Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Remember that Wii Speak microphone that Nintendo announced at E3 for Animal Crossing socialization, and then everyone promptly forgot about? Well, shuffled in with its other announcements yesterday, Nintendo announced the Wii Speak channel, that will allow for up to four people to voice chat directly without all that pesky fishing and digging and tea sipping and cute getting in the way. Unfortunately, literally nothing else is known about the feature — we’re curious if we can use that USB mic we got for karaoke, and we’re sure you have burning questions of your own, but Nintendo’s clearly going to debut this feature and the related hardware in its own sweet time.

[Via Joystiq]

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Filed under: Gaming

Hey, remember that odd Nintendo pedometer we spied the other day? Well now we’ve got a possible explanation for its existence. According to our homeboys at Joystiq, the tiny device will be tied to some type of fitness game for the DS (and new DSi, we assume). There’s not a lot known, but they claim that one of the videos shown during the company’s Fall event in Japan indicates the title will be available in November, and will actually require some type of physical movement. Needless to say, the entire Engadget team has begun rigorous training to prepare for the totally raw competition which will commence once this as-yet-unnamed device / game is available.

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Filed under: Gaming

Hey, remember that odd Nintendo pedometer we spied the other day? Well now we’ve got a possible explanation for its existence. According to info from our homeboys at Joystiq and some dirt we’ve dug up, the device — dubbed the Life Rhythm Counter — will be tied to a fitness game for the DS (and new DSi, we assume). The hardware will sell for ¥1800 (or about $17), and the game will be the first title to allow Wii Miis to be transferred to the handheld. Needless to say, the entire Engadget team has begun rigorous training to prepare for the totally raw competition which will commence once this device / game is available.

Update: It turns out the game is called Walking Can Tell Your Life Rhythm DS (translated from Japanese, of course), and we’ve got video after the break showing it (and the hardware) in action.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading Nintendo’s mystery pedometer linked to DS “fitness game” (updated)

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Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets

So you’ve got a spare Microsoft Surface and Wii Balance Board laying around, whaddya do? Well, you could try stacking them on top of each other and hope that big-ass table doesn’t crush your little plastic Nintendo toy, and with some code slapped on what you’d end up with is pressure-sensitive surface computing. This clever little concept was cooked up by Josh Santangelo from “Stimulant.” In his demo, featured after the break, he rocks Surface from side to side while colored spots roll back and forth, using a physics engine he developed for MS Silverlight. It’s a great start and we would love to see this resourceful hack put to good use — beyond that of a totally awesome yet ridiculously expensive tilt-a-maze game, minus the maze.

Continue reading Microsoft Surface made pressure-sensitive with Wii Balance Board

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

We heard last night that we wouldn’t be seeing the DSi in the States until next year, and now Reggie has confirmed the damage: no DSi until “well into calendar year 2009,” which sounds disturbingly like the holidays to us, but hopefully he’s just implying a few months in. We would hope Nintendo would be following the pattern of the DS Lite, which hit Japan in March of 2006, and made it Stateside in June, but Reggie says DS Lite sales are still strong in the US — which means it’s basically our fault that we don’t get a shiny new toy for Christmas.

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Filed under: Gaming, Storage

Yeah, the solution seemed pretty obvious to us, and now it looks like Nintendo’s willing to admit it. Nintendo will be solving its little Wii Shop game storage overflow problem by opening up the SD card slot for storing and playing games from (with DRM galore, we’re sure). The update will hit in the Spring of next year, and don’t forget that 2GB maximum when stocking up on the little buggers. It’s not exactly as exciting as a new DS, but we’re really glad Nintendo’s going to do the right thing here, instead of building yet another peripheral to clutter our lives with.

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_Announces_DSi’; As expected, Nintendo just announced the DSi at its fall presentation — and it’s got dual touchscreens. The company is calling it a “third platform,” which means it’s complementing the existing DS Lite, not necessarily replacing it. Lookswise there’s not much different, but it’s some 12 percent thinner, partly because it doesn’t have a GBA cartridge slot. The touchscreens are also slightly larger, at 3.25 inches, and there’s an external three megapixel camera as well as a smaller one in the hinge. There’s an SD slot and internal storage — we’re not sure how much at the moment, but photos can be synced with the Wii Photo channel. Nintendo’s also launching an online DSi Shop, which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app — and you’ll be able to get on for free at “Nintendo Zone” hotspots, which’ll be in McDonalds here. The store will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points and content will be priced in 0 / 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. ¥18,900 ($178), launching on November 1st in black and white.

[Image from Impress]

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_Announces_DSi’; As expected, Nintendo just announced the DSi at its fall presentation — and it’s got dual touchscreens. The company is calling it a “third platform,” which means it’s complementing the existing DS Lite, not necessarily replacing it. Lookswise there’s not much different, but it’s some 12 percent thinner, partly because it doesn’t have a GBA cartridge slot. The touchscreens are also slightly larger, at 3.25 inches, and there’s an external three megapixel camera, and a front-facing camera located on the hinge. There’s an SD slot and internal storage — we’re not sure how much at the moment, but photos can be taken directly to the Wii Photo Channel on the card. Nintendo’s also launching an online DSi Shop, which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app and “DS Ware” game — and you’ll be able to get on for free at “Nintendo Zone” hotspots, which will be located in Japanese McDonalds. The store will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points, 1000 of which will come free with the DSi until March 2010 and content will be priced in 0 / 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. ¥18,900 ($178), launching in Japan on November 1st in black and white — the rest of us will have to wait until next year.

Update: We’ve added the official Japanese DSi site link, check it out!

Update 2: We’ve also added a gallery (as you can see below).

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_Announces_DSi’; As expected, Nintendo has announced the new DSi at its Fall presentation in Japan. The device features a dual touchscreen layout almost identical to the DS Lite, though the company is calling it a “third platform,” which means it’s complementing the existing system, not necessarily replacing it. Looks-wise there’s not much different happening, but it’s some 12 percent thinner — partly because it omits the GBA cartridge slot. The touchscreens are slightly larger, at 3.25 inches apiece, and there’s an external three megapixel camera as well as a front-facing camera located on the inside hinge. The DSi has an SD slot and internal storage — we’re not sure how much at the moment — but photos can be taken directly to the Wii Photo Channel on the card. Nintendo’s also launching an online “DSi Shop,” which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app and “DS Ware” game — and the company will offer free wireless connectivity at “Nintendo Zone” hotspots located in Japanese McDonalds. The shop will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), 1000 of which will come free with the handheld until March 2010, and content will be priced in 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. The DSi will come in white or black finishes, and will cost ¥18,900 ($178) when it launches in Japan on November 1st — the rest of us will have to wait until next year.

Update: We’ve added the official Japanese DSi site link, check it out!

Update 2: We’ve also added a gallery (as you can see below).

Update 3: Our brothers at Joystiq have done a comprehensive spec-check of the DSi compared to the PSP-3000 and iPhone / iPod touch. Be sure and take a gander.

Update 4: You can now watch Nintendo’s DSi demo video after the break, and trust us, it rules.

Update 5: Corrected the healine. DSi has only one touch-screen.

Continue reading Nintendo announces DSi with SD slot, “DSi Shop” content store [update]

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Filed under: Gaming

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_Announces_DSi’; As expected, Nintendo has announced the new DSi at its Fall presentation in Japan. The device features a dual touchscreen layout almost identical to the DS Lite, though the company is calling it a “third platform,” which means it’s complementing the existing system, not necessarily replacing it. Looks-wise there’s not much different happening, but it’s some 12 percent thinner — partly because it omits the GBA cartridge slot. The displays are slightly larger, at 3.25 inches apiece, and there’s an external three megapixel camera as well as a front-facing camera located on the inside hinge. The DSi has an SD slot and internal storage — we’re not sure how much at the moment — but photos can be taken directly to the Wii Photo Channel on the card. Nintendo’s also launching an online “DSi Shop,” which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app and “DS Ware” game — and the company will offer free wireless connectivity at “Nintendo Zone” hotspots located in Japanese McDonalds. The shop will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), 1000 of which will come free with the handheld until March 2010, and content will be priced in 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. The DSi will come in white or black finishes, and will cost ¥18,900 ($178) when it launches in Japan on November 1st — the rest of us will have to wait until next year.

Update: We’ve added the official Japanese DSi site link, check it out!

Update 2: We’ve also added a gallery (as you can see below).

Update 3: Our brothers at Joystiq have done a comprehensive spec-check of the DSi compared to the PSP-3000 and iPhone / iPod touch. Be sure and take a gander.

Update 4: You can now watch Nintendo’s DSi demo video after the break, and trust us, it rules.

Update 5: Engadget Japanese tells us that only one display is touch-screen.

Continue reading Nintendo announces DSi with dual cameras, “DSi Shop” content store [update]

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

You know how it goes — first comes the far-out rumor, then comes something a touch more believable, and then the company itself issues an all-too-familiar non-denial denial. According to MCV sources, the next step in the process will happen tomorrow, as a revamped DS storms into action at 5:00AM GMT on the 2nd of October. As for specifics, we’ll have to wait for Iwata’s supposed announcement to find out more, but we’d be utterly shocked to see this ship after Christmas. That is, if this isn’t just some elaborate scheme from the Big N to distract us all from realizing that Wiis will still be impossible to find this holiday season two full years after launch.

[Image courtesy of Parade, thanks Michael]

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Filed under: Gaming, HDTV

Look, we’re talking three years from now, anything could happen by then. Singularity, jetpacks, you name it. So a teensy bit of HD graphics from Nintendo doesn’t seem like too much to ask, does it? The filthy-rich company is purportedly showing off just such a Wii-followup to developers and publishers in the industry, who are nicknaming it “Wii HD” for the time being. A true sequel to the Wii, the followup will apparently stick with the core competencies (motion controls), while beefing up visuals (yes, please!), digital distribution, local storage and including backwards compatibility. The only hard evidence cited by What They Play, which originated the rumor, is that Nintendo’s R&D spending has grown dramatically since the launch of the Wii. We’re sure that cash is also being poured into the new DS and a number of other projects, but it’s really not much of a stretch to figure Nintendo’s working on a Wii successor two years into the Wii’s highly-successful life cycle. All we’ve got to say is that a few of these improvements really shouldn’t wait until 2011, and still others are long overdue.

[Thanks, JC]

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Filed under: Gaming

Nintendo seems to be tripping all over itself denying the rumors that broke over the weekend of a new camera-packing DS, but it’s not exactly doing the greatest job — “While Nintendo is always working on new hardware, we have not made any announcement about a DS and we cannot comment on the Nikkei story” is exactly the sort of not-quite-a-no that has our new-hardware piggy bank cowering in fear. We’ll see soon, hopefully — Ninty prez Satoru Iwata is scheduled to give his fall presentation on Wednesday.

[Via Joystiq; image courtesy of Techeblog]

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Filed under: Gaming

Retro game lovers, don’t ever say Nintendo isn’t looking out for you. Only months after hearing that the Wii’s Virtual Console would be getting Sega Master System and Commodore 64 games, in flies word that at least one heralded SuperGrafx title is on its way, too. Granted, the Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (or Daimakaimura, as it were) port is only slated for release in Japan at the moment, but we’re keeping our increasingly less limber fingers crossed that it’ll head to other parts of the world in short order. There’s also no telling if any other titles from the console’s library will be headed to the Wii, but given that we could count ‘em all on two hands, we’d say chances are decently high.

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of ClassicGaming]

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Whoa, whoa — what’s this? A fresh report from Nikkei is pretty confidently talking about a new Nintendo DS destined to hit “within the year,” though we aren’t claiming to be full-fledged believers just yet. To be fair, this isn’t the first we’ve heard of such a beast, though the translated description is pretty far out there. For instance, the new model will reportedly boast a camera that will be used heavily for games and offer a stronger wireless signal. Even crazier is the bit about “competing with cellular phones” and “exceeding the frame of the game industry.” The article mentions that the device will eventually ship for ￥20,000 ($189) or less, though it doesn’t say what kind of sauce the author hit before writing commenced.

[Image courtesy of Techeblog, thanks RS]

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

It’s admittedly difficult to take a company named Thrustmaster seriously (especially on casual Friday), but given that it has recently pumped out what are likely the two best Wiimote accessories of all time, we’ll give it a pass this go ’round. Speaking of, we’d like to point out that these two have been around the block a time or two, but that doesn’t make the red and blue dueling Glow Sabers (each packing 17 LEDs, mind you) and the Dual Trigger Gun (complete with Nunchuck holster!) any less gnarly. The Glow Saber 2-pack is available right about now for $34.99, while the Dual Trigger Gun (shown after the break) should land in short order for $17.99.

Continue reading Thrustmaster thrusts Wii Glow Saber, Dual Trigger Gun accessories in our direction

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Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

In keeping with a time-honored gadget tradition, a new paint job for the Nintendo DS Lite has surfaced: the Limited Edition Pink Ribbon — not just for girls mind you, breast cancer affects us all. While the polar white console doesn’t include any games or nifty carrying case, five dollars of your $129.99 purchase will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with Nintendo promising a minimum donation of $100,000.

[Via DS Fanboy]

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Filed under: Gaming

A double shot of bad news for the Wii hacking set today — not only do new Wiis appear to have a modchip-proof layer of epoxy around the DVD-ROM IC chips, Waninkoko has abandoned the Wii Backup-Loader project. The modchip news isn’t all that surprising — Ninty’s been fighting a losing battle against chip devs for a while now, and gluing things down with epoxy is a logical solution — but Waninkoko quitting is a bit of a shock, since we just caught wind of the Wii Backup-Loader a few days ago. Apparently he’s not happy that it was leaked this morning, so he’s dropping it, but surely an outpouring of affection in comments will change his mind.

[Thanks, Linh T]

Read - New Wiis have epoxy-locked DVD-ROM chips
Read - Waninkoko abandons Wii Backup-Loader

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

It’s a common issue, really. Having to peel that sticky, icky silicon skin from the Wiimote each time you try to swap out the batteries or plop it down in a recharging station is a real pain, but TeknoCreations has a better way. By utilizing a contactless induction charging system, its InCharge remote charger can actually reinvigorate Lithium Polymer battery packs that are encased within those newfangled silicon grips that the Big N recommends so heavily. The system reportedly offers a 25-hour battery life, and unlike contact-based chargers, the aforementioned dirt and grit won’t gum up the juicing process. The InCharge Wiimote charger should be available real soon for $34.99, and for PS3 owners feeling all left out, fret not — the company just received certification to go forward with a similar product for the SIXAXIS.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Read - InCharge Wiimote
Read - InCharge PS3 certification

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Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

It’s a common issue, really. Having to peel that sticky, icky silicone skin from the Wiimote each time you try to swap out the batteries or plop it down in a recharging station is a real pain, but TeknoCreations has a better way. By utilizing a contactless induction charging system, its InCharge remote charger can actually reinvigorate Lithium Polymer battery packs that are encased within those newfangled silicone grips that the Big N recommends so heavily. The system reportedly offers a 25-hour battery life, and unlike contact-based chargers, the aforementioned dirt and grit won’t gum up the juicing process. The InCharge Wiimote charger should be available real soon for $34.99, and for PS3 owners feeling all left out, fret not — the company just received certification to go forward with a similar product for the SIXAXIS.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Read - InCharge Wiimote
Read - InCharge PS3 certification

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