Sony’s just announced in SCEJ press conference, Tokyo that the PlayStation Vita will debut in Japan on December 17th, and it’ll partner with NTT DoCoMo for the console’s prepaid 3G service in Japan. Customers will have two choices of connection here: 980 yen ($13) for 20 hours, and 4,980 yen ($65) for 100 hours. The first 500 units sold will come with 100 hours of prepaid 3G connectivity. Pre-orders open on October 15th. Alas, the rest of the world will still have to wait until 2012.

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Nintendo yesterday announced a brand new 3DS for those that love all things pink. However, the company also had a few surprises for current 3DS owners. First up is the added functionality of 3D video capture. The company also confirmed updates for its eShop and new Street Pass items. On the games side of things, the biggest piece of news was the arrival of Monster Hunter 4. Other upcoming titles for the 3DS include Animal Crossing, Luigi’s Mansion 2, Fire Emblem, DS Gundam 3D Generation, Resident Evil: Revelations, Project Mirai, and Culdecept 3DS.

Not mentioned at any point during the conference was the much talked about slide-pad attachment that adds an second analog stick to the 3DS console. However, while Nintendo remained silent about it during its Tokyo Game Show press conference, the peripheral hit the company’s website shortly after with a price tag of roughly $20.

Set for Japanese release in December, the peripheral requires one AAA battery and will be utilized by Monster Hunter Tri 3G, Resident Evil: Revelations, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, and Kingdom Hearts 3: Dream Drop Distance to name just a few. No word on when it will arrive in the United States but we imagine it might get here just in time to be the latest must-have stocking filler for 3DS owners.

SOURCE via GamePro

Nintendo proudly showed off its new Wii U console at E3 this year, but according to French site 01net, the Japanese gaming giant is actually struggling to get the console to work.

01net, believed to be quite reliable when it comes to Nintendo rumors, cites a source from within the company that says Nintendo rushed to complete the Wii U and, as a result, the hardware isn’t up to the streaming and wireless functionalities that are fundamental to the console. According to 01net, Nintendo has already burned through three prototypes and is on its way to a fourth. Not only that, but developers are dealing with cable tethers between console and controller and are interrupted almost daily with software updates.

Nintendo may have revealed the Wii U at E3 this past June, but the console isn’t expected until summer 2012. However, despite the fact that launch is almost a year away, 01net’s source says the hardware problems mean that the Wii U’s launch might have to be pushed to September. Nintendo has not yet commented on the report, nor has the company confirmed or denied reports of a delay for the Wii U.

SOURCE via 01net

There’s nothing a like an (almost) fresh and exciting color variant to make us totally forget about the PS4. The last hurrah before the end of its life, or is Sony not able to sell out all of ‘em despite the price slash? This new little white dazzler will come with a 320GB HDD and two equally white Dualshock controllers, which means you’ll only have to spray-paint your PS3 Move, headset, external drive, wheel and eyebrows to match. Look out for it at GameStop in the UK, Germany and possibly other Euro nations too, as well as at Electronic Boutique in Australia from November 1st — or just pre-order via the source links below.

SOURCE via Kotaku

When Nintendo dropped the price of the 3DS, we knew that sales of the handheld must not have been what the company hoped. Now that the device costs just $170, it seems more people are prepared to take the 3D gaming plunge.

Nintendo reports that sales of the 3DS have shot up more than 250 percent percent since it dropped the price of the console. When the price drop kicked in on August 12, the company sold 185,000 3DS units in the U.S. This is up 260 percent compared to the same period in July.

“Consumers are responding very positively to the new suggested retail price of $169.99 for the Nintendo 3DS,” Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement. “With Star Fox 64 3D and the new Flame Red color launching tomorrow, and Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 arriving later this year, Nintendo 3DS will offer consumers cutting-edge entertainment and tremendous value this holiday season.”

Nintendo announced the 3DS price cut late in July, with the new price coming into effect in the second week of August. As a result, the handheld finished out August as the number two edicated game system according to NDP.

SOURCE via Nintendo

We’ve been hearing about the PS Vita (also known as the PSP2 and the Sony NGP) for months and months. However, it seems the handheld console might finally be approaching release.

Sony first confirmed the PS Vita in January of this year. However, since then, information on the device has been coming out in dribs and drabs and the only thing we know about the release is that the console will be available in selected territories before the end of the year. Now, thanks to Amazon, it looks like the U.S. may be one of the lucky markets that sees the device in stores in time for the new year.

Amazon currently has the PS Vita up for pre-order with pricing starting at $249 for the U.S. and $229 in the United Kingdom. Despite the fact that Sony has not confirmed release dates, Amazon.com has the release pegged for December 31. Amazon.co.uk is being a little bit more coy. Customers can still pre-order the handheld console but Amazon doesn’t say when it will arrive in the UK.

For those that need reminding, the PS Vita packs a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, a 5-inche (16:9) OLED multitouch display, a multitouch touchpad on the rear of the device, dual analog sticks, rear- and front-facing cameras, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, support for PSP games as well as PS One classics and content from the PlayStation Store.

SOURCE via Slashgear

In June, Nintendo revealed its next-generation platform, the Wii U, which seemingly combines the typical console form-factor with a unique tablet-like wireless controller. While gamers seemed intrigued, investors did not, preferring instead for the company to branch out into the mobile sector rather than focusing (again) on dedicated hardware.

Months later, the company was forced to hack $80 off its just-released 3DS handheld due to lackluster hardware sales while also revising its yearly forecast to expect lower earnings. All in all, 2011 currently appears to be a gloomy, lackluster year for Nintendo.

And now it may get even gloomier. A 2009 patent filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited describes a gadget similar to Nintendo’s “portable electronic device” that includes a rear-facing camera and a display that interacts with images on the console’s main screen. As described in the patent, players can point the handheld at the main display to see additional images – in this case, a ghost.

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Just like all the Call of Duty games before it, Modern Warfare 3 is going to be one of the hottest selling games of this year.

Any platform holder that doesn’t try to hitch itself to such a game would be making a mistake, and Microsoft has already revealed a special edition console for MW3 way ahead of the game’s launch.

The special package will consist of a uniquely distressed-themed Xbox 360 console that has a custom sound scheme when powered on and when the disc tray ejects. Expect Modern Warfare noises when you use this. This will also pack two matching controllers.

The special console also comes with the regular edition of Modern Warfare 3, and it will pack a 320GB HDD – the biggest Microsoft currently offers – to help store all that extra DLC.

Look for this to release with Modern Warfare 3 on November 8, 2011 for $399.

Last week in Cologne, EA Labels president and former EA Games bossman Frank Gibeau told CVG that Sony’s PlayStation Vita will stand a better chance on the market than Nintendo’s fledgling 3DS system thanks to its innovative design, the technology behind the device and a strong software lineup backing it up.

Currently there’s speculation that the Vita might suffer the same 3DS fate thanks to its seemingly high price tag, that gamers accustomed to purchasing smaller, cheaper gaming apps on their tablets and smartphones might hold off until the price takes a significant dive. There’s also the fact that many gamers simply no longer want to carry around more than one device, especially if the dedicated unit is considerably larger and doesn’t fit into a pocket.

“I think that part of the videogame business is tough right now because they have had some significant competition come in that was totally disruptive, and that was the smartphone,” Gibeau said. “I think [Sony has] got a shot because they have some really unique innovation in the control scheme, the technology and the screen. It’s got a lot of social features now so that you can actually communicate with your friends and be social.”

He also acknowledged that Vita owners won’t be able to call their friends on the device, but in general it will offer most of everything that a smartphone can bring to the table… plus a few additional, unique qualities that makes it stand out. There’s also the software lineup which will not only outshine anything on a smartphone or tablet, but will have the edge on Nintendo’s handheld as well.

“I don’t think they’re quite in the same boat as the 3DS,” he said. “The 3DS was a really interesting piece of technology but I think there was some confusion over it and the title slate was a little different. I think Vita has a better chance because it has a stronger title slate at launch. PSP’s had a great run in Europe as a device — it seems to have reached a much larger audience here than it did in North America. So I think they’ve got a good shot. We’re going to publish a few games on it and see how it develops.”

The PlayStation Vita is slated to arrive sometime during Q1 2012.

Creating a handheld gaming device with built-in 3D capabilities in a market that hasn’t fully accepted 3D as a permanent medium was certainly a bold move by Nintendo, but probably one that hurt the company in the process. Gamers didn’t necessarily flock to the device when it hit retail shelves earlier this year, and as seen in recent weeks, low sales forced Nintendo to reduce the price in order to get units moving off store shelves.

But now company eyes are seemingly focused on the next revision despite a lackluster start. According to “insider” rumors (who were dead on in regards to Project Cafe), a revised model will launch in 2012 with “radically toned down” 3D capabilities. Nintendo reportedly still thinks that warnings of possible eye damage might be hurting sales, and has thus decided to not only re-think its decision to support 3D on a hardware front, but to welcome games that do not contain 3D content.

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