Iwata: Nintendo magic comes from integrating hardware and software

by David Hinkle on Aug 8th 2013 7:45PM

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says the company's chief differentiator is its invention and introduction of hardware and software, and how having those different teams under the same umbrella.

"What I believe is that Nintendo is a very unique company, because it does its business by designing and introducing people to hardware and software – by integrating them, we can be unique. And because we have hardware and software developers in the same building, they stimulate each other," Iwata tells CVG.

This approach, Iwata says, has cemented fandom in Nintendo's lineup of franchises. And why not offer Nintendo games on competing platforms? With such a stable of system sellers at its disposal, Iwata thinks it'd be short-sighted for Nintendo to offer its games elsewhere.

If he wasn't "concerned about the long-term future of Nintendo at all," Iwata says putting Nintendo games on other systems may lead to "some short-term profit." Ultimately, it's Iwata's responsibility for the long-term that prevents him from ever "providing our precious resources for other platforms at all."

Iwata, who this year took on the role of Nintendo of America CEO in addition to his duties as company president, got his start at Nintendo as a programmer for HAL Laboratory, the outfit responsible for creating Kirby, the Mother series (Earthbound) and the Super Smash Bros. franchise. He has served as president of Nintendo since 2002.

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[Wii U, 3DS] Nintendo showcases European and Australian indie software line-up

[Wii U, 3DS] Nintendo showcases European and Australian indie software line-up
Nintendo managed to showcase a bunch of independent software being developed by a group of European and Australian developers during their Nintendo Direct streams.

Here's a video showcasing some of the games in action.

Indie games are definitely the way forward so it is good to see Nintendo really flexing their muscle in this department, some of the stuff shown looks very interesting as well.

Did anything catch your eye?

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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[Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers

[Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers

How many Wii U games have been pre-ordered? GameStop have a partial answer to that question (partial in the sense that they have confirmed some figures for GameStop pre-orders) and the numbers aren't looking too shabby at all.

Gamasutra has posted a report revealing that 1.2 million pre-orders have been lodged for Wii U software, those are pretty good for the record. The report also reveals that GameStop's 500,000 Wii U consoles were sold out via pre-order almost immediately after the purchase option was made available in September.

Naturally, the increased software pre-order figures can be chalked up to a stronger line-up than the Wii had (which only had a couple of stand-up titles) including New Super Mario Bros. U, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, ZombiU, Assassin's Creed 3, Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City, Scribblenauts Unlimited, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.

Can the Wii U replicate the Wii's success by unifying the casual audience and winning back the core gamers that felt abandoned during the Wii's lifespan?

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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RE: [Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers

Potentially one of the weakest lunch line ups of games thanks to more ports than Dover

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RE: [Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers
Sparse they may of been, but at least they had a fair bit new content and not a load of games with a number in the title (This post was last modified: 11-18-2012 05:16 AM by DPrinny.) ManaBurnX
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RE: [Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers
>He only has two systems
Laughingnerds.png.

Nar the games thing is the fault of lazy developers, we have gone from tagged on "Waggle" controls to tagged on touch screen controls.

RE: [Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers
I dunno, seems like a pretty solid mix to me. Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, ZombiU, and Scribblenauts Unlimited for new stuff. Black Ops 2, Assassin's Creed III, Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 3, Arkham City, Ninja Gaiden 3 to give a strong supporting class if you don't already own them on other consoles. The only thing missing to me (that is preventing me from buying one right now) is that really killer launch exclusive. At least the Wii had Twilight Princess.

XBL/PSN/Steam: GlueGun18
Wii: 4903 7495 3015 2654
3DS: 3909-7594-8619

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RE: [Wii U] GameStop confirms that Wii U software pre-orders double the Wii's numbers

(11-18-2012 03:50 PM)LemonManX Wrote:  Except Twilight Princess was better on GCN.

Might nab an ISO (Yes I own a "Special" gamecube) and give it a go.

Id buy it, but its still bloody expensive

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August NPD: Software sales stabilize somewhat, Darksiders 2 takes first place [Update: Nintendo chimes in]

by Jordan Mallory on Sep 6th 2012 7:06PM

Despite the fact that hardware and software sales in the physical channel are still down when compared to August in 2011, market stabilization in the software sector (along with promising signs from the first week of 3DS XL sales) helps to reassure that 2012's ever-downward spiral may not be eternal.

Hardware sales for August 2012 were down 39 percent, bringing in $150.6 million versus the $248.8 million accrued during the same period in 2011. The Xbox 360 sold 190,000 units and was again the top selling platform of the month, according to Major Nelson, though the 3DS and PS3 both showed increases over July 2011, despite the month being down as a whole. Only one week of 3DS XL sales were recorded, but in that week enough units were sold to account for 44 percent of all 3DS sales in August.

The accessories segment continued its trend of having the smallest percentage amount of year-over-year loss at $127.3 million for the period, which is down seven percent from August 2011's $137 million. Points cards and other physical means of buying online currency continue to drive this segment, according to NPD Group industry analyst Anita Frazier.

As far as software is concerned, August 2012's performance was down nine percent – $237.7 million as compared to $261.8 million during the same period last year. When only looking at software for "high definition platforms," however, the year-over-year difference is only one percent. This signifies market stabilization, says Frazier, but August's sales were worse than they could have been had the months prior not been so devoid of new releases.

Darksiders 2 was the best-selling game during the period, followed by New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. As always, August's complete list of the top 10 games can be found after the break.

Nintendo Update: 3DS hardware sales were up 36 percent over July, while 3DS software sales were up 68 percent, Nintendo has said. New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold more than 240,000 copies, making it the best-selling individual SKU for the month of August. Meanwhile, Kingdom Hearts 3D sold over 180,000 copies.
Darksiders 2 (360, PS3, PC)New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS)Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)NCAA Football 13 (360, PS3)Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSV, PC)Sleeping Dogs (360, PS3)Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360, PS3)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3, NDS, 3DS, Wii)Sept. 6, 2012

Nintendo News

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Emerges as the Best-Selling Video Game of August

Even with only five days of reported data, Nintendo 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 still had major impacts on the August video game market. The new hardware, which features 90 percent larger screens than the original Nintendo 3DS, and the new side-scrolling Mario adventure both launched on Aug. 19 and helped Nintendo achieve the following:

Nintendo 3DS software sales increased by more than 68 percent over sales in July.
Nintendo 3DS hardware sales increased by more than 36 percent over sales in July.
The No. 1 and No. 2 top-selling software SKUs for the month are both exclusive to Nintendo 3DS. New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold more than 240,000 units to finish No. 1, and KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] from Square Enix sold more than 180,000 copies to finish No. 2.
"Software sells hardware, and no one sells either quite like Mario," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "In addition to helping New Super Mario Bros. 2 get off to a great start, Nintendo 3DS XL is driving increased interest in titles such as Kid Icarus: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 7. These games have been on the market for more than six months but provide a completely new experience on the larger screens. Combine these titles with the upcoming Paper Mario: Sticker Star and a robust list of third-party games, and Nintendo 3DS is poised to be high on holiday wish lists this year."

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

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June NPD: Lego Batman 2 on top, hardware and software sales still down year over year

by Jordan Mallory on Jul 12th 2012 6:31PM

This year's overall downward trend in software and hardware sales continued through June, according to the latest set of data released by the NPD Group. The whole industry (hardware, physical software and accessories sales) brought in $699.8 million, 29 percent less dough than the $989.5 million earned in June of 2011.

Year over year, hardware sales were down a staggering 45 percent -- $201.3 million in 2012 versus $364.9 million in 2011. That being said, all platforms (except the PS2 and PSP) saw increased sales over May due to Father's Day and high-school/college graduation gift shopping, although the "Dads and Grads" effect was less potent than it was in 2011, according to the NPD Group's Anita Frazier.

Conversely, accessories were up year over year, if just barely, due mostly to sales of points cards (XBLA points, Steam Wallet cards, etc), which is indicative of a trend towards digital gaming spurred on by a lack of new titles at retail, says Frazier. The segment pulled down four percent more in 2012 ($169.8 million) than in 2011 ($163.00 million). Physical software sales, totaling up at $328.7 million for the month, contributed 29 percent fewer funds to June's totals than they did last year, when software equaled $461.6 million.

As far as specific software is concerned, a list of the 10 best-selling games in June is tucked away after the break, as per usual. List topper Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes sold 450,000 units across all consoles in June, which the NPD Group attributes to an increased amount of Batman mind-share in the public consciousness due to the impending release of The Dark Knight Rises. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Diablo 3 came in second and third for the month, with the rest of the list being a mish-mash of the surprising (Pokemon Conquest? Batman: Arkham City?!) and predictable mainstay entries like Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360, Wii, PS3, NDS, 3DS, PSV, PC)Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (360, PS3, PC)Diablo 3 (PC)Max Payne 3 (360, PS3, PC)NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)Pokemon Conquest (NDS)Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3, 3DS, NDS, Wii)

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NPD 2011: Sales across industry between $16.3 and $16.6 billion, Ubi tops software sales list

by Ben Gilbert on Jan 12th 2012 7:00PM

Assassination and dancing has proven to be a lucrative mix, as Just Dance 2 and 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations helped Ubisoft to lead this year's best seller's list with three entries. That's according to the NPD Group, which also estimates the video game industry's profits, comprising "new physical video and PC games, used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile games," reached sales of somewhere between $16.3 and $16.6 billion in 2011.

Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took top honors (it's kind of a big deal), while Just Dance 3 and Skyrim occupied the second and third spots, respectively. NPD also says that, despite sales growth in the digital sector yet again, physical copies offered at retail outlets still accounted for the majority of sales coming in at $9.3 billion, "an 8 percent decline over the $10.1 billion in 2010."

That decline was "partially" offset by increases in digital, mobile, and used game sales, which NPD expects to be a focus moving into 2012. "Our overall estimate of the market continues to point toward the increased imperative for deeper visibility into digital distribution than is available today, not only in the U.S. but globally," said NPD prez David McQuillan. Our waning shelf space agrees.
2011 TOTAL CONSUMER SPEND ON ALL GAMES CONTENT IN THE U.S. ESTIMATED BETWEEN $16.3 TO $16.6 BILLION
- U.S. VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY NEW PHYSICAL RETAIL CONTENT SALES REACH $9.3 BILLION -

PORT WASHINGTON, NY, January 12, 2012 – According to leading market research company, The NPD Group, the preliminary estimate* for total consumer spend on gaming content via all monetization methods, including new physical video and PC games, used games, game rentals, subscriptions, digital full-game downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile games, is between $16.3 to $16.6 billion. This total consumer spend on games content in 2011, which includes both physical and digital formats, represents sales that are down approximately 2 percent when compared to 2010.

Based on this estimate, spending on new physical content at retail continues to account for the majority of the total consumer spend on games content. U.S. retail sales of new physical video game content, which includes portable, console and PC game software, generated revenues of $9.3 billion, an 8 percent decline over the $10.1 billion generated in 2010.

Bright spots came from HD console software sales, which were up 9 percent in 2011, as well as increases in the consumer spend on used games sales, full-game digital downloads and downloadable content, and mobile gaming apps, which partially offset declines in the other areas of consumer spend on content.

"Overall industry results are not entirely surprising given that we are on the back end of the current console lifecycle, combined with the continued digital evolution of gaming. Core gamers continue to be engaged and spend on established franchises across both the digital and physical format using multiple devices for different gaming occasions," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

"Our overall estimate of the market continues to point toward the increased imperative for deeper visibility into digital distribution than is available today, not only in the U.S. but globally. This is the goal of our partnership with EEDAR, and central to our discussions with publishers and others in the gaming community," said David McQuillan, president, Games at The NPD Group.

* A final estimate of the total consumer spend on the games industry will be released in March with the final 2011 issue of the Games Market Dynamics: U.S. (2011)

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 2,000 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food, home and office, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information, contact us, visithttp://www.npd.com/, or follow us Twitter at https://twitter.com/npdgroup.

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Avalanche Software lays off 15 - 20 as Disney continues cuts

by Ben Gilbert on Sep 7th 2011 10:49AM

Utah-based Avalanche Software, developer of the much-praised Toy Story 3 game adaptation -- and not to be confused with Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios -- let go of 15-20 employees as of September 1. Publisher and parent company Disney Interactive confirmed the layoffs to Gamasutra in a statement: "Avalanche Software has completed a restructuring that resulted in the reduction of a small number of positions."

Avalanche Software is the latest studio of Disney's affected in a months-long culling process at the Mouse House's game publishing arm, which has so far seen the closure of Propaganda Games, Black Rock Studios, and the cancelation of a Pirates of the Caribbean game.

An unnamed employee affected by the layoffs guessed the current headcount to be around 170 (the company's LinkedIn profile indicates anywhere from 51 to 200 people are employed by the studio), making this month's staff reduction approximately 8 to 11 percent of staff. It's unclear what Avalanche is working on next, and whether this is the end of Disney's bout of "restructuring."

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NPD December 2010 – Hardware and Software Sales Detailed - RipTen

Nintendo led in the Hardware count with the DS selling 2.5 million while the Wii moved 2.36 million units. While this sounds good, both systems were down from their numbers posted last year.

The Xbox 360 saw incredible growth in December, moving 1.86 million consoles in its best sales month ever recorded by tracking firm NPD – the only console that improved it’s numbers when compared to 2009.

The PS3 came in third out of the major consoles moving only 1.21 million units.  The DS passed the PSP in total U.S. sales.

The NPD recognized Call of Duty: Black Ops, Madden NFL ’11, Halo: Reach, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Red Dead Redemption as the top five titles of 2010 in terms of sales volume.

Hardware
Nintendo DS – 2.5 Million
Wii – 2.36 million
Xbox 360 – 1.86 million
PS3 – 1.21 million

December 2010 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)
01. Call of Duty: Black Ops** (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
02. Just Dance 2 (Wii) UBISOFT
03. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm** (PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
04. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood** (360, PS3) UBISOFT
05. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) NINTENDO
06. Disney Epic Mickey** (Wii) DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
07. Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) ELECTRONIC ARTS
08. Michael Jackson The Experience** (Wii, NDS, PSP) UBISOFT
09. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
10. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (360, PS3, Wii, PC) ELECTRONIC ARTS

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

Annual 2010 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)
01. Call of Duty: Black Ops** (360, PS3, Wii, PC, NDS) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
02. Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) ELECTRONIC ARTS
03. Halo: Reach** (360) MICROSOFT
04. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) NINTENDO
05. Red Dead Redemption (360, PS3) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
06. Wii Fit Plus** (Wii) NINTENDO
07. Just Dance 2 (Wii) UBISOFT
08. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2** (360, PS3, PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
09. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood** (360, PS3) UBISOFT
10. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, PC) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE

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