Nintendo Abandons Its Console-Only Strategy, Enters Mobile

Nintendo will unveil its first-ever game for smartphones, a radical departure from its long-term exclusive focus on its console. In the years of avoiding the move to smartphones, the Kyoto, Japan-based company missed the spectacular rise of mobile gaming, which this year, says research firm Newzoo, is on track to outpace console games in global sales for the first time. But Nintendo is finally opening up, not just with mobile games but also theme parks and a new console game. The first mobile game could debut in a few days. Continue reading Nintendo Abandons Its Console-Only Strategy, Enters Mobile

Deal Now Complete: Amazon Acquires Twitch for $970 Million

According to a new SEC filing, Amazon’s buyout of online video game streaming company Twitch is now complete. The acquisition, worth $970 million and first revealed in late August, marks Amazon’s largest and most expensive deal to date. This follows earlier reports that suggested a similar deal was in the works with Google subsidiary YouTube. Twitch touts more than 55 million active monthly users, and is currently the largest live-streaming website in the U.S. by a significant margin. Continue reading Deal Now Complete: Amazon Acquires Twitch for $970 Million

Nintendo Exec Predicts Significant Loss as Wii Sales Struggle

Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, says the company is experiencing its biggest loss in revenue in the last 12 years. The forecasted annual loss of 25 billion yen (or $240 million) was a surprise, and the video game manufacturer is considering a new business model because of the low demand for its Wii U. Nintendo’s previous estimation of profit was closer to 55 billion yen. But the altered forecast for Wii U sales was cut from 9 million to 2.8 million units. Continue reading Nintendo Exec Predicts Significant Loss as Wii Sales Struggle

Nintendo: Handheld Gaming Strong, Losing Money with Wii U

Gaming company Nintendo released its financial results for the last three months, and the numbers are not promising. Although hardware sales have increased and handheld gaming is experiencing growth, the company has still recorded a loss. As a result of price cuts in the middle of the year, 300,000 more Wii U users have been added, but the company is still far from its goal of 9 million consoles by March 2014. At present, 3.91 million units have been sold total. Continue reading Nintendo: Handheld Gaming Strong, Losing Money with Wii U