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Nintendo Patents Wii U Golf Tech
It seems Nintendo has applied for a patent for its Wii U golf technology.
The company demonstrated its…unique vision for Wii U golf at last year’s E3 expo, giving showgoers a taste of what they can expect from the console’s unorthodox controller. In the teaser video, a female gamer places the Wii U tablet controller on the floor, giving her an aerial view of her golf ball. Using a Wii remote as a makeshift club, she swings at the virtual ball, which is then transported to the golf course on her television screen.
It’s an interesting use, to be sure, but perhaps more important is that it lends a bit of credence to the rumor that Nintendo may include a Wii remote in Wii U’s packaging, as it seems this tech cannot function without one. Whatever the case, we will know for sure at this year’s E3, when the company is expected to finalize its Wii U launch line-up.
Source: Nintendo Life
April NPD Shows 3DS Ahead of DS First Year Sales
According to the latest NPD, the 3DS has outsold its predecessor in the first fourteen months of its life by about one million units.
This stands in stark contrast to the rest of the games industry, which has seen a noticeable decline from last year’s sales totals. Overall hardware sales have fallen by 32 percent since April 2011, with software sales plummeting by 42 percent.
There is a silver lining to all this, however. While concrete numbers have yet to be revealed, it is being reported that Kid Icarus: Uprising “ranked among the top 10 SKU’s” for April, making it the second strong month for the new title (and a promising sign for Pit’s viability as a franchise despite Sakurai’s hesitance to create a sequel). It should also be noted that Xenoblade Chronicles was excluded from the list by virtue of its exclusivity to GameStop, making its exact sales numbers unknown at this point.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
New Time Travelers Info and Screens
Level-5 has recently opened the official website for its upcoming 3DS and Vita title, Time Travelers, and with it comes a few new details about the enigmatic project.
Set in the year 2031, some eighteen years after a disaster known as the “Lost Hole” ravaged the greater part of Tokyo, Time Travelers begins with television idol Hina Fushimi conducting an interview with Kyugo Shindo, a famous physicist who was involved in an embezzlement scandal when he claimed to be developing a time machine. A sudden explosion rocks the site of the interview, threatening to turn the entire area into a 50-kilometer blast zone if further explosions aren’t prevented.
Beyond that brief synopsis, the website also revealed the five major characters who make up Time Traveler’s cast, each of whom will encounter a different version of the mysterious schoolgirl Mikoto while investigating the explosion. Details on the actual gameplay are currently scarce, but the website hints at the inclusion of a Quick-Time Event system and plenty of full-motion drama. More details are expected to emerge as the website is gradually updated.
Source: Andriasang
Nintendo Cuts Price of DSi, DSi XL
Nintendo announced today that it would be dropping the price of its DSi family of handhelds.
Starting May 20, consumers can purchase a new DSi system for $99.99 (down from its original price of $149.99) or a DSi XL for $129.99 (down from $169.99). While no reason was given for this price reduction, it was likely done in an effort to phase out some of the older models of the handheld for the newer 3DS.
Unfortunately, it seems the price drop will not be extending to European markets (at least for the time being).
Source: Nintendo (via IGN)
