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Nintendo planning to offer WiiWare demos
by JC Fletcher 
{ Nov 3rd 2009 at 3:50PM } 
The pilot program is intended to bring more attention to the Wii Shop Channel, which, Iwata said, is currently only used by people who already know what they want. He expressed some doubt as to the effectiveness of demos as a promotional tool, but the (test) market will decide that!
There was no word on whether Nintendo would also try the controversial "advertising" method of promotion, wherein a company tells its customers about its games.
Iwata: DSi XL is a spectator system
by JC Fletcher { Oct 30th 2009 at 5:58PM }
The DSi LL (or XL) isn't just for the poorly sighted or hugely handed. In his financial results briefing, Satoru Iwata revealed another purpose for the jumbo system: playing with crowds. "Nintendo DSi LL features not only bigger monitor screens," Iwata said, "but an improved view angle on the screens to make it the first portable system that can be enjoyed with people surrounding the gamer."
He envisions the DSi XL as allowing for a "new play style where those who are surrounding the game player can also join in one way or the other to the game play." Tomodachi Collection, one of the best-selling DS games of the quarter in Japan, is named specifically as a game that already benefits from having friends nearby. "Because communications and interactions with other family members and your friends are one of the key elements of the game, the fun aspect is intensified when other people can watch how you play in comparison with when you are playing by yourself."
As a bonus, your friends can help you hold the system up.
He envisions the DSi XL as allowing for a "new play style where those who are surrounding the game player can also join in one way or the other to the game play." Tomodachi Collection, one of the best-selling DS games of the quarter in Japan, is named specifically as a game that already benefits from having friends nearby. "Because communications and interactions with other family members and your friends are one of the key elements of the game, the fun aspect is intensified when other people can watch how you play in comparison with when you are playing by yourself."
As a bonus, your friends can help you hold the system up.
Iwata: Wii's 2009 lineup allowed the 'mood' to 'cool'
by JC Fletcher { Oct 30th 2009 at 12:15PM }
Siliconera gathered up Nintendo's Wii lineup to illustrate Iwata's point. The first half of 2009, the period described by Nintendo's earnings report, was largely anchored by New Play Control GameCube ports. The second half of the year saw major sellers like Wii Fit Plus accompanied by somewhat niche titles like Endless Ocean 2 and Sin and Punishment 2 -- not that we're complaining about those games! But with New Super Mario Bros.and continued sales of Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, it should look better than the first half.
It's likely that not even Nintendo wanted to get in the way of Monster Hunter 3, which did turn out to be a big success -- and one that helped Nintendo achieve the level of hardware sales it did, thanks to a bundle. However, with that out in August, it didn't factor into the first-half results.
Mario used in original Punch-Out without Miyamoto's permission
by Griffin McElroy { Aug 9th 2009 at 4:30PM }
However, the most entertaining unearthed secret is the fact that Shigeru Miyamoto never signed off on the use of Mario as the game's mustachioed referree. In Miyamoto's own words, "we didn't have an approval system when using Mario images back then and it went right past my check." The interview transcript adds that he laughed after saying this, but we imagine at least one stink-eye was shot across the table.
[Via GameSetWatch]
Iwata continues to deny Wii price drop
by JC Fletcher { Aug 4th 2009 at 9:36AM }
Iwata also admitted that last holiday's Wii lineup, specifically Wii Music and Animal Crossing: City Folk, didn't have the long-term sales Nintendo expects from its big titles. He has high hopes for this year's big three games: Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In fact, he expects all three of these to break ten million sold by March 2010, the end of Nintendo's fiscal year.
Iwata: Nintendo passed on camera technology
by JC Fletcher { Jun 10th 2009 at 11:00AM }
Iwata told FT that Nintendo had previously experimented with camera-based motion sensing, but found better results with the accelerometers that became the basis of the Wii Remote. "Until they say when they're releasing it, how much it costs and what software it comes with," Iwata said, "we won't know whether that is the route we should have taken. However . . . I think they couldn't choose to release exactly the same thing."
Of course, it must be noted that pretty much everyone has seen motion-sensing cameras in games before, because Sony sold a lot of them starting in 2003. The idea isn't new, and thus it's not at all surprising that Nintendo has tried it. It's even less surprising that Iwata is psyching out Microsoft by downplaying the technology.
[Via Seattle PI]
Nintendo sold enough DS systems in Japan for one-fifth of the population
by JC Fletcher { May 11th 2009 at 6:00PM }
According to the chart, 26.1million DS systems have been purchased in Japan, or 20.5% of the population of the country. That means that if each DS belonged to one person, one fifth of Japan would own a DS. Of course, each DS doesn't belong to one person -- people who bought DS Phats re-bought Lites and then DSis; and no doubt many people bought second systems for a new color scheme or a limited-edition, or to replace a broken system. Regardless, the DS has undeniably made its mark on Japanese society.
The US and Europe, on the other hand, have almost reached ten percent market penetration each. Just ten percent? That's merely outstanding -- what a disappointment for Nintendo.
[Via Kotaku]
Iwata: Wii Sports Resort out in Japan this June, overseas in July
by JC Fletcher { Apr 9th 2009 at 9:05AM } 
The Nintendo president named Wii Sports Resort as a measure to combat the Japanese Wii market's current slowdown (a situation he described as "the most unhealthy situation since its launch in Japan.") He denied that Nintendo would cut Wii prices in order to increase sales, saying, "If our products are not much different from competitors', price cuts would generate significant fresh demand. But video games are just not that kind of product."
Gallery: Wii Sports Resort
Iwata Asks, Rhythm Heaven team charms
by JC Fletcher { Mar 30th 2009 at 11:30AM }
Project lead Kazuyoshi Osawa, for example, said he "agonized" over the DS control scheme for about six months. Apparently, he wasn't exaggerating -- other team members noticed. "Yeah, he was in grueling agony for quite some time," said Kou Takeuchi. Osawa said that Masami Yone helps him cheer up by sending him pictures of kittens (an unauthorized use of company e-mail for which the two were semi-jokingly admonished by Iwata).
Oh, and there's also a lot of discussion of the Game Boy Advance, arcade, and DS games and their development, including details of producer Tsunku's involvement. But the adorable interaction between the team is the real draw here.
Gallery: Rhythm Heaven
Joystiq live from Nintendo's GDC 2009 keynote
by Christopher Grant { Mar 25th 2009 at 1:16PM } 
Relive every key moment, from bottom to top, just after the break!
GDC09: Nintendo updates Wii Shop Channel with 'SD Card Menu' [update]
by JC Fletcher { Mar 25th 2009 at 12:40PM }
Click to check out our video walkthrough!
At his GDC 2009 keynote, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will announce, Apple-style, that a Wii Shop Channel update will be available to all. We ran over to the Wii and began the agonizing update process to discover -- an "SD Card Menu" ...? Yes, it would seem that the vaunted "storage solution" has arrived.
"Welcome to the SD Card Menu! Here, you can launch channels saved on SD Cards by temporarily utilizing the Wii System Memory." CONFIRMED. That's right, launch from SD.
If your system memory is full, you still have to delete stuff, but there's now a streamlined, automated process to do that from this new SD Card Menu. It will even choose stuff for you, if you want.
Update: The new Wii system update also adds support for SDHC cards up to 32 GB -- that's alotta Virtual Console games folks!
Project Sora hiring for non-Smash Bros. game
by JC Fletcher { Mar 18th 2009 at 2:55PM }
The ad reiterates that Sora is working on "something that Nintendo can't create by themselves." Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also has quotes in the ad, which provide one small detail: "I am asking for something special here, something that isn't Smash Bros.," Iwata says. While it's entirely possible Sora or another studio is also working on another Smash Bros. title, the mysterious game that the developer is focusing on right now is something else. We don't even know which system it will involve!
DS sells 100 million units worldwide [update]
by JC Fletcher { Mar 11th 2009 at 12:19PM }
The worldwide DSi launch next month should only speed the rate of sales for the handheld. That number is only going to get crazier. It seems likely to pass the PlayStation's 102 million this year, on the way to overtaking the Game Boy/Color's 118 million!
Update: after the break, a graph of worldwide DS sales, sent along with Nintendo of America's press release about the milestone.
Gallery: Nintendo DSi
Iwata: DSi not competing with cell phones, iPod
by Griffin McElroy { Mar 1st 2009 at 4:30PM }
Reaffirming a similar statement made around the announcement of the DSi, Iwata said Nintendo "doesn't have any intention of directly competing with existing products" such as cell phones or iPods, adding that the media has a tendency to make up inter-corporate rivalries that don't really exist (Panasonic vs. Atari! More at 11!). Sounds like Nintendo, the undeniable big fish in the small pond of handheld gaming, is hesitant to enter the vast, lucrative ocean of multimedia gadgetry.
[Via 1UP]
Nintendo: Wii Music needs to 'clear the hurdle'
by David Hinkle { Feb 7th 2009 at 1:00AM }
"There are people who highly appreciate it and those who do not appreciate it at all," Iwata said, adding that perceptions can be changed. It's all about word of mouth to him, as he said, "A cycle is born where people who have hands-on experience can immediately understand its appeal, easily explain the positive experience they had to those around them, who then spread that information to the others." That works, unless you're a blog who pretty unanimously hated it and told everyone how you felt.
With Wii Music, the company was never able to achieve this "positive cycle," and Iwata says Nintendo now needs to "reevaluate" why it hasn't been able to "clear that hurdle." Nintendo, here's a protip from us: Emphasize that it has a dog suit and beatboxing. You might sell a few extra copies if you push that.
