nintendo

Nintendo loses bid to take control of WiiU.com

Nintendo has failed in its bid to obtain the rights to WiiU.com.

Late last month, a panel of arbitrators ruled that Nintendo could not obtain the rights to WiiU.com, as shown by a case summary originally obtained by GamesIndustry.biz. Nintendo had hoped to take control over the domain, which currently houses ads and a search bar from which the owners are ostensibly generating revenue.

It's not clear from the filing why Nintendo's request was denied, but it appears likely now that in order for the company to take control over that domain, it'll need … Read more

Angry Birds trilogy to swoop onto Nintendo Wii and Wii U in August

A flock of Angry Birds is heading for Nintendo this summer.

Starting August 13, the Angry Birds trilogy of Angry Birds, Angry Birds: Seasons, and Angry Birds: Rio will take off for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U consoles.

Angry Birds maker Rovio revealed the news in a promotional video posted on YouTube on Wednesday. The promo dives into the usual angry gameplay but caps off by displaying boxed sets of the trilogy for both of Nintendo's game consoles.

Rovio promises 140 hours of gameplay across 30 episodes, while the promo touts 40 hours of "bonus" gameplay. … Read more

Here's why Nvidia's $299 Shield gaming handheld is a steal

My gut reaction to seeing the $299 price tag of Nvidia's Shield gaming handheld: way overpriced.

And that was after Nvidia cut the price of the Android-powered device -- which will be available June 27 -- by $50 on Thursday.

But in reality, the Shield may end up being a relative bargain for folks who want a dedicated gaming device. It comes down to the video games available on Android. Many are free, or cost 99 cents. An "expensive" game would run you $10.

Now compare that with the Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita. An average 3DS … Read more

The 404 1286: Where we're tired of zombies (podcast)

On today's show we're welcoming Dan Chiappini from GameSpot Australia along with 404 veteran Scott Stein. We'll briefly recap Scott's time down at WWDC but then get right into some more E3 talk where we make Scott feel jealous about missing what was probably the biggest E3 in something like seven years. Dan think he knows why Nintendo refuses to open its "vault" of games and we all wonder how the company can rebound from a bleak E3 showing.

We're also chatting about the mundane abundance of shooters at E3, the lack of innovation, and which games actually piqued our interest.

And be sure to enter CNET's awesome "From Old School to Tech Cool" contest that's currently underway on our Facebook page!

- Follow our new buddy Dan Chiappini on Twitter.

- Make sure to do the same for 404 veteran Scott Stein.

- Catch up on Scott's and the rest of CNET's WWDC coverage.

- Give CNET's E3 2013 page one last skim.… Read more

The 404 1285: Where E3 is no place for fanboys (podcast)

I don't get it. I'm gone an entire week and there's not one show. I get back, Justin's gone, but I still have to do one. What's up with that? Luckily it's a non-issue. Today we've got CNET HDTV editor Ty Pendlebury on the program to help me wrap up the chaos that was E3 2013 and filter out some of the new-found disgust I have for videogame fanboys. You know, the worst kind of fanboy.

- Check out Jeff's slideshow showing the most exciting games of E3.

- Play catch-up by looking back at the rest of CNET's E3 2013 coverage.

- Follow Ty on Twitter.

- ESPN drops 3D, four years after the rest of world has already given up on it. … Read more

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

Xbox One and PS4: Two peas in an E3 pod

Who won E3 so far? Was it the Xbox One? Or, was it the PS4 that kicked its butt? Did Sony dominate, totally smack down Microsoft, and run away with Best in Show?

All I know, from a distance, is this: boy, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 look a lot alike.

The picture above is from a classic "Star Trek" episode featuring two different alien races that fought bitterly but were more alike than they dared to admit. Sound familiar?

The moment the PS4 was unveiled, in its boxy glory, you couldn't help but be reminded … 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