Joystiq

Pokemon Scramble U's second line of NFC toys dated

JC Fletcher — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:45:00 EST

A new set of near field communication-enhanced toys for the Wii U action game Pokémon Scramble U will come to Japan on May 25. The game has yet to be announced for release worldwide, but it's a Pokémon game, so you should expect it.

The second series of toys includes Eevee, Mewtwo, Croagunk, Zoroark, Litwick, and Genesect, and one secret unannounced Pokémon. The NFC figures add playable characters to the game, much in the style of Skylanders.

In the Pokémon Rumble/Scramble games, all of the playable Pokemon are actually wind-up toy Pokémon - which means these figures are toy versions of toys.

Pokemon Scramble U's second line of NFC toys dated originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pokémon Rumble U toys revealed

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST

Nintendo officially unveiled six launch figurines for upcoming eShop brawler Pokémon Rumble U in Japan. Following the CoroCoro reveal earlier this week, Nintendo published images of the six toy critters - there's another special figure yet to be revealed - which are being released on April 24 alongside Rumble U, or Scramble U as it's known in Japan. The sextet comprises Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Torchic, Lucario, Victini, and the oh-so-cute Piplup.

As the debut trailer shows, the toys use the Wii U's Near Fields Communication tech to inferface with the game, allowing them, much like in Activision's Skylanders franchise, to appear as in-game characters. Rumble U remains unconfirmed for release outside of Japan, but if the game proves a success - who can see Pokémon meets Skylanders being anything but a goldmine? - it would be staggering for it not to make its way west.

Rumble U is priced ¥1800 (around $19), and individual figures ¥200 each (around $2).

Gallery: Pokemon Scramble U (NFC Figures)

Pokémon Rumble U toys revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iwata: Wii U NFC to be used for payments or in-game, prototypes due this year

JC Fletcher — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:30:00 EST

The Wii U GamePad includes a near-field communication function, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't, say, read obsessively about game consoles on the Internet. At the moment, no Wii U game uses it for anything, not even Skylanders, which ships with its own NFC reader.

Speaking to investors, CEO Satoru Iwata discussed potential plans for the tech, none of which have been finalized. Nintendo's ideas for NFC uses split in two directions: Skylanders-style toys and credit card reading.

"For example, we can create cards and figurines with NFC and design our video games to work in conjunction with them," Iwata said of the first possibility. "Also, an increasing number of arcade games are utilizing IC cards which can read and write data in order to record users' scores and it is possible for Wii U games to connect with them." Nintendo is working with "several" developers on ideas like this, "and, by the end of this year, we will probably be able to show you some output, tell you about some more concrete examples of the possibilities or even let you try out some tangible examples."

The other potential use of NFC, as discussed by Nintendo before, is for payment cards. "Technically, it is possible to settle an account by waving an e-money card over the Wii U GamePad," Iwata said. "We are conducting research into this right now as one of this technology's future possibilities." While NFC payments are more prevalent in Japan than elsewhere, there are lots of credit cards in America that can be used by tapping on the card reader. Setting your card down on the GamePad would certainly be more convenient than entering a number.

Whatever Nintendo does with the technology, Iwata is adamant that it had better do something. "Since we have made a certain investment in order to install NFC," he said, "we will make efforts to at least receive a return on our investment."

Iwata: Wii U NFC to be used for payments or in-game, prototypes due this year originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple patents NFC tech for controlling gadgets with iThings

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST

Apple has been issued a patent (this one) that outlines virtually every conceivable way in which an iProduct equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) could wirelessly interface and control a similarly NFC-equipped gadget, doodad or whatsit.

Many examples are given in the documentation -- everything from using your iPhone to control your house's thermostat to its automated sprinkler system -- but we're mostly interested in its applications as a gaming interface, of which two main methods are shown.

First, figure 44 shows how an iPhone can be linked with a familiar looking NFC-equipped controller by tapping the two devices together. Once paired, the iPhone can then be used to play the game rather than the controller itself, via on-screen controls. The phone recognizes the game being played (in this case, Prince of Persia) and displays three controller layout options: Classic, Custom or Game Developer Recommended. Selecting one of the three options causes a button layout to appear on the screen.

In the other gaming-centric example given, the iPhone is shown skipping the controller and interfacing directly with a gaming console via infrared, wireless internet or NFC. If NFC is present, tapping the iDevice to the console initiates the link; alternatively an RFID tag or QR code may be substituted to establish the connection.

For the system to be functional, everyone involved in every step of each device and piece of software will need to be on board. Console manufacturers will have to put NFC chips in their wares, game developers will have to code iOS device support into their products, and Apple themselves will have to release a version of iOS that actually does all this stuff.

Gallery: Apple NFC patents

Apple patents NFC tech for controlling gadgets with iThings originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skylanders creative lead eying Wii U's NFC for the future; mobile game explained

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST

"Giants is the idea for the future," Toys for Bob CEO and development lead Paul Reiche III told me during an interview this morning, just ahead of this weekend's Toy Fair 2012. His company's latest project, Skylanders, is up for an award at the big show, not to mention an award or two at DICE 2012 (also this week), but he's already looking into the future. To an extent, at least.

"In terms of the Wii U, we're looking at it," he said in response to a question regarding the Wii U's recently announced NFC functionality -- functionality that's very similar to that found in the RFID-enabled Skylanders. "All of the details about the NFC technology haven't been released to the public yet, and it's really interesting," Reiche added, but he wouldn't budge on how much experience his company had with the Wii U's tech just yet ("I can't talk about that, I'm afraid.").

As for that other Skylanders game that was announced today -- the mobile one -- Reiche was able to be a bit more verbose, though not much. "We will be having new mobile associated with Giants, but we are also still working on a very fun experience using your toys in the Skylanders world that's for mobile," he told me. So, two games then! "I played it, I like it, I don't know what its release schedule is. This one isn't being implemented within Toys for Bob," Reiche added.

So, how does it work? Reiche couldn't get too specific, but he did say it'll use the web-based Skylanders experience to draw information to the mobile game. "No NFC phone necessary. We want anyone to be able to enjoy it. We want someone who just buys a toy to have a meaningful experience on someone else's mobile device."

Skylanders creative lead eying Wii U's NFC for the future; mobile game explained originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iwata interested in NFC payments, tolerant of microtransactions

JC Fletcher — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:40:00 EST

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave his customary Q&A session to stockholders following the company's financial results briefing. Surprisingly, the stockholders asked a lot of stuff about future plans, instead of just hostile questions about why Nintendo is losing money.

Iwata elaborated on the NFC functionality of the Wii U, specifying its utility for reading credit cards. "If we can provide a system in which consumers can use such e-money," he said, "they will far more easily be able to make payments than by entering credit card numbers or purchasing the Nintendo Prepaid Cards at stores." Of course, Nintendo has been sheepish about going into online business, which Iwata admitted. "To the views that Nintendo is cautious, conservative, or even negative about business on a network," he said, "our answer is, in short, that we will make a bold attempt when the time is ripe. Unless the timing is right, we will lose the consumers who do not have an Internet connection."

Iwata explained that Nintendo is working to find a solution that pleases both customers and retailers before offering full-game downloads, but went on to say that microtransactions, another new-ish development in online games, are not something he'd have a problem with. "We plan to ensure a relative level of flexibility for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U software compatible with the Nintendo Network as long as the developer has built a trusting relationship with consumers, except for the cases that consumers will be too disadvantaged," he said. "Regulations with a certain degree of strictness" will be in place to protect customers. Nintendo "will not turn down" requests to add microtransactions to games "as far as they can establish an appropriate relationship with their customers."

Iwata interested in NFC payments, tolerant of microtransactions originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skylanders-esque NFC tech built into Wii U's WiiPad

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:10:00 EST

Adding onto the mounting pile of news coming from an investor's briefing with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata comes word that the Wii U's tablet-like controller will have "Near Field Communication" technology (NFC). In Nintendo's words, the tech will serve to "read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world." Owners can reportedly create their own cards and figurines for use with the WiiPad's NFC functionality.

Confusing as that may be, Iwata means that the Wii U's WiiPad will come equipped with similar tech to that used in Skylanders alter its gameplay via real world objects (Skylanders uses RFID tech, which isn't exactly the same, but a similar concept). The tech could conceivably be used to make credit card payments as well, which Iwata specifically mentions in the last paragraph.

We wish it was all announcements of new entries in classic franchises and promises of unified online systems, folks, but that's just how it goes. On the bright side, more Drobot?

Update: This post originally stated that Near Field Communication tech is also used in the Skylanders game from Activision, which isn't accurate. Skylanders uses RFID technology, which is similar but not identical. Sorry about that, folks!

Skylanders-esque NFC tech built into Wii U's WiiPad originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reggie sez: Online in Q2

Jason Wishnov — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: News, Nintendo Wi-Fi

When the big man speaks, we listen. And yes, we're referring to the deity that is Reggie Fils-Aime, standing atop his mighty pedestal after supplanting Zeus for the title. He was recently on Spike TV's GameHead, speaking rather generically about the Wii. But, as you may have guessed, there was a diamond in the rough: the news that the first multiplayer online Wii games will be announced in Q1 2007 and start shipping in Q2. Finally!

We're a little disappointed that online didn't come right out of the box; God knows some games really could have benefitted: Madden 07, Call of Duty 3, and Red Steel certainly could have used the boost. Still, at least a smidgeon of online functionality is coming quite soon, with the ability to trade custom levels in Elebits via the magic of the ~~internet~~ intertron. That's its new name. Thus have we spoken, and thus it is so.

[We don't normally steal our sister site Joystiq's pictures, but this one was just too good.]

Reggie sez: Online in Q2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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