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Nintendo opens online shop in the UK: offers free delivery, limited edition exclusives and extended warranties
Nintendo's cutting out the middleman and going straight to consumers. Today, the company's UK outfit launched a full-fledged online shop that aims to sell a range of games and consoles from its existing product lines. Unlike Nintendo's US online retail effort, which is really a "store" in name only, this UK site doesn't redirect consumers to third-party retailers and instead ships to consumers directly from the company's stock. Apart from offering games and consoles across the Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS product lines, the UK online shop will also offer exclusives like limited edition 3DS consoles and pack-in figurines like this Wind Waker bundle, in addition to free delivery (orders over £200 qualify for next day) and 12-month extended warranties for consoles. There's no word on whether or not other regions like the US will see a similar service or why Nintendo chose to launch this first in the UK. We've reached out to Nintendo for comment and will update you when we hear back. No matter, though, as this is definitely a welcome move for the sometimes stubborn gaming legend.
Nintendo opens 5,000 free WiFi hotspots across the pond, connects your 3DS to The Cloud
Still fuming over that 3DS price drop despite the Big N's conciliatory make-goods? If you happen to be a resident gamer in the UK, tack some 5,000 free WiFi hotspots onto the company's apology. According to a report from International Business Times, the service, backed by BSkyB-controlled The Cloud, goes live today, bringing users access to all the console's usual online features and should come in handy when in-game DLC becomes available later this year. No doubt the move from Nintendo's British outfit is intended to add a little purchase incentive to the DS' underwhelming successor, as well as boosting the gaming giant's own declining earnings. No matter, with twenty free games and gratis WiFi -- it's looking good to be an early adopter.
Apple reportedly hires top UK gaming PR execs from Nintendo and Activision
As you may have noticed, Apple has been more serious about gaming lately that it was even during its Pippin-fueled haze in the mid-1990s, and it's now offering yet more evidence of just how invested it is with a pair of new hires. While the company isn't confirming the move just yet, MCV is reporting that Apple has snatched up Nintendo UK's former head of communications, Rob Saunders, who just left the big N last week and will apparently be focusing on PR for iOS apps at Apple. What's more, he'll reportedly be joined at Apple by former Activision PR director Nick Grange, who's said to be focusing specifically on the iPad -- which, as we've seen, can be a pretty versatile gaming device in its own right.
Wii launches in Europe, loads of people buy it
The demand for the system has been "unprecedented," according to Nintendo UK's David Yarnton. He notes that Nintendo is very confident about the Wii's launch and predicts nothing but a huge success -- a prediction very much backed up by the gigantic lines that formed at the UK's HMV store in Oxford Street yesterday. The crowd even had to be broken up and asked to return at a later stage, though not before being given several (likely sturdy) wristbands. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Tim Ellis, head of games at HMV, says that demand is most certainly exceeding supply and that the retailer could easily have "sold many more times than we've got, to be honest." Despite the presence of orderly lines and a lack of violent, Wii-related crimes (so far), he goes on to label the launch as "bedlam." Not to worry, Nintendo promises more stock is on the way and aims to satisfy everyone that wants a Wii this Christmas. That would be everyone, then.
