wii

Gamers beware: Nintendo Wii U will be region-locked

Nintendo's Wii U is following in its predecessors' footsteps with region-locking.

A company representative reportedly told famed Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently that the Wii U won't allow gamers to play titles imported from other regions. The news was published today by posters on gaming forums NeoGaf. Nintendo then appeared to confirm its Famitsu statement to CVG.

Region-locking is common in the gaming space. The restriction stops gamers from playing titles available in other regions on their respective devices. Nintendo's Wii, along with all of its predecessors dating back to the Nintendo Entertainment System, are region-locked. Microsoft … Read more

The 404 1,131: Where where we play ketchup (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Nintendo turns on TVii for Wii U.

- The closest thing we've got to a Nintendo Wii U launch list.

- Nintendo Wii U arrives November 18 starting at $299.

- Is the iPhone 5 worth cutting off your penis?

- London theater employing volunteer ninjas to confront rude moviegoers.

- Enter CNET's Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes for a chance to win a home theater set!

- Bathroom break video: Hop! The Suitcase That Follows You… Read more

At $299, Wii U offers 'strong value,' says Nintendo's Fils-Aime

Is Nintendo's Wii U delivering the right value to consumers? The company's chief operating officer Reggie Fils-Aime certainly thinks so.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published today, Fils-Aime said that the Wii U Basic Set, which will retail for $299 when it goes on sale on November 18 in the U.S., "is a really strong value, and it's a value that's going to be strong for a long time."

Nintendo announced details of the Wii U at a press event yesterday in New York City. The device comes in two sets … Read more

The 404 1,130: Where Wii play with power (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ho-hum. The iPhone 5 isn't going to wow anyone

- Don't kid your selves, Apple's dock connector change is awful

- Planning for winter: the worst accessory for your new iPhone

- "Tupac hologram" maker Digital Domain files for bankruptcy

- Emoticon creator says emojis are "ugly"

Bathroom break video: 770 pounds of eggs spill onto the road in China, gets looted… Read more

Nintendo sets Wii U price, unveils TVii

Wii play around for Thursday's Nintendo news roundup:

Nintendo announced that its new Wii U game console will be available in the U.S. on Nov. 18, coming in two flavors. The white "Basic" bundle is $300 and comes with a GamePad and Wii U with 8 GB of memory. But it makes more sense to pick up the $350 black "Deluxe" bundle, which includes a 32 GB Wii U system, charger, stand and Nintendo Land. Nintendo Land is a pack of 12 mini games which use the GamePad and allow 5 people to play … Read more

Nintendo TVii tries to succeed where Google TV has failed

As expected, Nintendo finally announced pricing and a release date for the upcoming Wii U, but the biggest surprise of the company's press conference was the announcement of TVii -- Nintendo's pitch to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment experience.

It's no shock that Nintendo is integrating streaming-video services like Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, and YouTube into the Wii U, but TVii is a far more ambitious platform, capable of cross-platform search through both streaming-video services and live TV listings, providing complementary second-screen information on the GamePad screen, and controlling your DVR and other home … Read more

The closest thing we've got to a Nintendo Wii U launch list

A lot was learned at the Nintendo Wii U preview event in New York this morning, but surprisingly enough, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime did not deliver a definitive launch list of Wii U titles available alongside the console on November 18.

Instead, much to the attending crowd's chagrin, Fils-Aime said "it's still a little too early to guarantee exactly which games will be here for you on launch day itself and which will come shortly thereafter." Mind you, the "launch window" Fils-Aime is referring to spans from November 18, 2012, all the way to March 31, 2013.… Read more

Nintendo Wii U arrives November 18 starting at $299

At a press conference today in New York, Nintendo announced long-awaited details about the upcoming Wii U video game console. The system will be available in the U.S. starting November 19, and will cost $299 and up.

First teased more than one year ago at E3 2011, the Wii U is the first mover in the generation of game consoles beyond the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Since its 2011 announcement, we've seen and sampled Wii U hardware and games a few times, but without any official information on how much the system and its accessories will … Read more

Nintendo turns on TVii for Wii U

Nintendo has taken the wraps off a new entertainment experience for its Wii U.

The company's COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, today announced a new initiative known as Nintendo TVii that's designed to help users find and watch television shows, movies, and sports broadcasts. The offering comes with Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video support. It also integrates with TiVo DVRs. Upon clicking a channel listing on the Wii U GamePad controller, users can also watch it directly through their televisions.

Nintendo TVii is designed to offer a dual-screen entertainment experience with the GamePad and components connected to the … Read more

The Nintendo Wii U press conference: Join us Thursday (live blog)

Since they were first teased more than one year ago at E3 2011, we've seen and sampled Wii U hardware and games a few times, but without any official information on how much the system and its accessories will cost, or when it would be available, beyond the holiday 2012 time frame.

All that is expected to change on Thursday morning in New York, where Nintendo is hosting a press conference just one day after Apple's iPhone 5 event.… Read more