Nintendo this week announced near-field communication support for Wii U (or whatever it ends up being called). While the addition may help developers introduce new gameplay ideas, 1up makes a strong argument that the technology will likely be used to “milk money” out of enthusiast gamers.
Iwata only gave one explicit example of how the NFC tech might be used, “micropayments.” He didn’t elaborate beyond that one word, but this probably means Wii point cards will no longer come with scratch codes. Instead, Nintendo will probably sell cards with NFC chips. Swipe it and points will be added to your Nintendo Network account.
Nintendo may also use the tech so you can swipe merch for pre-order bonuses, downloadable content, and Pokemon tie-ins. Obviously, many of those would enhance convenience in getting your analog stuff to talk with digital stuff. But it’s to be seen how, if ever, NFC will enhance actual games.
Hooray for demos! Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (This is possibly my least favorite game title of all time) has just landed on eShop in demo format. It’s spectacular and a lot of fun to play through, running you through a medley competition involving target shooting, goal kicking, trampoline, swimming and BMX racing.
It’s worth mentioning again: this game is spectacular. The characters look amazing on 3DS, and the stadium setting springs to life with color, depth and detail. It’s all very sharp, smooth, and polished as blazes. Continue reading…
Just imagine what must be happening at Nintendo headquarters right about now. After thwarting Miyamoto’s lastest attempt to escape his cell and fighting to turn a profit even among the recent sales success of 3DS, Nintendo is once again facing criticism over something else. The name Wii U. I mean, I have never really much cared for the name of Nintendo’s forthcoming console, but then again, I didn’t much care for the name Wii. It seems that someone at Nintendo doesn’t like it either, and some discussion is happening as to whether they should change the name of the console.
It is speculated that the recent change of heart when it comes to the consoles naming is concerned is due to the confusion about what exactly the Wii U is. Even on Infendo where I would like to think our audience are among the most intelligent Nintendo fans on the Internet, when Wii U was revealed at E3, there was some confusion as to whether it was a new console or simply a peripheral for the Wii.
I think Nintendo could do much better than Wii U, and that they should. If they would like to keep with the Wii branding, how about Super Wii? Maybe they could go another direction entirely and call it the Nintendo Vista. How about Nintendo Gametab? Ok, so maybe I’m not very good at this, but I’m sure SOMEONE at Nintendo could come up with something better than Wii U.
What do you think Nintendo should call Wii U? Can you come up with anything better?
If you like this post, be sure to follow me on Twitter @infendo_eugene and check out my personal blog at Nintentunes.com!
Company lost more than three quarters of a billion last year and even announced more expected losses into this year. That’s to be expected from other console makers who lose money on new hardware in the first year, as they hope to recoup losses and turn a profit in the coming years. But for Nintendo, that’s rare. They usually turn a profit in the first year, with exception to their lackluster hardware, which 3DS still appears to be (at least on the cusp of it).
Starting next month, the country that still can’t decide if it’s four individual ones or one unified one (i.e. they still won’t play together in the olympics or world cup) is getting stand alone pink and white 3DS units, Nintendo announced today. Previously, both white and pink were only available in bundle packs.
No word if the company will make these stand-alones available elsewhere. But at least non-Irish Brits (Can I call Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh Brits?) are getting something first. That said, does Ireland proper get this stuff when it’s announced for the UK, which I understand it is not a part of but is still a part of Great Britain? I’m so confused. Hi-res pink shot after the break.
While not exactly Nintendo news, IGN today has revealed that the next Xbox (how bout we DON’T call it the 720, shall we?) will be based on the AMD 6000 series of GPU architecture which was introduced last year. While we don’t know exactly what will ship inside the next Xbox, IGN cites that the GPU will be similar to the Radeon HD 6670, which sports DirectX 11, 3D, 1080p output, and multidisplay output. Their sources tell them that the console will be around six times as powerful as the Xbox 360, and will yield 20 percent greater performance than the Wii U. Allegedly the console will launch in late October or early November of 2013.
What does this all mean? Well, actually nothing right now. All of this is just rumors for now, not to mention that final specs for Wii U have yet to be revealed by Nintendo. Taken at face value it looks to mean that while Wii U looks to be running on Radeon R770 which doen’t look to be quite as powerful as the new Xbox, both consoles will be more than capable and will most likely allow developers to develop for both simultaneously.
I don’t pretend to understand all the technical aspects behind what makes Mario’s suspenders look so nice, but at the end of the day, I think Wii U will be able to stand toe to toe with whatever Microsoft and Sony decide to throw at it. Bring on E3.
What do you think about this latest rumor? How do you think Wii U will fare in comparison?
If you like this post, be sure to follow me on Twitter @infendo_eugene and check out my personal blog at Nintentunes.com!
Sometimes Dorkly just gets it right. Not much going on in the world of Nintendo today, so I thought I would drop this comedy bit that has been making its way around the interwebs. Got to love video game humor, right?
Anyone else have any funny videos to share this Monday to help everyone get through the work week?
If you like this post, be sure to follow me on Twitter @infendo_eugene and check out my personal blog at Nintentunes.com!
I compiled a list of the 15 rarest and most expensive Wii games and what makes them so hard to find. Many of them have been discontinued or the publishers have closed. The most expensive game, One Piece Unlimited Adventure, sells for $150 brand new.
Like I said before, Metroid Prime Trilogy is a want for me. Also, I’m surprised my dusty copy of Walk it Out is fetching so much these days on the second hand market. What about you: Any games on that list you have or like to get?
NES – Bionic Commando Back in the days when most of my gaming experiences came from borrowing games from other people, and my uncle was the biggest gamer I knew (which also made him the coolest), I would spend many a weekend visiting family with all of us huddled around the NES waiting for our turn. Bionic Commando lended itself well to ‘die and pass the contoller’ style gameplay, and I can still remember the joy of beating the entire game in a single sitting with three other family members.
Bionic Commando comes from a school of gaming not found much in gaming today. Lose all your lives and run out of continues? Sorry small fry, you kind of need to start over from the beginning. Tough luck. Continue reading…
Free demo downloads are a welcome, much-needed addition to the 3DS world, and Resident Evil: Revelations is a great, high-profile debut for the feature.
I haven’t played a Resident Evil title since the days of horrible d-pad controls, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. I was very impressed with the look and sound of the game (loved the 3D fog effect) and the gameplay itself felt smooth. Good, creepy fun!
If you’ve downloaded and played the demo, what did you think?
Infendo reader JJ writes:
