Nintendo hit with $21 million patent infringement

Thu May 15, 2008, 5:17 AM ET - LUFKIN, Texas - Nintendo of America Inc. was ordered to pay a small East Texas gaming company $21 million Wednesday for infringing on a patent while designing controllers for its popular Wii and GameCube systems.

A federal jury found in favor of Anascape Ltd. in the lawsuit that was originally filed in 2006. Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta said the company will seek an appeal and expects the court to reduce the award "significantly."

The jury found that Nintendo infringed on Anascape's patent while designing its Wii Classic, WaveBird and Gamecube controllers.

Scibettra said Nintendo was pleased no infringement was found with the motion-sensing technology used in its wandlike Wii and Nuncheck controllers, which mimic movements by users in games such as tennis and boxing.

Attorneys for Anascape did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tyler-based Anascape also sued Microsoft Corp. for patent infringements on game controllers but reached an agreement with the company before the start of the trial against Nintendo, The Lufkin Daily News reported.

Microsoft said in a statement that terms of the settlement reached May 1 were confidential.

Source: AP reports (via Yahoo!)

Unlike Nintendo of America, Nintendo Europe are giving PAL customers a little time to prepare for WiiWare's launch, by announcing their first lineup of games for the service a week in advance (European launch is May 20, 2008).

Europeans will be getting eight games instead of six, and while they won't be getting Defend Your Castle or VIP Blackjack, they will be getting Dr Mario, Germ Buster, Pirates: The Key of Dreams, Toki Tori and Star Soldier R.

Full press release follows..

13th May 2008 – The opportunity to create the next groundbreaking video game for Wii has well and truly arrived for developers as WiiWare hits Europe, launching on 20 May 2008. Developers, no matter how big or small, will be able to create exciting new downloadable games to be sold through the Wii Shop Channel. Changing the way developers create Wii games and players access them, WiiWare will make it possible for smaller, creative titles to take centre stage. Developers will be able to see their big ideas step into reality, without risk or the need for a big budget.

With WiiWare games, the possibilities are endless - only limited by the imaginations of the developers. Expect to see a raft of new, fresh and original games head to Wii from an entire range of genres. Utilising the Wii’s unique control methods from the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to potentially the Wii Balance Board and Wii Wheel, developers have the freedom to create the game of their dreams in an affordable way, with low entry barriers and flexible criteria in front of them. Such is the opportunity that, already developers who have never created or published games for Nintendo are working on a host of potential ideas.

Laurent Fischer, Managing Director of Marketing & PR of Nintendo of Europe comments, ‘We are excited by the positive response we have received from third-party developers to the announcement of WiiWare. We hope that this opportunity and the inspiration to produce original and exciting games will allow developers of all sizes to bring new concepts, genres and game play experiences to Wii. Opening this creative door will also provide Wii users access to a huge choice of games that they can easily download and enjoy.’

Easy to access and simple to use, WiiWare games will be available to download from the Wii Shop Channel at a cost starting at 500 Wii Points. To date, a vast array of exciting and creative new projects are already in the pipeline, ensuring fresh concepts and content will frequently become available for all to enjoy. Players themselves will also become central to the creative process as their download choices and genre selection will become instrumental in helping developers determine future projects.

From 20th May onwards, a whole host of brand new creative games from developers across Europe and the rest of the globe become available, including:

• Dr. Mario & Germ Buster (Nintendo) - 1000 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix) - 1500 Wii Points (GBP 10.50 / EUR 15)
• LostWinds (Frontier) - 1000 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)
• Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen)
• Pop (Nnooo) - 700 Wii Points (GBP 5 / EUR 7 approx)
• Star Soldier R (Hudson) - 800 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)
• Toki Tori (Two Tribes)
• TV Show King (Gameloft) - 1000 Wii Points (GBP 7 / EUR 10 approx)

With so much creative freedom on offer to developers there is sure to be something for everyone on WiiWare. Keep checking www.nintendo.co.uk for all the latest WiiWare news and releases.

We'll post more details as they become available.
Thanks to www.eurogamer.net for the heads-up.

News: Nintendo's Wii-kly Update Takes a Week Off.. Launches WiiWare: An Open Playground for Creativity

May 12, 2008 - To celebrate today's launch of the new WiiWare™ downloadable game service for Wii™, there will be no Virtual Console™ games added today. But don't worry - next week the Wii-kly Update will be back to its regular Monday schedule, bringing Wii owners information about the best classic Virtual Console titles and coolest new WiiWare games.

Downloadable Game Service Delivers Developers' New Ideas Directly to Consumers

REDMOND, Wash., May 12, 2008 - Nintendo's Wii™ console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare™ service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games - and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

"WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past - and the future."

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points™ and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds™ (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You'll wield your Wii Remote™ controller to power Toku's jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds' novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle™ (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop™ (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone - casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack™ (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen - Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you'll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

'Nintendo Channel' Stealth-Launches, Sends Your Info to Nintendo

The Nintendo Channel, an online service for Wii that informs consumers about upcoming titles, launched Wednesday in the United States and is now available in the Wii Shop channel.

Features offered by the service are identical to the version launched in Japan last year: a list of upcoming titles for Nintendo consoles, trailer and teaser videos for Nintendo titles, a game-recommendation service based on your play history, and downloadable demos of Nintendo DS titles.

Wired.com broke the story that the Nintendo Channel would launch in tandem with WiiWare, but Nintendo snuck the channel out Wednesday morning without even a press release.

The channel also asks if you would like it to automatically feed information about your Wii usage patterns to Nintendo. A list on Nintendo's homepage describes all the info that's sent, and there's a whole lot of it -- everything from your current display size to the number of free blocks available in your Wii system memory. Users can opt out of sending their data.

Speaking of which, get ready to clean out the fridge: The Nintendo Channel will require 126 blocks of system memory to download, plus another 126 blocks for temporary data storage before it can run.

The Nintendo DS demo download station currently contains eight games, all of which have already been released: Brain Age 2, Flash Focus, Crosswords, Jam Sessions, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Cooking Mama 2, Disney Friends and Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword. The demos will stay in your Nintendo DS until the power is turned off.

I poked around the Nintendo Channel looking for any news on Wii or DS products, but only found one tidbit: In the introductory video for WiiWare, it's shown that Dr. Mario for WiiWare will be called Dr. Mario Online Rx in the United States and will launch May 12.

Source: Wired.com

AMERICA GETS Wii FIT AT ACTION-PACKED CENTRAL PARK LAUNCH EVENT

Nintendo Debuts Groundbreaking Fitness Program at Interactive Release Party and American Heart Association Fundraiser in NYC

WHAT: How will Wii Fit™ move you? Discover for yourself at New York’s Central Park Merchants' Gate on May 19, as Nintendo hosts a spectacular all-day launch event for Wii Fit, the highly anticipated new program for the popular Wii™ home video game system that combines fun and fitness. The event doubles as a celebration of May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, putting all kinds of bodies — young and old, big and small — in motion with live demonstrations of Wii Fit and the new Wii Balance Board™.

For every attendee who “gets on board” for a Wii Fit demo, Nintendo will make a donation of $5 (up to $25,000 total) to the American Heart Association in support of its effort to help Americans live healthier. Expect crowds of people throughout the day, plus an appearance by celebrity trainer Ashley Borden.

Featuring more than 40 physical activities and the revolutionary Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit makes fitness fun for the entire household. Anyone can benefit from its mix of aerobic, yoga, strength training and balancing exercises. Following the phenomenal success of active-play titles such as Wii Sports™, Wii Fit gets everyone active and playing together.

WHO: Hundreds of parents, kids, fitness enthusiasts, American Heart Association supporters and consumers of all ages. Executives from Nintendo and the American Heart Association New York City volunteer leadership.

WHEN: Monday, May 19, 2008
Event: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE: Central Park, Merchants' Gate
Located at the intersection of Central Park West, Central Park South, Columbus Circle and Broadway
in Manhattan