Hinted at in the boxshot of a 3DS game last week, the Nintendo Network was formally announced by the Japanese games maker today in a conference call with investors. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says the service will offer features different from the Wi-Fi Connection supporting its current Wii and DS hardware, and is seen as a distribution channel for full versions of retail video games.
Today in Osaka, Nintendo released its revised forecast for this financial year. Things are not good.
Iwata Asks is one of the few, rare insights we have into the working processes of Nintendo as a company, and I’ve always found it fascinating. No company is more closed up about its games, but Iwata Asks is like a complete anomaly — often it’s painfully open about the successes and failures of Nintendo as a company. The most recent Iwata Asks may be the most fascinating of all — a discussion about how being ‘desperate’ is important to good game design. And Miyamoto asks himself, is he a good boss?
The latest episode of Iwata Asks focuses on the development of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and has thrown up some very interesting details about the early development of Skyward Sword. Perhaps the most interesting detail is just how much internal debate went into the inclusion of Wii MotionPlus into the game.
In the wake of Nintendo’s 3DS price drop, many have claimed — including myself — that the 3DS has adversely struggled in the face of the increasing ubiquity of smart phone usage. In Nintendo’s recent financial results briefing Iwata acknowledged those concerns, but claimed there was “no causal correlation” between the two.
On the Japanese Nintendo site, Satoru Iwata has posted a direct apology to early adopters of the 3DS, in the wake of the recent price drop. Giant Bomb has translated the apology – Nintendo Australia- where’s our apology? Where’s our parade?
