Items tagged with consoles
When I first heard about Nintendo's plan to build a hybrid console, I thought it was a long shot. And truthfully, it was. But I also reckoned the response to a 2-in-1 console (or 3-in-1 if you count tabletop mode, as Nintendo does) would ultimately be lukewarm. Having now spent the past couple of weeks actually playing with the Nintendo Switch, I can say I was (mostly) wrong in my original assessment, and certainly in my expectations. We'll get to my own thoughts in a little bit, but first let's talk about the Switch's reception. Despite the skepticism by myself and many others leading up to the Switch's launch, gamers have been tripping over themselves in a mad dash to get their hands on one....
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It is standard procedure for console makers to release slimmer versions of their flagship game systems. Sometimes they come with upgraded hardware, too. A recent example is the Xbox One S, a more compact version of the Xbox One with a few nifty upgrades, such as support for 4K playback and upscaling. Well, it is not just Microsoft and Sony that see the benefit in offering thinner versions of their respective consoles, Nintendo is apparently considering the same thing with its crazy popular Switch system.There are reports and chatter among analysts that Nintendo will not only shrink the Switch, but also beef up the hardware inside. The Switch Mini, as it's been unofficially dubbed, would offer...
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There has never been another console quite like the Nintendo Switch. Similar perhaps, but not wholly unique in the same vein. The Switch is equal parts a living room console for gaming on the big screen television, and a portable handheld for gaming on the go. It's also more than those two things—nobody's ever huddled around a Gameboy for multiplayer action. Given the Switch's trailblazing form and function, it shouldn't be too surprising that it's now officially the fastest selling game system of all time. Tracking firm NPD Group pegs Nintendo Switch sales in the United States at more than 906,000 units in March. Not only does that figure represent the most consoles ever sold during the first...
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Nintendo had set an ambitious goal of selling 2 million hybrid Switch consoles by the end of March, and it is looking like it will get there with ease. Having launched just two weeks ago, unofficial data suggests Nintendo has already sold 1.5 million Switch consoles, including 500,000 units in the United States and 360,000 in Japan. It's said that Europe is not that far behind—another 85,000 units have been sold in the U.K. and 110,000 in France.Those figures are based on tracking data from SuperData. They are largely attached to the first week of sales, so the actual number will be even higher now. In addition, SuperData tracks sales based on sell through, meaning the number of the consoles...
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Nintendo has reason to celebrate. After much hype and anticipation, Nintendo launched its hybrid Switch console last week, which promptly surpassed the mighty Wii for the most sales of any Nintendo console during the first two days of retail availability. For the time being, Nintendo is vindicated in its decision to build another unique console, one that is built for gaming in the living room on a big screen TV and on the go. In an interview with The Washington Post, Nintendo of America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime talked about the Switch and how it compares to another popular mobile console, the 3DS. In response to a question asking why a gamer would buy the Switch if they already own...
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Finders, keepers? Not in the case of the Nintendo Switch. It turns out the the Nintendo Switch GAF user Hiphoptherobot received two weeks early from an “unnamed store” was actually stolen “by employees of a U.S. distributor.” Nintendo released the statement, “Earlier this week, individuals claimed to prematurely purchase a small number of Nintendo Switch systems from an unspecified retailer. Nintendo has determined these units were stolen in an isolated incident by employees of a U.S. distributor, with one system being illegally resold. The individuals involved have been identified, terminated from their place of employment and are under investigation by local law enforcement authorities on criminal...
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This might come as a surprise to, well, absolutely no one, Nintendo appears to be dealing with a shortage of its new hybrid Switch console almost a full month before it even releases to retail. Anticipated supply is so far behind demand that reports are surfacing of major retailers cancelling pre-orders. Among them are Target and GameStop, though the latter has since issued a statement denying that's the case. "GameStop has not, and is not, cancelling any Nintendo Switch pre-orders due to allocation issues. We are working very closely to confirm and validate any and all pre-orders of this innovative gaming system. Should any customer who pre-ordered a Nintendo Switch console from GameStop experience...
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At long last, Nintendo provided some nitty-gritty details on its forthcoming hybrid console, giving fans a precise release date and price point. The Nintendo Switch will launch worldwide on March 3, 2017, with pricing in the United States set at $299.99. It will come with the main console, two Joy-Con controllers, a set of Joy-Con wrist straps, a dock for connecting the Switch to a TV, an HDMI cable, and an AC power adapter. As seen in the picture of the retail packaging above, there will be second color option to the gray set that has already been showcased. Gamers who want a splash of color will be able to buy a version of the Nintendo Switch that comes with neon blue and neon red controllers....
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Nintendo is planning to livestream the launch of its hybrid game console tonight, the Nintendo Switch, which will get underway at 11:00 PM Easter (8:00 PM Eastern). That is when we will presumably learn some key details about the console, such as exactly what kind of hardware is underneath the hood, if the battery will be removable or a permanent fixture, and so forth. Nintendo will then start taking pre-orders on January 13 at 9:00 AM Eastern, though good luck getting one. Assuming you'll even be in the New York area, Nintendo made clear that there will be a "limited quantity" of units made available to pre-order. The translation there is that not everyone hoping to score a pre-order will get...
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Research firm SuperData has just released its latest year-in-review report. While some of the findings are expected, others are a little surprising. Some are also great if you happen to be a PC enthusiast, as PC game sales dwarfed game sales on all of the consoles combined. That's an amazing data point, so let's bring in some real numbers. According to SuperData, the entire console market generated $6.6 billion in 2016, which is a Far Cry (pun intended) from the $35.8 billion the PC platform generated. That's a staggering difference, but the PC isn't the only platform to vastly outperform consoles -- so did mobile. Thanks to hits like Clash Royale and Pokemon GO, mobile gaming reached an impressive...
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Microsoft has been doling out deals left and right this holiday season and is showing no signs of slowing down. The latest deal involves the company's new Xbox One S game console with Minecraft bundled in for good measure. For today only, the bundled Xbox One S system is available at the Microsoft Store for $229, a nice savings of $70 from its normal selling price of $299. The package includes the console itself with 500GB of onboard storage, a single Xbox One wireless controller, Minecraft: Xbox One Edition Favorites Pack with seven community-favorite content packs, Minecraft Builder's Pack with half a dozen content packs, Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta, and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial....
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The NES Classic Edition console is one of the hottest and hard to obtain toy items this holiday season. Nintendo and its retail partners have been selling out of every unit produced, which in the United States came out to 196,000 of the miniaturized consoles in November, according to data collected by industry tracking firm NPD Group. That is an impressive start for the NES Classic Edition, though it did not come close to meeting demand.Stores that receive stock of the retro console have been selling out of whatever inventory they get in matter of seconds. At brick-and-mortar locations, any advance announcement of having stock at a particular day and time leads to people camping out in front...
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Nintendo is working on a unique new console called Switch that will launch in March of next year. It will attempt to bridge the divide between in-home and mobile gaming as an all-in-one solution for both, and if it succeeds, you can bet the Switch will be just as hot (and hard to find early on) as the NES Classic Edition. Not only that, but there's chatter of the Switch supporting GameCube titles, too.That's the word according to Eurogamer, which claims to have heard the same thing from no less than three separate sources. They way the sources tell it, GameCube support has already been tested and is working, with Nintendo prepping three GameCube games for the Switch. They include Super Mario...
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Sony today released the newest version of its PlayStation 4 console, the PlayStation 4 Pro, essentially a supercharged version of the original with faster hardware to support 4K gameplay and High Dynamic Range (HDR) visuals. The PS4 Pro isn't a new generation console, it's basically a hardware upgrade with support for all of your original PS4 content, and Sony has made it easy to transfer all your data to the PS4 Pro. Here's how.First a little housekeeping is in order. You need to make sure that both your original PS4 and your new PS4 Pro are running the latest system software from Sony. This should happen automatically when you go online, but to double check, go to Settings and scroll down to...
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