Poll – Should Nintendo change the name of Wii U?
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 at 8:00am by David
Who knows if Nintendo will say anything about its name today, but I’m curious:
Should Nintendo change the name of Wii U?
Rumor: Nintendo Executives meet with top content providers to provide video content for Wii U
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 10:25pm by Eugene
To say that Nintendo has been slow to get up to speed in the online space is an understatement. Just look at their history. Nintendo’s first move actually came on the Super Famicom with the Satellaview, a satellite modem add-on only available in Japan. The system was developed to receive broadcast signals from a satellite TV station during a fixed time-slot, effectively allowing for subscription based gaming. The system only supported a handful of games, and was more an experiment than anything else.
After Nintendo essentially bypassed the N64 era without even a hint of entering the online space, the Gamecube was supposed to be given the online treatment, but there are a grand total of four titles that support online play, and another three allow LAN play. The Wii and DS were a step in the right direction, but pale in comparison to even online services of the last generation in the PS2 and Xbox.
Nintendo seems to be fully committed with Wii U and 3DS to step up their game with the Nintendo Network, and if reports from Adweek are to believed, Wii U will go further than any other Nintendo console to date.
According to the article, executives from Nintendo arranged meetings with multiple top cable and Web video content companies at last months Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to discuss adding content to the Wii U. No word on what exactly that content could be, but sources at Adweek suggest the content could include sports and music content.
This is exciting news for Nintendo fans looking forward to Wii U, and bodes well for the future and may speak to Nintendo’s future online strategy. Having the tablet controller automatically gives the Wii U an upper-hand when it comes to streaming video. Just imaging being able to stream the latest Champions League match directly to your tablet controller. I would also like to see more 3D video content on the 3DS, perhaps the ability to pay a one time fee to rent one of the latest 3D movies on the handheld. Regardless, it is nice to see Nintendo taken steps to ensure they are not left behind in an increasingly online world.
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Could the Nintendo Network actually be Nintendo’s answer to Xbox Live and PSN?
Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 8:44pm by Eugene
During Satoru Iwata’s latest financial briefing, the Nintendo president revealed a few interesting tidbits about Nintendo’s new console. First and formost, it looks like Nintendo is finally going to be taking online seriously with Wii U. The new online network that Nintendo has christened the ‘Nintendo Network’ will be far and away Nintendo’s most ambitious step towards really delivering a compelling place for gamers to game online.
While details about the new network are still scarce, Iwata has promised that with Wii U, personal accounts that will allow multiple user accounts per system will become a reality. This means that online profiles will no longer be system based. Whether that means each player will be given a friend code, or if an Xbox Live gamertag style system will be implemented remains to be seen.
Iwata also reiterated that paid add-on content in the form of DLC will be coming down the pipeline for Wii U and 3DS. While we already knew that games like Theatrhythm Final Fantasy would allow players to purchase new songs as DLC, this is the first time Iwata has commented on how Nintendo would like to use the technology. In addition to DLC, Nintendo has shown interest in providing the digital distribution of full retail games. Nintendo has stated that they will be taking into consideration their relationship with retailers however, because you don’t want to piss off Gamestop after-all.
The biggest take away out of all this seem to be that Nintendo is finally wisening up and stepping up their online presence. For too long Nintendo has promised to offer online functionality that would rival that of Xbox Live and PSN, but have fallen far short of the target. If all of these plans come to fruition, it looks like the Big N will finally be able to stand toe to toe with the likes of Sony and Microsoft in the online arena, and stand a fighting chance.
Wii U near-field communication more a money grab than gameplay enhancement?
Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 1:20pm by Dan
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.
What do you think?
Rumor: Wii U name could be scrapped in favor of something, anything, better
Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 10:09pm by Eugene
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!
