And The Lion Shall Lie Down With The Lamb: Nintendo Issues Blue Sega-Themed Wii

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He has written for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts he’d like you to read: The Dangers of Externalizing Knowledge | Generation i | Surveillant Society | Choose Two | Frame Wars | The User’s Manifesto | Our Great Sin His personal website is coldewey.cc. ? Learn More

I remember the time when you were either a Nintendo kid or a Sega kid — assuming you were lucky enough to have one of the consoles at all. You’d ask your friend if they had played Super Mario Bros 3 warpless, and they would respond that no, they were still trying to beat their Casino Zone times in Sonic 2. Things would be a little tense after that. And this was a prejudice that I felt would never be mended. But when Sega went all-software after the Dreamcast (R.I.P.), things changed.

Sure, we’ve had Sonic games on Nintendo systems — have for years. But a Sonic-blue Wii? According to my inner child, they’ve finally crossed the line.

The reason is normal enough: it’s a Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games bundle. The Wii itself is of the new, slightly crippled variety (doesn’t have wi-fi or play Gamecube games) but it’s a perfect little collaboration for the upcoming Olympics — if you lack the soul of a gamer. To anyone who grew up in the 80s, this is a gross dereliction of fanboy duty by the obsessively self-centered Nintendo.

It also comes with a sticker sheet. I have to assume that someone at Nintendo threatened to disembowel themselves if Sonic were permanently placed on a Wii.

This abomination will be available in Europe starting November 18th. Or as they might say, 18 November.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Nintendo To Revamp 3DS Hardware, Downplay 3D?

Chris Velazco is a mobile enthusiast and writer who studied English and Marketing at Rutgers University. Once upon a time, he was the news intern for MobileCrunch, and in between posts, he worked in wireless sales at Best Buy. After graduating, he returned to the new TechCrunch to as a full-time mobile writer. He counts advertising, running, musical theater,... ? Learn More

Nintendo’s recent 3DS price drop seems to have accomplished the goal of moving more units, but rumor has it that Nintendo’s higher-ups aren’t too pleased with the floundering portable as a whole. Among other things, Nintendo is supposedly considering a new hardware revision for the 3DS that downplays its 3D capabilities

That sounds a bit counterintuitive, but internal sources have told French gaming site 01.net that Nintendo is aware of the problems they’ve had convincing customers that the 3D display is safe to use. Nintendo has publicly stated that children under 6 should not use the 3DS with the 3D mode turned on, which has stymied the adoption rate among the younger set.

If this report proves to be true, then Nintendo may radically tone down the 3D angle, and will have to shift gears completely when it comes to their branding and marketing strategies.

Future hardware plans aside, Nintendo also reportedly thinks they’ve shot themselves in the foot due to a crucial hardware oversight on the 3DS: the lack of a second analog stick. Engineers are apparently working day and night to to create an inexpensive analog stick add-on that they believe will improve gameplay. Nintendo has also reached out to a group of hand-picked developers to create games that leverage the dual stick layout.

The mechanics of the analog stick add-on escape me, and 01.net doesn’t elaborate, but it raises a few questions: will it have to be removed every time the 3DS is closed? How is it going to attach to the console? Will it be worth a damn?

Nintendo is backpedalling hard here, but at least they’re recognizing their shortcomings and trying to make the experience better. If the new 3DS comes to fruition, Nintendo will likely draw the ire of gamers who picked up the current model on the cheap, but they’ll just need to grin and bear it if the model is more in line with their vision.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.