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US Nintendo Zones welcome Pokemon eps and 3DS demos

Joe Fourhman — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:39:55 +0000

Today Nintendo announced that the fledgling Nintendo Zone service is about to receive an injection of new content, from 3DS demos to episodes of the Pokemon animated series. Nintendo Zone access is available at over 29,000 locations across the States, accessible only through 3DS WiFi.

Although Nintendo’s reasons for maintaining private, location-based 3DS web content might be obvious – provide value for gamers on the go, and offer a good foot forward for retail stores in the looming shadow of digital content – the whole concept seems outdated to me. This may be unique stuff for gamers without WiFi at home, but it’s a weird sell in a modern world of smartphones where you can get pretty much whatever internet you want, wherever you want. I realize this is Nintendo’s stab at making sure everyone has access to the 3DS’ internet features, since the device does not have a built-in WiFi+3G type of access plan, but it’s not a long term solution. It’s a Band-Aid. And it’s a Band-Aid that most 3DS owners are not even aware exists. (*citation needed, but come on: this is a fairly obscure offering for 3DS owners!)

Then there’s the flip side of the coin. I hopped onto a Nintendo Zone at Best Buy to unlock codes for Pokemon Rumble Blast by playing an online trivia game, but was then annoyed that I could not get to the Zone at home to try to win more codes.

Buy hey, occasionally you can get a coupon and score Starfox 3D for half off, so membership does have its privileges.

REDMOND, Wash.– Nintendo 3DS owners are getting access to a wealth of fun entertainment and information that they can access on the go. Starting Feb. 6, Nintendo Zone^™ will offer a variety of new content, including playable demos of select Nintendo 3DS video games and a dedicated Pokémon^™ section that will feature full-length episodes of the Pokémon TV series. All of this exciting new content is only available when owners are wirelessly connected to a Nintendo Zone location.

“Nintendo 3DS continues to deliver fun and engaging new experiences, especially for users who connect their systems to the Internet,” said Zach Fountain, Nintendo of America’s director of Strategic Partnerships. “Nintendo 3DS is our most connected system ever, and Nintendo Zone offers a wealth of exclusive content to users who take their systems with them when they are away from home.”

Nintendo Zone also includes trivia games featuring the latest Nintendo 3DS software, exclusive coupons available only at Best Buy for discounts on Nintendo 3DS games and a showcase of Nintendo 3DS games that includes videos, screen shots and one-click links to game websites. The Pokémon section will also include information and videos about the newest Pokémon video games, Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon news.

Nintendo Zone content can be accessed at more than 29,000 locations at restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, airports and malls in the United States and Canada. Nintendo 3DS owners can find a Nintendo Zone location by visiting http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/nintendozone.

Have a 3DS in Europe? Have Some Free Wi-Fi

Tabitha Wang — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:32:08 +0000

Nintendo struck up a pretty sweet deal, and it doesn’t have anything to do with a free toy at the bottom of a box. 3DS owners living in Europe will now be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi at over 5,000 hotspots across the nation thanks to a deal between Nintendo and free-hotspot.com.

If you’ve got the right settings on the 3DS, the handheld consoles will automatically connect with the internet whenever its within range of a hotspot. free-hotspot.com currently has partnerships with other companies such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Ibis Hotels, and Etap Hotels.

“With such an extensive European-wide Wi-Fi access network, partnering with free-hotspot.com made absolute sense,” said Nintendo’s MD of European Marketing and PR Laurent Fischer. “The access points are largely located in popular restaurants and hotels — places where Nintendo 3DS owners are likely to want, and to unwind in. We also urge all Nintendo 3DS owners to also take advantage of the latest System Update which has brought an array of new features and enhancements, including 3D video capture.”

Sorry North America, no free Wi-Fi has been found for Nintendo 3DS owners here. Guess we’re just not cool enough. Yet.

Via MCV.

That Magical Touch: Miyamoto Wants One Last Hit Before Absolute Retirement

Tabitha Wang — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00:55 +0000

Retirement? What’s that? Does that mean finally resting on your laurels and enjoying the fruits of your labors? Yes, that’s what it means. For Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto though, his announcements of a maybe-retirement brought along some speculation. Well, what he really meant was that he was retiring as…well, whatever his current position was. He still wanted to stay in gaming development, working on smaller projects, and with different teams that had bright new ideas. Legend of Zelda? Too much limelight for him. Super Mario Bros.? No, he doesn’t want to work on something so huge, so big, and so anticipated.

So what exactly is he doing right now? He’s definitely not retired, as he says in the newest edition of Iwata Asks, a Q&A session with Nintendo’s big boss Satoru Iwata. “The ideal situation is one in which I do not need to give any direction,” said Miyamoto. “If we look at such a situation from one perspective, my giving directions may hold back my subordinates’ independent and voluntary growth. Accordingly, sometimes I intentionally give them freedom. Of course, I do not let everyone go totally unchecked. I supervise whenever necessary.”

While some might say to let the man simply retire in peace and enjoy all that he has created, Miyamoto wanted to stick around because of one more big hit. It’s almost like gambling. “I am spending more time than before on finding new ideas for new developments rather than focusing my energy on work in my [development] teams in order to solidify the contents of [existing] franchise titles,” said Miyamoto. “After all, developing big hit titles must be the solution. I am acting with the understanding that one big hit title can change multiple phases of a situation in the entertainment business, and I feel that finding such one big hit is my basic job.”

Well, knowing Miyamoto and his capacity for ingenuity, we’re looking forwards to something truly awesome. Will it be for the Wii U or 3DS? That’s something that remains to be seen.

Via IGN.

Nintendo TV coming to 3DS

Aarron Barker — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:56 +0000

Future Publishing’s Nintendo TV has been available on the Wii for the last 18 months and received over a million views. After the debut episode in December, Nintendo TV is back – and now planning to bring deliver ninty goodness on a regular basis.

Made by the good people at Official Nintendo Magazine, the programme covers news, tips and the latest games every month. The newest episode will be taking a look at the new Resident Evil game Revelations, as well as news on upcoming titles like The Last Story and Mutant Mudds, along with Pullbox and 3D classic Kid Icarus on the eShop.

There’s also a special look at the London Bridge Experience – the city’s premiere Horror attraction – presented in high definition 3D. If this wasn’t enough, you’ll also be able to take part in a competition to win an Ice White 3DS console – because one is never enough – along with Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land and Ocarina of Time 3D.

You can pick this right now and download it directly to your 3DS right now from the console’s eShop.

We’ll See the Wii U Before the End of the World in the U.S., Europe, and Japan

Tabitha Wang — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:12:41 +0000

While the Mayans might have believed the world may end in 2012 (or maybe they just ran out of room on their calendar), gamers will probably expect that their social lives will end again in 2012. No, it’s not another Elder Scrolls game, although we really wish it was. It’s Nintendo’s release of the Wii U. The gaming giant released a statement saying that the Wii U will launch in all the major territories, including Australia, by the end of 2012. That might very well mean we’ll see it come out on New Year’s Eve as some joke, but we honestly hope that won’t be the case.

Nintendo’s big boss Satoru Iwata said during a press conference with reporters in Japan that the Wii U will be revealed yet again at E3 this year. While the system will launch no earlier than April of this year, Iwata said that it will definitely be out before the year is done for. While last year’s reveal at E3 wasn’t entirely disastrous, it left many of us with more questions than answers. Perhaps it was just Nintendo pre-gaming for the big reveal at this year’s E3?

Details regarding Wii U’s specifications and launch titles still remain unknown, but studios responsible for creating games on the system have been given their dev kits. They’ve also received strict orders from Nintendo to not speak with the press about specifications, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors from floating around. Word on the grapevine speculates that the Wii U will have visuals on part with the best games on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Iwata said during the press conference that he hopes Nintendo will return to profitability next year. Following a slump in stocks with the weak Wii U reveal at E3 and the stumbling of 3DS sales, the technology giant hasn’t been on the most stable financial grounds. The company expects a huge loss for the financial year, which ends on March 31st 2012. However, Iwata remains optimistic, saying that the continuous release of titles for the 3DS and “other measures” will help keep them afloat until the Wii U touches down.

Via Eurogamer.

Justin Verlander Shows the Rookie the Ropes in new MLB 2K12 Trailer

Joseph Haygood — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:53:23 +0000

With baseball season fast approaching, 2K Sports has released a new trailer for their upcoming baseball title, MLB 2K12. This new trailer puts a focus on the My Player mode, with a rookie working his way to the majors to face 2011 Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander. The moral of the story – Sit Down Rook, as our rookie wiffs out with three swings to the devestating mix of the curve and fastball that Verlander hurls.

MLB 2K12 is set for release on March 6th, 2012 from 2K Sports for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP and Wii.

UK Gaming Chart (w/e January 28th)

Tanya Horne — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:35:04 +0000

FIFA 12 successfully held off against a surge in Modern Warfare 3 sales to remain at number one last week, with Skyrim dropping into third place and Just Dance 3 into fourth. Battlefield 3 remains in fifth place and – finally – we have some new blood in the chart in the form of 3DS title Resident Evil: Revelations which has entered in sixth.

There are still a lot of fitness titles hanging around at the end of January: Zumba Fitness (seventh), Zumba Fitness 2 (tenth), Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 (seventeenth) and Kinect Sports: Season Two (eighteenth). If you’re one of those still keeping up with your new year’s health drive, we salute you.

So once again, no real changes, not so surprising for this time of year. Can FIFA 12 hold off its rivals for another week? We’ll soon find out.

As always brackets denote the previous week’s position.

1. (1) FIFA 12
2. (4) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
3. (2) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
4. (3) Just Dance 3
5. (5) Battlefield 3
6. (-) Resident Evil: Revelations
7. (6) Zumba Fitness
8. (7) Saints Row: The Third
9. (12) Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
10. (8) Zumba Fitness 2
11. (10) Rage
12. (9) Rayman Origins
13. (11) Mario Kart 7
14. (16) Football Manager 2012
15. (24) Sonic Generations
16. (13) Super Mario 3D Land
17. (29) Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012
18. (25) Kinect Sports: Season Two
19. (20) Cars 2
20. (18) WWE ’12

Charts provided by Gfk Chart-Track.

Celebrate Valentines Day with a Pink 3DS

Joseph Haygood — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:42:48 +0000

Nintendo has announced that a new color is getting ready to join the current 3DS lineup of Flame Red, Blue and Black. What is the color? Well, it appears that Pearl Pink is the new color and it will be dropping onto store shelves on February 10th, just in time for Valentines Day.

The new system will hit the streets for $169.99 and will include all the features of all other 3DS consoles, including glasses-free 3D, AR cards and free downloadable apps like Netflix and the extremely popular Swapnote.

I really have to ask if there was a clamoring for a pink colored 3DS, but maybe I am just the oddball instead of the norm. One thing is for certain – it looks better than the blue version.

Nintendo Investors’ Meeting: Nintendo Network Services and 3DS Explosion

Tychus Findlay — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:39:27 +0000

Last week, Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata announced during a meeting with investors that Nintendo would have an online gaming service on par with Xbox Live and the PSN Network. This would obviously need to bring together into one place Nintendo’s various attempts to compete with Microsoft and Sony.

Iwata said that Nintendo is “aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers.” This new network would support the 3DS and the Wii U.

For those that said the 3DS was a flop, take note of the recent uptick in 3DS sales in every single market, even catching up to and surpassing where the Wii was at the same point in its lifetime. The 3DS is obviously in the middle of a boom and will definitely be here to stay.

[via flarevine]

Weekly Releases: Final Fantasy XIII-2, NeverDead, Soul Calibur V

Tabitha Wang — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:36:19 +0000

A month after the holiday seasons brings the first week where we finally see the big titles release. Well, perhaps not the biggest of the biggest titles, but certainly anticipated titles. Square Enix starts off the barrage with Final Fantasy XIII-2 as we continue the journey of Lightning and her floppy haired-friends. Why Square Enix isn’t spending this time working on Versus XIII will remain a mystery.

Konami hopes to make a splash with their brand new IP NeverDead, featuring Bryce Boltzmann, an immortal demon hunter who hasn’t been killed in half a century. He’s got an ugly grudge to match that long life, and you’d be a lucky person to run across a 500 year-old grudge and live to tell about it.

Of course, who can ignore the glitz and glamor of the next installment of Soul Calibur? The answer is you really can’t unless you absolutely hate fighting games and can’t stand the idea of silly costumes and dramatic voice overs. We’ll forgive you if you hate the latter, but Soul Calibur V sweetens the deal with the entrance of our favorite world-famous assassin. It’s not James Bond, and this guy makes the agent like an utter tool.

Here is the full list of titles across all platforms and downloadable services in the United States and Europe for the week ending February 4th.

Europe – January 31st
- Ben 10 Galactic Racing (3DS)

United States – January 31st
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 (X360, PS3)
- NeverDead (X360, PS3)
- Soul Calibur V (X360, PS3)

Europe – February 1st
- Wakfu (PC)

United States – February 1st
- Wakfu (PC)

Europe – February 3rd
- APB Reloaded (PC)
- Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle (PS3, Wii, DS)
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 (X360, PS3)
- Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D (3DS)
- Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS3, X360)
- NeverDead (X360, PS3)
- Soul Calibur V (PS3, X360)

United States – February 3rd
- Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle (PC, Wii, DS)

Only titles with a confirmed date are included.

Release dates provided by Gamr Review.