Joystiq

Rumor: PS4 to push 'new playing options' over high-powered hardware

JC Fletcher — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST

According to a Nikkei report sourced to an unnamed Sony Computer Entertainment employee, the PlayStation 4 will have "new playing options" as its primary selling point, rather than its hardware specs. It sounds very Nintendo-like on a broad scale, but somewhat different in execution, as those new playing options will be based on connections to other devices, including smartphones.

The PS4 will be presented as a "nerve center" for home entertainment, with improved ability to connect to mobile devices - including Xperia smartphones, Nikkei notes, but presumably popular phones as well.

We expect to learn more about the mystery device on February 20, when Sony will hold an event that is expected to reveal the console.

Rumor: PS4 to push 'new playing options' over high-powered hardware originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nikkei: Nintendo to reveal larger 3DS system, 30,000 yen Wii U

JC Fletcher — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:25:00 EST

Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper with a penchant for correctly reporting Nintendo-related news before its official announcement, is reporting that Nintendo is planning a version of the 3DS with a larger 4.3-inch top screen. This "3DS XL" type system, if (Andriasang's writeup of) Nikkei's report is accurate, could be out this summer in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Nikkei also reports that it expects the Wii U to retail for 30,000 yen in Japan. That comes to $383 in US dollars, though Japanese systems tend to be more expensive than in the US - the 3DS is currently equivalent to $190, for example.

We'll find out for sure tomorrow: Nintendo's E3 presentation takes place tomorrow at 9am PST.

Nikkei: Nintendo to reveal larger 3DS system, 30,000 yen Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nikkei: Seaman finds new life on the 3DS

David Hinkle — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Back in the summer of 2010, a tantalizing prospect came up: Seaman on the 3DS. It was teased by Yoot Saito, the creator of the Dreamcast original, and since then we've been all about it. We've been so about it.

According to a report from Japanese news outlet Nikkei Inc. (via Andriasang), Seaman is the first of many rival-published games Nintendo is aiming to bring to the 3DS. The report mentions Seaman as an example of the types of games Nintendo is looking to revive on the 3DS, yet sadly offers no further detail on the impending update.

Saito, along with three other notable Japanese developers, is working on a special 3DS project for Level-5 called Guild 01. Saito will design one game, to be included with the other three from Suda 51, Yasumi Matsuno and Yoshiyuki Hirai.

Nikkei: Seaman finds new life on the 3DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo expected to announce greater loss than forecast for first half of year

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST

Nintendo will announce its earnings on Thursday for the first half of the fiscal year ending in March -- and the Nikkei business daily reports the House of Mario won't deliver happy news. Nikkei (via Reuters) expects the company to announce a recurring loss of ¥100 billion ($1.32B), a greater loss than the predicted ¥55 billion ($725M). Nikkei estimates Nintendo's full-year operating profit will be ¥35 billion ($461M) come March.

In Nintendo's revised earnings forecast for the year, announced back in July, the company dropped its estimated profit by 82 percent to ¥20 billion ($257M), from the ¥110 billion ($1.41B) it originally intended to earn.

At the time, the company stated the new projection was to reflect "trends of stronger-than-expected yen appreciation and sales performance, the decided price reduction of the Nintendo 3DS hardware, and the sales outlook for the holiday season."

Nintendo expected to announce greater loss than forecast for first half of year originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

3DS moves 200K+ units after price drop in Japan, hits 1.5m total

Christopher Grant — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:15:00 EST

After a precipitous drop-off in sales, Nintendo dropped the price of the 3DS worldwide and, in Japan at least, the early numbers show a strong consumer response. After enjoying a steep 40 percent discount on August 11 -- from ¥25,000 to ¥15,000 -- 3DS sales spiked up the week of August 8 through 14. Japanese business pub Nikkei pegged sales at 207,000 units while Famitsu publisher slash game publisher slash market research group Enterbrain puts sales a little higher at 214,821 units.

Either way, that's the highest week of sales since the console's February debut, when it managed to move nearly 375K units in a week. As a result, the console has finally clipped past the 1.5 million mark in Japan six months after its release, and just two months after reaching the big million. We'll have to wait a bit longer before we learn how last week's price drop affected sales in Europe and North America.

3DS moves 200K+ units after price drop in Japan, hits 1.5m total originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo stock down 5 percent after Wii U reveal

Justin McElroy — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST

While our feelings were ... oh, let's be nice and say "mixed" on Nintendo's just-announced Wii U traders on the Tokyo Stock Exchange were pretty much clear about their distaste. Nintendo stock closed down five percent yesterday after the company's E3 keynote, settling at 16,970 yen ($212.44) -- a low the company hasn't seen since before the launch of the original Wii.

It's not good news for Big N, but we're talking about a company that's made its fortunes on seeing opportunities where others don't. And hey, look at it this way, Nintendo: History has proven we'll eventually drop our defenses, conquer our trepidation and buy one anyway. So you've got us.

Nintendo stock down 5 percent after Wii U reveal originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nikkei: Wii successor has touchscreen controller, will arrive in second half of 2012

JC Fletcher — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:33:00 EST

The Nihon Keizai Shinbun -- the same publication that successfully "predicted" the DSi, the DSi XL and 3DS -- posted an article today stating that the Wii successor's controller will feature a six-inch touchscreen, as previously rumored.

According to Andriasang's summary of the subscription-only article, the controller will give "tablet-like controls" to games, and will also be usable as a portable game device on its own. The controller also includes a camera and a rechargeable battery.

Nintendo originally specified "2012" for the system; Nikkei says it'll be the second half of the year. Of course, even given the history of the paper, this report remains unconfirmed and thus should be taken with a 6" grain of salt.

Nikkei: Wii successor has touchscreen controller, will arrive in second half of 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo stock rises following 3DS announcement

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:27:00 EST

You may have been a bit bewildered by Nintendo's out-of-nowhere announcement of a new DS a week before the North American launch of the DSi XL, but one group seems to have no issues with the timing or technology of the Nintendo 3DS: investors.

Marketwatch reports that Nintendo stock rose 9.7 percent yesterday in response to the hardware announcement. While it's hard to gauge exactly what it is about the 3DS that has inspired such confidence among investors, we would guess it's less about the current 3D trend and more about the fact that Nintendo announced a new thing, and Nintendo things have been good for stocks in the last five years or so.

Nintendo stock rises following 3DS announcement originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nikkei predicts Sony will report operating profit, games division recovery

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST

Japan's Nikkei business daily (via Reuters) estimates Sony will announce an operating profit of about $1.1 billion for this past holiday quarter. This would be the first time the company has posted a profit in five quarters. The financial turnaround is thanks, in part, to the normally loss-heavy television division breaking even, the video game division seeing increased sales of the PlayStation 3, and a helluvalot of lost jobs and plant closings.

Nikkei predicts that the video game group in particular will see its first operating profit in over a year during the quarter. Sony has declined to comment and plans to release the financial results on February 4. The good news should come in opposition to the report issued last year, when Sony predicted a rough future.

Nikkei predicts Sony will report operating profit, games division recovery originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo of Japan: Nikkei reveal of new DSi is 'speculation'

JC Fletcher — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST

As expected, Nintendo didn't openly announce the new, larger-screened DSi in response to a Nikkei article mentioning it. In a statement to Famitsu (as translated by Siliconera), Nintendo said, "Our company is not doing any interviews. We believe this article is speculation." Of course, that is merely a comment on how Nikkei arrived at that information, and not a denial of the information.

It's familiar, as well. Nintendo of America said almost exactly the same thing about Nikkei's early reveal of the DSi, so we wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a DSi upgrade yet. We're checking in with Nintendo of America to find out more.

[Via Siliconera]

Nintendo of Japan: Nikkei reveal of new DSi is 'speculation' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Nintendo updating DSi with bigger screens this year

JC Fletcher — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:41:00 EST

The Japanese Nikkei newspaper is reporting that, later this year, Nintendo will introduce a new version of the DSi that replaces the system's 3.25" screens with luxurious 4" screens. The new system will replace the current DSi and will retain the ¥18,900 ($205.50) price tag. According to GameLife's summary of the article, the screen size has been increased with older gamers in mind. The Nikkei article states that it'll be out in Japan sometime this year, but that plans for other countries have yet to be made.

We're inclined to believe Nikkei when it makes predictions like these. It's previously made shocking claims like the announcement of a DS system with a camera and music playback functions, and a Nintendo/Dentsu video service.

Update: Nikkei has now put the article online.

[Via NeoGAF]

Report: Nintendo updating DSi with bigger screens this year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nikkei Biz Daily: Sony considering iPhone competitor

Xav de Matos — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Sony is considering a gaming/phone hybrid device as a direct competitor to the iPhone, according to Nikkei Business Daily (Via Reuters). Unless you're new to the Sony Phone rumor mill, a gaming/phone hybrid has long since been rumored to be in development, but has been denied by the Japanese hardware manufacturer.

Sony currently develops mobile devices with Swedish partner Ericsson. In early 2009, MobileToday sources claimed Sony Ericsson had pitched the idea of a PlayStation-branded phone to Sony Corp, but was denied the rights to use the trademark. The rumor went on to further claim Sony only plans to license a PlayStation phone if the company plans to make handsets independently from Ericsson. In May 2009, Sony Ericsson president Hideki Komiyama stated that his company was destined to "lose" if they did not adapt to the "new technology and new market environment" -- presumably referring to Apple's iPhone.

According to the new rumor, Sony plans to set up a project team to develop the new device, which will combine functions of the PSP and Sony Ericsson's mobile phones. A PSP phone? Just imagine how much that mythical beast would cost.

[Image Credit: Engadget]

Nikkei Biz Daily: Sony considering iPhone competitor originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video service coming to Wii, says Nikkei

Ross Miller — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:54:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

A video distribution service is coming to Nintendo Wii, according to Nikkei business daily (via Reuters). Working with ad agency Dentsu, Inc., the service will offer original content in the form of cartoons and "other entertainment programs" and is seen as a "new revenue stream" for the company (read: our large vault of money needs a diving board made from diamonds). Not much else is known at the moment. The service will first launch in Japan early 2009 and overseas later in the year.

Video service coming to Wii, says Nikkei originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo denies report of new Wiimote tech

David Hinkle — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: News, Tech stuff, Controller

Remember that story we ran last week about Nintendo wanting to change the internal components of the Wiimote? Well, Nintendo has finally responded to the Nikkei Tech-On! article that claimed the company would be looking into alternative accelerometer chips for the Wiimote, denying what was said in the piece.

In speaking to Edge, a Nintendo spokesperson shot down the possibility for a tech upgrade to the Wiimote's internal parts, stating this is all "purely rumour and speculation." Of course, we wouldn't rule out the possibility, because if the technology can be improved through alternative components, why wouldn't Nintendo want to go that route?

Nintendo denies report of new Wiimote tech originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

DS upgrade has camera, music player, says Nikkei Net

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Business

We've heard a bit of speculation about the seemingly inevitable upgrades that are coming to Nintendo's best-selling handheld -- all of which were promptly denied by the big N. However, Japanese business newspaper Nikkei recently published an article outlining a few neat features supposedly coming to the new DS model -- chief among these are a camera (which the paper mentions could be integrated into gameplay), a music playback function, and the ability to communicate with "information terminals" to acquire location-sensitive information.

Nikkei Net, the online branch of the newspaper, reports that the new model will launch in Japan sometime this year. Their take on the new functions are that Nintendo may be trying to compete with other mainstream technology -- what popular portable device with a touch screen, camera, and music playback could they possibly be trying to rival?

Keep in mind, we don't have a physical copy of the newspaper this report is printed in, nor has Nintendo confirmed the new features -- so season this story with an appropriate number of salt grains.

DS upgrade has camera, music player, says Nikkei Net originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese newspaper details new camera-equipped DS

JC Fletcher — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:14:00 EST

Filed under: News

This is fairly huge, and fairly believable! Japanese business newspaper Nikkei posted an article describing features in an upcoming new DS model set for this year, designed with the intention of competing with the iPhone and other mobile devices. According to the article, the new hardware will include a camera and music playback functionality. The camera will be integrated into gameplay, which suggests that it may be more of a new system than an upgrade. It also features the ability to connect with "information terminals" to get location-sensitive information, which we know Nintendo has looked into. There's even more in the print version of the same article. It states that the device will cost less than 20,000 yen.

A removed article on the site Monex.co.jp (screenshot available at the NeoGAF link) said that the new DS will feature the ability to share data with the Wii via the SD slot, as well as larger screens.

We wonder what that Nintendo Media Summit is going to be about.

[Via NeoGAF, Game|Life]

Japanese newspaper details new camera-equipped DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo shares hit 7-month low on recession fears

Kyle Orland — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Business

Seems the money-market-fueled stock dip Nintendo suffered last week isn't over yet. Bloomberg is reporting that the company's stock tumbled down 5.9 percent today to its lowest point since early July '07.

The reason for the precipitous fall isn't so much Nintendo's recent performance -- the company is still more profitable than a solid-gold hippopotamus that periodically spits out smaller golden hippopatami. According to Bloomberg, the stock sell-off for Nintendo and other export-based Japanese companies seems to be based on the recently reported rapid contraction of the U.S. service industry, which has also caused problems for the U.S. stock market. Traders are reading the contraction as a strong sign of a long-predicted U.S. recession, which means less money to go around for non-essentials like video games.

Will less discretionary spending mean tougher times ahead for the games industry, or is huge growth last year indicative of a somewhat recession-proof sector? We'll see, but in the meantime we'd recommend stuffing your mattress with small bills and loading up on canned goods. You know, just in case.

Nintendo shares hit 7-month low on recession fears originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo officially bigger than Sony in Japan

Kyle Orland — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Business

After months of outselling Sony hardware in both North America and Japan, Nintendo has edged past the electronics giant in the one area that really matters to gamers: market capitalization! Reuters reports that Nintendo's Japanese shares have quadrupled in the past four years to a total value of 6.54 trillion yen ($52.76 billion), just ahead of Sony's 6.5 trillion yen ($52.44 billion) [update: fixed typo] market cap. That's a massive 0.6 percent lead!

Before you trade in all those classic Pokémon cartridges for Nintendo stock, be aware that this sector of market is prone to swings. "This is one of those companies that is not exactly making daily necessities. One negative factor and shares could take a dive," Mizuho Securities analyst Takeshi Koyama told Reuters. And don't disregard Sony just because they're technically slightly smaller -- despite their troubles, Sony Corp. stock has risen 67 percent in the last two years, ten percent ahead of the the Nikkei average.

Previously: Nintendo closing gap on Sony's market value

Nintendo officially bigger than Sony in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony operational profit to surge, thanks or no thanks to PS3?

Nick Doerr — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Apparently, this fiscal year will see a surge in profits thanks to Sony's gaming divison, believe it or not. This is according to Nikkei business daily and multiple other sites reporting similar bits o' news. The news is this: Sony's profits could rise five-fold to 400 billion yen (about $3.36 billion) thanks to not only Western LCD TV sales, but Sony's game division.

The fiscal period that ended March 31 are expected to yield reports of 60 billion yen earnings -- the actual results will be released on May 16th. However, there's supposed to be a 200 billion yen loss due to the PS3 (we're confused, too... games and hardware must be quite separate). Nikkei talks about the rumored 80GB PS3 and a report of a 67% increase in PS3 shipments -- Sony is passively denying the latter, the former coming from a Sony spokesperson. So a new PS3 model is being considered.

One final note to giggle about. Nikkei said that another thing that will help Sony's financial situation is "that Sony would also benefit from not having a massive battery recall as it did its previous fiscal year." Thank you, Nikkei.

[Via GameDaily]

Sony operational profit to surge, thanks or no thanks to PS3? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Okay, so maybe Sega doesn't love your PSP?

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: News

We should be cautious about this, especially because it was reported by DS Fanboy. Apparently, according to a report in Nikkei, Sega will move development from the PSP to the DS, and will even make something that will "surprise absolutely everyone." I wish I could confirm, but my grasp on the nihongo isn't too great.

But Sega will be wary, of course. Nintendo's platforms have been notorious for being great for Nintendo games, not really third party ones. "We [Sega] have to do a lot of thinking about titles for Nintendo's hardware, because Nintendo's own titles are extremely strong. It really is difficult to sell a title as a third party."

Okay, so maybe Sega doesn't love your PSP? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wiimote prototypes

Jason Wishnov — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:09:00 EST

Filed under: Controller

A recent scan from the Japanese magazine Nikkei Business shows a few of the very early prototype controllers for the Wii. The far left version is certainly closest to the final product, though perhaps more TV remote-like. The lower-right shows a Gamecube-like controller that doubles as a throwing disc for your dog, and the upper-right shows some sort of twist-mechanism device. But the center? What in the world could that have been used for? Certainly, Nintendo's mantra of simplicity is effective, but a one-button wonder could hardly have managed Twilight Princess, we think.

After the hundreds of fan-made controllers that were going around the web pre-TGS '05, it's interesting to see what Nintendo themselves were dreaming up. Anyone think of something similar?

Wiimote prototypes originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments