Nintendo has today revealed an exciting new Life Simulation game, Tomadachi Life (Tomodachi is the Japanese word for 'friend'), which will be releasedfor the Nintendo 3DS on the 6th June 2014. The game allows players to create Miis of almost anyone they can think of and bring them to life in their own virtual world.
The game takes place on Chin island, a special place inhabited by variousMiis, which the player can import from their 3DS Mii Maker or via the 3DS QR code reader. Miis can also be created by using the 3DS camera or the in-game creation tools.
Once created, these little avatars can be given their own voice and then players can set about creating a unique personality based on some slider inputs. The game is open-ended and almost anything can happen as new Miis interact together to form their own virtual communities.
Miis can perform various actions, such as eating, trying on different outfits and doing many leisurely activities such as going to the beach or dining at a restaurant, etc. As more Miis are introduced into the game, different interactions will become available and new events will occur. Miis can develop new skills and experience social developments such as friendship, romance, and rivalry, as well as take part in some bizarre musical numbers.
If you are curious about how all these elements work together, then the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast seeks to answer your questions:
Tomodachi Life cleverly blends together many core elements from other Life Simulation games. If you have enjoyed games such as The Sims 3, Enchanted Folk or Animal Crossing, then this may be the perfect addition to your collection. Mini Gamers looks forward to bringing you further news about the game as it develops.
PS Vita Pets, the first true pet simulation to emerge on Sony's handheld system, has today been given a proposed release date of the 4th of June 2014. The game, which merges together elements of the virtual pet simulation genre with some action-adventure elements thrown in as well, has a very family-orientated feel to it.
There has been some dispute among the gaming community of late as to whether the game's title of 'pets' is misleading, as it tends to suggest that there will be various domesticated animals on offer when in fact the game actually only features dogs.
However, Kevin Oxland, Creative Director forSpiral House, today explained that the high quality realistic animations and the task of making these dogs actually talk to the player has meant that the overall concept of 'pets' had to be kept simple, which is why only dogs have been included in this game. He said: "We could only include dogs. The fidelity of the dogs, the quality in the animation, the adventure and all the dialogue, which we translated and recorded in many different languages, require a lot of resources and time to get right and the team worked hard to bring you a quality experience..." [sourced from: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/04/02/playstation-vita-pets-release-date-new-gameplay-details/]
Of course Spiral House are no stranger to pet simulation games as they were also responsible for bringing the PS3's loveableEyePet to Sony's original portable handheld, thePSP. However, it will be some time before we can see whether Playstation Vita Pets can equal Eyepet's success in the casual gaming market.
Some new screenshots for the game have also been released, along with the main box art image (shown above). The screenshots appear to show some of the adventure parts of the game. More information has also been provided about the virtual dogs' ability to talk in human speech with the players. According to Kevin Oxland, the game will feature "a huge script of dialogue for each of the dogs. In total we have around 10,000 lines of spoken dialogue in the game." [sourced from: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/04/02/playstation-vita-pets-release-date-new-gameplay-details/]
More detailed descriptions of exactly how the dogs will be essential in helping the player to unlock the secrets of the island's buried treasure, has also been revealed. It seems that the player's chosen puppy will help by sniffing out clues, digging in unexpected places and crawling through areas of the game map that players could not otherwise be expected to access.
Some gamers have already criticised the game, accusing Sony of trying to copy Nintendo's success with theNintendogs series. Nevertheless, PlayStation Pets has tried very hard to separate itself from other virtual pet games on the current market, and whilst cute pet simulation games will not appeal to everybody, this game is very innovative and helps to widen the appeal of the PS Vita by offering casual gamers and younger gamers an adventure title with a difference. This is definitely one to watch!
Nintendo has announced through their official Japanese website that after nearly an entire decade of offering unique downloadable content for various Nintendo games, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, will be coming to an end. This means the end of online functionality for over sixty Wii and Nintendo DS titles.
The service is expected to end on the 20th May 2014, and includes online applications such as: online play, matchmaking and leaderboards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games such as Animal Crossing: Wild World, 100 Classic Books, Mario Kart DS, and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass to name but a few. A full list of the affected titles for both Wii and DS can be found here.
Nintendo have stressed that not all online services will be affected and that applications such as The Wii's Internet Channel, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Nintendo DS Browser, Nintendo DSi Browser, Nintendo DSi Shop and YouTube will be completely unchanged.
There was further bad news for fans of the Nintendo Video Service on the 3DS. The application which allows users to watch and download free 3D film trailers, animated shorts, SKY 3D trailers and various 3D videos will also cease its services on the 31st March 2014. Purchased and downloaded 3D videos from the Nintendo eShop will be unaffected by the cessation of this service.
No reason has so far been given for why these services have been discontinued, but we can all hope that these changes may hail the arrival of some newer and more exciting services from Nintendo in the near future. Fingers crossed!
It's finally here! The latest installment of Dr. Kawashima's hugely successfulBrain Training franchise is set to arrive on the 3DS in the UK for the very first time. Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? was first announced back in 2012, but despite several rumours that the game would be scheduled for European release on the 8th March 2013, it failed to appear - until now.
The game, (which is also known as Dr. Kawashima'sConcentration Training outside of Europe,) offers another difficult set of mental agility challenges for players to complete, but whereas previous titles in this series have tended to focus more broadly on logic, mathematics comprehension, perception and long-term memory recall, each of the exercises in Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? have something to do with concentration and training the player's working (short-term) memory to stay focused whilst facing various distractions.
So, what exactly has the game got to offer fans of the series? Well, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? offers a total of thirty daily exercises and minigames, including eighteen exercises which have never appeared in the previous Brain Training games. Furthermore, many of the featured core exercises can be uniquely tailored for brain training enthusiasts of all abilities.
For example, Devilish Calculations challenges players to recall the answer to a previous mathematical problem while paying attention to the next one in line. The questions come thick and fast and it will take all of a player's concentration skills to successfully remember all of the required information without making any mistakes.
Meanwhile, Devilish Mice, challenges players to simultaneously track the path of some mice while they are being chased by cats. It sounds simple but it's a lot harder than it might first appear.
However, this is where the game usefully adapts itself to the player's performance and understanding. If players struggle during the exercise and seem to perform badly, then the game dynamically adjusts the difficulty based on the player's real-time results. By offering a difficult challenge from the start and shifting the difficulty to match the player's individual performance, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? constantly pushes players to attain new high scores, helping them to stay alert, engaged and to use their short-term memory to its fullest.
As well as putting themselves to the test with the daily challenges on offer,players can also build up their concentration skills via the Training Supplements mode, which seeks to further train the brain using other exercises from those that are completed during the daily challenges. Players who are feeling confident in their short-term memory capabilities may also wish to complete the difficult Concentration Challenge
Furthermore, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? has now made it even easier for players to compete against friends and family by using multiple save slots to keep different profiles on a single Game Cartridge.
Like many other 3DS games, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? will now use the 3DS' StreetPass to trade data with other users of the game and allows players the chance to compete against one another to attain the best brain training challenge scores.
The actual UK release date for the game is yet to be confirmed, but with more screenshots and a newly-designed European boxshot cover design slowly emerging on the Internet, it would seem that Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training days are far from over.
The following video presentation from Nintendo Direct (originally filmed in December 2012)helps to give an idea of the gameplay and challenges that players can expect to see during the game. If you are having trouble viewing the video on your device, please CLICK HERE.
As with the previous games in the series, Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay focused? has a nice 'adult' feel to it, whilst still remaining entertaining and accessible enough to appeal to slightly younger gamers as well, making it a very good family game.
If you enjoyed the previous Brain Training games but are looking for a new challenge, or if you just feel that your short-term memory could do with a work-out, then this is definitely the perfect game for you. Overall rating: 9/10.
Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more release date and gameplay information on this game as it arrives!
Jack Tretton has formally announced his decision to step down from his position as the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America [SCEA] after almost twenty years with the company.
This decision has reportedly been a "result of a mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship", according to the official Sony press release. [sourced from: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jack-tretton-to-step-down-as-president-and-ceo-of-sony-computer-entertainment-america-248876781.html]
Jack Tretton first began working at the SCEA during its inception in in 1995 and has been personally overseen the development of every single PlayStation gaming console to date, including the PS Vita handheld.
He has become a familiar face to many PlayStation fans, who have witnessed him giving several presentations at big gaming events like E3 over the years. During these presentations, Tretton never failed to show how proud he was of the SCEA and how grateful he was to its many fans for their continued support in the growth of the PlayStation brand.
Today, Jack Tretton echoed those sentiments in the following statement: "Serving PlayStation fans for the past 19 years has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. Your passion for gaming inspired me every day. I want to thank you for constantly pushing PlayStation to deliver breakthrough gaming and entertainment experiences, and to never settle for “good enough.” The embodiment of this commitment can be found in the PS4, which has quickly become the #1 next-gen console worldwide...thanks to you. We’ve shared many memories over the past two decades and I’ll always be grateful for your support." [sourced from: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/03/06/a-message-from-jack-tretton/]
Tretton has also been noted as helping to lead the company to several important company milestones, including surpassing fifty million units sold with the PlayStation 2 in North America, and aggressively growing the PlayStation business in Canada and Latin America
Most recently, Tretton led the record-breaking launch of the PS4, which sold more than one million units in 24 hours in North America and is now considered to be the number one next generation gaming console in North America and worldwide.
Thus, it seems like an odd time from the CEO to step down from his position. Nevertheless, it seems as though Jack Tretton wishes to leave the company on a high note. In a message posted to the Playstation blog earlier today, Tretton announced: "I leave knowing that the PlayStation brand has never been stronger, PlayStation 4 momentum continues to accelerate, and the future will only get brighter for our gamers" [sourced from: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/03/06/a-message-from-jack-tretton/]
Jack Tretton will officially step down at the end of March 2014. The current Vice-President of SCEA, Shawn Layden, is set to take over from Tretton on the first of April this year.
Layden announced that he is very excited to be given the opportunity to lead the Playstation brand into the next generation. He said: "It's an honor and privilege to join Sony Computer Entertainment America and be a part of the team that is leading the next generation of gaming and entertainment. SCEA is committed to delivering breakthrough gaming experiences that inspire fans and exceed their wildest expectations. As PS4 shows us every day, there has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation community and I look forward to working with our retail, development, publishing and network partners to further demonstrate why PlayStation is the best place to play." [sourced from: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jack-tretton-to-step-down-as-president-and-ceo-of-sony-computer-entertainment-america-248876781.html]
It remains uncertain how the departure of such an influential figure such as Jack Tretton will ultimately effect the PlayStation brand, but Shawn Layden, (a fifteen year veteran with the Sony Computer Entertainment corporation himself,) certainly has some very big shoes to fill if he is to succeed in his mission to continue the success that the SCEA has seen under his predecessor.
Forma.8 is a new action-adventure game from Italian indie game developers, Mixedbag. The plot for this game is a fairly simple one.
The game is set in the future, where a small space probe known as Forma.8 has been abandoned on a small alien planet with one important mission - find and recover a powerful energy source deep under the surface before it’s too late to save humanity.
However, things are not as simple as they first appear, and Forma.8 will have to face many battles (and boss battles) with some unforeseen hostile enemies before it can finally complete its mission. Nevertheless, this game is very innovative in that it is up to the players of the game to decide how and where the game unfolds next.
Forma.8 starts with no powers, no weapons, and no hints of what to do or where to go. There is no verbal communication in the game at all, instead everything is conveyed to the player with images, sounds, and the gameplay itself.
Players must explore the planet independently, collecting powers sometimes having to deal with alien hostiles along the way, and gradually unlock the rest of the story. Physics plays a big part in the game too; everything in the in-game world is physics based, with plants, ropes, liquids, enemies, rocks,etc., all interacting and reacting in a realistic way, which helps to add unexpected twists to the game.
The graphics of Forma.8 are also very unique, and consists mainly of hand-drawn vector lines, which have then been rendered in HD to create a very smooth-looking, slightly strange but beautifulenvironment.
Very little is known about Forma.8 at the moment as the game is still in development, but is expected to become available for download from the PS store by Spring 2014. If you want a space adventure with a difference, then this might just be the game you are looking for.
Sony has announced a God Of War Collection for the PS Vita. The collection will feature both God Of War 1 and God Of War 2, and is expected to feature updated and improved graphics and new touchscreen capabilities.
For those of you who are still unfamiliar with the series, God Of War is an action-adventure, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. The use of a mixture of combat, platformer and puzzle elements, as well as an engaging and emotive plot, have helped to make the God Of War games extremely popular over the years.
Players must take on the role of Kratos - a Spartan Warrior and Demigod, who has been forced to serve the Greek god, Ares, in order to save his own life, but this action later leads to the murder of his wife and child, which then sees Kratos turn on the gods of Olympus as he seeks vengeance against those who have wronged him.
A trailer of God Of War Collection can be viewed below. If you are having trouble viewing the trailer on your device, then please CLICK HERE:
God Of War Collection will be released on the 8th of May 2014. It will feature the first two games of the series on a single game cartridge. It will also mark the debut of the God Of War series on the PS Vita. If you have never played a God Of War game, but the idea of battling against the Greek gods appeals to you, then this may be the perfect time to go ahead and introduce yourself to the series.
Every electronic device has its little glitches and problems from time-to-time. One of the most common errors to occur on the PS Vita happenswhen downloading videos. Users are told via a pop-up dialogue box that the copyright protection information for their recently downloaded film purchase or rental is not valid.
This error means that the downloaded content cannot be played, which is especially annoying if the purchase in question is a rental copy, which is due to expire in the next few days, etc. However, we are pleased to announce that Mini Gamers has researched this issue, and has found a simple solution that should solve the problem relatively quickly. We have also compiled a step-by-step guide on how to solve this issue, which we hope will be helpful, and we have also attempted to answer a few questions that you might have about this issue:
Why does this error occur?
According to Sony, this error occurs when the PS Vita system needs certain user-permissions like video or music usage to be activated or deactivated on the system.
Sometimes this error can occur when trying to download content onto a new memory stick, or if a user has two PlayStation devices which share one account (like a PS4 and a PS Vita, for example), where the downloaded content can only be used on one device, but sometimes this error can occur randomly without a known cause.
How can this error be solved?
In order to solve this problem, users must reset the user-permissions on their console. This sounds complicated, but is actually easy. The following steps will help you to activate and deactivate the user permissions correctly:
1.Go to Settings.
2. Select the PSN tab.
3. Select the System Activation tab.
4. Select the Music/Video Playback option.
5. Select the DEACTIVATE option.
(this is very important, as selecting 'activate' will not work at this point.)
6. [OPTIONAL STEP If you have other purchased videos stored in your PS Vita*]:
If you have bought other films from the Playstation Store, which you know played correctly before this error, select one of these films and try to play it. The selected film should now also display the same error code - "The Copyright Protection information is not valid."
*NB: If you have only rental films stored on your memory stick, please skip this step and move on to Step 7.
7. Turn off the PS Vita. Wait approximately 5 seconds and then turn it on again.
8. Go to Settings.
9. Select the PSN tab.
10. Select the System Activation tab.
11. Select the Music/Video Playback option.
12. Select the ACTIVATE option.
13. Go To Videos.
14. Select the film that had the error. It should now play normally.
My Vita video download STILL doesn't work!
What can I do now?
If you have followed all the steps above correctly, your problem should now be solved in most cases. Nevertheless, if you are still experiencing problems after reading this guide, then your PS Vita may require additional support to get it working again.
PlayStation Support can be contacted on the following number: 0844 736 0595 (UK customers only), and should be able to help you within 48 hours of your enquiry. Alternatively, you can email them: networksupport@uk.playstation.com.
Please note, if you live outside of the UK, the correct contact information for your country can be found HERE.
We hope you have found the above information both useful and informative, and that it has helped you to resolve your video playback issues.
Do you have any additional advice or comments that you wish to share with other readers about this problem? Why not leave us a comment and let us know. Mini Gamers loves to hear from you!
Play to Cure: Genes in Space is the world’s first FREE mobile game that uses the collective force of players to analyse real genetic data and help beat cancer sooner.
The game is essentially a Sci-Fi, arcade-style, action-adventure, in which players must explore the far reaches of deep space, identifying and collecting a mysterious substance called Element Alpha.
Players must take on the role of an employee of Bifrost Industries, one of the biggest traders of the substance, the main task is to collect as much Element Alpha as they can and trade it for upgrades to your spacecraft to help you manoeuvre the asteroid filled space course.
Sounds interesting, right?But how does playing a video game actually helpCancer Research UK to beat cancer? Well, the collectible substance of Element Alpha within the game actually represents real genetic cancer data that scientists across the world analyse on a daily basis to detect the presence of anomalous cells, which could potentially be cancerous.
By collecting Element Alpha and navigating their spaceship through the cosmos, players are actually locating specific and significant genetic changes, which will help scientists to discover cancer causing genes and develop new life saving treatments.
By playing Genes in Space players will be contributing their own time to analysing significant amounts of genetic data which would have taken scientists hours to do.
The video below gives more details about the mobile gaming app and exactly how it can be used to identify various cancers. Please note, if you are having trouble viewing this video on your device, CLICK HERE
The data analysis goes back to Cancer Research UK scientists at two key points: Firstly when Players map their route through the Element Alpha. Secondly when players fly their spaceship through the intergalactic space course to collect this substance.
Gaming has always been fun, but now Cancer Research UK have found a way to make it useful and important as well. If you would like to give the game a try, then it can be downloaded now from either the Google Play or the Apple App Storenow.
Traditionally, video games developed solely as film tie-ins do not have the best reputation for providing quality gaming entertainment, with many such tie-ins being accused of being at best, shallow, interactive repeats of the actual films they represent, and at worst, action-driven, pointless, money-grabbing entertainment titles, which really have very little to do with the actual films they are named after at all.
An article written by Charlie Roberts from Gamemoir.com best summed up this general attitude when he wrote: "With every summer blockbuster that hits our screens these days, there always seems to be a tie-in game limping along behind it, desperately trying to wring out the last few dregs of cash from the pockets of those that the film didn’t drain completely of funds. And let’s be honest – they always suck..." [Sourced from: http://gamemoir.com/2013/08/13/tie-in-games-suck/]
Nevertheless, it cannot be easy to produce a game that can successfully live up to the hype and excitement caused by its big budget film counterpart. However, this is exactly what film producers Warner Bros. are trying to achieve with their latest film, The LEGO Movie, which itself has been inspired in part by the success of the licensed LEGO video game series, made popular by TT games and the LEGO Creator video games' series developed bySuperscape.
As with any major movie, the video game tie-in promises to be equally special. So, what exactly has the aptly-titled The LEGO Movie Videogame got to offer the gaming community? Well, this game is of course based on the plot of the film, which is set entirely in the LEGO universe and centres around an ordinaryLEGO Mini-figure called Emmett who works as a construction worker, and whois mistaken as being the Special (the greatest Master Builder who can save the universe).
With the help of an old wizard named Vitruvius, and a tough young woman named Wyldstyle, as well as Batman, Uni-Kitty, Benny, and a pirate named Metalbeard, Emmet has to forget his usual routine of simply building things according to their instructions, and discover the power of his own imagination if he is ever going to defeat the evil Lord Business - a tyrant who is bent on destroying the universe on Taco Tuesday and recreating it as he sees fit by gluing it all together.
In the game, players must take control of Emmett and his merry band of recruits. Players must explore the in-game environments to collect and use LEGO instruction pages. In turn, these pages can then be used to build construction sets in order to harness the awesome power of the so-called Master Builders.
This game will be the first LEGO title to feature a new kind of animation style that has apparently been modelled on the movements of actual real-world LEGO Minifigures. Furthermore, the game will feature more than ninety separate characters inspired by the film and a total of fifteen exciting levels.
The game (like the film) has been made with kids and family gaming very much in mind. The usual hilarious cutscenes found in previous LEGO game titles can also be seen here, and the colourful environments will be instantly appealing to younger gamers.
Tom Stone, Managing Director at TT Games Publishing said recently: "We’re thrilled to be able to give kids the joy of re-living Emmett’s adventures in becoming virtual Master Builders with The LEGO Movie Videogame. Players will be taking on the ultimate mission to save the LEGO world and use their virtual building prowess to build unimaginable sets and creations.” [sourced from: http://www.ttgames.com/games/lego-movie-videogame.php]
The game's teaser trailer, which was released in December last year, also shows a number of gameplay elements that will be used during the game:
* If you are having difficulty viewing the trailer in your current browser, please CLICK HERE.
The LEGO Movie premieres today in all major UK cinemas, with the game being released on all available formats on Friday the 14th of February 2014. It is not yet certain whether this game will match up to the high quality of the other LEGO Videogames, but Mini Gamers is hopeful that the game will find itself ranked alongside the usual top-notch titles developed by TT Games to date.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
Are you looking forward to the release of The LEGO Movie Videogame?
Why do movie tie-ins always seem to have a bad reputation?
What can be done to make quality movie tie-ins in the future?
If you have any thoughts about this game or about movie tie-ins in general, then please leave us a comment and let us know. Mini Gamers loves hearing from you!
Nintendo has provided further information about the eagerly-awaited 3DS cross-franchise title Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright, which is due to be released in Europe on the 28th March 2014.
So far, the exact plot details have been a little bit sketchy, but Mini Gamers can now reveal some more concrete facts about the game's storyline. The game first takes place in London, where both Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton - along with their trusty sidekicks -Maya Fey and Luke Triton, happen to mistakenly cross paths when they are both invited to meet a mysterious young woman called Espella Cantabella, whereby they suddenly find themselves transported to a strange, medieval world known as Labyrinthia.
Labyrinthia is ruled over by a shadowy figure called The Storyteller who has an apparent gift for prophecy, as every story penned by The Storyteller later seems to come true, sparking rumours about 'magic' and 'evil witches' amongst Labyrinthia's inhabitants.
It does not take long for the locals to point the finger of suspicion in the direction of Espella Cantabella, and a local witch hunt begins. Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright decide to combine their unique puzzle-solving and crime-fighting abilities to save Espella and clear her name of any wrongdoing.
Nintendo has now revealed exactly how these two giant franchises will combine together throughout the game. Firstly, Phoenix Wright, (best known from theAce Attorney series of games), returns to the courtroom, determined to uncover the truth about the events happening in Labyrinthia and prove that Espella could not possibly be guilty of such crimes.
As in the traditional Ace Attorney games, Phoenix Wright will be required to examine evidence and question witnesses. However, Phoenix Wright will now be able to use Hint coins - a staple game mechanic of the Professor Layton series - in order to narrow down the options when presenting evidence, or as a way of gaining helpful information when cross-examining witnesses.
Furthermore, it has also been suggested that Professor Layton will occasionally be allowed to raise objections within the court room, not only for the defence, but also for the prosecution, where necessary.
Nintendo have also provided further details about the game's bonus unlockable content. This content such as twelve short new episodes for the game, as well as oversixty exclusive illustrations and all the main theme music from the game, will become available once players have completed the main story.
Nevertheless, how much of the content that players will be able to access will depend upon how many Picarats players have managed to accumulate throughout the puzzle-solving portions of the game. The faster a puzzle is solved, the more Picarats will be awarded, which is another staple of the Professor Layton series.
A new teaser trailer for the game has also been launched, showing some of the cutscene sequences from the game, along with the new pre-order information for the game. If you are having trouble viewing the trailer, then please CLICK HERE.
Level 5 inc. and Capcom have clearly put a lot of thought and hard work into producing a game that will appeal to fans of either franchise. Level 5 inc's involvement can clearly be seen in the inclusion of many Professor Layton game mechanics, whilst Capcom's essential Ace Attorney structure will be instantly recognisable to the game's many fans. Mini Gamers looks forward to bringing you our own full-review when the game launches next month.
Nintendo has stated that it is prepared to purchase as many as 9.5 million shares - at 12,025 yen apiece - in an extraordinary buyback deal amounting to around $1.1 billion US Dollars (approximately £649,525,000).
The deal has been offered in an effort to calm worried Nintendo shareholders after the company's third dismal financial forecast in three years,revealed heavy losses of around £205 millon.
According to an article on the Bloombergwebsite, among the shareholders now wishing to sell their shares back to Nintendo, is the family ofHiroshi Yamauchi - the former CEO and President of the company, who is largely credited with turning the Nintendo brand into the successful video gaming powerhouse it is known as today.
Hiroshi Yamauchi worked at Nintendo for 53 years
Hiroshi Yamauchi had around ten percent of shares in Nintendo at the time of his death on the 19th September 2013. These shares were subsequently divided between his four children after he died.
It is still unclear whether the family wish to sell all of their entire percentage of shares back to Nintendo, or just a portion of them. Nevertheless, with Nintendo share prices having steadily fallen by almost eighty percent since 2007, the buyback scheme could not have come at a more appropriate time.
Other board members will all face pay-cuts of up to twenty percent. It is not known how long these pay-cuts will remain in effect. Nevertheless, Iwata's pay is likely to remain halved for the next five months at least, in recognition of the company's recent losses.
Nintendo do seem to be making a sincere effort to recover from their recent loss but it will only become apparent in next year's financial report whether or not any of these special measures have helped to yield future profit for the company. Only time will tell...
Capcom has confirmed that the latest Monster Hunter title, known as Monster Hunter 4G, which has recently been announced for development in Japan, WILL also be released in Europe some time in Spring 2015 under the slightly different name of Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate.
As well as promising that the new game would stay true to the successful format of previous Monster Hunter games, producer Ryozo Tsujimoto has promised that Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate will include lots of new game mechanics that should entice new fans to the series.
Among those changes mentioned were: more vertical and lateral movement than in the previous games, as well as more multiplayer options, including the ability to hunt monsters with friends via online multiplayer, which is now being offered alongside the usual local wireless connection.
This is good news for all European Monster Hunter fans, although no doubt the news will come as a slight disappointment to those of you who had expected a 'late 2014' release date.
The game will be exclusive to Nintendo's 3DS and 2DS handheld consoles. Unlike last year, with the release of Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate, no Wii U version of the game has yet been mentioned. A video of the Capcom announcement can be viewed below:
* if you are having trouble viewing this video, please click HERE
OlliOlli is a new score-based skateboarding game. It has been produced and developed exclusively for the PS Vita byRoll7who are best known for making IOS games for Apple Smartphones.
OlliOlli features fifty 2D side-scrolling levels, in which players attempt to perform various combinations of skateboarding moves (from 250 well-known tricks) as perfectly as possible in order to beat the current high-score.
Each level has a unique set of goals for players to complete, which can include reaching basic high-score targets to more complicated challenges like collecting certain items on route, grinding along on specific objects, or even refraining from performing certain moves during combos etc.
One of the best (and most frustrating things) about OlliOlli is that the entire game operates on a simple one-life system. This means that rather than judging the speed at which players complete the chosen level, as in some skateboarding games, the main objective here is simply to complete the level whilst performing as many combinations of tricks as possible in order to boost your high-score. If you crash once anywhere in a level, it is Game Over and the level must be restarted from the beginning. This adds tons of replay value to the game.
As well as being awarded for trick combinations, a huge number of points are also awarded for perfect landings,with no points being given for so-called 'sloppy' landings. The game uses a very simple control method, with all of the basic moves being performed via combinations of the 'X'button and the left analog stick. However, learning to time the use of these two buttons effectively is essential in earning a respectable high-score.
It sounds complicated, but don't worry. The in-game tutorial will help novices to master all the basic skills and help them to perfect their landings at the same time. Furthermore, all of the levels in the game's Career Mode are instantly re-playable by touching the 'redo' button on the top left-hand corner of the screen
Once players have significantly mastered the timings and combos in Career Mode enough to create high-scores, they may wish to take part in The Daily Grind. This is a special mode, which changes every 24 hours.
In The Daily Grind, players are expected to test their skateboarding skills on a random level of the game. The Player's high-score is then uploaded to the game's OnlineLeaderboards. However, the one-life functionality of the main game is also present here. This means that although players may practice the level as many times as they wish before the 24 hours elapses, they only get one chance to perform the level for real.
After the level has been completed, (which occurs by selecting the 'Play for Real' option on the PS Vita touchscreen), the player's score will be automatically uploaded to the Online Leaderboards. Players will then have to wait a full 24 hours before they can take part in The Daily Grind again.
Completing levels successfully will unlock so-called 'Spots'. Players can then challenge other OlliOlli users across the world to achieve the best score on the Spots that they have discovered in career mode. The highest scorer in the Spot Leaderboards will become the King of the Spot.
Completing all levels in Career Mode and unlocking all available Spot locations will automatically unlock a more challenging mode of the game called RAD Mode.
OlliOlli is a game that is easy-to-play but hard-to master. Priced at a mere £7.99 (or £6.39 for Playstation Plus members), OlliOlli will suit most budgets,whilst the hundreds of trick combinations and different gaming modes means that it is both addictive and engrossing. In conclusion, this is a title that is bound to keep the majority of gamers happy for many hours to come. Overall Rating: 10/10
OlliOlli is available to download now from the PS Store.
President of Nintendo,Satoru Iwata, has today refuted claims that recent financial losses at the company had resulted in calls for his resignation.
Nintendo suffered significant losses in its overall game and hardware sales last year. Early this morning, Nintendo reported that it is revising its annual forecast. The company now expects a net loss of £205 millon at the end of its official fiscal year in March 2014. That’s contrary to its previous financial forecast, which wrongly predicted Nintendo would bring in a net profit of around £587 million.
The loss has been mainly attributed to the poor sales of Nintendo's latest home console, the Wii U, which has consistently failed to attract a high level of consumers since it was first released in November 2012. Nintendo shares have also fallen slightly in the wake of this news.
Despite the dismal fiscal forecast, Sotaru Iwata has flatly denied that there is any truth in a potential 'management shake-up' or in the fact that he himself had been forced to resign over the issue. Speaking to reporters recently, Iwata said: "There will be no major management shake-up in the short term," [sourced from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-01-17-satoru-iwata-downplays-resignation-talk]
Sotaru Iwata has also apologized to Nintendo Shareholders recently at a special conference held to discuss the financial crisis. He said: "The most important thing is to reinvigorate Nintendo's business as quickly as possible... I will not resign, but stay in office to carry that through." [sourced from: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-17-nintendo-slashes-wii-u-forecast-from-9m-to-2-8m.]
However, even if Iwata's job appears to be safe for now, Nintendo are still going to have to work especially hard if they are to recover from the disappointing losses. Whether they can indeed turn things around is by no means clear. All we know at the moment is that Nintendo's future is clearly hanging in the balance.
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The first Mariogame of 2014 also marks the debut of the Mario Party series on the 3DS. The game which is called Mario Party: Island Tour, is filled with lots of fun mini-games for fans to explore.
The game is designed to be played with up to four players, and thanks to the Nintendo 3DS' handy Download Play feature, the game can now be shared via a single cartridge, which makes multiplayer gaming much easier.
The game's single player mode is designed so that players compete against three computer-generated [COM] opponents from the Mario Universe. However, players can now choose who their COM opponents will be and also alter the skill setting of each opponent in turn to make the game harder or easier to play.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the previous titles in the Mario Party franchise, the idea is that players must work their way through the island like a board game. Players must roll dice and move a set number of spaces until they reach the goal.
All players (including COM players,) must roll a dice at the start of the game to determine the order of play - the player with the highest dice number goes first, the next highest goes second and so on. Players can also play mini games at the end of each round to earn more dice, and give them a better chance of scoring higher and thus a chance of reaching the finishing goal faster.
The game also features special spaces (as found on many traditional board games to date,) which can either help or hinder a player's progress across the board. There are many different spaces, depending on which of the game boards you have chosen to play, including the following:
SPECIAL ITEM: landing on this space grants the player a special bonus item which can be used on their next turn. a few examples of special items include: TheGolden Dash Mushroom; which allows players to add five more moves onto their dice score, The Lucky Star; which allows players to multiply their dice score by two, and The Setback Shell; which can be used to make an opponent take two spaces backwards on the board.
Players can own a maximum of three special items at any one time. If players earn more than three special items during a round, they will be asked to choose a special item to discard.
BOWSER TIME: Players who land on this space will be subjected to a random consequence imposed by the evil Bowser. These consequences are usually detrimental to the players' progress in the game, but not always.
An example of a negative consequence would be Lose all special items, which means that players will be immediately stripped of any special items that they have accumulated in the game thus far. An example of a positive consequence could see players Warp to the finish, thus giving them the best chance of being the overall winner of the game.
EVENT: This space triggers something which will either move the chosen player forward or backwards within the game. An example of this is the terrifyingly-brilliant Piranha Plant, which throws players backwards a number of spaces, depending on their roll of the dice.
CHALLENGE OR VS.: These spaces are very similar in that they will both trigger random mini-games. However, the rewards for completing the mini-games is slightly different. Challenge Squares will challenge the player to a mini-game, where being first will earn them a bonus dice or a special item. Versus spaces [VS.] sees all four players compete against each other in a 'best of three' type activity. Completing the activity the fastest three times will result in bonus rewards.
There are a total of seven different types of main game boards each with different spaces and challenges available, which adds lots of variety to the game. Mini-games become unlocked during certain rounds of the game. Once unlocked, they will be added to the Mini-games section on the start screen and can be played independently of the main game.
In conclusion, Mario Party: Island Tour makes a very good addition to the Mario Party franchise, with humorous twists and turns and quirky mini-games, it is likely to appeal to most mini-game fans out there.
One slight criticism of the game is that some of the main game boards felt a little too long sometimes, whilst others seemed to be over far too quickly. Nevertheless, this is still a fun title to play with friends and family, as its easy and familiar style, as well as its colourful graphics will appeal to even the youngest of gamers. Mario fans are sure to find lots to delight and entertain them in this game. Overall rating: 8/10.
Mario Party: Island Tour will be available to buy from Friday the 17th of January 2014.
