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Iwata: Keep dreaming of a white console Christmas
Whether or not you've been able to find Wiis in stores as of late, the holiday season is a completely different beast. Even now, in July, company president Satoru Iwata can't promise that there will be enough Wiis stocked to meet demand this Christmastime. If Wiis are scarce, this will be the third holiday season in a row that people in the U.S. and UK have had difficulty locating the console. Iwata promises that the company is doing everything in its power to avoid this situation, and is on schedule to develop 2.4 million units for 2008 by the end of the year. We can imagine only that some other Nintendo stock (we're looking at you, Wii Fit) will be a nightmare to find this holiday season, too.[Thanks, Thomas!]
Iwata: Friend codes aren't perfect (Us: Duh)
You know you hate them. No matter how much you love Nintendo, there's no way you can justify those vile things known as friend codes.Nintendo (the company) might not despise them as much as we do (or at all), but at least some of the higher-ups are willing to acknowledge that they're not the best EVAR. In fact, you really don't get much higher up than President Satoru Iwata, who recently admitted in an interview with GameDaily that the friend code system isn't perfect. He then spouted the usual company line when he said, "However, if it's an online world where you can get access to anybody without any restrictions, I as a father do not feel like allowing my daughter be engaged in that kind of world."Iwata said that the purpose of friend codes is to create a harassment-free environment for people less familiar with online video gaming, but we can't help but feel like friend codes are a different kind of harassment that tirelessly bothers those who are experienced online gamers. The prez also said that the company is working on improving the system, though, while keeping it safe.[Via CVG]
E308: Making Iwata cry in Animal Crossing: City Folk
By now, you've read about the new city in Animal Crossing: City Folk. The itinerant characters like Gracie and Lyle now have their own shops in the new "City" area. Two new locations in the city, as I found in my hands-on session, combine to form a shortcut to hilarity. A theater in town offers stand-up performances from Wild World's Dr. Shrunk, which (through his reactions more than his actual terrible jokes) teach your new avatar an emotion. You can then trigger these emotional responses with an icon on the onscreen keyboard or an icon located at the top of the gameplay screen. I got "sorrow," which causes the character to cry briefly. Heartbreaking!The Nintendo rep then led me into the new beauty shop, where you can give yourself a makeover in the form of a Mii mask. I chose the Iwata mask for my avatar Sarah, which replaced her Crossing-style head with Iwata's. This odd sequence of events left me in a position to make a cartoon version of Nintendo's president, clad in a dress, weep. You can see a picture of said crying jag after the break.
Wii Warm Up: Give us your three cents about E3
You've read the drunken ramblings of the Fanboy team as they stumbled through the revelations of the Nintendo press conference. Now it's time to have your say, and let us know just how impressive the lineup of presentations was. Is Cammie a decent enough public speaker with the whole world watching? Will Wii Music stink out concert halls worldwide, or receive a standing ovation? Is Iwata cooler than you? Absolutely.Go on, Nintendo can take your punishment. If you hated it, let fly with reasons why. If you loved it, gush about your favorite game (aside from the default selection of Animal Crossing). All in all, was E3 2008 a success or a blunder for Nintendo? You decide.
E308: Iwata -- Mario and Zelda teams 'hard at work'
Never mind the wicked -- there's no rest for anybody at Nintendo. Speaking at the company's E3 2008 press conference, whip-cracking president Satoru Iwata insisted that the Mario and Zelda teams were "both hard at work" on "new titles."And? Um ... and that's it. No further hints, clues, or suggestive winks, though we're placing our money on Link and/or Mario being involved somehow (duh), and with good reason -- a future that lacks a Zelda game with 1:1 swordfighting really doesn't bear thinking about.
E308 reminder: Nintendo conference incoming!
Just a reminder: at 9AM Pacific time, Nintendo's E3 press conference will begin. Who knows what will be announced, revealed, kicked, or taken? All we know is that there will be a long line, then some intro stuff, then megatons.We'll be in ur conference talking about ur news in an exciting real-time chat. Joystiq will be liveblogging the event as well, so you can enjoy two-fisted news-reading! Or something. And in case you don't have enough tabs open, why not play Nintendo Conference: The Home Game? Otherwise known as bingo.
Speakers for tomorrow's Nintendo press conference revealed
Proving that no bit of news is to trivial for E3, Computer and Video Games presents (via a Nintendo press release) a list of the presenters planned for tomorrow's Nintendo press conference. They are: Nintendo Co Ltd. President Satoru Iwata Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime Designer/producer/supervisor/god Shigeru Miyamoto NOA Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway NOA Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Denise Kaigler Exciting, no? Really, there's nothing especially revelatory about this list of speakers. The question remains though, what will they all speak about? We'll find out tomorrow morning at 9 AM Pacific. Until then, of course, rampant speculation is welcome using the comments link below.
DVD Wii still not a priority, gamers probably don't care
It's been a very very very very very crazy ride for the Wii in regards to DVD playback. It's still not certain if the general public really cares anyway, on account of owning about six hundred devices that play DVDs already, so it's no big deal that Nintendo still isn't doing much about their planned movie-ready console.IGN picked up a report from a stock-holders meeting, and Satoru Iwata said outright that "With supply constraints [of the Wii] continuing worldwide, the priority is on the current model." Guess they won't be rolling out a DVD unit anytime soon. It's hard enough to get the existing console to customers as it is, let alone turn around and start dilly-dallying around by making up a new model!
Miyamoto: Ocarina of Time could have been in first-person perspective
There aren't many gamers who don't harbor fond memories associated with the Nintendo 64's classic adventure (and to many, the greatest installment in the Hylian franchise), Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In addition to its beloved story and incredible visuals, it was a groundbreaking third-person adventure through an intricately detailed fantasy world -- but would we (and Game Rankings) still hold the triforce-hunting adventure in such high regard if we had experienced Hyrule directly through the point-eared protagonist's eyes?In a recent discussion between Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and revolutionary game developer (and Time's most influential person of 2008) Shigeru Miyamoto, it was outed that Shiggy secretly possesses a penchant for first-person shooters (notably, Rare's seminal N64 shooter Goldeneye), and that he'd considered creating Ocarina of Time using an Oblivion-esque first-person perspective. We're not quite sure how this would have affected the title -- but we're certainly terrified of the prospect of witnessing Darunia's sexy dance of seduction first-hand.
Miyamoto: Link's Crossbow Training is FPS Training
Now that Link's Crossbow Training is coming out in the region that matters (Japan), Nintendo has begun promoting it with one of their "Iwata Asks" interview series. This time, Shigeru Miyamoto is back in the hot seat -- and at the beginning of the interview, he expresses surprise that producers Takashi Tezuka and Eiji Aonuma aren't there as well. Right away, the surprises begin. Describing his motivation for Link's Crossbow Training, which he sees as an introduction to the FPS genre, Miyamoto reveals himself to be an FPS fan: "I've always been into first person shooter (FPS) style games, 3D games in which you can walk around freely and see things from your own point of view. " He describes the perspective as "more comfortable, more natural," and then upturns the interview's tea table, saying that he originally wanted The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to be in first-person.Since this is an interview between Iwata and Miyamoto, you know that can't be the only awesome quote. There's a bit in there about explaining Link's gun use with a Terminator-esque story. You should really just go read the whole thing.
Iwata on Microsoft's rumored Wiimote rival: 'Pft.'
Speculation that Microsoft may be about to launch a rival to the Wii Remote started early last month, yet Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's thoughts on the matter have only publicly emerged now. His verdict? A resounding, distinctly unimpressed "Meh."Well, we're paraphrasing a bit there, but it's more or less what he meant. "We are not concerned about what other companies may do," Iwata told an audience of investors. "[We're] rather more concerned with presenting [...] new ideas to our customers based on the prospect that our existing customers will surely get tired of [gameplay] enabled by the Wii Remote if we do not try to improve the experience."Rather than fret over what Microsoft and Sony get up to, Iwata says he'd prefer that Nintendo concentrated on producing more "new surprises" for consumers. Or, to put it another way, keep one step ahead of the competition, and they'll never catch you.[Via Develop]
Iwata: We're looking into the Flash Memory situation
Yes, you read that title correctly. The dire situation regarding every Wii owner not having enough storage space is being considered by the Big N, so you can all bet we're happy campers. While Nintendo president Satoru Iwata doesn't come out and say that Nintendo is working on a hard drive for the console, or some other solution, he does say enough to get our hopes up for some sort of memory expansion (or support for external hard drives through USB)."Statistically speaking, it is true that there are a small number of customers who feel that the flash memory is too small, while many others find that they have plenty of memory," says Iwata. "However, because this small number of people are none other than the most avid players, we know we have to review the best possible solution to eliminate their inconvenience." Interesting bit in that last line, if we may say so.We all know that being able to re-download something just isn't a good enough solution because, well, it's a total pain. But, if Nintendo can come up with a solution to our storage space issues that doesn't provide us with a hard drive to buy or support for USB external drives, we'll be fine with it. We just need something to help us eliminate the chore of moving things around each and every week.[Via IGN; Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
No, Nintendo is not dropping the price on the Wii or DS
Waiting for a price drop on the Nintendo Wii or DS? Don't hold your breath. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata told analysts on Friday that there are no price drop plans for the hot-selling units. Iwata insisted this is because Nintendo doesn't want to annoy those who already paid full price, but it's pretty clear that there's also just no need to drop the price on something that's already selling like mad.[Via Joystiq]
Nintendo not dropping Wii or DS Lite price anytime soon [Update]
Update: Oops! We've realized we covered this before, but think of it this way -- now you're two times more aware of these firm, firm prices as the other denizens of the internet.Whether you've yet to join the hunt for the Golden Ticket-esque Nintendo Wii, or you're one of the eight people yet to buy a Nintendo DS of some shape or color, we certainly hope that the reasoning behind your reluctance to join Camp N isn't the anticipation of a price drop for the two (relatively) affordable consoles. According to a recent statement from Ninty's Satoru Iwata, there are currently no plans to lower the retail price on either of their money-printing apparatuses.While this fact isn't exactly surprising considering the systems' sales success at their current costs, Iwata's reason for the set-in-stone price is rather intriguing -- should either system undergo a cheapening, he explained, it would upset those who bought the console at its former price. Yes, we're sure it has nothing to do with the near completion of Miyamoto's personal, Scrooge McDuck-style gold coin swimming pool.
World: 'How about a Wii price cut, then?' Nintendo: 'Ahahahaha'
Looks like we'll be waiting a little while longer for any price cut on the Wii. As in, until 2009. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has revealed to analysts that no price cut is planned for either the Wii or DS this year, and while both consoles are selling out pretty much everywhere, we can't say we're bowled over by that decision.As yesterday's financial report demonstrated, Nintendo's practically bathing in money, and it expects to make plenty more over the coming twelve months -- $5.14 billion of it, to be precise. If you are still searching for a Wii, looks like you won't even have the consolation of paying a non-launch price![Via Joystiq]
No Nintendo Wii or DS price cuts this year
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told analysts today the company has no plans to cut the price of the Wii or DS this year. What, you're surprised? Reuters reports he stated the company's earnings projection didn't take a price cut into account and the continued demand for the company's products don't require one.With demand outstripping supply on the Wii -- particularly in the North American market -- it's really no shock that Nintendo doesn't need a price cut on its hardware to keep stockholders happy. Nintendo expects to make $5.14 billion in fiscal year '09, which analysts believe is the company being conservative.
Iwata asks about the many Wii Wheels of Nintendo
In a new edition of the contrived Iwata Asks, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and product development guy, Kenichiro Ashida, sit down with president Satoru Iwata to talk about the Wii Wheel shipping with Mario Kart Wii. Ashida regales that in early 2007 the product development team got the first build of Mario Kart Wii and started messing around with developing a steering wheel. Some 30 prototypes laters the team had a design that was about the size of a real go-kart steering wheel and added a B button to the underside of the wheel for a child's fingers to reach. Mario Kart Wii drives into stores April 27... coincidentally, two days before that other driving game.
Iwata Asks: Mario Kart Wii
After Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii has become the latest title to appear in the excellent "Iwata Asks:" series of interviews. Featuring producer Hideki Konno, Wii Wheel project leader Kenichiro Ashida, and Shigeru Miyamoto (in fully relaxed, shirt-open mode) getting grilled by Satoru Iwata, it's a treasure trove of information for Mario Kart enthusiasts.Alongside an enjoyably lengthy dissection of the series' history, there's also discussion about Mario Kart Wii's online play. The online matchmaking in particular sounds a treat, in that it allows players to join a race once it's finished, thus avoiding races becoming one-on-one affairs (as so frequently happened in Mario Kart DS). Players can use the Mario Kart Channel to check which of their friends are currently playing online, and even join them instantly.Producer Konno and Miyamoto also explained the decision to include bikes in this game, with Konno admitting that his own hobbies influenced the choice, and Miyamoto stating that the bikes are there to "make the world of Mario a little more for boys [by] adding an extreme-like element to the game." (Apparently, the title was originally known as "Mario Kart X," with the "X" taken from "extreme") Finally, we hear more on the Wii Wheel, and the reasoning behind it. As expected, the peripheral is designed to make Mario Kart more approachable than ever before, and project leader Kenichiro Ashida reportedly created "about thirty" prototypes (many of which you can see in our gallery). Oh, and he even made gold and black versions -- just for the hell of it. Do want!%Gallery-4772%%Gallery-19823%
Iwata asks about Wii Fit, Volume 4
The fourth and final segment of Iwata Asks deals with an often overlooked part of gaming -- sound. The interview also focuses on the design and planning of Wii Fit.Three of the people Iwata questioned had previously worked on Zelda games, which (as you can imagine) are completely different than Wii Fit. Toru Minegishi talks about the challenges when making music for Wii Fit as opposed to Zelda, which was our favorite part of the interview.For some interesting anecdotes, and to know what some of the developers' favorite things about Wii Fit are, make sure to hit up the last Iwata Asks, Wii Fit edition.%Gallery-4745%
GDC08: Ubisoft treated like an internal Nintendo team
http://digg.com/nintendo/Ubisoft_was_treated_as_internal_Nintendo_team'; Apparently, developing a "strong, obvious, and accessible" game for the casual crowd will get you treated like an internal team by Nintendo.GameDaily BIZ reports that Reggie Fils-Aime and Satoru Iwata, two of the biggest Nintendo bigwigs out there, showered praise on Ubisoft for My Word Coach. When the game was still in development, Fils-Aime told the French company, "You got it. You guys got exactly the type of game we want for this machine." It was Iwata, though, who told Ubisoft that they would be treated as an internal team from now on. While we're happy for Ubi, we're not sure what to think about Nintendo's enthusiasm. Yes, we get it, they love the casual gamer. But how about us crusty, old, core gamers? Show more developers some appreciation for creating great, non-casual games, please -- or we might just get a complex.[Via Joystiq]
