Got an email from our ninja at Nintendo of America's headquarters. Our ninja confirmed that the Cobalt Black Nintendo DS Lite would be release as one of the official Nintendo DS lite colors. No release dates yet though.
Well, our DPA was correct. After informing GameOPS of the new Gold and Rose Red Nintendo DS Colors 2 weeks ago, Nintendo officially announced the new Nintendo DS Lite bundles. These bundles are limited so no one knows how long they'll be around. Must get my hands on those gold DS. *drools*
According to the press release from Nintendo of America, Mexican authorities have confiscated 15,000 counterfeit Nintendo products from a market in Guadalajara, Mexico.
August 17 2007 - Mexican authorities conducted raids today against 12 alleged distributors of counterfeit Nintendo® products in a major "fayuca" (contraband) market in Guadalajara. Authorities seized 15,000 counterfeit Nintendo products, including 4,500 counterfeit Wii™ game discs.
The Guadalajara raids follow other Nintendo actions in Mexico during the past few months. Last month, Nintendo worked with customs agents to stop a shipment of more than 5,500 counterfeit Nintendo products entering Manzanillo, exported from China. Prior to that, Nintendo assisted local authorities in a raid of the San Juan de Dios market in Guadalajara, where 23 stores were shut down and more than 56,000 counterfeit Nintendo products were confiscated, including 11,000 counterfeit Wii discs.
"Mexico is Nintendo's largest market in Latin America, where the problem of video game piracy is widespread," said Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director of anti-piracy. "Since January, Nintendo has worked with law enforcement agencies worldwide to seize 100,000 counterfeit Wii games."
Earlier this month, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents executed 32 federal search warrants in 16 states as part of an investigation into the alleged sale and distribution of illegal Wii modification chips designed to circumvent the security embedded in the hardware and allow users to play counterfeit Wii software.
Nintendo and its developers and publishers lost an estimated $762 million in sales in 2006 due to piracy of its products.
If you haven't heard it yet, some guys got irked when our Wii-GameCube article reached GamePro. One reasoned that our article could have affected how Microsoft, Nintendo, and other companies would deal with gamers in the Philippines. Blocking of credit cards, IPs, and racial discriminations are just the few effects our article has "supposedly" caused...
Posted by AngelsCircle
If you haven't realize it yet? Our gaming is affected by that article. Microsoft block our locally issued credit card in buying in xbox live marketplace and our IP are recognized already to be block in downloading video medias because they do not trust us anymore. That article reaching gamepro website will have an impact on Wii gamers using their credit card to pay for Virtual Games downloadable and other things an ordinary Nintendo Gamers usually have.
How many gamers in xbox live will have a negative feedback on their gamertags once the other foreign players learned they are filipinos because they have bad impression of us because some articles like that stating we are modders and we are reverse engineer even most of us are not? An article like that has a greater impact against xbox gamers locally than those of Nintendo gamers because of the online persecution are extended thru audio means also in xbox live.
Damage has been done and all of us has to live with it now, Another nail to our crosses and another nail for the coffin of our gaming recognition with Halo 3 is coming to the xbox and more online games coming for the Nintendo with our country is listed as one of the location that can be chosen as seen in Pokemon Battle Revolution but all of that will hang in balance after that articles impact.
Well this raid in Mexico doesn't affect my relations with my Mexican online buddies, and neither should yours. Regarding the blocking of credit cards, companies have been doing this before. Not just Microsoft. Heard or PayPal?
Game companies know how rampant piracy is in Asia, and our simple article wouldn't affect their decisions if they wanted to give official support to Philippine gamers or not. Nintendo knows how rampant piracy is in Mexico, so why do they still offer official support there?
Nintendo of Japan just released a new add-on for the Nintendo DS. The device which looks like an optical mouse, plugs directly into the GameBoy Advance slot of the DS. It basically allows you to slide your DS on a flat surface just like a mouse. The device is bundled with a new game called Slide Adventure: Mag Kid.
The DS add-on retails for ¥5,800 (approx Php2,240). Better buy additional Pledge cleaners to remove those table scratches :P Official commercial of the peripheral after the jump
Nintendo is sponsoring a car this year at NASCAR and it will Greg Biffle's #16 Ford Fusion car.
For the first time ever, Nintendo is sponsoring a car this NASCAR season and Greg Biffle will be the man behind the wheel of the #16 Wii-themed Ford Fusion. Take a break from racing on Wii™ and watch Biffle and the Wii team charge to the head of the race.
Look for the Wii-themed car at Watkins Glen International in New York on Sunday August 12th and then again at the Dover International Speedway in Delaware on Sunday September 23rd! The Watkins Glen race will be broadcast on ESPN at 1 p.m. EST, and the Dover International Speedway race will be broadcast by ABC at 1 p.m. EST.
Biffle has been racing in NASCAR for over a decade and has garnered so many trophies and accolades it's tough to keep track of them all. Biffle has performed exceptionally well in all three NASCAR series. His most recent win was the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Look for the Nintendo® Street Team at five upcoming NASCAR events as well as high-profile fairs, festivals, and other events nationwide! Fans can play the latest Wii and Nintendo DS™ games including Mario Strikers™ Charged and Pokémon® Diamond and Pokémon® Pearl.
Come out and visit the Nintendo Street Team at the marketing village at these NASCAR race locations:
July 13 - 15: Chicagoland Speedway
Aug. 17 - 19: Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 31 - Sept. 2: California Speedway, Fontana, CA
Sept. 21 - 23: Dover International Speedway, Delaware — be sure to check out the Wii-themed race car at Sunday's race!
Oct. 12 - 14: Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina
If the gamers over the land of the free are having a hard time to find a Wii, the gamers here in the Philippines can have all the Nintendo Wii they want. Whether it's a Japanese or US version, Greenhills' V-Mall have them.
Filipino gamers also have a wide variety of colors to choose from for their Nintendo DS. Just like the Japanese exclusive Nintendo DS lite Sky Blue. Best of both worlds :) Only downside is the Wii consoles are priced way way higher than the SRP of $249. Each console retails for atleast P16,000 (approx US$355) or more.
It looks like the end for the world's most successful video game system, the Nintendo GameBoy. According to Nintendo's George Harrison, Nintendo might completely scrap the GameBoy trademark in favor of the widely successful Nintendo DS.
George Harrison revealed: "This year in our marketing you really won't see much push against Game Boy itself, so it will kind of seek its own level. It's hard to say in the future if we will ever bring back the Game Boy trademark."
Back in 2005, Nintendo launched the DS as the 'third pillar' of its hardware line-up, alongside Game Boy and its home console. However, the DS's meteoric rise has apparently put the kibosh on any plans to release a Game Boy Advance 2.
However, Harrison noted that dropping the Game Boy name in favour of the untested DS brand wasn't an easy decision. "It was a big risk for us to actually pass on it and call the new product the Nintendo DS," he revealed, "but it was part of Mr. Iwata's philosophy that if we're going to make a radical difference and try to reach a new audience, then we have to change the name... we had to make a break even though we had one of the greatest trademarks in the history of the industry."
Suggestion... Why not release the next version of the NDS as the Nintendo GameBoy DS? Cool right? :~)
A new princess on the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii or just a redesigned Princess Toadstool like what Nintendo did with Princess Zelda?
After the Nintendo Mobile Phone patents, Nintendo has apparently began working with Apple and licensed some games to the new Apple iPhone. According to NoHeat, the games will be available at the iTunes Store at a retail price of US$29.00 each.
The iPhone is cool, but still lacks some functions like 3G capabilities and other features that the Filipinos used to love with their Nokias. Still no word yet if the iPhone would make it to Philippine shores.
When Nintendo announced the existence of the GameBoy Advance, rumors floated on the internet that the new handheld will have mobile phone capabilities that would link gamers all around the globe. That rumor never materialized but apparently, a part of that rumor was true.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently released a patent filed by Nintendo for a device dated November 2001. More pictures after the jump.
Abstract
An electronic apparatus includes a phone CPU and a game CPU. When a * key is operated during execution of a game, the phone CPU sets a specified bit of a game key register to â1â. The phone CPU is set â1â into the specified bit when there is an incoming call of a phone during the execution of the game. The game CPU pauses the game being in execution when the specified bit is renewed to â1â and restores the specified bit from â1â to â0â. When the * key is operated in a state the game is interrupted, the phone CPU sets â1â into the specified bit. The game CPU restarts the game by canceling the pause.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus comprising: a game CPU which executes a game related process; a phone CPU which executes a phone related process; a play key to play a game; an interruption key to initiate an interruption of said game; a key register to which first information is set in response to an operation of said play key and second information is set in response to an operation of said interruption key; wherein said game related process includes a game process to play said game when said first information is set into said key register and an interruption process to interrupt said game process when said second information is set into said key register; and said phone related process includes a setting process to set said second information into said key register when an incoming phone call is detected.
2. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game related process further includes a storing process to store current game data into a memory when said second information is set into said key register.
3. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said phone related process further includes a determination process to determine whether said game process is in an activated state or not, and said setting process sets said second information into said key register in response to a detection of said incoming phone call when a determination result of said determination process is affirmative.
4. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display which displays a game screen, wherein said phone related process further includes a modifying process to modify a tone of said game screen in response to a detection of said incoming phone call.
5. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said game related process is executed according to a game program downloaded from an outside source.
6. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interruption process continues to pause said game process.
7. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interruption process interrupts said game process when said second information is set into said key register in a state of said game process being activated.
8. A game and a mobile phone type electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said interruption key combines with a resume key to initiate a resumption of said game, and said game related process further includes a canceling process to cancel a setting of said second information in association with execution of said interruption process, and a resumption process to resume said game process when said second information is set into said key register in a state of said game process being interrupted.
Current US Class 455/556.1 , Integrated with other device 455/557 , Interface attached device (e.g., interface with modem, facsimile, computer, etc.) 455/566 , Having display 455/575.6 , Attached or connected to user 463/40 , With communication link (e.g., television broadcast, etc.) 463/41 , Telephonic (e.g., modem, etc.) 463/42 Network type (e.g., computer network, etc.)
US Patent References 5029019 Image data processing unit Issued on: July 2, 1991 Inventor: Yoshihara, et al. 5945972
Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, recently targeted the Wii's supposedly inferior graphic abilities compared to the original XBOX in an interview.
So, is Nintendo disrupting things for you, or were you surprised to see them?
I'm actually not--the product has gotten more broad-base [sic] aclRobbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Divisionaim that I would have expected. It's a very nice product, but it actually has a relatively specific audience and a fairly specific appeal, frankly, based on one feature, which is the controller itself. And the rest of the product is actually not a great product--no disrespect, but...the video graphics on it aren't very strong; the box itself is kind of underpowered; it doesn't play DVDs; there are a lot of down-line components [that] aren't actually that interesting.
The challenge they have is that third parties aren't going to make much money on this platform because Nintendo is going to make all that money, and their ability to compete with something like a Halo or produce an experience like Madden on their system is going to be tough. They don't have the graphics horsepower that even Xbox 1 had. So it makes sort of the comparison set a little bit difficult.
Who needs an oversized DVD player? I can count with my right hand on the number of times I used my PlayStation 2 and XBOX to play DVDs. Video game consoles are meant for games.
And with the success of Wii Sports, you could clearly see that good graphics doesn't really mean great games. Microsoft's just bitter since Nintendo was successful in introducing a sort of internet-tv machine in homes, unlike them, who've been trying for years and have failed.
This is Nintendo's world Microsoft and you can't do anything about it, unless you buy Nintendo and every single Japanese developer out there ;)
Latest data from Famitsu revealed that DS Lite has been leading the April 2007 sales and has now hit the 10 million mark in Japan. Also in the data, Nintendo's Wii and DS game systems have been leading in the sales race in Japan by a wide margin compared to the PS3, PSP, and XBOX 360.
Anyway, shopping malls in Metro Manila usually don't have these because of the strict policies of the mall owners. But behold! Just 1 hour of strolling in one of the biggest shopping malls in Quezon City yielded lots and lots of pirated games for different video game systems. For this post, let me show you the sheer number of available pirated Nintendo DS games being sold openly inside S* C*TY N**** ED** Click image to enlarge
The salesladies refer to these bootleg / pirated Nintendo DS games as Class A. This pirated Nintendogs game costs P1999.75 (approx. $42.0557 USD). This Nintendogs game is being sold openly the center of the main mall. Check out the Nintendo logo!
Click image to enlarge
The pirated version of The New Super Bros. Game costs P1699.75 (approx $35.7466 USD). This game is being sold in front of the supermarket area.
Click image to enlarge
A 4 in 1 Nintendo DS cartridge costs P2999.75(approx. $63.0862 USD) and is also being sold in the middle of the main mall.
Click image to enlarge
Another video game store inside the mall selling lots of pirated Nintendo DS games. Most of them are 4 in 1 games.
All of these games are being sold just side by side with original game cartridges. Buyers without any knowledge may fall victim again with these scammers. Prices are almost the same and even the packages look like original. The only way to know is to ask the sales person and if they say it's a class A, then expect it to be pirated.
We'll post more pictures next time. We're still verifying the PSP games we saw if it's legit or not.
Entertainment Weekly recently interviewed the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and when asked about the social issues about video games, he said this:
I could make Halo. It's not that I couldn't design that game. It's just that I choose not to. One thing about my game design is that I never try to look for what people want and then try to make that game design. I always try to create new experiences that are fun to play.
What if he really does create the next Halo? :~) SOURCE
Codename Revolution has posted a list of known third party developers for the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo also announced that a total of atleast 500 developers have received a Wii dev kit. List of confirmed 131 Third Party Developers:
10Tacle Studios A2M Activision Amaze Entertainment AGFRAG Alten8 AQ Interactive ASNetworks Arc Systems Artdink Atari Atlus Backbone Entertainment BANPRESTO Barking Lizards Big Blue Bubble Blitz Games Buena Vista Games Capcom Cellien Studios Cing Codemasters Compile Heart Conspiracy Entertainment Coresoft Crossbeam Studios D2C Games D3Publisher Data Design Interactive Day 1 Detn8 Games Digital Embyro EDEN Games Edge of Reality eGames Eidos Electronic Arts Eko Emerging Entertainment EPOCH Epyx From Yellow to Orange From Software Gas Powered Games Gearbox Software Genki Gorilla Systems Corporation Graffiti Entertainment Grand Prix Games Grasshopper High Voltage Hudson Ignition Entertainment Image Epoch Interactive Brains Interchannel-Holon IR Gurus JALECO Jet Black Games JoWood Keen Games Koei Konami / Kojima Studios Krome Studios Left Field Productions Lucasarts Majesco Marvelous Interactive / Natsume Mastiff Matsuno - Unknown Studio Name Media Vision Midway Games Milestone MTO Namco Bandai Nippon Ichi Nissimo Neko Entertainment NIBRIS oeFun, Inc Page 44 Pandemic Studios Papaya Studios Pipeworks Software Planet Moon Studios Playlogic Powerhead Games Pronto Games Pyro Studios Quotix Software Radical Entertainment Raven Software Red Tribe Route24 SEGA Sensory Sweep Shiny Entertainment Smart Bomb Interactive SNK Spike Square Enix Starfish SD Stormfront Studios Success System 3 Taito Take-Two / Rockstar Games Tantalus Tecmo Telltale Games Terminal Reality The Adventure Company The Game Factor The Mitchell Corporation THQ TOMY Torus Totally Games Townfactory Tuna Technologies Twelve Interactive Ubisoft Vicious Cycle Viracious Visions Virtual Toys Vivendi Universal Games, Sierra Online Warner Bros. Interactive Wayforward Wideload Games Yukes Zoonami
"...would love to see Kutaragi join up with Nintendo" - Satoru Iwata.
This is what Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said in a recent press conference held by Nintendo. This developed after Ken Kutaragi recently announced his retirement from Sony as CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
This scenario is possible since Kutaragi has long relationships with Nintendo. He was the one who designed the SNES sound chip and lead the research on the SNES PlayStation CD Add-on. Via QJ.net
When Nintendo announced the final name of their next-generation console a year ago, I was one of the millions who said, "wtf?! wii?!". A year later, Nintendo proves to all that they are indeed the king of the video game world. After witnessing the self destruction of the PlayStation 3 and the unexplained XBOX 360's 3 red rings of death, Nintendo manages to even capture the hearts of non-gamers with their Wii and DS consoles.
Bloomberg also reported that Nintendo is currently developing 45(!) new Wii and 79(!!) DS titles. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata however said that details and specifics on the games would be revealed later this July. 45 games?! Wow that's a lot of games. I wonder if they would consider buying SEGA after Monolith Soft? :~)
Nintendo recently acquired 80% of Monolith Soft from Namco's 96% stake on the company. Monolith Soft is well known for their development of the Xenosaga franchise that Namco publishes. Current project of Monolith Soft for Nintendo is a game for the Wii called Disaster: Day of Crisis.
* Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002, PlayStation 2) * Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003, GameCube) * Xenosaga: Episode I: Reloaded (2003, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga Freaks (2004, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (2004, PlayStation 2) * Xenosaga: Pied Piper (2004, Mobile) * Namco x Capcom (2005, PlayStation 2) * Baten Kaitos Origins (2006, GameCube) * Xenosaga: Episode I & II (2006 Nintendo DS) * Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (2006, PlayStation 2) * Disaster: Day of Crisis (In Development) (TBA, Wii) SOURCE
While the Nintendo Wii might not get the graphically superior Resident Evil 5, Nintendo's console will get a Resident Evil 4 version and a new RE shooter called Umbrella Chronicles. And for Jill Valentine fans like me, seeing her Resident Evil 3 costume remake, it's heaven.
I had a crush on Jill since I first saw her on Resident Evil 1. Ummm... maybe on the live action actress :))
Her 3D rendered version in Resident Evil 3 sucked though. Anyway, here's a first look on the upcoming Umbrella Chronicles
If CAPCOM can create an RE1 remake, why not remake RE2, RE3, and Code Veronica? :~)
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