<![CDATA[Gizmodo: ds]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: ds]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/ds http://gizmodo.com/tag/ds <![CDATA[McDonald's Japan To Begin Training Employees with Nintendo DS, Software [McDonalds]]]> McDonald's Japan To Begin Training Employees with Nintendo DS, Software"Get your greasy fingers off that DS Li—oh, you work here. Sorry about that. Please, continue with your McDonald's training."

No, really, this could totally happen! And soon, as McDonald's Japan is currently developing a $2.2 million DS "game" called eSmart that is designed to "cut training time by half." How? Unclear. Perhaps there's a frialator atachment we're not seeing yet.

In any event, the software will probably work best with the new XL model... [Nikkei via Andriasang via GoNintendo via Technabob]

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<![CDATA[Stay Classy, Phallic Nintendo Ads [Ads]]]> I'm sorry, but when you send the question "What would you like 93% bigger" to my email in a generic red graphic, one thing comes to mind. And it's not the DSi XL. (Also, 93% bigger would just be gross.)

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<![CDATA[Add a DSLR to Your Nintendo DS [Mods]]]> Nobody is going to share the murky photos from the DSi's integrated camera, so why not hack a classic DS to become a controller for a dSLR?

HDRLabs has posted a very detailed, easy-to-follow tutorial on loading their free, dSLR controlling software suite onto a Nintendo DS to control a Canon 30D-50D, 5D and 5D Mark II, Casio EX-FX1, Olympus E-P1 and Sigma DSLRs. With it, you'll be able to take photos with noise recognition, advanced timelapse functions and the option to bracket a shot at 11 levels (rather than Canon's default of 3).

There's just one catch: you'll have to build your own, Rube Goldberg-gutted connection cable to connect the DS to your camera consisting of a camera release and one WarioWare: Twisted cartridge. And you'll need to sacrifice a goat. [HDRLabs via Pocket-Lint via Electronista via CrunchGear]

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<![CDATA[Developers: Nintendo DS2 To Be Revealed At E3 With Accelerometer and Higher-Res Screens [Nintendo]]]> GDC is over for another year, but the omission of any solid Nintendo news—particularly in the shape of a new handheld console—was not enough for RPAD.tv, who spent the whole show digging for DS2 information from developers.

Blogger Raymond Padilla pestered developers for any details they could bestow upon him, and judging by what he published on his blog, his extra-long eyelashes must've fluttered in the right people's faces.

The next console—name still unknown, but let's call it the DS2 for continuation's sake—will have two screens, just like every other DS. However—and this sounds most intriguing—they can be used as two separate screens or one giant screen, displaying the same content spread across both LCDs. They'll be bigger, with "higher resolution," the developers told Padilla, but no word on if they'll actually be HD.

It's hardly surprising, but an accelerometer has been mentioned again—which would offer tilt-motion and all sorts of fun not seen in a portal gaming device since...the iPhone.

There was one last piece of information we hadn't heard before—supposedly the DS2 will perform most similarly to a GameCube or Wii, based on the dev kit. It could also run on a Tegra chip, so speedy performance would be a certain if so.

E3 is being pointed at again for the big reveal, but judging by when the developers are finishing their games, Padilla has reckoned on a late 2010 launch. [RPAD.tv via Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Next-Generation Nintendo DS May Get Tilt Controls [Rumor]]]> Nintendo has seeded the DS2 development kit to a few selected companies, including the hardware itself. According to one developer, Nintendo said the DS2 was the first version and not final, but he is very impressed with the new controls:

It's genuinely the best thing I think I've ever worked with. I can tell you that it's got a 'tilt' function that's not dissimilar to iPhone, but does a lot more. We know that The Pokemon Company are getting special attention with it.

I wonder if this move was always on the cards or if it's just a reaction to Apple's huge success in the gaming arena, a success that has turned upside down both the idea of games distribution and some of the conceptions for mobile gaming previously set by Nintendo and Sony, especially when it comes to the importance of physical controls. Would the new DS2 include capacitive screens too? How could Nintendo one-up the sudden and serious threat that Apple now represents? We will have to wait a long time to discover the answers. Probably too much, probably way after the iPad and the next iPod/iPhone generation appear. [CVG]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo Q3 Report: 23 Percent Profit Loss [Gaming]]]> Thanks to slumping DS sales (only took five years!), and Wii price cuts, Nintendo posted Q3 profit losses of 23 percent ($192 million, down from $249 million a year ago). It the first time in four years they've posted an annual profit loss. Looks like its time for Nintendo to respond to the iPhone/iPod touch boom, and encourage other Wii games besides "My Extreme Carnival Games 15." [Reuters]

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<![CDATA[Next DS To Have HD Screen, Potentially 720p [Nintendods]]]> Boy, that Satoru Iwata has been awfully mouthy recently. In addition to sounding off about the next DS having a motion sensor, he also told Asahi that it'll have a higher-resolution screen. A HIGH DEFINITION screen.

Upgrading the 256 x 192 DS, the next DS incarnation—after the DSi XL—will have a 1024 x 768 screen according to several sites, which is very close to a decent 720p res. Iwata also confirmed Nintendo is in talks with several networks for connected DS consoles, which is something he mentioned a few months back when he touched upon the likelihood of allowing ebooks to be downloaded over 3G. [Asahi via Fast Company]

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<![CDATA[Next-Gen Nintendo DS Will Have Some Kind of Motion Detection [Nintendo DS]]]> Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata was more mouthy than most presidents are about their upcoming, but unannounced, products, and said that the upcoming DS will have an accelerometer. Or, some kind of motion sensor.

Here's the quote:

[It will have] highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing.

The highly detailed graphics part is a given, but even so, is still pretty vague. It does mesh with the Nvidia Tegra rumors we heard back in October. The people's movements part is a bit more interesting. Maybe some kind of accelerometer for tilt-based gaming (like in smartphones now) could be interesting, but unintrusive enough for it to still be a DS. [Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Next Nintendo DS Might Get a Huge Speed Boost from Tegra [Rumor]]]> The Nintendo DS is great, but seriously underpowered. That could change in the next version, though, thanks to a little help from the same processor that drives the Zune HD.

It's rumored that Nvidia has won a contract to supply Nintendo with Tegra chips for the next generation DS. The specific chip Nintendo plans on using is unknown, so we don't know exactly how powerful the next model could be. Considering the current DS runs on two incredibly slow processors, any Tegra would be a huge boost in power.

As a bonus, the source reports that the new hardware should allow backwards compatibility. Hopefully not à la PSP Go, where backwards compatibility really means you have to buy all the games you already own again. [Bright Side of the News via Electronista]

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<![CDATA[WaSaBi Cases Reimagine Your DSi in Aluminum [Ds]]]> In case you're one of those people who can't stand conforming to society, holding a DSi decorated in spartan, matte black, these "WaSaBi" cases from Gametech can dress up your system while adding a bit of extra protection.

Priced at $27 and available now, we know you've seen Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa a million times by now. But this time it's different. It's on your DSi (or DS, or PSP). And no one else with a print or reinterpretation of Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa can take that away from you. Unless they steal your DSi (or DS, or PSP). Then they'll have a piece of your art collection and your portable console. And there's no coming back from that. [WaSaBi via TinyCartridge via GoNintendo]

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<![CDATA[Latest DSi Security Update Barely Breaks a Pirate's Stride [Nintendo]]]> You thought that you had to choose between your pirated games homebrew and Facebook? Nope, the DSi already appears to have been cracked again.

While the latest DSi firmware 1.4 tempted users with social networking on Facebook, it also blocked infamous R4 cartridges, a popular way to load pirated software on the DS/DSi. But according to this clip, Nintendo's efforts were again futile, as pirates have already circumvented new security measures.

The moral of the story: The DSi, even with its aggressive PSP-style updates, has no more chance of preventing piracy than the DS. [Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo DS Game Selector Switches Between, Shows Off Your Top 3 Games [Accessories]]]> This Blaze Game Selector for the Nintendo DS Lite attaches to the DS's back and allows you to toggle between 3 games with the flip of a switch. We're not sure the marginal effort saved is worth the aesthetic sacrifice.

The Selector features three slots for games and an indicator light to show which game is in play. A cable runs between the attachment and the DS's card slot, and it looks like the Selector is easily removable, as it just clips on. It's mildly useful, especially if you own exactly three games, but it really ruins the sleek lines of the DS Lite, and, of course, it's vastly inferior in utility (though not in legality, heh) to one card with boatloads of ROMs. The reviews are glowing but we're not sure they're trustworthy, especially the one saying, "I really enjoy it and look forward to doing it over and over. Well worth it."

The Blaze NDS Game Selector is available now for around $13, which is a totally fair price if you're not as superficial as we are. [SuperUFO via Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Razer Moray+ Gaming Headset Has Mic Dongles for DSi, DS Lite and PSP [Gaming]]]> Razer's original Moray headphones were good for $40—Moray+ adds a mic and has dongles so you can mouth-breathe into your PSP or DSi/DS Lite for $60. But, uh, how often do you wanna do that? [Razer]

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<![CDATA[Pokémon Motivates Lazy Kids with Poké Walker [Gaming]]]> Children who want to level up their monsters in two new Pokémon remakes will still need to wander around aimlessly for hours on end, but this time that wandering will be in real life.

Pokémon "Heart" Gold and Poké "Soul" Silver will be bundled with the new Poké Walker peripheral, a pedometer that can hold one deadly but cute Pokémon at a time. As the player walks, the Pokémon gains XP and pedometer earns extra watts, the game's currency. All of this data is fed back into the DS game through the IR port (integrated into the games' cartridges) so that the newly fit child can continue his underground animal fight club.

The new Pokémon titles will be around this fall in Japan before hopefully making their way to the DS. [Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata Says He Wouldn't Use a Mac or iPhone if Apple Was a Competitor [Nintendo]]]> The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.In the same interview he said the Wii could live for eight more years, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata remarked that if Apple and Nintendo "were in direct competition, I would not use a Mac in my presentations."

When Dean Takahashi asked about the potential threat of free games, Iwata responded, "Because of this?" as he pulled out his iPhone.

Talking about the overlap between it and the DSi, he said, "The features of the iPhone and the DSi may overlap. But if we look at our differences, the areas of overlap are small. If, in the future, this overlap becomes bigger to the extent we should call it direct competition, I have to be more careful. I can't bring out the iPhone during an interview anymore. Today, I don't worry about it."

Man that's hardcore, like Bill Gates banning iPods from his house.

So if he couldn't use a Mac or Windows PC, what kind of computer would he use then? Linux? [VentureBeat]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo's Miyamoto Smack Talks Sony and Microsoft's Motion Controls, Plus More [Nintendo]]]> We're at a Q&A session at E3 with Nintendo's wizard Shigeru Miyamoto.

Asked about Sony and Microsoft's motion controls revealed earlier this week, through a translator he said that Nintendo's policy is to actually do development and figure out how the hardware is going to be used with software before making an announcement.

Oooo smack talk. But he admitted it took them a while to finish Wii MotionPlus. He also said that until it reaches that level of completion it's impossible to make any sort of judgment about them.

Talking about the vitality sensor, he said it's a device he's interested in because it's a different kind of interface, versus something you do with your own will—you step on to a Balance Board, but can you control your own pulse? He's thinking of something like that, that's hard to control, controlling it through something like yoga.

And what about Wii Speak? If they have a game that lends itself to using Wii Speak, that's something they're always looking for. Translated from PR speak that means approximately nothing.

Though, what the hell does that lead to? About 10 years ago, he used one of those gimmick gadgets that lets you control a robot with your brain waves. So he and Iwata put it on and put this on and were thinking about how to use it—like a new Pokemon game. "New devices open doors to new creativity." In other words, the Wii peripheral parade won't ever stop. Ever.

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<![CDATA[Nintendo's E3 Keynote Liveblog Archive [Nintendo]]]> Nintendo's E3 press conference hasn't even started, and they've already slammed Sony. Impressive! The conference kicks off at 9AM PT—noon ET—but our liveblog is getting fired up now. Besides the New Wii Fit Motion Music Plus New Play Super 64, what do you want to see?

Archive below:

7:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Testing testing. We're live t the Nokia theater with about an hour to kill before the Nintendo press conference.

7:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The smell: cold steel and coffee.

7:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So, the Nokia Theater is nice, but it's no Kodak Theater – the location of their e3 press conference last year. Feeling the sting of weak yen, Nintendo?

8:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We were up late at a Microsoft party last night. Lots of free booze and Beatles Rock Band. Matt Buchanan threw back more than his fair share of water before not taking the stage and not humiliating himself.

8:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Bowie is playing, Young American.

8:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
MGMT is playing. I feel so cool now.

8:17 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:22 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:23 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
Guesses? Anyone? Drop your answers over on our liveblog post.

8:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
30 minutes until showtime. I've been playing Nintendo trivia on their big screen. Remember back when Coke sponsored that find the bottles pre-show stuff at movie theaters? I was SO good at spotting those inconspicuous red bottles on a white backdrop. So good.

8:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
That was my brief experiment shooting behind my head with 5D Mark II's Live View. The 5D made our Microsoft liveblog yesterday magically easy to shoot–I can't wait 'til that kind of low-light power reaches entry-level cameras.

8:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So what will we see from Nintendo? Wii Fit Plus seems like an absolute sure thing, along with a possible showing from Art Academy (a recent trademark Nintendo filed). Other than that? I'm guessing we'll see some pretty big pimping of Wii MotionPlus. Nintendo announced the peripheral at least year's E3, and now they need to sell the thing for $20 a pop.

8:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:45 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The answer to the question below? Mario. What did you win? Nothing. But the other big announcement we may see today is a new Mario title.

8:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OMG, WIIMOTE SPOTTED ON STAGE!! WHAT COULD THIS MEAN????????

8:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, and in case you like to watch two or more liveblogs at once (what, you don't trust us?), check out the Kotaku liveblog. They're good people.

8:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
It kinda makes me sad that the best-selling DS game ever is Nintendogs.

8:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I will say, Nintendo's (LCD?) light strips are not so horrible looking. I mean, I wouldn't want to decorate my house with them or anything. But for a techie press conference? Martha Stewart would approve.

8:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
5 minutes to takeoff. This must be what it feels like to await a space shuttle launch. Lotsa dudes. Weird smells. General discomfort. Top 40 pop music playing in the background. I don't know where I'm going with this.

8:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
ARE YOU READY TO RUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEEE? Great. But be careful, Immersion might sue your ass.

9:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now Nintendo is busting out the U2. What would Bono do if he were here? Get shown up my John Mayer if John Maysr were here, that's what.

9:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt

9:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo has just put up their logo on every screen they've got on the stage. That's…SIX NINTENDO LOGOS. Booya. Show is starting.

9:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo messages: "Everyone's Game" "Connection" "Every Culture" "Every Contact" "Every Generation"

9:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
In other words, she has no motive to tell you the truth.

9:05 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's talking sales, citing NPD and explaining why video games are the top dog. She's using words like "consumers" and "industry."

9:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"Maybe you've noticed a woman on the plane playing a DS system."

9:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo's goal? "Create, surprise."

9:07AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's promising more innovation in game control, and innovation where "we thought there might not be any left."

9:07 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's teasing an icon in games now, probably Mario

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Yes, it was Mario. Montage of Mario.

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They never figured out how to move Mario into the 4th dimension. That's Nintendo's surprise. Miyamoto has invented a new way to play Mario. New Super Mario Bros for Wii.

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Bill Trinen comes onstage. Senior Manager of Product Marketing.

9:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Ohh…and he's promising more PLAYERS. Four people at once!

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wow, this is neat. It's like New Super Mario Bros, with Mario, Luigi and two Toads.

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All the Wiimotes are being held like an NES controller, btw. There's some waggling involved.

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oooohh, helicopter hat! Oh, it's called a propeller suit. Work on that name, Nintendo.

9:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The propeller suit makes sense because it launches players vertically, which allows players to stay on the same screen while flying. Remember raccoon Mario? He wouldn't work for this.

9:12 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All four players need to hop on the flagpole within three seconds. The game is competitive, with players trying to score the most points.

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New Super Mario Bros Wii is on the show floor, will launch Holiday 2009.

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"While Mario may be a big draw, he wasn't big enough to pull all consumers…" Nope, for that, Nintendo had to appeal to fat people.

9:14 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Cammie is talking about changing Wii Fit. The result? Wii Fit Plus.

9:15 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It seeks out a specific workout routine that's "just right for you." Six new strength and yoga routines. Gaps between exercises can be removed.

9:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The screens she's showing look just like Wii Fit

9:17 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, though they just showed a level in which you can hop over hurdles while dodging giant bullets, just like Mario. They showed that clip for roughly 5 seconds, sadly. Now they're cutting to a montage of Wii stuff.

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie Fils-Aime comes onstage. Nice cheers for Reggie.

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The vernacular of Nintendo is just so business minded. "Virally," "mainstream culture." It just feels so cold and calculated. Where is Miyamoto's smiling face?

9:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie is giving us a look at Wii game control options. Today, he wants to fully explain the "next advance" in game control. He's talking about Wii MotionPlus.

9:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:20 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He's showing a side by side of the Wiimote and the Wiimote with the MotionPlus dongle. He's explaining how different this little dongle feels.

9:20 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie cued a demo reel of Wii MotionPlus. And…we see a closeup of someone playing ping pong in slow mo over a 3D matrix. So futuristic!

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Holy crap, now a samurai! Samurais like Wii MotionPlus!

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now a guy pulled a bow and arrow? Wii MotionPlus might be dangerous!

9:22 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, now just a golfer and some basketball. My kids can play with Wii MotionPlus after all.

9:23 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The video is over. "That's how it works on video," Reggie explains. But now they're gonna demo it in real time.

9:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They're pushing "precision and depth" pretty hard. They want the mainstream to understand that Wii MotionPlus is BETTER than the Wiimote alone. So Nintendo is going to show up Wii Sports Resort, like they did last year, but focusing on precision controls.

9:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The Wiimote (with MotionPlus) represents a skydiver. The Wiimote is being rotated. The skydiver is being rotated. It works!

9:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now the skydivers pull their chutes. There are no tragic accidents. The world is safe again. Phew.

9:26 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Read more on these games over at Kotaku, too.

9:26 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we're in an archery range. It's archery rangey.

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It's tough to tell how much accuracy come into play here, since not many of us are archery experts. Nintendo just missed the target onstage. Ha. OK, archery demo over.

9:29 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now it's time for some 1 on 1. Bill Trinen and Reggie share some awkwardly staged banter.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They're having a 3-point contest. It really looks like they're shooting baskets with the Wiimote, but it's a one-handed experience. So the guiding hand isn't part of the Wii Motion.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I bet this will drive the kids crazy though.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:32 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The pace of this press conference is just so much slower than Microsoft's two-hour announcement extravaganza.

9:32 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Red Steel 2 will only be playable on Wii MotionPlus. That will be a trend across a lot of the Wii, if MotionPlus can reach a decent install base.

9:33 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
(Note: that point on the install base was my point, not Reggie's)

9:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we're looking at Square's contribution to the Wii, the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers. That was a brief clip.

9:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I'm sorry, I don't get paid enough to cover Square Enix. Read more at Kotaku.

9:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo just called the DS line "the most lucrative" of Nintendo's offerings. Great!

9:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
James Patterson Women's Muder Club Games of Passion promises to bring pretty much everything in the game's title to the DS. We're watching a clip about it now. It looks like a series of minigames like Bejeweled mixed with snapshots of bad guys.

9:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New clip: COP The Recruit. It looks like Grand Theft Auto, but you're a good guy.

9:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:43 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New clip: Style Savvy is intended for female "preteens and 20 somethings." Models try on clothes and walk a runway. Suck on this Natal! Can you fit in these designer jeans?

9:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now Cammie is talking about the Nintendo DSi, how it's great, for everyone, yada yada. She plays a clip of people on the street, mostly women, talking about how great the platform is. This is just grueling.

9:45 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Total Nintendo DSi sales have surpassed 1 million units in the US since launch. Just so you know.

9:46 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
FlipNotes Studio, a neat sketching animation program, is coming to the platform this summer. It looked pretty neat, but they're already on to something else.

9:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:48 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo is skimming through various DSi titles quickly now. The audience is asleep. Literally, I see two people in the audience who might be asleep.

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Beginning this summer, you will be able to take photos on the DSi and upload them to Facebook.

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Whoa, that announcement was out of nowhere. And now we're gone from Facebook. We didn't get any real look at the UI.

9:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:51 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Satoru Iwata comes to the stage! The crowd awakens!

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
BTW, I can almost promise that Sony's press conference won't be this boring. At least I'll have some great zingers about the lack of dual analogs on the PSP Go!

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Iwata is explaining how Nintendo divides gamers into three groups: those who game, those who don't and those who might.

9:54 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Between Japan, Europe and America there are 149 potential gamers. That's like 149 million potential DS sales which would equate to enough money for Nintendo to buy the entire world and "win." (Iwata didn't explain the winning strategy with as much depth as I did. But my extrapolation is usually pretty accurate.)

9:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oops, 149 million players.

9:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Iwata explains to us that veteran players and newcomer players are different, but we were all newcomers at some time in our life. We've heard Nintendo say this before. It's actually a very wise outlook on gaming, imho.

9:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, and read more on Iwata's global conquest over at Kotaku.

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So what's next for Nintendo and the mainstream? Iwata is showing us an "entirely different way" of looking at games. Wake up, people. We're cooking again.

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wii Vitality Sensor

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It tracks your pulse.

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The retirement homes are gonna love this, until the first Wii Vitality Sensor goes flatline.

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The intent of the WVS is that you can see the "inner world" of your body, to "achieve greater relaxation." NOTE: IT WON'T CURE CANCER!

10:00 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wo while most games are meant to stimulate you, the Wii Vitality Sensor could be part of a game that helps you fall asleep.

10:00 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I could win that sleeping game right now, without any fancy peripheral.

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And Iwata leaves the stage. Cammie is back and she promises us "stimulation." But I think she's just recapping what we've already seen, stuff like the new Mario title.

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"But, if you think that's all the Mario news you can handle, you might want to think again."

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
A second full 3D mario title is coming!

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It looks like Super Mario Galazy 2. WITH YOSHI!!!

10:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, Yoshi has saved this press conference. We're talking dinosaurs. You can ride. In space.

10:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Otherwise, it's just like Galaxy. The worlds and graphics could be an expansion pack they are so similar. Ooh, but now Mario sprouts flowers on some planets.

10:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, we haven't seen much more Yoshi since those first shots. I'm hoping for like, one of those levels like in Super Mario World where you can get Yoshi again and again.

10:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And yes, it's Super Mario Galaxy 2.

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie takes the stage to bring it all home. He admits "I read the blogs, too…I know there are still people out there listening who are like, ok, great, but I want more."

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And he points out that, usually, it's the third parties who are dropping the ball for hardcore gamers.

10:05 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He's showing a clip of The Conduit, which is a sci fi FPS. Ugh, I hate SD graphics mixed with Hollywood soundtracks. Just play MIDI.

10:07 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie moves on to Capcom's Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles. There's a lot of CGI in this clip, but the moments of gameplay are basically like RE4. Actually, it looks fantastic for a Wii title. Very sharp.

10:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And last, he's showing us Dead Space Extraction, the Dead Space rails shooter. I'm sure Kotaku is riffing on the game pretty hard. I'll play this.

10:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And with the third party games shown off, Reggie asks, "what about Nintendo itself? Could a new, edgier game be coming also from us?" "Absolutely."

10:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
What is it? We're watching a clip of an ocean, it goes to clouds. And….mountains…Team Ninja and Nintendo!

10:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And it's in space. METROID.

10:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Lots of prerender, but it's a third person title. Fast action. Giant monsters. Grappling. Loud soundtrack.

10:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Metroid Other M.

10:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

10:12 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And with that, Reggie wraps it up. We'll be back in under an hour to blog Sony. See you then!

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<![CDATA[Nyko Zoom Case: 'Cause You Don't Care If Your DSi Is Actually Portable [Gaming]]]> The picture of Nyko's Zoom Case for the DSi says it all, no?

Nicking a bright idea from Brando, Nyko's Zoom Case utterly obliterates portability and reason in exchange for 8x of zoomglory—because we all know zoom is what's missing from the DSi's 640x460 camera.

You can detach the lens from the Zoom Case. You know, if for some reason you wanted to. Sadly, Nyko hasn't given us a price or date for this marvelous kit of awesome, but whenever it comes out, it's not soon enough—there are celebrities to be stalked, upskirts to be snapped, out there, waiting. [Nyko]

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<![CDATA[Naked Ladies Slipping on Banana Peels on the DS [Nsfw]]]> We've seen a Disney artist draw some technically proficient images on the iPhone, but for some reason—maybe it's the hardware, maybe it's the content—we just weren't as captivated.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser."99 Dodgy Slips" is the lovechild of Weta artists Greg Broadmore and Christian Pearce. Using a Nintendo DS homebrew app called Colors, they depicted 99 nudes slipping on bananas with a rare and stunning accuracy. In this clip, we just get a taste of unadulterated estrogen losing its balance on the most comedic of fruits, and the taste is sweet. [99DS via Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Iwata: Nintendo Design More Appreciated than Apple Design [Gaming]]]> Nintendo has traditionally ignored the iPhone as a competitor, claiming that the DS and iPhone were chasing different markets. Now Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has given in the reality of commerce and started the smack talk.

I do not imagine that iPhone will dominate the Nintendo DS market at once. My impression as the person who has used iPhone is, it is very attractive but, frankly, I did not feel that it was designed to be appreciated by a wide variety of people like how Nintendo has been designing its products.

The DS had an incredible run, and the DSi has shown some impressive initial sales. But with the rise of the smartphone (which obviously includes the iPhone), Nintendo will need to move beyond corporate trash talk and figure out how they'll survive in the mobile gaming marketplace when consumers refuse to carry two devices. You know, a plan that doesn't include going the way of Sega on mobiles.

The company will never have more momentum than they have now. So if anyone could launch a crazy new product and find mass acceptance right now, it's Nintendo. But unfortunately for Nintendo, Apple meets that criteria, too. [Nintendo via Kotaku and image]

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<![CDATA[Geeky Maestro Conducts Belkin-Connected Gadget Orchestra [Music]]]>
Here's an oldie but goodie to start your morning. Seems that with a little bit of time, a duffel bag's worth of gadgets, and a Belkin headphone splitter, one could create a satisfying little hook.

If one were so inclined anyway.

The setup features various music apps (like the quirky Elektroplankton) playing on a Nintendo DS, DSi, iPhone, iPod Touch and a Kaossilator.

The beat begins with some tribal drum action, before what sounds like the NBC theme kicks in alongside some spacey beeps and bloops. Soothing holiday-esque bells take us out, and the whole thing is played by what appears to be the giant hand final boss from Super Smash Bros. Did I mention I play video games? [YouTube via Gearcrave via Wired]

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