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Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon dev now Nintendo-only studio
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Super Mario Strikers developer Next Level Games is now making games for Nintendo exclusively, co-founder Jason Carr revealed during an interview with Gamasutra. Next Level previously helmed a 2009 Wii remake of Nintendo's classic NES boxing game Punch-Out!!, following up with the multiplatform Captain America: Super Soldier in 2011 before releasing Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon last year. Dark Moon went on to sell more than three million units worldwide, emerging as one of the biggest-selling 3DS releases to date. Dark Moon producer Ken Yeeloy cites studio stability and a good working relationship with Nintendo as the driving factors behind the company's decision to develop games for Nintendo exclusively. "When we work with [Nintendo], it is strictly about the game, throughout the entire process," Yeeloy told Gamasutra. "The focus is driven by the quality of the game, and what is cool, and what feels good -- not how much money it's going to cost or how long is it going to take."
Nintendo wins Wii peripheral lawsuit, obtains suing company's patent portfolio
Nintendo has obtained the entire patent portfolio of exergaming company InterAction Laboratories (a.k.a. IA Labs) following an unsuccessful 2010 lawsuit alleging that Nintendo's Wii and its peripherals infringed on IA's patents. A trial court ruled in favor of Nintendo in 2012, ordering IA Labs to pay Nintendo's legal defense fees as a result. IA Labs lost a subsequent appeal last year, leading to a sheriff's sale of its assets when the company was unable to reimburse Nintendo's court costs. Nintendo then purchased IA Labs' remaining assets and patent portfolio during the sale, closing off the potential for further claims and lawsuits. While Nintendo won this particular patent battle, a federal judge recently ruled in favor of Tomita Technologies International in a lawsuit over Nintendo's patent-infringing use of its glasses-free 3D technology. Nintendo was ordered to pay a percentage of revenue earned from 3DS hardware sales to Tomita as a result of the suit.
Now Playing: January 6-12, 2014
Welcome to the New Year, now Don't Starve on the PlayStation 4... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Now Playing: December 16-22, 2013
An all-new story of survival starts this week with The Walking Dead: Season 2... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
New Nintendo eShop releases: Rush, Double Dragon, more Sega 3D Classics
Dear Santa, Seriously, guy, where is my The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on Wii U? It's out on the European eShop this week, but I'm not seeing any Best SNES Games of All Time in the North American releases. Why is that? Wasn't I a good boy this year, Santa? Don't I deserve the chance to revisit a classic Zelda on my new Nintendo system? Wouldn't I get such joy from playing it alongside its 3DS sequel, A Link Between Worlds? That's all I wanted this year, Santa. That's all I've ever wanted. Tell me, Santa: Do you want to watch the world burn? Is that who you are? I hate you. Sincerely, Tommy PS: I would also like a Super Soaker 5000.
Nintendo offering refurbished Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk for $20
Nintendo has a deal for those that don't have spare Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controllers left over from the last console generation. The console manufacturer's online store now includes refurbished versions of the peripheral pack for $20, a savings of $10 on the normal price of the accessories. Nintendo is offering the controllers in three colors: white, black and blue. Nintendo launched the Wii Remote Plus in November 2010, combining the gyroscope tech from its Wii Motion Plus add-on with the Wii's standard Wii Remote controller. Nintendo's refurbished goods may include "minor cosmetic blemishes," but are guaranteed to be fully functional and include Nintendo's standard 90-day warranty. Given that games like Wii Sports Club and Super Mario 3D World can use the controllers, the refurbished set may prove to be a good investment for Wii U owners.
Now Playing: December 9-15, 2013
Become a puzzle master this week with Peggle 2... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
New Nintendo eShop Releases: 3D Sonic, 3D Altered Beast, Donkey Kong sale
Like the rest of the games industry, the Nintendo eShop is slowing down ahead of the holidays. We're not quite at the snoring-by-the-fireplace stage, but going by this week's offerings it's already donned a suitably seasonal sweater. Still, the 3DS gets two 3D-enhanced Sega classics in Sonic the Hedgehog and Altered Beast, and there are a few other bits and bobs, too. There's also a week-long 30 percent sale on Donkey Kong games, including Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. on both 3DS and Wii U, Donkey Kong 3 on Wii U, and Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Jr. on 3DS. As ever, you'll find the full list of new releases snoozing past the break.
Corrupted Super Mario 64 shows the real mushroom kingdom
Sometimes cartridges go bad. We can't explain what is going on in this footage of a corrupted Super Mario 64, presented by the same individual who posted that creepy Sesame Street footage earlier this year, but at least we know to avoid Princess Peach when she's baking a cake. Peach smash!
Now Playing: December 3-8, 2013
Race around the world this week with Gran Turismo 6... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Joystiq remembers its favorite Wii experiences
One year ago, Nintendo kicked off a new generation with the release of the Wii U. Now that Sony and Microsoft have joined it with new hardware, it's time for us to start planning retirement parties for the previous generation of consoles. We've already looked back at the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but now it's time for the Joystiq staff to recount some of its favorite experiences had on the Nintendo Wii. Of course, these are just a few of our favorites. Share your favorites in the comments below – that is, if you're not too busy ruling the world as Mario and Friends in their latest adventure. [Music: The Protagonist - "Pink Fuzz"]
Toy Story's claw machine among five toy boxes added to Disney Infinity
Disney Interactive offered five new toy boxes for Disney Infinity owners to play with this week. Two of the toy boxes are inspired by the Toy Story films: the Toy Story Claw and Toy Story Racer stages. Toy Story Claw has players searching for ten lost aliens in a claw machine, whereas Toy Story Racer takes place in a space-themed racetrack. The other new Disney Interactive-created toy boxes introduced this week are Big Thunder, inspired by the Big Thunder Mountain attraction at Disneyland, as well as Sky Gauntlet 2 and The Sky Trials. Disney Infinity recently received new characters, including Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled's Rapunzel.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Sega 3D Classics, Mario games sale, SMT4 for $30
An assortment of Mario games at 30 percent off isn't a bad way to do Black Friday, but the eShop really gets into the mood with Shin Megami Tensei 4. The 3DS JRPG is just $30 until December 2, an top price for what we called "a great entry point" to the Atlus series. If we had you at "Mario games at 30 percent off," let's fill you in on the details. Both the 3DS and Wii U versions of Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2 feature, while Super Mario Land 2 and Mario & Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move are also discounted on the 3DS eShop, and Super Mario World and the original Mario Bros. get price dips on the Wii U eShop. We'd say there's no better time to revisit SMB2 then after playing Super Mario 3D World - gotta love that floaty Peach. If you're done with discounts and just want the new stuff. we've got that, too - including the first batch of the long-time-coming Sega 3D Classics, and episodes 1-10 of Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies. Head past the break for the full rundown of newly-released games.
Joystiq's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Bargain Roundup 2013
It's dangerous to shop alone, so take this – our regularly updated mega-post on the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals: The time of preparation is at hand. As globs of turkey, stuffing and aunt Brandine's weird ambrosia salad battle for dominance in your stomach, you must plan your Black Friday attack. Welcome to Joystiq's Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals roundup post, where we've cataloged all the game-related savings we could dig up. Remember that these summaries don't include every last detail of every retailer's deals. We recommend judicious clicking and further scrutiny of your preferred outlets based on personal preference, weather conditions and geographical proximity. You'll find sales for four of the major retailers below, with plenty of other deals after the break. Be frugal, be safe and remember to watch out for aunt Brandine. She stops for no one. Best Buy: New games and accessories for $35 or less, monster Xbox 360 bundle for $190 GameStop: Game discounts, Battlefield 4 (current-gen) for $25, limited edition Zelda 3DS Target: Bonus gift cards, $190 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle, $25 Splinter Cell: Blacklist Walmart: $100 2DS, $40 Skylanders and Call of Duty: Ghosts, $35 AC4: Black Flag and GTA 5
NASCAR: Inside Line wraps up DLC season with final release
Developer Eutechnyx concludes its DLC plans for the sim-styled stock car racer NASCAR The Game: Inside Line with this week's release of the game's final add-on content pack for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. Released on a regular basis since the game's launch late last year, NASCAR's "Inside Line Highlights" recreate a wide range of past racing scenarios, and are unlockable using in-game currency. Inside Line hosts a grand total of 28 DLC releases, all of which are bundled in the downloadable "Inside Line Pack," available for $24.99 via the PlayStation Network and the Xbox Live Marketplace. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line marks Activision's final entry in the NASCAR series, as publisher Deep Silver will take over publishing duties for next year's NASCAR 14.
Now Playing: November 25 - December 1, 2013
Celebrate Thanksgiving this week with the Borderlands 2 - The Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler DLC... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
What about the Wii U?
Everyone's in a tizzy about the "new" console generation, conveniently forgetting that, market-wise, it was already here a year ago with the release of Nintendo's Wii U. It isn't as technologically advanced as the new Sony PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox One, but the Wii U's like the kid who still likes Ninja Turtles when everyone's moved on to Power Rangers: They might not be as cool, but they're still your classmate, and they're still going to graduate with everyone else. Nintendo might seem a little square compared to Sony and Microsoft right now, but it still has the skills to succeed in school. At launch, Nintendo sold out its entire initial allotment of 400,000 Wii U's -- which looked promising -- but after the holidays, sales softened significantly and continued to slide. By E3, the situation wasn't looking so good. Just a few months later, Nintendo announced a price cut of $50 for the console, reducing its profit on each unit sold. However, the price reduction also moved a lot of units, with the Wii U experiencing a 200 percent uptick in sales for the month of September.
Disney Infinity to add Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, Frozen characters
Disney Infinity aims to live up to its name with the addition of three movie franchises to the platformer/adventure/sandbox/whatever-it-is game. Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled characters Ralph, Vanellope and Rapunzel have already found their way into stores, while Anna and Elsa from Frozen have yet to arrive. Ralph is available exclusively at Best Buy until December 31, while Vanellope is exclusive to Target until the same date. Walmart, meanwhile, gets to braid and play with Rapunzel's ludicrously long hair until December 31 as well. Anna and Elsa will be released nationwide on November 26, a day before the movie they star in. So if you already know you're going to love the movie and its characters - or you're a time traveler and have already seen the movie - these toys are for you. And everyone else who can find them. Along with the characters, Disney Interactive will also be releasing 20 new Power Discs. These discs grant various in-game bonuses, from items and aesthetic changes to boosts and abilities. You can see the full list of discs and their effects after the jump:
NPD: Video game spending up 17% in Q3 (thanks, GTA 5!)
The NPD Group announced today that consumers spent $3.45 billion on video game content during the third quarter (July through September) of 2013 in the United States – a 17 percent increase over the same period last year. Analyst Liam Callahan attributes the growth to the release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 5, which shipped a total of 29 million copies to retail as of last month. Americans spent $1.30 billion on brand-new, boxed retail games over the past quarter. "Trends during the third quarter were the best that we have observed since the second quarter of 2011, driven by growth across both the physical and digital sides of the video game industry," said Callahan. "The launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 helped propel the new physical sales by twenty percent and continued growth of console digital full games as well as downloadable add-on content is an indication of the renewed health of the industry." NPD added that digital game and downloadable content spending grew by 35 percent year-on-year, totaling $1.72 billion in Q3 2013. Used and rental sales reached $436 million over the last quarter.
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New Nintendo eShop releases: Super Mario 3D World, A Link Between Worlds, Mario Party
As eShop weeks go, this one's a bit spectacular. A new five-star Zelda? Check! A new five-star Mario? Check again! What's more, you'll be able to download them as soon as today becomes tomorrow, midnight sharp. Wait, you want more? You're genuinely not satisfied with Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, both games we awarded five stars to? Really? Not even if we chuck in a week-long sale that lasers 30 percent off Mega Man 1-4 on 3DS and Wii U? Surely you aren't that greedy? Fine.... fine. Fine. Be like that. Let's go through the whole list already.
