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Nintendo will take 3DS and Wii U services offline in 'early April 2024'
After closing its 3DS and Wii U eShops earlier this year, Nintendo will shut down online services for those consoles in "early April 2024," it announced.
MobileMe rumored to get alternative payment methods
A recently-published report from Germany suggests Apple will soon add brand new functionality to MobileMe: the ability to subscribe to the suite of online services with a form of payment other than a credit card. The rumor discourages hope for MobileMe becoming a free offering. According to macnews.de, one of its readers ran into trouble while trying to renew his subscription to MobileMe. Currently, it's practically impossible for Apple's customers to activate a subscription to the US$99 per year online service without a credit card. When the macnews.de reader, who doesn't have a credit card, explained his situation to Apple's support hotline, a support agent for the company told him, "We're currently working on offering customers alternate payment options." The support staffer could not provide any further details or a release date. Once upon a time, customers like this macnews.de reader could walk into a store, purchase a boxed "copy" of MobileMe using their preferred payment method, bring the box home and use the included activation instructions to enable or renew their MobileMe subscriptions online. But in February, Apple discontinued shipments of boxed MobileMe activation kits, leaving customers with only one option for buying the service: online with a valid credit card. This limitation could dramatically reduce MobileMe subscriptions in countries like Germany where about 80 percent of consumers use bank transfers to complete online transactions, according to research by The Nielsen Company. If Apple wishes to continue charging customers for all or part of its online services, it would be necessary for the company to offer more payment options. Prompted by an email from Steve Jobs promising MobileMe would "get a lot better in 2011," many speculate the service is due for a major overhaul this year. Today, Apple's suite of online services allows subscribers to publish websites and photo galleries, access ad-free IMAP email, synchronize data between Macs and devices over the internet, backup and share files online and locate lost iPhones. Rumors suggest any or all of these services will be revamped and expanded to include a "media locker" to give subscribers online access to certain content purchased from the iTunes Store. Speculators hoped Apple planned to offer MobileMe free of charge, especially after the company discontinued the service's boxed activation kits. But if Apple is exploring alternative payment options, an entirely free MobileMe seems unlikely. [via MacNN]
Sony's Qriocity video-on-demand services goes live in Europe
Sony said it was coming, and come it has. Just in time for expatriated Americans basking in the glory of being paid in pounds to enjoy over "Thanksgiving," Sony has flipped the switch on its Qriocity on-demand movie service. The UK launch marks the European debut of the service (we're also hearing that it's like 'across Europe'), offering "hundreds" of pay-per-view streaming flicks to those with a network-enabled BRAVIA TV, Blu-ray player or Blu-ray home theater system. We're told that the library consists of material from Fox Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Starz Digital Media, The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal and Warner Bros., with both new releases and heralded classics up for grabs. Rental prices for SD content start from £2.49 for library content and £3.49 for new releases, while HD content start respectively from £3.49 and £4.49. Not exactly free, but it's a small price to pay to keep that keister planted on Turkey Day.
Sony Qriocity on-demand movie service extends into Europe, 'Music Unlimited' coming by year's end
Sony has just informed Euroland that its Qriocity on-demand ecosystem will be showing up in the continent's wealthier regions this fall. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK will get a chance to savor the Video On Demand option, which will form the vanguard of a wideranging content streaming service, available on Sony networked devices -- yes, that includes the do-it-all PlayStation 3. The heavyweight movie studios behind the venture include 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, NBC Universal, Paramount and, of course, Sony's moviemaking arm. But you already knew that, given that the whole enchilada's been available to American gringos since April. All Qriocity participants will get to use a new Music Unlimited service, which is launching by the end of the year with as yet undetermined pricing. Plans are also afoot to offer Qriocity on third party devices, but until then you'll wanna make sure to have one of them newfangled web-connected Bravia TVs or any of the litany of Blu-ray players and home theater setups Sony is busy promoting right this minute.
NCsoft: has the focus shifted?
NCsoft -- known for such stunningly beautiful games as Guild Wars and Lineage/Lineage II -- is slowly expanding its focus in Korea into the non-game sector. Working with in-house studio Openmaru, the company is building a series of online services to aid in comforting investors. Admittedly, the South Korean Won (KRW) is trading in a slightly stronger position against the United States Dollar (USD) now than it was in October, but that doesn't stop their concern over seeing NCsoft's stock slowly spiral downward from 86,4000 KRW in October (approximately $94.43/share) to 45,000 KRW ($48.27/share) as of Friday's market close. As a result of this move, CEO Kim Taek-jin has promised that the company will increase its investment in online applications, including data and schedule management programs and social-networking services.
