Nintendo 
usually likes to keep things pretty close to its vest, so you’d expect details about the Wii U, the company’s next generation console, to be pretty scant right now.
Nope. With the system’s big coming out party planned during the E3 video game expo just over a month from now, we’re learning plenty about what the company has in store, though far from everything.
Last 
year’s decision to slash the price of the 3DS helped the handheld gaming system from falling on its face, but it sure took a toll on Nintendo’s bottom line.
For the first time in its history as a publicly traded company, the game maker has reported an annual net loss, today posting figures that were $533 million in the red. That follows a $960 million profit for the previous fiscal year.
You 
didn’t expect Nintendo to let the launch of the PlayStation Vita go unanswered, did you?
The Sony competitor held a pair of online presentations Wednesday to tout new software that’s on the way to its 3DS system (as well as the Wii) and deflect attention away from Sony’s new, bleeding-edge gadget.
From new 
ways to play Pokemon to new ways to pay for Pokemon, the Wii U’s newly-revealed NFC feature lays the groundwork for new business and gamplay opportunities for Nintendo and its partners.
Things haven’t been looking especially rosy for the Wii U over the past few months.
E3 crowds were interested in getting their hands on the company’s next generation console last June, but that’s fairly common for new gaming tech. For the rest of the world, the system didn’t seem to have a real hook they could sink their teeth into.
Nintendo’s financial 
year won’t end until the end of March, but the company is bracing investors for its first-ever financial loss – and it’s going to be a massive one.
By the time the year ends, the company expects to post an $837 million loss – a much worse number than the $258 million shortfall it had previously predicted.
While December 
was a grim month overall for the video game industry, it was particularly brutal for Nintendo. Wii hardware sales were down a whopping 55 percent compared to a year ago, a clear sign that interest in the once-hot console has dried up.
All of the major consoles saw sales declines last month, but they were muted compared to Nintendo’s drop. The Xbox 360 was off 8 percent and the PlayStation 3 saw sales fall 22 percent.
It’s easy to be 
tempted by low prices, especially during the holidays. Often times, deals are so good that you grab an item without thinking it through just so you can check someone off your shopping list.
The problem? Your friend or loved one winds up with a gift that sounds great in theory, but ends up having a shelf life shorter than a piece of bread. It might be good for a day or so, but you’re not going to be real happy with it after that.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a cautionary list of gaming choices that might sound tempting to bargain-hunting shoppers, but may not be the wisest use of your money this year.
Though the 
company has had its share of ups and downs over the years, Nintendo has been a profitable company for as long as it has been reporting earnings.
That streak will end this year.
While the Wii 
was a runaway success for Nintendo, the biggest criticism about the system was the lack of big third-party games. Now a new compilation of the console’s top-selling software is dramatically underscoring that complaint.
Of the top 20 selling games for the Wii, 13 were made by Nintendo. Among third-party publishers, Ubisoft was the big winner, thanks largely to its music games – “Just Dance” and “Michael Jackson: Experience”.
2011 really hasn’t 
been Nintendo’s year.
The company’s stock has plunged 40 percent. The 3DS fell on its face after its launch. And despite a price cut to $150 in May, the Wii is still dead in the water.
Chris Morris: Journalist 