Satoru Iwata
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Nintendo GDC keynote roundup: Netflix and free AT&T WiFi coming to 3DS this summer!
We survived the keynote address here at GDC 2011, where Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime just got done revealing a veritable cornucopia of info about the 3DS. On the video content front, the 3DS will get Netflix this summer along with the ability to pause a video on your handheld and continue watching on your Wii -- though we presume you may recommence your cinematic experience on an XBox or PS3 too. The addition of Netflix wasn't the only announcement by Iwata, however. Get the rest after the break.
'Super Mario' 3DS teased with tail logo
During Nintendo's GDC keynote today, president Satoru Iwata teased the previoulsy confirmed Super Mario Bros. game for 3DS with a logo. Does that tail look familiar? The game is being developed by the Super Mario Galaxy team, and while Iwata wouldn't offer any more details, he did promise more would be revealed at E3.
Nintendo's US gaming demographics: Let us show you them
During Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's GDC keynote today, the ex-Hal Labs head recounted more than just his personal history in the game industry -- he also showed off detailed statistics of the US gaming populace's growth from late November 2007 through October 2010. Specifically, he revealed that, according to Nintendo's studies, the US has seen tremendous growth in the "active user population," going from just 45 percent in late 2007 to 62 percent by the end of 2010. Put as headcounts: That's 135 million gamers by the end of 2007 versus 201 million in late 2010. Moreover, the female gaming demographic has expanded almost as rapidly as the male one in that time; though the stats also indicate that people game less and less as they get older -- corroborated, anecdotally, by our own parents' proclivity for CBS Sunday Morning over Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo designers on Game & Watch's history
In honor of the new Game & Watch Ball reward available through Club Nintendo, the company released a translated Iwata Asks interview about Nintendo's first experiments with handheld games. The designers and engineers describe just how early the technology was -- it was based on calculator chips, and the games were all designed around the same limits imposed on calculators' numerical displays. "So if a chip can calculate eight digits," explained Takehiro Izushi, "that's 7 segments [each number is built from 7 segments] times 8 digits for a total of 56 segments. And there's the decimal point and symbols like the minus sign. We made the Game & Watch: Ball game using a chip that could display 72 segments." And 28 of those went into the score/time display! Elsewhere in the interview, the developers share early concept art for the devices (like the image above) and detail the process of making a new version of the Ball handheld for Club Nintendo.
Dead or Alive: Dimensions trades 'play patterns' via StreetPass
Super Street Fighter IV 3D's StreetPass functionality has collected "figurines" fight each other whenever two people with the game pass each other within local wireless communication distance. In his recent investor briefing, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata described the StreetPass integration of another 3DS fighter, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, and it's a bit more hands-on. "In Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive: Dimensions," Iwata said (according to Nintendo's translation), "the character parameters, which shall be determined by a player's play pattern, shall be exchanged and, as the result, you will receive a challenge from the character, [Tecmo Koei says]." If we're reading Iwata's description accurately, the game will determine your play-style over time, and then broadcast an AI character based on these patterns over StreetPass to challenge other players.%Gallery-115426%
3DS eShop update actually available in May worldwide
Nintendo of Europe previously said that the 3DS firmware update containing the web browser and eShop functionality would be released as a day one patch -- which would suggest March 25, for Europe. But in the latest investor briefing released today, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata offered a different timeline. "The first system update is scheduled for late May," he said, "at almost the same time around the world." Iwata specified that this first update would add the eShop, web browser, and the DSi and 3DS software transfer function (which uses the eShop). Maybe Nintendo of Europe meant to say "day sixty-one"? The eShop, he clarified, will offer not only DSiWare, downloadable 3DS software and Game Boy Virtual Console titles, but "trailers and demo versions like Nintendo Channel on Wii," as well as "3D Classics" -- updated retro games like the version of Xevious shown at E3.
Nintendo 3DS could get 3D video recording in the future, James Cameron unavailable for comment
3D gaming is obviously the big story on the Nintendo 3DS, letting you get your depth on without even having to cross your eyes. However, 3D image taking is also a nice thing that the company has provided, adding a second VGA camera to the back so that you can take twice the low-res images at once and layer 'em together. However, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has recently indicated he wants to do better, not confirming any specific plans, but saying in an interview: "I think it will be fun if we're able to include video recording capabilities with future updates." You know what we think would be fun? A battery that lasts more than eight hours.
Nintendo considering future 3D video recording 'update' for 3DS
In the latest excerpt from Nintendo's "Iwata Asks" interview about the 3DS, Shigeru Miyamoto excitedly revealed that "Iwata-san also wants to include 3D video in the future!" Iwata tempered that exclamation by saying, "I think it will be fun if we're able to include video recording capabilities with future updates." Clearly, that's no guarantee that such a feature will be added to the handheld's 3D camera functionality, but if Iwata thinks it would be fun, then don't be surprised if you find yourself shooting low-res 3D video with your 3DS at some point in the future! Later in the interview, Hideki Konno joined the group and discussed the StreetPass feature in Nintendogs + Cats. "When you're using StreetPass and exchange data with someone, in walk mode, that person's Mii is walking whatever puppy he or she has chosen," Konno explained. "Then your Miis and puppies talk and exchange gifts." The feature is designed to imitate the random meetings of people walking their dogs on the street ... without having to actually meet random people walking their dogs on the street.
Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP once had an autostereoscopic screen
It may seem like 3D sprung from the ashes of discontentment -- not to mention red / blue glasses -- but Nintendo never stopped believing. It's been secretly refining stereoscopic tech for years in the likes of the Game Boy Advance and GameCube. And while president Satoru Iwata already mentioned early last year that the GameCube had hidden 3D circuits, he recently revealed that the 3DS's autostereoscopic panel actually dates back to the clamshell Game Boy Advance SP. Which, as you might recall, also once sported a touchscreen. At the time, his story goes, LCD resolution was too low to generate a sharp image, but the optometrist-friendly glasses-free tech was already in place. Of course, if you truly want to consult the history books, you can consider Nintendo's entry into the market to be the Famicom 3D System shutter glasses pictured above... which hit stores in Japan way back in 1986. Yeah, we know.
Nintendo's Iwata keynoting GDC 2011
Inquisitive Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will be keynoting the Game Developers Conference this year. The keynote is entitled "Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future," and celebrates the 25th GDC, which takes place this March. Gamasutra notes that Iwata will speak "not only about how video gaming has evolved, but also his views on where we go from here." Of course, the stage also offers an opportunity to talk about new Nintendo products. Given the timing, we'd say it's the perfect place to showcase Nintendo's most anticipated product, the Vitality Sensor. ... But seriously, he's going to talk about the 3DS.
3D is dangerous / not dangerous: optometrist group defends Nintendo 3DS edition
Much has been made of Nintendo's 3DS warning that the six-and-under crowd should probably stick to 2D mode, and while CEO Iwata has consented that "being proactive about informing our customer.... may not necessarily be positive for our sales," the American Optometric Association has put an interesting spin on all this. The group released a statement last week -- yes, during CES madness -- asserting that 3D viewing "may actually help uncover subtle disorders that, left uncorrected, often result in learning difficulties." Not only that, but the 36,000-strong group suggested "children younger than six can use the 3DS in 3D mode if their visual system is developing normally." So yeah, Little Timmy's Christmas 2011 isn't ruined just yet, but that leaves plenty of time for a competing study to come out confusing everyone even further.
Nintendo planning more consistent 3DS release schedule, eyeing developing countries
Unlike Nintendo DS and Wii before it, the forthcoming 3DS will be getting a more regular release schedule of games, says Nintendo. Company head Satoru Iwata told Nikkei News as much in an interview yesterday (via Andriasang), specifically stating, "It's important that you be able to supply software with no pause ... With the DS and Wii, following the titles that were released at launch, the momentum dropped when there was a gap in software releases." Iwata further added, "We're making plans so that this type of thing won't happen." Unfortunately, it's not clear whether Mr. Iwata is speaking to first-party or third-party game releases. An impressive list of 3DS titles in development was revealed at last year's E3, though only a handful of titles -- and just one from Nintendo themselves, Nintendogs + Cats -- appeared on the recently announced Japanese launch list. And the company's going to need plenty of copies of those games, as Nintendo intends on bringing the new handheld console to developing countries in addition to its current territories (North America, Europe, and Japan) at some point in the future. No specific timeframe is given, but Nintendo's CEO sees the rapidly rising economies of developing countries as very important to the future of the game industry. Here's looking at you, Singapore!
Iwata Asks the Mario team about the series
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and the release of Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, Satoru Iwata has gathered up more members of the Mario team for another round of questioning. The developers probed include Katsuya Eguchi, who joined the team in 1986, and Super Mario Galaxy director Yoshiaki Koizumi, who didn't join until 1991. As always, Iwata proves an expert interrogator, drawing neat information out of his employees. For example, New Super Mario Bros. on DS was originally conceived as a fifth game in the GBA's Super Mario Advance series. "After we released Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3," says Hiroyuki Kimura, "people were asking if a '5' in the series would be released. That's right when the Nintendo DS system came out, which was perfect timing, so I thought if we're gonna make it, it should be a new title." Additionally, Koizumi describes the experience of working with Miyamoto on Super Mario 64, which Miyamoto directed himself. While Koizumi expected written instructions, instead he got, well ... "it was just Miyamoto-san and me in the office, and he starts showing me how Mario is supposed to swim while saying, 'It's not really a breast stroke, and not a crawl, but something like this maybe...?' And he was completely sprawled out on the desk doing these swimming motions." This is the part where you laugh, perhaps nervously.
Super Mario All-Stars was almost 'Mario Extravaganza'
Before Super Mario All-Stars got the name we're familiar with (and the even more staid Japanese game "Super Mario Collection"), the team considered other titles, including the more exciting "Mario Extravaganza." That's one of the factoids revealed by this Iwata Asks interview with Naoki Mori and Tadashi Sugiyama, who worked on the SNES remakes of the NES series. It became "Super Mario Collection," as far as the two could recall, at the suggestion of Shigeru Miyamoto. After the break, we have a video detailing another factoid: the composition of Bowser's castle in both the NES and All-Stars versions of Super Mario Bros. We promise you've never paid this much attention to that castle.
Iwata says 3DS will beat 3DTVs to mass market
A lot of the scuttlebutt we've been hearing about 3D and video games has been centered around 3DTVs (and this week's Call of Duty: Black Ops release has been impressing some folks with 3D-enabled televisions), but Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata says that if anything ushers 3D out of the movie theaters and into the household, it'll be the 3DS. He told the company's investors recently that "people in Hollywood currently do not believe that 3D television sets will be able to spread into ordinary households with rapid speed. I have the impression that they see Nintendo 3DS as a strong candidate to become the very first 3D device to be able to spread into the mass market in massive volumes." Really, the president of Nintendo thinks the 3DS will be popular? No kidding, tell us another one. But Iwata also said that developers around the world have shown "much stronger interest" in the 3DS than its old dimensionally-challenged cousin, the regular Nintendo DS, did at its own launch. So maybe by next March, we'll all be seeing things in 3D at home. Wait ... without glasses, we mean. No, wait ... aw, you know.
Iwata: No Wii price drop in 'near future'
A Wii price cut could be just the thing to spoil Kinect's and Move's first holiday season, but, according to Satoru Iwata, it's not going to happen. In response to a question about a potential price drop, Nintendo's president recently told investors (as translated by the Associated Press), "Of course, we cannot say it will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." Instead, Nintendo is offering the limited-edition red Wii to lure new consumers to choose Wii this holiday. Of course, in August 2009, Iwata similarly denied plans to drop the Wii's price. "At present," he said during an investor meeting at the time, "we're not thinking of doing anything with the price." And then the price was cut by $50 a month later.
Nintendo says no Wii price cut coming in 'near future,' might want to re-think that
Remember the halcyon days of motion gaming? When the Wii was selling to everyone and everyone's grandmother in such huge volumes that Nintendo couldn't keep up? That time is long-past and, after the most recent disappointing earnings report from Nintendo (which isn't the first), people are beginning to ask the obvious question: when is the thing getting cheaper? For $200 gamers can now choose between a shiny new Xbox 360 or a Wii, and while crimson bundles might help, a price cut would help more. That's not coming soon according to President and CEO Satoru Iwata, saying: "we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." So, when? Well, the last time he said it wasn't getting a price cut that's exactly what it got five months later. Maybe March, then?
Online shopping comes to Wii in Japan November 1
Nintendo's Wii no Ma Channel currently provides videos to Wii users in Japan. During an investors presentation, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata introduced plans to add an online shopping component to the service. On November 1, three department store companies and Nintendo will launch the new Wii no Ma Shopping portal, which will carry goods from those department stores in addition to exclusive items like stickers and stamps with Mii images on them. "In addition to exclusive commodities only available at Wii-no-Ma," Iwata said, "there will always be more than 10,000 items to choose from, including foods, daily commodities, fashion items and furniture." Iwata has high hopes for the shopping service: "Wii is a game console which can be enjoyed by any member of a family regardless of age, gender and gaming experiences, and by deploying services that are unique to Wii with such characteristics, we are trying to make it even more useful for facilitating communication between people," he said. "If we can maintain the high active-use ratio of Wii through that process, people will keep using Wii as a game console. Overall, we are also hopeful that we will be able to increase the social acceptance of video games, which is one of our long-term goals." Don't expect to buy stuff through your Wii: the Wii no Ma Channel remains unavailable outside of Japan.
3DS Shopping Channel unveiled
During Nintendo's investors briefing today, president and CEO Satoru Iwata offered the first peek at the 3DS "Shopping Channel," showing off its themed "racks." While it's unclear what specifically these themes will be, according to Andriasang's report, each rack will highlight games appropriate to its theme. In addition to basic descriptions, games on offer (including GameBoy titles!) will feature video clips, demos and player ratings. Basic search functionality will also be incorporated into the channel. (A short video of Nintendo's preview is available after the break, taken from the investors presentation.) Iwata also announced a public 3DS demo event for January ... in Japan. From January 8–10, Chiba's Makuhari Messe -- home to the Tokyo Game Show -- will open its doors in an effort to "convey the message of 3D visuals to players." Iwata said the event is intended to quell any skepticism about the forthcoming device's glasses-free 3D functionality. More events, though not as large, will be held in other parts of Japan, but no mention has been made of any North American skeptic-squashing soirees yet.
How Kirby's Epic Yarn challenges players through humiliation
In a new English edition of "Iwata Asks," in which Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata politely interrogates designers and employees about recent games, there's an interesting discussion regarding the difficulty of Kirby's Epic Yarn. Specifically, it's about how developer Good-Feel cut out deadly traps and objects in order to preserve the game's endearing, fluffy and fun atmosphere. "As a team, we were extremely opposed to the idea of an action game where the game wasn't over when an enemy got you," said producer Etsunobu Ebisu. "We debated that for quite a long time." At first, levels in Kirby's Epic Yarn (formerly Fluff's epic yarn) were full of thorns, a thrilling contrivance that didn't sit well with the game's warm aesthetic. Later, however, "we thought it would be fine if we just made a fun game the way we're good at," Ebisu explained. This led to the introduction of a different characteristic in obstacles, with failure to avoid them resulting in the loss of Kirby's collected beads. You can collect them once dropped, but the in-game currency -- used to unlock bonus levels, for instance -- acts as a strong measure of success at the conclusion of a stage. "When serious gamers play, they want to clear a level without any mistakes like running into enemies, so this game is made so you really feel regret when you run into enemies and a strong sense of achievement when you clear a level without any mistakes," said producer Nobuo Matsumiya. Or, as Iwata succinctly put it: "As a gamer, it's humiliating to bump into an enemy."
