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09 Dec 2011 13:49

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Tech: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto retiring, not retiring; honestly we’re not sure

  • Is Nintendo’s game-master retiring? Wired’s readers had reason to worry Wednesday after an article led them to believe that Shigeru Miyamoto, the company’s top game designer, would be stepping aside and working on smaller projects. (It was an easy conclusion to make: The headline was literally “Nintendo’s Miyamoto Stepping Down, Working on Smaller Games.” He also said, in these exact words: “I’m not saying that I’m going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position.”) However, Nintendo denies the report; they told PC Magazine that, in his Wired interview, that “he attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products.” The company also noted that he wanted to take on smaller projects to rekindle his early love of making games. Were there translation issues? source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Oct 2011 14:20

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Biz: Nintendo hurting over first projected annual loss in company history

  • ¥20 billion loss projection for Nintendo this fiscal year source
  • » That’s about $264 million: The iconic video game company has been struggling recently, suffering from a critical lack of technology advancement in their console market (those Wii graphics looked behind the times when it first came out, and now… yikes), as well as their Nintendo 3DS handheld underperforming against corporate estimates. It’ll be a while Nintendo will have to ride out before they actually launch a proper, new console system — the Wii U isn’t slated to launch until sometime next year (this fiscal year ends March 2012).
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jul 2011 10:43

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Tech: Signs the 3D fad is over: Nintendo drops 3DS price significantly

  • $80 price drop after only five months on the market source
  • » Poor sales might be the cause: Amid reports that 3DS sales are roughly 39 million units off of projected forecasts, the device, noted for its unique 3D screen (which does not require glasses, by the way), is dropping from $249.99 to $169.99 next month. The 3DS, while well-reviewed, faced a number of problems at launch, including bad timing — with the console having just come out before the devastating earthquake hit Japan, Nintendo’s home and a key sales market. On top of all that, Nintendo is facing unprecedented competition in the portable market, what with mobile phones getting in on the territory Nintendo exclusively dominated for years. Oh, and 3D is hard on the eyes. That seems like a good reason.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2011 13:53

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Tech: Robin Williams is definitely a bigger Zelda fan than you

  • Robin Williams has been into Legend of Zelda since the ’80s. And in this new ad for the 3DS version of the Nintendo 64 classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (one of the best video games ever), Robin Williams is their poster boy. He’s a pretty big fan, apparently, and he has the proof. Check it out. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Jun 2011 13:17

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Tech: Nintendo – promising more than they can deliver?

  • excited Yesterday Nintendo announced a new console, and it seemed pretty awesome. From the touch screen controller to the HD graphics, the Wii U was proving itself to be a console that could compete. It was exciting seeing Nintendo stepping up to be a real competitor.
  • disappointed It seems that Nintendo used some footage from the competition during their press conference. Some of the games they showed weren’t from their new console, but from the current-gen Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Which is kind of embarrassing.  source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2011 14:31

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Tech: Nintendo’s new console steps up to compete, finally

  • The Wii U takes the controller a step further: The new Nintendo console will remind you a bit of their handheld DS. It has a touch screen in the controller, which will add a bit to gameplay. In addition, the Wii U will be the first Nintendo system to feature HD graphics. The controller can also be used to make voice calls and run old Nintendo games, which is pretty awesome. It’s going to come out next year, but there hasn’t been a price announced yet. Expect that controller to be pretty expensive, though. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 May 2011 21:00

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Tech: Algorithm smooths out pixel art, make SNES games look better

  • Obligatory Mario-related post of the day: Some genius at Microsoft teamed up with another genius at The Hebrew University, and together they developed an algorithm that “depixelizes” pixel art, so that it looks smoother yet retains its essence and overall shape. Obviously, the most pressing application of this technology was to update Super NES games to look cooler, so that’s exactly what these guys did. A clip of the technology (applied to Super Mario World) is above. To give you an idea of how far they’ve come, here’s a clip showing a comparison with the original game on the left and another less-effective algorithm (which you might remember, if you’re a total nerd, from ZSNES) on the right. There are plenty of more demonstrations on their website, which we highly encourage checking out. This rocks. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

25 Apr 2011 10:41

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Tech: Nintendo’s big announcement: A Wii successor in 2012

  • And so the next generation of video games begins. With the Nintendo Wii starting to show its age, the company has announced that they’ll be bringing out a new home game console in 2012. Rumors suggest that the device will finally help the company catch up to Sony and Microsoft technology-wise, and that the device will be bigger than a breadbo… er, Xbox. The controller will also sport a built-in touchscreen, according to the rumor-mongers. We’ll probably know more when Nintendo demos the console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June. If they release it, will you guys buy it? Or will you stay with that one console whose network has been down for almost a week and goes after hackers in court? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Dec 2010 16:40

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Tech: Nintendo: Young children shouldn’t play our new 3D console

  • six you must be this old to not have your vision screwed up by the 3DS (though you can turn the 3D off)
  • 30 you should take breaks after playing for this many minutes, even if you’re not under six source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Sep 2010 10:16

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Tech: Now you feel old: Super Mario Bros. turns 25 today

  • Happy birthday, brah! 25 years ago today, the greatest video game of any generation, “Super Mario Bros.” was released upon the world. With its iconic imagery (which is still often a target of parody and admiration today) and its trendsetting gameplay, pretty much any game with even a minor dash of depth to it owes something to “Super Mario Bros.” for proving it was possible. Still one of our favorite things about life in general. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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