3DS

Heading into E3 2012, Nintendo is either the easiest of the Big Three gaming companies to handicap, or the hardest, depending on your perspective.

We know, absolutely, that Nintendo's next-gen Wii U gaming console will reappear at this year's show. We know that games will finally be unveiled for this system. Yet, we largely have no idea what those games are. Nintendo's veil of secrecy on its software lineup is a little more opaque than it is for Sony and Microsoft...or so it seems. Here's what we think will happen.… Read more

As we head toward E3 2012 in Los Angeles, I've noticed something curious in the air:

No one really cares.

By "no one" I mean no one who's not a gamer, of course. The general public, even the casual technology fan. Compared with years past when friends would try to pump me for information on when the next PlayStation would come out, whether there would be anything new for the Wii...well, this year, it feels like radio silence. The video game fan at my local Starbucks who kept asking me about the Nintendo 3DS a year ago barely has any questions to ask. My friend who bought a Wii two years ago doesn't seem interested. I couldn't use E3 to start a conversation if I tried.

It's seemed that way on the appointment-making end of things, too: other than Nintendo's inevitable reveal of more details on the Wii U, we're entering this year's E3 with a stunning lack of new hardware...or even of new hardware rumors. The oft-wondered-about "When will we get a new Xbox or PlayStation?" chatter has already been shot down by Sony and Microsoft, which claim there won't be a PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 at this year's E3.

I do know one thing, though: E3 needs a new product.… Read more

In today's show, the postman always scans twice, a new Kindle could let you read in the dark, and catch all the Pokémon hiding in your living room:

We're keeping a close eye on Facebook as it prepares to go public on the Nasdaq this week. Values for its initial public offering are in the $34 to $38 range. At the high end, it would make Facebook worth more than $100 billion. But we will find out Thursday what the actual initial stock price will be.

But will it keep that high value for long? A poll shows … Read more

Gaming giant Nintendo noted today that it will soon cease production of the Aqua Blue 3DS in Japan.

The announcement comes a few months after the debut of a Cobalt Blue 3DS in Japan, which seems likely to arrive in the U.S. sometime in the near future. For those of you still keeping up with the crazy color calamity, Nintendo also plans a Midnight Purple 3DS shade, set to debut in May. … Read more

It's been a tough time for handheld game systems that aren't phones or tablets. Sometimes, the only real solution is a price drop.

Nintendo is lowering the prices of the Nintendo DSi and DSi XL, the larger-screened version of the DSi, to prices that, frankly, most people probably imagined they'd be at anyway: $99 and $129, respectively. These prices take effect May 20. The Nintendo DSi currently has an MSRP of $149 while the DSi XL is $169, which seems ridiculous considering the more powerful but more battery-challenged Nintendo 3DS now costs $169.

Meanwhile, the Nintendo DS Lite … Read more

Every weekday afternoon, CNET Update delivers the top tech stories of the day. The show keeps a close eye on emerging trends, hot devices and new apps. And it's all in less than three minutes.

In today's show, Microsoft's got the hots for Nook, LG has its head in the cloud, and we're battling pigs in space! (space! space! space!):

Microsoft is investing $300 million in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary that will handle digital and college business. With this investment, expect the Nook to become a stronger player against the Kindle and iPad.

A … Read more

The 3DS and Wii could do nothing to save Nintendo during its most recent fiscal year.

The company today released the results of its fiscal year that ended March 31 (PDF) and revealed that revenue slid 36.2 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. Nintendo ended its year with revenue of 647.6 billion yen (about $8 billion), versus over 1 trillion yen in the prior year.

Due to sluggish sales, Nintendo posted a net loss for the year of 43.2 billion yen ($532.5 million). In the prior year, it had generated a profit of 77.6 … Read more

On today's show, you'll learn how Apple is manipulating the naming devices of network technology to convince users they're getting "4G" speeds, the final sale of the original house in the "Home Alone" movies, and how something called "The QWERTY effect" can spot nuances in language.

We're also giving away five codes for the game Mighty Switch Force for the Nintendo 3DS. To enter, just add The 404, Jeff, and Justin on Twitter and tweet us your favorite 404 episode from 2012 with #4043DS. We'll select five winners at random on Monday!… Read more

The Xbox 360 continues to be a bright spot in a sluggish gaming market.

Grabbing more than 42 percent of all console sales, the popular platform scored 426,000 in unit sales last month, according to Microsoft.

Xbox aficionados shelled out a total of $383 million in February on hardware, software, and accessories--the most amount spent for any gaming console.

For the month, 5 of the top 10 games in the U.S. were aimed at the Xbox, including Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, UFC Undisputed, NBA 2K12, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Nintendo saw … Read more