[GameRatty] tag: iwata

Links Crossbow Training hits South Africa this month

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:22:21 +0000

First there was Mario Kart Wii’s Wii Wheel and now, another Wii accessory is making its mark on the console’s landscape: the Wii Zapper.

Bundled with the action game Link’s Crossbow Training, the Wii Zapper is Nintendo’s first accessory that shows the versatility of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers, showing how a new form can transform the way you play Wii.

Visit the Link’s Crossbow Training gamepage to see how the Wii Zapper brings a new element of fun to the action genre. Here you’ll learn about Link’s Crossbow Training, how you combine the Wii Remote and Nunchuk with the Wii Zapper and how the Wii Zapper is used to deliver a unique gameplay experience.

When you’re done, make sure you check out how the Wii Zapper came about, directly from game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto as part of the Iwata Asks series on Wii.com

Link

Nintendo Asks Miyamoto Not To Discuss His Hobbies

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:03:55 +0000

Some people just take up a hobby for their spare time, and that’s it. Shigeru Miyamoto, on the other hand, tends to take up hobbies and translate them into hit video game ideas. He takes up gardening, and Pikmin is born; he gets a puppy, and suddenly we’ve got Nintendogs. So maybe it actually makes sense that Nintendo has now asked him to avoid talking about his current hobbies publicly. After all, with the Wii still on top of the console heap, anything Miyamoto might even just be thinking about could possibly turn into Nintendo’s next big reveal.

Whatever he comes up with, it’ll probably turn into a unique gameplay experience, although I wouldn’t bet on something geared towards the “core” gamers at this point. Let’s just hope he isn’t taking up taxidermy right now, even though I’m sure that would work great with the Wii’s motion controls.

Via The Times Online

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Evolution or revolution? Suspense builds for Wii 2

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:16:08 +0000

Nintendo fans rejoice: there may well be a new arrival in the group's family of consoles sooner than you think. Satoru Iwata, president of the Japanese computer games group that has been lauded for its ability to attract new waves of gamers, has admitted that the company is hard at work on a follow-up to the motion-sensing Wii.

However, the speculation that has followed Mr Iwata's hint demonstrates the interest in Nintendo's next offering.

10 industry-shattering stolen exclusives

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:59:41 +0000

Oh man, this one still really hurts. Not only is it not how Final Fantasy VII turned out, it was the beginning of Square and Nintendo’s longtime standoff. Thankfully, Iwata came in and patched things up as soon as he could. Look at Square-Enix and Nintendo today…they are best buds!

Full list here (warning: painful memories!)

American Library Association Asks: Do Videogames Make Kids Smarter

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:52:24 +0000

The American Library Association is conducting a study involving twelve libraries from across the country to see if videogames improve literacy and make kids smarter. A video excerpt from Tucson’s News-4 on the program shows kids playing Singstar Pop and Guitar Hero III at their local PimaCounty Library:

“Pima County’s library system is one of a dozen in the country participating in a study to find out if video games improve literacy…

…Luis Aguilar, 11, helped organize a video game club. In the process, he learned filmmaking skills to create a five minute movie about it. Luis believes the games are making him smarter, “Because it helps you with memory, memorizing stuff and hand eye coordination.”

If national research verifies these kids’ experiences, the American Library Association would like to create a video game curriculum for all libraries to use.”

Running across this article on GamePolitics inspired me to look up my local library in Westerville, Ohio. Although the Westerville Public Library isn’t involved in the study, according to the Director’s blog, videogames have had a profound affect on the library circulation. Since the introduction of gaming at the library, circulation has increased by over 22%. Director Don Barlow also claims that kids are coming to play videogames and staying to use the library’s other resources.

Yes, it is true, once teens come to library because of gaming, they also find time to study, to check out books. Most importantly, they also find time to learn. They learn about information technology, they develop research skills that will serve their life-long learning needs.

Gaming in libraries? You Bet! with an investment of about $900, (less than 1 tenth of 1% of budget) we have over 3,000 new young adult library users.

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Related Articles at Gaming Today:

Nintendo has a sobering outlook on future online prospects

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:35:27 +0000

Despite the good news that Nintendo gets from monthly sales charts, there are some glaring issues that many fans of the company have had a hard time swallowing. Most of the issues lie with the Wii and are few glaring faults that seemingly don’t make a lot of sense to the average core gamer. A big area of concern has been Nintendo’s first foray into the world of online support for its systems. While they do an excellent job in some areas such as the Virtual Console and WiiWare, other areas are severely lacking when compared to the standards set by Xbox LIVE.

While talking in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata spoke on the company’s online future prospective saying, “If we can do something different that plays up our strengths - and broadens what a videogame constitutes - then we might do it. If we have no ideas, we’re not going to compete with the exact same services against companies like Sony, which has a movie studio, and Microsoft, which has a lot of money.”

Now that leaves what Nintendo could offer for the expansion of their online services up in the air, but knowing them and the way they do things, there’s got to be something up their secretive sleeves.

Wii News And Rumors

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:22:55 +0000

Back in 2004, at the E3 press conference, Nintendo spoke about its upcoming Wii game console for the first time. At the same E3 conference, but only one year later, Nintendo revealed its fifth video game console we all know as the Wii. Although revealed in 2005, the Wii only became available to the public on the 19th of November, 2006, and by September of the next year, became the leader of its generation in terms of sales. Now, it seems the time for a change has come…

…and if we look back, this shouldn’t be a surprise at all. After all, the Wii was conceived back in 2001, as the Nintendo GameCube was just hitting the market. Now, we’re not talking about the next Wii console, but about a whole new generation of consoles!<-125x125 Button - right->

Take it as news, take it as a rumor, but since it comes right from Nintendo’s president, Satoru Iwata, I take it as a promise. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said “The hardware team started work on the next thing as soon as they were done with their previous project, but what they think up doesn’t necessarily become a product.” Obviously, no details, no hints, but it should be pretty clear - sooner or later, the Wii will be a part of the past.

“We only turn something into a product after it’s been thoroughly vetted inside the company. We’re not at a point where we can give specifics, but of course we’re working on it.,” Mr. Iwata concluded.

So…what’s your guess? What would you like to get from the next-gen console from Nintendo?

Wii Warm Up: What's 'very affordable' for you?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Wii Warm Up

Iwata's interview yesterday definitely sparked some debate within our little community here, but it would seem a lot of you didn't exactly chime in with your own thoughts on 'very affordable.' So, what price point would you like to see Wii MotionPlus set at? Is $20 a sweet spot? Would you mind paying as much as $30? Weigh in!

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The Daily Hotness: The SNES was the greatest (08/04/08)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:19:57 +0000

It's a shame Nintendo never capitalized on making portable versions of their older systems. If Sega could do it with the Nomad, then Nintendo could have done the same thing with the SNES! Granted, they probably just wanted everyone to focus on the GameBoys. Still, it would be awesome to own an officially made portable SNES.

The Monthly Musing theme is announced, win a copy of Devil May Cry 4 for the PC, Ghostbusters has a release date but no publisher, Atlus reveals Eternal Poison, and plenty more happened on Monday.

Monday Regulars:
Wii Shop releases for the week of 8/4: Wild West Guns, Sonic, Splatterhouse 2
New releases for the week of 08/04/08
Monday Mind Teasers 08/04/08

Original Features:
Monthly Musings: Instant Replay
A recap of July's Monthly Musings

Destructoid Reviews:
Pixeljunk Eden

Contests:
Contest: Don't steal Devil May Cry 4 for the PC ... win it! (Update)

News:
R-Type Dimensions hitting Xbox Live Arcade
Iwata: Nintendo out of original ideas
Square Enix not even thinking about Xbox 360 version of XIII yet
PS3 graphics distancing from rivals, according to Sony
360 Avatars allowed in non-violent games
Thai killer claims to have emulated GTA IV, game promptly banned
Mirror's Edge to get DLC, PS3 lead platform
New Call of Duty in 2009
XBLA Quake title canned
Uncharted Trophies are out
New Doom game could inspire movie sequel
Demos for Alone in the Dark, Wall-E land on Xbox LIVE Marketplace
Third party Wii Balance Board rears its costly head
DLC for LittleBigPlanet will be based on fan demand
Fatal Frame IV features Luigi outfit, Nintendo fails with US release info
Saints Row on Wii would be 'too controversial'

There were a lot of stories on Monday so hit the jump for the rest of the Hotness.

Wii Music completes Miyamotos Wii vision, says Iwata

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:39:35 +0000

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo supremo Satoru Iwata has said that Wii Music is the final piece of Miyamoto’s Wii jigsaw. Or something. “Wii Music completes what Miyamoto wrote in his proposal when he came up with the idea for the Wii,” said the pint-sized powerhouse. “He was saying that he needs to think [...]