GamerBlips - Latest Satoru Iwata News Articles

Nintendo on Super Mario Bros, Digital Gaming

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 15:34:54 +0000

The October 30th corporate Nintendo briefing was packed with information on the future of Nintendo. The HD future, hardware and issues on software were all mentioned in the full briefing found here. Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto specifically mention the upcoming New Super Mario Bros Wii game, a brief reference to DS titles, and quite a bit on the Internet and gaming. According to Miyamoto, the multiplayer aspects of the upcoming Super Mario Bros title were only made available by the Wii's unique hardware. "On every Mario project we have discussed the possibility of having two players play together simultaneously," Miyamoto said. "This time the screen zooms in and out accordingly, thanks to the capacity of the Wii console. The camera can zoom out as far as three times wider where you can see a very small Mario running around, and zoom in to show huge Mario and Luigi." Miyamoto adds that since the Wii can handle unique camera angles for four characters, they developed the title to allow for up to ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Mario, Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, Wii, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo on Wii, DS Features

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:56:12 +0000

Satoru Iwata and others recently released a corporate briefing on the current fiscal year and upcoming development. We previously mentioned Nintendo's take on HD in the future. In the briefing, Iwata also touched on the Vitality Sensor, possible new DS features and a few other things concerning Nintendo hardware. Perhaps the most anticipated new Wii addition is the Nintendo Vitality Sensor, due out next year. The sensor will not only measure heart rate, but other things as well. "Based on my experiences, to measure something invisible and have it turn into something tangible like a number like weighing myself on Wii Fit, or to give a numeric value to something invisible in our daily life will be materials of new plays which will feel familiar to us or can improve our lifestyles," said Iwata. He added that the advanced features are what make the sensor so marketable. "If Wii Vitality Sensor is simply a pulsimeter, we did not need such a grandiose announcement. It is a tool to analyze various ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata, DS, Wii Fit

Iwata: Nintendo not 'losing its edge' to competitors

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Even with the proliferation of the iPhone and the upcoming releases of motion-sensing technology from Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata told investors the company hasn't lost its edge.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Sony, Microsoft

Iwata: 35% Japanese Connectivity Ratio For Wii, 20% For DS

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:44:00 +0000

Approximately 35 percent of Wii consoles and 20 percent of Nintendo DS consoles in Japan are connected to the internet, according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who says those figures will drop unless the company takes ongoing aggressive action. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the online service for Wii and Nintendo DS, sees connectivity spikes when new online functionality is announced and when games with online multiplayer support are released, Iwata said, but the company has still ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Satoru Iwata, DS, Nintendo

Iwata: Nintendo Is Not 'Losing Its Edge' To iPhone, Rival Tech

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:43:00 +0000

As Nintendo gets ready to report its first profit decline in years, analysts are getting demanding. Facing questions about the company losing its edge as its competitors adopt motion-sensing tech and the iPhone proliferates as a mobile gaming platform, president Satoru Iwata fires back in a recent investor briefing. "I cannot understand at all why some people come to think that Nintendo has lost its edge as soon as they hear such news that other ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, iPhone

News: Digi disti will take over in 20 years - Iwata

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Plus: Demo plans! Vitality Sensor! Cats! Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said there's still life in the old shops yet, predicting it will be decades before we're buying all our games over the internet. "Most radical people even dare to say that retailers will be replaced by digital distribution in no time. But personally, I think it will still require a significant amount of time," he said, speaking during a recent Q&A; session. "In short, in 20 years or so I might say it will have probably changed. But in 5 years or so, I do not totally agree with opinions that no one will purchase titles at retailers by then. Habits of life do not change such radically and quickly." Read more... > >

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, Will Wright, Wii, Nintendo

WiiWare demos coming soon

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:55:50 +0000

Iwata-san reveals promotional plan

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo Planning To Offer WiiWare Demos

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:10:00 +0000

There are a whole lot of WiiWare games out there, and quite a large number of them are downright awful. If you're worried the game you're looking at is a piece of junk rather than a gem though, Nintendo will soon be here to help you out. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata told investors that WiiWare demos are on the way at a Q&A; session during a recent earnings briefing (via IGN ). They'll begin with a test program that will cover a few titles, which will launch later thi month. According to Iwata, the market for WiiWare and DSiWare games is currently small, with buyers only visiting the Wii Shopping Channel when they know what they want to buy. Nintendo hopes that demos will prompt more people to spend their time browsing titles.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, DSiWare, Wii

Iwata: Wii sales remain unhealthy

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 11:44:54 +0000

Console still lagging for Nintendo

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata

Iwata: Wii's Momentum Loss In Japan 'Urgent'

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Wii sales in Japan have fallen below 50,000 units per week, a situation Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says "cannot be defined as healthy." The company has been able to motivate occasional sales spikes during the summer, but has been unable to sustain them, Iwata explained during a briefing with investors that came as the company warned of its first full-year profit decline in six years. Lagging Wii sales are the primary reason Nintendo's forecasts are ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, Wii, Nintendo

News: Nintendo to offer WiiWare demos

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 08:45:00 +0000

Just a few. Iwata sounds sceptical. According to Joystiq, Nintendo said that it would being offering demos for WiiWare games at its recent investor Q&A.; President Satoru Iwata said it would dip a toe in the water by offering a small selection of demos this month. He didn't discuss regions, so it would be safe to assume this is only happening in Japan for now. He hoped it would bring more passing traffic to the Wii Shop Channel, but nonetheless said he still doubted demos' effectiveness as a promotional tool. Let's hope the Japanese public proves him wrong. Read more... > >

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo to Offer WiiWare Demos Starting This Month

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 06:21:32 +0000

It's rare that you hear Nintendo's WiiWare download service mentioned in the same breath as Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, probably due to the simple reason that the service lacks a way to try out the available titles. While each and every game on XBLA has an available downloadable demo, WiiWare games lack such a feature - or at least they will until this month. At a recent investor session reported on by IGN, President Satoru Iwata confirmed that a some WiiWare games would have downloadable demos this month, as a test program for more widespread demos. While it wasn't confirmed if this service would remain Japan-only or would find its way to other territories, it's at least good to see that Nintendo is looking at ways to improve WiiWare's currently meager offerings.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Microsoft, Xbox Live Arcade, Satoru Iwata

WiiWare demos to debut this month

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 01:54:00 +0000

According to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the WiiWare channel will soon have demos so that gamers can try the company's downloadable titles before they buy them.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Debut

Miyamoto Hints at a Cat-Based Game

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:00 +0000

Nintendo brainstormer Shigeru Miyamoto may have dropped a clue about his next project at a recent Q&A; session. Andriasang reports that at the meeting, an investor asked about his next project. Miyamoto explained that he is focusing on making DS games that can be played in the home, and outside as a more social activity. He ended by saying, "I've recently been caring for cats. That is all." The statement could have been fairly innocuous, but company president Satoru Iwata then remarked, "he just gave a big hint." Nintendo is generally guarded about discussing Miyamoto's hobbies, since they often turn into the games that gain Nintendo attention from critics and fans. Nintendogs has been one of the DS' most popular titles, and helped in the company's initial push to expand gaming to non-traditional audiences. While there have been countless cat-based imitators on the DS, Nintendo has yet to personally address one of ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo, DS, Satoru Iwata, Nintendogs

Nintendo Begins WiiWare Game Demo Trial Program

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Hoping to stimulate downloadable Wii game sales, Nintendo is beginning a trial program offering downloadable demos for a small number of WiiWare titles, company CEO Satoru Iwata said in an investor Q& A. The program will begin later this month, according to an IGN report on the financial results briefing. Iwata acknowledged that the overall market for WiiWare and DSiWare, Nintendo's digital distribution services for its Wii and Nintendo DSi consoles respectively, is relatively small, ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata, DSiWare, DSi

Iwata Explains Wii Price Cut Not Due to Competition; Profits Falling Due to Lack of Content

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:37:12 +0000

No one expected the Wii boom to last forever, and eyes have been on Nintendo lately as profits have begun to decline, with people wondering what Nintendo may have up its sleeve to remedy the situation. President Satoru Iwata explained during an Investor Relations meeting that, rather than being driven to cut the price of the Wii as a result of mounting pressure from Sony and Microsoft, "underperformances were attributed primarily to the lack of continuous release of software titles which could strongly drive hardware sales and price cut of Wii hardware."

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Sony, Microsoft

Iwata: "Wii cannot be defined as healthy"

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Nintendo on "urgent mission to recover momentum during holidays" in Japan. Nintendo top honcho Satoru Iwata has said that Wii's situation in Japan "cannot be defined as healthy". It's probably not as bad as it sounds, they have sold ba-zillions after all. Click here to read the full article

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Wii

Iwata: 'Japan most challenging for console games'

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 12:33:00 +0000

Home console game sales struggling in the Far East. Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has said that Japan is now the most challenging market for home console software. Click here to read the full article

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo

Iwata: Nintendo Eyeing Kindle's Free Internet Model For DS

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is expressing interest in the business model Amazon uses for its Kindle e-reader -- where internet service is included without cost -- as a possible solution for its handhelds. "I'm interested because it's a new business model in which the user doesn't bear the communications cost," Iwata said at a recent analyst briefing, as reported by the Financial Times. Kindle users pay for the device itself, but the 3G internet service ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo

News: Nintendo: PS3 and Wii neck and neck in Japan

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:07:27 +0000

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata expects Wii to "regain momentum during the upcoming sales season".

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata

Iwata: Wii, PS3 are "neck and neck in Japan"

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:01:00 +0000

Wii decline and PS3 boost brings console into close contention. Nintendo boss man Satoru Iwata has said the Wii and PS3 are "neck and neck" in Japan following a sharp decline in sales of Nintendo's console. Click here to read the full article

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, PS3, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo Looking to Amazon Kindle for 3G DS?

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 03:21:24 +0000

Nintendo's DS reissue train will keep rolling, if President Satoru Iwata has anything to say about it. In an analyst briefing following the company's announcement of lowered financials and the new DSi XL, Iwata confirmed that the company is looking to a popular 3G portable device for inspiration...and it isn't the iPhone. Only people who can pay thousands of yen a month [in mobile phone subscriptions] can be iPhone customers. That doesn't fit Nintendo customers because we make amusement products," Mr Iwata said. The Kindle's one-off cost would better suit Nintendo's customer base, he said. "In reality, if we did this it would increase the cost of the hardware, and customers would complain about Nintendo putting prices up, but it is one option for the future. Could Nintendo be looking to equip their super-popular handheld with 3G technology in the future? Such a move would be in line with current rumors.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, DS, Satoru Iwata, DSi

Wii catching PS3 in Japan - Iwata

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 21:53:19 +0000

Exec sees Wii back on the front foot

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Satoru Iwata

Iwata Ponders Nintendo's Handheld Future

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Amazon's Kindle used as comparison for possible future of Nintendo's handhelds.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo mulling Kindle-style 3G-network portable

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 13:23:23 +0000

President Satoru Iwata says a DS successor could be cartridge-free, get its games directly from cellular network; service cost to be included in up-front price.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, DS, Nintendo

Review: Wii Fit Plus

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:32:00 +0000

Gym and tonic. In the latest edition of Iwata Asks, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the sequel to Wii Fit. Except it's not a sequel, according to Miyamoto. "It's not number two! It's not what you'd call a sequel with a regular game - it's actually an enhanced version of the software," he said. Read more... > >

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii Fit Plus, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto, Wii Fit, Wii

Iwata Says DSi LL Meant to Be a Spectator Handheld

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Usually new iterations of popular portable devices get smaller (anyone remember the Game Boy Micro?), but Nintendo is bucking tradition with the DSi LL -- a new version of their gaming handheld that adds an extra 1/4 of an inch to the screens. But that's not all it adds: According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the viewing angle for the DSi LL has been improved as well with the intention of making it a spectator system ( via Joystiq). "Nintendo DSi LL features not only bigger monitor screens," Iwata said in a financial results briefing , "but an improved view angle on the screens to make it the first portable system that can be enjoyed with people surrounding the gamer." The idea is to allow people next to the person playing to get a better view of what's happening on the screens, creating a "new play style where those who are surrounding the game player can also join in one way or the other to the game play." ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, DSi, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Iwata Discusses Sales, Next Year for Wii

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:12:15 +0000

Despite recent figures showing a decline in sales, president and CEO Satoru Iwata has been very vocal about the situation and Nintendo's projections. While speaking at a press conference in Osaka, Japan, Iwata is quoted as saying "Wii has stalled. We were unable to continually release strong software, and let the nice mood cool. We were unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing.'" Even though sales have dropped, Iwata still seems confident that the recent price drop will keep Nintendo on track to reach 20 million in unit sales, down from the original 26 million target. "With the price drop, sales returned to a certain level, but they just did not reach the level of last year around this time...In order to reach it (20 million target), we'll have to move quite a large quantity, but it's a figure we released after having felt the momentum returning..."

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Wii | 'The Wii has stalled' - Iwata

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:36:35 +0000

Nintendo president says top-selling console has hit a wall due to dearth of "high demand" software, "preparing for next year." Though it once appeared to be a tiny sales juggernaut, Nintendo's top-selling Wii has struggled in 2009. In July, the Japanese publisher reported April-June revenues that had slid 40 percent from a year prior to ¥253 billion ($2.81 billion). Nintendo didn't fare much better during its July-September quarter, saying yesterday that sales fell 34.5 percent to ¥548.1 billion ($6.09 billion) during the first half of its fiscal year. Put the Wii down, Iwata. Things aren't that bad… Nintendo's slipping performance has not gone unnoticed by the publisher's president. As reported by Japan's Mainichi Newspaper and translated by GameSpot, Nintendo executive Satoru Iwata told analysts and investors as part of a post-earnings Q&A that a weak software lineup has contributed to the Wii's ...

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata Admits the Wii has Stalled

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:10:00 +0000

Profits have dropped for the first time in four years, Nintendo says 'It takes time to recover.'

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Nintendo, Wii, Satoru Iwata

News: Nintendo: Wii has stalled

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:10:11 +0000

CEO Satoru Iwata blames the platform holder's inability to continue releasing hit games.

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo, Wii

News: Iwata explains sagging Wii sales

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:57:00 +0000

Lack of "strong software" to blame. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has admitted that sales of Wii "stalled" because the company was "unable to continually release strong software" and "unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing'". "In the game market, once you've lost the momentum, it takes time to recover," he said at a Japanese press conference, in comments translated by Andriasang (thanks vg247). Iwata also said that the situation had not changed significantly since the Wii's price was cut in the US, Japan and mainland Europe. Read more... > >

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata

Nintendo Admits Losing Momentum With Wii, Blames Lacking Games

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Wii continues to sell ahead of its competition, but even the Wii has seen a notable drop in monthly sales in the past year. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has blamed the company's inability to roll out compelling software to maintain momentum in the past and Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun (as translated by Andriasang ) said that remains the biggest stumbling block for Nintendo. "We were unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing.'" said Iwata about Nintendo's latest earnings report. "In the game market, once you've lost the momentum, it takes time to recover." Sales for Wii fell 43% compared to the past year, compelling Nintendo to reduce its Wii sales forecast for the year from 26 million to 20 million. Wii Sports Resort wasn't enough, apparently. What will be? Source

Find more top gaming news, videos, and blogs on GamerBlips: Gaming, Wii, Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, Wii Sports Resort