Nintendo sold 262,961 NES Classic Edition consoles in Japan last week

Posted on November 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

nesclassicIt’s no secret that Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition is currently quite difficult to find on store shelves. Naturally, the unfulfilled demand has sent people scrambling to eBay, where buyers are paying exorbitant amounts of money to obtain the nostalgia-fueled microconsole.

Nintendo has promised to replenish the retail stock as soon as they can, but in the meantime, a new report from Famitsu has given us an idea of just how many NES Classic Edition consoles are out there. According to the gaming magazine, Nintendo sold 262,961 consoles in Japan during its launch period of November 10th through the 13th. The microconsole is known as the Famicom Classic Edition in Japan, and features slightly different styling from its American and European counterparts.

While this report doesn’t provide worldwide sales numbers for the NES Classic Edition, we can use a little educated guesswork to get a rough estimate. Assuming a roughly equal shipment between all three territories, it’s likely that Nintendo has already sold more than 750,000 NES Classic Edition consoles. And if Nintendo shipped more consoles to North America and Europe, its possible that total worldwide sales for the NES Classic Edition have already topped one million consoles.

Posted in News, Retro |

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild might not be a launch title for Nintendo Switch

Posted on November 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

thelegendofzeldabreathofthewild-header

Officially, Nintendo will launch The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sometime in 2017, though many fans are hoping it’ll be released in March as part of the Switch’s launch lineup. Unfortunately, if you believe a new rumor from “Emily Rogers,” it’s much more likely the game will available in Summer 2017.

Breath of the Wild is shaping up to be a big game, and according to Rogers’s sources, it’s taking Nintendo much longer to localize it than they originally planned. Because of this scheduling snafu, the sources say Nintendo will need an addition four-to-six months to test Breath of the Wild for bugs, which would push its launch to next Summer:

That brings us to the month of November. More sources have now come forward and corroborated my information. They’ve told me that localization for Breath of the Wild might not be finished until the end of December. After localization is completed, this game will require between (at least) four-to-six months of testing. As I mentioned earlier, this is one of Nintendo’s largest and most ambitious games ever. The amount of testing required for a huge open-world game like this is enormous. Nintendo’s intention is to have the game as bug free as possible.

Eurogamer corroborated this proposed production schedule with their own internal sources, so it’s looking more and more likely that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won’t be ready in time for the Switch’s launch window.

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged

Super Mario Run will be available for all iOS devices on December 15

Posted on November 15, 2016 by John Scalzo

Nintendo fans are waiting patiently to learn more about the Nintendo Switch, which will be available sometime in March. But today, the consolemaker gave fans an update on their other highly-anticipated upcoming project… Super Mario Run.

Nintendo announced this morning that Super Mario Run will be available to download from the iOS App Store on December 15. The game will be playable on all iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices running iOS 8.0 (or later), and players who want to try before they buy can access a free-to-play demo as well. Players looking to get the complete Super Mario Run experience (the main game, the Toad Rally battle mode, and Kingdom Builder) will be able to purchase it for $9.99.

“The wait is almost over for a Super Mario game that can be played on mobile devices,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Developed under the direction of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Run brings a new take on the series’ beloved action-platforming gameplay to iPhone and iPad for the first time.”

Super Mario Run will also be released for Android devices sometime in 2017.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged

New Pokemon Sun/Moon trailer introduces fans to more new Pokemon, Ultra Beasts, Z-Moves

Posted on November 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

You’ll be able to catch Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon at your local game retailer this Friday, but in the meantime, The Pokemon Company has released one last trailer to showcase some of the game’s new features.

First up is a pair of new Pokemon, Ground–Steel types known as Alolan Diglett and Alolan Dugtrio. The trailer also gives us a look at two of the game’s Ultra Beasts (UB-05 Glutton and UB-03 Lighting). Finally, the powerful Z-Moves from the game’s three Starter Pokemon (Decidueye’s Sinister Arrow Raid, Incineroar’s Malicious Moonsault, and Primarina’s Oceanic Operetta) are also on display in the trailer.

The last trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon has been embedded above, and more information on the new Pokemon, Ultra Beasts, and Z-Moves can be found after the break. Both games will be available to purchase, exclusively for the 3DS, beginning this Friday, November 18.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged

Black Friday Game Deals 2016: Toys R Us

Posted on November 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

toysruslogo

It’s possible that Toys R Us leaked the final retail price of the Nintendo Switch this morning, and now we’ve also got our hands on the retailer’s Black Friday deals for this year.

Toys R Us will open at 5:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day, and if you’re looking for bargains on games and accessories for “Toys-To-Life” franchises like Lego Dimensions, Skylanders, and Disney Infinity, they’re definitely the place to go. All three Disney Infinity Starter Packs are just $9.99, and the figures will be available in a “Buy 1 Get 3 Free” deal. There’s also a 50% discount on all Team Packs and Level Packs for Lego Dimensions, as well as a $50 price reduction on the Starter Pack itself.

Toys R Us is slashing prices on a lot of this year’s biggest games for Black Friday including a $20 discount for BioShock: The Collection, Dark Souls III, Doom, Fallout 4, Just Dance 2017, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mafia III, Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience, Mortal Kombat XL, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, ReCore, Super Mario Maker, Titanfall 2, and XCOM 2. And shoppers will get $25 off Destiny: The Collection, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Edition, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition, Far Cry: Primal, Gears of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Guitar Hero Live, NBA 2K17, Overwatch, and more.

Like most other retailers this year, Toys R Us will also be selling PS4 Slim and Xbox One S system bundles for $250.

The complete list of Toys R Us’s Black Friday Game Deals for this year can be found after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Dungeons & Dragons inducted into Toy Hall of Fame for its “impact” on video game industry

Posted on November 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

Last week, The Strong Museum of Play inducted Dungeons & Dragons into their National Toy Hall of Fame, partially due to its influence on the video game industry.

“More than any other game, Dungeons & Dragons paved the way for older children and adults to experience imaginative play,” said Curator Nic Ricketts. “It was groundbreaking. And it opened the door for other kinds of table games that borrow many of its unique mechanics. But most importantly, Dungeons & Dragons’ mechanics lent themselves to computer applications, and it had a direct impact on hugely successful electronic games like World of Warcraft.”

Originally published by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, the original Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks became the basis for all modern role-playing games and introduced millions of players to the game. New editions of Dungeons & Dragons are currently produced by Wizards of the Coast, and the 5th Edition of the game was released in 2014.

Dungeons & Dragons was joined by The Swing and Fisher-Price Little People in the National Toy Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. The three toys beat out this year’s other finalists including Bubble Wrap, Care Bears, Clue, the Coloring Book, Nerf, Pinball, Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots, Transformers, and Uno.

Posted in News | Tagged

These are the publishers and developers attending PlayStation Experience 2016

Posted on November 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

playstation-header

The 2016 PlayStation Experience is roughly three weeks away, and Sony wants to prepare all their fans for the big show with the announcement of a “near-final” list of publishers and developers that’ll be attending.

According to the PlayStation Blog, 67 companies have signed up to showcase their wares at the Anaheim Convention Center on December 3rd and 4th. We don’t for sure what games each of these companies will have on display, but it’s easy to assume that Polyphony Digital will deliver an update on Gran Turismo Sport, Guerrilla Games will show off Horizon: Zero Dawn, and SIE Japan Studios will offer one final tease for The Last Guardian.

Here’s a look at the complete list of exhibitors scheduled to appear at the 2016 PlayStation Experience (so far)…

Publishers and Developers Confirmed For PlayStation Experience 2016

  • Activision
  • Adult Swim Games
  • Alien Trap
  • Alonso Martin Company
  • Arcade Distillery
  • Bandai Namco
  • Berzerk Studio
  • Bit Kid
  • Blue Mammoth Games
  • Capcom
  • CCP Games
  • City Interactive
  • Cleaversoft
  • Curve Digital
  • Cyan
  • David OReilly
  • Defiant Development
  • Desert Owl Games
  • Devolver Digital
  • Double Fine
  • Electronic Arts
  • Exploding Tuba
  • FDG Entertainment
  • Finji
  • Guerrilla Games
  • GungHo
  • Happy Badger Studio
  • High Horse Entertainment
  • Hollow Ponds
  • Impulse Gear
  • Joy City
  • KO_OP
  • Limited Run Games
  • Matt Makes Games
  • Messhof
  • Metalhead Software
  • MidBoss
  • Milkbag Games
  • Mografi
  • Naughty Dog
  • NextGen Pants
  • Paraniod Productions
  • Playism
  • Pocketwatch Games
  • Polyphony Digital
  • Retro Dreamer
  • Reverb Triple XP
  • Robot Entertainment
  • Schell Games
  • SIE Japan Studios
  • SIE San Diego Studios
  • Ska Studios
  • SNK Corporation
  • Spaces of Play
  • Sumo Digital
  • Supergiant Games
  • Team 17 Digital
  • Thunder Lotus Games
  • Tribute Games
  • Ubisoft
  • Vblank Entertainment
  • Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
  • We the Force
  • Wonderstruck Games
  • Ysbryd Games
  • YummyYummyTummy
  • Zeboyd Games

It’s an impressive list, but I’m sure you’re asking yourself, what’s Naughty Dog up to? And where’s Insomniac and Sucker Punch? Sony surely has a lot of surprises up their sleeve, but like Veruca Salt, I want to know now.

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged

Nintendo officially ends production of Wii U in Japan

Posted on November 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

wiiudeluxe-console

If you walk into any game store these days, you’re likely able to find a giant mountain of retro consoles like the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64. But while all of those systems sold in excess of 30 million units, the Wii U’s install base is only 13.3 million… so it might be tough to find a used one in the future if you don’t already own it. And after last week, Nintendo won’t be making it any easier.

In an announcement on Nintendo Japan’s website, the consolemaker revealed that production of the Wii U is currently scheduled to end sometime in the near future.

Nintendo of America is also scaling back on their Wii U stock, telling IGN that every Wii U console they had available has already been shipped to stores:

“As recently posted by Nintendo on the Wii U website in Japan, Wii U production will end in the near future for the Japanese domestic market. We have nothing to announce in terms of exact timing.

We can confirm that as of today, all Wii U hardware that will be made available in the North American market for this fiscal year has already been shipped to our retail partners. We encourage anyone who wants Wii U to communicate with their preferred retail outlet to monitor availability.”

While it seems likely that the Wii U’s legacy will be its poor retail performance, the console was also home to some of the greatest games Nintendo has ever produced. Whatever the future holds for the Nintendo Switch, which will be released in March 2017, I’m sure every Wii U owner out there will hold on to its predecessor for many years to come.

Posted in News, Wii U |