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Nintendo being sued over motion patents in the Wii and Wii U
Nintendo's not having a great 2014. Between lackluster financial results, an accidental controversy, and now a lawsuit from Philips, life could be better. The Dutch electronics company Koninklijke Philips (better known as just Philips, for obvious reasons) is suing Nintendo over motion patents that span the entire Wii line: "Wii video gaming systems and related software and accessories including, for example, the Wii console, Wii Remote Plus Controller, Wii Remote Controller, Wii U console, Wii U GamePad, and Wii Mini," the lawsuit filing reads. Worse for Nintendo, Philips is looking to halt the sales of those products while the court case proceeds, which could turn the Wii U's poor sales into an even more dire situation.
Ben Gilbert05.15.2014
Nintendo Wii Mini arriving in the UK on March 22nd
When Nintendo's Wii Mini landed in Canada, as far as we were concerned, the land of Due South was welcome to it. After all, the company had robbed the budget model of its internet connectivity, backwards compatibility and its, you know, charm. Unfortunately, Nintendo now feels that the UK deserves its own opportunity to be underwhelmed by the hardware, and so will launch the system in Blighty on March 22nd. Naturally, there's no word yet on pricing, but we'd get even tetchier if Nintendo tried to price it over, say, £70.
Daniel Cooper02.26.2013
Nintendo Wii Mini hands-on
Nintendo's Wii Mini has been a bit more elusive than we thought, but we've at last snagged the entry-level console ahead of its official release and given it a quick shakedown. While it does what it says on the tin -- welcome newcomers and second-system shoppers to the Wii universe -- we've found that there's a few important details to consider beyond just the absences of internet access and GameCube support. Read on past the break for our quick look. %Gallery-172801%
Jon Fingas12.06.2012
Editor's Letter: A littler Wii takes off to the Great White North
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news. Starting this week you can enjoy them on the site as well. The biggest shopping holidays of the year are over, which means it's time to go back to paying full retail for gadgets -- or whatever Amazon is charging, anyway. Sales on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday were way up over last year; Friday shot 26 percent over 2011, crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Cyber Monday sales, meanwhile, climbed an estimated 17 percent for a total of $1.46 billion. With online sales so strong, the days of getting up at 4AM to stand in a chilly line outside of Best Buy may be behind us, replaced by hitting up bestbuy.com as soon as you get to your cubicle in the morning. I'm okay with that.
Tim Stevens11.30.2012
Nintendo Wii Mini expected to go on sale as soon as today at Walmart Canada
While we can't say that extra-dedicated gamers are tripping over themselves to buy the offline-only Wii Mini, we've got good news for those who weren't looking forward to waiting until December 7th to buy a second system for the kids or parties. Walmart Canada tells us Nintendo's $100 console is cleared to go on sale as of Friday, a week ahead of schedule; our local stores haven't yet received stock, but it's early enough that we're not raising alarm bells. We've asked Nintendo about other retailers and will let you know if additional retail chains get the green (or rather, black and red) light.
Jon Fingas11.30.2012
Poll: Are you buying an Ouya or a Wii Mini?
When the Android-powered, crowd-funded Ouya console arrives next year with a near-$100 starting price, it'll be the cheapest new game console at launch in ... well, ever. Of course, the big entrenched players aren't just taking this lying down -- Microsoft's got a $99 version of its Xbox 360, albeit with a subscription-based subsidy, and Nintendo today introduced the Wii Mini, a $99 Wii console with a fewer abilities than its slightly larger forebear (exclusive to Canada for now, but we doubt it'll stay that way). Neither of these initiatives is a direct response to Ouya, mind you, but the three choices will assuredly find themselves paired against the others in the minds of consumers. As such, we can't help but wonder where you'll end up. Does Nintendo's revamped, smaller Wii get you all worked up, or is it Ouya's promise of open-source freedom that's doing it for you? Perhaps you've got a custom gaming rig that makes all other options look like Playskool by comparison? Let us know in the poll below! Update: That whole "voting" part of the poll below seems to not be playing nice with our new look. Alas, we're working on a fix right this minute, and will let you know as soon as you're clear to vote. Terribly sorry about that! Update 2: And we're clear! Cast votes to your heart's content!
Ben Gilbert11.27.2012Nintendo makes Wii Mini official: currently exclusive to Canada, launches December 7th for $100
That was quick. Scarcely two hours after Best Buy spoiled the party, Nintendo is launching the Wii Mini. The crimson console is billed as a Canada-exclusive for now -- we're reaching out to confirm if and when it might go elsewhere -- and is clearly meant to catch those families that find the Wii U (or even a regular Wii) too pricey. To get there, though, they'll have to make some big sacrifices. The Wii Mini cuts out both GameCube compatibility (seen in some regular Wii variants) and, more importantly, internet access; unfortunately, this won't be your budget Netflix box. Still, when gamers in the Great White North can pick one up on December 7th for $100, it might be the ideal fit for that TV in the basement or the occasional party.
Jon Fingas11.27.2012
Nintendo Wii mini leaks early at Best Buy Canada with December 7th release date
Best Buy's Canadian site just got a hardware surprise from Nintendo, the Wii mini. It looks like the retailer jumped the gun but unfortunately, it doesn't reveal much else aside from a December 7th release date. Rumors of a console refresh have circulated over the last few days and while the preorder link isn't live just yet, but you can spot the Wii mini's new red and black design, which looks to be only slightly taller than the original Wiimote. The Wii's successor launched only a few weeks earlier in the US, managing to sell 400,000 units in its first week. We've contacted Nintendo and we'll have more when we hear it.
Mat Smith11.27.2012