ANALYSIS
Makers can't use players' names, but gamers willing to pay to get data
Ars Technica Aug 27, 08 2:40 PM CDT
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College-sports video games offer players and teams carefully designed to mirror real-world counterparts, but NCAA regulations bar use of college athletes’ names in-game. But, Ars Technica finds, fans are willing to pay those who put in the time-consuming work of compiling rosters, with one company grossing $150,000 last year selling memory cards and downloadable files that put names to players in Electronic Arts’ football franchise.
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It claims the Wii uses stolen motion-sensing technology
Wall Street Journal Aug 20, 08 5:50 PM CDT
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A Maryland tech firm claims that Nintendo stole some of its technology for the popular Wii console, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hillcrest Laboratories filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that Nintendo infringed on patents for motion-sensing technology. It wants to ban Wii consoles from being imported to the US, and a lawsuit is pending. Nintendo had no comment on the complaint.
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Doctors at Arizona seeing benefits
from time spent with Nintendo console
Guardian (UK) Aug 8, 08 4:34 PM CDT
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Nintendo’s popular Wii console is finding new uses in the hands of surgeons. The Guardian takes a look at an Arizona hospital that's making use of the Wii’s precise, motion-sensitive controller to hone motor skills for more serious applications. In a program for doctors being trained to do minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, those who regularly played on the Wii scored 48% higher on tool control than those who didn't.
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OPINION
Look for cheaper games with broader appeal in future, predicts writer
GigaOm Jun 19, 08 5:00 PM CDT
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Low sales of Grand Theft Auto IV herald the end of next-gen gaming’s heyday, writes Wagner James Au on GigaOm. The game is selling poorly compared to the previous version, and it hasn’t improved sales of the next-gen Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. “The days when so-called “next-gen” gaming reigned supreme are coming to end,” predicts Au.
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Kids can easily replicate atmosphere at home—and portable players have role, too
Reuters May 19, 08 4:00 PM CDT
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Japan’s arcades are in trouble, Reuters reports. For years, they’ve been immune to the ravages plaguing arcades elsewhere, but the $6.9 billion industry has met its match in the Nintendo Wii. A new generation of game consoles, coupled with an explosion of high-end TVs, has made the arcade experience easy to recreate at home—leading to big store closings at major chains.
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Nintendo cleans lenses damaged by cigarettes
Boston Herald Mar 13, 08 12:41 PM CDT
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Here's another reason to stop smoking: It damages your Wii. Some cigarette-wielding users in Japan last month noticed that the much anticipated "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" wasn't working properly, prompting Nintendo to provide free shipping and cleanup of tar-covered disc readers, the Boston Herald reports. Nintendo says the issue affects a "very small percentage" of more than 20 million consoles worldwide.
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Gamespot explores the evolution of the game concept sale
GameSpot Dec 22, 07 7:50 PM CST
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Picture the video game pitch: You sit down in front of a group software publisher execs with nothing more than a Powerpoint presentation and somehow try to communicate what your hypothetical digital world will be like and why it will be successful. Gamespot explores the evolution of pitching, from its unassuming beginnings to today’s pressure cookers.
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Nintendo, GameStop to offer rain check on video-game console
Los Angeles Times Dec 14, 07 6:25 PM CST
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Kids hoping to score a Nintendo Wii this Christmas might have to settle for a skimpy rain check instead, the Los Angeles Times reports. Nintendo has completely sold out of its popular video-game console and won't be shipping any new units until January. Instead, buyers can reserve systems with full-price "Wii Certificates" available Dec. 20-21 at GameStop.
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Shoppers explore varied strategies to get Nintendo's rare console
Washington Post Dec 8, 07 12:26 PM CST
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The holiday-season shortage of Nintendo’s Wii console is fostering some creative shopping strategies, shared on a number of websites devoted to tracking down the device, the Washington Post reports. One advises Wii hopefuls not to ask store employees when the next shipment will arrive—instead, ask when the last one came in: "This is a question they can actually answer and gets the conversation going."
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Firm sees benefits of its conservative culture
Wall Street Journal Dec 7, 07 7:00 PM CST
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Nintendo’s Wii is proving hard to find in the holiday rush, a phenomenon the Wall Street Journal says is indicative of the Japanese company’s cautious culture—but also good business sense. Nintendo is cautious for a reason: it saw its fortunes rise with the original NES and SNES consoles, only to fall when Sony’s Playstation and Microsoft’s xBox cornered the market.
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Console lags against rival Nintendo Wii
Associated Press Nov 19, 07 2:27 PM CST
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In its latest effort to revive lagging sales, Sony has halved the price of a software development kit for its PlayStation 3 video game console. Last month, the company slashed the price of the console itself to consumers, in response to fierce competition from the better-selling Nintendo Wii, reports the AP. Sales of Microsoft's Xbox have also outstripped the PS3.
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As Xbox, Wii, PS3 draw casual gamers away, PCs left with die-hard fans of killing games
CNET Nov 18, 07 3:41 PM CST
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The PC gaming industry is on the defensive, with sales of PC games down substantially over the past five years, as less expensive gaming consoles have become more powerful. The Wii, Xbox, and PS3 have lured away casual gamers, leaving the PCs to hardcore gamers playing, first-person shooters and complex role-playing and strategy games, CNET reports.
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Electronic Arts wants 'open gaming platform'
BBC Oct 20, 07 8:27 AM CDT
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Electronic Arts, a leading video game manufacturer, has called on the gaming industry to set aside the incompatible gaming platforms now competing for consumer loyalty. Instead of choosing among rivals like Wii, Playstation, and Xbox, players should be able to use an "open gaming platform" for all games, EA argues. EA now produces games for more tha 14 different systems, BBC reports.
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Reeling competitors can't monkey with Wii's success in console wars
Washington Post Jul 12, 07 4:24 PM CDT
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The video game industry met for its annual E3 trade show this week, and the word is Nintendo's got game. While Sony and Microsoft scramble to restart, beset by slumping sales and expensive hardware woes, the Wii is humming along to acclaim and soaring profit margins. Other companies even pared down their expensive booths at this year's California show.
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Floundering console still costs twice as much as a Wii
Reuters Jul 9, 07 8:29 AM CDT
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Sony is easing up on the retail price of its struggling PlayStation 3 by $100. The console will now cost $500—$20 more than the Xbox 360 and twice as much as the bestselling Nintendo Wii. Sony's CEO had promised to hold the price, but poor receipts appeared to necessitate a reboot. "Our initial expectation is that sales should double at a minimum," one exec says.
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Company calls number of defective consoles 'unacceptable'
USA Today Jul 6, 07 5:39 AM CDT
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Microsoft will respond to complaints from around the world by extending the warranty on its faulty Xbox 360 gaming console, at a potential cost to the company of over $1 billion, USAToday reports . The company will extend warranty coverage from 1 year to 3 in response to buyer reports that hardware defects are causing their consoles' spontaneous demises.
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