Gaming : Why is Nintendo going to the LA Auto Show?

The LA Auto Show is less than two weeks away, which means every automaker that will be in attendance is putting the finishing touches on what their executives will say during their respective press conferences. It goes the same for each automaker: An exec will talk about sales numbers, maybe brag about some newly bestowed industry award, and then a new concept or production model will be rolled out. There is one company, however, that will likely do none of that.

If you look over the official list of press conferences for the LA Auto Show, you'll discover that Nintendo has a spot near the end of the second day. Now, companies not endemic to the auto industry have hopped up on soap boxes during auto shows before, but none from any industry we hold so dear to our hearts as video games.

What could Nintendo possibly have to say or show? We don't know. There's speculation that Nintendo could be getting into the business of automotive infotainment, but we've seen no evidence to support this hypothesis. Since Nintendo hasn't leased any space at the show, MotoworldHype guesses that it might announce some kind of partnership with an OEM. Whatever it is, Nintendo is remaining tight-lipped, saying only, "We'll have more info coming soon, but nothing more to announce at this time."

Gaming : Nintendo confirms Netflix on the 3DS hitting today

Last night's Netflix / 3DS news was more than just empty promises -- and now we have the official press release to prove it. Starting today, Netflix subscribers with unlimited streaming plans will be able to watch TV shows and movies from the service's selection of online content on their Nintendo 3DS, like the Wii before it. Movies will show up in 2D (darn) on the upper screen of the device, with 3D content coming soon to the glasses-free portable. The Netflix app will be hitting the Nintendo eShop today as a free download. The app doesn't appear to be in the store as of yet, but we'll let you know when it pops up. In the meantime, feel free to check out the press release below -- no glasses required. 

 

Press Release

Netflix Streaming Now Available on Nintendo 3DS Hand-Held Systems

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting today, Nintendo 3DS™ owners across the United States and Canada can download a free application that allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix. The attractive, easy-to-use service adds a huge value to the Nintendo 3DS portable system, and again demonstrates how Nintendo 3DS continues to present new and different experiences for owners almost every day.

Nintendo 3DS joins the Wii™ console in its ability to stream Netflix content. On an average day, more than 1.5 million Netflix members instantly watch TV shows or movies via the Wii console. Now available for download from the Nintendo eShop, the Netflix application makes it easy for people to enjoy big action films, award-winning documentaries or hit reality shows and sitcoms on the Nintendo 3DS system anytime, anywhere.

"The new Netflix application looks great, plays great and is a fantastic consumer experience," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "It gives Nintendo 3DS owners access to an amazing wealth of movies and TV shows, which they can watch conveniently from thousands of free Wi-Fi access points across the country. Nintendo 3DS truly offers something for everyone."

"Nintendo is a terrific partner with Netflix," said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. "We're excited to extend the partnership to include streaming on Nintendo 3DS."

The new Netflix application for Nintendo 3DS displays movies and TV episodes in 2D on the system's upper screen. Users will soon have access to an additional library of select movies that can be viewed in 3D without the need for special glasses.

Use of the Netflix application on Nintendo 3DS requires a broadband Internet connection and a Netflix streaming membership starting at $7.99 a month. Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans can instantly watch on their Nintendo 3DS systems and other devices, including the Wii console.

To download the free Netflix application or any other content from the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo 3DS users must first install the free system update that became available on June 6.

The Nintendo 3DS system's parental control settings can be used to manage access to the Netflix application. Parents who wish to manage the specific content their kids watch will be happy to know that the parental control settings associated with their Netflix account will be applied to the streaming content viewable on the Nintendo 3DS system.

Gaming : Nintendo Video arrives on Japanese 3DS tomorrow, American equivalent and Netflix 'later this summer'

It wouldn't be a Nintendo product if the JDM release didn't get special treatment, and that practice continues here for the 3DS. The Nintendo Video service hits the Japanese version of the parallax-busting handheld tomorrow, allowing the download of 2D and 3D content that's been "recommended" by the house Mario built. It's actually the second video service to hit Japanese systems, following SpotPass TV's earlier launch with original content. When will we Americans get something fulfilling? "Later this summer" according to a Nintendo statement, which also confirms Netflix will be available "soon" -- soon enough to save your subscription?

Gaming : Nintendo confirms next Wii coming in 2012

Nintendo has just announced it plans to introduce a successor to its Wii console next year, a "playable model" of which will be shown off at the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles coming up on June 7th. No details are available as to how the next Wii will improve on the first one, though we imagine Nintendo will be happy if it simply matches the success of its current-gen home entertainer -- the brief note publicizing the new roadmap also comes with a total of Wii sales accumulated between its launch in '06 and the end of last month: 86.01 million. That's said to be on a "consolidated shipment basis," so maybe Nintendo is mixing its definitions of sales and shipments the way Sony likes to, but it's a mighty big number either way. Bring on E3, we say!

Update: Bloomberg has provided the first official hint about Nintendo's next console with a quote from company President Satoru Iwata. Nintendo will "propose a new approach to home video game consoles," though it won't be a simple move to 3D, as Iwata notes "it's difficult to make 3-D images a key feature, because 3-D televisions haven't obtained wide acceptance yet." Given that motion gaming is no longer new and 3D is off the table until 3DTVs go mainstream, we're now left facing only one potentiality -- Nintendo is planning on bringing genuine innovation to our living rooms. We suppose it also adds fuel to the rumor of a crazy next-gen controller to go with this next-gen console. 

 

April 25, 2011

To whom it may concern:

Re: Wii's Successor System

Nintendo Co., Ltd. has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011.

We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Sales of this new system have not been included in the financial forecasts announced today for the fiscal term ending March 2012.

Nintendo Issues 3-D Game Warning for Children

TOKYO—Nintendo Co. issued a warning that children under the age of six shouldn't play three-dimensional games on its coming hand-held game machine, saying that looking at 3-D images for a long period of time can hurt the growth of young children's eyes.

The company posted the disclaimer at the bottom of a website promoting a three-day event in Japan at which people can try the Nintendo 3DS, which is due to be released Feb. 26 in Japan. The company says children six-years-old and younger should play games in two-dimensional mode.

"For children under the age of six, looking at 3-D images for a long time could possibly have a negative impact on the growth of their eyes," Nintendo said on its Japanese-language site for the event. The company also warned that users should take breaks every 30 minutes when playing games in 3-D and stop playing immediately if they feel ill.

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Associated Press

Nintendo's new handheld device, the 3DS, will feature games that can be played in 3-D without the use of glasses. Nintendo has warned that children under the age of 6 should not play such games as they could be harmful to the development of their eyes.

The warning is similar to those made by other makers of 3-D consumer-electronics products. Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. all provide warnings on their websites about the possible risks of viewing 3-D images for children younger than six.

Nintendo has had more success than its competitors with adolescents and younger children, though it is unclear what age group the company will target with the 3DS.

The Nintendo 3DS is the company's most-anticipated videogame hardware product since the Wii fullsize console in 2006. The hand-held 3DS will allow users to play 3-D games without using special glasses. Most 3-D technologies create the illusion of depth on a flat screen by presenting different images to the left and right eyes, typically using special glasses. But Nintendo is offering that effect with the display alone, using a technology called autostereoscopic 3-D.

The 3DS allows the user to adjust the level of 3-D effect on the games played on the machine.