Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conference

The new Wii U GamePad

That was one of the best E3 press conference I have ever watched (9.8 out of 10).  There is no doubt about it Nintendo won E3, and Nintendo still has one more major press conference and one more minor press conference. My favorite part is at the beginning, when.... Well, you can see it for yourself: (For those who don't know, Miyamoto created Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, the Wii series, and more. He is considered to be one of the greatest video game developers in the world.)

In my opinion that right there is cooler than Microsoft's entire E3 Press Conference. The one thing that I didn't care for was the fact Satoru Iwata (the president of Nintendo) was not there... Right now it's hard to find a video (at the time I'm writing this) of the press conference, so here's what was revealed and more.

Wii U Games Shown:
Nintendo showed off 23 Wii U games and said that many more would be revealed later. (I have included "New" by every game that has never been announced before for the Wii U.)


Aliens: Colonial Marines
Assassin's Creed III
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Darksiders II
Just Dance 4
Lego City Undercover (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Mass Effect 3 (New)
New Super Mario Bros. U (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Ninja Gaiden 3
NintendoLand (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Pikmin 3 (Exclusive to the Wii U)
Rabbids Land
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited (New, and exclusive to the Wii U-3DS)
SiNG (New, and could be exclusive to the Wii U)
Sports Connection
Tank! Tank! Tank! (New, and exclusive to the Wii U-Arcade)
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (New)
Trine 2: Director's Cut (New)
Wii Fit U (New, and exclusive to the Wii U)
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU (Exclusive to the Wii U)

3DS Games Shown:

The 3DS will have its own press conference tomorrow, but they did show off these.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Scribblenauts Unlimited
And a few more that I can't remember.

Ofter Stuff Raveled:
The Wii U will have Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube apps.
The Wii U will be available in both, black and white.

I suggest that you go to http://e3src.nintendo.com/wiiu/ for game trailers and a cool video that gives a virtual tour of the Wii U GamePad. Come back to my blog on the 8th for "Everything Wii Now (after E3 2012) Know About The Wii U."

The Seven Most Common anti-Nintendo Myths

Today I will be looking at the 7 most common anti-Nintendo myths, as part of my "14 Days of E3" celebration.

"The Wii doesn't even have 10 really great games"

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario Galaxy, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Mario Kart Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles, Super Paper Mario, Wii Sports Resort, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Epic Mickey, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Punch-Out!!, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Sonic Colors.   That's a list of 16 really great games that are exclusive to the Wii (Sonic Colors was also on the DS), and if you don't want to play any of those games, then you must be one of those gamers who think the "Mature" rating means the game is mature.

"Nintendo hasn't produced a new IP in at least 3 generations of consoles"

That's another easy anti-Nintendo myth to destroy.  Below is a list of all the Nintendo IP's (an IP is basically a franchise) that came out in the "Fifth generation (Nintendo 64)," "Sixth generation (GBA and GameCube)," and "Seventh generation (DS and Wii)," plus I included the "Eighth generation (3DS)" because I didn't include the Game Boy Color in the fifth generation. Since there is a dispute about what a new IP is (some people think a spin-off of another game is an IP, while others think it does not count as a IP), I have included a (!) symbol by every game that there is no dispute about whether it is an IP or not.
 
Nintendo 64:
1080° (!)
Mario Party
Paper Mario
Sin and Punishment (!)
Mario Tennis
Animal Crossing (!)
Super Smash Bros. (!)

Nintendo GameCube:                                         Game Boy Advance:
Luigi's Mansion                                                     Golden Sun (!)
Pikmin (!)                                                              Drill Dozer (!)
Super Mario Strikers                                              Rhythm Heaven (!)
Kirby Air Ride


Nintendo DS:                                                     Wii:
Nintendogs (!)                                                      Wii (game series)
Brain Age (!)                                                        Endless Ocean (!)
Super Princess Peach                                            FlingSmash (!)
New Super Mario Bros.                                         Xenoblade Chronicles (!)
Master of Illusion (!)                                              Fluidity (!)
Style Savvy (!)                                                      ThruSpace (!)
Art Academy (!)



Nintendo 3DS:
Steel Diver (!)
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Pushmo (!)
Sakura Samurai (!)
Dillon's Rolling Western (!)


"New IP's yes, but good IP's, absolutely not."

Super Smash Bros., Pushmo, Luigi's Mansion, Xenoblade, Pikmin, Kid Icarus, Paper Mario, and Sakura Samurai aren't good games?

"What 'great' new IP's does the Wii, 3DS and DS have? And don't give me games I can buy on my iPhone."

Wii: Xenoblade Chronicles, Endless Ocean.  3DS: Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, Kid Icarus, Steel Diver.  DS: New Super Mario Bros.


"It's just rehash after rehash, sequel after sequel, re-release after re-release."

According to www.thefreedictionary.com, rehash means: "old material that is slightly reworked and used again; 'merely a dull rehash of his first novel'" or "present or use over, with no or few changes." If you ever played any two Mario, Zelda, or any Nintendo franchise you would know that they are not rehashes. If you would like to know how a rehash looks, play any two Call of Duty games.

"Sequel after sequel" -- yes, that is true, but are sequels bad? And Call of Duty, Halo, and even Uncharted and LittleBigPlanet are used more then all Nintendo IP's from year to year.

"Re-release after re-release" -- if you are talking about "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," they only re-released it four times, and if you are talking about the "Virtual Console," then I guess you don't like old games.




"I seem to remember about 1000 other better games produced by Microsoft and Sony."

Um, I don't think Microsoft and Sony combined have made 1000 games, while Nintendo has made very close to 1000 games if not more.


"All the 3DS has is Nintendo 64 ports"


Okay, to be far I haven't seen this anti-Nintendo myth for 7 months, but 7 months ago the 3DS only had two Nintendo 64 ports, and it still has only two Nintendo 64 ports.
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Come back on the 25th for "Why I Think People Should Stop Criticizing 'New Super Mario Bros. Mii'" part 2 of my "14 Days of E3."

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U are Getting Downloadable Retail Software, and the Wii U Will Have a Very Rich Launch Line-Up

Nintendo announced today that New Super Mario Bros. 2 (for 3DS) when released in August will be available not only at retail but also for download on the Nintendo 3DS e-shop (two of my predictions are confirmed in this announcement) and that most first-party games released after August will be available to download (including Wii U launch titles). The president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata also said that the Wii U will have a very rich launch line-up.

As I predicted there was no talk of a Wii U name change or 3DS Lite. Regarding whether or not my prediction that they were going to reveal some E3 Plans was true (there is still no E3 press conference date set, by the way), it depends on your interpretation of this quote from Satoru Iwata:

I believe that you are most interested in the details of the Wii U. Since the Wii U will be launched in Japan, the U.S., Europe and Australia in the year-end sales season… Therefore, we still have some time before the launch and I cannot say anything about the release date, price or the launch titles here. Regarding the Wii U, just as we have been saying until now… We will showcase the final format, and discuss the details and the software lineup for this year at E3 2012, which will be held in Los Angeles in the United States in June this year. Also, in the week after the E3 show, we would like to organize an opportunity where we can showcase the same to the Japanese wholesalers and financial analysts who cannot attend the E3 show. The people in our appropriate sections will let you know as soon as we have settled on further details. Please also be advised that, as we did for previous platforms that were launched in the year-end sales season, we will announce the launch date and price in each market sometime after E3.

Some people think this quote means that Nintendo will not announce the price (in the US or anywhere) of the Wii U until after  E3, while other people think this quote means that Nintendo will announce the price in the US, but not for the rest of the world until after E3.

Nintendo Posts $530 Million Loss (don't worry Nintendo's not going to die)

Today Nintendo posted a $530 million loss (that's $274.57 million less than the expected $804.57 million loss) for the 2011-2012 financial year. Most sites are blaming poor hardware sales (or Apple) because at the beginning of the fiscal year, Nintendo expected to sell 16 million Nintendo 3DS consoles (they sold 13.53 million Nintendo 3DS units), 13 million Wii's (they sold 9.84 million Wii units), and 11 million Nintendo DS's (they sold  5 million  Nintendo DS units).  Though the main reason why Nintendo is losing money is because the Yen is doing really good, making it so that when Nintendo converts the USD into Yen they only get so much.

Here are some articles explaining why Nintendo is not in any trouble:

Nintendo’s Closure 60 Years Away by Tynan Muddle on aussie-gamer.com
In Defence of Nintendo by Tynan Muddle on aussie-gamer.com

(Yes, I know both of the articles are by the same person on the same site. Aussie-gamer is one of few sites that has a fair view of Nintendo.)

Nintendo also told some of their plans for the 2012-2013 financial year:

"For the "Nintendo 3DS," its hardware has been sold below cost because of its significant price cut in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. However, Nintendo expects to cease selling it below cost by the middle of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013. As for the "Nintendo 3DS" software, a totally new side-scrolling action "Super Mario" in 2D called "New Super Mario Bros. 2" will be released this August, and the latest version of the popular franchise for this handheld device, "Animal Crossing," is scheduled to be launched this fall in Japan. The newest title in the "Brain Age" series, with which people can brush up their "working memory" (a brain function of processing or utilizing the incoming information with information kept in the brain) and "concentration power" at the same time, will be released by this summer in Japan. Moreover, Nintendo will attempt to maintain the popularity of evergreen titles such as "SUPER MARIO 3D LAND" and "Mario Kart 7," and release compelling products one after another, in order to further expand the sales of the "Nintendo 3DS." Also, Nintendo will roll out the "Nintendo 3DS" in Asia in due course.
Nintendo will release the "Wii U," the successor of the "Wii," mainly in Japan, the United States and Europe at the end of this calendar year, and propose a new play style of home entertainment with its unique controller embedding a 6.2 inch touch screen.

Nintendo continues to pursue its "Gaming Population Expansion" goal based on the idea of putting smiles on many people's faces by offering brand-new entertainment that anyone can enjoy, regardless of age, gender, or gaming experience.
Nintendo strives to spread the "Nintendo 3DS" released last year, will endeavor to spread the "Wii U" to be released at the end of this calendar year, and will keep on offering not only Nintendo-developed new games but games and services making use of the capabilities of those systems by collaborating with software publishers while positively promoting potential evergreen software titles.
Moreover, Nintendo will push forward with "Nintendo Network," which is the network service for the "Nintendo 3DS" and the "Wii U," and offer game experiences, which enable users to compete and interact with others all over the world, and provide add-on content by utilizing its network functions.
Furthermore, for the purposes of adapting to the changes in the environment surrounding the video game market and creating new business opportunities, Nintendo is envisioning the digital distribution of packaged software and is aiming at expanding the digital business.
In the challenging and competitive video game industry, which consistently requires new and innovative products, Nintendo will continue striving to expand its offerings of compelling products and services by capitalizing on being a platform holder with powerful in-house software development teams.

Some of Nintendo executives will be discussing more of the company's plans for the 2012-2013 financial year and beyond in an investor's presentation the morning of April 27 in Japan (or tomorrow afternoon PST). I'm hopeful that that's when my predictions for what Nintendo will announce will come true.

Nintendo's Financial Year Ends Tomorrow: Will They Announce New Wii U and 3DS Information

Tomorrow is going to be the end of the financial year for Nintendo, so they will have an investor's conference tomorrow.  They are most likely to announce million dollar losses, but they will also probably announce new Wii U and 3DS information.

Last financial quarter Nintendo announced the Nintendo Network, New Super Mario Bros. 2 (though it wasn't known as New Super Mario Bros. 2 until the Nintendo Direct webcast on April 20th) and that the Wii U controller will have a NFC chip. So it makes sense that Nintendo will announce new 3DS and Wii U information tomorrow at their investor's conference. I will present some things Nintendo could announce tomorrow.

Some E3 Plans

This is almost a given. Microsoft and Sony have already announced when their E3 press conferences will be (Microsoft: June 4 10am Pacific and Sony: June 4 6pm Pacific), and E3 is only 42 days away so why not announce their E3 press conference tomorrow.

A New Game or Two (or at least some new information about a game already announced)

Once again this is almost a given.  Last time they announced New Super Mario Bros. 2 so why not announce at least a downloadable game, and if not a new game, then at least some new information about a game already announced like Luigi's Mansion 2 or Pikmin 3.

New Nintendo Network Information

New information on downloadable retail games? Personal accounts for Wii U? Who knows.

 Wii U Name Change

Honestly I don't think Nintendo will change the Wii U's name, and who would want it to be changed (lots of people).  Not only does the Wii U symbolize a console for "We" (ordinary gamers) and "You" (hardcore gamers), it also sounds like a police car. . . Wiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuu Wiiiiiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuu (Microsoft and Sony are on the run form Nintendo).

3DS Lite

I don't think this will happen (Nintendo wants people to focus on the Wii U), but in my opinion it's the most likely time for Nintendo to announce a 3DS Lite this year.

Come back tomorrow for the official announcements.

Nintendo of Korea Will be Having a Nintendo Direct Conference at 4:00 AM PST April 14th

Nintendo of Korea will be having a Nintendo Direct Conference at 4:00 AM PST April 14th.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is Announced

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, the companion to Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, was announced on March 23, 2012, in the 277th issue of Nintendo Power. It appears that the game is a 3DS exclusive. The article says that Dreamrift is the studio that is developing Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is Revealed

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will have online co-op

Though Epic Mickey 2 was originally confirmed in January, we now know the full name, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, and that it's going to be a musical (I'm not sure I like that). It also looks like the main problem with the original Epic Mickey, the game's camera, has been fixed, with over 1,000 changes made to the camera. So far the game has been confirmed for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. It will be released Q4 2012. There's still no information about a Wii U or 3DS version (there are some rumors saying that Disney has plans to create a companion to the main sequel for the 3DS called Epic Mickey: Power Of Illusion). I think Disney is preparing something special for the Wii U and will announce it at E3 2012.