about the benefits of the software.
You can click on the video to view it in full screen, or hit a button to check out more videos. When you hit that button- the video you’re watching down-sizes and hides in the corner so you can see a list of other videos, almost like a TiVo pre-loaded with Nintendo commercials. (more…)
It was a fairly good year for Wii updates. We got a few major firmware updates, a few new channels, this and that. Nothing that would deprive the Wii of its current abilities. That is til early December. The Official Wii website slipped out some new info on an upcoming update that might not be so great.
- Check out these enhancements to the Photo Channel, which will be available in December, 2007.
- Personalize your Wii Menu by making one of your favorite digital images from an SD memory card as the Photo Channel icon.
- The Wii console will replace MP3 compatibility with the ability to play AAC files, which provide a greater sound quality than an MP3 of the same size. This new compatibility will work with MP4 audio files in the .m4a format. Additionally, you can now choose to have the songs play back in a random order.
- *Wii consoles sold in retail stores starting in December 2007 should include AAC file support.
- *For Wii Console owners without the AAC file compatibility, you can download the updated version of the Photo Channel from the Wii Shop Channel starting in early December 2007. Please note that once you download the updated Photo Channel (ver 1.1), you will no longer be able to play MP3 format music files.
- Additionally, consumers who purchase a Wii console with the updated Photo Channel (ver. 1.1) already installed will not be able to install the previous version to support MP3 playback.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like converting 12 gigs of music to AAC format to achieve “higher quality” listening in the photo channel. If anything I thought Nintendo would go ahead and make a separate channel for just personal MP3 listening. Instead, it looks like we’re going in a whole different direction. I know a majority of us don’t use the Wii as a music player, but why take away what little is there?
Just a reminder, the new Wii channel, Check Mii Out launched about an hour ago. As a refresher the channel “…Lets Users View, Vote for the Best Mii Creations…”. I’ve used it for about 15 minutes and have to say it’s actually pretty neat. The channel interface is clean, informative and includes quite a few options. The Mii creation contest for this week is a hatless Mario. I hope to see some Infendoites Mii’s entered. So get to downloading. You can’t beat a free channel!
[Thanks, Cantide]
It’s no secret that fans of Nintendo’s Wii™ system love their Mii™ characters – those adorably cartoonish caricatures of friends and family members that can be used in games like Wii Sports™. Some of the more artistic fans have even taken it upon themselves to make Miis of celebrities, politicians and fictional characters. Nintendo supports consumers’ creative spirit with the Nov. 11 evening launch of the Check Mii Out Channel. This free new channel can be downloaded from the WiiWare™ section of the Wii Shop Channel by people who have their Wii systems connected to the Internet.”The Check Mii Out Channel lets people show off their Mii creations and vote on those created by others,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “It’s yet another way that we’re building fun, interactive communities of Wii owners without charging them extra for the privilege.”
Dan in Japan writes us today with some cool news out of Japan: USB keyboard support has arrived for the Internet Channel!
I live in Aomori Japan and I noticed that lovely blue glow hit my Wii just about 15 minutes ago. Looks like Nintendo just released a new updates for parental controls as well as new versions of the Internet and Everybody Votes Channels that finally allow for USB Keyboard support. I had to re-download the software from the shopping channel at no cost but I just plugged in my USB keyboard to take the new Internet Channel for a spin and it seems to work as advertised. For Japanese Wii users the kanji conversion seems to work as normal.
Dan says it isn’t too amazing, but it is an improvement. I wouldn’t mind the update myself here in the States, but then again I am pretty used to searching out each individual letter with the pointer. Oh wait, no I’m not.
Can anyone else confirm this?
UPDATE: CONFIRMED, thanks! Also, an update just arrived from Opera on this:
Also new with this release is the ability to download Opera Widgets (http://widgets.opera.com) to the Wii using Widget View Mode. Widgets available now include calendars, news readers, Internet radios and other applications.
Tycho over at Penny Arcade sums it up nicely:
I keep hearing that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption isn’t being promoted very well, but the person saying this always seems to know about it, and then when people share this complaint in the thread those people also seem to be “in the know.” It ships on the twenty-seventh of August, if you weren’t aware - but since you almost certainly are, we needn’t dwell on it. What we should be dwelling on are the series of teaser vids that Retro has been trickling out. Metroid’s largely mysterious heroine has always been a huge draw for me, and it’s a strange case where going into deep detail about the character might actually damage the mystique. But the universe she operates in need not be vague, which is why these clips are such a rich meal: the Aurora Unit trailer that modernizes ancient Metroid canon in a classy way, and there’s a treat at the end of the Valhalla trailer that ties it all together. They both cover a setting that has gotten darker and more sophisticated, tones we don’t typically associate with Nintendo.
Again, I blame the Internet for any troubles on this one. Just like when all those Wiimotes were “breaking televisions” I doubt very much that there’s a marketing drought going on right now for Metroid 3. What I think happened is some popular columnist or Internet forum member somewhere decided that Nintendo was pissing all over hardcore gamers for some odd reason or another and decided to find an Ahab’s Whale that would smear Nintendo and make it do an about face and appeal to hardcore gamers, dammit! It’s basic reverse psychology.
On a side note, there’s something weirdly wrong and insipidly stupid with the hardcore community lashing out at Nintendo for not being tough enough. Weren’t these the same idiots who couldn’t wait to make fun of Nintendo’s GameCube for being a piece of kiddie candy?!
Does Nintendo need to show more TV commercials to sell Metroid 3? Nope. In fact, I think they’d help sell Metroid about as much as those Halo 3 Mountain Dew cans will help sell Halo 3 to people who don’t own an Xbox 360. As in, not at all. Do they need more Internet marketing? As Tycho points out, that’d be throwing money on a fire — things on the Net are already ramped up. The best advertising is already in place for Metroid, and we’re all a part of it just by discussing it, watching videos and even complaining about it.
Does the Metroid preview channel only reach Wii’s with online enabled? Obviously. But the message reaches out to the friends of those Wii owners, and their families, and their friends, etc. Basically, the marketing is being done pro bono, and that’s ok. Any more marketing would be a complete waste of money. Some people argue that this might be true, but if Nintendo did marketing in addition to it, then Metroid 3 would sell even better. Not really. This is because word of mouth and a solid product trumps that any day of the week. No one’s watching normal TV these days anyway. An added bonus for Nintendo is that this discussion gets non-online Wii’s online even faster.
Metroid 3: Darker, more mysterious, and the marketing is just fine, thank you very much.
Need a targeted audience of devilishly good-looking adult males to sell your goods and services to? Advertise on Infendo today! We (heart) our sponsors.
