Nintendo Wii U to have touch-free payment system

Nintendo has announced that the tablet-like controller of its next console, the Wii U, will come equipped with a near-field communications (NFC) chip, opening up the possibility of new kinds of games and new ways to pay for them.

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via non-contact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

A game released last year called Skylanders used NFC technology to bring toy models into its virtual environment, but that required a special hardware add-on - the new controller will allow any game on the Wii U to do the same.

Iwata also suggested the chips could be used to pay for new in-game content via an NFC-enabled phone system, such as the recently launched Google Wallet. "Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities, such as using it as a means of making micropayments," he said.

The company plans to announce the final details of the Wii U in June at E3, 

Capcom Post Resident Evil 6 trailer updated with special messages from the dev

Capcom just posted on twitter  the following trailer  for RE6

Satoru Iwata said Nintendo has no intention of publishing unfinished games just to make some extra money from DLC

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has clarified that Nintendo has no intention of publishing unfinished games just to make some extra money from paid downloadable content. We already know that the Nintendo Network will support paid DLC.

“Nintendo, as a software maker, does not plan to [run a business] where our consumers cannot know in advance which [product] will appear as the result of their payment,” Iwata said. “As a software maker, Nintendo believes that its packaged software should be sold to our consumers in a form so that the consumers will know in advance that they can enjoy playing the software they purchased just as it is.”

PlayStation Vita sales fall to 15,000 units, Nintendo 3DS remains top seller

the PlayStation Vita is in a freefall.  After a meager 18,000 units were sold two weeks ago in Japan, PS Vita sale fell to 15,000 units sold for the week of January 16 to January 22.

Last week's Vita sales mark an all-time low for the new handheld system from Sony which had high expectations.  Now, it looks lucky if the PS Vita breaks 20,000.

To be completely fair, the Vita wasn't the only console to see sales decline last week, but given the early hype is is the most scrutinized.  Actually, all platforms saw a drop in sales, including the red hot Nintendo 3DS which saw sales fall to 80,000 units.  Below is the full hardware chart for the week spanning January 9 through 15, with last week's sales numbers in parentheses.

1. 3DS: 80,960 (100,668)
2. PS3: 21,155 (30,332)
3. PSP: 17,181 (22,538)
4. PSV: 15,219 (18,361)
5. Wii: 10,173 (14,179)
6. Xbox 360: 1,519 (1,519)
7. DSiLL: 1,515 (1,200)
8. PS2: 903 (766)
9. DSi: 822 (1,206)

According to Media Create, a little over 500,000 PlayStation Vita units have been sold since it's exclusive release in Japan.  With the official release in the US and Europe still a few weeks away, it looks like the Vita is barely hanging on.  It will be interesting to see if its release in the western markets provide the boost that Sony needs.

Nintendo Considering Renaming Wii U?

Gaming publication CVG claims that an industry insider has suggested that Nintendo are considering changing that name of the Wii U. Nintendo are considering such a move due to the public confusion that has surrounded the Nintendo 3DS console since launch. We will find out if that is the case at this years E3 event in June.

CapcomHas Messed Up The Resident Evil Revelations Box

Dan Hsu from Bitmob has managed to get hold off a boxed copy of Resident Evil: Revelations which has massive spelling error on its sleeve. The game is now titled ‘Resident Evil: Revelaitons’. Looks as though it’s just North American copies of Resident Evil: Revelations that have this glaring spelling mistake.

Nintendo Of Japan has Punch Out for 3ds eshop

Nintendo of japan has on there website Punch going to the 3ds on feb 2 for 500 yen no world if this will hit the north america 3ds system.

Sonic the Hedgehog – Tails Exclusive F4F

First 4 Figures is proud to present Tails! Created in his classic design, he is zooming along Mushroom Hill Zone, with his twin tails spinning at full speed creating a wind behind him! We painstakingly added all his details and created a dynamic pose and expression that complements his personality. He is 12 inches tall - fitting perfectly in scale with the others in the series.This is the exclusive version of Tails. There are three mushrooms on the base that slowly pulse between different colors and that fade out slowly when you turn them off. This really helps to bring the environment to life! Comes in deluxe full color packaging, hand numbered base, and includes an Authenticity Card which allows you to purchase the same number of the model next in the Classic Sonic the Hedgehog series. This is the fifth in the Classic Sonic the Hedgehog statue series, so if you have bought the first or second in the range, Sonic, Super Sonic, Metal Sonic or Knuckles, and authenticated on our website, you are entitled to the same number of Tails! Highly Limited to 500 pieces only. You can order by clicking Here

Mario Party 9 - January Trailer HD

Nintendo has released a new trailer for Mario Party 9. The trailer shows off a bunch of exciting mini-games and plenty of multiplayer related shenanigans. Mario Party 9 is due to be released in North America on March 11th and will be arriving in Europe on March 2nd.

Nintendo 3DS Gets Its First Paid DLC through Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/01/23/nintendo-3ds-gets-its-first-paid-dlc-through-theatrhythm-final-fantasy/#ixzz1kJGulbzh

Dummy retail boxes of Final Fantasy Theatrhythm for Nintendo 3DS have surfaced in the Japanese market with indications that the title will have paid content available for download - a move that clearly reflects the Nintendo's growing focus in the downloadable content market

The first title for the Nintendo 3DS to offer the DLC enhancements will be Theatrhythm and looking at the past, the company might be planning to charge a handsome amount as it does for its downloadable games. These dummy boxes confirm in very small prints that it is a paid DLC for the game. The game will be released on 16th February in Japan.

Thus, with this game, the most recently added DLC capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS will be used. Through a firmware update a month ago Nintendo allowed the developers to introduce DLC for their respective titles.

This new box also comes with yet-to-be-seen "Nintendo Network" and according to rumours, it is going to be the revamped look for the "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection". The "Nintendo Network" might be the face of Nintendo's latest online gaming services.

Take virtual girlfriend on real-world date with 3DS

As gaming news site Andriasang explains, the new "Anywhere Date" mode allows you to insert your virtual gal pal into the real world. Not only will it appear as if she's standing wherever you point the 3DS camera, she'll also interact with the environment; if there's a bench nearby, she'll sit on it.

And there's a decent chance, due to the game's use of motion tracking, that one might be able to sit next to one's 3DS-driven date, to get up close and personal. An example of these capabilities can be seen in the early part of the trailer shown at the Tokyo Game Show, late last year: Andriasang also goes on to describe the "Anywhere Date Editor," which can be used to get your lady friend to perform certain flirtatious (but not sexually explicit) actions, in order to craft custom dates. The dates can be recorded and shared with other users, and everyone can vote on who had the hottest date. The list of actions has yet to be divulged, but one can only imagine.

Get a free copy of kid icarus 3d when you buy kid icarus uprising in usa

Nintendo of america has announced that gamers who pre-order Kid Icarus: Uprising on the Nintendo 3DS are entitled to a free copy of 3D Classics: Kid Icarus. The pre-order bonus is only available at select retailers throughout North America so you’ll have to check whether the store you pre-order at is running the promotion. Kid Icarus: Uprising is scheduled to launch exclusively on Nintendo 3DS on March 23rd in North America.

Kid Icarus: Uprising [3DS] Epic Battles Trailer

Nintendo has uploaded some spectacular new footage of Kid Icarus: Uprising which once again shows off the games action-packed single player mode. Kid Icarus: Uprising launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on March 23rd in North America but Nintendo Europe has yet to announce a firm date for the eagerly anticipated game other than March.

Nano Assault Drops to $19.99 on Nintendo 3DS

Nano Assault, the visually-stunning 3D shoot’em up game based in a cellular world that tasks players to stop the deadly Nanostray virus from spreading and contaminating all of human civilization, has lowered its price to $19.99! Nano Assault has received rave reviews and now’s your chance to get a great game with great graphics at a great price!

"Nano Assault offers a combination of goodies with its impressive graphics, pronounced 3D effects, addictive gameplay, pleasing tunes, online leaderboards, boss rush modes and more!” – Nintendo Fuse

“Once I started playing, I couldn't stop until it was completed, which says all you need to know about how fun the game is...” –VGChartz

Nano Assault enables players to shoot their way through 32 twisted cell stages and dark worlds filled with rugged landscapes that adjust in difficulty based upon the player’s skill level. Take on and defeat extreme nemeses including the Black Nucleus, Hyper Blobs and Spore Plants using powerful beams, energetic bombs and other unlockable assault weapons.

Don’t miss out on this steal of a deal for a game that GamerLive TV called “…a 3DS game that deserves to be a sleeper hit, thanks to its solid shooting mechanics and eye-boggling visuals.” Developed by Shin’en Multimedia, Nano Assault is rated E10+ and available in retailers everywhere for $19.99. To watch the trailer or to get more information on the game, please visit www.nanoassaultgame.com.

Check Out This Kingdom Hearts Nintendo 3DS Console, Plus Kingdom Hearts 3D Release Date

Square Enix has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 3D will be released in Japan on the 29th of March. Plus, there will also be a “Kingdom Hearts Edition” of the game which comes bundled with the original design you see above. There will also be a “Kingdom Hearts 10th Anniversary Box”, we’re not sure what this include. In addition to all of that, the first batch of games will have an augmented reality card included with them. This allows you to “unlock a rare Dream Eater that would otherwise be difficult to unlock through standard means

Nintendo Holds 3D Picture Contests in Japan

Nintendo is holding three 3D photo contests for Nintendo 3DS users in Japan. Part one of the contest starts January 18 and runs until February 18 and is based on the theme, “Interesting when put in 3D!” The winners for part one will be decided on February 24 by the Japanese celebrities and photographers Pe and Pako-san. The prizes are as follows:

First Prize: 1 Nintendo published 3DS game of your choice with special paper slip (10 people)
Second Prize: Mario Nintendo 3DS Holder (130 people)
Third Prize: Custom designed Nintendo Prepaid Point Card (1,000 people throughout all three parts of the contest)

For all three parts of the contest, there will be 30 first place winners, 390 second place winners, and 1,000 third place winners. Part two of the contest is from February 15 to March 13 with the winner being decided on March 23. Part three starts on March 14 and runs until April 17 with the winner being decided on April 27. To enter the contest, players can submit their pictures via the 3DS web browser. After opening the browser, users can click under the favorites tab and visit the Nintendo 3D pictures contest section of the Nintendo 3DS website. From there, users can create a user name and password for the contest page and have a verification token sent to their email. After receiving that, users are then able to log in to the contest page and upload their picture. 

As of this time, the themes for part two and part three of the photo contest have not been decided. 

3DS demos announced for North America

Nintendo of America has also announced via a press release that they will be releasing a demo on the Nintendo 3DS eShop tomorrow. The first demo which will be made available is tomorrow is Resident Evil: Revelations with Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games coming next Thursday. Additional demos coming soon include Rayman Origins from Ubisoft and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment.

Australia Gets Chance to Win Mario 3DS Consoles

Europe, your maniacal grip on 3D Classics: Kid Icarus and those Mario 3DS consoles is loosening.

Nintendo of Australia just opened up its very own It's a Me, Mario competition with near-identical rules to Europe's: register two 3DS games with Club Nintendo and you get a free code for Kid Icarus, with entrants over the age of ten also able to enter to win a Mario, Peach or Toad-themed 3DS console.

One interesting difference is that while Europe has 3,000 consoles up for grabs, Australia has just 150.

Leaked 3DS Zelda games Confirmed to be Fake

Today, a rumor surfaced about two potential Zelda games for the 3DS titled The Legend of Zelda: Fire Prophecy and Ice Prophecy. When people noticed that the image came from 4Chan, people automatically assumed it was fake, due to 4Chan’s reputation. On the other hand, people thought this was actually real or were not sure if it was fake because of how official the logos looked. After examining the image again, freelance game translator GlitterBerri who can read and write Japanese fluently,

The problems with the titles are…
-Using を instead of の, which renders it completely nonsensical
-Writing “fire” in kanji and “ice” in katakana makes the titles inconsistent. They should either write both in katakana or both in kanji.

Wii U - CES 2012: Zelda in HD hands-on

Here is a nice video on the wii u enjoy

RUMOR: Nintendo Working on Two Nintendo 3DS Zelda Titles

A rumour has surfaced that Nintendo is currently hard at work creating not one but two Zelda games for the Nintendo 3DS, much like Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. According to the source the first game is titled The Legend of Zelda: Fire Prophecy and the second game is titled The Legend of Zelda: Ice Prophecy. Nintendo has already confirmed that they’re working on a new Zelda title for the Nintendo 3DS. When you look at it these are just Rumors and they shouldn’t be taken as official announcements.

Memorex’ 3DS, accessories

Memorex, owned by Imation, has come to CES 2012 with a nice-sized handful of gaming accessories mostly targetting Nintendo consoles. A trio of racing wheels for the Wii was on display in its booth along with their own Wii-motes and Nunchucks. The wheels are Red, Blue, or Black trim, while the controllers are metallic plastic in either pink, blue, black. They’re also a dual Wii-mote charger  photo below For the Nintendo 3DS, Memorex has a steering wheel that let’s you play racing games like Mario Kart. The more interesting 3DS product was the Universal Game Selector. It attaches directly to the 3DS, and allows gamers to instantaneously switch titles using a slider on the rear. The entire unit is sits on the handheld’s back and holds three games.

Kid Icarus: Uprising comes bundled with a stand for the 3DS in Japan

Masahiro Sakurai has revealed that Kid Icarus: Uprising for the Nintendo 3DS will come bundled with a stand to keep your Nintendo 3DS nice and steady. The stand can be used with all Nintendo 3DS games. 

Nintendo Of America President Says Wii U Information Will Be Shared Throughout The Year, Not Just At E3

 Reggie Fils-Aime appeared on Spike TV from the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to give a little insight into Nintendo’s plans for 2012. Reggie briefly spoke about the Wii U and stated that Nintendo will be providing information on the console throughout the year.

“So essentially we will be sharing information throughout the entire year. I won’t say that you’re going to have to wait until E3, but we certainly aren’t breaking new information here – no launch date, no launch price, no software line-up. But we will be sharing a lot of information all through the year on how we will be driving Wii U into households”.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D out March 8

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D for Nintendo 3DS will be released March 8, Konami has announced.

Konami has also confirmed that the reworked PS2 title will make use of the Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro accessory - released February 27 alongside Resident Evil: Revelations

Free Resident Evil Revelations 3DS case with your purchase

Over at capcom when you buy the new  Resident Evil Revelations for the 3ds you will get for free a Resident Evil Revelations 3DS case click here

Is Nintendo Working On New Zelda Game For Nintendo 3DS?

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed that work on a new Zelda game is already under way at Nintendo. Aonuma announced the new game in the Hyrule Historia but wouldn’t mention what platform it was for. We already know that Nintendo are hard at work on a new Zelda game for Wii U so it seems likely that the new game Aonuma is referring to could be for the Nintendo 3DS.

“The long sailing time of creating Skyward Sword, a game to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series, has just come to an end. The voices of those who’ve played it from around the world reach us. We hear their admiration, comments and their criticism too. All those voices become energy for the next voyage. Well, to tell the truth, we’ve already set sail in a new voyage.”

Capcom To Release Special Soundtrack CD And Strategy/Art Book Guide For Resident Evil Revelations

Capcom Japan has announced that it plans to release a couple of companion product for Resident Evil: Revelations in Japan. Capcom will firstly release a strategy guide and art book for Resident Evil: Revelations which contains 192 pages of strategies for campaign mode and includes a range of artwork featured throughout the game. Capcom will also release the Resident Evil Revelations Original Soundtrack which contains 66 tracks from the game. Capcom has yet to announce a Western release for either products.

Nintendo Of America President Reggie Fils-Aime Will Be On Spike On Tuesday To Discuss Wii U

Geoff Knightly has announced via Twitter that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime will be joining him on Tuesday to discuss why he thinks 2012 is the year of Wii-U. We already know Nintendo will be showing off the Wii U at CES but sadly it will be more glimpses of the tech demos we all saw at last years E3 event in Los Angeles.

Mega Man Developed By WayForward Is Unlikely Says Capcom

Californian developer WayForward, the development studio behind A Boy and His Blob and Contra 4 has revealed that it’s continuously receiving requests from fans to develop the next Mega Man game. Sadly Christian Svensson, Capcom’s VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development has stated that it’s highly unlikely that WayForward would get the chance to create the next Mega Man game.

I’m also a WF fan and I’m familiar with their work. I’ll never say never but there’d be a million approvals before a MM title could ever be produced in the West.

Resident Evil: Revelations bundle with Circle Pad Pro is a Zavvi-exclusive

Nintendo of Europe has revealed that the Resident Evil: Revelations bundle with the Circle Pad Pro will be an exclusive at Zavvi. The bundle will retail for £29.95  You can click here to buy the bundle for yourself.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is coming to the 3DS this summer

TT Games has announced that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is coming to the 3DS. The game will feature iconic characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Batman, The Joker, and Lex Luthor, and will be launching this summer.

Rumor: Nintendo is working on the 3DS Lite update not true

Just in case you have not  heard Japanese publication Nikkei Trendy is reporting that Nintendo are busy creating the inevitable Nintendo 3DS Lite. The publication states that the console will have improved thickness and a better battery life. It should be noted that this is just a rumour. There was an update omline saying the following this “rumor” has been debunked. The magazine has stated that this information was speculation on their part. They don’t know anything in particular and were guessing as to what the 3DS Lite will be.

2012 Zelda Symphony Concert Tour Dates Announced

If you were one of the many that didn’t have a chance to attend any of the concerts or you just couldn’t make it than you’re in luck. Nintendo announced the long awaited dates for the upcoming Zelda symphony tour. Don’t miss out on what will likely be your last chance to attend one of these spectacular events. Be sure to keep reading after the jump for more information.

Vancouver, BC – Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Phoenix, AZ – Friday, April 20 and Saturday April 21, 2012
Atlanta, GA – Saturday, May 12, 2012
UPDATED EVENTS
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Orlando, FL
Sat, 07/14/12
08:00 PM
Zelda Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
Sat, 04/07/12
08:00 PM
You will be able to purchase your tickets starting Thursday, January 5th. The exact time of day the tickets will become available will vary between each location.
Only a few dates have been added so far, but as the we get closer to the tour kick off I’m sure we will be seeing more dates released by Nintendo. Hopefully we will see one relatively close to everyone, so we all get a chance to experience this amazing event. We will be keeping you up to date if new tour dates are announced. Let us know if you will be attending and what your thoughts on the concerts are

Japan retailers cut Sony PS Vita price as Nintendo 3DS dominates

The battle between Japan's handheld computer games consoles is hotting up, with news that the prices of the Sony PlayStation Vita have been slashed by many retailers following a slump in demand. 

After a successful opening week in which the successor to the Sony PSP sold almost 325,000 units in Japan, sales have nosedived, with just 72,479 being bought in its second week. 

As a result of this, retailers in Japan have decided to cut its price, with many fearful that sales were unlikely to pick up. 

With most Japanese consumers opting for the cheaper WiFi only model, stores have slashed as much as 20 per cent from the price of the more expensive 3G model to encourage buyers. 

For Sony, this news was made all the worse by the fact that Nintendo's latest handheld console, the 3DS, continues to sell incredibly well. 

A staggering 482,200 3DS units were sold in the same week that the PS Vita sold just 72,479, the Metro reported. 

Nintendo of America, meanwhile, announced this week that over 4 million 3DS have been sold so far, putting it ahead of both its record-selling Wii and DS consoles in the timeframe that it has been available. 

3DS to YouTube Tutorial: Windows Tutorial

Nintendo released a system update that allows 3DS users to record up to 10 minutes of glasses-free 3-D video in continuous or stop-motion style.

Well, it may be glasses-free 3-D on the 3DS screen, but it’s not going to look right on most Web sites, as pointed out by the Consumerist.

Fortunately, Nerd Mentality spent some time over the holidays making two comprehensive video tutorials on how to upload and view Nintendo 3DS video on YouTube. There’s a Quick Guide for users who might already be pretty comfortable transcoding video into different formats and sharing it online; there are also two lengthy videos for watching your 3DS video on both Windows and Mac computers.

PlayStation Vita early sales even worse than Nintendo 3DS

 After suffering early sales woes with the 3DS console, Nintendo were forced to rapidly cut the price of the console at an unprecedented rate. Now it seems Sony may have to follow suit with their brand new Vita console, which has failed to match even the paltry early sales of Nintendo's latest machine.

Currently available in Japan only, the Vita managed to sell just 72,479 units in its first full week on the market (December 19th through December 25th) after getting off to a decent start with 325,000 sales in its first 48 hours (December 17th and 18th).

However, the 3DS managed 370,000 units in Japan in its first week, and 210,000 units in its second, beating the PlayStation Vita by 45,000 units in its first seven days, and a massive 137,500 units in its second week.

It puts Sony in a very precarious position, considering the 3DS sales are finally beginning to pick up, meaning they too may have to drastically cut the cost of their console.

"The upcoming US launch could be a true debacle for several reasons," said Forbes' Tero Kuittinen.