Nintendo

The 12 most exciting games of E3 2013

Where last year's show felt empty, E3 2013 was anything but. Show-goers were treated to a barrage of new software to gawk over, a lot of which are brand-new franchises. Taking into consideration criticism from my past lists, I'll be highlighting only games that featured gameplay of some kind. As long as someone played it at E3, it's fair game. Sorry, trailers and teasers won't cut it this year!

6 things we learned at E3 2013

This year is one of the most exciting years for the video game industry in recent memory. Two new consoles are launching this year, which is exciting for the industry and gamers alike. This drastic upheaval of the current video-gaming status quo gives us an opportunity to predict where the industry is headed over the next few years.

At E3 2013, we tracked the major (but maybe not so obvious) trends happening within the console industry. Here's what we learned.

People are passionate about their digital rights This week, Sony pushed in the knife Microsoft had already slipped and … Read more

Nintendo: Our 'powerhouse' franchises will ignite holiday sales

LOS ANGELES -- Nintendo isn't fazed by disappointing sales of its Wii U system, and expects a sharp rebound for the holidays.

"We know the power of great software driving hardware," Scott Moffitt, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo of America, said in an interview with CNET on Wednesday. "We have powerhouse titles that will drive hardware sales this holiday season."

Moffitt is referring to Tuesday's unveiling of several new Wii U games, including Super Mario 3D World, two Zelda games in Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds and an HD … Read more

Why Xbox One and PS4 may be the final generation of consoles

Excited about the high-tech look and feel of the upcoming Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4? Better enjoy them while you can, because this might be the final generation of big, dedicated living room game console hardware.

Based on the cheers and jeers coming out of this week's E3 video game trade show about the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, you'd think we were about to enter a new era of cutting-edge game machines, complete with a new arms race of processors, GPUs, and other features. But if you look at how media consumption has changed rapidly … Read more

Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, new Donkey Kong Country coming to Wii U

LOS ANGELES -- This isn't a normal E3 for Nintendo. For the first time in recent memory, the company has decided to forgo a traditional press conference in lieu of a more intimate experience.

While Microsoft and Sony continue to exchange unpleasantries, Nintendo is using the opportunity to give the media a behind-closed-doors look at some of its upcoming Wii U titles, some of which are completely unannounced.

I got to sit down with these games and get some hands-on time to see what Nintendo has planned for the Wii U, a console that has undoubtedly stumbled out of … Read more

For EA, Nintendo's Wii U just isn't a priority

LOS ANGELES -- To Electronic Arts, Nintendo's Wii U console plays second fiddle to some of the faster-growing areas in the video game business.

That includes the other next-generation consoles, Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, as well as the current-generation systems and mobile devices, according to Frank Gibeau, head of labels at EA.

"I think it's fair to characterize that Xbox One, PS4, and mobile are the highest growth platforms that we're looking at right now," Gibeau said in an interview with CNET on Monday.

EA would rather invest in those … Read more

E3 2013: Predictions and prognostications

E3, the big video game trade show, kicks off on Monday. And 2013 looks to be one of the biggest years ever.

The games industry is at a crossroads, with "hard-core gaming" under onslaught from 99-cent casual iPad and smartphone games. Two new consoles are on deck -- the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 -- and the third, the Nintendo Wii U, is fighting for its life. And the software publishers like Activision, EA, and Ubisoft will be fighting to outsplash each other with the latest and greatest sequels and franchise titles.

So what's going to … Read more

Wii expectations: Nintendo's position at E3 2013

E3 2013 will feature big, traditional preshow press conferences from both Sony and Microsoft focused on their upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, but Nintendo is stepping half-out of the spotlight.

The company is instead opting for a lower-profile "Wii U Software Showcase" on Tuesday, just as the E3 Expo is about to open its doors. With expectations thus lowered, the hope is that anything Nintendo unveils will be a case of underpromising and overdelivering.

Nintendo's problem is simple: the Wii U is suffering sluggish sales and has failed to excite gamers. And with the PS4 … Read more

Animal Crossing New Leaf: Nintendo's stealth mobile game

In this age of cheap, ubiquitous mobile phone and tablet games, you can't help but wonder what Nintendo would make if the company were ever to enter the space. That future seems unlikely considering Nintendo's investment in Wii U and 3DS hardware, but that doesn't mean there isn't software that could be brilliant in the mobile space. In fact, there's a fantastic mobile game Nintendo has right now -- it's just that it lives on the Nintendo 3DS.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the latest in a franchise extending back to 2002 on the … Read more

E3 has lost its game

LOS ANGELES--As E3 2012 shuts its doors, we're not entirely sure we ever want them to open up again. Scott and Jeff spent a day going to press conferences and two full days on the show floor. It wasn't pretty and what follows is a brutally honest take on the show.… Read more