The first time we saw Sony's PlayStation Move, it didn't even have a name: we only knew it as the PS3 motion controller. The newfangled prototype was Sony's response to the success Nintendo found in the Wii, a motion-sensitive "me-too" that hoped to one up the competition with better tracking, more "core" games and a curious glowing ball perched on its top. Its first outing showed a handful of tech demos, flaunting gameplay concepts that we'd eventually see in Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. Since then, the Move has seen its fair share of exclusive and compatible titles, but none quite engaging enough to make the peripheral a must-have accessory. With the next generation just around the corner and Sony's portable cards already on the table, E3 2012 is looking a little light on the hardware front. If Sony's going to give the Move one final push, now is the time.

Continue reading Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move

Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With E3 2012 right around the corner, Reggie and co. want to make sure your oft-distracted eyes catch every drip drop of the impending Wii U news flood. Much like it did last year, Nintendo's yet again taking to media outlets old and new for coverage of its All-Access Presentation, scheduled for June 5th at 9AM PST, that should prove an unavoidable must-see for any gamer bred on the house that Mario built. Whether you take your news via flat-screen or monitor, the gaming giant's got a solution to sate your preferred means of consumption, making its press conference available ad-free on Spike TV and MTV2, or online with a Facebook-hosted live stream. Of course, you can always set your browser to the Big N's own dedicated site on the big day to keep abreast of its next planned dive into the deep Blue Ocean. Check out the presser after the break for all the necessary informational bits.

Continue reading Nintendo plans virtual wall of E3 coverage, wants no eyeball left behind

Nintendo plans virtual wall of E3 coverage, wants no eyeball left behind originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Excited for Nintendo's new tablet-esque controller? So are the kids in TT Games' QA department. An over-excited tester tweeted out an image of a slightly different Wii U slab than the one we laid hands on at E3 2011, teasing "look we what we have at work!" Answering the call does indeed reveal something worth looking at -- a somewhat wider looking Wii U slate featuring two full-sized analog sticks (as opposed to 3DS-like circle pads), a pair of unmarked button-like squares, and a new starboard home for the controller's plus and minus buttons.

The tweet was summarily pulled, of course, but not before our friends at Joystiq nabbed a screenshot. Naturally, the rumor mill started right up, churning out speculation of developer specific slabs, early prototypes and late redesigns. The truth? We'll probably need to wait until E3 to find out, but we reached out to Nintendo for a comment all the same. We'll let you know if we hear anything more than the usual "Nintendo doesn't comment on rumors and speculation" line.

Alternative Wii U controller design makes brief appearance on Twitter, goes into hiding originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 02:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's say you liked adding GPS to your Nintendo DS. How about adding a Nintendo DS to your GPS? Toyota is trying just that through a new Smart Navi GPS unit in its Estima Hybrid minivan that will let passengers control the mapping system. Load up the Bluetooth-equipped Kuruma de DS cartridge and you can enter directions from the back seat instead of waiting for the driver's next chance at a red light. The automaker is also hoping to cut the "are we there yet?" levels of ennui to a minimum by providing trivia questions, hand-drawn map notes and a surfeit of tourist info. Mii characters speak out text information, and you can even use the car as a speaker system in the event your Starfox game needs that much more audio immersion. Estima buyers can get the new Smart Navi and Kuruma de DS in Japan on June 1st, although the $2,586 equivalent price for the GPS, the $92 cartridge and the cost of the Nintendo console itself might be too rich when you don't need a navigator to tell you that the princess is in another castle.

Toyota turns to Nintendo DS as in-car GPS remote, won't guide you to Princess Peach originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 04:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anyone that bought Nintendo's 3D portable early on may have laid their hands on an endangered species. The original Aqua Blue model will cease production soon, according to Nintendo Japan's official site. In a full list of the 3DS's ever-increasing color options, the original has been tagged (above, top left), stating that it'll no longer be made, although there's no official date for the literal end of the line. Its turquoise coat didn't cost all that much, right?

Nintendo prepares to kill off Aqua Blue 3DS, dump it in a watery grave originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you were still holding out for those 3D-erific videos of cute dogs and sumo wrestlers for your American 3DS via Nintendo's "Itsu no Ma ni Terebi" service, bad news just got badder. In short, it's not coming. Ever. In fact, worse than that, the service will take its last look at the rising sun on the 20th of June, as Nintendo has announced that it's shuttering the service one day short of a year since it launched. There is mention of occasional content coming to both 2D and 3D devices via the Nintendo Video service, but if we didn't know better, we'd suggest this is Kyoto's way of saying "I'll call you".

Nintendo to pull the plug on 3D TV service in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Three-dimensional gaming not your thing? Then Nintendo's latest price drop might just grab you. It's cast an eye over the rest of its portable gaming family and decided to cut the cost on both the DSi (down to $100) and the hulking DSi XL (dropped to $130). These new prices will kick off on May 20th -- exactly the same day as this purple mess.

Continue reading Nintendo DSi drops to $100, DSi XL drops to $130 on May 20th

Nintendo DSi drops to $100, DSi XL drops to $130 on May 20th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo is already guiding you through the Louvre with a 3DS, but a newly published US patent application takes that kind of tourism to a very literal new level. Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto's concept describes a way to direct lost tourists by beaming position information through an overhead grid of infrared transmitters to a mobile device (portrayed as a DS Lite) held by the confused visitor below. The handheld then talks wirelessly to a server that lights up floor displays with maps and directions, and a helpful app on the device lets visitors pick their route while they read up on sightseeing tips. Like with any patent, there's no certainty that Nintendo will act on the idea and start wiring up museums with IR blasters, but the January 2012 patent may still be fresh in a frequently inventive mind like Miyamoto's.

Nintendo patent application tech tracks your DS from above, serves as tour guide originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Little did we know that, just two months after we were trying the Wii U for ourselves, Nintendo was busy patenting nearly everything its unique game console would have to offer. A pair of just-published US Patent Office applications filed last August get into the nuts and bolts of how the controller and the legacy Wii remote will play with the new device. It's clear that the patent work had started before Nintendo had redesigned the main system -- the box at the center of the patents looks like the existing Wii -- but it does show the nitty-gritty of things we only saw at last year's Nintendo E3 keynote, such as the gun attachment or playing golf with a combination of the Wii U controller and the traditional Wiimote. Nintendo also gave itself some wiggle room on the controller's screen size: although the LCD is officially 6.2 inches across, the patent allows that it might be "5 inches or larger." We're wondering how much of the overall look and technology will survive through to the finished Wii U design's unveiling at this year's E3. For now, though, you can explore the patents yourself at the links below.

Nintendo patent application lends a look at Wii U's core technology, add-ons too originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 00:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pink, red, aqua and black not good enough for you? Fine. Have a purple one -- if that's what you really want. On May 20th you can pick up this Grimace-hued Nintendo 3DS for the usual price of $169.99 alongside Mario Tennis Open. Hoping for something a bit more subtle, perhaps a nice clean white or a nice two-tone gray? Tough. You're getting purple.

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS turning purple on May 20th, takes a bruising from the ugly stick

Nintendo 3DS turning purple on May 20th, takes a bruising from the ugly stick originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're counting down the days till the Wii U is released, you might recall that back in January Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said the console will ship with an NFC chip inside. Well, you can now get a taste of how games will incorporate that feature, thanks to this just-leaked trailer for Rayman Legends. According to the video, Rayman Rabbid action figures can jump into the game when a player taps them to the Wii U's screen. (It looks like that trick will work with an Assassin's Creed Ezio Auditore da Firenze figurine too.) Check out the trailer, courtesy of Gamekult, while you can -- after all, Ubisoft didn't want you to glimpse the U's magical powers just yet.

Continue reading Leaked Rayman Legends for Wii U trailer showcases NFC feature (video)

Leaked Rayman Legends for Wii U trailer showcases NFC feature (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

All eyes are on Nintendo, now that it has revealed losses of $460 million. Buried in all of the financial paperwork were the revelations that it sells the 3DS at a loss, its plans for digital distribution and its projected sales figures for this year. It aims to flog 18.5 million 3DS handhelds and 10.5 million Wii consoles by March 31st 2013. But wait, what about the Wii U? That figure actually encompasses both old and new hardware, so it is either hoping for a sharp fall in Wii sales or a tough opening for the new baby. It's a bold pair of figures that relies upon how well New Super Mario Bros 2, Animal Crossing and the new hardware capture the public's imagination in a time when people are tightening their belts (especially if they've been using Wii Fit).

Continue reading Nintendo aims to flog 18 million 3DS, up to 10.5 million home consoles this fiscal year

Nintendo aims to flog 18 million 3DS, up to 10.5 million home consoles this fiscal year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo is going to sell its 3DS and Wii U games through the eShop as well as on the high street. Concerned about the money wasted in "inventory," the company will let consumers choose where they get their fix from. The first two games to get the treatment will be New Super Mario Bros 2 and Onitore Brain Training (working title) for the handheld, with more expected in the future. As consumers transition to downloads, the company will keep its brick-and-mortar partners on-side by allowing them to sell "activation codes" to the digital titles -- although that does mean you'll have to drive down to Gamestop and back.

Nintendo's gunning for retailers, expanding eShop offerings for Wii U, 3DS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ever since Nintendo slashed the price of the 3DS, there's been plenty of speculation that the gaming giant has been selling the portable console at a loss. The company acknowledged that fact during its disappointing earnings report, stating, "its hardware has been sold below cost because of its significant price cut in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012," something that's uncharacteristic of the company's past operations. But as with its fairly unfortunate financials, the company plans to turn things around, adding, "Nintendo expects to cease selling it below cost by the middle of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013."

Nintendo confirms that it's selling 3DS at a loss, expects that to change originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo has announced its first annual operating loss following an initially lukewarm response to its new 3DS handheld and an aging Wii console -- set to be replaced later this year. Nintendo made an operating loss of 37.3 billion yen ($459.54 million) from 2011 to 2012, but intends to spin it around to a 35 billion yen operating profit in the forthcoming year. Net sales dropped by 36.2 percent compared to 2010-2011 , despite price cuts on its existing hardware like the 3DS and Wii. The Japanese games manufacturer has also seen increased competition from new rivals on Apple and Android hardware, as mobile gaming continues to go from strength to strength.

Nintendo also laid some of the blame at the feet of the weakened yen, but expects the incoming Wii U, cheaper 3DS production and incoming titles like New Super Mario Bros. 2, Brain Training and Animal Crossing will all help turn its fortunes around. Nintendo intends to stop selling the 3DS "below cost" (that is; at a reduced manufacturing cost) by the middle of the next financial year, after strong sales from the substantial price cut last year. The company sold 13.53 million 3DS devices and 36 million 3DS games, compared to 80.2 million on the original DS. The original DS still managed to sell 5.1 million units in the last year. Nintendo's main console, the Wii, sold 9.84 million units in the last year, with 102.37 million games sold.

Nintendo posts first annual loss of $460 million, predicts turnaround next year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If your 3DS' home screen is looking a little too cluttered, then today's your lucky day. Nintendo is rolling out the firmware update that adds folders to your folder. (You've gotta fold the console closed, geddit?) The only other change evident so far is a redesigned eShop interface that makes better use of the screen's real estate, but pssh, who cares? It's all about the folders for us.

PSA: Nintendo 3DS firmware update now live in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's getting tough for bands to out retro each other these days (what with even cassettes making something of a comeback), but Birmingham, Alabama's own Fort Atlantic has managed to come up with something that's likely to break through the nostalgia-filled haze. While you'll soon be able to buy the band's self-titled debut album in all the usual formats, you can now pre-order a limited edition version that ships a week before the proper release date and comes in the form of an NES cartridge modded to hold a USB drive ($25 and apparently limited to just 50). That includes the full album in both lossless and MP3 formats, along with an added EP, videos and other bonuses. Unlike past NES album releases, though, there's no chiptunes to be found here -- you can listen to one song from the album courtesy of the Paste Magazine link below, and see frontman Jon Black explain the cartridge decision in the video after the break.

Continue reading Fort Atlantic releases new album on modded NES cartridge, no chiptunes in sight

Fort Atlantic releases new album on modded NES cartridge, no chiptunes in sight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are all those ambassador games crowding your 3DS' home screen? Sit tight, Nintendo's got a fix. During the outfit's Nintendo Direct conference livestream, head honcho Satoru Iwata announced that folder organization is coming to the 3DS. Fastidiously organized gamers can expect the firmware update to land on April 25th, bringing with it the joy of creating directories, stuffing them with up to 60 items and ascribing them fitting names. Iwata also detailed a handful of upcoming titles, including New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Tobidase Doubutsu no Mori (or, "Leap out Animal Crossing") for the 3DS and a Kirby compilation for the Wii. Follow the source link below for a full playback of Iwata's spiel, or check out Joystiq's coverage of the event for more details.

Gallery: Nintendo 3DS folders

3DS firmware update promises folders, less cluttered home screens on April 25th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sure, we've seen plenty of dancing games harness the Wii and Kinect's unique motion capture systems, but the Wiipop prototype takes things to another level, combining the technology of both with some pro-level dance moves. The game utilizes the Kinect's 3D camera and up to eight body-mounted Wiimotes, letting players improvise freestyle dance moves in a SingStar-like game, matching body pops to beats in a song. The game's not quite ready for primetime, but when it is, Christian "Mio" Loclair sees its potential beyond simple gameplay. The title could, perhaps, be used to help design choreographed productions or to generate and trigger visual effects for live performance. In the meantime, pop and lock into the video after the break.

Continue reading Wiipop incorporates Kinect camera and several Wiimotes into a veritable electric boogaloo

Wiipop incorporates Kinect camera and several Wiimotes into a veritable electric boogaloo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Any geek worth his / her salt knows that techdom's territory-spanning intellectual property spats are far from over, so we don't begrudge heavyweights like Nintendo for endeavoring to bulk up their litigious arsenal. Filed back in October of 2003 and just recently granted by the USPTO, is patent number 8,157,654 that gives the Big N ownership of a method to emulate video game consoles bearing built-in displays (think: handhelds) and accompanying software on external computing devices. What does that mean in plain 'ol English, dear gaming fanatic? Well, it could presage a device agnostic service that would break the company's vast backlog of handheld titles out of its walled garden and into the vast consumer wild. Or it could just be another legal armament poised for deployment should the sue-happy titans of the electronics industry come a-calling. Either way, the house that Mario built's got another IP bullet locked and loaded.

Nintendo granted patent for emulating handheld consoles and software originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent

Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo 3DS outselling four Sony devices in Japan, now has 65 percent of the market originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View

Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier

IRL: Evernote, Netgear N900 and FiiO's E17 headphone amplifier originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While we've been telling jaded partners and family members for ages, it looks like there's some -- slightly obscure -- proof. The researchers reconstructed their own levels, forcing gamers to choose between one of two paths, with a mix of power-ups, health items and enemies that created a "logical statement". If you can complete the level with that particular combination, then it would resolve the Boolean satisfiability problem -- a logic puzzle that squares variables against whether a statement is true, and whether the same can be said of all similarly composed statements. While the theory sounds trickier than the first stage of Mario, Nintendo's flagship title -- as well as Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, Metroid and the Pokémon series -- were categorized as NP-hard. This means deciding if a player can solve a certain part of the game is at least as hard as the most difficult problems in NP; a classification that involves easy-to-check, difficult-to-solve propositions. While you figure out what that means, we're hitting up Nintendogs 3D. Because we like a challenge.

Scientists: 'Games are hard' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lego Game Boy Transformer uses blocks for more than Tetris originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft: three very different takes on portable gaming at GDC 2012

Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft: three very different takes on portable gaming at GDC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nielsen report finds 56 percent of US households have a modern game console, total gaming time up seven percent originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

February's gaming sales a mixed bag: up for the month, down for the year originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS celebrates first birthday, sells 4.5 million consoles in the US

Nintendo 3DS celebrates first birthday, sells 4.5 million consoles in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo says it refuses to 'succumb to patent trolls' as it wins Maryland case

Nintendo says it refuses to 'succumb to patent trolls' as it wins Maryland case originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While it had a rocky moment in the middle, some heavy price-cutting and top-drawer games helped the system sell five million within a year in its native homeland. According to Nintendo, these are legitimate sell-through figures and as predicted, make the 3D-capable console Nintendo's fastest selling console to date. You can take a look at some (translated) self-congratulatory backslapping from Nintendo below.

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS hits 5 million units faster than DS, the world goes 'huh?'

Nintendo 3DS hits 5 million units faster than DS, the world goes 'huh?' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo Wii joins the Hulu Plus watch party

Nintendo Wii joins the Hulu Plus watch party originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo brings Mobiclip on board to help with Wii U development originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IRL: Logic3 PowerSleeve, HP Folio 13 and a trio of Nintendo handhelds

IRL: Logic3 PowerSleeve, HP Folio 13 and a trio of Nintendo handhelds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While Nintendo is darn proud of its attempts to differentiate itself from other console manufacturers with its unusual hardware choices, it looks like Sony also had plenty of touchscreen-toting, TV-connected ideas way back in 2010. These patent sketches explain a handheld device that bares a foggy resemblance to Nintendo's incoming Wii U. The "position-dependent gaming, 3-D controller, and handheld as a remote," would act as the "input to a video game" -- or controller, as we technical types like to call it -- adding in some augmented reality functionality as an overlay to camera input on the device. The PS Vita is already capable of doing most of what's posited above, including the ability to hook up to its older (bigger) brother, the PS3 -- possibly that anonymous box you can see above. If such a mystery device device does appear, at least it looks like Sony's got its bases covered, again.

Sony patent sketches reveal Wii U-esque controller system, keeps it vague originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Nintendo Slide Pad for 3DS review

Continue reading Nintendo Slide Pad for 3DS review

Nintendo Slide Pad for 3DS review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo testing DS-powered speech translator originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wii U controller to pack NFC, says Iwata, create new gameplay options originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo officially announces Nintendo Network, promises personal accounts for Wii U originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.