DFC Intelligence says Wii U sales won’t top Wii

DFC Intelligence released a report last week that reflected on the future of the gaming industry. People are always speculating on when Microsoft and Sony are planning to update their systems. Nintendo is the only company that we know will have a new system next year and DFC Intelligence says that while it will sell well, it won’t beat out the Wii sales. “Systems like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are having their best sales ever five or six years into their lifecycle. Unfortunately this means Microsoft and Sony are in no hurry to launch new systems that would generate substantial consumer excitement and spending,” says DFC analyst David Cole. DFC forecast that the Nintendo Wii U will have strong sales, but will not reach the level of success of the first Wii system. “The dedicated console business is still the major driver of industry growth, but we feel

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Nintendo making permanent changes to the Wii in Europe

Nintendo is creating a new Wii package for sale in Europe this holiday season. What makes it different? Well, first off, the console has a new, smaller size. How did they come about that smaller size? Cutting backwards compatibility. This console is also designed to sit horizontally, as opposed to in the vertical stand some people (like myself) use. If you’re in Europe and want to play GameCube titles on a Wii, you’d probably better buy one now, as the redesign will be replacing the old console. This new package will include Wii Party and Wii Sports along with a Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk. No word on whether this will spread to other territories, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

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‘Disney Universe’ adds classic character costumes

A Disney game has managed to fly completely over my head, it seems. In Disney Universe, set for release this fall on PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC and Mac, you play as…well, I don’t know what to call them. Perhaps “things that you dress up” is sufficient? Anyway, you dress up these things as Disney characters and explore six worlds from various Disney films (Pixar included). Your exploration is aided by characters like Alice, Mike, Sulley and Stitch. I’m not entirely sure what the point is, but the press release was pretty sure to note that this is the first time some characters and world have been united. I am not sure if Kingdom Hearts counts in this tally. If it does, I’ll switch that “first” to “third,” because you could totally summon some characters no matter where you were. So, ha? You can also team up with three of

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Nintendo announces a slew of release dates

Your next year might be pretty busy, if you’re primarily a Wii and DS gamer, or at least someone with kids to entertain. Nintendo published a huge list of release dates for both consoles this weekend. Here’s some links to the Wii list and the DS list if you’d like to see them in their raw form. However, you don’t have to look at them that way if you don’t want to — Joystiq did some shuffling and managed to organize them in a much more readable fashion. (I thank them for that, seriously.) I’ve republished that whole list below. What are you shelling out for? 2K Play Wii: Nicktoons MLB — August Nickelodeon Dance — November DS: Nicktoons MLB — August Dora and Kai-Lan’s Pet Shelter — November Team Umizoomi — November Activision   Wii: Transformers: Dark of the Moon — June Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure — Oct. 16 Generator

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Nintendo President confused by Investor reactions during E3

Nintendo focused this year’s E3 on two things: 3DS and the announcement of Wii U. The Wii U won’t go on sale until next year and because of that specifics on the new console/controller were not announced. Perhaps this lead to the consumer confusion about the announcement because Nintendo shares fell almost 10 percent in two days after the press conference. “Honestly speaking, the reaction to (Tuesday’s) presentation and what I heard from people I met and the mood of the convention did not chime at all with what happened in the stock market,” Iwata said in an interview at the E3 games show in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “It’s very strange.” Iwata was quick to point out that people also doubted the Wii in 2006. The concept for the Wii U is to bring new gaming experiences to both casual and the more dedicated hard core gamers. “In the

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Here’s every title announced during Nintendo’s press conference

You’ve got a 3DS. You want more games for it, I’m sure. Nintendo’s press conference didn’t disappoint you if you love first-party games, for sure. Third-party stuff is on the way. But you want specifics. I’ll give them to you. Several of these were not at all surprising, given that they’ve been discussed before. Most of these will launch before the end of the year. Luigi’s Mansion 2 Super Mario 3D Mario Kart 3D Starfox 64 3D Tekken 3D Kid Icarus: Uprising Animal Crossing 3DS LEGO City Stories (Also showing up on Wii U) A new Super Smash Bros. that will work with Wii U in some capacity Don’t forget that there are other titles on the way, like two different Resident Evil titles, but these other third-parties didn’t get the same kind of exposure onstage. What sorts of things can we expect to see on the newest console, Wii

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The Wii name lives on in Wii U

It’s not Wii University, even though it sounds like it. Wii U is the brand-new Nintendo console revealed this morning at Nintendo’s E3 press conference. Think about it like a couple of subject pronouns. We You. Something for everyone…and yourself, too. Nintendo representatives were very into emphasizing that this console would be for everyone, even the hardcore gamer. The console’s biggest feature is the controller, which features a 6.2″ touchscreen, a camera, two thumbsticks, a D-pad and more. Take a look at the announcement trailer to get a look at how it works: So you can play your Wii U game on the touchscreen if someone wants to watch television, use a stylus with the screen, and it looks like that screen is key to a ton of innovative ways to play games. You can move things from the small screen to the big screen, or even connect that unit

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Liveblogging Nintendo’s 2011 E3 press conference

Hi, everyone! Time for another day of E3 goodness. First out of the gate today is Nintendo. We’ll be seeing their new console for sure, and probably finding out the fate of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Is it getting a dual release, or is it for Wii only? Several questions, no answers (yet). We’re about to get them. Join us, won’t you? Nintendo @ E3 2011

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Interview: Laura Karpman, Composer

Lately, I have had the great pleasure of interviewing some of the composers who from “behind the scenes”, help take games to the next level.  Without an amazing soundtrack, most games would lack depth and emotion.  One of these composers is Laura Karpman.  With a career in film, television, video games, concert and theater music, this four time Emmy winning composer was given the the opportunity to write the original music score to the newly released Kung Fu Panda 2 (THQ) video game.  Through Asian instrumentals and character-driven inspiration, maestra Laura Karpman and music co-producer Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum worked closely with the development  studio Griptonite Games to bring this video game to life.   “Imaginative, colorful…surprisingly   varied music.” -Variety Her portfolio includes Steven Spielberg’s Emmy award-winning miniseries Taken (DreamWorks), Emmy nominated TV series Odyssey 5 (Showtime), Annie nominated score for the animated film A Monkey’s Tale commissioned by the Chinese Government, and the highly anticipated network

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Opinion: Can Video Games Make A Positive Change?

We are living in the age of technology with 3D Televisions, the internet and, smart phones.  Gizmos, gadgets, electronics and social media are around every corner.  It’s kind of funny to imagine life without these things years ago.  One person can survive in the comfort of their home, never having to go out.  I’m not one to encourage hermitage, however I myself use almost all of these on a daily basis.  I’m still inclined to shop in a store versus shopping online, but that’s just me.  I have seen firsthand how gaming can bring positive changes in one’s life despite the years of negativity towards games. Through twitter, I have found GamingAngels.  The staff has embraced me as one of their own and in the months I have been working with them, have found a nice little family.  Although we are spread out across the nation, gaming, social media & the

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