nintendo

Microsoft Japan: We can learn from Wii

CHIBA, Japan--Microsoft for years has been trying to bring more consumers into computer gaming, but Nintendo was the company that figured out how to do it, said Yasutoshi Magara, managing director of Microsoft Japan, in a briefing at Ceatec Japan 2007, the country's big technology trade show.

The Xbox 360, Magara said, was designed mostly with a relatively well-defined demographic in mind, namely 18- to 30-year-old males into networking games.

"They (the console developers at Microsoft) start there," he said.

By contrast, Nintendo, with the launch of its Wii motion-sensing console, aimed for the family and developed … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week--importers rejoice

Straying away from the typical trio of releases, Nintendo today has unveiled just two new virtual console games for the week. Previously available only as imports, these titles carry jacked-up prices.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986, NES, 600 Wii points)--We got a vegetable-yanking game and Japan got the true sequel--and unless you played Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES, this will be the first time you're exposed to Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the true Super Mario Bros. 2. Sin and Punishment (2000, Nintendo 64, 1,200 Wii points)--This on-rails shooter may be a … Read more

A Link to New York

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass ships this week, so naturally Nintendo tried to get the word out. The company threw a shindig at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center last Sunday, showing off Phantom Hourglass and giving Zelda fans a chance to play the game early.

The event included a Zelda-themed costume contest and trivia contests, where winners got to leave with their own copies of Phantom Hourglass. The store also brought out plenty of old Zelda memorabilia to display, ranging from Link action figures to the life-size, metal Master Sword and Hyrule Shield Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Two classic franchises round out this week's virtual console releases. But don't worry, there's a token TurboGrafx 16 game hiding behind them.

Kirby's Avalanche (1995, Super Nintendo, 800 Wii points)--In this departure from the conventional platforming you're used to in other Kirby adventures, Kirby's Avalanche will have you racking your brain in this fast-paced color matching puzzle game. Streets of Rage 3 (1994, Genesis, 800 Wii points)--A staple series in the beat-em-up genre, Streets of Rage brought great action and gameplay to consoles everywhere. In this third installment of the franchise, you … Read more

Why 'Halo 3' will decide the Xbox 360's fate

With Halo 3 hype soaring, people are already dreaming about fragging aliens, dual-wielding machine guns and taunting 12-year-old kids when they sneak up behind them and put one in their head in a massive online battle.

But what many may not realize is that tomorrow's release of Halo 3 could be a watershed moment for Microsoft and the Xbox 360. With a blockbuster title that will surely captivate millions across the globe, the Xbox 360 will be the most played video game console for the month of October and should catapult the system to the top of the video game world.

As we're all aware, Nintendo currently enjoys the top spot in the video game console war. With nearly 404,000 Wii units sold last month alone, Nintendo is hands down the most successful hardware company of this generation. And while Nintendo fans are quick to cite this number when their favorite console is under attack, they fail to mention how it compares to previous months.

According to The NPD Group, Nintendo Wii sales dropped 5 percent from July, while the Xbox 360, with 277,000 units sold, witnessed a sales increase of 63 percent from July. To round it out, the abysmal Playstation 3 sold just 131,000 units--a drop of nearly 18 percent.

Sure, the Nintendo Wii is doing well and it continues to sell better than the competition, but the main reason the Xbox 360 did so well last month was its software. Most notably, Madden. According to NPD, Electronic Arts sold 897,000 copies of the Xbox 360 version of Madden, representing the first time in years that a non-Sony console topped the Madden sales list.

I've said it once and I'll say it again--software and software alone will drive hardware sales after the initial hype dies down. And if the 5 percent drop in sales is any indication, maybe the Nintendo Wii's hype is finally dropping too.

Halo 3 will undoubtedly be the biggest game of the year. With millions already enjoying previous iterations, tomorrow's release could be the biggest we have ever seen. For many casual gamers, the release of Halo 3 means it's time to buy an Xbox 360. And it's this cadre of individuals that Microsoft has been waiting for.… Read more

Finally, the Wii Lightsaber game is announced!

Ever since Nintendo unveiled the Wii and its funky remote, gamers have been dreaming of Wiimote-controlled lightsaber battles. It's been a long time coming, but LucasArts finally revealed its Wii lightsaber game: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

We've known about Force Unleashed for a few months now; the game has been scheduled to hit virtually every major platform for some time, and its absence on the Wii's upcoming titles list didn't go unnoticed. Now it's finally been announced for the Wii, and a few new details have come out about the game. The Wii version … Read more

Vote: Battle of the nonviolent robots (The Elite 1000)

Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Final Four matchups here.

Get it now! Your updated, printer-friendly tournament bracket.

This is why they call it Late September Lack-of-Sanity. Upsets, upsets, upsets were the theme of last week's nonviolent robot vote-battles, and only two No. 1 seeds are still in the mix.

Which nonviolent robots will win their division finals and go on to the Final Four? Vote for the winners right now; you have until Sept. 23 to vote on these Elite 1000 matchups.

See last week's final scores … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Glad to see another Nintendo 64 title has made it to the virtual console, although I'm anticipating some disappointment with the selection.

Yoshi's Story (1998, Nintendo 64, 1,000 Wii points)--After Baby Bowser casts a spell on Yoshi Island leaving it in the form of a storybook, six Yoshis must band together and dethrone the evil Baby Browser and restore happiness to Yoshi Island. Super Thunder Blade (1988, Genesis, 800 Wii points)--A Sega Genesis launch title, Super Thunder Blade is a helicopter combat game where you must fire upon all kinds of submarines, tanks, and more … Read more

Charge any PSP via USB with a $20 accessory

One of the advertised improvements of the new PSP Slim was the fact that it could be recharged via its USB port. And while that may not sound like a major feature, for anyone who's ever traveled with a tangle of three, four, or even more AC adapters (laptop, phone, iPod, BlackBerry, ...), it was certainly an attractive idea. Unfortunately, it didn't quite deliver. Yes, the new PSP can be charged via its topside USB port, but the caveats involved make it more trouble than it's worth: the USB charging is almost twice as slow, only works when the PSP is powered on and in a dedicated USB charge mode, and it needs a PC as a source--it won't charge from a standalone AC-to-USB adapter. Thankfully, a handy accessory from Kensington provides a much better USB charging solution--and it works with both newer PSPs and the original models.… Read more