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'Pokémon Masters' hits 10 million downloads in four days
The latest Pokémon mobile game, Pokémon Masters, has been downloaded more than 10 million times, according to developer and publisher, DeNA. Moreover, the game achieved the feat in just four days, making it the second-fastest mobile game to hit the milestone behind Super Mario Run.
Japan's rhythm game infatuation: Empty wallets, full hearts
I am not showing you my receipts. We're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about the hundreds of thousands of people dumping their money into the mobile rhythm-game industry. I just happen to be one of them.
Nissan's self-driving taxi is ready for passengers
Nissan will start testing its self-driving taxi service Easy Ride in a few days in hopes of launching it in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The automaker and Tokyo-based mobile developer DeNA will begin ferrying passengers in Yokohama on March 5th. Nissan's autonomous cars will only be able to drive them along a set route, a 2.8-mile-long stretch of road between Nissan's HQ and the Yokohama World Porters shopping center. But they'll at least be able to give the Easy Ride app's features a try during their trip.
Nissan will test its self-driving taxi service in Japan next year
Nissan wants to have its fully-automated ride service on the road in Japan by the early 2020s. The plan is to start with a "public field test" for the Easy Ride service in Yokohama. Nissan has partnered with technology company DeNa for the venture, and the hope is to have everything from pick-up to payment and drop-off handled via mobile app. If you'd rather take the scenic route to your destination, options will be available for that as well.
Nintendo is working on a 'Zelda' mobile game
One of Nintendo's premium franchises is coming to smartphones, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The Legend of Zelda, co-developed by Japanese developer DeNA, will be be its next mobile title after Animal Crossing, the unnamed sources say. That lines up with president Tatsumi Kimishima's recent comments that Nintendo will release two to three smartphone titles per year.
Nintendo hints at smartphone controller plans
Nintendo executives have dropped an unsubtle hint that it is working on a peripheral to enable people to play its action games on smartphones. At the firm's annual shareholders meeting, Shinya Takahashi said that his team have looked at third-party controllers on the market and "may develop something new by ourselves." Takahashi was responding to the question that playing Nintendo's more famous titles (i.e. Mario) is difficult using the virtual controls that are available with touchscreen devices. After all, it's clear that more than a few people would be happy to lay down money to play a classic Mario title on their smartphone.
Nintendo's new mobile games will be free-to-play
Nintendo's upcoming smartphone renditions of popular franchises Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing will be free to play, according to DeNA's Chief Executive Isao Moriyasu.
I lost a weekend playing 'Miitomo,' Nintendo's first smartphone game
So here it is: Miitomo is Nintendo's first smartphone app. It's a social interaction game that's ... kind of existed before. Tomodachi Life was a surreal 3DS title populated by your own avatar, as well as StreetPass users, friends and any other Miis you made. It's not a conventional game: You don't move around a world collecting things or defeating things. This time, though, Nintendo is opening up this weird, wonderful universe of conversations, customizable clothing and interactions to anyone with a smartphone. There's no Mario, mushrooms or ink-spitting guns (yet), but the app is already No. 2 in the App Store and it's rocketing up Google Play's charts as well. It launched last week in Japan, where I live, so this is how I spent the weekend. Welcome to the time (and battery) sucking word of Miitomo.
Nintendo's first mobile game sounds weird, has in-app payments
Mario won't be leaping or exclaiming on your iPhone any time soon. At an investor's meeting, Nintendo announced that it's delayed its smartphone game debut til around March 2016. It's also aiming for a global launch. Elaborating in the Q&A session, Nintendo CEO Kimishima said the first game is called Miitomo ("Mii Friends") and will involve Mii interactions. Your avatar will apparently even interact with people on its own volition, helping shy types or unearthing sinister new facets of your friend's personality. Maybe. Inevitably, (mobile games maker DeNa is involved), in-app payments will be built-in, but the game will be free to play. Titles following Miitomo will be pay-to-download. You know, like a normal Nintendo game. The company plans to launch five different apps by March 2017.
DeNA wants you to stream your Android phone to the world
Japanese mobile game company DeNA has launched an app called Mirrativ that lets you livestream anything and everything that's happening on your phone. Think of the app as a mix of Periscope and Twitch -- yes, there are plenty of ways to stream your face and your games to the world, but with Mirrativ you're not limited to just either-or. DeNA is also targeting a broader range of uses than just gaming. What else might you like to stream? Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, DeNA's Junichi Akagawa says that users could perhaps browse online stores while seeking "shopping advice" from followers, or read news articles and share their thoughts on the topics.
Nintendo's first of many mobile games is coming this year
Nintendo has revealed some new details about its plan to develop mobile games. Most notably, its first smartphone title will come out later this year, and it's hoping to release four more before March 2017. That might sound fairly conservative -- five apps in just under two years isn't a particularly aggressive strategy. But Nintendo believes it's paramount that it takes a considered approach. "When we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to thoroughly operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases, this is not a small number at all," Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said.
Nintendo's next-generation console is codenamed 'NX'
It should come as no surprise to hear that Nintendo is working on a new console. Fresh hardware takes years to develop, so engineers are always working on future systems while the rest of us play on the current generation of consoles. What we didn't expect, however, is for Nintendo to talk about its next system so soon. In today's press conference, where the company detailed its plans to make mobile games with DeNA, it also teased a new system codenamed "NX." Few details were disclosed, other than it'll involve fresh hardware and gameplay concepts. The NX symbol appeared on a slide alongside the Nintendo Wii U, 3DS and other mobile platforms, which suggests it could launch as a complementary system, rather than an immediate successor to any of its current consoles.
Nintendo is finally developing smartphone games
Despite denying it would ever do such a thing, Nintendo will start creating new games for mobile devices via a partnership with developer DeNA. The emphasis is on the word "new" -- you won't necessarily be getting Super Mario Bros. ports on your Android smartphone, for instance. Instead, the companies said "only new original games optimized for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system." In other words, it looks like Nintendo has relented to investors who said it's not profiting enough from its valuable intellectual property, and you may soon see its universe of characters pop up in Candy Crush-style mobile games.
DeNA and 22 Cans bestow Godus upon iOS devices
Godus, the game that gives you phenomenal cosmic power, is now available on an itty-bitty living space: your iOS device screens. Mobile game developer / publisher DeNA has translated Peter Molyneux's game that quite literally lets you play god for Apple's iPad and iPhone, while simultaneously removing the price tag, meaning Godus is free to download and play. Meanwhile, the PC version of Godus continues to evolve on Steam Early Access, with a recent post announcing that those who contribute "the most interesting, informative and helpful articles" to the Godus Wiki will receive signed merchandise from the team at developer 22 Cans. [Image: DeNA/22 Cans]
Final Fantasy Record Keeper relives the series' battles for mobile
Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy Record Keeper today, a new mobile game that remixes memorable battles from the popular RPG series. The game is in development by DeNA for iOS and Android, and has players clearing dungeons that represent individual games in the Final Fantasy series. The game stars Deci, a worker in Dr. Mog's history department, according to Siliconera. Thanks to Dr. Mog's magical abilities, Deci is able to dive into paintings to clear the 16-bit-style dungeons from games in the series, eventually unlocking characters from those games, such as Final Fantasy 7's Cloud. After unlocking the familiar heroes, players can bring the companion of their choice into other dungeons, equipping new weapons and abilities along the way. Final Fantasy Record Keeper will launch this summer for free in Japan, and will support microtransactions. [Image: Square Enix]
Crytek's free-to-play strategy game The Collectables assaults iOS
Crytek's partnership with DeNA has finally borne fruit in the form of The Collectables, a new iOS tactical strategy game powered by the famed CryENGINE. If you're wondering about the title, it's a play on both Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables and the game's collectible card game nature. Players will assemble a squad of hardened military types who must battle foes using a traditional, turn-based interface, though they'll be aided in combat by upgrades that appear in the form of collectible cards. The real coup for the game though, is the inclusion of CryENGINE technology, which renders The Collectables a "visually stunning and explosive gameplay experience that pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved on mobile devices," according to Crytek. Though currently exclusive to iOS, The Collectables will soon grace Android devices as well. Those eager for that incarnation of the strategy game can register for information on its release, and by doing so will earn an exclusive, in-game character. [Image: Crytek]
The Drowning touches on mobile FPS greatness
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. The Drowning has the best controls of any touch-based shooter I've ever experienced. I'm in love; I don't ever want to go back to the way things were before. I hope I never touch a virtual thumbstick again. It's an incredibly simple and intuitive interface. You tap on the screen with two fingers and your shot is fired directly between the two pressed points. Close shots are easy to aim, but the further away the target is, the more difficult it is to land a decent shot – and the more rewarding it is when you do. The system effectively marries the concepts of a user-friendly interface with skill-based aiming, providing a welcome change to the clunky or watered-down control schemes seen in other touch-based shooters. Movement is also surprisingly intuitive: A simple tap anywhere in the environment will move you in that direction. The Drowning employs a smart path system, and your character will automatically walk around obstacles in the environment to reach the chosen destination. Looking around only requires a swipe in that general direction, either while standing still or in motion. It all works surprisingly well, even in the most panicky moments when you're firing at multiple encroaching enemies. If only the rest of The Drowning were as good.%Gallery-195308%
Final Fantasy Tactics S launches in Japan on iOS, Android
Square Enix deployed the latest Final Fantasy Tactics variant this week. Tactics S is a free-to-play Mobage spin-off, and it's available in Japan now on iOS and Android. Tactics S features more than 300 character jobs from the grid-based strategy series, and two new ones in the form of Air Samurai and Musician. You can build up clans for use in both single-player quests and in multiplayer battles against other clans, with online tournaments held on a daily basis. In its fiscal year review, Square Enix said it will increasingly target smartphone and tablet games. The company cited Mobage game Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, recently released in North America and Europe, as a "satisfactorily profitable" example. So, while there's no word on Tactics S traversing the oceans, don't be too surprised if it reaches western shores at some point down the line.
Molyneux's Godus goes mobile, Mobage with publisher DeNA
Godus, the Kickstarted god game from Peter Molyneux's 22Cans, will be published on mobile devices by DeNA in western territories, Japan and Korea. Godus raised £526,563 ($852,000) with Kickstarter in December, exceeding its goal of $£450,000 ($730,000). It will launch on PC and Mac, alongside mobile devices Android, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Godus will use DeNA's Mobage platform for mobile and social games, joining previous handheld iterations within the No More Heroes, Final Fantasy and Professor Layton franchises, to name a few.
DeNA to publish Godus on iOS
Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans has been working on a Populous followup game called Godus, and the company has just announced a deal for a publisher. DeNA, the Japanese company behind the Mobage social platform, will be publishing Godus on iOS. And the game will also connect up to Mobage in Western companies and in Japan and Korea. DeNA is an interesting choice for Molyneux -- the company is usually known for casual games, and the audience is largely Japanese so far. But DeNA has definitely been looking to expand to the West and seeking well-known developers to do that with, including a game they're working on with former EA designer Ben Cousins. Plus, Molyneux has released Curiosity on iOS already, and that game didn't quite have the reception that he hoped for. So it sounds like this teamup will be good for both sides. Godus is set to arrive, after being previously crowdfunded on Kickstarter, sometime this year.
