According 
to the Chinese calendar, 2013 is the year of the snake. But in Kyoto, Japan — the headquarters of Nintendo — it’s officially the year of Luigi.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made the announcement in a direct broadcast to fans, even going so far as to wear Luigi’s trademark hat throughout his segment of the broadcast. (Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, it should be noted, declined to wear the headgear, denying Luigi some Valentine’s love.)
The 
iPhone has already had a sizable impact on the traditional portable video game industry, but two video game VIPs are cautioning that the company could have a much larger — and potentially devastating — impact on the home console market.
Valve Software co-founder Gabe Newell and Nat Brown, who was one of the first engineers on Microsoft’s Xbox project, have issued warnings about Apple’s potential threat. The alerts come amid analyst speculation that Apple may hold an Apple TV-related special event next month.
Reports 
this week that China was considering lifting its 13-year ban on video game consoles sent shares of companies like Sony and Nintendo soaring.
But as the euphoria wears off and the waiting period for the country’s government to take action (if, indeed, it plans to) sets in, analysts say the potential impact on major U.S. video game publishers will likely be minimal.
The 
Wii U didn’t exactly light the world on fire when it made its grand debut at 2011’s E3 gaming expo. A year later, it still didn’t have the gaming faithful quivering in their fanboy boots. But now that the system is widely available, that old Nintendo magic could be brewing once again.
In the system’s first six days, Nintendo sold 400,000 units to eager consumers, who lined up early to grab a system – and eBay sellers were commanding a 40 percent premium for a Wii U. If all of this sounds familiar, it should: It’s reminiscent of the madness we saw when the original Wii went on sale in 2006.
The 
Wii U has taken some heat from critics post-launch. The system is slow, they say. There haven’t been any new games. Where’s Zelda?
Nintendo met those accusations head-on Wednesday in the company’s latest Nintendo Direct online press conference, unveiling a collection of new games and enhancements that would cheer even the most skeptical fan. Before the year is out, Wii U owners can expect a double dose of Mario, Yoshi’s return to the spotlight and a high-definition take on a classic Zelda game.
It’s 
one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, but what if you could play Mario Kart for real?
A group of Texas gamers/engineers from Waterloo Labs decided to give it a go, and the results are pretty amazing. This real-life Mario Kart racing track features actual power-ups, including mushrooms, lightning bolts and even those pesky turtle shells.
Some 
of the biggest titles in the Wii U’s initial lineup have met with some big delays.
Nintendo today announced the delays of Game & Wario, The Wonderful 101 and Wii Fit U – which, alongside the previously delayed Pikmin 3, were initially promised to hit stores by the end of March. The company now says they’ll arrive in the “first half of the year.”
It’s 
easier than ever for gamers to get their fix, whether playing “Words With Friends” on a plane, “League of Legends” for free online or the latest “Call of Duty” on Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
Figuring out how to maximize revenue on these platforms is a lot more challenging. Last year, the overall videogame market declined again, despite blockbuster launches of “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” and “Halo 4,” surging digital sales and the arrival of Nintendo’s next-generation Wii console for the holidays. Microsoft and Sony are expected to follow suit with new consoles before the end of the year, potentially splintering the market further.
The 
transition of videogame consoles into something more than just game machines started in 2000. Sony, in one of its most prescient moves, included a DVD player in the PlayStation 2 — at a time when the technology was still relatively new and expensive. And consumers couldn’t buy the system fast enough.
The speed of consoles’ evolution has increased dramatically in this generation, and the dawn (and explosion) of streaming media has been a large part of that. As Nintendo launches its next generation system — and Microsoft and Sony prepare for theirs, non-gaming elements are shaping up to be a critical part of the landscape.
While 
the market for old Nintendo games isn’t what it was, say, 20 years ago, plenty of people still love the older systems. But classic cartridges, unfortunately, don’t exactly age well.
The SNES, for example, turns 23 this year. While most of today’s games should have no trouble surviving that long thanks to their use of DVD and Blu-ray formats, the older cartridge technology is suffering.
Chris Morris: Journalist 