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Wii and DS online play lives on through homebrew server
Pro-tip for life: Don't tell the Internet it can't do something. Case in point, Nintendo shut down its official servers for Wii and DS online play just three days ago, and already there's a community running their own service in its stead. While it may take some extra work and tweaking on your end to configure a DS or Wii system to be compatible with the unofficial server, it is theoretically possible to still get in a race or two of Mario Kart. We say "theoretically" because, being unofficial and all, the server isn't as stable or reliable as Nintendo's was. Not every game with online play has been tested for compatibility, and even those that have been tested could crash under server stress. Still, the project's wiki page notes that it is being actively developed, so it's possible things will improve. In the meantime, wear a hard hat and watch for falling goombas. [Image: Nintendo]
Homebrew server keeps Nintendo DS and Wii games online
Nintendo may have pulled the plug on internet multiplayer services for the DS and Wii, but that doesn't mean that you'll be stuck playing their games offline from here on out. Enterprising fans have launched an unofficial Wi-Fi Connection server that lets matchmaking and other core services work (almost) the way they did before the cutoff. In many cases, it's relatively easy to set things up. The DS usually works just by changing the handheld's connection settings; Wii owners, meanwhile, have to run some software from an SD card for the magic to happen.
2009 patent lawsuit over Nintendo DS dismissed by court
Nintendo emerged victorious this week from a patent infringement lawsuit filed five years ago, after a US District Court dismissed the case outright. Alleged patent troll Wall Wireless sued Nintendo as well as Sony and Nokia in 2009, claiming the companies contravened its patent for the "method and apparatus for creating and distributing real-time interactive media content through wireless communication networks and the internet." Unfortunately for Wall Wireless, the US Patent and Trademark Office canceled all of the company's relevant patent claims upon re-examination, leaving the case without a leg to stand on. According to Nintendo, the Japanese Patent Office found the company's products didn't infringe on Wall Wireless' patent either. While there's no word from Sony or Nokia on the matter, it seems unlikely either company has much to worry about.
PSA: Wii and DS online play shutdown imminent
As it was foretold, the end is upon us - or at least, it's upon those of us using a Wii or DS to play online games. Nintendo announced back in March that May 20, 2014 would signal the end of online service for games on the Wii and DS systems, and that day has come. Or, depending on when you read this, is rapidly approaching. If you want to get in one last match or download any DLC for the games affected by the blackout, this is your last chance. Not sure if your favorite game is affected? Check Nintendo's full list. Note that this is not your last chance to watch Netflix or Hulu using your Wii. Those services will continue, at least for the prophesied foreseeable future. [Image: Nintendo]
50 EA games going offline due to GameSpy shutdown
EA's efforts to transition its GameSpy-based games have been in vain, after the publisher revealed 50 of its titles are going offline once the matchmaking service shuts down. Not only is it a big list of games, but it includes casualties like Battlefield 2142 for PC and Mac, and Star Wars: Battlefront on PC and PS2. Other games on the list include Battlefield 2 (PC), Command and Conquer 3 (PC and Mac), C&C Generals (PC and Mac), Red Alert 3 (PC and Mac), Crysis (PC), Crysis: Wars (PC), Crysis 2 (PC), Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC and Mac), Neverwinter Nights (PC, Mac and Linux) Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC and Mac), and Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PC and PS2). EA's service site has the full list of affected games, all of which lose their online services on June 30. "Unfortunately, due to technical challenges and concerns about the player experience, we do not have a solution at this time," EA said on its service page. The company noted some of the games retain sizable audiences, and it's "investigating community-supported options" in a bid to retain online functionality. However: "Significant technical hurdles remain, and at this time we don't have anything to announce." If EA doesn't come through, users may turn to services like GameRanger, which provides server support for some of the games in question. However, for many games it'll likely be so long and thanks for all the online fun soon after GameSpy's services go dark on May 31. [Image: EA]
Joystiq Discussion: How do you like your Nintendo?
Nintendo isn't in peak condition. The 3DS recovered from its debut slump back in 2011, but the Wii U hasn't found a sizeable audience. As the House of Mario announced on Wednesday, it's sold just over 6 million Wii Us since the console hit in November 2012, significantly less than the PlayStation 4 managed to sell in just five months. Even with Super Smash Bros Wii U and Mario Kart 8 on the way, Nintendo only expects to sell 3.6 million Wii Us by the end of fiscal year 2015. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Market defining sales of the Nintendo DS and Wii as well as the popularity of mascots like Mario may have skewed the world's expectations of Nintendo. Not just in terms of the scale its business, but as a creative force. Machines remembered as mighty hosts for genius games like the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube sold roughly 33 million and 22 million consoles apiece over their entire lifetimes, just a fraction of the 101 million-selling Wii. Both had scant few third party exclusives, but they did have an arsenal of spectacular Nintendo-made games, games far weirder and arguably more lovable than the bland exclusives like Wii Party and Wii Fit that fueled Wii's ascendance. Working on a smaller scale and as an underdog, Nintendo gave us Animal Crossing, Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros, Doshin the Giant, and many more. Maybe, just maybe, Nintendo is at its best when it's not in peak condition, when it's smaller. Little Mac rather than Mike Tyson, if you will. The question, then: How do you like your Nintendo? Do you want the market giants of the Wii and DS era, raking in cash like never before and pumping out massive family hits like Wii Sports Resort? Or do you want the scrappy weirdos that came up with WarioWare the same year they reported their first ever fiscal loss? Take the poll, talk in the comments. How do you prefer your Nintendo? [Images: Nintendo]
Twitch Plays Pokemon gambles with Pokemon Stadium 2
Gone are the days when Twitch Plays Pokemon was just a random crowd-play experiment based on a popular Game Boy RPG. Not only has the livestreamed game moved on to Pokemon Platinum for Nintendo DS, but it now features another game on the stream entirely: Pokemon Stadium 2 for Nintendo 64. Now, Twitch chatters can bet on battles between creatures in Pokemon Stadium 2, which act in completely random ways, all while participating in Twitch Plays Pokemon's ongoing quest to catch 'em all. The livestreamed game began in February with Pokemon Red, in which thousands of viewers were able to control the game using Twitch's embedded chat. The first game ended after two weeks, garnering 35 million viewers and countless memes and pieces of user-created lore. Now hovering around 2,500 concurrent viewers, Twitch Plays Pokemon is slowly approaching 60 million total viewers after having beaten four games in the Pokemon series. [Image: The Pokemon Company]
Joystiq Streams Special: Smash Bros Melee, Virtual Console Giveaway [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
So they're finally here/Performing for you/If you know the words/You can join in too/Put your hands together, if you want to clap/As we take you through, this Joystiq rap! Huh! JS! Joystiq Streams!! Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. That got weird fast. Bet you thought we were going to do an entirely new version of the "Donkey Kong Rap," didn't you? For shame! We're above such things, and it's not like we're not printing the rest of the rewritten lyrics because they were stupid. Stupid and not really about the fact that we're streaming Super Smash Bros Melee on Joystiq Streams at 4PM today while giving away codes for a bushel of Virtual Console games on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Which we are. Those things are happening. We're streaming Super Smash Bros Melee at 4PM EST on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and right here in this post on Joystiq.com. The recent Nintendo Directs for Super Smash Bros Wii U and Mario Kart 8 have stoked our inner Gamecube fires. What better way to fan the flames than by streaming the classics directly to you? Also, if you'd like to get your hands on some recent Virtual Console releases like Advance Wars and Super Mario Bros 3, come on by as the codes will be handed out gratis in the chat. Joystiq Streams regularly broadcasts at 4PM EST every Tuesday and Thursday on the Joystiq Twitch channel. [Images: Nintendo]
GTA 4, Red Dead multiplayer gameplay unaffected by GameSpy closure
Rockstar's collection of games are some of the many to be affected by GameSpy's closure next month, although for the most part the studio's latest releases won't suffer. Rockstar plans to transition out of GameSpy's matchmaking service when it closes on May 31, and for some of the studio's older games, that will signal the end for their online features. The closure means Rockstar is removing all the online features from Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition and Dub Edition Remix, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on DS and PSP, and Beaterator. The racers are losing all online multiplayer as a result, while Chinatown Wars and Beaterator are dropping their Social Club features. The music mixing game is also ditching track uploading and downloading. No surprises: Grand Theft Auto 5 is totally unaffected, and online multiplayer gameplay remains intact in GTA 4, too. However, GTA 4 is dropping multiplayer leaderboards on PS3, while all platforms are parting with Social Club stat tracking and leaderboards. By the by, all of that also goes for the Complete version of GTA 4 and the Episodes from Liberty City.
The Great E3 2014 Giveaway: 14 free games each week until E3
Upon returning from PAX East, the Joystiq crew breathed a deep sigh of relief, content in the knowledge that some totally sweet games were being made. From Evolve to Below, from Project Morpheus to even lonely old Wii U, video games' immediate future filled us with patient curiosity. Then we got home and it hit us: badump bedump brodump tish BOOM I CAN FEEL E3 COMING IN THE AIR TONIGHT! It's coming June 10th through June 12th as a matter of fact. Oh yes, the E3 2014 engine is revving up as we speak. Just thinking about it has us all a little misty for the E3 mania of old, and you know what happens when we get misty: We start giving video games away. Every Friday between now and the end of E3 2014, Joystiq is giving away 14 games. Each week we'll bundle a selection of games around a specific theme. In turn, we want you to write to podcast@joystiq.com with the subject line "E3 2014 Giveaway Week (insert number here)" and share your favorite moment from E3s past related to that theme, all entries must be received by the following Monday at 10AM EST. For Week 1: Nintendo Freak Outs. Nintendo has a history of legendary E3 showings. There were exciting game announcements, but even more truly baffling performances. Sure, the Twilight Princess trailer was bananas good, but that Wii Music reveal? Pac-man Vs.? The Wii Vitality Sensor? Those were bananas in a totally different way. Write to us and tell us about the Nintendo E3 moment that made you think, "No way can this possibly be happening." What 14 Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and DS games will one lucky winner get their hands on? The full list and contest rules after the jump. Note: Contest runs from Friday to Monday 10AM EST.
Assassin's Creed series tops 73 million in sales
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series reached a total of 73 million in sales according to the publisher's corporate website, which lists its "worldwide best-selling franchises." Assassin's Creed, which has featured six releases in the main series since its 2007 debut and eight additional games on browser and portable platforms, leads Ubisoft's second-best-selling property Just Dance (48 million) by 25 million units. Assassin's Creed will likely continue to sell by the millions given that the next game, Assassin's Creed: Unity, will arrive on PS4, Xbox One and PC this holiday season. Unity was just announced in March and takes place in Paris during the French Revolution of the 18th century, a setting that was vaguely foretold at the end of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. The next three series in the publisher's top five in sales bear the late Tom Clancy's name: Splinter Cell (30 million), Rainbow Six (26 million) and Ghost Recon (25 million). Head past the break to see the rest of Ubisoft's sales list.
GameSpy online matchmaking service goes dark on May 31
GameSpy Technologies is shuttering its online matchmaking service on May 31, ending online play for more than 1,000 games that use the company's middleware. Launched as a Quake server search program in 1996, GameSpy soon branched out to host online play for hundreds of console and PC games. Many recent games with active online communities still employ GameSpy technology, including multiple titles published by Activision, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo. Affected games will need to migrate online play to SteamWorks or other services prior to the shutdown in order to maintain multiplayer functionality. The service shutdown comes in the wake of GameSpy ceasing editorial content in 2013. Mobile games publisher Glu Mobile purchased GameSpy Technologies in 2012, later shutting down online play for several popular games without notice when developers failed to pay hosting bills. [Image: GameSpy]
Phoenix Wright creator objected to sequels after Ace Attorney 3
Shu Takumi is not one to pump out game after game in a series just because it's popular. After finishing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials & Tribulations, or Gyakuten Saiban 3 for purists, Takumi firmly told Capcom, "Hold it!" "I felt that Phoenix's story had been told, and that the series should not continue", Takumi told Official Nintendo Magazine in a recent interview. "Knowing when to end a story is very important and I wanted to avoid dragging it out and having it become a shadow of its former self." Trials and Tribulations provided a nice cap on the story of Phoenix Wright, a young lawyer with a penchant for bluffing his way into proving clients' innocence, that started on the Game Boy Advance in 2001. That's why when Capcom decided it would push the series forward with or without Takumi, the designer came up with a new ace attorney.
February NPD: PS4 sells more, Xbox One leads in dollar amount
The PS4 outsold the Xbox One in the US during February, with the Xbox One selling 90 percent of what the PS4 did, consumer research group NPD reports. The Xbox One costs $100 more than the PS4, meaning it led sales by dollar amount in February. The Xbox One sold 258,000 units in February, surpassing comparable Xbox 360 launch sales by 61 percent, Microsoft says. Xbox 360 sold 114,000 units in its 100th month on the market, "more than any other seventh generation console." Xbox One owners buy an average of 2.75 games per console, with a total of 772,000 sold in February. Xbox 360, meanwhile, sold 2.46 million games. Sales of video game hardware in the US were $347 million in February, up 42 percent compared with the same month in 2013. Software sales dropped 9 percent to $318 million, while accessories were up 3 percent, to $221 million. Next-gen software sales in the consoles' first four months are up 80 percent compared with the combined sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 software in the same time period. The 9 percent decline in overall software sales is attributed to weakening sales for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, which is expected, according to NPD. Call of Duty: Ghosts led software sales in February, followed by The Lego Movie Videogame, NBA 2K14, Thief and Grand Theft Auto 5. See the full list after the break.
Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall, Thief review, Twitch Plays Pokemon and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. This week's news of a new Tony Hawk game isn't exactly what we were hoping for, but it can't stop us from digging out our old cartridges and discs to revisit the series that made us mount real-life skateboards for the first time. Without the killer soundtracks and a focus on pulling off special moves that progressively got more insane with each entry, we might never have spent hours trying to learn how to ollie. Or earning fresh headaches from trying to drop into half pipes. Or building ramps out of scraps from the garage so we could grind our faces off on the pavement. Thankfully, a revitalization of childhood injury memories isn't the only thing the Joystiq Weekly has in store - news of a Titanfall bundle, reviews of Thief and Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare and a sociological exploration of Twitch Plays Pokemon are also available for your immediate consumption! Dive into this week's biggest moments in gaming right after the break. [Image: Robomodo]
Four in February: Readers triumph over the Joystiq crew
Put down your buzzers, turn off your engines, sheathe your swords: Four in February has come to a close. The great 4iF challenge brought the Joystiq crew to their knees over the past four weeks. Joystiq Community members, on the other hand, rose to the occasion. Our heroes over on the 4iF Facebook page played through literally hundreds of games, and while not all of them went the distance, they played well. While a few members of the staff managed to dig into their lists, finishing off entries here and there, not one of us managed to complete all four selections. Richard Mitchell, Joystiq Reviews Content Director, toppled two big ones including Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Risk of Rain on the maddening Monsoon difficulty. Danny Cowan completed Virtual Hydlide on Sega Saturn while 4iF founder Mike Suszek conquered Tearaway and Toukiden: Age of Demons (though Toukiden wasn't on his original list.) Xav de Matos, Jess Conditt, Anthony John Agnello, and others? Couldn't beat nary a one. That's okay, though! In fact, failure is just another form of success in Four in February. The point isn't to beat all four, but to encourage diversity in your game playing palette. We all love video games. That's why we're here. Four in February is an event that reminds us of the vast creative richness waiting in the folds of gaming. It's easy to get caught up in the rush of all that's new. 4iF is a conscious effort to slow down and take in our surroundings, to explore what's out there we may have missed. Just playing the game means you've won, even if you didn't see four sets of credits roll. Still, special honors go to these players. They came, they saw, they kicked four games in the butt. Then "Like" our Facebook page to get in on the next community event, when you can trounce us all over again.
Nintendo pulling plug for online play on DS, Wii in May
The Nintendo Wi-Fi connection for Wii and DS ends on May 20, bringing an end to online play for the two systems. What that means is there are a few months left to play Wii and DS games online, be that through multiplayer, sharing in-game content, or leaderboards. Nintendo notes this is just for the DS and Wii and won't affect Wii U and 3DS games, although Wii Mode won't offer online play on Wii U and similarly DS games when played on the 3DS. The two systems aren't losing all online functionality. The DSi shop and Wii U Shop Channel are staying open, and users will still be able to access the DS Browser and Wii channels like Neflix, Hulu, and YouTube. The company also published a full list of the affected games. Nintendo didn't provide an explanation for the discontinued service in its announcement - nor did it ask the last ones out on DS and Wii to remember to turn out the lights - but it did thank its fans for their continued support and enthusiasm for its "legacy systems." [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo Wii and DS internet multiplayer services will shut down worldwide May 20th
Nintendo Japan is putting internet-connected services for some of its older consoles out to pasture, although it's unknown if these plans could impact the US (Update: They will).The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection that served original Wii and DS units is scheduled to turn off internet multiplayer gaming and many other (but not all) services May 20th, while the free Video app that launched for the 3DS in 2011 will be unplugged at the end of March. Services that will keep working on the DS after May include the DSi Shop, DS Browser, and DSi Browser, while the Wii keeps Netflix, Hulu, Wii Shop Channel, Internet Channel, Pay & Play and YouTube. Newer Nintendo Network games that arrived around the 3DS and local multiplayer will also keep on chugging. If you have a long-distance score to settle in Mario Kart DS or Wii Speak conversation pending, we'd suggest trading friend codes (remember those?) now, while you still can. Update: Nintendo America has confirmed, the Wi-Fi Connection service shutdown May 20th is worldwide.
Now Playing: February 24 - March 2, 2014
Hide your valuables, Thief is on the loose this week ... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: [Image: Square Enix]
Nintendo prevails in latest 3DS patent scuffle
The International Trade Commission has found in favor of Nintendo in a case involving three companies claiming the gaming giant infringed on their patents with the creation of the Nintendo DS and 3DS handhelds. In 2012, Technology Properties Limited LLC, Phoenix Digital Solutions LLC and Patriot Scientific Corporation - three companies specializing in patent licensing - filed suit against Nintendo, claiming that the company had infringed on a high-efficiency processor patent in the creation of its most recent handhelds. After nearly two years in court, Nintendo has emerged victorious. "We are very pleased with the commission's determination, which confirmed the judge's finding that Nintendo's products do not infringe the asserted patent," said Nintendo of America vice president Richard Medway in a statement trumpeting the company's victory. "Nintendo's track record demonstrates that we vigorously defend patent lawsuits, including cases in the ITC, when we believe we have not infringed another party's patent. Nintendo continues to develop unique and innovative products while respecting the intellectual property rights of others." That track record Medway mentions does indeed demonstrate that Nintendo is an ardent defender of its intellectual property rights, though the company's history in the courtroom is far from spotless. Less than a year ago, Nintendo was ordered to pay $30.2 million for infringing on a 3D display patent held by Seijiro Tomita. [Image: Nintendo]
