If you’re on a fitness push and you happen to have a Wii Fit laying around and an Android device, a new application is available allowing you to use them together. The application is called FitScales and is specifically designed to work with that Nintendo Wii Balance Board. The app allows your weight information to be sent to other Android fitness application such as Fitbit or RunKeeper.

Apparently, setting up the app and getting it to work with the Wii Fit accessories is rather simple. All you need to do is install the app and launch it, select your height for accurate BMI measurement, and then connect the services you use. Once you have the app running, you press the red sync button on the balance board and wait for the board to calibrate with the application.

Then all you do step on the Balance Board and it will weigh you. Reports indicate that the Nintendo Wii Balance Board and FitScales combo makes for a very accurate scale. The app works on Android devices running Android 2.1-4.1 and the app is free to download.

[via Modaco]

With the barrage of mod chips delivered over the long span of the original PlayStation’s lifetime, abilities ranging from complete inside-out turns of homebrew games to the allowance of Japanese-restricted games played on USA consoles has been seen. Here with the tip on the Wii U, hackers have claimed they’ve been able to reverse the console’s drive authentication, file system, disk encryption, and more.

That means, basically, that once this process they’ve inflicted has been unleashed, the Wii U will be unrestricted as far as illegally sources games goes. Just as the same group did with the original Wii, here with the Wii U they’ve claimed to break the security holding the system to store-bought games. Nintendo is not pleased, as they’ve shared in a statement with the press earlier today.

“Nintendo is aware that a hacking group claims to have compromised Wii U security; however, we have no reports of illegal Wii U games nor unauthorized applications playable on the system while in Wii U mode. Nintendo continuously monitors all threats to its products’ security and will use technology and will take the necessary legal steps to prevent the facilitation of piracy.” – Nintendo

The hack in question also suggests that it would allow users to play both Wii and Wii U games on the Wii U console without the use of disks. With this hack, users would be able to keep all of their games on a flash drive for easier carrying. Users speaking with SlashGear since the announcement of the WiikeU, the system created by this hacker group (Wiikey), have suggested that it’s this convenience they seek most, not necessarily the ability to play stolen games.

Let us know what you think about the situation! Also make sure you’re not breaking the law, folks- stay green!

UPDATE: Wiikey has responded to Nintendo with a few lines of code that they say Nintendo will understand. Have a peek at the image below and see if you’re the giggling type.

The only games that could end up being affected are those that take advantage of WiiConnect24, including games like Wii Music and Mario Kart Wii, which allow you to send messages and other game information to friends via WiiConnect24. Now that the service is being shut down, these games may end up being slightly less appealing.

For now, it just looks like that North America and Japan are affected by the retirement, but other regions of the world could see the same thing happen sooner or later. The Wii is over six years old, which is certainly a long time, but we’re not sure that’s old enough to warrant discontinuations of various Wii features just yet.

Of course, it makes sense in the end, because Nintendo has the Wii U to focus on, and whenever a company releases a new console, its predecessor usually falls by the wayside. However, the slow discontinuation of the original Wii will put more pressure on Nintendo to step up its game with the Wii U. Hopefully they can keep their new console relevant and up-to-date.

[via The Next Web]

See, Nintendo was to me, like so, so many others, the company that made us realize how much we loved gaming. We played the first Super Mario and were mesmerized. When The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was released, I must have completed it ten times in the first couple weeks. Nintendo and its hardware and its game library all hold a special place in my heart.

That’s why I’m worried. I think there are millions of people across the globe – including many in Japan – that have long-viewed Nintendo as the face of the gaming industry. When Nintendo succeeded, those folks believed that the game industry was doing just fine. And when Nintendo wasn’t doing so well, they questioned the value of status quo in the industry.

When the Wii was flying high, there was a palpable sense that the games industry, despite some softening during the economic downturn, would be just fine. But now that the Wii U is turning out to be a bit of a loser, the beating drum of doubt over the traditional industry’s ability to hang tough against Microsoft and Sony is growing louder. The world is changing, they say, and traditional game companies are in trouble.

So, I need to pose a question: if Nintendo fails, will the traditional game industry go with it?

I can appreciate that Sony and Microsoft are trying to appeal to a different market segment with their products, which lends them to not worry so much that Nintendo is in trouble, but there’s something to be said for determining how the Mario maker’s decline is impacting the industry.

Unfortunately, I can see a scenario play out in which Nintendo starts to go into decline and the next thing you know, all hell breaks loose. A major game console maker has gone into a death spiral, the headlines would read, and now, like a domino effect, Microsoft, Sony, and major game developers are going down the tubes with it.

But perhaps I’m placing too much importance on Nintendo. Sure, the game company is huge and was always important, but perhaps it’s not what it used to be. Nintendo might be the world’s biggest console maker right now, but it might soon give way to Microsoft and Sony. More importantly, it could give way to companies like Valve and Apple.

The traditional game industry could very well be in a state of flux. Nintendo, its spiritual leader, seems to be falling to its knees. And unless it can be brought back up and returned to its former place of glory, I can’t help but wonder if new companies or mobile gaming in general might just put the final nail in its coffin.

I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

We first heard about the Wii Mini back in November, when Nintendo would launch the “new” console in December for Canadian gamers for just $99. While we at least have a release date for when the Wii Mini will hit the UK, Nintendo has yet to announce pricing for the console, but we expect it to be the $99 equivalent that it’s currently selling for in Canada.

The Wii Mini is essentially the same as the original Wii as far as internals go, but it comes in a smaller size and a smaller price tag. The console also has a top-loading disc tray. However, it lacks any kind of internet connectivity and isn’t compatible with GameCube games. UK gamers will get a red Nunchuk and a red WiiMote Plus controller when buying the console.

We’re still not sure if or when Nintendo will bring the redesigned console to the states, but even when that happens, we’re not quite sure that it’ll catch on, given the fact that the Wii U is already out in full force and the Wii Mini lacks many of the capabilities that most gamers would want. Either way, UK residents will finally be able to get in on the cheap-console fun starting next month.

Nintendo is also reportedly set to invest a significant chunk of money into the new merged operation to the tune of $340 million. That money will be spent on a new development facility in Kyoto that should be open by the end of 2013. If you’re wondering why Nintendo would want to merge its console and portable divisions, the goal is to speed the development process by allowing the two divisions to share knowledge and technology.

Odds are the move will also mean greater interaction between Nintendo’s portable and console game systems. Nintendo is willing to try just about anything as its fortunes have been in decline over the last year. The company’s latest console the Nintendo Wii U has reportedly underperformed for some retailers.

Nintendo’s latest portable, the 3DS, hasn’t been the major success that Nintendo hoped for so far. The merger of console and portable divisions is the first time in nine years that Nintendo has made major changes to its organization. Hopefully the change will work well for Nintendo because the console gaming segment has new challengers coming to the space with devices like the Ouya console and new versions of the Xbox and PlayStation expected this year.

[via The Verge]

Of course, Amazon is a little bit late on this one, especially considering that their Instant Video streaming service has already been available for the Wii U. In any case, it’s nice to see Amazon catching up with the times, and to see Nintendo still supporting their original Wii console with new content.

Amazon makes it fairly simple to get started with Instant Video on the Wii. Users can just download the app on their system, and then register it by going to Amazon’s website, where they have a special landing page specifically for Wii owners using Amazon Instant Video. You can register a new device or manage your current devices from the webpage.

Currently, Amazon Instant Video is only available in the US when it comes to using it on the Wii, and there’s no word on when or if the service is coming to other regions of the world, but we can’t imagine that either company wants to keep it exclusive to the US. However, we’re curious as to how long Nintendo will keep up its support with their now last-gen console.

Thus far, Nintendo has raked in about $300 million from U.S. sales of the Wii U, compared to the $270 million or so it made with the Wii when it was at this stage in its life cycle. Overall, December proved to be a good month for the company, with it selling over 2.65 million hardware units total, as well as achieving some other notable milestones, including selling more than 580,000 copies total of New Super Mario Bros. U.

Likewise, the Wii console sold just under 475,000 units, bringing the all-time sales number up to 40.8 million. Following on its heels, Just Dance 3 earned the honor of being the tenth Wii game to sell over 5 million copies. The DS sold almost half a million units for an all-time total of 53 million sold, while the 3DS sold 1.25 million units for a lifetime total of 7.7 million.

Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing Scott Moffitt offered this statement. “While the Wii launch established new benchmarks in the United States, Wii U has surpassed its predecessor in perhaps the most important category: revenue generation. The demand for the Deluxe SKU, which was essentially sold out at retail this holiday, and the strong attach rate of New Super Mario Bros. U, shows that we have the value and the games to drive momentum in 2013.”

How did these thieves steal so many Wiis? According to ABC News, they broke into the Nintendo distribution center around 9PM on Saturday night, used the forklifts in the center to load the Wiis into two semi truck trailers and one van outside the warehouse, and then drove off. It wasn’t until noon the next day that workers discovered the Wiis were missing, along with the trucks the thieves used to transport the stolen machines.

That right there is something that takes a lot of guts, folks. Of course, whoever stole these Wiis now has the task of hiding 7,000 in-box consoles, something we imagine will be pretty difficult. Even though police don’t have any clues as to the identities of the thieves, they’re confident that they’ll be caught once these consoles start getting sold off.

Still, if you’ve got any information on the heist, you’re encouraged to get in touch with police in SeaTec, Washington to tell them what you know. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see how long it takes these thieves to out themselves by selling the consoles they stole. Of course, with the Wii U on the scene, those Wiis probably aren’t going to hold much value for long, so these crooks may have messed up in more ways than one.

The service known as PlayOn collects 45 different brands together into one big batch, adding not just service like HBO Go and Amazon VOD to your television set through your Wii U, but your own videos from your Windows PC as well. Have a peek at the chart below to see the vast selection of connections you’ll be working with right out of the box – and note that the four selections in the upper left-hand corner are already on Wii U as their own app – daunting!

The PlayOn ecosystem is available with a one-time lifetime license cost of $39.99 – one time and you’re hooked up forever. Just like a real software build should be. Once you’re good to go, you’ll find that all of the services above are available to you on your Wii U as well as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the original Wii as well! There’s also a massive amount of other devices that the PlayOn interface works with, and you can work with DLNA-compliant devices galore, too – have a peek at the full device list for compatibility – you’ll find the iPad, iPhone, Android phones with OS 2.2 and up, Google TV, and Roku appearing there as well.

The Wii U GamePad remote allows you to use your touchscreen controls to make selections and you’re able to watch videos on either your Gamepad or your TV. You can watch Hulu for free on your television (the free version) without a Hulu+ subscription where otherwise you’d not have been able to, but of course you’ll need a Netflix subscription to get on the Netflix train, and Amazon video needs the necessary costs to be the boss, too – but with all the rest of the massive amount of channels you’ve got here, you’ll have more than enough free video to go around!

The Wii U support page has gone live today – note that you will need a Windows PC or a Mac running some form of Windows virtualization to get this party started. Get that video right this minute!

Amazon says that users of the service on the Nintendo game console will be able to stream instant movies and TV shows using the Nintendo Wii Remote. Amazon estimates that the rollout of the service to the Nintendo Wii console will allow 8 million UK fans access to Lovefilm.

The service will cost £4.99 per month. Obviously, the Nintendo Wii console needs to be connected to the Internet to be able to stream content. Movies that are coming to the service this month include Sherlock Holmes, Inception, and Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

The service will also offer European TV favorites including Downton Abbey and Grey’s Anatomy. The Lovefilm app for the Nintendo Wii is available to download today on the Wii Shop Channel. There is no specific date offered for launch on the Nintendo Wii U.

UPDATE: It’s confirmed that Europe will see the 2013 delay, but a solid release date for the US is actually still unknown. The last we heard, TVii was delayed into December, so it’s possible we may see it on the 8th along with Japan, but no official word from Nintendo on that yet.

Earlier this month, Nintendo announced that TVii was delayed into December, and would not coincide with the American launch of the console. However, the feature has been delayed once again for both US and European gamers to sometime in 2013. Japan gamers, however, will be able to take advantage of TVii right at launch.

However, one feature that Nintendo is charging for is the ability the Wii U’s GamePad as a television remote control in Nintendo TVii. Users who want this feature will have to pay a one-time fee of ¥100 ($1.22). A strange fee, indeed, but then again, gamers are paying double digits every year to watch Netflix on their Xbox 360, so it’s probably something that we don’t need to complain about too much.

The Wii U had a respectable launch week after its release on November 18, with over 400,000 consoles sold in the US during the first week. That’s a respectable number, and Nintendo may be close to edging Microsoft to the number of consoles sold per month, which Microsoft has held the crown for the past 20 months or so.

The Best Buy Canada website homepage has leaked a small screenshot showing a new Nintendo Wii Mini game console, and tips the launch date as December 7, 2012. That is only a few weeks away and if this isn’t some sort of hoax or mistake, Nintendo has done a good job keeping the secret since this is the first time we’ve heard about a smaller Nintendo Wii console. The image makes the Wii Mini look significantly smaller than the original.

If you want to see the picture for yourself live on the Best Buy Canada website homepage, you had better look quickly because I suspect this mistake will be fixed shortly. The Wii Mini doesn’t show up in the actual Best Buy Canada product listing page along with all the other Wii hardware. The Wii Mini looks to be roughly the same size as a external optical drive for computer.

The homepage link showing the box shot and bragging about the December 7 launch date has a link that reads pre-order now, but when you click that link, it simply goes to the general Nintendo Wii category with the Wii Mini nowhere to be seen. We’re betting someone hit the go button on the homepage ad a bit too early.

[via NintendoLife]

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime describes the launch of the Wii U as “mile 14 of a marathon,” meaning that Nintendo is out of the gate with the launch, but there’s still a long way to go in order to get the Wii U right where they want it to be. Fils-Aime has mentioned before that Nintendo will be issuing continuous updates for the new gaming console.

Bill Trinen, director of product marketing at Nintendo, mentioned that E3 will be Nintendo’s “next opportunity to go into a lot of detail on what’s going to come after E3.” He also mentions that Nintendo is focusing on providing a steady stream of new content to users “in order to keep people engaged and to keep people interested in the system.”

Trinen also confirmed that Nintendo currently isn’t developing any more first-party games for the original Wii console. When asked whether or not Nintendo was currently working on any more projects for the Wii, Trinen simply replied, “No, there are not right now.” This means that Kirby’s Dream Collection is the last Nintendo-published game released for the Wii. As for the console itself, it was recently discounted to $129, and will see even bigger discounts come Black Friday, where Walmart will sell the console for a mere $89.

[via Gamespot]

YouTube has announced that its official app for the Nintendo Wii is now available to download in the United States. The official app is designed for big-screen TVs and to be used with the Wii Remote. The app offers the ability to browse through various YouTube videos, and to browse through the channels you enjoy right from your big-screen TV in the living room.

The app is available to download from the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel, and YouTube says that it will be bringing the app to additional countries in the coming months. When users sign into the YouTube app on their Wii, they will find the channels they are subscribed to. Users can also navigate through categories such as gaming, music, training videos, and more.

I’m sure a lot of Wii owners will be very glad this app is now available. Since you can rent movies from YouTube, this would give users yet another streaming option to go along with Netflix. The app also offers an on-screen search to allow you to search for specific videos using the motion control Wii remote.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed the news to investors yesterday after the company’s latest financial briefing. Iwata said that “the Wii U hardware will have a negative impact on Nintendo’s profits early after the launch.” He said that instead of “determining a price based on its manufacturing cost, [they] selected one that consumers would consider to be reasonable.”

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, though. For Sony, it actually wasn’t until a few years after the PlayStation 3 launch when the company finally started seeing a profit on its hardware sales, and the same goes for Microsoft with its Xbox 360. However, Nintendo has always been about making a profit on its gaming hardware.

With the Wii U being sold under cost, Iwata says that the company may not achieve “Nintendo-like” profits within their fiscal year, but he expects financial performance to at least be “revitalized.” The Wii U goes on sale November 23 starting at $299, and early adopters will have 23 games to choose from right on launch day.

[via Eurogamer]

That definitely isn’t chump change, so it’s no wonder that Nintendo went after him. Brooks found himself on the wrong end of an investigation carried out by the big N and the United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment Association after it came to Nintendo’s attention that an online retailer was selling unauthorized Nintendo goods. The two began buying these bogus products from various online retailers, and their investigation eventually brought them back to the mastermind behind the whole operation: Brooks.

According to Croydon Guardian, Brooks was charged “two counts of fraudulent trading, two counts of supplying an article to use in fraud, two counts of unauthorised possession of goods bearing a trademark and one count of unauthorised use of a trademark,” and appeared in court last Friday to plead guilty to all of the charges brought against him. He’s currently out on bail at the moment, but he’ll be back in court soon enough – he’s scheduled to go back in front of judge on Friday, November 9 to receive sentencing.

Don’t expect the court to just let him off with a slap on the wrist either. As we said, making nearly $1 million from the sale of bogus products isn’t anything to scoff at, so it’s almost certain that he’ll be thrown in jail. This shows that Nintendo is obviously taking this anti-piracy thing seriously, so it may not be the best idea to hit up those Super Mario Galaxy torrents you’ve been eyeing.

It turns out that the 32GB “Deluxe” Wii U system is selling for an average of $517, which is almost 50% higher than the $350 retail price. However, the margin is a lot less for the 8GB “Basic” console, which is averaging $348 on eBay when the retail price is only $300. Then again, one lucky eBayer was able to sell his 32GB Deluxe system for a whopping $750.

Selling sold out devices on eBay is nothing new. It’s been happening with the iPhone 5 just recently, with people spending as much as $800+ for the basic 16GB model. I also saw this kind of thing back in 2006 when Sony launched the PlayStation 3. They were easily selling for over $1,000 on eBay at the time when they sold out.

Seeing as to how a lot of people are willing to spend this much on a Wii U console says that Nintendo still must be doing something right at least. The lone fact that the Wii U sold out is a sign that the Wii series still has momentum. We’re excited to see how launch day goes for the Wii U — it’s happening on November 18 and there will be 23 games to choose from that day as well.

[via Ars Technica]

Hardware sales took the biggest hit, tumbling a whopping 39% to come in at $150.6 million. Looking at the software side of things, Darksiders II managed to take the top spot on the chart for the month, but NPD later confirmed to GamesIndustry International that the game only sold 247,000 copies in its first week and a half – Darksiders II was released in the US on August 14, and NPD’s cutoff date for the month was August 25.

That has to be a bittersweet moment for struggling publisher THQ. On the one hand, it must be nice to see Darksiders II take the top spot, but it’s almost certain that THQ was counting on more sales than Darksiders II managed to pull in. It may not be all doom and gloom though, as it’s important to keep in mind that NPD’s numbers don’t figure in Steam or international sales. Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter says that worldwide sales of Darksiders II may have climbed as high 1 million by now, but also pointed out that THQ needs to sell in the area of 2 million copies to break even on the game.

“I think that the sales are below what they had hoped for,” Pachter said. “I presume it sold around 500,000 globally in the first two weeks (the NPD cutoff was Aug 25), so it’s probably over 1 million now, but my understanding is that breakeven is greater than 2 million units, so it’s not likely to get much higher than that.” Pacher continued by saying that we should give Darksiders II another month to see if its sales improve. Have a look at the full NPD top 10 software list for the month of August:

1. Darksiders II (360, PS3, PC)
2. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
3. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)
4. NCAA Football 13 (360, PS3)
5. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360, PS3, PC, Wii, DS, 3DS, Vita)
6. Sleeping Dogs (360, PS3)
7. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360, PS3)
8. Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, PC, Wii, DS)
10. The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3, Wii, DS, 3DS)

Sadly, if Darksiders II sales don’t pick up, we may not see another release in the franchise. THQ has been struggling in a big way lately, and new president Jason Rubin has made it clear that he has no problem whatsoever cutting projects and franchises that aren’t performing in line with company expectations. While it’s great to see Darksiders II rank as the top-selling game for August, that may not be enough for a publisher that has no choice but to cut initiatives that aren’t bringing in cold hard cash. Let’s just hope that Darksiders II is more successful than these NPD numbers (and Pachter’s analysis) lead us to believe.

[via GamesIndustry International]

This animation begins with Nintendo releasing the Wii all the way back in 2006, seeing then people playing the game and Mario himself sucking out hoards of USD cash from their pockets with a vacuum cleaner. Nintendo’s fortunes turn sour in the video next with the price of the 3DS being cut and that same teen from the head image picking one up for himself, laughing as he does so. In a double unfortunate turn of events, it’s revealed that the 3DS makes people sick – the teen taking a bit of a barf break as he tosses his 3DS aside.

Sony and Microsoft are up next, running through an original level of Mario Brothers with their own consoles held high. Nintendo attempts to crush them with some Koopa shells, but they catch up to the company and smash its embodiment with their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Nintendo is again represented by Mario, who refuses to invest in mobile, cries, gets crushed, and kicks a Gamecube from under a couple of kids, replacing it with WiiMotes so they can move into the profit zone. Nintendo Man and Mario then create the Wii U and hope for the best — will Nintendo be able to follow this 3D animation timeline and come out on top in the near future? Let’s hope for the best!

[via NMA]

Have a peek at the 50 million DS units sold since launch and note again that this isn’t a race between final totals, (or it isn’t yet,) instead it’s a comparison between the first year’s sales for both the DS and the 3DS, the newer handheld model. This will be quite the feat and a gigantic win for Nintendo as the original DS is still the best-selling game platform in US history. The DS’s first-year sales in the USA were 2.37 million units with 50 percent of those sales happening inside the holiday season. Nintendo America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing Scott Moffitt seemed rather ready to hit the mark again with the 3DS:

“With a massive lineup of software on the way and the first-year sales record of Nintendo DS in its sights, Nintendo 3DS enters its first holiday season with a full head of steam.” – Moffitt

In addition to the apparent jet engine rocketing the 3DS to victory here, Nintendo let known a few more impressive statistics on its recent sales, including 675,000 combined hardware units sold in October. A whole 250,000 of these were the 3DS, while 180,000 of the rest are also in the Nintendo DS family of systems. Of course this is nothing compared to the 7 million hardware units sold this year alongside more than 55 million units of software for those systems.

And don’t forget the Wii, up 8 percent in sales this month compared to last year at this same time, while the original DS has increased 23 percent this month compared to just last month. These two units are heading in to their sixth and eighth holiday seasons and are set to continue their wave of sales event though the 3DS is the new handheld and the Wii is up against the wall with the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360.

Note also that we won’t see the next Wii until at least late inside 2012 while the 3DS is still set to be Nintendo’s great handheld hope. What do you think, is Nintendo in a good place with you, the consumer?

Have a nice refresher on the 3DS while you think of it courtesy of Chris Davies:

The overall form factor is very similar to the uDraw with a drawing surface, a place for holding the WiiMote, and a stylus, but the drawing surface is larger at 6.5 by 5 inches and it also lets players insert an image behind the surface for tracing. Players can also save and share files via a SDHC card slot.

Additionally, it supports up to four players in a way that’s similar to how the Wii U has been demoed. One player uses the special peripheral while the other three uses the regular WiiMote. This similarity makes sense since Ubisoft has revealed that it expects the Drawsome Tablet to be a testing ground in developing for Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U console.

The device will be available on December 6 and will come bundled with two games, the Drawsome Artist with some Smurfs content and the Drawsome Sketch Quest. However, pricing information has not been confirmed yet.

[via Gamasutra]

I was just a lad when my uncle first brought my sister and I our first Nintendo Entertainment System, and it was then that we first learned that to make the game work, one simply had to blow on it. The same does not appear to be true for the greater Nintendo business as overall sales during this half-year period have fallen 41% to $2.8 billion, a half-year loss equalling two times as large a loss as the big red gaming group predicted in July. Comparatively the same period last year had Nintendo at a loss of right around $26 million.

It is on the Nintendo DS and the 3DS that the group places a lot of its hope for the future, even though the regular DS has had sales drop from 6.69 million units to 2.58 million units from the same unit of time last year to this half-year report. Software on the original DS also fell from 54.84 million units to 28.99 million units. The 3DS similarly hasn’t been selling all that well, but after the price cut this year, the six-month report this week putting sales at 3.07 million units and 8.13 million units of software.

Then of course there’s the Wii. This stationary console that works, as you know, with wireless controllers that detect their position relative to the console’s reader, has had half-year sales at 3.35 million units compared to last year’s same period sales at 4.97 million units. Software sales for the Wii also fell from 65.21 million units to 36.45 million units.

Time for a new device? Maybe a Wii U?

What Zumba Fitness does is take the Zumba program, an program in which dancers do similar moves repetitively in order to exercise effectively, and makes it into a simple game. What you do in the game is just that, shake your rump, and as it’s available for Wii with Wii Balance Board, PlayStation 3 with PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 with Kinect, you can bet it’s got more than a decent opportunity to get into your living room. We got to see this game in action this past week at Pepcom’s 2011 Holiday Spectacular in NYC.

Have a look at this application via Lisa Roth of Majesco Entertainment showing it off, both in detail and in practice, in the video here in the post. This game contains more than 30 routines you can do right out of the box, each of them based on Zumba fitness as it exists in the non-game world. You can set your game up for 20, 30, or 60 minutes intervals or you can just go forever and ever. You can work with several instructors, one of them being the originator of Zumba Alberto “Beto” Perez.

This game is coming out on the Wii on November 8th, 2011 and will include at least one of the unique Wiimote belts you see in the video so that you wont have to strap the Wiimote to your hip with duc-tape. A rather simple, playful, totally realistically applicable concept turned into a real-life gaming experience for your health – and not the of the Steve Brule sort!

To see more hands-on videos with gadgets, games, and technology consumables galore, check out our [Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal] and taste the product rainbow!

The TriMount is made to attach to the top of your TV and is made to hold your Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Eye camera, and the Wii sensor bar in one place. The holder puts the Kinect on top, with the PS Eye in the middle, and the Wii sensor on the bottom. The design of the TriMount allows it to be securely attached to the TV so no matter how much jumping happens in the room the sensors will not fall off the TV.

The design of the TriMount is made for attaching to flat panel TVs. It also ships with a wall mount for those that have their set wall mounted or use a projector and screen. You can pre-order the TriMount right now for $29.99 and it will ship on August 15.

[via dreamGEAR]

What we’ve been treated to today is a presentation by Nintendo on a brand new system called the Wii U. What they showed off first was the controller, and indeed it was difficult to see where the console fit into the picture. This is the idea, as Nintendo is certainly wanting you to play games, not stare at a big box all day long. Therefor they’ve pushed the console to the background and have enhanced the controller to the point where it’s the major greatness of this system is the fact that you’re going to want to work with the controller more than you’re going to want to work with the big-screen television.

Is this what Nintendo intends? Only time will tell. Until then, lets go down the list of features and uses for this new setup we did see:

The controller has a touchscreen display which will allow, amongst the rest of the items in this list, a stylus to be used to do things like draw a picture of Link from Zelda.

The controller will be able to work without the television at all, still needing the console to be on to play, but gameplay being able to be contained within the controller on its own. Here we see a game played between two people using the controller kind of like a tablet PC for a simple game.

You’ll be able to play games that require you to work with both your television display and the display on your controller. In this instance a baseball game has you targeting the catcher’s mitt so you can strike out a batter.

Another example of using the display on the controller in tangent with the display on your television is this golf game where your controller will be lying on the ground showing you where your ball is lying, requiring you to use a separate Wii controller to interact with the camera/sensor on the front of the new Wii U controller to then hit the ball with your “club.”

You’ll be able to use current Wii remote accessories like Wii Fit to continue to take your weight, for example, without needing to use the television at all. Very helpful if you’re not the type of person who wants to display your heaviness to the whole world.

Another controller accessory that will work with this new Wii U controller is the rifle, this time acting as a scope and selection screen where the old remote simply activated a sensor.

Similar to how you’ll be using the display on the controller to target a catcher’s mitt, you’ll also be interacting with your screen in different ways that include, in this game, selecting windows from a building to see what’s inside.

You’ll be able to use your controller as a holster, holding on to ninja stars until you swipe them out toward the screen for excellent bamboo-cutting action.

The front-facing camera on the Wii U controller will be working perfectly well for video chat, including animalia video chat if you prefer.

Your controller can act as a remote control, here for example acting as a controller of which photos you’d like to display on the screen. Time for some keynote speeches with Wii U, yes?

For games like future versions of Zelda (it’s the 25th anniversary, exciting!), you’ll be able to use the remote as your toolbelt.

Finally, you’ll be able to prop the controller up by a bowl of fruit. Most excellent!

NOTE that we’ll be at E3 the whole convention grabbing all the sweetness from Nintendo and the rest of the gaming world in strides – check out all of our coverage by hitting the big [E3 2011] portal!

What was seen on the stage next was a controller for the Wii U. While it might seem that this is the entire system since we’ve seen similar looking handheld devices in the past, Iwata assures us that this is only a single piece of the puzzle. Dual analog sticks, start/select buttons, y/x/b/a buttons, home, power, up/down/left/right, basically every button in the whole world is here on this still simple device. The other major piece of this puzzle is the console. This little piece of hardware sits next to your television and pretends to be invisible while you’re effortlessly able to play your video games on the big screen or on the screen on your tiny handheld device.

And what’s this? There’s a stylus with which the video we were treated to at this event showed a rather nicely drawn vision of Link being created on what we’re certainly going to be seen called a gaming tablet if Nintendo isn’t careful how it promotes this new system. We saw then another separate piece of hardware that sat on the floor, judging the location of the Wii U as it flew across it to play golf, and that big black bar across the top of the device is, indeed, a camera with which you can make video calls.

Another bomb: this device, Iwata noted stepping back onto the stage after a lovely presentation video of the system had been shown, will be out inside 2012. This system would also be backwards compatible with all current Wii accessories, so no death to old consoles yet!

“Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played. But, the new controller for Wii U with 6.2-inch screen means you won’t need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV program.”

You can even use some of the old accessories without the television at all. For example, you can use your Wii Fit to weigh yourself, getting your super secret weight numbers conveniently on your handheld Wii U controller. The controller itself, again, Iwata notes, is indeed host to a bevy of buttons and features:

Circle Pad L
Circle Pad R
ZR Button (for your index finger on the back of the device)
ZL Button
Control Pad
Speaker L
Speaker R
Touchscreen
Microphone
Front-Facing Camera
Gyroscope
Accelerometer

Iwata is forced to mention that the Wii U is not a mobile device, instead saying that all of the images on the Wii U controller are indeed created by the Wii U. That said, developers are already hard at work, said Iwata, creating games specifically for the versatility offered by this new system. These include thus far big names like Kid Icarus Uprising, Smash Bros, and more. Reggie Fils-Aime stepped back onstage at this point with the following words: “I’m going to focus on how the new controller can change things. The first is simple: something that looks a lot like New Super Mario Bros. WIi, but it’s called New Super Mario Bros Mii.” This game will be able to be played with the Mii character you’ve created on your Wii!

Next there appeared on the screen a game called Shield Pose which will require that you use the display on your controller and your television to block incoming pirate arrows. Weird! Next was a party game that had several Mario mushroom people running around in a four-pronged screen game, the display showing how you’ll indeed be able to use this new controller or the old WiiMote. A LEGO game was next, impressive 3D action going on, this game called LEGO City Stories. A fighter by the name of TEKKEN Wii Successor, Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon Online, Batman Arkham City, and EA’s masterpiece collection of sports games as well!

We’ll be grabbing a hands-on with this device as soon as possible, by the way, folks, so stick with us here on SlashGear for all your Wii U updates! Also note that we’ve now got an article by the name of SlashGear 101: What Can the Nintendo Wii U Do? that will help you understand the basics of awesomeness.

Miyamoto notes that there are two brand new games coming out from the Zelda series: Ocarina of Time 3D, Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, Link’s Awakening, and Four Swords, which will be a cooperative game. “For the 25th anniversary we have prepared a Zelda gaming system for each of our systems,” notes Miyamoto. Skyward Sword will be released this winter holiday season for the Wii. Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is the first title in the eShop Virtual Console, available today. Legend of Zelda 3D will launch for Nintendo 3DS starting next weekend (that being the 11th-12th of June, 2011.) Legend of Zelda Four Swords will be ready for free download in September 2011 on DSiWare.

And Skyward Sword will be available with a fancy golden Wii controller! Oh it is so pretty, just look at it! Also there’ll be two new music CDs for you nerds who love the music of Zelda so much that you need to play it in your vehicles and on your home stereo systems. It’s actually surprising to your humble narrator that they’re releasing them in physical form on a disk. They’ll be the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D Official Soundtrack, available as a gift for those who first register the game with Club Nintendo, the second will be an album of music from Skyward Sword. Available soon!

Stick with us here on SlashGear for more coverage of this event and the further events contained inside the already fabulous E3 convention 2011 – games and games and games!

Last week in gaming consoles…
Nintendo “Project Café” Wii 2 caught on video?
Nintendo ‘Project Cafe’ Wii2 Game Controller To Have Camera?
Microsoft email tips possible free replacement for older Xbox 360 consoles that can’t support new game format
Microsoft Offers Free Xbox 360 with Select Windows 7 Notebook Purchases

As Sony struggles to resurrect its network…
Sony PlayStation Network suffers new hack
Sony hosting phishing site on own server as new hacks identified
Sony hacked again? This time it’s So-Net

Android:
Android flaw could see Google & Facebook accounts snatched over WiFi
Google Confirms Android WiFi Security Fix Rolling Out Today
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia Tab A500 Getting Android 3.1 Honeycomb In June
Amazon Tablets ‘Coyote’ And ‘Hollywood’ Slated For 2011?
Android Honeycomb 3.1 Review

Apple:
iPad 2 supply bottleneck improving tips analyst
Foxconn iPad 2 plant explosion [Video] [Updated]
Apple Store 2.0 Top Secret Revamp Revealed?
Apple Store secret NFC payment upgrade tipped
Apple Back-To-School Sale To Start Next Week?
No NFC for iPhone 4S/iPhone 5 claim analysts
Apple iTunes iCloud Music Service Might Not Launch At WWDC?
Toshiba Reveals 367ppi LCD Display, Beats Apple Retina

Samsung:
Samsung Reveals Battle Plan Against Apple
May 24th Samsung Mobile Event Postponed

T-Mobile:

HTC Sensation unboxing & first-impressions [Video]
T-Mobile 2011 roadmap reveals HTC Doubleshot and G-Infinity, more
Samsung Hercules For T-Mobile, Like The Infuse 4G, But Dual-Core

AT&T:
HTC HD7S Windows Phone Heading To AT&T On June 5
Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb slate dropping June with Tegra 2 T20?

Verizon:
Verizon 4G LTE spreads: Nine new markets, Five boosted cities
Verizon To Drop Unlimited Data Plans, May Add Family Data Plans
LG Revolution To Launch May 26 With Netflix, Froyo, And LTE
Verizon HTC Trophy: Carrier’s first WP7 device due May 26
Droid X2 Unboxing and Hands-on [vs. Droid X]
DROID X2 now Live at Verizon Online
Verizon DROID X2 by Motorola official: 1GHz dualcore
Verizon offers pre-orders on Xperia Play starting May 19
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, Arc To Get Android 2.3.3 And Facebook Integration Next Week
Sony Ericsson Reveals Two New Feature Phones, Txt Pro and Mix Walkman

Reviews, Unboxings, and Hands-ons:
Infuse 4G Review
Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review (Limited Edition)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Review
HTC Flyer Review
HTC Flyer Hands-On and Unboxing [Best Buy]
HTC Flyer On Sale Today At Best Buy

That will replace the previous bundled titles, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. The console will be available in black or white – don’t worry, the Wii Wheel and Wiimote will match too – and the new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately, priced at $9.99.

Meanwhile, on the same date Nintendo will also launch “Nintendo Selects”, a range of $19.99 Wii games at cut-down pricing. The initial titles will include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers and – for the first time as a standalone title – Wii Sports.

Press Release:

Nintendo Unveils New Wii Package at $149.99, Launches ‘Nintendo Selects’ $19.99 Wii Games

Having Fun with Family and Friends Just Became More Affordable than Ever With New Suggested Retail Pricing

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii™ system to $149.99 and including a Mario™ game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and a matching colored Wii Wheel™ accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports™ and Wii Sports Resort™ games.

Also on May 15, Nintendo launches the new Nintendo® Selects collection of Wii games, a set of popular games that millions of people have already experienced, at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The four must-own games in this collection are The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase. Parents and video game fans can now easily expand their library of fun, family-friendly Wii games.

“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”

With Mario Kart Wii now included with the Wii hardware, players will be able to enjoy fun go-kart racing with Mario and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals right out of the box. The Wii Remote™ Plus controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

A really cool LEGO helmet that looks like the ones the Minifig astronauts wear that is sized for kids to be able to put on turned up. The helmet is very cool and has speakers inside to read LEGO comics to the kids via a digital file right off a USB drive plugged into the back of the helmet. Apple is facing its first class action suit over the tracking of user location details on the iPhone. The suit is seeking class action status and is asking for compensation.

Sony showed off two new Android tablets running honeycomb. One of the tablets is a traditional design called the S1. The other tablet is the S2, and it uses an unconventional dual screen folding design. Kodak unveiled a new AIO printer this week. The cool part about the new Office 2170 is that it can print files from mobile devices, and it can print 3D photos too.

Chris reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone this week. In the end, he thinks that the Galaxy S II might be the best Android smartphone on the market today. I really like the products that Quirky and its users come up with. The latest produce is a really cool Fender Bumper for the iPad 2, and it is designed to work along with the Apple Smart Cover.

Sony offered upset PSN users a bit more information Tuesday when it officially said that a hacker was the cause of the outage. Sony also said that the user information stored on the PSN had been compromised. The long running SETI program that uses the massive Allen Array that scans the skies for signs of extraterrestrial life has been shut down. The array was terminated after congress cut the funding for SETI from NASA’s budget.

Users of the Xbox 360 game console have another entertainment option now. Hulu plus landed on the Xbox 360 last week for members to view all the content they want. Sharp unveiled a gigantic video screen room it had designed for a Japanese theme park .The room has a total of 156 60-inch screens arrayed all around the room on walls and ceiling to completely immerse users in the video.

New PS3 models have hit the FCC, and they have new model numbers on them. The new numbers are CECH-3001A and 3001B, at this point we don’t know what the difference between the new consoles and the old ones already on the market are. AT&T issued another warning to users who are tethering the iPhone 4 that it will automatically charge $25 if they unofficially tether their device. AT&T had previously sent out warning messages via text to users suspected of tethering.

The massive breech of the Sony PSN could well end up costing Sony literally a fortune. The estimated cost of the breech could end up totaling $24 billion. Pepsi has unveiled a very cool new social vending machine that uses a big touchscreen. The cool machine will let user’s gift drinks to a friend or to complete strangers, talk about pay it forward.

Foxconn doesn’t take kindly to people that leak designs from its factory. Three Foxconn workers have been arrested and charged with leaking the iPad 2 design that was used to create cases and shells for the iPad 2 well ahead of the official unveil of the tablet. Another chunk of bad news came Friday for users of the PSN. Security experts warned that the credit card data for users of the PSN was apparently up for sale on the black market.

The white iPhone 4 smartphone landed in stores this week and some geeks already have the white iPhone at home. Some have discovered that the white iPhone 4 is thicker than the black one making some cases not fit. Chris posted up his review of the HTC Wildfire S on Friday. The smartphone may be a very good choice for the mainstream user on a budget.

Square has announced that it will be launching a new credit card reader this summer. The new reader will have encryption at the read head, which is something that its competitors said the reader needed from the get go. The HBO Go app has landed on the Android and iOS platforms. The app lets subscribers stream original show and movies to their smart devices.

Amazon has undercut iTunes on the price of new and popular songs on its music store. Amazon is now selling popular tracks for 69 cents each. Thanks for reading this week’s edition, see you next time!

As I said there is still a market for that audience (of which I am a member) but I am constantly wondering what would happen if those proprietary software titles branched out and become available on other people’s hardware. The fact of the matter is if you examine the bottom line of the gaming industry there is more money to be made in software than in hardware. The counter argument however is that the hardware market is not as crowded as the software market.

However, to the point of Nintendo, since they have some of the most recognized global gaming titles and franchises I think they have the best chance to succeed in making their software titles available on more devices.

Mario on Every Screen
So that brings me to the question at hand. Why doesn’t Nintendo offer some if not all or at least part of their epic gaming franchises to all devices? Especially to the booming smart phone and tablet market. What if Mario Bros. and a slew other games were available on the iPhone, iPad, and Android Market? The expanded audience and potential reach with this strategy could be massive. There could be a gold mine to be harvested.

Part of the software strategy could be in the form of mini-games or scaled down versions of the full game experience only available on Nintendo hardware. My point is Nintendo has some amazing software titles and locking them only to their hardware, I feel, is missing out on a large opportunity. There are plenty of people who would pay anywhere between .99c and $10 for some of these titles and game experiences on their smart phones and tablets.

Perhaps part of my logic is selfish. I don’t carry around a portable Nintendo gaming console for a myriad of reasons. I’d love to be able to play current and future versions of Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong on my smart phone and tablet. Nintendo’s mobile strategy continues to be positioned by the industry as a strategy geared more toward younger kids. If Nintendo were to take a more liberal strategy with their software and create versions of those franchises for all mobile devices they could instantly more than double their total addressable market. Again, making loads of money, which apparently they are just not interested in.

Screen Stream will, it’s said, take the 1080p display the new high-definition Stream is capable of, and split the four individual views of multiplayer games, squirting one to each player’s controller. The TV can then show different camera angles or even be turned off completely. There’s also the possibility of “Virtual Console Games” similar to the tiny titles playable on SEGA’s DreamCast controllers.

As for the main hardware, Nintendo is said to be using a custom triple-core processor based on IBM’s PowerPC chipset, similar to the Xbox 360, though with higher clock speeds than the Microsoft console. It will be paired with a revamped version of AMD’s R700 GPU, expected to be faster than the PS3′s NVIDIA 7800GTX-based graphics chip. Foxconn is handling production.

The Wii 2, or Stream, could reach the market as early as mid-October 2011, though it’s possible that Nintendo could hold off from releasing the HD-capable console until early 2012. That would allow developers to build up a catalog of titles to take advantage of the Screen Stream technology. Pricing is believed to be in the region of $350 to $400.

The June bit comes from the big bossman over at EA who recently hinted that the console would be dropping at E3 this year (in June.) He noted that the Wii is a “legacy platform” and that the company will be “coming back with a second act.” They’d better! At least our resident outspoken tech analyst Don Reisinger certainly thinks so.

What we’re hoping to see is bright lights and fantastic action of course, perhaps something along the lines of what an ingenuitive young man made happen a few months ago for Call of Duty – a Kinect hacked to work with Wii controllers for a fabulous first-person shooter extravaganza! Then there’s another Wiimote controlled masterpiece that again shows the controller to actually be the star here: Nokia Big Screen turns N8 into a Wiimote-controlled media center.

Then again, perhaps its the price? Back in December of 2010, our friend the bossman at EA suggested that Nintendo needed to create a $99 Wii with 3rd-party gaming. Did he have some insight? One of the least likely outcomes, if I do say so myself, and this is my own opinion, is that the controller, it’s rumored, will have a six-inch touchscreen, a front-facing camera, D-Pad, two bumpers, two triggers, and “possibly more.” CVG mocked the following up based on that idea:

There’s been rumors of helmets, full body suits, projectors, credit card scanners, and all manner of customizable options. What do you think? What are you hoping for?

The 3DS reportedly sold 400,000 units in the first week after its launch on March 27. That number comes directly from Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime. He said, “We are very satisfied with this start and we look forward to the momentum that we will build on Nintendo 3DS with the launch of the E-Shop, the launch of the 3-D trailers for Hollywood movies and the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in mid-June, as well as the launch of Netflix later on in the summer.”

The Nintendo exec also offers up some numbers on the other game systems it offers. The company moved 460K DS game consoles thanks to the new Pokemon games that sold 2.5 million copies combined. March also saw 290,000 Wii console sold adding up to 1.1 million game systems sold by Nintendo in March.

[via USA Today]

The calls for Sony and Microsoft to offer up new consoles aren’t as loud as those for Nintendo. Last year, Sony released its PlayStation Move peripheral to capitalize on the wildly popular motion-gaming space. Microsoft released the Kinect to do the same. And at least for now, it’s expected that those companies will be spending 2011 doubling down on those technologies with their current consoles.

But Nintendo is a different case.

Since the Wii’s launch in 2006, the game company’s platform has been performing extremely well. Nintendo says that it has sold over 34 million Wii units in the U.S. alone since the console’s launch, and each of the last three years, it has sold at least 7 million Wii units. It’s a feat that five years ago, few thought possible.

But Nintendo’s platform is slowing down. In 2010, it sold 7 million units, but the company cashed in on nearly 20 million consoles between 2008 and 2009. And there is speculation that the Wii will see even slower sales in 2011.

Realizing that, the timing seems ripe for Nintendo to launch a new console.

Historically, console launches jump start sales. It’s why the gaming business has seen console updates around every five years after a respective device launches, and it’s why speculation abounds that Nintendo will announce a new version of the Wii this year.

Of course, some Nintendo fans don’t see the need for their favorite game company to launch a new console. They point to the fact that the Wii is still tops in hardware sales, and it still has solid software to appeal to customers. Consoles should be replaced when they start to become obsolete, those folks reason, and the Wii is far from that.

But I’d have to disagree. Yes, the Wii is still the top gaming console this generation, and I do believe that it will sell reasonably well in 2011. But the console is obsolete. And the key factor that made it so popular — motion gaming — isn’t appealing as it once was.

Let’s take a look at the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Those platforms deliver far more graphical power than the Wii. They also have robust online gaming experiences that continue to captivate gamers each and every day. Perhaps most importantly, they have proven to be far more popular with third-party developers that welcome that extra power and capability.

The Wii, with its standard-definition support and general lack of popular third-party games, looks awfully less appealing than its counterparts. And it gets even worse when one considers that the PlayStation Move promises functionality with more “hardcore” games and the Kinect delivers motion gaming without the need to hold a controller.

Now, I’ll admit that many of the complaints about the Wii have been swirling in gaming circles for years. But declining Wii sales and compelling motion alternatives make them more relevant than ever.

The Nintendo Wii needs to be replaced with hardware that can at least match the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

According to Nintendo, the company has sold 47 million total DS handheld consoles in the United States since the console’s launch in November of 2004. As Nintendo puts it, this makes the DS the best-selling videogame console in the nation — of all time. However, Nintendo’s not finished with the announcements — the Wii is selling just as well, and in the last three years has managed to move 21 million consoles.

In total, the Wii has sold 34 million consoles, total, in the United States alone. This marks the third consecutive calendar year that Nintendo has managed to sell more than 7 million consoles per year. With these sales numbers, it could go to say that the newer portable gaming console, the 3DS, will see the same kind of sales. At least, Nintendo can hope.

Press Release

Nintendo DS and Wii Set New U.S. Sales Records in 2010

Nintendo DS Becomes All-Time Best-Selling Video Game System; Wii Sells More Than 7 Million for Third Consecutive Year

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The close of 2010 produced two sales milestones for Nintendo in the United States.

“When we look ahead to 2011, we see new portable technology and more great Wii games that need to be seen to be believed.”
According to Nintendo’s internal sales figures, the Nintendo DS™ family of portable video game systems has sold more than 47 million in the United States since the original model launched in November 2004. That tally makes Nintendo DS the nation’s best-selling video game system of all time.

For the second major milestone of 2010, Nintendo’s internal figures show that the Wii™ home console marked its third consecutive calendar year with U.S. sales of more than 7 million – a feat never before accomplished in the history of video games by a home console. To date, the Wii system has sold more than 34 million in the United States alone.

“When we look back at 2010, we see consumers time and again turning to the value and enjoyment of our products,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “When we look ahead to 2011, we see new portable technology and more great Wii games that need to be seen to be believed.”

Nintendo is set to release its new Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system in the United States in March. The portable system lets players see 3D content – without the need for special glasses. More details about the system will be announced in the future.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com. For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at http://press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please contact Deanna Talamantez at 213-438-8742 or dtalamantez@golinharris.com. Users can receive instant Nintendo information by subscribing to the site’s RSS feed.

Mad Catz has put a Sonic figure on an inductive charger for a pair of Wii remotes and judging by the look on Sonic’s face, you better not try and put more than two remotes on there. The plastic Sonic figure is 6-inches tall and the thing is shipping already in limited numbers.

The cool charger is part of the 20th anniversary of Sonic. The charger should be able to be found online and in stores and the little gadget will sell for about $50 each. The rechargeable battery packs inside the remotes are good for 15 hours of gaming per charge and you only have to sit them on the charge stand to juice them back up.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Furthermore, Nintendo told GameSpot that they’d not be completely stopping the object cold: “additional shipments can be made if consumer demand increases.” What that basically means is that they’re leaving it up to hardcore fans of Wii Speak specifically to keep the peripheral alive. If you’re the sort of person who innitially got a whole heck of a lot of use out of WiiSpeak when you bought Animal Crossing: City Folk, now’d be the time to get up on your podium to demand it stay around for a bit longer. Or just wear a headset.

[Via Joystiq]

The company sold 1.5 million consoles over the week, and thankfully Nintendo was nice enough to break it down for us, in their press release. When it came to the Wii home video game console, consumers managed to pick up 600,000 of them. As for the DS line-up of portable gaming consoles, consumers managed to purchase 900,000 of those over the week. If you’re curious, that means that people were buying 9,000 Nintendo-branded video game consoles every hour, of every day, throughout the Black Friday week. You can check out the full press release below.

Press Release

CONSUMERS SNAP UP 1.5 MILLION NINTENDO VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS DURING BLACK FRIDAY WEEK

Value-Minded Shoppers Purchase 900,000 Nintendo DS and 600,000 Wii Systems

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 29, 2010 – When confronted with a wide range of Black Friday retail options, U.S. holiday shoppers again turned to Nintendo. Nintendo sold 900,000 combined units in the Nintendo DS™ family of systems and 600,000 Wii™ consoles between Sunday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 27, according to the company’s internal sales estimates.

“U.S. shoppers bought about 9,000 Nintendo hardware systems nonstop for every hour of every day during the week of Black Friday,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “For the past several years, consumers have decided that Nintendo defined both top value and all-inclusive entertainment, and that sentiment continues again at the start of this shopping season.”

Nintendo’s Black Friday surge was fueled by multiple new hardware colors, each of which comes bundled with games. The bundles provide a great value for shoppers who are looking to get the biggest bang for their video game bucks. These bundles, all of which are available while supplies last, include:

Limited-edition Mario red Wii hardware in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros.™ game on the NES™. It includes a new red Wii system, a red Wii Remote™ Plus controller, a red Nunchuk™ controller, and games New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and Wii Sports™ at a suggested retail price of $199.99.

A limited-edition red Nintendo DSi XL™ bundle in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. game on the NES. It features a Mario red Nintendo DSi XL system with three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics, the Mario Kart™ DS game and preloaded software, including Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock. It is available at a suggested retail price of $179.99.

Orange and green Nintendo DSi™ systems, which are bundled with the Mario Party™ DS game. They are available at a suggested retail price of $149.99.
In addition to the great hardware bundles, shoppers have dozens of great video game options for everyone on their shopping lists. Some exclusive games for the Wii console include Super Mario Galaxy™ 2, Metroid™: Other M, Wii Party™, Kirby’s Epic Yarn™, PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure, FlingSmash™ (which comes bundled with the new Wii Remote Plus) and Donkey Kong Country™ Returns. Third-party Wii games include New Carnival Games® from 2K Play, NBA JAM from EA Sports, Just Dance® 2 from Ubisoft, Sonic Colors™ from SEGA, GoldenEye 007™ from Activision Publishing Inc. and Disney Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive Studios.

On the portable Nintendo DS family of systems, shoppers can choose games like DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™, Pokémon Ranger™: Guardian Signs, Art Academy™, Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Mini-Land Mayhem! and Golden Sun™: Dark Dawn. Some key third-party Nintendo DS games include Super Scribblenauts™ from WB Games, Rock Band® 3 from MTV Games, GoldenEye 007 from Activision Publishing Inc. and Sonic Colors from SEGA.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.