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Nintendo reveals first Amiibo figures and prices, but no release date
Nintendo revealed an initial line up of Amiibo toys on Thursday. The near-field communication-equipped action figures compatible with Nintendo Wii U and 3DS games like Super Smash Bros. will cost $12.99 each when they launch, but Nintendo has yet to announce an official release date for the line beyond 2014. The first wave includes 12 figures, among them many that were initially unveiled at E3 2014. Metroid's Samus, The Legend of Zelda's Link, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, Pikachu, the Animal Crossing boy villager, and Super Mario Bros.' Mario, Princess Peach, and Yoshi populate the line. There are also figures of Marth from the Fire Emblem series and the Wii Fit trainer. Some figures shown in prototype form at E3 2014, including Princess Zelda and Kid Icarus, are not included in the first wave. While Nintendo still hasn't confirmed a release date for its Amiibo, it did announce additional games that will support the figures, including Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Yoshi's Wooly World, Mario Party 10, and Mario Kart 8. Show full PR text SUPER SMASH BROS., AMIIBO, POKÉMON AND NEW HARDWARE BUNDLES STAR IN NINTENDO'S HOLIDAY LINEUP Pre-Orders for First 12 amiibo Figures Kick off Nintendo's Holiday Season REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 29, 2014 – Nintendo has prepared a massive lineup of new games and products for the 2014 holiday season. The lineup includes new entries from some of the biggest franchises in gaming, new hardware bundles for Wii U and Nintendo 2DS, and new amiibo interactive figures featuring some of the most iconic characters in the world of video games. The holiday shopping season begins today for Nintendo fans, as the first 12 amiibo interactive figures become available for pre-order at a suggested retail price of just $12.99 each. The first dozen characters available for pre-order at select retailers are Mario, Peach, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Kirby, Fox, Marth, Villager and Wii Fit Trainer, with more on the way in the future. "Nintendo's holiday offerings demonstrate a combination of fun franchises and great value," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "With Wii U and Nintendo 2DS hardware bundles, classic names like Super Smash Bros., Bayonetta and Pokémon, new IP like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and amiibo, everyone will find something to love about Nintendo this holiday season. Whether people are shopping for themselves or they're prepping their gift lists, Nintendo has them covered." Interactive amiibo Figures: Nintendo's foray into the toys-to-life category starts today, with the first 12 amiibo figures available to pre-order from select retailers. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, which launches this holiday season, will be the first game with full integration of amiibo functionality. Other games that will support amiibo include Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Yoshi's Woolly World, with more to come. More details on amiibo functionality with the various games and a launch date will be revealed shortly.
Super Mario 3D World, Walmart Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundles by mid-September
Along with a new 3DS for Japan, which is not planned for the US or Europe this year, Nintendo also revealed new Wii U bundles. Available sometime in mid-September, Nintendo of America plans on launching a Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 bundle. The Super Mario 3D World deluxe set bundle will feature a physical copy of the game and Nintendo Land for $299.99. The Mario Kart 8 bundle is a "Walmart exclusive," with a physical copy of the game along with Nintendo Land, and it will also retail for $299.99 "while supplies last." [Image: Nintendo]
Mario Kart 8 DLC packs priced $8 each, $12 2-in-1 bundle
Nintendo of America confirmed the crossover Mario Kart 8 DLC packs spotted yesterday on the company's UK site, with the Zelda pack due to launch stateside in November and the Animal Crossing one in May 2015. Both packs will be available for pre-order starting today, each priced at $8. However, if you know you're going to get both, you can save 25 percent by ordering the $12 two-in-one bundle. The saving doesn't apply if you buy both packs separately, unfortunately. On the flip side, anyone who buys both packs unlocks eight new colors of Yoshi and Shy Guy "immediately," in case you're in immediate need of some technicolor racing.
Link revs up in Mario Kart 8 this November
Link is a playable character in Mario Kart 8 with the "Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8" DLC pack, due out in the UK in November for £7. We're contacting Nintendo of America for more information about a stateside release [Update: The packs are now confirmed for North America]. The pack includes Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach and Link as new playable characters, plus four vehicles and eight courses (that's two new cups with four courses each). A second DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 is due out in May 2015, called "Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8." It includes new playable characters in Isabelle, Villager and Dry Bowser, plus four vehicles and eight courses. Purchase both packs in a bundle or separately and snag eight different-colored Shy Guys and eight different-colored Yoshis. Score. [Image: Nintendo]
Mario Kart 8 sales surpass 1 million in US
Over one million players have felt the cold dead eyes of Luigi on them in Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has announced, revealing the racer has become the second Wii U game to reach the sales milestone in the United States. According to a press release, New Super Mario Bros. Wii U was the first title to sell over one million units in the region. In a filing earlier this month that showed the company post a $97M quarterly loss, Nintendo said Mario Kart 8 enjoyed a great attach rate with shipments of 2.82 million by the end of June. "Mario Kart 8 continues to drive momentum for the Wii U platform," the publisher said, claiming hardware sales have increased by "nearly" 60 per cent in the first seven months in 2014, versus the same reported period in 2013. Though official numbers were never revealed, July 2013 was notable for seeing a drastic 34-percent hardware sales slump versus 2012 results.
Free Mercedes DLC rolls into Mario Kart 8 later this month
Following word that the previously Japan-exclusive Mercedes Benz-themed DLC for Mario Kart 8 would be appearing in the West, we now have an official launch date: August 27. "An Aug. 27 game update to Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U console will deliver a variety of new features for players, including the ability in-game to download three free Mercedes-Benz cars that players can race: the modern Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s and the legendary Silver Arrow of the 1930s," reads Nintendo's official statement. As fits the Mushroom Kingdom setting, each of these vehicles can be customized using Mario Kart 8's selection of whimsical automobile parts, though the GLA features its own, unique wheel options. Additionally, the update will tweak a few annoyances in Mario Kart 8. Online stability will be improved, the leaderboards seen between races will offer more useful information and players will be granted more options when viewing Mario Kart TV replays. Best of all, the update will be available as a free download to anyone with a Wii U and a copy of the game. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo posts $97M quarterly loss, despite Mario Kart 8 racing off shelves
Mario Kart 8 enjoyed a great attach rate with shipments of 2.82 million by the end of June, but the vast majority of its success can be attributed to existing Wii U owners and not new buyers. Nintendo shipped 510,000 units of its home console across April to June, a quarter in which the company endured a 9.924 billion yen net loss, which converts to $97.2 million. The systems's total shipments as of June 30 rose to 6.68 million; Nintendo still expects to hit its target of 3.6 million units across the fiscal year, which would take the console to 9.77 million by March 2015. The company admitted in May the Wii U "still faces a challenging sales situation," and it will look to build off the success of Mario Kart 8 with the launch of Super Smash Bros. and its set of Amiibo figurines this fall.
June NPD: Hardware sales up, Watch Dogs and Mario Kart top games
June was a big month for the gaming industry, according to the NPD, as hardware sales shot up by more than 100 percent, and collective sales of hardware, software and accessories grew by 24 percent. "The 106 percent increase in hardware sales was lifted entirely by console hardware sales, which were up by over 200 percent," notes NPD analyst Liam Callahan. Sony claims the PlayStation 4 was yet again the highest-selling console (for the sixth consecutive month), and Microsoft says that the Kinect-less Xbox One doubled its sales in June. Nintendo's Wii U has experienced a 48 percent growth in hardware sales for the first half of 2014, a feat the company attributes primarily to the success of Mario Kart 8. Despite a decline in overall portable console sales, the 3DS saw a 55 percent increase in sales over May, according to Nintendo. Though Mario Kart 8 has been very successful, it did not take the top software sales spot for June.
Nintendo AGM: Mario Kart 8 sells 2 million, Iwata re-elected
Mario Kart 8 sold approximately 2 million copies worldwide in less than a month, as it continued to race along the Wii U sales charts. IGN reports Nintendo announced the sell-through figure at its annual general meeting of shareholders, which took place yesterday. Nintendo must be chipper about the racer's continued success, after it turbo-boosted off the grid with 1.2 million sales in its debut weekend. It'll be interesting to see how many came from new Wii U owners, given Nintendo of America said system sales quadrupled the week following release. We should get a better sense of that when Nintendo releases its quarterly financial results, which it's scheduled to do on July 30. The other major if not surprising news from Nintendo's meeting is investors re-elected company president Satoru Iwata. Despite drops in his approval rating and big fiscal losses, Iwata and the eight other directors were re-elected, while Outside Auditor Naoki Mizutani was newly elected as Outside Director. Iwata wasn't able to attend the AGM, as he was recovering from major surgery that took place the week before. The Nintendo chief came through the procedure well, and said "a little more time" is needed before he returns to his normal, Reggie-thumping work days. [Image: Nintendo]
Miiverse users can now embed posts elsewhere on the 'net
If you've ever found yourself wishing you could share your collection of Mario Kart 8 stamps with the rest of the Internet, you're in luck: The latest Miiverse update allows users to embed posts outside of Nintendo's nascent social media hub. "We've added a feature that lets you embed a Miiverse post in a web page," reads a recent Miiverse update. "Just open the web version of Miiverse, select a post and then click on 'Embed this Post' to obtain the HTML code for embedding on your web page." The only caveat attached to this new, user-friendly feature is that anyone attempting to view your embedded post must have Javascript enabled within their web browser. That's a pretty standard requirement for many web-based technologies, but keep it in mind if you opt to share your clever Miiverse musings but find you can't see the results on a decade-old smartphone. [Image: Miiverse]
Mario Kart 8's Mercedes DLC drifts toward North America, Europe
Despite jet-powered motorcycles and mushroom-fueled dragsters, Mario Kart 8 features a distinct lack of real-world bling - a flaw which will be rectified this summer when a special Mercedes Benz kart makes its Mushroom Kingdom debut. Though Japanese Mario Kart fans have long been awaiting the miniature Mercedes Benz GLA, it wasn't until today that fans in the Western world learned that they, too, would receive the fruits of this unexpected cross-company promotion. "We're planning to release a GLA-Class kart from @Mercedesbenz for #MK8 this summer," reads a recent tweet from Nintendo of America, which was then complemented by a similar notice from the Nintendo of Europe Twitter account. Neither tweet specifies a release date or pricing information for the DLC kart, though if North America and Europe both follow Japan's lead, the new ride should be available to players at no additional charge. [Image: Nintendo of America]
Joystiq Streams: Mario Kart 8 Joystiq vs Engadget! [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
It's all come down to this! The Hells Shells have hugged their corners, held their banana peels behind them for entire laps, and surged through the finish line, never giving a damn who waited in the wings with a blue shell. We've trained up and we're ready to bring the noise to any rivals. You think the Joystiq crew is afraid? The only thing we fear is winning so many times that the children of our enemies will adopt us as their new parents. An all-star team of Joystiq racers offered up a challenge to the good people at Engadget and now, dear friends, it is time to race. Six racers enter, and it will be a miracle if even one leaves Rainbow Road alive. The Mario Kart 8 Joystiq versus Engadget Hells Shells Showdown starts at 4PM EST on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and right here on Joystiq.com. Come on down early for a heaping spoonful of pre-show smack talks as Mike Suszek (@MikeSuszek), Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM), Danny Cowan (@db_cowan) bring the ruckus to Ben Gilbert (@RealBenGilbert) and Tim Seppala (@TimSeppala). Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel and here on Joystiq.com. [Images: Nintendo]
Mario Kart 8 takes a turn for McDonalds Happy Meals
If you're willing to eat McDonalds in exchange for gaming-themed desk accessories, a Mario Kart 8 pack will soon reach its Happy Meal finish line. The final turn makes for a pretty long drift through, so we'll need to wait for How To Train Your Dragon 2's toy set to finish up before we can start taping MK8 figurines in gravity-defying places at our workplaces. The miniature roster will consist of Yoshi, Peach, DK, Toad, Mario, Bowser and the mild-mannered Luigi, but you can also channel Mario while weaving through commuter traffic by wearing a visor reminiscent of his iconic cap. Unfortunately, it probably won't help you drive on the walls of buildings on your way to work, but it'll almost certainly establish your status as the coolest adult stuck in a gridlock. [Image: McDonalds]
Mario Kart 8 quadrupled Wii U weekly sales, says Fils-Aime
Looks like Mario Kart 8 was just what the doctor mechanic ordered for Nintendo's struggling Wii U; Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime told Polygon that, compared to the week prior, Wii U sales quadrupled the week after the game's release. Fils-Aime also noted that 18 percent of Wii U owners purchased a copy of the game in its first weekend, but this number likely includes sales of the game from the bundle that was offered upon release. Still, the numbers are nothing to sneeze at, as the game topped 1 million on release weekend, making it the fastest-selling Wii U game to date. Now we wait to see which game for Nintendo's console, if any, will knock Mario Kart 8 out of first place with a well-timed blue shell. [Image: Nintendo]
Watch Dogs connects with UK audience, Murdered: Soul Suspect charts
Watch Dogs broke UK sales records for a new IP last week and, despite an 80 percent drop in sales, kept its spot the top dog status on the UK charts again. Mario Kart 8 grabbed the silver cup as Murdered: Soul Suspect had a surprisingly strong debut, selling only 400 copies less than the kart racer. Minecraft Playstation 3 Edition and Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition will be with us forever.
Joystiq Streams: Blood spilled in Mario Kart 8 Joystiq Grand Prix [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
It all comes down to this: the inaugural Mario Kart 8 Joystiq Grand Prix. A murder of video game journalists enter, only one leaves the track a bonafide champion. Will it be Richard Mitchell, who's really good at video games? What about Earnest Cavalli's tight blue spark turns or Mike Suszek's hypnotic smack talk? Perhaps Danny Cowan's dedication to retro gaming has left his skills honed to a frightening razor edge! Only by tuning in to the Joystiq Twitch channel at 4PM EST will you be able to witness this gorgeous automotive bloodletting, where no one on the crew will be spared a blue shell's wrath. Yes, Joystiq Streams is back for more Mario Kart 8. Right here on Joystiq.com and at Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the crew will face of in MK8 's multiplayer for the first time. Hang out with us, cheer, jeer, and question our driving skills in the chat as we play at 4PM EST. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST at Twitch.tv/Joystiq. [Images: Nintendo]
Mario Kart 8 races past 1.2 million sales in debut weekend
Despite first appearing last Friday, Mario Kart 8 has already managed to attract 1.2 million sales, a figure that earns the mascot kart racer the title of "fastest selling Wii U game to date." Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime greets this news with all the excitement of an over-caffeinated puppy. "The early response to Mario Kart 8 demonstrates that the best days for Wii U are still ahead," said Fils-Aime. "This year's E3 is just days away, and it will be all about the future games for Nintendo platforms. This milestone is a great place to start!" If Fils-Aime's enthusiasm doesn't immediately convince you to give the game a shot, take a look at our Mario Kart 8 review. Thomas awarded the racer a nearly perfect, 4.5 of 5 stars, and though he feels the game doesn't do much to introduce new ideas to the franchise, the combination of series-first high-definition graphics and classic Mario Kart gameplay make for yet another first-party Nintendo classic. [Image: Nintendo]
UK charts: Watch Dogs hacks up records, Mario Kart 8 boosts Wii U
Watch out Glenn Beck, because Watch Dogs is turning Brits into hackers too. The Ubisoft game broke the UK charts record for most copies sold by a new intellectual property at launch, toppling previous holder L.A Noire by a chunky 58 percent. No surprises it's Ubi's biggest ever week 1 seller in the country, beating Assassin's Creed 3 by 17 percent. That means Mario Kart 8 has to settle for the silver trophy, with sales-compiler Chart-Track saying it was "no contest" for top spot. The racer was still the proverbial super mushroom to the country's Wii U sales, which rose by a whopping 666 percent from the week before. With no hard numbers to hand, it's hard to assess if that says more about the new game's impact than the sales from the previous week. Either way, it's the highest we've seen a Wii U exclusive in the UK charts since Pikmin 3, even if it couldn't blue shell its way to the top.
Nintendo launches Mario Kart 8 replay hub website
Nintendo has unleashed the official website for Mario Kart TV, a web-based replay hub for Mario Kart 8, which launched today. Players can watch and share races uploaded from the Mario Kart 8's TV mode at MarioKart.tv. The site allows players to filter content based on character, courses and race types. Find an especially devious red shell-laden match? Replays can be shared via Facebook and Twitter. Connecting to the site with a console's Nintendo Network account allows players to view their own uploaded content. While no mobile app was released for the replay viewer, GameSpot reports the site's videos are optimized for smartphones and tablets. In the Joystiq review, weekend editor Thomas Schulenberg said Mario Kart 8 "is a solid extra lap on a series with a great foundation." As part of a promotion for the game's release, Nintendo is offering players a free digital copy from a selection of Wii U titles for a limited time. [Image: Nintendo]
Joystiq Streams: Woo-hoo it's a me, crushing Mario Kart 8 [UPDATE: It's over!]
There's nothing else quite like it. Flashing blue sparks as you perfectly hug a corner, watching the item wheel come up with that surprise shell, nailing that hard turn into a shortcut you've never quite been able to manage; Mario Kart's pleasures are legion and exclusive. In fact, the only thing that equals those delights is Mario Kart 8's capacity to inspire fury, madness, and utter rage. Oh, right, it's at the end of a perfect Grand Prix run when I get hit by a four red shells in a row and one perfectly placed banana peel. OF COURSE IT IS! NATURALLY! A POX ON ALL YOUR HOUSES, MARIO KART, YOU UNFORGIVING MONSTER! I hate you as much as I love you, Mario Kart 8, hence why every failure is met by an immediate restart. That is also why we'll be streaming your luscious races today on Joystiq Streams. Starting at 4PM EST, we'll be streaming a solid chunk of 150cc Grand Prix brutality on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and right here on Joystiq.com. It's one more chance to get a look at the Wii U's big spring exclusive before it hits shelves on Friday. It will also be an opportunity to hang with the Joystiq crew and mock Anthony John Agnello's driving skills. Tune into Joystiq Streams every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel and right here on Joystiq.com. Plus: keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for myriad contests and giveaways tied to Streams. Who doesn't love free games? [Images: Nintendo]