Nintendo is one of the big names in the gaming industry. The company has been shelling out iconic gaming franchises and popular consoles for decades. Now, the hot word in the gaming world is online game streaming. The service has existed for a while now but Google’s announcement of Stadia has started a new arms race. Many giants in the electronics industry, namely Microsoft and Sony, have already started their own respective services while Nintendo previously mentioning no immediate shift towards online gaming.
According to a new report, however, Nintendo just might finally enter the online realm of gaming with Nintendo Switch Do.
Just a couple of days ago, the Nintendo Switch Lite was unveiled to the world; it was an affordable version of the original Switch minus the modularity and TV support. Now, a new trademark application hints at Nintendo planning to introduce some form of online game streaming on its Switch platforms. The report arrives after the company was seen branching out its business to Israel, where they had filed the application.
The company was seen introducing a new name, Nintendo Switch Do, on the trademark application; what it exactly is and how it works is still uncertain. What can be gathered from the description provided is that it could possibly be an “entertainment service, provide downloadable games, a portable game with LCD screen and handheld games.”
The move could arrive to make the Nintendo Switch series all the more attractive and approachable for prospective buyers. For example, Nintendo Switch Online was introduced last year as an online multiplayer gaming subscription service. It is clear the company is going to continue its Switch series for the foreseeable future and is probably introducing the Switch Do to compliment its handheld gaming console. Unfortunately, finer details are currently unavailable and only an official announcement from the company can shed some light on the matter. Stay tuned for updates.
Nintendo is one of the most recognisable name in the gaming industry. The company is famous for its popular game title like Mario to even its consoles like the legendary NES. Now, the company has announced the launch of its latest portable gaming console catered to a more affordable range of audiences. The Switch Lite will be a smaller device that is exclusively built for handheld play.
Design & Features
The smaller iteration of the Nintendo Switch had been rumoured prior to its official announcement. The Switch Lite sports a 5.5 inch 720p display which is slightly smaller than the 6.2 inch found on the original. It is built on a compact form factor for exclusive hand held gaming. In other words, users cannot remove the side controllers as you could before since the design isn’t built with modularity in mind. This also implies users sacrifice the option to connect to a TV or play certain popular games on the Switch Lite. The device does not feature a light sensor so brightness must be adjusted manually.
Nintendo claims that the Switch Lite offers better battery life than the original Switch. The portable gaming console can play almost every game than the original could apart from the ones that specifically involved the Switch Joy-Cons being removed or played on portrait. The company will build prompts on its online shop to lets users know which games are not compatible with the Lite version. It is built on a single piece which means most of the body is a single colour such as yellow, grey, turquoise and even a Pokémon Sword and Shield edition. The device has a matte finish on its compact form factor.
Price & Availability
The Nintendo Switch Lite will be sold for $199 which is $100 cheaper than its elder sibling. It is priced lower for a streamlined Switch experience with fewer features and certain inflexibilities. For the lower price users also skip out on TV compatibility, Tablet mode, HD Rumble and IR Motion Camera. However, it would not discourage its prospective buyers that are loyal to the Nintendo ecosystem.
Switch was a popular portable console that had won hearts across the globe. The new Switch Lite from Nintendo intends to do the same while banking on the popularity of its original iteration. Its new lower price point will make the price of entry more approachable in many different countries like India. Updates regarding the device’s launch in India will be provided soon as and when more informations is available.
The mainstream gaming term of the year can be coined under “Cloud Game Streaming.” Large corporations that are well renowned in the gaming community have already started the shift in focus towards hardware-less philosophy. The concept is not new by any means but Google’s announcement of Stadia clearly brought it to the mainstream medias’ attention. Now, Nintendo in a statement has addressed the implications of the new technology alongside its possible interests with it.
Multi-billion dollar corporations like Sony and Microsoft are already working on their own proprietary online service. The Window’s company has already announced the xCloud while the Sony will launch its PlayStation Now. Notably, both the companies already have their own major consoles, namely Xbox and PlayStation, which the service will seek to replace. Nintendo has been on the sidelines during the announcement of the aforementioned services, however, the company has not ruled it out entirely.
Nintendo, unlike Microsoft and Sony, has not revealed any involvement with the gaming buzz of the year. The company’s Switch which is a handheld portable gaming console offers much of the similar functions as the online game streaming service. One of the key selling points of cloud gaming is its portability; anyone with an internet connection can essentially game anywhere and on any device with a screen. Google Stadia was seen playing the popular gaming title Doom on the Pixel as an example.
Nintendo’s President was quoted saying that game streaming is still early but will soon catch on; the company will always strive to adapt to the dynamic gaming environment. Other top officials also stated that services like this cannot ever completely replace hardware-based consoles like the Switch. The company is rather open to future endeavours focused on cloud computing. It would help them bring its beloved title to more broader audiences across the globe.
The company is currently working on its subscription model that was teased at its E3 Gaming Expo Stage. It will review every product and offer the ones that are viable for the new business model to further expand its horizons. We might soon see one or another form of game streaming from Nintendo as a Switch was recently seen running popular AAA titles. The company while not actively promoting the service has discreetly tested games, like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey on its handheld machine. Popular titles like Mario might be soon appearing with subscription-based models.
Nintendo launched its latest gaming console, the Switch in the year 2017. The device has since seen record-breaking sales, with the company often failing the keep it sufficiently in stocks. It was expected that Nintendo will launch two new variants of the console in the form of a Switch Pro and Switch Mini but no details about them surfaced since. Now, a popular gadget tipster has leaked the renders and cases of the mini version of the Switch. It has been revealed that the device will be called the Nintendo Mini Switch and may be introduced in the market soon.
Nintendo Mini Switch
As mentioned above, the alleged Nintendo Mini Switch is the smaller variant of the gaming console. The leaker has revealed the cases of the console which exhibit a similar design to the regular Switch. However, the removable joy cons which are used as a remote control seem to be affixed on the Mini Switch. Also, the packaging of the case lists the product as of the Mini Switch 2. This is odd, considering not even the first generation of the device has been announced yet. The leaker claims the case maker is a legitimate source, but the name raises a few questions.
The leaked renders of the Nintendo Mini Switch reveal a similar story to the cases. The layout of the console is similar to the regular Switch, albeit in a smaller form factor. It is being speculated that when the device launches, it will support the same gaming titles as the Switch. Unfortunately, more details about the launch date, specs and features of the Nintendo Mini Switch are not known yet. However, the latest leaks suggest that the company may make an announcement regarding the console soon.
Nintendo’s keynote at E3 2019 went by in a flurry of new announcements. Some much-awaited titles have been further delayed, while other rumours have been since confirmed. The Japanese video game developer took the stage on the exact date as last year to talk about its share of promised new content for its loyal fanbase.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Confirmed
One of Nintendo’s most popular game franchise till date has been confirmed on getting a sequel. The game of the year winning title for 2017, had garnered critical acclaim in the gaming community for its breath-taking visual style and art forms. The company has not revealed any solid details apart from the video confirming the title currently being under development.
The Dark Crystal
Nintendo’s portable gaming console, the Switch, is receiving a new turn-based strategy game. The title will be based in the same universe as Netflix’s prequel called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The game is set on a fictional planet with different races and in the reveal, the trailer looks unique in its own right. The exact release has not been specified but will be available for purchase later on in 2019.
The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Unlike its mature-themed main storyline version, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening has a lot more cartoonish aesthetics going for it. The title is set to launch on 20th September 2019 and will feature great new visuals and game designs. New game modes will allow players to design their very own dungeon to challenge and run through.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Port
The award-winning title from one of the gaming industries most beloved studio’s, CD Projekt Red, is receiving a port. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is touted to be one of the best role-playing game (RPG) ever made. In late 2019, the game will finally receive a port to Nintendo’s Handheld Console, the Switch, giving players the ability to explore the rich world within the game on the go.
Resident Evil Port
Adding on to the already large catalogue of supported games on the Nintendo Switch, two more of Resident Evil series title have now been ported as well. The 5th and 6th instalment in the horror-action genre of the shooter wasn’t received as warmly as its predecessors but still sold relatively well. Both games will be launching this fall 2019.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
The underrated title from Nintendo receives its latest entry, that jumpstarts the franchise again with a myriad of new features. A blend of horror and comedy go hand-in-hand as seen as the trailer with more physical gameplay that allows players to tackle ghosts. The new instalment in the series now supports a co-op system, allowing for a friend to tag along as the squishy Gooigi. Luigi’s Mansion 3 will hit the shelves later in the year on the Switch.
Daemon X Machina
The game that was teased last year finally receives a trailer and it is exciting, to say the least. The game releases this September on the 13th and will feature warring mechs (giant fighting robots piloted by humans) go up against each other and large mechanical behemoths. This trailer was one of the few that garnered notable anticipation within the audience.
No More Heroes 3
The sequel to the 2nd entry in the franchise, No More Heroes 3 will pick up right after it infamously disliked ending with the predecessor. The game is as over the top as the previous titles and will feature the return of eccentric and highly amusing characters. Notably, the game in a bizarre manner will now also have flying mechs involved. Players will take control of Travis Touchdown again after the game releases in 2020.
Banjo-Kazooie Debut In Super Smash Bros
Super Smash Bros Ultimate, the title where many of the gaming community’s favourite character brawl it out for victory, receives a new set of characters. The fan favourites from Dragon Quest, Banjo-Kazooie are arriving in the game this fall and will bring new levels of fun-filled antics to the family-friendly franchise.
Panzer Dragoon
Nintendo is remaking the iconic Sega Saturn consoles shooter, Panzer Dragoon, for the Switch. The new version will feature updated visual fidelity alongside enhanced gameplay for new the generation and for the most part, will remain true to the original title. The expected launch date is year-end 2019.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Gamers that still have a Pokéball Plus in their homes can still make use of them. The upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Switch will not be controlled by the Pokéball, however, unlike Let’s Go. Now critters can be taken out of the game and into the real world, earning players various bonuses.
Cadence of Hyrule
Cadence of Hyrule took the world by surprise with its art styles and forms that make the game resemble an Indie development and not a AAA title. The musical spinoff of the Zelda franchise will launch relatively early, shipping to Switch on 13th June 2019.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The long-awaited title from Nintendo that was previously supposed to launch this year has received a delay. Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch will now be available on 20h March 2020. The title still carries the series iconic art style albeit in a more updated form that makes it look gorgeous in a cartoonish manner. Players are now tasked with building up a community on a deserted island with the latest entry.
Alien: Isolation and Dauntless Ports
Two of the new ports that have been announced caught everyone by surprise, welcomed nonetheless. Alien: Isolation, the terrifying horror game with the classic Xenomorph is arriving to Switch. It will be joined by the recent free-to-play monster-slaying title, Dauntless, that only recently received a port from PC to consoles. Both games will be available in late 2019.
Nintendo with its new announcements in the worlds largest gaming expo, E3 2019, is on its way to a jam-packed schedule for new releases and remakes. The company that manufactures its own handheld consoles have still remained relevant in the industry through its iconic games that have also withstood the test of time so far.
A long weekend is upon us! And what better way to pass time than call a couple of friends and munch on some chips while playing a video game?! In this article we will discuss the top games that you can play this weekend to keep yourself entertained!
Overcooked
Overcooked is a chaotic couch co-op cooking game for one to four players. The game is extremely great to pass time. The game challenges its players to play together and cook according to the orders that are received and have to be completed in a very short time. It gets increasingly difficult as you cross levels and one has to cook in different kitchens that have moving tables, cars passing through and deep pits that one can fall into.
The same old Spider-Man story, but told in a completely differently manner. This game features an experienced Peter Parker who’s more masterful at fighting big crime in New York City. He still struggles with his personal life but has to fight bad guys in his free time. The gameplay as well as the graphics are amazing. The story progresses quite well and Peter’s personal life collides with his alter ego’s to create a beautiful game for you to play this weekend.
EA Sports has done what it does best. The new Fifa 19 has improved graphics, improved gameplay and a better gaming experience overall. The game can be bought in three different versions: Standard, Champions edition and Ultimate edition. The Champions edition consists of the base game, 10 jumbo premium gold FUT packs, Christiano Ronaldo loan, Neymar Jr loan and special edition FUT kits. The Ultimate edition has all the other features as the Champions edition, except it has 25 jumbo premium gold FUT packs instead of 10.
The Call Of Duty games have always been the hype of every season.A multiplayer first-person shooter developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, the game is an absolute beast and has a battle royale mode that can be enjoyed with friends as well. The game has three different gameplay options, namely deathmatches and domination matches, Zombie mode and Blackout Mode.
The eleventh major instalment, and twentieth overall, in the Assassin’s Creed series, Odyssey features breathtaking graphics, a huge game world and plenty of missions and side quests to keep you entertained. As with past Assassin’s Creed games, this game is also extremely extensive. Take a ship or fight on ground, this game is sure to entertain!
’90s kids rejoice. If you thought you had grown out of the Pokémon craze then think again. Nintendo has announced Pokémon GO, an augmented reality app for Android and iOS users that allows users to become Pokémon trainers in the real world where they can hunt for and battle Pokémon.
The app will use real-time location information that will encourage players to explore their neighbourhood, communities, find friends and rivals to play, trade, duel, and discover Pokémons together.
Let’s be honest, as kids we’ve always wanted a Pokémon game that was more than what the Game Boy offered (though they were pretty cool as well). Now, as slightly older kids we can finally live the dream.
We’ll just leave this video here for you.
Nintendo will also bring out the Pokémon Go Plus. This is a wearable Nintendo-built Bluetooth device for the wrist so that you can play the game without having to open the app on your phone. Basically this device will beep and buzz when a virtual Pokémon is detected near your area. So if a virtual Pikachu is hanging around in your backyard, the device will buzz and flash notifying you that a Pokémon is nearby and ready to be captured. All you need now is an Ash Ketchum cap and you’re ready to ‘Go’.
Nintendo has teamed up with Google Spin-off company Niantic and The Pokémon Company to develop this AR game. Nintendo has released 3D augmented realtiy games on the Nintendo 3DS. This, however, will be the first time Nintendo enters the smartphone gaming area.
The game is expected to come out next year. It is still too early to know whether Pokémon fans are ready to walk out on to the street and wave their hands and phones in the air, trying to catch Pokémon. But for now, the video sure blows us away and the excitement is real.
We all grew up playing it. We grew up, obsessing about ‘The’ ultimate game. But do we really know anything else about Mario other than the fact that he’s a brick breaking, flower shooting, turtle hunting, plumber?
1. Nintendo president, Hiroshi Yamauchi was desperate to try and break into the arcade games division in North America but they turned out to be a complete disaster to the American consumers with the game, Radarscope.
2. In 1979, Nintendo hired Shigeru Miyamoto who was then simply an in-house artist, to create a game that would salvage the situation. And indeed, it did. Donkey Kong was born.
Artist, Shigeru Miyamoto
3. Before Mario became Mario, Donkey Kong was loosely conceptualised on Popeye. However, since Nintendo lost the exclusive rights to the cartoon series, Miyamoto was left with his own imagination.
4. Donkey Kong was about a carpenter who had to save his girlfriend from his pet gorilla. This little carpenter helped Nintendo hammer its way into the American arcade game scene. Donkey Kong sold over 65,000 units, totally.
5. That carpenter then, was called ‘Jumpman.’ However, everyone knew that Jumpman didn’t identify with the American audience and Nintendo had to come up with something approachable.
6. Many wouldn’t know that Mario is named after, Mario Segali. Who was he? He was the Nintendo warehouses landlord that barged into their office asking for his rent. Hence, Arakawa named him Mario and the rest was history, as they say.
7. Mario debuted in his own game in 1981 with ‘Mario Bros.’ It was about him and his brother, Luigi, who were now plumbers, trying to complete various tasks in order to save the day.
8. Mario Bros has sold 200 million units till today but this still wasn’t the winner for Nintendo till Super Mario came out in 1983 (that sold 500,000 famicoms within 2 weeks) Never thought a couple of plumbers could do that, did you?
9. Design wise, it’s interesting to note that an artist instead of a programmer, created this iconic game. But this is exactly what Nintendo needed in order to break into other markets. He was fresh with his ideas and lent a story-like element to the game.
“I didn’t know how to make a really cool character..so I made Mario.” – Shigeru Miyamoto
10. When Mario was first created, he had a bright red cap because it was tough to animate hair and make it move and he had a thick moustache so that the makers didn’t have to draw a mouth. He wore bright overalls so that he was easily visible too.
Miyamoto is a world famous name today, with other iconic games like legend of Zelda series, Star Fox, Wii Sports/ Play/ Fit. And Mario then went on to evolve into a three dimensional character with numerous versions of the basic game, like Mario Kart, Mario Space, Mario Golf, coming out. However, no one could replace the originality and simplicity of the first game and the characters it involved.
Today, either the sheer simplicity of Mario the plumber would get lost or we would finally get to witness Mario’s world through an Oculus Rift. While some might call it outdated, others would do anything to bring a part of their childhood memories back. Which one would you be?
Nintendo, as we all know, is the world’s largest video game company that has produced several famous titles. Super Mario World, Pokemon, Legend of Zelda were a part of everyone’s childhood if they were born in the 90s. The good news is that the company is back, and will soon be releasing five smartphone games by March 2017.
On March, Nintendo joined hands with DeNA, a Japanese company that makes free games for mobile phones. The two companies intend to make new gaming applications featuring Nintendo IP, which will be developed specifically for smartphones. Nintendo and DeNA also agreed to develop cross-platform service that will run on smartphones, tablets, PCs and Nintendo’s own devices. Satoru Iwata said that a new line of games would be developed for the smartphones instead of porting existing titles.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”Satoru Iwata” author_title=”CEO of Nintendo Co., Ltd”]
Regarding the number of the titles, you may want to know that we will release approximately five titles by the end of the next fiscal year, which is the end of March 2017. You may think it is a small number, but when we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases thoroughly, this is not a small number at all and should demonstrate our serious commitment to the smart device business.
[/quote]
Nintendo will continue to make new games in future, and is working on a new console with codename ‘NX’. Iwata stated that the company is eyeing on smartphone gaming to generate a good amount of revenue. Seems like Nintendo will bring down the rain with these five new releases.
Following some pretty miserable financial results, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said he will take a 50% cut to his salary. For at least the next five months, Iwata will take home half as much money as usual, and other prominent executive staff will see pay reductions as well. Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda, will take a 30% pay cut, while other board members will take a 20% pay cut.
The cuts will stay in place until June, when the board will see if it deserves to go back to normal. That will depend not so much on a turnaround in the Wii U’s fortunes – which won’t really be evident until nearer Christmas – but in how Nintendo presents itself to investors and convinces them it has a new plan for turning themselves around.
The struggling Japanese gaming firm revealed profits slumped 30 per cent in the nine months to December, falling to 10.2 billion yen (£60 million).
Nintendo also warned it expects sales to “decrease significantly” in the current quarter as Christmas sales end.
The Super Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong creator has been weighed down by weaker-than-expected sales of its Wii U console, launched at the end of 2012.
Nintendo will be holding a big corporate meeting tomorrow to outline and plan its new business strategy.
Nintendo has released its latest financial results, and revealed quarterly Wii U hardware sales of just 160,000. Software sales for the system were just 1.3 million units.
During the period Nintendo sold 90,000 Wii U consoles in Japan, 60,000 in the US and only 10,000 in Europe and Australia.
In the previous three months Wii U sales were 390,000 hardware units and 13.42 million games, which left the company short of it’s projected 4 million sales in the financial year.
For the three months ended June 30 net sales were up 3.8 per cent to ¥81.5 billion ($832.6m / £547.5m) with net profit at ¥8.6 billion ($88m / £57.9m), compared to a loss of ¥17.2 billion for the same period last year.
Nintendo suffered an operating loss during the period of ¥4.9 billion ($50.2m / £33m) due to research and development for the Wii U and increased marketing costs overseas for the 3DS.
A lack of software support – both from Nintendo’s own in-house development teams and third-party publishers – combined with a high initial price tag and a slow user interface did little to accelerate sales over the Christmas period.
Almost nine months on and little has changed. Nintendo has slashed the price of the Wii U, but the games drought continues. Considerable mismanagement over the functionality of the console and its innovative GamePad tablet controller has also done little to persuade consumers.
A five-year-old boy in Colorado got a nasty surprise on Christmas morning when he unwrapped a Nintendo from Santa to find it had pornographic images on it. His father said he had to return the refurbished Nintendo 3DS Santa had left under the Christmas tree after discovering the images on the device purchased at GameStop.
Unfortunately for all involved, the device wasn’t properly wiped of its previous owner’s content, which included porn. As such, Braydon discovered the images while playing with the device and asked his brother for help in getting rid of them.
Mark Giles, from Colorado, said his son Bryton had been waiting all year for a Nintendo 3DS but when he finally opened it both father and child broke into tears.
He cried as he told NBC News his son told him about the porn straight away, saying “Dad, I don’t think you should be looking at these pictures.”
“I just handed him the 3DS,” Bryton said.
After complaining to GameStop electronics store where he had bought the device, Mr Giles said he was told the six homemade images were put there by a previous owner and weren’t spotted before the device was resold. But he said the damage had already been done when it came to his son.
[quote]”You can’t unsee this, he’s five years old… he’s not going to forget about this tomorrow,” he said.[/quote]
GameStop has issued a statement saying it wants to make it up to the Giles family.
[quote]”We have a rigorous quality control process in place to ensure that existing content is removed from all devices before they are re-sold. Out of millions of transactions each year, ones like this happen very rarely. Our number one priority is to make this right for our customer,” the company said.[/quote]
GameStop sent the family a new Nintendo 3DS, as well as a handful of games.
Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U gaming console will start at $300 and go on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 18, in time for the holidays, the company said Thursday.
A “deluxe” version will sell for $350. It will be black instead of white and include extra features such as more memory, a charging stand and the game “Nintendo Land.”
Nintendo Co. has been trying to drum up excitement for the Wii U, which is the first major gaming console to launch since 2006. The device has a touch-screen controller called the Wii U GamePad. It also plays games made for the original Wii.
Nintendo said the latest game in its wildly popular Mario franchise, “New Super Mario Bros. U,” will be available when the new console launches. It will include new ways to play that use the GamePad. It will also offer new challenges for advanced Mario players, such as trying to complete a level without touching the ground. “Mario” and other classic games have long been Nintendo’s main draw.
The company also announced new entertainment features for the console. Called “Nintendo TVii,” the service collects all the ways users have to watch movies, TV shows and sports. This includes pay-TV accounts along with services such as Hulu and Netflix. The GamePad works as a fancy remote controller and will let viewers browse shows they can watch.
TVii “brings all of your services to one place,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America.
So if you like the TV show “Modern Family,” for example, it will pull in the show’s episodes from every available source.
