REDMOND, Wash. -- April 13, 2010 -- Today the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that none of Nintendo’s video game controllers infringe on a patent asserted by Anascape, Ltd.

Nintendo had been accused by Anascape, Ltd., of infringing on U.S. Patent No. 6,906,700. The case was tried before a jury in the Eastern District of Texas in May 2008. The jury found that neither the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller, nor the Nunchuk™ controller, infringes on the patent. However, the jury found that the Classic Controller™ for the Wii™ console, and the WaveBird™ and standard controllers for Nintendo GameCube™ did infringe on the patent. Today’s decision, however, completely reversed the jury’s findings of infringement.

“In 2008, the jury determined that the Wii Remote and Nunchuk did not infringe,” said Nintendo of America General Counsel Rick Flamm. “Today the Federal Circuit’s ruling confirmed that none of Nintendo’s controllers infringe. We appreciate that our position has been vindicated.”

Official press release via gonintendo.com

Could it be that Netflix will finally find its way on to the Nintendo Wii (currently the only console without the rental streaming service)? There’s been rampant speculation about a deal in the works since October of last year.

In an interview with Peter Kafka at CES, CEO Reed Hastings never mentioned the Wii, but he did say that the chances of Netflix on Nintendo are “excellent.”

That’s certainly welcome news as Netflix could use a little positive press following a week full of scrutiny. The company has faced a barrage of bad press after it was revealed that that the online video rental company would delay Warner Bros. new release rentals by 28 days, but the only caveat to the rumor was that Netflix may be waiting for Nintendo's next-gen product. In any case, it's not a confirmation, but it's close—Wii people, don't let your hopes for native Netflix die quite yet.

[via Gizmodo]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Launch Event

On Nov. 14, the Nintendo World store in New York's famed Rockefeller Plaza was transformed into the Mushroom Kingdom, filled with interactive gaming stations, costumed characters, trivia challenges, prize giveaways (while supplies last) and a live gameplay tournament highlighting the game's new multiplayer capabilities. The event also featured a one-of-a-kind Super Mario Bros. Museum filled with memorabilia pulled from Nintendo's archives that chronicles Mario's history and cultural impact over nearly 25 years.

Eager fans of all ages flock to the Nintendo World store in New York on Nov. 14, 2009, to be among the first to experience the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game, the highly anticipated title that lets up to four people play together for the first time in the beloved franchise's history. New Super Mario Bros. Wii launches on Nov. 15, 2009, for the Wii console.

Consumers play the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game at the Nintendo World store in New York on Nov. 14, 2009. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the highly anticipated next chapter of the beloved Super Mario Bros. series, launches on Nov. 15, 2009.

Consumers play the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game at the Nintendo World store in New York on Nov. 14, 2009. New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the highly anticipated next chapter of the beloved Super Mario Bros. series, launches on Nov. 15, 2009.

Devoted fans pose with Mario to celebrate the launch of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game at an event held at the Nintendo World store in New Yor. The highly anticipated title, which lets up to four people play together for the first time in the beloved series? history, launches on Nov. 15, 2009, for the Wii console.

Kit Ellis, Nintendo of America's manager of public relations, congratulates Justin V., from New York, for winning a New Super Mario Bros. Wii gameplay tournament at the Nintendo World store in New York, on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Justin bested more than 100 opponents in a tournament that gave fans the chance to experience the highly anticipated game before it hits store shelves. New Super Mario Bros. Wii launches Nov. 15, 2009, for the Wii console.

Brothers Joshua B., left, and Nathan dress as their favorite Nintendo characters to celebrate the launch of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game at an event held at the Nintendo World store in New York. The highly anticipated title, which lets up to four people play together for the first time in the beloved series? history, launches on Nov. 15, 2009, for the Wii console.

Eager fans of all ages flock to the Nintendo World store in New York on Nov. 14, 2009, to be among the first to experience the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game, the highly anticipated title that lets up to four people play together for the first time in the beloved franchise's history. New Super Mario Bros. Wii launches on Nov. 15, 2009, for the Wii console.

Launched today, Nov. 15, 2009, New Super Mario Bros. Wii adds an exhilarating new chapter to the beloved franchise. Designed exclusively for the Wii™ console, it allows as many as four players to enjoy the action simultaneously for the first time in the history of the series, working together to rescue Princess Peach™ from the devious Bowser™. The game combines classic side-scrolling gameplay with brand new features and updated graphics, appealing to series fans and newcomers alike.
images © 2009 Nintendo.

NINTENDO'S WII PLAY SURPASSES 10 MILLION UNITS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES

March 19, 2009 - Wii Play™, a collection of nine mini-games, has now sold more than 10 million units in the United States alone since its debut in February 2007, according to figures released today by the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Wii Play, now the top-selling software on all consoles and portable systems in the United States, comes packaged with a Wii Remote™ controller.

"Wii Play mini-games are fun and they get people playing together," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Even if you believe people are buying Wii Play solely for the controller, that indicates that there are now more than 10 million people who have an extra Wii Remote controller in their homes. When added to the 12.7 million Wii Remote controllers that have sold separately, this reinforces the growing 'social gaming' trend we have been seeing where friends and family use their Wii games as a social hub – both in person and online."

Wii™ system sales were up about 74 percent over February 2008, and Wii and Nintendo DS™ finished February as the top-selling hardware systems. Wii sold nearly 753,000, bringing its lifetime U.S. sales to nearly 19 million, while Nintendo DS sold nearly 588,000 for a lifetime U.S. total of nearly 29 million.

Nintendo DS™ demonstrated continued strength, as "evergreen" games like Mario Kart™ DS (launched November 2005) and New Super Mario Bros.™ (launched May 2006) again placed among the top sellers for February. The strong showing for Nintendo DS hardware and software demonstrates continued consumer interest in the portable system as the United States preps for the April 5 launch of the Nintendo DSi™ system, the third iteration of the hardware.

Five games made for Nintendo systems finished in the top 10 best-sellers of February. These include Wii Fit™ at No. 1 with nearly 644,000 sold, Wii Play at No. 2 with nearly 386,000 sold, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 6 with nearly 263,000 sold, Mario Kart DS at No. 8 with nearly 145,000 sold and New Super Mario Bros. at No. 9 with more than 144,000 sold.

Third-party Wii and Nintendo DS games also posted strong sales, with titles from LucasArts, Ubisoft, Majesco, Disney Interactive Studios, Electronic Arts and Activision/Blizzard all placing in the top 30 for the month.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

NINTENDO PREVAILS IN WII PATENT LAWSUIT

U.S. District Court Judge Says No Need for Jury Trial

REDMOND, Wash., March 16, 2009 – A U.S. District Court judge has summarily dismissed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nintendo brought by Fenner Investments Ltd. Fenner had alleged that the Wii™ console and its controllers, as well as the Nintendo GameCube™, infringed on one of its patents (U.S. Patent No. 6,297,751). Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas, dismissed the case on Monday, and ruled that there was no need for a jury trial.

"We are very pleased with the court's decision," said Rick Flamm, Nintendo of America's Senior Vice President, Legal & General Counsel. "Nintendo has a long history of developing innovative products while respecting the intellectual property rights of others. We also vigorously defend patent lawsuits when we firmly believe that we have not infringed another party's patent, despite the risks that this policy entails. I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the tireless efforts of our legal team, which represented us so well."

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 2.8 billion video games and more than 485 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as 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.