Tag Archives: wii u

1,000 Indie Developers Possibly Interested In Developing For Wii U Web Framework

Wii U, ,

black_wii_u

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata claims that the company has spoken to over one thousand indie developers about bringing their titles to Wii U. Iwata says they were approached regarding the Nintendo Web Framework which was announced during the Games Developers Conference in March. The Nintendo Web Framework uses a number of open web technologies, including HTML 5 and JavaScript. Here’s what he had to say.

“We have received great feedback. We have been in contact with more than a thousand parties.”

“Even though software for dedicated gaming devices has become advanced and complex, we have been working on those new approaches to expand the range of developers for the platform. As digital business expands, there will be even more opportunities for us to do business with small, independent software developers.”

Thanks, Eric

Wii U Has The Most Exclusives At E3

Wii U, ,

super_mario_3d_world_scramble

A chart posted by Reddit user Whitexar shows that it is Nintendo with the most exclusives at this year’s E3 event on their latest home console, Wii U. The console has a total of thirteen exclusive titles that won’t be seen on any other platform. Interestingly, it’s the PlayStation Vita and the PC with the least exclusive content. You can see the full chart here.

  • Bayonetta 2
  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
  • Game & Wario
  • The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
  • Mario Kart 8
  • New Super Luigi U
  • Pikmin 3
  • Super Mario 3D World
  • Wii Fit U
  • Wii Party U
  • The Wonderful 101
  • X
  • Yarn Yoshi

Thanks, N-Dub Nation

Sonic Lost World Designer Details Parkour Element

3DS, Nintendo, Wii U, , ,

sonic lost worldSonic Lost World has introduced the new parkour element to the popular franchise, but just what can we expect from this in the game itself? Game designer Takashi Iizuka explained in an interview with Polygon just how much parkour grants easier usability and control for the player:

“It is far easier for usability but it also gives players the ability to use the special actions better. So for example, when Sonic is leaping over a wall, you could just let him leap normally over a wall, but if you time the jump button press correctly, then he’ll make an extra dash forward. So there is ease of use but it also but there is also depth where you can anticipate what you are going to do and make those moves even faster.

“Part of the thinking of parkour system from the beginning was kind of reduce the frustration of running along with Sonic and running into a wall you come to a complete stop. So it is there to help players out.

“With the past games — Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colours and Sonic Generation — we’ve had side view and forward view and with this gameplay we wanted to take a step forward and do some new things and kind of add new challenges. We’ve always wanted to add that replay path because it has that re-playability and people see things and wonder ‘Ahh! How do I get over there?’ It kind of gives you motivation to go back and explore.”

The parkour element promises a lot of variety when it comes to playing Sonic Lost World, and with three difficulty levels to try as well as a laser colour power-up, and 2D forward-facing perspective, there’s a lot of new additions to the title. Are you happy about the addition of parkour, and will it make you less frustrated? Let us know in the comments below. Sonic Lost World is set for release on Wii U and 3DS.

Retro Studios Confirms It’s Currently Not Working On Another Metroid Game

Wii U, , , ,

donkey_kong_country_tropical_breeze_water

Earlier this week, Retro Studios’ CEO, Michael Kelbaugh, shared the reasons for as to why his team chose to develop another Donkey Kong Country game, rather than working on other flagship Nintendo franchises like Metroid or Star Fox. Apparently, many Nintendo fans are assuming that Retro Studios is working on a new Metroid game alongside the newly announced Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Breeze. However, that is not the case, as Kelbaugh has confirmed to IGN that although Retro Studios loves Metroid, the developer will not be working on two major projects at the same time.

“We’re pretty much on one major project at a time. We do a game every two years or three years. In the first year of that, we have some extra bandwidth, so sometimes… We helped out with Mario Kart 7. We helped Monster Games do the 3DS version. Sometimes we’ll have a little bit of extra bandwidth to help out other entities at Nintendo. We really feel strongly about helping out Nintendo as a whole, so if we have time, we’ll do that. Do we have the bandwidth to do two major projects at once? I don’t think so. A big project and a little project at the same time, we can do that.”

-Kelbaugh

Watch Dogs Multiplayer Campaign Modes Detailed

Wii U, ,

watch_dogsThe recent Watch Dogs trailer has recently revealed what hacking into another player’s profile would be like, but now we’ve got it detailed in bold black typeface. You can read the entire blog post here to get a true feel for multiplayer campaign mode, but if you’d like it in succinct terms, you can find all the necessary information detailed in bullet point form below:

  • All players in multiplayer mode will take control of Aiden, but to halt confusion you (as Aiden) will see your opponent as a regular NPC – this is to establish your involvement with the main protagonist, never breaking your contact with him. 
  • Players must hack or be hacked in this environment in a stylised cat-and-mouse chase.
  • If another player tries to install a virus onto your phone, you must hunt down the hacker and infiltrate their mission before they take you down – a race against the clock as the virus percentage creeps higher.
  • You can enter someone else’s game and act as a voyeur.
  • You can also enter their game and act as an obstacle within their mission, ie. hit them with a car before they stop the crime. (Disabled during main and side missions, however.)
  • Lots of missions in multiplayer where you must protect the other player.
  • Have the ability to turn off multiplayer mode.

Ubisoft Will Continue To Invest In Wii U

Wii U,

rabbids

Tony Key, senior VP of sales and marketing at Ubisoft, has stated that the company will continue to invest in Wii U. The news comes after Ubisoft said earlier today during an investors meeting that they will be reducing their plans for Wii U following what they described as a soft launch. Key says that the development studio has just as many titles coming on Wii U this year as they did after launch. He said this was because the console isn’t as resource-intensive to make games for it.

“We did not take a big risk with all those launch titles on Wii U. [Wii U game] development isn’t expensive — some Wii U games are versions of games for other platforms, like Assassin’s Creed. And we continue to invest in that system. We have just as many titles coming on Wii U this year as we did after launch, because the system isn’t as resource-intensive to make games for it. We continue to believe that the Wii U will find its audience. We saw some good games [during Nintendo Direct this week]. We’re confident that the Wii U is a good place for us to do business, and we can make money there.”

Iwata Claims More Unannounced Third Party Games Will Come

Nintendo, Wii U,

third-party_games_nintendo_3ds_wii_u

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has attempted to calm investors by informing them that more third party games should be on their way. Iwata says that it’s Nintendo’s job to revitalise interest in the console which will then drive sales. He says that more unannounced third party games will come once they renew interest in the platform with a strong first party lineup.

“When it comes to third-party software, this slide shows a list of games that have already been announced. It is not my position to mention which titles each third-party developer will release in the future. However, more unannounced titles will come. We hope to revitalize the platform with our strong first-party lineup, and then an enriched third-party software lineup will follow.”

Peach Wasn’t Originally Planned As A Playable Character In Super Mario 3D World

Wii U, , ,

super_mario_3d_world_characters

Super Mario 3D World features four playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Peach. Each character has unique abilities and play styles; for example, Peach can glide, Luigi has an extra-high jump and Toad runs faster than the others. According to the game’s director, Koichi Hayashida, Peach wasn’t originally planned as a playable character. The one who brought up the idea was the game’s producer, Yoshiaki Koizumi, who told the team Peach should “definitely” be included as a playable character.

“I think she adds a lot to the sense of competition when you get in multiplayer,” said Koizumi. “You can have different people choosing different characters based on their personality or whoever they like. And princess Peach is just really a lot of fun to play!”

Super Mario 3D World is scheduled to launch in December, exclusively for Wii U.

New Miiverse Update Now Includes Facebook And Twitter Sharing

Nintendo, Wii U, ,

miiverse

Nintendo has announced that the browser-based version of Miiverse now allows you to share your posts on a variety of social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr. The update has also seen an icon added to the post screen to let you share your posts easily and quickly. Sadly this functionality isn’t built into the Wii U version of Miiverse, but it may come at a later date. As for the Wii U version of Miiverse the thumbnail for screenshots attached to posts and comments is now larger.

Thanks, Kallum and Adam

EDGE Says Super Mario 3D World Uses “Asset And Idea Recycling”, Possibly Originally For 3DS

Wii U, , ,

super_mario_3d_world_run

Established gaming publication EDGE has managed to get some all important hands on time with Nintendo’s latest 3D Mario title, Super Mario 3D World for Wii U. The publication claims that the game is so similar to Super Mario 3D Land on the Nintendo 3DS that they believe that the game was originally developed for the Nintendo 3DS and quickly ported over to the Wii U. Here’s an excerpt of their interesting preview for Super Mario 3D World.

“By name alone, one can surmise that Super Mario 3D World is a sequel to the 3DS’s 3D Land. It’s so similar, in fact, that it arouses suspicions that it was once a 3DS sequel, quickly diverted for release on Wii U with the understanding that Nintendo’s flagging console needed a Mario game, and quickly. We saw plenty of examples of asset and idea recycling from its 3DS predecessor, including the exclamation mark boxes that teleport the player between stage sections, during our time with the game.”

“Like its Nintendo Direct roster, Super Mario 3D World is Nintendo duly giving its fans what it wants, but, on first impressions, it’s lacking the bold platform-defining invention once injected into each and every new Super Mario game.”