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40 CommentsReport: Wii U basic model being removed from GameStop stock on June 18
By Michael McWhertor on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
The Wii U's basic model, the white version of the console that comes with 8 GB of storage, may soon be a thing of the past. According to a report on Kotaku, retailer GameStop has notified employees that existing Wii U Basic Set hardware will be "recalled" on Tuesday, June 18. That's one week after Nintendo holds a Nintendo Direct broadcast timed with E3 2013 and a Wii U "software showcase" at the expo where it's likely we'll learn more about the company's plans for its underperforming console. When contacted for comment about the GameStop recall, a Nintendo spokesperson told Polygon, "We do not comment on our business practices with retailers." The Wii U Basic Set retails for $299.99 in the U.S. and comes with 8 GB of storage. A Deluxe model, which comes in black, boasts 32 GB of...
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13 CommentsNintendo's Wii U Tour 2013 takes console and games nationwide through September
By Dave Tach on Jun 03, 2013 06.03.13
Nintendo's Wii U Tour 2013 is bringing the console and several games on a six-city nationwide tour through September, the company announced today. Visitors will be able to go hands-on with the console and games like Injustice: Gods Among Us, Lego City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, New Super Mario Bros., Nintendo Land, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Rayman Legends Challenges App and Resident Evil: Revelations, though not all games will be available at all locations. The Wii U Tour 2013 will be free and open to the public, and visitors will "play all these Wii U games in a comfortable, living room setting surrounded by backdrops of some of Nintendo's most beloved characters," according to Nintendo. Tour dates and locations, as listed on the official Wii U Tour 2013 site, are as...
Deals
6 CommentsTarget Wii U sale discounts console, cuts prices for Assassin's Creed, Madden, FIFA and more
By Dave Tach on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
Target is offering discounts on Wii U hardware and software in its online store, according to listings on the company's website. The Wii U Basic console, which includes 8 GB of internal storage, is on sale for $239.99, a discount off 20 percent of its regular price of $299.99 and a savings of $60. A bundle that includes the Wii U Deluxe console, which includes 32 GB of storage, Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U is on sale for $390, a savings of $19.99 off the combined $409.99 retail price. The retailer has also discounted several Wii U games, including: Assassin's Creed 3 for $29.99 (regularly $49.99) Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for $29.99 (regularly $59.99) FIFA Soccer 13 for $29.99 (regularly $53.99) Madden NFL 13 for $29.99 (regularly $39.99) Nintendo Land...
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11 CommentsNintendo's PAX East 2013 lineup includes Pikmin 3, Animal Crossing: New Leaf
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 19, 2013 03.19.13
Nintendo is bringing a handful of Wii U and Nintendo 3DS titles to PAX East 2013, including major upcoming games such as Pikmin 3 and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the company announced today. Nintendo's PAX East slate features seven Wii U titles and nine 3DS games, as well as the Wii Street U app. The lineup contains a mix of unreleased titles and games that are already available. Here's the full list: Wii U: Pikmin 3 The Wonderful 101 Lego City Undercover Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Need for Speed Most Wanted U New Super Mario Bros. U Nintendo Land Wii Street U 3DS: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Animal Crossing: New Leaf (guided demonstration) Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity HarmoKnight Kersploosh! Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate ...
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11 CommentsJourney and The Walking Dead win big at the 16th annual DICE awards
By Jenna Pitcher on Feb 08, 2013 02.08.13
At tonight's 16th annual DICE Awards, PlayStation exclusive Journey won eight of its eleven category nominations, including Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming. The Walking Dead won four of its eight nominations, including Adventure Game of the Year, Downloadable Game of the Year and Outstanding Character Performance of protagonist Lee Everett (voiced by Dave Fennoy). Halo 4 won two of six nominated categories, including Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity and Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering. The Academy's Peer Panels evaluated more than 100 games, a peer panel for each category, with 63 nominated for awards. Voting for the awards was online and anonymous. "For the past 16 years, the D.I.C.E. Awards have...
Deals
2 CommentsBest Buy offering Nintendo Land free with Wii U Basic console
By Dave Tach on Dec 27, 2012 12.27.12
Best Buy is offering a copy of Nintendo Land free with the purchase of a Wii U Basic console, according to a listing on the retailer's website. Best Buy's bundle adds the $59.99 game to the regular $299.99 Wii U Basic console, which includes 8GB of internal storage. The regular $349.99 Deluxe console, which always includes Nintendo Land, also increases internal storage to 32GB. If 8GB of storage is a concern, you can always add an external hard drive to your Wii U. You can hop over to Best Buy's website to take advantage of the deal while it lasts. It isn't forthcoming about how long that'll be, so it's probably in your best interest to act fast.
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14 CommentsJapan Review Check: The day a "girl game" outscored the Mario Bros.
By Kevin Gifford on Dec 25, 2012 12.25.12
Japan's Famitsu magazine published their final round of review scores for the year in this week's issue, and the results were surprising for two reasons. One, the magazine finally got around to publishing their reviews of Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U, a good two and a half weeks after both were released in Japan. Two, despite many Japanese forum posters expecting one or both to get a perfect 40/40 score in Famitsu, neither title was even the top scorer of the week. That prize, oddly enough, went to White Album 2, a PlayStation 3 port of a "girl game" adventure earlier released in two parts on Windows PCs. A slightly censored version of what was an 18 and up-only game on the PC due to anime-style sexual content, the PS3 port received scores of 10, 9, 9 and 9 for 37 points,...
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11 CommentsNintendo Land: The postmortem interview
By Kevin Gifford on Dec 12, 2012 12.12.12
The Wii U is out worldwide, stowed under Christmas trees or already set up in family rooms across the continent. Bundled with the Deluxe Wii U console, Nintendo Land has a pretty hefty task to undertake: be approachable to casual gamers, keep the hardcores entertained and at the same time show off all the console's new features. How did Nintendo make it? In this week's Famitsu magazine the game's creators shared information about how the game came together at a developer roundtable. The tidbits from the roundtable are shared below. Nintendo Land, much like Wii Sports for the original Wii, largely came about as the design team at EAD put together prototypes for potential launch games. "The Wii U is a game system with a completely new structure," said producer Katsuya Eguchi, "so we...
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4 CommentsNintendo’s early Wii U experiments revealed
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Dec 08, 2012 12.08.12
The Wii U's developers revealed early prototypes for the tablet-like GamePad controller during a recent Iwata Asks segment. While developing launch title Nintendo Land, the company was also still deciding on concepts for the Wii U. According to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, two-screen gameplay was still an early experiment. It started when a gyro sensor, a device that keeps track of angle and rotation speed, was inserted into a Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS was then attached to a Wii Zapper controller, which later became "the start of two-screen gameplay," said Katsuya Eguchi from the Software Development Department of the Entertainment Analysis & Development Division. Shigeru Miyamoto was so impressed with the experiment that it left an impact on another Nintendo system: the 3DS. M...
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2 CommentsNintendo Land development began at 'about the same time as Wii U,' says Nintendo president
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 07, 2012 12.07.12
Initial development on Nintendo Land began alongside the Wii U hardware design itself, said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in an "Iwata Asks" session with some of the game's developers. Katsuya Eguchi, producer in the software development division of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, said the team began performing experiments with dual-screen gaming — playing on a television as well as on a smaller screen in one's hands. "That was back when we haven't yet decided on a concrete concept for Wii U," Iwata pointed out. The initial design, which combined a Wii Zapper and a small monitor, led to the first prototype of the Wii U GamePad: a monitor featuring two analog sticks, with Wii Remotes taped to either side. The developers also spoke of the differences between N...
