Tag Archives: nintendo

Is Motion Control Still the Future of Video Games?

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While Nintendo kicked off the motion control revolution four years ago and quickly dominated the field, Microsoft and Sony are betting there’s a lot of life — and money — left in the category.

Last Sunday, Sony’s new PlayStation Move controller went on sale and in November Microsoft will launch Kinect, it’s motion-tracking camera that essentially transforms players’ bodies into the controller. Both products are gambles — and, to some degree, risks — for the companies, who are hoping to keep the current generation of video game systems relevant for several years.

Read more at CNBC.com

Can PlayStation Move Survive?

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A year or so before the Wii controller was unveiled, I had the chance to sit down with Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo. As I expect every other reporter did that day, I bobbed and weaved with him about what was so “revolutionary” about the company’s next product – and why they were guarding that secret so closely instead of getting consumers excited about it. His answer always stuck with me. Competitors, he said, tend to copy the company’s moves – and they wanted to own this market for as long as possible.

Read more at Game Theory Online

Consumer electronics: The App effect

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The advent of the app era has certainly changed how people view their phones, but its real impact has been less on telecommunications – and more on the electronics industry. 

A new study by Deloitte, released today, finds that mobile apps actually aren’t a key driver on smartphone sales, but they do play a big role in people’s decision-making when they’re looking for something like a gaming console or GPS.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Can Nintendo get its mojo back?

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Four years ago, Nintendo could do no wrong in the video game world. The Wii was beginning a triumphant run at retail, and the handheld DS unit had been flying off of store shelves for the past 24 months.

Publishers courted the company and competitors quickly learned their initial scoffing over the Wii’s less-than-eye-popping graphics and lack of a traditional controller was wildly off-base.

Read more at CNBC.com

Opinion: PlayStation Move – Between A Rock And A Hard Place?

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[As Sony’s PlayStation Move launches this weekend, Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris gathers his thoughts about the debut of the PS3’s motion control device, and the intuitiveness and needle-threading it requires to satisfy all parties.]

A little over a week ago, my wife fell asleep early when we were watching TV. I knew if I played Halo: Reach, it would likely get too loud, wake her up and I’d be in the doghouse for the rest of the weekend, so I figured this would be a good time to do some testing with the new motion control device for the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Move.

I had just set things up and was turning the system on when she woke up. She looked over at me, got a confused look on her face and asked, “Are you holding a vibrator?”

Read more at Gamasutra

For Video Game Makers, Bad News Could Mean Changes

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Video game publishers aren’t fooling themselves. They know August is going to be the latest in a string of awful months for the industry.

Sales numbers will be released roughly two hours after the market closes Thursday – and they’re expected to be grim. Michael Pachter, managing director of Wedbush Securities, predicts software sales will drop 6 percent compared to 2009 to $445 million. Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets is expecting things to be even worse – forecasting a 10-15 percent decline.

Read more at CNBC.com

Apple Declares War on Nintendo, Sony Over Video Games

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Apple might have shined its spotlight Wednesday on Apple TV and the new iPods, but at the same time, it had a clear message for the video game industry: We’re coming for you—and it’s going to be an ugly fight.

Over the course of the past three years, Apple has stumbled into a powerful position in the gaming world. The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad were never designed as gaming platforms, but the app explosion that followed opened up the world of mobile gaming —and now the Cupertino-based company seems ready to capitalize on that.

Read more at CNBC.com

Apple revamps Apple TV, iPod and a whole lot more

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Apple certainly wasn’t lacking for news at its press event today. We’ve got a story up on the front page of Variety, focusing on Apple TV, right now – and an analysis piece will be in tomorrow’s daily edition. 

One thing that has seemingly been lost in the shuffle is Apple made it clearer than ever that it was gunning for Nintendo and Sony – and it’s not afraid of either company’s gaming legacy. In the meantime, here’s a recap of some of the other news that Jobs & Co. unveiled.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

Nintendo cuts prices – but why?

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Nintendo has announced plans to shave $20 off the price of two versions of its best selling video game system – the Nintendo DS. Effective Sept. 12, the DSi will drop from $170 to $150 and the DSi XL will move from $190 to $170. 

The move follows price cuts in several other regions, but the timing could raise a few questions. We’ve got three theories as to why Nintendo decided to make the move now.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog