Nintendo 3DS business/general talk *spin-off feat. 3DS as a P.I. in New Orleans

[patsu]

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/24/iwata-claus-drops-a-holiday-nintendo-direct-dec-26/

Iwata will host another video press conference on December 27 at noon JST, or 10PM EST on December 26, according to a new "event" set up on the publisher's Ustream site. This time, we suspect we'll learn release dates -- or windows -- for at least some of its big upcoming releases, like Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Tennis, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, or Paper Mario.

 

[Mendel]

I´ve played through Mario 3d Land, Ghost Recon and Mario Kart 7 now and I started with OoT.

Magic is still there with OoT but I´ll be damned if I wouldn´t rather play this on a tv screen. This would be perfect as a wiiware release. 3d would be impressive if the viewing angle wasn´t so bad. I´d actually rather view it with glasses and have the effect stay when I turn the device or my head slightly.

Still, the absolutely favourite game is rather surprisingly the Ghost Recon game. I was surprised to find out after beating it that Julian Gollop was responsible for it. So now I know why the game was so awesome (Too bad for no online multiplayer though.)

I have to say, I´d almost rather hold a nes controller than the 3ds. They dropped the ball here with regards to ergonomics. My hands start aching after like an hour of gaming with it (I have no problem with extended sessions with pads of any console after and including gamecube)

 

[patsu]

I was told the 3DS dual stick extender is more ergonomic. From the side profile, it seems to support L2/R2 also ? It looks ugly though. Not sure if the off-centered sticks will cause any awkwardness.

 

[Sigfried1977]

I have to say, I´d almost rather hold a nes controller than the 3ds. They dropped the ball here with regards to ergonomics. My hands start aching after like an hour of gaming with it (I have no problem with extended sessions with pads of any console after and including gamecube)

Agreed. As ugly ass the circle pad add-on may be, I figure it can only help with the poor ergonomics of the system.

 

[patsu]

Oh-so-rare educational title on consoles...

3DS Edutainment Game Earthpedia Resurfaces
http://andriasang.com/comzlc/earthpedia/

Gakken's Earthpedia was one of the earliest announced 3DS titles, but we've heard nothing about it outside of its name. Until now, that is. The publisher kicked off pre-orders today and at long last told us just what the game is about.

Earthpedia is an edutainment title where you play as an international agent who must conduct investigations about the life and knowledge of Earth.

The game has five categories: Nature, Culture, Science & Technology, Space and Supernatural. Using your "i-Gear" to scan AR cards, you'll be able to view life forms in your hand. For its AR technology, the game uses a middleware called Qoncept AR Engine for Nintendo 3DS.

...

 

[patsu]

May be we will see more of Nintendo's budding network soon...

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Has Paid DLC and "Nintendo Network" Support
http://andriasang.com/comzpx/theatrhythm_ff_nintendo_network/

Tetsuya Nomura said recently that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will have download content. Now, thanks to some pics that have surfaced showing the game's dummy box art, we know it has paid download content, as well as support for what may be a new Nintendo online initiative .

...

 

[patsu]

Nintendo Lowers Earnings Forecasts, Expects Major Loss
http://andriasang.com/comzro/nintendo_earnings/

As part of its quarterly earnings report today, Nintendo slashed its earnings forecast for the full year ending March 31, 2012 and also cut shipment forecasts for 3DS and Wii hardware and software.

The company had previously forecast (on October 27, 2011) sales of 790,000 million yen, operating income of 1,000 million yen, and a net loss of 20,000 million yen. It now expects sales of 660,000 million yen, an operating loss of 45,000 million yen, and a net loss of 65,000 million yen.

Reasons for the changes include stronger-than-expected yen appreciation and lowered unit sales forecasts.

...

 

[wco81]

time to start looking at developing on mobile devices.

It's inevitable. They can forget about a huge market for handhelds and the WiiU is going to come out to an uncertain market.

 

[patsu]

3DS essentially cannibalized DS almost completely after the price drop. It's inevitable for them to lower DS software and hardware unit sales.

I don't think 3DS and WiiU strategies are mutually exclusive to iOS + Android support too, but let's see what Nintendo has in mind.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34570072&postcount=2489

"What we saw last E3 is not a reflection of everything this console is able to offer. We have been trying the development kits and some of its new characteristics will improve its possibilities. It isn't something like Kinect or similar accessories, it's something different.

I can't tell you more about it because, if I do, Nintendo will send assassins to finish me! (laughs) But let’s say that Wii U will be a console with so many and unique possibilities that it will be difficult to show them in the box they are going to sell it or to be published by magazines and other mediums," said Yoshinori Ono.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

time to start looking at developing on mobile devices.

It's inevitable. They can forget about a huge market for handhelds and the WiiU is going to come out to an uncertain market.

Yeah right. Enter the 99 cents market and end up paying 1/3 in royalities where now they enjoy tens of millions of software sales without paying a cent because they got their own hardware platform.

The Yen is just crazy expensive at the moment and that is hurting a lot of companies.

 

[wco81]

Just about every ad for the 3DS here in the US has some kind of inducement, like a gift card that effectively lowers the price of a 3DS without changing the SRP.

The thing has been out only a year. When have you seen discounting this early?

They can grow a big installed base over time, make good money at it. But it's going to be difficult to exceed what they did with the DS, if even matching it. They're in a better position than Sony because of their first-party franchises.

But the world has changed underneath them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeJFvFyW38

 

[patsu]

3DS Circle Pad Pro Review
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-3ds-circle-pad-pro-review

3DS Circle Pad Pro: The Verdict

"Despite being a ludicrous spectacle, it's near-indispensable for any 3DS owner who wants to get the most out of what we suspect will be an ever-increasing range of must-have titles."

You need only play Resident Evil: Revelations with (and for comparison's sake, without) the Circle Pad Pro to appreciate just how essential that second analogue slider is. In that regard, this is a purchase that every 3DS owner is advised to make; games such as Kid Icarus: Uprising and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D are confirmed as supporting the controller, and no doubt many other titles will follow suit in the future.

Yet providing such a resounding recommendation for this device leaves a bitter taste in the mouth; simply put, the Circle Pad Pro is a totally unnecessary afterthought that reduces the console's aesthetic appeal and drastically impacts its portability. It feels like a stop-gap product, too and only a fool would bet against Nintendo shortly announcing a revised 3DS console that incorporates the myriad interface improvements witnessed here.

...

The battery life improvement is significant too, but yeah it is an eye sore unfortunately to me too.

 

[Brad Grenz]

How does it improve battery life?

 

[patsu]

My bad ! I misread an earlier article. 8^(

Thought it was a charger as well. Should have offered a battery pack version as well.

 

[liolio]

It's amazing the thing Nintendo manage to go away with 8O

 

[Brad Grenz]

My bad ! I misread an earlier article. 8^(

Thought it was a charger as well. Should have offered a battery pack version as well.

The big bummer is you can't use most of the third party battery packs for the 3ds at the same time as the circle pad pro. You also can't really use it with Nintendo's official Kid Icarus stand. There's this whole web of accessories, official and not that all solve various flaws in the hardware, but which are completely incompatible with each-other. It's such a cluster of clashing ideas, I can't believe anyone is willing to pay for a 3DS right now.

 

[patsu]

Hmmm... It would mean the games are the primary draw.

 

[patsu]

Nintendo and NTT Team Up For Voice Recognition
http://andriasang.com/comzsy/nintendo_ntt_voice_recognition/

NHK reports today that communications giant NTT is working with Nintendo and other companies on speech recognition technology.

NTT started trials on the technology today in Tottori Prefecture and Okinawa. The technology can convert voices into text and is meant to assist disabled children in the classroom.

Nintendo's involvement appears to be through the use of the DS. As teachers speak, their words are converted into text and displayed on electronic blackboards or portable game machines. The lecture is saved to the Cloud, allowing students to review whenever they please. The game machine can also be used as a communicate tool.

Video link in the article.

(Yay, education titles~~)

 

[V3]

Does the circle pad pro comes with seperate recharging cradle or can you fit it in the old cradle ? Or do I have to attach/dettach it everytime ? Because 3DS battery life is freaking short, I got into the habit of putting it back into its cradle everytimes. Much nicer than plugging cable. Anyway I think I am going to get one when I see it with a game that needs it.

 

[patsu]

3DS adds to its European WiFi arsenal, gains over 5,000 free hotspots
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/02/3ds-adds-to-its-european-wifi-arsenal-gains-over-5-000-free-hot/

1st February 2012 - Nintendo of Europe today announces a new deal with free-hotspot.com, the world's largest multinational network of exclusively free Wi-Fi hotspots. The partnership will allow Nintendo 3DS owners free access to over 5,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across 21 European countries. Your Nintendo 3DS system will automatically* connect to free-hotspot.com's network in many of the biggest fast food restaurants and leading hotel chains across Europe including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Ibis Hotels and Etap Hotels.

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