Special DSi Feature Helps Japanese Hearing Impaired Schoolchildren...

Japanese schoolchildren with hearing impairments have been given a new way of learning thanks to the brainy guys at Nintendo. They have now developed some nifty software for use with their handheld DSi consoles, which helps to convert speech (from teachers and peers) into readable text.

According to Venturebeat, The new learning software is currently being pioneered throughout  Japanese schools in the Okinawa and Tottori Prefectures, with the help of a telecom company called NTT, and is part of a larger scheme to allow hard of hearing pupils, or even those with learning difficulties  access to speech-to-text services and other learning resources and materials in order to boost their chances of educational success. 

The software on the DSi means that teachers' speech is immediately translated into text and then it is saved to a cloud-based server, where it can be downloaded 'live' to the special DSi handhelds whilst in the classroom, so that children can read and keep track of what is being said during their lessons, or it can be saved so that it can be studied later.

A similar scheme has recently been highlighted by Microsoft's Imagine Cup, which featured a winning entry from Ecuador's 'Team Falcon' that was based on the concept of turning speech into sign language symbols via an on-screen device.

This latest development could be seen as a positive step in enhancing the educational experiences of children with difficulties and disabilities, and is a good example of how gaming technologies can be used outside of the main gaming community.

E3 2011: Nintendo Unveils Portable Wii U controller...

'Innovation' was certainly the watchword for Nintendo at this year's E3 conference. As well as giving us the lowdown on several new 3DS titles, including Mario Kart 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Cave Story 3D, Tekken 3D, amongst others, Nintendo proudly unveiled their plans for a brand new home console, known as the Wii U. (previously called the 'Wii 2').

It might seem odd to be talking about a home console on a blogsite which is usually so devoted to handheld gaming, but the Wii U comes with an extra little twist - The Wii U controller is actually a portable gaming tablet, which allows gamers to play their Wii U games without the need for a TV screen!

The controller features a 6.2 inch touchscreen, dual circle pads, control pad, D-pad, left and right shoulder buttons and a stylus. It also features a gyroscopic sensor, microphone and drawing pad functionality, which are all found on the standard portable Nintendo handhelds such as the DS lite or 3DS.

 The Wii U controller also allows you to play a special library of games specifically included on the controller itself, meaning that people can continue to game whilst in bed, or when watching a TV programme, or anywhere else in the home you can think of. In fact, the only thing that marks the Wii U controller out from another portable gaming device is that it cannot be used outside the home.

However, the CEO and President of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Aime, was quick to explain that the Wii U should not be thought of as another portable console like the Nintendo DS or 3DS. Instead, the controller will work in conjunction with the Wii U console and will wirelessly interact with the main console (shown above).

The controller can also be used to enhance standard Wii U gameplay by acting as a magnifying glass. Can't see the enemy when trying to shoot if playing on your TV screen? No problem. Hold the Wii U controller over the TV screen and you'll get a close-up image of your opponent(s) on your controller instead.

Tilt or move the Wii U controller, and you will get a birdseye view of your in-game environments, meaning that you can see your targets, areas or goals (such as the Green in a game of  golf) or other players much more easily than before.

The Wii U controller will also allow you to share Internet information and make video calls to friends and family, providing what Nintendo called: " A tailor-made gaming experience"

It seems as though Nintendo have taken the most popular elements of the Wii and the best elements of the Nintendo 3DS and mixed them together to create something which, according to Fils-Aime is a "Unique, Unifying Utopia," which helps to create "deeper gameplay action".

The similarity between the new Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS consoles were also mentioned during the conference, with the two Wii U game titles - Super Smash Bros Brawl and Lego City Stories simultaneously being announced for the 3DS system as well.

Furthermore, there was talk of a game which would use inter-compatibility between the 3DS and the Wii U sometime in the future, but Nintendo refused to go into details about this at this point, preferring  to emphasise how both consoles were set to revolutionise the current gaming market instead.

The Wii U controller creates an interesting gaming hybrid and brings the gap between home console gaming and handheld gaming closer than ever before.

There are very few details about software for the new console at the moment, which is set to debut some time in 2012. Watch this Space!

Nintendo 3DS: Has Nintendo Broken Its Promise To Gamers?

It has only been a few days since the  European release date for Nintendo's 3DS console was announced, but already the rumour mill has been circulating, and it seems that some gamers may not be getting exactly what they expect when the console launches in March this year.

Mini Gamers takes a look at the promises that have been made by Nintendo over the past year, and compares them to what the console is set to offer us in reality...

Promise One: A Price Range Under £200?

Back in August last year, Nintendo's Marketing Manager, James Honeywell gave an interview to gaming website Electric Pig, where it was hinted that the new console might cost under £200 to buy.

Although no actual price was mentioned at the time, Honeywell did say that:"The DSi is around £129.99, the DSi XL is around £159.99, so obviously it [the Nintendo 3DS] is going to fit somewhere around that kind of architecture..." [sourced from: http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2010/07/29/video-nintendo-3ds-questions-answered-by-ninty-top-brass/]

Furthermore, a 3DS console for under £200 did indeed seem possible when the Japanese pricing figures for a 3DS were revealed to be around 25,000 Yen, which equates to approximately £192.

However, at the recent 3DS preview conference in Amsterdam, Nintendo claimed that the actual price of the console would be set by retailers and that European gamers would have to refer to in-store prices.

This actually translates to a price range that is anywhere between £217.85 (in places like Asda and Zavvi) and £229.99 (Game).

These prices then skyrocket towards the £250 mark when the console is bundled with one of the 3DS launch games, which are themselves priced around £39.99. This makes the 3DS one of the most expensive handheld consoles ever produced.

Promise Two: Complete Backwards Compatibility With Older

DS and DSi Consoles?

Although the Nintendo 3DS WILL definitely be backwards compatible with your old DS and DSi games, the new console will also feature a Region Lock, which means that 3DS gaming software purchased from one country will not be compatible with 3DS consoles purchased in another.

Nintendo recently defended their decision to make the 3DS region-locked.  Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton gave an interview to Eurogamer  in which he claimed that the region-lock was due to many different factors including the Downloadable Content support that will be offered with the new console, and the difference in international age rating systems.

Yarnton said: "If we look at it at on a regional basis, we have to be very conscious of - the customer may not really care about this - but different territories have different ratings. We're very conscious of making sure we toe the line as far as government goes. In Europe we've got PEGI. In Australia there's a different rating. America's got a different rating. Japan's a different rating." [sourced from;  http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-19-nintendo-3ds-david-yarnton-interview]

The region lock is nothing new and has also been used in Nintendo's DSi console. However, the truth remains that gamers who prefer to purchase and play games from other countries such as America (where they are usually cheaper) will no longer be able to do this on the new 3DS console.



Promise Three: The 3DS Will Feature Its own eShop and Internet Browser?



Nintendo has promised that the 3DS console, (which is said to have its own Internet Browser,) will also have an eShop for downloadable content. The eShop will support some of the old DSiWare, as well as offer demos, videos and user ratings and a handheld version of the Wii's Virtual Console, which will be dedicated to Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles.

According to Nintendo, purchases will no longer be made with virtual currency. Nintendo Points which have previously been purchased on other systems like the DSi and Wii will not be usable on the 3DS eStore, which will use a 'real cash' system instead.

Nevertheless, there seems to be doubt amongst the gaming community as to whether the aforementioned eShop will actually be available for use when the console launches in March.

Nintendo of America's marketing manager, Bill Trinen recently suggested to Joystiq.com that the eShop was very much a secondary concern to the retail launch of the new console, with full 3DS games not yet planned for download availability. He said: "I think, right now for us, the digital shop content is focusing on growing the digital ... distinguishing from the retail content in terms of what it offers."

Trinen also went on to suggest that the eShop may not in fact  be released simultaneously with the 3DS itself, but maybe offered later in a firmware update. "In terms of specific announcements or when it's going to actually be available, we'll go into more detail on that as we get closer to the launch date."
[Sourced: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/3ds-eshop-detailed-virtual-console-dsiware-demos-and-the-abs/]

Nintendo seemed to suggest during the European Preview Conference that the 3DS would come with a fully-working eShop, which they implied was one of the revolutionary new features that would set the 3DS apart from the other Duel Screen consoles.

Nevertheless, at this moment in time, it seems as though gamers may have to wait many months before they can begin to purchase fresh downloadable content for their new device, which is more than a tad disappointing.

It has to be said that the Nintendo 3DS does feature an impressive array of specifications  including its twin motion-tracking cameras, 3D depth slider and a good selection of 3DS game titles in development.

Nevertheless, even with its March deadline getting closer, Nintendo seems unable to fully commit to an answer about the actual content that gamers can expect to see on launch day. Here at Mini Gamers we remain optimistic about the 3DS and we look forward to bringing you news on specific 3DS launch games within the next few weeks.

However, we are also interested in hearing what YOU, the handheld gamers out there have to say about the new console. How much would YOU be will willing to pay for a 3DS?

Has the overall cost or region lock put YOU off of owning a 3DS?

Please leave us a comment and let us know.