Wii U Game Line-Up - E3: 2011: Nintendo Conference

Wii U Zelda - E3 2011: Gameplay Demo

IGN gets a hands on demo of Zelda in HD on the new Nintendo console the Wii U. Check out this exclusive look at the tech at E3 2011.

Nintendo Wii U - E3 2011: Announcement Trailer

Nintendo Wii U Announced

   Nintendo's next video game console will be called the "Wii U" which features a controller that's fitted with a 6.2" touchscreen as shown in the photo to the left. The Wii U is slated for release between April - December 2012 but hardware costs were not announced by Nintendo. The Wii U will be the first Nintendo gaming console to output HD graphics.

Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Unboxing

Exciting.

Trademarking "It's On Like Donkey Kong"

   Nintendo has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the phrase, "It's on like Donkey Kong." Really. This is another case of corporate douchebaggery where a common phrase that's used in the American vernacular is sought to be leashed and owned by a big corporation.

   Does Nintendo really need to own that phrase? Are they seeking the control of the phrase so that it can't be used in trite advertising from other companies? Nintendo didn't even come up with the phrase. Sure, they own "Donkey Kong" but if another phrase pops up in popular culture with "Donkey Kong" in it, will Nintendo try to trademark that too? When will it end? If the phrase "I'm eating pie like Pac-Man" becomes popular, should Namco seek to control and own that phrase too?

I can see the outcome of the trademark application already: DENIED.

I'm back. I was at a 3-day wedding in Vegas for a college buddy. -J-Sonoma

Nintendo posts first loss for seven years

   Nintendo announced earnings today and posted a loss of JPY2 billion (US$24,616,899) for the six month period ending September 2010. As a comparison, Nintendo posted a profit of JPY69.5 billion (US$855,437,257) in the same period last year.

   So, is this the end of Nintendo like some writers are probably going to state as absolute fact? Y'know, just like someone declared Microsoft a dying consumer brand yesterday? Nah man. It's just the natural cycle of the video game industry. The Wii peaked last year and the Nintendo DS is getting old. Both gaming machines are mature now and they only have a few more years left in their respective life-cycles before the next generation is introduced.

   One analyst had this to say, which revealed his ignorance about the gaming industry which he covers:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-28/nintendo-quarterly-profit-falls-15-on-wii-ds-demand.html
“It’s been harder than people realized for Nintendo to make the transition between the DS and the 3DS,” said Jay Defibaugh, a games analyst at MF Global FXA Securities Ltd. in Tokyo. The 3DS is cannibalizing sales of its predecessor, Defibaugh said.

   You mean the 3DS which hasn't been released yet and won't be released until next year in Japan? That 3DS? The word "cannibalizing" is an active verb which insinuates that the 3DS is an available product that is already eating into sales of the earlier DS models. Where do they get these guys? From the same Businessweek article - Yoshihiro Mori of Nintendo sets the record straight:

“I don’t think the announcement of the 3DS had much effect on second-quarter earnings,” Nintendo’s senior managing director Yoshihiro Mori said in a briefing in Osaka today. “We decided not to release the 3DS this year because we didn’t have enough.”

   What he said and the fact that the games probably aren't ready for public consumption yet are why the 3DS won't be released until February 25, 2011 in Japan and a month later in North America and Europe.

Babysitting Mama headed to Wii

   I don't have a Baby Mama yet because I'm not ready to be a pappy and I have a lot more lovin' to do. However, Wii owners will get to become Babysitting Mamas in December when the game is released in Japan. A baby plush is included with the game which gamers are supposed to insert the Wii Remote into - yes it sounds weird but it's part of the simulation portion of game.

   In Babysitting Mama, the baby plush is cradled and "fed" like a real baby. The publisher touts a total of 40 different activities that may be played to demonstrate baby interaction and nurturing. I'm not sure how well this thing is going to sell but it looks sorta dumb. Soon-to-be-mothers are one target demographic but I doubt teens girls are going to be into a game where the objective is taking care of a baby. Male gamers will avoid it like the plague. Who's left? Grandma gamers?

Nintendo 3DS

   After months of speculation on the Nintendo 3DS, a torrent of news was released overnight which sets the release date of Ninty's new DS for February 2011 in Japan. The rest of the world will get the 3DS in March. Pricing was set at JPY25000 which is about $298 based on this morning's exchange rate.

   Destructoid was kind enough to gather together all of last night's news from Nintendo on one convenient page. I'm psyched about the new Zelda Skyward Sword on the Wii but the announcement of a new installment of Rhythm Heaven which is going to appear on the Wii is great news. Can you say, "Wii Remote rhythm action?" I knew you could. Good dog.