Need for Speed Rivals

Ghost Game’s producer Marcus Nilsson has confirmed with Eurogamer that Need for Speed Rivals will not be developed for the Wii U.

Nilsson says that “[the Frostbite engine] is not really set up for Wii U. I don’t have all the information, so it wouldn’t be right for me to speak about it. Frostbite 3 is a really capable engine, it’s scalable and it gives us a big advantage on the next generation to support the Xbox One and the PS4, but it’s not being developed on the Wii U.”

News of Frostbite 3 not running on Wii U is not new. Earlier this month DICE technical director Johan Andersson stated that “Frostbite 3 has never been running on Wii U.”Last week EA spokesperson Jeff Brown announced that EA has no current games in development for Wii U U, however the company’s CFO Blake Jorgensen later stated that it actually does, but not anywhere near as many as it does for PS and Xbox.

Need for Speed Rivals joins FIFA 14 and Madden NFL 25 on the list of EA titles that will skip Nintendo’s console.

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EA revealed some pretty significant news last week, with a spokesperson saying the company currently has no Wii U games in development. Now, it appears that EA may have some Wii U games in development after all, according to EA CFO Blake Jorgensen. The news comes by way of comments made by Jorgensen at the Stifel Nicolaus 2013 Internet, Media and Communications Conference.

“I’ll let the consumers ultimately vote on PS versus Xbox,” said Jorgensen, weighing in on the major console players. “I think Nintendo’s business was more [an] extension of their last console. We are building titles for the Nintendo consoles but not anywhere near as many as we are for PS or Xbox.” Jorgensen’s comments would seem to indicate that EA is, in fact, still developing Wii U titles, though it’s possible he’s referring to the slate of already available games.

If there are Wii U games in development at EA, it’s hard to say what they might be. The publisher has definitively stated that many of its biggest 2013 games are not planned for Wii U, including Battlefield 4, Madden 25 and, most recently, FIFA 14. W

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The E3 Nintendo direct is scheduled for June 11 at 7AM Pacific (10AM Eastern, 3PM UK). The new installment will “provide updates about future Wii U games,” according to Nintendo.

Nintendo Europe has also announced a direct for the same time. In keeping with tradition, it’ll likely be the same general information with region-specific details.

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It’s all about Nintendo mascots on the eShop this week. First and foremost, we’ve got Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the delightful 3DS port of the challenging Wii game from 2010. Next up, Kirby gets three, count ‘em, three new games on the Wii U Virtual Console: Kirby Super Star, Kirby’s DreamLand 3 and Kirby’s Dream Course. The Kirby games are $7.99 apiece or, from now until May 30, if you buy two you’ll get the third game free.

Also running until May 30, you can grab the 3DS eShop game The Denpa Men: They Came by Wave for 20 percent off.

Wii U

• Kirby Super Star (Nintendo, 2 players, $7.99)
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (Nintendo, 2 players, $7.99)
• Kirby’s Dream Course (Nintendo, 2 players, $7.99)

3DS eShop

• Naruto Powerful Shippuden (Namco, 1 player)
• Groove Heaven (Teyon, 1 player, $3.99)
• Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (Nintendo, 2 players)

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Nintendo released what looks like a minor system update for the Wii U this week, and it’s available to download now. Going by the patch notes, 3.0.1 U offers “further improvements to overall system stability and software compatibility.”

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When the game originally launched on the PC and other consoles, it included a pre-order mission that allowed you to snipe Hitler. Currently there’s no word if this mission will be included for Wii U owners at launch.

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Next month will see Best Buy stores hosting demos of multiple Wii U games. Nintendo didn’t specify which titles would be shown off, but upcoming games include Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, New Super Luigi U, and Pikmin 3. These titles may be among those on display, but Nintendo could take the opportunity to show off other games, including titles from its well-respected Mario or Zelda series.

The Wii U has, so far, been a disappointment for Nintendo. The company looked to follow-up to its massively successful Wii console with a touchscreen-enabled, HD-capable device, but consumer interest has flagged, dramatically impacting the firm’s bottom line.

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The most recent Nintendo Direct also revealed that Nabbit, a little critter who you chased in the first game, is a playable character in the new content. He’ll be available in multiplayer games as an easier alternative to Luigi and the Toads. He won’t take damage when he touches enemies, but to balance that he won’t be able to use power-ups.

Super Luigi U makes changes to NSMB U’s campaign to make every course “all-new” – it’s essentially a new Luigi campaign.

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“Although FIFA 13 on Wii U featured our award-winning HD gameplay and innovative new ways to play, the commercial results were disappointing,” an EA representative told Joystiq. “We have decided not to develop FIFA 14 on Wii U. We have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate opportunities for developing FIFA for Nintendo fans in the future.”

The game was initially announced for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, so while Wii U was never in the picture for the game, it still marks a noticeable absence for a series that launches on every major platform each year. It’s not the only EA Sports title to avoid the system, as EA confirmed earlier this month that the Madden series will not see a release in 2013 on Wii U either.

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Super Metroid is fourth on a list of discounts that kicked off back in February – predecessors include Kirby’s Adventure, Punch-Out!!! Featuring Mr. Dream and F-Zero.Super Metroid will be $0.30 for 30 days, until Yoshi comes in and takes over on June 12.

The Virtual Console launched on Wii U late last month. The initial launch list included Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Kirby’s Adventure, Punch Out, F-Zero and Super Mario World. This week, Super Mario Bros. 2 will be available for $5

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The critically acclaimed Putty Squad first made its way on gamers screens on the Amiga in 1992 and now the old-skool hero, Putty, returns to celebrate System 3’s 30th year anniversary. Putty once again takes on a stirring quest to rescue his kidnapped friends in a reinvigorated and reimaged modern platform game.

“Working on such a prestigious title again and to bring it up-to-date, brings back many great memories. Fans of the original are excited to get their hands on the return of the morphing blue blob hero,” stated Mark Cale, CEO of System 3. “Putty Squad will be available on multiple platforms, where gamers can reconnect with their classic hero, discovering Putty unlike before.”

Putty Squad has taken a complete overhaul in graphics to give a modern immersive experience, the gameplay has been finely tuned and downloadable free levels will be available. With Putty you can inflate, morph, stretch, lie flat and absorb. The unlikeliest of heroes has unique powers than any other imaginable.

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Namco Bandai has now announced there’s to be another game starring the little yellow legend called Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures heading to Wii U, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There’s also set to be a side-scrolling version of the game for the 3DS.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is set to compliment an upcoming animated TV show that will begin airing on Disney XD this Summer and it has you play through the vibrant universe of Pac-World, which has been taken over by those pesky Netherworld ghosts, led by their evil leader Betrayus.

Naturally, you take control of the last surviving yellow Pacworlder, and reclaim Pac-World once more. Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures will feature some throwbacks to the classic style of gameplay, with elements such as “Ghost encounters” making a return. Of course, you’ll also have the ability to chomp away on the baddies but this time round you’ll have powered up variations making it all the more satisfying.

The game is set to be released this Fall in North and Latin America and in Winter for Europe and Oceania. The announcement trailer appears below:

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The basics of gameplay involve yanking back on your playable cephalopods’ tentacles and sending them careening around levels, slamming into enemies, sort of like a top-down Angry Birds. RPG elements come in the form of managing each squid’s stamina and special attacks each turn.

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“While we have had a solid start to the year, we now believe that the risks and uncertainties in the back half of 2013 are more challenging than our earlier view, especially in the holiday quarter,” Kotick said.

“The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy. For these reasons, we remain cautious.”

Wii U sales remain slow but with E3 around the corner and new announcements inbound, that could yield the title Nintendo is looking for to boost its console. Have you been disappointed by Wii U so far?

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Wii U owners of DC Comics fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us won’t be getting any DLC for the game until “this summer,” according to the developer’s official Twitter account. DLC for Injustice–Lobo and the Flashpoint skin pack–has already been released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, with Batgirl announced as the second DLC character.

“We expect DLC for the Wii U version of Injustice: Gods Among Us to be available this summer. Stay tuned for more details,” wrote the game’s Twitter account.

Alongside the delayed DLC releases, the Wii U version of Injustice also falls short compared to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game when it comes to online play: the Wii U does not feature lobbies for online play, and neither can players arrange games with their friends. It also cannot synchronize with the Injustice iOS spin-off to unlock the Batman Beyond costume.

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Wii U Virtual Console

Solomon’s Key (Tecmo, $4.99) — Originally an arcade puzzle platformer, like many of its kind it made the transition to the NES. You navigate rooms full of obstacles by both placing and removing blocks, and is a reasonably fun, compulsive experience; we’ll puzzle our way to a fresh look at it, while in the meantime you can check out our Wii Virtual Console Solomon’s Key review.

Xevious (Namco Bandai, $4.99) — An iconic scrolling shmup, this is rather primitive to modern eyes and ears due to its encounters with early NES limitations, but it’s still regarded affectionately by some retro fans of the genre. It’s also appeared in the 3D Classics range, yet we feel its later contemporaries outshine it in a big way; before our Wii U revisit you can check out our Wii Virtual Console Xevious review.

Wii U Temporary Price Reduction

Chasing Aurora (Broken Rules, $7.49 from 9th to 16th May, normally $14.99)

Wii U Retail Demo

Resident Evil Revelations (Capcom, free) — This HD re-release of the highly regarded 3DS title is now just two weeks away, so Capcom’s providing a free demo to get you in the mood. Available from 14th May, this’ll take you through the early — and eerie — stages on an abandoned cruise-liner. They’re free scares, what’s not to like?

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Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move highlights the new eShop releases this week. The 3DS puzzler has players guiding poor little mini Marios away from hazards by building a Pipe Dream-esque maze. The Wii U Virtual Console picks up two new games in the classic shooter Xevious and puzzle platformer Solomon’s Key.

You can also pick up Chasing Aurora for half price on the Wii U until May 16. A demo for the Wii U version of Resident Evil: Revelations arrives May 14.

Wii U

• Xevious (Namco Bandai, 1-2 players, $4.99)
• Solomon’s Key (Tecmo Koei, 1 player, $4.99)
• Resident Evil Revelations demo (Capcom, 1 players, available May 14)

3DS eShop

• Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (Nintendo, 1 player, $9.99)
• SpeedX 3D Hyper Edition (Gamelion, 1 player, $2.99)

DSiWare

• Publisher Dream (Circle Entertainment LTD, 1 player, $1.99)

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These people may have been irked to learn that Super Metroid is actually on the way to the Wii U Virtual Console from 15th May as part of the Famicon’s 30th anniversary and when it does appear it will only cost 30 cents. However, Nintendo has noticed this injustice and has given Wii U owners who used their Coins on Super Metroid their 150 Coins back. What’s more, they still get to keep the download code, which they may use on their Wii or Wii U. Here’s the full message Wii U owners received:

Dear Club Nintendo Member,
Thank you for your recent order of Super Metroid from Club Nintendo. We’re sending this notification to let you know this title will be available from the Nintendo eShop for Wii U for 30 cents, as part of a special promotion starting on May 15. Because you are a Wii U owner, we have refunded the 150 Coins you redeemed for Super Metroid. You may still use the code you received to download the game for free to play on Wii or Wii U. We hope you enjoy your game, and visit Club Nintendo again soon.

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Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Ubisoft Shanghai has worked on Splinter Cell games before, with Pandora Tomorrow and Double Agent, so it will be more than capable of developing the latest iteration. It’s also working on the co-op multiplayer modes that are being implemented in all versions of Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

It’s not a complete surprise that the Wii U version has found itself with Ubisoft Shanghai, as each studio has its own strengths and weaknesses that Ubisoft taps into accordingly. For example, Assassin’s Creed titles are often developed by several studios with each one utilising its own specialty so the game is as good as it can be.

At a recent press event, Splinter Cell: Blacklist creative director Maxime Beland said that Ubisoft will continue its ardent support for Wii U as it aims to have its core brands available to as many players as possible:

“We have amazing brands, and if we make great games on all the platforms people will be happy. As long as the quality’s there and the game is fun it’s going to work or have a chance of working.”

Splinter Cell: Blacklist will sneak into North America on 20th August, European and PAL territories on 22nd August and the UK on 23rd August.

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Nintendo reportedly wants to expand the Wii U’s library by actively helping smartphone developers to adapt their apps for the system. According to “company sources” at The Japan Times, Nintendo “has offered professional-use conversion software” to app devs in the hope smartphone software will help boost the Wii U’s underwhelming sales figures.

The report tallies with Nintendo’s increased affinity for the downloadable games market; the company’s digital sales figures for the last fiscal year more than doubled the previous year’s. In a recent Q & A session, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the new strategy isn’t limited to selling packaged games digitally.

“We will not simply change our existing packaged software distribution channel,” Iwata said. “Rather, we might have many other types of business models in addition to packaged software. For example, we might see more games that are similar to free-to-play games, games that cost much less or games that require a monthly subscription fee.

“Digitalization allows for greater flexibility, whereby having more ways to make payments, both software developers and consumers have more options. And Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have flexible systems to handle such trends, so it is now a question of putting these ideas into action. I can definitely say that Nintendo will make new offers that go well beyond simply replacing packaged software with digital software.”

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Wii U football fans must suffer a drought this year. EA Sports has confirmed iit has no plans to launch Madden NFL 25 on Wii U in 2013.

“We will not be releasing a Wii U version of Madden NFL in 2013. However, we have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate opportunities for delivering additional Madden NFL products for Nintendo fans in the future,” an EA Sports release noted.

Madden NFL 25 boasts a new combo system for the running game and tweaks to the Infinity Engine introduced in last year’s Madden NFL 13. Hall of Famer Barry Sanders was recently chosen by fans to grace the cover of Madden NFL 25, beating out Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

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Nintendo Weekly offers two mans this week.  Both Mega Man and Pac-Man arrive on the Wii U Virtual console for $5 apiece.

The 3DS will have its hands full with a burgeoning Balloon Fight and an attack by Bear Shark.

Wii U

• Mega Man (Capcom, 1 player, $4.99)
• Pac-Man (Namco Bandai, 1 player, $4.99)
• Tank! Tank! Tank! (Namco Bandai, 1-4 players)
• Kung Fu Rabbit (Neko Entertainment, 1 player)
• Gummy Bears: Magical Medallion (Enjoy Gaming Ltd., 1 player)

3DS eShop

• BearShark (CollegeHumor, 1 player, N/A)
• Balloon Fight (Nintendo, 1 player, N/A)
• My Riding Stables 3D – Jumping for the Team (Treva Entertainment Gmbh)

DSiWare

• Armageddon: Operation Dragon (EnjoyUp Games, 1 player)

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A launch trailer for the Wii U Virtual Console in Europe reveals some upcoming games for that region, including Balloon Fight, Mega Man, Xevious, Street Fighter 2, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Super Ghouls & Ghosts, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Not mentioned in the video, but shown in passing, were Street Fighter 2 Turbo and Super Street Fighter 2. No specific dates were offered for any of these releases. They are all out on Wii Virtual Console, and thus playable on Wii U already, but the Wii U specific releases will add restore points, custom controls, and most importantly off-TV play.

The European Virtual Console launched on April 27 with Super Mario World, F-Zero, Mario’s Super Picross, Excitebike, Ice Climber, Donkey Kong Jr., and Punch-Out!! The North American lineup was identical, except Balloon Fight and Kirby’s Adventure replaced Mario’s Super Picross.

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Speaking during a financial call after Nintendo posted its yearly results last week, Iwata said in order for launch titles to be made available alongside the console, staff members from other development teams such as Pikmin 3 were pulled into other projects in order to get them out the door. This caused a release delay for future releases.

“We do not simply have one easily identifiable bottleneck in software development,” he said. “These days it is becoming increasingly challenging to determine the minimum development resources required for customer satisfaction.

“The point I am trying to get across is that currently it is more challenging to sell packaged software for around $50-$60. On the other hand, we can offer digital games in other formats. It is true that it is becoming increasingly challenging to meet the expectations of consumers who are willing to pay $50-$60 for a game, and it is difficult to break even unless a huge number of units is sold all over the world, so it cannot be denied that software development is becoming more challenging.

“Among such packaged software, however, the sales of popular games are much larger than in the past. Therefore, if we create more hit games, the software development business can still be very profitable. All games break even if they sell millions of copies worldwide, so we will continue to do our best to develop games which have high sales potential.”

Iwata told investors one of the ways he hopes to make the console more appealing to consumers, is to expand the range of software available for Wii U, such as with the recent release of Wii Street U powered by Google. In order to do this, the firm has expanded the range of software developers for the console, and is looking to bring in more developers verses in Unity, HTML5 and JavaScript.

“We have started working to expand the range of software developers for Wii U, as I announced in the Corporate Management Policy Briefing in January,” said Iwata. “As I mentioned just before, the development challenges for home console games selling for around $50-$60 have increased significantly.

Iwata said changes could not be achieved “overnight” but the firm is working to revitalize the Wii U market by showing “favorable results for third-party software” starting this summer.

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Game & Wario, Nintendo’s Wii U collection of GamePad enhanced games, will retail for $39.99, an unexpectedly low price for a retail Wii U game from Nintendo.

Retailers posted pre-order pages over the weekend at that price, and we have just obtained confirmation of the $39.99 MSRP from Nintendo.

Game & Wario will be released June 23 in North America.

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The  trailer below is our first look at Injustice: Gods Among Us‘ first DLC character in action, showcasing Lobo’s ranged chain whip/hook attacks, sawed-off shotgun and appropriately disrespectful super.

This trailer also shows off a new Batman skin, specifically one based on the version Batman from the Flashpoint universe – Bruce’s father Thomas Wayne, rather than Bruce himself. We’ve emailed Warner Bros. about the release window for Lobo and the new costume, and we figure more information will be available after an elaborate series of cross-franchise plot arcs and retcons.

NetherRealm creative director Ed Boon has announced on Twitter that Lobo will be available on May 7.

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Here are improvements Wii U owners can expect to see after updating their system:

• Loading times have been reduced, specifically when starting the system, launching applications, exiting software, returning to the Home menu, and switching between software and other applications (including Miiverse).
• When you first turn on the system, you can now go directly to the Wii menu by holding down the B button on the GamePad.
• You can now install games and applications from the eShop in the background while other software is being used.
• When you turn the system off during a download, it will automatically go into standby mode until the download is complete, at which point it will power off.
• You can now transfer and copy data between two USB storage devices in Data Management (found in System Settings).
• You can now decide the priority of your downloads when downloading multiple items at once.
• Nintendo Network IDs are now dispolayed when powering on the system to improve the account selection process.
• Television screen size output can now be adjusted in System Settings.
• An Undo/Redo button was added to the Miiverse drawing input screen.

As for the Wii U Virtual Console, it comes complete with a selection of eight launch titles. VC titles include the ability to play off-screen on the Wii U GamePad, as well as customizable controls, Miiverse Support and Restore Points. NES games cost $4.99 or $5.99 and SNES games go for $7.99 or $8.99. If you’ve already downloaded one of the available Virtual Console titles on your Wii, you can transfer it to your new system and play it in Wii Mode at no additional charge. You also have the option of paying an additional $1 for NES games or $1.50 for SNES games to upgrade to the enhanced  Wii U version.

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Nintendo is performing online maintenance for all its systems today as it prepares the Wii U’s spring system update. The update, which will introduce the Virtual Console proper (among other things), may be fully launched by tomorrow according to a Facebook tease by Nintendo of America.

The extended maintenance is scheduled between 1PM PT today (4PM ET, 9PM UK) and 7PM PT (10PM ET, 3AM UK). The eShop and shopping channels for the Wii U, 3DS, Wii, and DS will be affected, so expect them to go down during those hours.

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Nintendo’s Wii U will receive its Spring System Update sometime next week, president Satoru Iwata announced during this morning’s Nintendo Direct event. The firmware update adds several quality of life improvements to the system, including improved load times when changing between software, or returning to the main Wii U menu. Also included is the Wii U Virtual Console.

Additionally, users will now be able to transfer data between USB drives and install background-downloaded software while playing other games. Installed software also has the ability to automatically download and install updates, without requiring the user to run the software first. Furthermore, the Wii U will now continue to download and install software while the system is powered down. You’ll also be able to hold “B” at start-up to boot directly into Wii mode.

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