Whereas previous E3 appearances have seen Nintendo show off new hardware, Fils-Aime said, the show this time around will be focused solely on new titles. Alongside the official announcements, Best Buy locations in the US and Canada will have demo stations set up in multiple stores so as to give gamers a chance to try well in advance of when they’ll be able to buy.

Exact details on which locations and which games will be participating are unknown at this stage. However, Nintendo’s focus on new titles hardly comes as a surprise, given the company has previously blamed a shortage of games for 3DS and Wii U for underwhelming sales.

What there won’t be is a big E3 press conference. It’s not the first time Nintendo has tried to whet appetites with some sneaky pre-release access. Back in November, ahead of sales of the Wii U, various US retailers offered experience kiosks where the new console could be tried out.

Still, developer confidence in the Wii U particularly is looking patchy. EA, for instance, confirmed this week that it has nothing in the pipeline for the console.

The Nintendo Direct also revealed some release dates for upcoming titles, including Donkey Kong and the Legend of Zelda. SEGA, meanwhile, has inked an exclusive deal with Nintendo for the next Sonic the Hedgehog title – Sonic Lost World – which will only be available on 3DS and Wii U.

One of the biggest game developers in the gaming universe is EA, which produces franchises such as Madden NFL, The Sims, and the Battlefield franchise. About two years ago, EA announced an “unprecedented partnership” with Nintendo hinting that a number of video games for the console would be coming. Fast forward a few years and EA is now saying that it has not one single game in development for the Nintendo Wii U now.

EA hasn’t ruled out the possibility of developing games for the console in the future, but the company currently has no games in development for Nintendo’s latest hardware. This is a rather surprising revelation by EA considering it and Nintendo were throwing in together to the point that in 2011 at E3 Nintendo’s CEO and EA’s CEO took to the stage together to talk about the Nintendo Wii U and the number of games coming for the console.

EA did develop and launch video games for the Nintendo console early on including versions of hit games such as Mass Effect 3, Need For Speed Most Wanted, Madden NFL, and FIFA. However, none of those games launched first on Nintendo’s new console or were exclusives. In fact, they had all been available previously on the other game consoles. EA spokesperson Jeff Brown told Kotaku this week that the earlier run of games for the Nintendo console was EA delivering on its E3 2011 content partnership.

If EA saw value in designing and developing games for the Wii U, you could bet that the company would be doing it. If you’re a big fan of the Wii U, EA’s lack of support for the console means you will have no NFL video game to play because EA holds the exclusive license. It ever a console needed a massive first party video game success, the Wii U is it. However, it looks like Nintendo will have to step up and develop any successful games to drive desire for the console itself, and it doesn’t exactly have a strong track record in recent years for developing hit video games.

SOURCE: Kotaku

You’ve likely seen the type of YouTube videos being referenced – they’re uploaded by gamers who brag about their skills, showcasing headshots or coin counts or any other such achievements worth their weight in digital praise. Others are of the more utilitarian variety, featuring step-by-step visual walkthroughs of hard-to-beat missions, as well as walkthroughs of complete levels from the game’s beginning to end.

The sticking point in the issue is that each video is displaying the video game maker’s intellectual property, and for that reason the company can have the content pulled. Rather than take that route, Nintendo has decided to fill its coffers, so to speak, with their customer’s content by reaping the advertisement revenue. Said the company, “We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube. That is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property.”

This will be achieved by targeting videos that meet certain requirements, such as displaying Nintendo game footage, as well as the duration that footage is visible on the video. Such videos will have advertisements placed either at the beginning of the content, somewhere in the middle, or at the end, depending on the video. Those proceeds will go to Nintendo, and the content creator’s ability to garner ad revenue is eliminated.

As you might imagine, the backlash over this has been large, with many stating they will no longer upload content of Nintendo games – some going so far as to say they’ll stop playing them entirely – until the issue is sorted and Nintendo stops leeching off their content. One such gamer that will be affected is Zack Scott, who said on his Facebook that unlike movies and TV shows, every game play is unique, and for this reason Nintendo is in the wrong. Viewers aren’t watching to see Nintendo’s content, but rather the means by which to beat a mission and to hear commentary on the game.

SOURCE: BBC News

The game engine in question is called Frostbite 3. DICE Technical Director for Frostbite Johan Anderson recently said that no games using the Frostbite 3 engine would work on Nintendo’s latest game console. Anderson said that the Frostbite 3 engine has never been running on a Wii U console.

He also noted that the game developers did some tests with Frostbite 2 and the results weren’t promising. In fact, the results with Frostbite 2 were so poor that the company chose “not to go down that path.” DICE executives had previously said that the company wasn’t interested in devoting development time to Nintendo’s latest game console.

The crux of the reasoning for DICE is that the Nintendo Wii U lacks the power needed to run the company’s high-end game engines. It’s also worth noting that the Unreal Engine 4 won’t officially support the Wii U either. However, that Unreal engine will be able to run scaled-down games on Nintendo’s console. What do you think is it time for Nintendo to give up or launch a truly high-end console?

[via ArsTechnica]

According to The Japan Times, Nintendo has been offering game developers conversion software for use with mobile devices and consoles that allows smartphone apps to be played on the Wii U, and Nintendo is encouraging developers to create smartphone games that can be playable on the company’s gaming console.

This comes after Nintendo is continuously reporting poor sales for their new console, selling way less than they expected during the last quarter, and reporting a $366 million operating loss, which is the company’s second annual operating loss in a row. Nintendo is apparently hoping that the addition of smartphone apps will turn things around.

It’s certainly a bold move on Nintendo’s part, but it slightly makes sense. The smartphone games would be played on the Wii U GamePad’s 6.2-inch touchscreen display, which is obviously the ideal playing field for a smartphone and tablet game. However, we’re not sure how these games would be implemented, as far as being able to use the physical controls, or if you’ll be able to beam the game to your TV through the console. Hopefully there will be a field of options available if smartphone apps eventually do come to the console.

[via The Japan Times]

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 WiikeÜ isn’t available to consumers just yet, but Wiikey will be releasing updates regarding the product soon. In a statement on their website, Wiikey stated that they were able to completely reverse “the WiiU drive authentication, disk encryption, file system, and everything else.” When the WiikeÜ becomes available, gamers will be able to install homebrew software on their Wii U, and unfortunately for Nintendo, play pirated games.

The WiikeÜ spells trouble for game developers, however it may do wonders for the Wii U. The sales for the Wii U failed to even meet Nintendo’s lowered expectations, selling only a measly 3.45 million units since its launch. People who purchase the WiikeÜ will inevitably use it to pirate games (with a few using it solely for homebrew purposes), and while it may be damaging to game sales, it may offer enough incentive for people to purchase a Wii U.

It’ll be a bittersweet situation for Nintendo, who just replaced its North American CEO with Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata. Nintendo planned on improving sales of the Wii U by bringing more “key” titles to the platform, enticing more consumers to purchase the device, but that plan may be thwarted by Wiikey. We’ll see. But at this rate, anything would help the struggling platform.

[via Wiikey]

Nintendo’s refurbished store may offer better deals compared to other resellers. Prices start at $99.99 for a Nintendo DSi XL and $129.98 for a Nintendo 3DS. The systems are fully functional, but Nintendo warns users that there could be “minor blemishes” on the system. All refurbished products come with a one-year warranty, the same warranty it offers for its new products, just in case you have an issue with the system later on.

Nintendo is looking to keep its sales in the family, because while it can’t stop people from purchasing used systems over new systems, it can stop people from purchasing used systems from other companies. In order to make its refurbished products more enticing, not only is Nintendo offering its refurbished products with all of its original gear, but its also throwing in a charging cradle and an AR Card Pack for free.

The Nintendo 3DS has been successful in the market, despite the huge decline that the portable gaming console industry has been seeing. It sold over 31 million units so far and has been said to be the “best portable gaming console” to date. Its no surprise considering all of the major titles that have been released onto its platform, including a remastered Super Mario Brothers and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as well as an upcoming remaster of the portable Pokemon franchise.

[via Nintendo]

The new version also makes it quicker to go from software to Nintendo’s Miiverse, answering another complaint gamers had about the system. Nintendo has added a shortcut within the startup process, too, whereby pressing and holding the B button on the GamePad while the Wii U logo is shown at boot automatically jumps to the Wii Menu.

Meanwhile, there’s background support for game and app installations from the eShop, and if you shut down the console while a download is in progress, the Wii U will wait to turn off until it’s done. There’s also priority control over multiple downloads, allowing gamers to choose which gets completed first.

Data management has also been addressed, with the option to copy saved files between USB storage, and when you power the Wii U on you get a clear indication of which account is logged in and active. Finally, there are some minor tweaks, such as a control over TV screen size output in the settings page, and an undo/redo control for when you’re creating a Miiverse character.

However, aside from a new turn of speed, the new firmware also paves the way for some of Nintendo’s more hotly-anticipated changes: Virtual Console and Wii U Panorama View. They’ve been waiting in the wings until the console could support them, offering downloadable classic titles from $4.99 to $8.99, and virtual exploration of famous locations, respectively. Panorama View will offer free demo previews, with each full experience – which will include carnivals and bus tours of significant cities – priced at $2.

Nintendo really needs the Wii U to start bedding in, with sales slumping in the first calendar quarter of 2013, and leading to the Japanese company missing its already-lowered sales expectations. It was confirmed that Nintendo would have a more low-key E3 than in recent years, ceding the stage to Sony and Microsoft who each have next-gen consoles of their own to detail.

The company addressed the news in its latest quarterly earnings briefing today, and while they don’t plan to release any new hardware, they did mention that they’ll be announcing new Wii U games, although they weren’t clear if that would be at E3 or just in the general future. Nonetheless, we can expect some new titles from the company very soon.

Furthermore, Nintendo is at least planning to host a few smaller private events during E3, one of which will be for American distributors and another will be a private hands-on event for media. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata isn’t planning on speaking at these events, which isn’t too surprising, as he didn’t present at E3 last year either.

It’s particularly sad that one of the big three gaming console makers won’t be appearing in a big way during the year’s largest gaming expo, but it’s really no surprise, since many companies are beginning to drop out of conventions in favor of their own events to announce new products. Microsoft backed out of CES a couple years ago, with Chinese consumer electronics maker Hisense taking their place.

Says Nintendo, the mobile access for Miiverse does not offer all the features users enjoy on the Wii U, with the reason being that it is still in beta mode. According to Miiverse.Nintendo.net, where users can access it, PCs, smartphones, and other devices are supported, with those “other devices” not being detailed. As a condition of being in beta mode, Nintendo advises that some devices may not be able to access it.

All of this meaning, try to access it on your device of choice and see if it works. If you don’t have a Miiverse account, you can still check out the service via a sampler selection of popular posts. Users can be tagged in posts, which can also be liked. It works about the same way those who use Miiverse on their Wii U are familiar with, minus a few features.

This news follows shortly after Nintendo revealed its quarterly earnings, which show that the Wii U’s console sales have continued to struggle. According to the financial report, Wii U sales failed to meet Nintendo’s reduced sales expectations, hitting 3.45 million units sold rather than the 4 million expected, which was a downgrade of nearly 30-percent over the maker’s original expectations.

[via Twitter]

Nintendo announced its full year financial results earlier today, revealing disappointing Wii U sales that failed to reach even lowered predictions the company made earlier in the year. Nintendo blamed an underwhelming roadmap of Wii U games for the sluggish sales, but today also confirmed that it would chase a more responsive decision-making process.

“The move will support the company’s unified global strategy,” Nintendo said in a statement, “allow streamlined decision making and enhance Nintendo’s organizational agility in the current competitive environment.” Kimishima’s new role is dependent on shareholder approval, having worked at Nintendo of America since 2002.

Meanwhile, outspoken Reggie Fils-Aime remains president and COO of Nintendo of America, and will report to Iwata once the Global President takes the reins. Together, they’ll attempt to rejuvenate Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo game sales: the Japanese firm said it would be “proactively releasing key Nintendo titles” in overseas markets, such as “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” for the 3DS, which is now due in the US and Europe come June 2013.

Nintendo will also “more actively support the Japanese software developers in distributing their key titles overseas,” as well as working to boost downloadable software sales.

That four million figure had itself been a compromise, with Nintendo downgrading expectations for Wii U sales by 27-percent. However, what the company believed was reasonable interest in the console in the run-up to the holiday period had made the 4m unit figure seem reasonable.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in 2013, with a poor games roadmap blamed. “Wii U was not able to maintain the initial sales momentum after the beginning of 2013″ Nintendo said today, “due to a delay in the development of subsequent software titles.”

Overall, though, Nintendo managed to squeeze out a profit from its full-year finances [pdf link], with net profits of 7.1bn yen ($71.3m), though still an operating loss of 36.41bn yen ($366m). While hardly impressive, perhaps, they’re still a vast improvement over 2012′s numbers, where Nintendo recorded a 43.2bn yen loss.

Elsewhere, the 3DS glasses-free 3D handheld also missed its predicted sales, with 14m sold. Nintendo now expects to sell 18m in the next full financial year, along with 9m Wii U units.

It remains to be seen whether Nintendo will re-consider its stance on a price-cut for the Wii U, something the firm said, back in January, would not take place. Meanwhile, Sony has already announced the PlayStation 4, its next-gen console, and Microsoft is expected to reveal the new Xbox, colloquially known as the “Xbox 720“, within the next few months.

At first, the bundle was only limited to Japan, but then UK retailer, ShopTo, launched a pre-order for the bundle. The bundle is priced at 189.85 pounds, which is around $290. It says that if you pre-order the bundle before June 12th, you’ll get it on June 14th, the day when Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be released for the 3DS in Europe. The listing for the bundle was previously removed, but then reinstated later on, alongside a confirmation from Nintendo that it is the real deal.

The limited edition Animal Crossing 3DS XL features icons from the Animal Crossing games, including cherries, little homes, and the staple Animal Crossing leaves (which, in the game, magically transforms into your furniture). However, for those of you who prefer a physical copy of your games, you may be disappointed. The bundle only comes with the digital copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, pre-installed onto the device, and not the physical cartridge.

Nintendo has yet to confirm if the bundle will be making its way elsewhere, but it should mention it sometime during its Nintendo Direct conference tomorrow. Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be making its way to North America on June 9th, 5 days before it reaches Europe. This game did phenomenally well in Japan, selling over 2 million units in under 2 months, and selling 3 million copies so far.

In this game, instead of just playing a character who has just moved into town, you will be playing the mayor of said town. This game features all of the classic features we love about Animal Crossing, and then some. You are now able to customize your pants, shoes, hats, and accessories. You can hang furniture on your walls, you can swim in the Ocean, and you can customize more aspects of your town than before. You will spend hours and hours customizing your faux animal/human life.

What you’re working with here is the same environment – that’s not the same as a re-issue of the game: don’t get it twisted. Instead we’ve got what would essentially be like jumping in on the Death Star with a new Star Wars game. It’s the same, but different.

Here you’re getting a new set of mechanics, a new way of looking a the environment, and in the end: a whole new game. This game will be a top-down adventure which Nintendo says will reinvigorate the 2D world. You will still be getting a full 3D experience, on the other hand, and the fun you’ve had with the Zelda franchise thus far will burst forth upon your fingertips with the greatness that is the future of this game.

This game will introduce your ability to turn Link into a drawing, too!

When you flip yourself into a drawing on the wall of a dungeon with this new game, you’ll be exploring the environment in a whole new way. While the bulk of this game does exist inside the top-down 2D way of looking at things, you’ll find that the height of objects throughout the game will be creating a whole new way of running around. Watch out for windows!

Have a peek at the brand new 3D video in your eShop on the 3DS and see a preview courtesy of Nintendo above as well!

[via MTV News]

Ever since the console officially launched back in November, gamers have been complaining about glacially slow load times with games, and overall sluggish performance. However, Nintendo has promised that a major update would fix the problems, and hopefully it does, because if it doesn’t, Nintendo will have so serious explaining to do.

Nintendo will also be adding background downloads to ease the inconvenience of downloading full retail games. The new system tweaks in the update will allow gamers to not only download games while they’re in-game, but also when the console is turned off, which will no doubt put a smile on digital downloaders’ faces.

As for the Wii U Virtual Console, that will be included with the major update next week, and it will allow you to play your favorite classic games from older consoles like the GameBoy Advance and Nintendo 64. These games will be playable on the Wii U gamepad. Such games include Kirby’s Adventure, Super Mario World, Donkey King Jr., Punch Out!, and F-Zero.

[via The Next Web]

Mario Party will be heading to the 3DS in the winter, which could mean late 2013 or early 2014. The game will include 81 new mini-games that will test your speed, concentration and luck, and the game will also take advantage of the 3DS’s various hardware features. Some of the mini-games use AR cards, amongst other unique things.

As for Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, the game will have you visiting an island for what was planned to be a relaxing vacation. However, Princess Peach is kidnapped (go figure) and is pulled into a fantasy dream world. The only way to make your way into the dream world is when Luigi sleeps on special pillows that have magical powers. Gamers will be able to start playing the game on August 11 in North America, July 12 in Europe, and July 18 in Japan.

The Yoshi’s Island sequel will feature some of the same art concepts and gameplay as featured in past installments, with Yoshi being tasked to protect Baby Mario by using deadly eggs on enemies, as well as ground stomps and other maneuvers that any Yoshi Island gamer will be familiar with. The official title of the game and its release date will be announced later in the future.

Donkey King Country Returns 3D will simply be a remake of the Wii game with the same name (only without the 3D). This time around, however, Nintendo added a new mode that features an adjusted game balance. This is because portable gamers tend to play in shorter sessions than home Wii console gamers, so the game is catered around that. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will launch on May 24.

What you’re seeing here is none other than Murphy himself taking a whopping 16+ minutes to not only explain the entire concept of both LearnFun and PlayFun, but a cool Mario Bros demonstration as well. Just the first level of Super Mario Bros, one of the most played video games of all time due to its in-box inclusion with the original Nintendo Entertainment System, is included for demonstration. You’ll see Murphy beat the first level, the machine learn from him, and the machine play.

This video shows how not just Mario Bros, but a wide variety of video games could technically be learned and beaten with the computer and by the computer. As the original NES system is just a miniature computer – ancient by today’s standards – it’s really only a matter of reading the button presses and pressing them at the right time. It’s not only limited to those one-possibility games either, this system could be expanded even to the randomly-generated worlds of today.

Now we’ve just got to amp up the power a bit and let this beast loose in the online worlds of WoW and whatnot. I know good and well I’ve sniped my own fair share of robots in Team Fortress 2 already. Bring on the Nintendo bots! PlayFun, you’re mine!

[via TechRadar]

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]

The new version of Mewtwo was revealed on Pokemon Smash, a Japanese TV show, and is said to share many similar traits with Mewtwo. Unfortunately, the TV show didn’t expand on anything else about the new Pokemon, like how it was created, if it will be more darker than Mewtwo, and how players will be able to catch it. Nonetheless, this new variation of Mewtwo has many players excited and eager to play the games when they come out.

Pokemon X and Y have an anticipated October 2013 release date for the Nintendo 3DS. They completely revamp the Pokemon hand-held series by transforming the Pokemon universe into a 3D world. Of course, with each generation of Pokemon games comes another generation of new Pokemon. The three new starter Pokemon include Froakie (water-type), Chespin (grass-type), and Fennekin (fire-type). There will also be two new legendary pokemon. Xerneas, the blue legendary Pokemon, will represent Pokemon X, and Yveltal, the red legendary Pokemon, will represent Pokemon Y.

The games will launch worldwide at the same time, so that players from all around the globe can play and battle each other from the getgo. This way “Pokemon fans across the globe can discover the secrets of Pokemon games and can collect, battle, and trade with each other immediately,” says Pokemon Company’s CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara. The game is set to release in 6 months, so we can expect even more Pokemon to be teased in the future.

[via Neoseeker]

Project X Zone takes over 50 characters throughout the SEGA, Capcom, and Namco Bandai universes and brings them altogether in “dream scenarios”. The storyline revolves around a stolen ancient treasure known as the “Portalstone”. Due to a rift in space and time, characters from the all of these gaming universes are able to crossover and join forces to return everything back to normal.

In Project X Zone, you are able to create your dream team of various classic characters from your favorite games. These characters are able to create special attacks and combo attacks with each other thanks to the “Cross Active Battle System”. The game will also feature some of the best, nostalgic music from all the games across Namco Bandai, SEGA, and Capcom’s music library.

You can mix and match characters between various games like the Xenogear/Xenosaga series, Street Fighters, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, .Hack//Sign, and more. The various combinations of teams you can come up with are almost endless. You will be able to purchase the game for $39.99 June 25th for the Nintendo 3DS. If you’re looking for other great Nintendo 3DS games to play, be sure to check out Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as well. If you’re thinking about purchasing a Nintendo 3DS/XL, be sure to check out our Nintendo 3DS XL review.

[via Namco]

The video shows off a side-by-comparison of two Wii U Gamepads. The one on the left is a Wii U without the new update, and the one of the right is a Wii U with the update installed. The video shows how quickly the console returns to the home screen after playing New Super Mario Bros. U. It takes about eight seconds with the updated Wii U, while the older Wii U takes over twice as long.

Of course, even with the new update applied, it’s still a bit of a wait time to get back to the home screen, but it’s certainly an improvement, and one that most Wii U gamers will be grateful to have. If you still aren’t satisfied, however, Nintendo is expected to release a second update sometime later this year to decrease loading times when launching software.

The Wii U’s sales have been rather low lately, being the lowest-selling console on the market right now, with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 leading the way with its 26th straight month of being the highest-selling console. However, Nintendo isn’t giving up on the Wii U just yet. The company said that they’re serious about the new console, and have a bunch of plans lined up in the future.

The update takes Nintendo 3DS users to system version 5.0.0-11U, with Nintendo promising that its improvements and features “streamline and enhance” the gaming experience. The biggest feature is the ability to transfer the saved data from the retail version of a game to the downloaded version when purchased, allowing gamers to go digital without compromising their saved states.

In line with the previous feature is use Sleep Mode to download games and apps in the background with the Nintendo eShop running. Closing the system cover will fire up Download Later, and the items will download in the background. In addition, those who aren’t running the latest release prior to this update will also see a handful of new features.

Users will see Folders for easier organization, and will get the Nintendo eShop, where content can be accessed. 3D films and stop-motion videos can be recorded, and more puzzles are included with StreetPass Mii Plaza. Users can update via the System Setting on their device, going to Other Settings, and then finally System Update.

[via Nintendo]

Poix currently manages 3 Ubisoft studios and a variety of popular gaming franchises, including Just Dance, Ghost Recon, and the much delayed Rayman. He stated that Ubisoft likes to start development on newly launched gaming platforms, like the Wii U, because doing so will help it grab much more sales in the long run. Also, with new gaming platforms, Ubisoft is free to experiment with new games, like ZombiU, that has no ties with its currently popular game franchises.

Poix believes that the main setback for Wii U sales is the gamepad. He says that the “new controller would be something harder to convey than the Wii,” but that people just need to adapt to the idea of the gamepad and the innovation it can bring to console gaming. He says,

“For our games we really wanted to show the innovation. In ZombiU for instance, the players are really fond of the multiplayer mode because it’s totally new; it’s like one FPS player against an RTS player. We pushed the limits of that so it can be a real gameplay challenge to look at two screens.”

Poix also believes that the Wii U just needs more “system-selling” games. The Wii U is still fresh, so he believes that once more developers push out games from their popular franchises, the Wii U’s sales will rise rapidly. Poix says that Ubisoft is expecting its upcoming Rayman Legends game to be one of those system-sellers. He says,

“We know from the fans that the majority of what will be the system sellers are not yet available. And on our side, Rayman will be one of them for sure. We really expect Rayman to be a huge system seller on the console.”

[via Games Industry]

The game supports cooperative multiplayer modes and allows players to purchase additional content to expand their experience. Players can choose from five different favorite Pokémon characters including Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott or Axew. Nintendo says that a lot of Pokémon in the game come from the Unova region made popular in Pokémon Black Version and the Pokémon White Version games.

In Gates to Infiniti there are over 20 distinct Mystery Dungeons that change every time they are entered. That means players can replay each dungeon and have a near-infinite number of adventuring possibilities. One of the key functions of the game is integrating the use of the built-in camera on the portable console.

Players are able to scan any circular object in their environment using the camera to unlock Magnagates. Those Magnagates unlock additional dungeons to explore. The multiple player mode supports up to three players when used in cooperative Companion Mode. Treasure and experience earned in multiplayer mode is carried over to the main single player game. A new download pack is also available right now adding new items to collect and new Pokémon to interact with.

[via Pokemon Mystery Dungeon]

Unfortunately, Capcom didn’t announce a new game being developed for the series, but it did announce several collector’s items that are set to go on sale later this year. One of the collector’s items is a Mega Man USB statue. The statue is 10-inches tall and is powered through USB. The statue is based off the classic version of Mega Man, and will have light-up boosters. Unfortunately, the statue will only be available at the San Diego Comic Con.

Next up is a Mega Man art book. The art book, titled, MM25 Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works, is a 432-page art book published by Udon Entertainment. It will feature all the character art and designs from the entire Mega Man and Mega Man X series, and some concept art for Mega Man 9 & 10. There will also be developer interviews, and tribute art from Hitoshi Ariga, Toru Nakayam, and Shigeto Ikehara. The book will be released in the second-half of 2013.

Next up is Worlds Collide. Worlds Collide is a crossover comic series that’s a collaboration between Mega Man and Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog comics. The series will start on April 10th, 2013, and will run for 12 issues and span over 3 story arcs. On May 4th, you will be able to grab a free primer of the comic book series from your local comic book store for “Free Comic Book Day”.

Last, but not least, Capcom will finally be releasing Mega Man Original Soundtracks. There will be 10 Mega Man OSTs released, for Mega Man 1 through 10. The OSTs were available in Japan, but they never found their way to the United States or Europe. The OSTs are set to be released sometime during the summer, but there is no word whether or not it will be sold separately, or in an entire collection.

Capcom has also stated that it has been listening to Mega Man fans all around and that they have been working on something new. They aren’t able to announce something yet because they want to have a product that’s deep into development first. But until then, Mega Man fans can quell their cravings by purchasing the Mega Man 4 remake for the Nintendo 3DS that’s set to come out April 25th. Following Mega Man 4′s re-release is Mega Man 5, which is set to be released on May 16th, and Mega Man 6, which is set to be released sometime around June.

[via Forbes]

The game is called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and promises to be a spooky adventure for Luigi fans. The game has a number of ghosts that need to be captured, puzzles to be solved, and haunted mansions to explore. The game kicks off Nintendo’s Year of Luigi that will see Mario’s younger brother celebrated with a number of new video games during 2013.

In Dark Moon, Luigi has to explore several unique mansions featuring colorful 3-D visuals. Each mansion has numerous ghosts that Luigi has to capture and challenging puzzles for players to solve. The game also features treasure for Luigi to collect.

Luigi will capture the ghosts using his Poltergust 5000 vacuum cleaner and new abilities unlocked during the game. Players can replay each mission to improve their score by collecting more treasure or losing less health. Nintendo says that almost every object in the rooms of the game mansions can be interacted with. The game will also support multiple player modes with up to four players using local wireless, download, or online play.

[via Luigi's Mansion]

She worked tirelessly for 3 days to transform the classic Legend of Zelda. She had help from her boyfriend, a professional video game programmer, who told her that there was a ROM editor that could help simplify the process. They discovered tools around the internet that helped them modify the game, and what they realized was that you don’t necessarily need to be a programmer to modify these games (so if you want to modify Final Fantasy, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, start digging).

By using Tile Layer Pro, she and her boyfriend were able to find Zelda’s sprites and edit them. Her boyfriend also found a code file that let Kenna change the colors of Zelda’s clothing. After modifying the ROM to have Zelda replace Link in-game, Kenna also modified the opening text to change Link’s story into Zelda’s. She also debated making Link a “prince” or a “knight”, but in the end she decided to leave him as just good ol’ Link.

The mod took Kenna and her boyfriend a lot of work to accomplish, and she credits her success to all of the various, already-available modding tools, as well as this Legend of Zelda:ROM Map, and the Computer Archeology. Kenna made the patch available to the public via her Google Drive (available through the link below). You have to find the unedited Legend of Zelda NES ROM yourself however. With Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda hacked, I wonder which game is coming next.

[via Kenna Stuff]

Well, Nintendo, we don’t believe it.

After a sub-par launch, we’ve watched the Wii U collected dust on store shelves across the U.S. Developers, while trying to stay nice about it, are obviously starting to become concerned that the console won’t hack it. And all Nintendo president Satoru Iwata can do is apologize for not delivering better results in the fourth quarter.

Huh?

Now, I’ll freely admit that I’ve never run a major company and I’m sure there will be an awful lot of Nintendo fans lined up to tell me that I don’t know anything about running a game business, but it’s about time the company and all of its supporters hear the truth: without some major changes, the Wii U is doomed.

What Nintendo needs to do first is cut the price of the Wii U. Yes, I know that the company will likely post lower-than-expected financial results over the next year or so because of the reduced price, but at least some customers will jump at the chance to buy the cheaper device. And as history has shown, the more hardware that makes its way into consumer homes, the stronger the software library. And when a stronger software library comes along, a more successful platform results.

Nintendo is looking down the barrel of a major, major threat. Sony is planning to launch a PlayStation 4 later this year that will come with far more firepower than its device. The Xbox 360’s successor, unofficially known as the Xbox 720, will take advantage of the momentum its predecessor has passed on. By all measure, the Wii U’s competition is looking to have a better chance of succeeding than Nintendo’s console.

Of course, don’t tell Nintendo fans that; they’re still clinging to the Wii’s success. Nintendo fans say that the Wii was doubted by nearly everyone, and after it had some time to attract customers, it was an outright success.

However, I think those people tend to be suffering from revisionist history. The Wii was doubted by many, but after it was actually shown off to consumers before its launch, demand skyrocketed. And the console wasn’t readily available to customers for years. In other words, the Wii is an entirely different beast. And it’s one that cannot – and should not – be compared to the Wii U.

Aside from a price cut, I’m not sure there’s much else Nintendo can do but hope that things turn around. The Wii U is being ignored, casual gamers couldn’t care less, and parents – the true Wii U buyers – are looking at the price tag and laughing at Nintendo for even thinking it would pay that much for what is essentially an HD Wii.

It’s unfortunate, but I’m starting to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Nintendo’s console business.

On March 24, Nintendo will also be releasing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, which it boasts as a game with a “deep and compelling story full of unexpected twists.” Gamers can choose to play as one of five different Pokemon through randomly generated Mystery Dungeons, where battles await and other pokemon can be recruited.

Says Nintendo, the Mystery Dungeons that are generated are “near infinite”, meaning players won’t be getting bored any time soon. In addition, entrances to new dungeons can be discovered via “everyday circular objects,” which the gamer will scan with the 3DS’s camera. It doesn’t specify what these everyday objects are, however. Only those with a 3DS will be able to play; it isn’t being offered on any other system.

The special edition 3DS will be available for $199.99 and will include a 4GB SD card. The Gates to Infinity game, meanwhile, will be priced at $34.99. Those who purchase both and register them will be given a download code for one of five free games: Super Mario 3D Land, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone, Star Fox 64 3D, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, and Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!

[via Nintendo]

Hardware suffered the worst blow, decreasing 36-percent over last year, with a total of $244.2 million in sales. Software was next in line, falling 27-percent over last year to $369.9 million in sales; that represents sales for both gaming consoles and portable units. All in all, consumers are making about 50-percent of their overall game purchases via retail.

Overall, NPD Group says February video game sales came in at approximately $1.2 billion. While Sony and Nintendo tend to be tight-lipped over their console sales, Microsoft is more than happy to reveal its numbers. According to the company, it sold 302,000 Xbox 360 units, which represents a fairly significant drop over last year’s sales of 426,000.

Microsoft is responsible for a significant amount of gaming console sales, according to a statement from the company earlier today, representing about 41-percent of all latest-generation consoles being purchased. Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation 4 is slated for release this upcoming holiday season.

[via Bloomberg]

Inventor Seijiro Tomita is a former Sony employee in possession of a patent related to technology for displaying 3D media without using 3D glasses, the main feature of Nintendo’s 3DS. According to Tomita, Nintendo used this tech with its gaming device, leading to the lawsuit. The proceedings took place at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Not surprisingly, Nintendo contested the claim, with its defense attorney Scott Lindvall arguing that the company didn’t utilize “key aspects” of the inventor’s patent. A 2003 meeting cited by Tomita, which tooks place with Nintendo employees, was only one of many that the video game giant had with 3D technology vendors, according to Lindvall.

The jury ultimately sided with Tomita, however, awarding him substantial compensatory damages for the infringement. Such a verdict was praised by Tomita’s attorney Joe Diamante: “We are thankful to the jurors for their diligence and hard work. It has been a [sic] honor to represent Mr. Tomita and to protect his invention.”

[via Reuters]

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.

Capcom is releasing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate only 3 months after its release in Japan. It says that its working together with Nintendo to reduce the delay of its games being ported to the U.S., something that has bothered gamers for a while. It also hopes that by partnering up with Nintendo to release a Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Wii U Bundle and a Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Nintendo 3DS bundle, it could help increase sales for the game and increase its popularity with people who try it out. Ryozo Tsujimoto, producer of Monster Hunter, said, “With Wii U, which is online compatible, and with 3DS with its portability, releasing both of them together, we’re giving opportunity and options to consumers to really pick up the version they want and the one that suits them. By doing that we might be able to actually have a breakthrough. That’s definitely our intention.”

A new feature that Capcom and Nintendo are trying out is the new cross-platform compatibility between Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS and the Wii U. Gamers will be able to transfer their save files between the two devices. That way they can play on the big screen while they’re at home, and then play on their portable 3DS while they’re on the go. It’s a nifty feature, but the downside is having to purchase two versions of the same game.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate adds on some new features that players have been asking for in previous games. There is now a better camera system, and players will also be able to auto-lock onto their targets. If the game is well-received by gamers in the U.S., Capcom will put more effort into bringing Monster Hunter 4 to the U.S. as quickly as possible. Monster Hunter 4 is slated to be released in Japan sometime during the summer, and will be exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS.

[via EuroGamer]

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.

By now, Dragon Quest VII should be at well over a million sales. It was also speculated that thanks to the launch of Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden, Nintendo 3DS sales also increased to about 45,000 above average. On the Famitsu charts, Animal Crossing: New Leaf came behind Dragon Quest with 90,652 sales, making its total number of sales 2,857,599. It is followed by Fantasy Life and New Super Mario Bros. 2, with 12,244 and 9,099 sales respectively. All of these are Nintendo 3DS games, showcasing the huge popularity of the portable gaming system, at least in Japan.

Dragon Quest VII comes fully loaded with over 100 hours of gameplay, as well as a variety of mini-games if you want to take a break from the main story line. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth when buying the game. It retails for about 6090 yen in Japan, or $65.66. Dragon Quest VII might not make it over to the United States this year. It took Square Enix 13 months to port over Dragon Quest VI, and 7 months to port over Dragon Quest V. Considering how much more added gameplay is included in the remake of Dragon Quest VII, I would consider the time frame of Dragon Quest VI’s port to be more relevant here.

Also, alongside the Dragon Quest news, Square Enix has announced that beta testing for its revamped Final Fantasy XIV MMO is going to take place on February 25th. Considering what a train wreck the first released version of the game was, who knows whether or not Square Enix can revive it, but Square certainly is trying. Square Enix also announced the final game of the Final Fantasy XIII series, Lightning Returns:Final Fantasy XIII, last month to provide a conclusion to the saga.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

With that little tidbit in mind, let’s talk about the video game industry for January 2013. To make things a bit more comparable to last year, Gamasutra broke out the calculator and removed statistics for that extra week to give us comparable numbers. This fancy calculator work shows that overall retail sales across hardware, software, and accessories for the gaming market was down approximately 13% in January of 2013 to $667.8 million compared to $765.6 million in January 2012.

A NPD rep noted that sales of Wii U hardware for its first three months of availability are 38% lower than the numbers for the Nintendo Wii at the same point. Another source cited from within NPD claims that sales of the Wii U for January were “well under” 100,000 units. Gamasutra estimates that sales for the Wii U were a scant 45,000 to 59,000 units.

That is very sad news for Nintendo indeed because if 59,000 units or less sold is accurate, that is worse than any of the three previous generation gaming consoles in their worst months. The top video games according to NPD in order from number one down include Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Far Cry 3, Just Dance 4, NBA 2K13, and Madden NFL 13.

[via Gamasutra]

The middle man in this situation is the Error Code 200101 that users have been experiencing in this process for several weeks. This error generally results in a screen in which users are asked to “repair” their purchases so that they may be correctly sent from their Wii console to their Wii U console. This repair cost has been reported as anywhere from $60 to $85 USD depending on the number of titles being transferred.

Though as some customers like Kyle Orland of Ars Technica decided that this phantom “repair” cost was acceptable, Ryan from the Nintendo Fun Club Podcast thought different. It’s Ryan who lived this epic adventure with the Nintendo customer service representative crew, the end result being a massive amount of Wii Points for his Wii Shop Channel. The amount he received, 57,000 Wii points (aka $570 USD), plus a $50 bonus, covered the amount of value his original library was worth.

Then the $50 bonus Ryan received was marked with a note, saying it was for “the inconvenience.” Of course none of these points can be exchanged for real cash, and none of Ryan’s saved games will be appearing here, but consider this: Nintendo could very easily have just told Ryan he had to pay the repair cost. Instead they cashed up his new account and deleted the licenses from the first set of games he had on the original Wii.

Seem like a kind gesture to you?

This new set will be appearing on February 17th 2013 for a grand total of right around $390 and should once again inject a bit of life into the supply lines that were left a bit bare back a month ago during the 2012 holiday season. Also included in this set is a digital download of the mini-game masterpiece known as Nintendo Land.

With this purchase, users are given an automatic enrollment in the Nintendo Wii U “Digital Deluxe Program” where they’ll be getting 10 percent back in in-store points for each purchase they make in the Nintendo eShop. These points add up to allow you to purchase future games and services galore just as a gift card would. The Wii U section of the Nintendo eShop continues to expand with Wii U-specific content as well as legacy games each week – have a peek!

This announcement also lets users know that if each of the items included in this ZombiU Deluxe Set were purchased separately, they’d cost a whopping $459.99 USD. With this pick-up you’ll be saving $70 USD as MSRP for this set will bring you to $389.99 in the end. Today’s announcement also makes note that the Wii U has sold more than 3 million units across the planet as well as 11 million units of software therein. Have a peek at our timeline of recent Wii U moments in time to get a grasp on where Nintendo is headed from here!

Best Buy told Game Informer that it isn’t likely to receive the game until Wednesday, February 6, while GameStop said its shipments might not come in until Friday, February 8. Of course, it’s impossible to check with all GameStop and Best Buy stores, but the GameStop stores we called up they told us the same thing: no shipments until later this week. One GameStop employee said that the games may arrive by Wednesday, but Friday is probably the safer bet.

All of this, it seems, can be blamed on some kind of shipping error. We aren’t entirely sure what’s preventing these stores from receiving their copies of the game, but the problem is big enough that its retail release is now being pushed back a couple of days in some areas. In any case, there are probably still some stores receiving the game today, so if you’ve been hankering for some Fire Emblem action, call up the game stores around you and see if they’ve got it available.

There’s always the digital release too, with the game available right now through the 3DS eShop. It’s a shame to hear about these delays, as Fire Emblem: Awakening is being lauded as one of the best games on the 3DS. Did any of you manage to secure a copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening today, or are you hearing similar things from the store you pre-ordered it at?