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Apparently you didn't get the memo. Nintendo has enough money to survive a very long time. Reportedly they can take a $257 million loss each year and still make it through every year until 2052. Basically it'd take a monumental screw up for them to file for bankruptcy.

The 3DS hasn't been a success? You do realize that it's out-paced the original DS as far as sales figures when you compare their first years after release date and has already sold 19 million units worldwide as of July?

http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=169581

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/359705/3ds-sales-hit-19-million-ahead-of-3ds-xl-launch/

Steve Wozniak was denied a Game Boy Tetris high-score listing in Nintendo Power, so he resubmitted his score with his name spelled backwards (Evets Kainzow), and they printed it! Classic moment in crossover Apple/Nintendo geekery... They later gave in and published his photo and a paragraph about his Tetris obsession.

For those who remember Nintendo Power and are feeling nostalgic, there's a good cover gallery with a smattering of selected inside pages (sadly, Woz's high score in issue 24 doesn't seem to be among the scans).

The binary distribution package must be no larger than 150 MB

This is much bigger than WiiWare's 40 MB limit and comparable to the biggest of big-guy games for Nintendo DS. All but 18 DS games released in the United States are 128 MB (1024 Mbit) or smaller according to Pocket Heaven's release list.

makes you cut down on stuff like art, sounds and levels

When .kkrieger fits in 0.1 MB, 128 MB looks positively spacious, especially for a game without AAA production values.

Sounds vaguely like the Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn bug a while back that required you to send your disc in to Nintendo for 'repair'.

Nintendo has had a pure cash cow with the Nintendo DS.

And with the Wii too. In the current games chart, there are 18 games that have sold over 1m copies. Of these 18, three are not for Nintendo systems, and only one of the remaining 14 is not made by Nintendo themselves. They are killing out there.

I wouldn't count on this report being correct. Nintendo has had a pure cash cow with the Nintendo DS. Since it market does not appear to have slowed significantly or run into serious competition, why would they refresh the hardware? A few folks have suggested the iPhone as competition, but I don't see anyone purchasing iPhones as DS replacements. Instead, they appear to use their iPhone as a spectacular networked handset and the DS as a gaming platform. The market does not appear ready to confuse the two.

Perhaps the most damning evidence is that out of all these reports on a new DS, they all cite the same source: Nikkei Business Daily. No one has yet independently confirmed this. So take it with a very large grain of salt.

Actually, if you read the original interview (in spanish) here

it literally says:

"Estamos trabajando en una soluciÃn de almacenamiento y es especialmente importante en América, porque nuestros consumidores estan usando wii points para la consola virtual y Wiiware, y quiero que la gente tenga la expectativa correcta; nunca hemos dicho que sera un disco duro, ni hemos mencionado como solucionaremos esta cuestion, pero vamos a entregar una mejor manera de almacenamiento para los juegos, de la que hoy tenemos"

The important part says:
"We have never mentioned how we will solve this matter (storage), but we will deliver a better solution to storage than the current one."

It _nowhere_ confirms it WON'T be a HD (although you could _guess_ it won't be). Some news sites have even taken it as far as saying: "they will deliver a better solution than a hard drive" - which is nowhere near reality if you read the original.

Seems it was confirmed for Wii a while ago.

By my recollection the media has been pulling stories like this out of their ass for years. They've been talking about the "Wii bubble about to burst" since before it arrived on the market.

If Wii sales ever start to fall, or if the Wii is going to become less competitive relative to the PS3 and Xbox 360, it isn't going to be this winter. Look at the veritable fuckton of games that are being released for the Wii between now and December.

http://gonintendo.com/?p=26233#more-26233

Compare that to the launch lineup it had last year, which wasn't exactly stellar but was probably better than what the PS3 and Xbox 360 had at launch, and it's clear the games lineup Nintendo has for the Wii this winter is going to sustain its popularity, if not catapult it.

You are being explicitly rewarded for the growing sadism of your kills.

Reports indicate that in Manhunt 2 players are not rewarded for the kind of thing you describe. As a matter of fact, players are penalized for engaging the most gruesome scenarios.*

"The version of Manhunt 2 that was supposed to hit shelves next week featured multiple endings depending on your actions throughout the game."

"Through the publication it has been confirmed that the version they played came complete with alternate endings and also completely different final levels depending on how the game was played."

"A game which punishes people for being violent and rewards them for not being violent has been deemed unsuitable and unacceptable?"

* These reports are based on what we will politely call "previews" of the version of Manhunt 2 that was originally submitted for ratings. There is telling whether this structure will remain in the game, should it eventually be released.

It's true, this level of control on the part of the audience makes playing this video game somewhat different from reading a book. On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of deeper introspection in which we might expect an adult audience to express an interest. A lot of people are clearly fixated on the horror in this game. They should be excited to learn that the game gives people who are so fascinated an opportunity to further explore that subject in the context of this work, either by engaging the macabre or attempting to find some other response to the situation.

Additionally, it's worth pointing out that if you find yourself drawn into video games for "days or even weeks, at a stretch," your behavior isn't normal and you would probably benefit from psychiatric assistance. I don't care if you're playing Manhunt 2, Mazes and Monsters or Barbie Horse Adventures -- please seek help!

For Metroid fans, it does indeed look like Samus will have to wait until 2007.

For Metroid fans, it does indeed look like Samus will have to wait until 2008.

Thus far, Nintendo hasn't announced an official release date for Metroid Prime 3, so we're thinking that it's going to slip into 2007, particularly because the company doesn't want to release too many franchise games during the Wii's 2006 launch.

• July 30 - Mario Strikers Charged Nintendo
  
• Aug. 20 - Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
  
• September - Battalion Wars 2
  

What the heck are you talking about?

Nintendo ALWAYS does massive beta test, PUBLIC beta tests, Real world usage beta test.

There were all KINDS of wonderful secretive "get the word out" Wii parties going on. (part of the Wii ambassador program)

Here I'll link a few:
http://gonintendo.com/?p=6254
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/top/secret-wii-partie s-start-in-september-194866.php
http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board/message? board.id=General&message.id=38275
http://picturethis.clubmom.com/picture_this/2006/0 9/picture_nintend.html

GoNintendo/CNet have different news:

Nintendo will bring approximately 2 million Wii game consoles to the U.S. by the end of the year, a wave of machines that could help the company gain ground in the console wars.

All 2 million aren't in the U.S. right now. However, Nintendo plans to restock U.S. distributors and retailers on a weekly basis, according to the company. The console will next launch in Japan on December 2 and in Europe on December 8. Earlier this month, Nintendo said it would ship around 400,000 consoles into Japan this year.

In all, 4 million will ship this year.

Of the three console makers, Nintendo so far seems to have done the most thorough job in getting retailers and distributors stocked. The $250 Wii console, which went on sale over the weekend, was available in several retail outlets. Some early buyers are selling consoles on eBay, but generally current bidding is in the $300 to $400 range with games and extras.

See also:

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/14/nintendo-japan-c onference-not-so-liveblogging/
http://www.famitsu.com/blog/express/
http://gemaga.sbcr.jp/
http://www.irwebcasting.com/060914/01/
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157572.html?tag=brea king_news;link
http://gonintendo.com/?p=5583

Zelda is a mess to control, the aiming and controls seriously need tweaked and made to be a shitload more forgiving especially aiming the bow and arrow.

Assuming there actually is (was) a problem with it, somehow I doubt they would leave it untweaked. And since the Wii will support the GC controllers, I imagine you'll be able to switch control schemes if you so desire.

Red Steel is an ABSOLUTE DUD. Don't buy into the hype, it is pure crap.

Funny you should say that, I just saw a short blurb from Game Informer posted today saying that the control in Red Steel has apparently been vastly improved.

I think you mean Reggie Fils-Aime President and COO of NOA.

Dangit Slashdot, you've just misreported to millions of consumers with your false story. An Ubisoft employee on IGN (Had a "Ubisoft VIP" title -- all users with " VIP" titles on IGN's forums are confirmed employees of the said company) said specifically that it "is not a rail-shooter.

http://gonintendo.com/?p=1930

I hope you correct your mistake with an update, because you've just posted biased lies about the Revolution, and crushed thousands of peoples' hope.

Trivia: Why are the FF games called "Final"?

I read today (in Game Pro) that the first FF game was called Final Fantasy because Square was going out of business and it was going to be the last game they would ever make.

Then it saved them.

But if you don't want to see more sequels, check out the Nintendo Revolution. Besides sequels (Super Smash Brothers Whatever!, which I can't wait for) they will be completely new games that no one has ever seen designed for it, which should be great.

Don't want another sequel? How about a Bob Ross game that will come out for the Revolution and DS?

I spoke too soon: it looks like Opera'll come with an Option Pack with extra memory!