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Friday, April 26, 2013
04/26/2013 - Major Wii U System Update Now LIVEMAJOR Wii U UPDATE FEATURES NEW SERVICES & FASTER PERFORMANCE
26th April, 2013
– The next major system update for Nintendo’s Wii U home console is now available for download. The update delivers a host of
enhanced features, such as improved stability and performance. As well as faster load times when switching between applications,
the update also lays the groundwork for the imminent launch of the Wii U Virtual Console service which allows Wii U owners
to relive some of their favourite games from classic home consoles, as well as the launch of Wii U Panorama View.
Below is an overview of what the system update delivers:
Addition of Standby Functions Feature
- This feature enables data for purchased software,
system updates and software updates to be downloaded and installed automatically even after the console has been turned off.
Updates to Miiverse
- Controls using the Wii Remote, the Wii U Pro Controller, and the Classic Controller are now supported.
- The input screen for handwritten posts is now also displayed on the TV.
- The input screen for handwritten posts now features an undo/redo button.
Updates to the Internet Browser
- Controls using the Wii Remote and the Wii U Pro Controller are now supported.
- It is now possible to switch search engines when performing a keyword search.
- It is now possible to navigate to the start page from bookmarks.
Update to Nintendo eShop
- When purchasing downloadable software, any available updates for that software
will be downloaded at the same time.
Updates
to Download Management
- It is now possible
to reorder downloads.
- Newly purchased downloadable software
will automatically install once the download completes.
Updates
to Parental Controls
- The "Viewing
Distributed Videos" restriction has been changed to "Entertainment Excluding Games". A screen requiring parental
consent will be displayed before the first use of any non-game software (including video-viewing software) or other new service.
Enabled Direct Opening of Wii Menu
- When the Wii U logo is displayed after turning on the console, holding down the
B Button on the Wii U GamePad will open the Wii Menu directly. (If no default user has been selected on the console, the user-selection
screen will be displayed, and a user must be selected.)
Updates
to System Settings
- Under Data Management,
two USB storage devices can now be connected to move and/or copy data. You can move and/or copy data between the system memory
and a USB storage device or between two USB storage devices. (Up to two USB storage devices can be connected when moving,
copying or deleting data. In all other cases, only one USB storage device can be used at a time.)
- Under Data Management, you can now move, copy or delete data for a selection of software titles.
- The TV option now includes the option to adjust the screen size of the display
on the TV. (This replaces the similar options previously available within Miiverse, Nintendo eShop, and the Internet Browser,
which have now been removed.)
- The "Auto Power-Down"
option has been renamed to "Power Settings", which now includes both the auto power-down setting and the new standby
functions feature.
Improvements to System Stability
and Convenience
- Improvements have been
made to system stability and convenience for greater user enjoyment.
- The time required to start the Wii U console, launch built-in applications, exit software and return to the main
menu, jump between applications and jump between software and Miiverse has been reduced.
On 27th April additional features are scheduled to be released including:
Virtual Console
A library of quality classic games from NES and Super Nintendo are scheduled for the Virtual Console service on Wii
U, with favourites such as Super Mario World, Excitebike, Mario’s Super Picross, F-Zero,
Ice Climber, Donkey Kong Jr. and Punch-Out!! available at launch*. Many other gaming classics such
as Pac Man, Super Metroid and games from the Mega Man, Street Fighter and Super Mario
Bros. series will be available soon, while popular Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64 games will also be added in the future.
Each game in the Wii U Virtual Console library has been developed to include off-TV play on the Wii U GamePad, customisable
controls, Miiverse community support and the ability to instantly save game progress. NES games will cost €4.99/£3.49
while Super NES games will cost €7.99/£5.49. People who have already downloaded these games to their Wii system
can transfer them to their Wii U consoles and play them in Wii Mode at no charge. To upgrade and take advantage of the improved
Wii U features, they can purchase them at the special discount price of €/£0.99 for NES games and €/£
1.49 for Super NES games.
Wii U Panorama View
Wii U Panorama View opens a window to
the sights and sounds of some of the world’s most exciting destinations. Wii U owners use the GamePad controller to
look in every direction to control an immersive 360-degree video guided tour as these destinations come to life from the comfort
of your living room. Imagine catching all the sights during a tour of London on a double-decker bus or exploring the streets
of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Four individual video tours are offered for €1.99/£1.79 each on the Nintendo
eShop. An interactive preview is also available for download allowing you to taste the different experiences of the individual
tours for free.
For further details:
Nintendo website http://www.nintendo.co.uk
Nintendo Support website http://support.nintendo.co.uk
Wii U website http://wiiu.co.uk
Nintendo UK on Twitter https://twitter.com/nintendouk
Wii U on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WiiU.co.uk
Submitted By: E. Thomas
Thursday, April 25, 2013
4/25/2013 - New Tour Dates for Zelda SymphonyNEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 'THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES'
REDMOND, Wash., April
22, 2013 – By popular demand, "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses" concert series is returning
with "Season 2" to eight cities from last year's tour and is coming soon to even more locations in North America.
Based on one of the most popular and beloved video game series of all time, the tour features live orchestral performances
of theme music from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise. The newly announced dates include:
Returning
due to popular demand:
• Atlanta; Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre; June 6
• San Francisco;
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall; June 10
• Montreal; Place des Arts; June 14
• Los Angeles; Greek Theatre;
June 21
• Austin, Texas; Long Center; June 29
• Philadelphia; The Mann Center for the Performing Arts;
July 25
• Toronto; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts; Sept. 7
• Seattle; Benaroya Hall; Sept. 12
Newly coming to:
• Baltimore; Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall; July 27
•
Grand Rapids, Mich.; DeVos Performance Hall; Oct. 19
In cities where the tour will be returning, audiences can
expect to experience breathtaking new material exploring additional chapters from The Legend of Zelda franchise,
along with traditional performances of the show's now-classic repertoire from last season.
The name "Symphony
of the Goddesses" refers not only to the concert program but also to the four-movement symphony recounting the classic
storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend
of Zelda: Twilight Princess and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The performance also will highlight
orchestral renditions of music from other games in the series, including The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Eímear Noone will conduct the
full orchestra with arrangements by music director Chad Seiter, and the evening will be hosted by concert producer and lead
creative Jeron Moore.
Guests will relish their favorite moments from the now-27-year-old series, carefully and
beautifully timed with a gorgeous orchestral score approved by Nintendo sound director and Zelda franchise composer Koji Kondo.
The concert is a festive experience for all walks of fans, many of whom attend "cosplaying" as their favorite characters.
"The demand for Zelda is amazing, and this special concert will deliver an unforgettable experience for fans,"
notes Jason Michael Paul, CEO of Jason Michael Paul Productions, which is producing the concert tour. "These performances
transcend culture and geography and unite people through a common love for this venerable and legendary series."
Fans can view a complete tour schedule with ticketing information, and also sign up for a regularly updated digital newsletter,
at http://zelda-symphony.com. Club Nintendo members can enjoy an exclusive 15 percent discount to the
show by logging into their accounts and looking for the discount code on the Symphony of the Goddesses banner. Consumers that
are not Club Nintendo members can join for free at https://club.nintendo.com. Exclusive concert packs also are available at select GameStop locations.
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 U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and
Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment
System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4 billion video games and more than 651 million hardware units globally, including
the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo
DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii
systems. 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, please
visit the company's website at http://www.nintendo.com.
About Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc: A pioneer and leader
in the live symphonic concert industry, Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc. has been responsible for producing world-renowned
concerts including events for The Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, Dear Friends ~ Music from FINAL FANTASY, More Friends ~
Music from FINAL FANTASY and the currently touring and highly-acclaimed PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.
Submitted By: E. Thomas
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
4/24/2013 - Konami Announces Partnership with Kung Fu FactoryKONAMI ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE-TITLE MOBILE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP WITH KUNG
FU FACTORY
"Partnering
with an industry leader like KONAMI allows us to focus on what we do best, create the games," said Ricci Rukavina, CEO
and Creative Director of Kung Fu Factory. "They have the time-tested expertise in the industry, publishing and launching
a variety of titles ranging from the console space, to mobile and social."
Located in Los Angeles, Kung Fu
Factory focuses on creating online, mobile and console games, leveraging their decade-long success in entertainment as storytellers,
content creators and game makers. The company was founded by industry veterans and childhood friends, Daryl Pitts and Ricci
Rukavina, and has worked on some of the biggest brands of all time from Hello Kitty to their recent development effort, Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Runner.
"As we continue to build upon KONAMI's social and mobile offerings,
we look to partner with more independent developers like Kung Fu Factory to expand the variety of content," said John
Coligan, Director of Digital Publishing at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Kung Fu Factory does a great job of creating
engaging and unique gaming experiences for audiences of all kinds, and we intend to support them through the entire development
and release process."
KONAMI and Kung Fu Factory's 2013 mobile lineup will be announced shortly.
For more information on KONAMI, please go to: http://konami.com/About KonamiGroup
Konami Digital
Entertainment, Inc.is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. Konami's titles
include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers.
The latest information about Konami can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. KONAMI CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with
subsidiary offices, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. in the United
States and Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. in Windsor, the United Kingdom. KONAMI CORPORATION is traded in the United States
on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by Konami can be found at http://www.konami.com.
KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION.
About Kung Fu Factory
Based in Los Angeles, Kung Fu Factory is a video game development studio that
works on both licensed and original properties. Established in 2002, the company has specializes in 100% hand-animated character
movement, realistic physics and sophisticated AI programming. Formed by childhood friends, Daryl Pitts and Ricci Rukavina,
the collective talent at Kung Fu Factory came from high-profile video game studios where they developed major franchise titles.
Now, the company develops and co-publishes its own properties on various platforms, such as consoles and mobile including
their latest #1 iOS game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run.
Submitted By: E. Thomas
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
04/23/2013 - Dragon's Crown by Atlus coming August 6thSharpen Those Axes - Dragon's Crown Officially Hits North America on Aug.
6, 2013
Dragon's Crown will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems for $49.99 and $39.99
respectively and is available for pre-orders now from major retailers. The game is expected to receive a T rating from the
ESRB, but is not yet rated. More details about the game will be revealed in the future, with updates on the official Dragon's
Crown website at: http://www.atlus.com/dragonscrown/
About ATLUS
Index Digital Media Inc.'s
ATLUS brand has become known across the industry as a mark of high-quality, deeply immersive, uniquely Japanese video game
experiences. With award-winning titles that reach across a variety of genres and platforms, including the Shin Megami Tensei®
and Persona® series of role-playing games, the ground-breaking action-adventure/puzzle game Catherine™, and the
much-celebrated RPG Demon's Souls™, ATLUS is committed to offering the highest standard in interactive entertainment
experiences.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AtlusUSA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtlusUSA
ATLUS is a brand of Index Corporation and its privately held subsidiary Index Digital Media, Inc.
For breaking news, special promotions, insider info, and more, visit http://www.atlus.com/faithful to join the ranks of the ATLUS Faithful!
Submitted By:
E. Thomas
Monday, April 22, 2013
04/22/2013 - Saints Row IV Commander in Chief Edition AnnouncedUNCLE SAM WANTS YOU … TO PRE-ORDER: Saints Row IVTM Commander in Chief Edition Announced
Larkspur, Calif., - April 22, 2013 – All hail POTUS as Deep Silver announces today that the Commander
in Chief Edition for the upcoming Saints Row IV™ is available as a free upgrade to pre-orders at major freedom-retailers
across North America. In this ball-busting, open-world and-other-PR-words installment in the Saints Row franchise, developer
Volition continues the story of the Third Street Saints by elevating their status to the highest level – the leaders
of the free world.
But the leaders of the free world are under attack from an alien invasion in the land
of the free, and it’s up to you and your gang to save the world, Saints-style. To help you combat the alien terrorists
you will encounter, the Commander in Chief Edition is a free upgrade for all pre-orders at participating retailers and comes
fully loaded with a Screaming Eagle that fires rockets out of its talons and can invoke the “Sonic Scream” attack,
leaving your enemies dazed, confused and likely scarred for life.
Additionally, if you’re going to save the
world you should look good while doing it, which is why the Commander in Chief gives you a limited-edition Uncle Sam uniform,
made in the US of good ‘ol A (apple pie not included.) And since you need the best [read: most ridiculously overpowered
weapons ever conceived] fighting tools available, Volition and Deep Silver are giving you a stimulus package, “'Merica”,
full of incredibly astonishing firepower: flamethrowers, ultra-powered dub step guns and rocket launchers are yours
for the taking. Crown thy good with brotherhood, indeed.
The Commander in Chief Edition is priced at $59.99 (console)
and $49.99 (PC).
The Commander in Chief Edition will be available globally.
Saints Row IV
launches August 20th, 2013 across North and Latin America and August 23rd worldwide. For more information
please visit:
Web: http://www.saintsrow.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/saintsrowTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/saintsrowYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/saintsrowAbout Saints Row IV
In Saints Row IV, the head honcho of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States. But the
Saints are just getting started. Now the larger-than-life insanity of the Saints series gets a new twist with a catastrophic
alien invasion, and the aliens have transported the Saints to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. Wield gargantuan superpowers
and fight to free humanity from alien granddaddy Zinyak’s mental grasp. Escape the simulation that’s trapped the
Saints crew, or die trying.
Saints Row IV lets players delve into an arsenal of alien weaponry and technology
that will turn each Saint into an ultimate entity of destruction. Utilize out-of-this-world superpowers to fight all the way
to the top. With intensified action and enhanced customization, players can use their newfound superpowers and leap over buildings,
outrun the fastest sports cars, or send enemies flying with telekinesis in the greatest, most insane installment of Saints
Row yet.
Submitted By: E. Thomas
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