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Nintendo targeting women with new pink 3DS in Japan on October 20
You're a dude, totally comfortable with your masculinity -- well, don't even think about buying this new 3DS, because it's not for you. Unless you live in Japan, in which case we can't really stop you from buying one. Because Nintendo's 3DS user base is mostly male, the company is hoping this new pink model will generate some interest among the fairer sex, along with some new games content such as a sequel to Tomodachi Collection and another Girls Mode title (known here in the States as Style Savvy). Iwata announced that the "Misty Pink" 3DS will launch in Japan on October 20.
Nintendo launching 'Misty Pink' 3DS handheld on October 20th
You heard right -- The Big N's own Satoru Iwata just announced that a "Misty Pink" Nintendo 3DS console would be shipping (at least in Japan) on October 20th. Funnily enough, that was just after showing a chart proving that right around half of all DS gamers are ladies. (But Iwata -- what if the dudes dig pink, too?) At any rate, no specific price was mentioned, giving us some level of certainty that no premium will be attached. %Gallery-133313% %Gallery-133315%
Iwata apologizes to early Nintendo 3DS adopters
If the angrier half of the comments on our post about the Nintendo 3DS' massive, uncharacteristically early price drop was any indication, those who bought the handheld at its original $250 price point are miffed. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata understands these frustrations, which he addressed in an apologetic statement yesterday, as translated by Giant Bomb. "If the software creators and those on the retail side are not confident that the Nintendo 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad (user) base," Iwata explained, "it will be impossible for the 3DS to gain popularity, acquire a wide range of software, and eventually create the product cycle necessary for everyone to be satisfied with the system." Iwata added, "Those customers who purchased the 3DS at the very beginning are extremely important to us." He further said, "We know that there is nothing we can do to completely make up for the feeling that you are being punished for buying the system early." Perhaps Iwata is right on this account, though twenty free games is certainly a step in the right direction. Almost as good as thirty free games!
Nintendo says one Wii U controller per console, robs player two of extra screen
Nintendo's tablet-esque Wii U controller raised a few questions when it was announced at E3. Questions like, "What kind of crazy games are going to use that thing," and "How much will a second controller cost me?" The latter, at least, has been answered. Nothing. You don't need one. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata recently said in an interview that games enlisting more than one Wii U controller aren't being considered just yet -- although they are possible. Our very own Ittousai tells us that Iwata told Diamond Online that the Wii U can technically support multiple screen-controllers, but that additional slabs would be too expensive to sell on their own. Iwata went on to say that the console would ship with only one, and that game developers should design titles under the assumption that each console will use a single Wii U controller. Player two will have to settle for a good 'ol Wiimote, and even Satoru himself admits that there are plenty of those around.
Wii U will not play DVDs or Blu-ray, Iwata says
Planning to replace that aging Blu-ray player with a Wii U? Not so fast. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says the gaming console won't play DVD or Blu-ray discs, due to patent licensing fees. Wii U does not have DVD or Blu-ray playback capabilities. The reason for that is that we feel that enough people already have devices that are capable of playing DVDs and Blu-ray, such that it didn't warrant the cost involved to build that functionality into the Wii U console because of the patents related to those technologies. So there you have it. Iwata doesn't want to hand over a bag of cash for baby Blu's "bag of hurt." By the time the Wii U hits store shelves in 2012, we may be buying Blu-ray players just for their Netflix capabilities, so here's to hoping the console at least carries over that functionality from its predecessor.
Nintendo's Iwata talks about Wii U's place in the living room
Nintendo took some inspiration from the TV remote for its Wii controller, and it apparently thinks its new Wii U controller could well be the "TV remote of the future." That's just one tidbit from All Things D's sitdown with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who also talked more broadly about the Wii U's new role in the living room. As evidenced by E3, that will include catering to more hardcore gamers than the Wii did, but Iwata says the Wii U is also an effort to take some of the couch time back from folks playing games on tablets, smartphones or laptops. To that end, Iwata says that Nintendo's mission is to "shorten the distance between people and gaming" and remove some of the barriers involved with console gaming, further adding that it's also trying to "reach out to the people who are not interested in video games." Though it's not saying much about it, Nintendo's no doubt hoping to win back a few investors as well. As you may have noticed, the company's stock slipped significantly following its E3 announcement and, while it's bounced back a bit since, it's still well off its Wii-fueled heights of recent years.
Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor still coming to a hand near you, says Iwata
For a product with the word "vitality" in its name, Nintendo's forthcoming Wii peripheral doesn't seem to have much of a pulse these days. The oddball controller certainly piqued our interest when the gaming giant showed it off way back in 2009, but aside from some false alarms and an uncovered patent application, we haven't heard a peep. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the Vitality Sensor's conspicuous absence during a financial presentation, chalking the delay up to "differences in biological information in humans." The peripheral is still coming, according to Iwata, but it won't be released until the company can make it work well with 99 percent of consumers -- a tall order indeed. And what about the other one percent? Well, perhaps they can try these on for size.
3DS to have access to over 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots by late May
There's no doubt that watching 3D movie trailers on your 3DS is going to make you look like some sort of future spaceman. But what good is it if you can only show off on your own Wi-Fi network? Nintendo has heard your pleas, and will allow 3DS users free access to over 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots by late May, Reggie Fils-Amie announced today during the company's GDC keynote. Why yes, Starbucks patron, that is a 3D trailer for Must Love Dogs. Thanks so much for noticing.
3D is dangerous / not dangerous: optometrist group defends Nintendo 3DS edition
Much has been made of Nintendo's 3DS warning that the six-and-under crowd should probably stick to 2D mode, and while CEO Iwata has consented that "being proactive about informing our customer.... may not necessarily be positive for our sales," the American Optometric Association has put an interesting spin on all this. The group released a statement last week -- yes, during CES madness -- asserting that 3D viewing "may actually help uncover subtle disorders that, left uncorrected, often result in learning difficulties." Not only that, but the 36,000-strong group suggested "children younger than six can use the 3DS in 3D mode if their visual system is developing normally." So yeah, Little Timmy's Christmas 2011 isn't ruined just yet, but that leaves plenty of time for a competing study to come out confusing everyone even further.
Nintendo says no Wii price cut coming in 'near future,' might want to re-think that
Remember the halcyon days of motion gaming? When the Wii was selling to everyone and everyone's grandmother in such huge volumes that Nintendo couldn't keep up? That time is long-past and, after the most recent disappointing earnings report from Nintendo (which isn't the first), people are beginning to ask the obvious question: when is the thing getting cheaper? For $200 gamers can now choose between a shiny new Xbox 360 or a Wii, and while crimson bundles might help, a price cut would help more. That's not coming soon according to President and CEO Satoru Iwata, saying: "we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." So, when? Well, the last time he said it wasn't getting a price cut that's exactly what it got five months later. Maybe March, then?
Iwata: Don't chalk up poor software sales to piracy
During a recent investor's call, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata made a fairly surprising observation regarding the piracy that's run somewhat rampant on its two gaming platforms. "I do not think we should attribute bad software sales solely to piracy," Iwata explained. "Even with piracy, as long as we can create products which can attract attention from many consumers and which can greatly entertain them, that software can make it to the number one position of the hit software sales chart." Iwata later added, "it is true there is always the influence of piracy, but it is important for us to increase the number of our consumers who are willing to shell out their money to purchase our products." As far as we've seen, Nintendo doesn't have much of a problem accomplishing that lofty goal.
Shocker! Nintendo 3DS will have shorter battery life than DS
Who'd have thought that adding extra grunt under the hood, a glasses-free 3D display up top, a wireless "tag mode," and automatic wireless updates to the 3DS would serve to degrade battery life? Certainly not our naive souls. The same Q&A that informed us about Nintendo's Spot Pass plans for the 3DS has been found to also contain some commentary on battery endurance from Satoru Iwata himself. The company chief says "it is inevitable that Nintendo 3DS will be a device which requires more frequent recharging than Nintendo DS" and notes that as a major reason why a charging cradle will be bundled into the new console's retail package. With tongue firmly wedged in cheek, Iwata suggests that perhaps Nintendo ought to advise users to deposit the 3DS into its cradle as soon as they get home, but the overall point is as clear as it is obvious: your more powerful handheld will require more power.
Nintendo CEO Iwata doesn't earn as much as you'd think
We never thought we'd say this about a CEO (it just feels wrong), but Nintendo's Satoru Iwata totally deserves a raise. The CEO's base salary last year was a measly ¥68 million (about $770K), with the executive taking home ¥187 ($2.1 million) after a performance bonus. Nintendo, as a company last year, made roughly $2.45 billion in profit! Nintendo guru Shigeru Miyamoto, along with a group of five other board members, apparently earned just ¥100 million ($1.13 million) total. These guys have to be making more money from stocks or something. Andriasang reports the salary revelations are thanks to a new Japanese law requiring companies to reveal any board members' earnings over ¥100 million ($1.13 million). For comparison, Square Enix's Yoichi Wada collected ¥240 million ($2.7 million), while Sony's Sir Howard Stringer, heading a company that admittedly extends way beyond games, pulled in a cool ¥816.5 million ($9.2 million). As for some CEO salaries from around the world, according to Forbes (via GI.biz), Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick is guesstimated to have made $3.15 million in 2009 and EA's John Riccitiello allegedly took home $9.85 million.
Nintendo 3DS game cart pictured, wireless ebook reader on tap?
It was easy to get lost amidst all the attention surrounding the 3DS itself, but Nintendo also had an actual 3DS game cart on hand at E3 and, well, it looks pretty much like a regular DS cart (probably a good thing, since the two are compatible). About the only difference, it seems, is that small extra tab on the corner, and a slightly slimmer case that they'll come packaged in. In other overshadowed-by-E3 news, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has apparently told Nikkei that the 3DS' wireless connection could be used to automatically download newspaper and magazine articles (and books, presumably) which, when combined with the 3DS' ability to actively seek out and connect to any open WiFi network, could potentially turn into a Whispernet-like service from Nintendo -- something that Iwata has, incidentally, publicly mused about in the past.
Nintendo's Iwata hints at possible 3D console down the road
You wouldn't have guessed it given Nintendo's outright dismissal of 3D glasses during its E3 keynote this week, but it looks like company CEO Satoru Iwata is at least open to the possibility of a 3D game console down the road -- which would, presumably, require 3D glasses. Speaking to Nikkei, Iwata said that while 3D image quality would currently be "extremely bad" (apparently referring to the Wii), he said that "we'd probably do it with the next system," adding that the timing for a release of a 3D-enabled console would be around when 3D television adoption rates cross the 30% mark. Needless to say, that could be a ways off, and Iwata has already said that Nintendo is in no hurry to the replace the Wii. Iwata does certainly seem to be committed to 3D gaming in general, however, with him flatly saying that "in the future, 3D will become the mainstream of gaming."
Nintendo investor Q&A now available in English
We hit the highlights from Satoru Iwata's investor Q&A yesterday based on a summary of the Japanese version. Nintendo has since posted an official translation of the full Q&A, so now, if you'd like, you can read Iwata's comments on the subjects of the 3DS announcement, piracy, and the future of the Wii -- at length. " As for consumers holding off on purchases now," Iwata said in his 650-word response about the timing of the 3DS announcement, "of course I cannot say that there is no impact whatsoever." Iwata explained that he believes the effect of the 3DS news on DSi XL sales will be less than devastating because people buying 3DS hardware at launch will be early adopters who buy everything immediately, while people buying DS hardware now "tend to react relatively slowly." Probably, then, he expect 3DS sales to continue steadily across many years. Iwata further identified the UK and Japan as the "quickest" markets.
Iwata addresses Wii's future and 3DS at investors briefing
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata recently spoke to his close circle of super best friends -- hereafter referred to as Nintendo's investors -- about the future of the company's gaming hardware, and how said hardware will translate directly into monies for their wallets. According to Andriasang's translation of the briefing, Iwata shot down the possibility of revealing a successor to Nintendo's home console any time soon, adding, "we believe there's still more we can do with the Wii." Sure there is! You can paint it different colors. On the subject of the Nintendo 3DS, Iwata explained the seemingly random March 23 announcement date was set to give third-party developers a chance to come up with something for the platform in time for E3. He mentioned these developers may incur a bit more development costs on these projects due to the "trial and error" involved in creating 3D games, but wouldn't comment on how these costs might translate over to consumer software prices for the console. He also revealed that "the announcement of the formal name [of the 3DS] will not be too far off," meaning it's time to go place your bets with your friendly neighborhood Video Game Technology Marketing bookie. (As of this writing, even money's on "Nintendo Virtual Boy 2.")
Nintendo 3DS handheld to offer switchable 2D mode, thankfully
It was pretty much implied when "backward compatibility" was listed as a feature of Nintendo's new 3DS handheld back in March. But it's good to hear that 3D gameplay can be easily switched off, direct from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, when headaches or nausea set in during marathon sessions. This should also ease concerns from parents over any adverse effects that long term exposure to parallax barrier gameplay could have on their children's developing eyes. Besides, a 2D mode is desirable in that we expect it to offer a brighter image (especially when viewing off-center), better text reading experience, and a wider angle of view for sharing the display. Now, we know what you're wondering: what about that new 3.4-inch glasses-less 3D touchscreen display from Sharp, is it 2D switchable? Yup, lending more credibility that we'll see it on the 3DS when the handheld gaming console is fully revealed at E3 next month.
WarioWare DIY was in planning since the DS was called 'Iris'
In an Iwata Asks interview about the upcoming WarioWare DIY, Nintendo president and expert interviewer Satoru Iwata revealed a previously unknown codename for the system that would become the Nintendo DS: Iris. "Iris was the codename of a next-generation device we were exploring to succeed the Game Boy Advance-in other words, before development of the Nintendo DS," Iwata explained. "Eventually, it became a two-screen device with the codename Nitro, which went out into the world as the Nintendo DS. So, broadly speaking, Iris was the foundation for the Nintendo DS." And surprisingly, Software Planning Development's Gorou Abe had been thinking about a WarioWare microgame creator since the DS was called Iris. WarioWare DIY has been a long time coming. Elsewhere in the (fascinating) interview, it's revealed that some of the included microgames were made by debuggers during the QA process, who made microgames as part of testing. [Via Siliconera]
Iwata: Wii successor needs 'something new' beyond HD
In Nintendo's recent quarterly investor Q&A, president Satoru Iwata discussed the possibility of an HD-followup to the Wii. "If asked if making the Wii compatible with high definition -- just making it compatible with high resolution -- will get players throughout the world to buy it," he said (as translated by Andriasang), "I would of course say, 'Do you think it would sell with just that? It needs something new.'" Note that his statement isn't a denial of an HD Nintendo system at all. Iwata also addressed the contested statements he allegedly gave to the Asahi Shimbun about a DS successor. The newspaper reported that he said it would have motion-sensing and "highly detailed" graphics, a claim that Iwata later said was "misinterpreted." Iwata helped clarify the situation further in the investor Q&A, suggesting that the reporter led him to that statement. According to Iwata, the reporter asked, "The next DS will need to have high resolution graphics and include a motion sensor, wouldn't you say?" to which he responded, "Those are naturally considered requirements. However, do you believe it will sell with just this?" All together now: It needs something new!
