Digital | ON: GAMES Jun 30, 2019
Summer sequels for game favorites
by Brian Ashcraft
Build your own Super Mario empire, get back into Yo-Kai Watch and reminisce with Samurai Spirits
Business / Tech May 24, 2019
Mario Kart Tour could be the monster mobile hit that Japan gaming giant Nintendo needs
by Yuji Nakamura and Takashi Amano
More than four years after a much-ballyhooed entry into mobile gaming, industry giant Nintendo Co. remains bereft of a monster smartphone hit. But the wait may finally be over. Mario Kart Tour, set to launch this summer, has had gamers' attention since it was announced ...
Business / Tech Aug 26, 2018
'Super Mario' creator says gaming industry should put steady subscriptions ahead of in-game charges
by Yuji Nakamura and Yuki Furukawa
The legendary video game designer who created "Super Mario" and "Donkey Kong" has a word of advice for today's industry: Stop nickel-and-diming users. Shigeru Miyamoto, 65, said Nintendo Co. is exploring different ways of charging people for games, shunning the free-to-play model, which has become ...
Business / Corporate Jun 29, 2018
Nintendo Co. has resumed sales in Japan of a smaller, palm-sized version of its 35-year-old popular Famicom game console, in response to requests from fans for its revival. Many stores in Japan sold out of the Nintendo Classic Mini Family Computer console after its initial ...
National May 22, 2017
The Metropolitan Police Department on Monday asked go-kart companies to improve safety as the popularity of their driving tours grows. The MPD asked five go-kart rental companies in Tokyo to encourage patrons to wear helmets and protective gear while driving amid an uptick in fender-benders. The ...
Business / Corporate Feb 3, 2017
Nintendo treading on shaky ground as new mobile game takes 'gacha' global
by Yuji Nakamura
Nintendo Co. found out with its first smartphone game it's tough to get people to pay $10 even if the draw is Super Mario. With its second mobile title, the Japanese powerhouse is taking a different approach that is potentially more lucrative — and ...
Digital | ON: GAMES Dec 24, 2016
Updating gaming for the New Year
by Brian Ashcraft
SuperMario makes a dash for smartphones For years, people have asked Nintendo if the Kyoto-based game maker was going to create titles for smartphones. Now, finally, the question has been answered. This isn't actually Nintendo's first phone app, but it is its first proper Mario game ...
Business Dec 13, 2016
Universal Studios Japan to debut Nintendo-themed area in 2020
The operator of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka said Monday that it will open a Nintendo-themed area featuring the game maker's popular characters by summer 2020, investing over ¥50 billion ($432 million). USJ Co. said it will create an area called "Super Nintendo World," showcasing ...
Business / Corporate Nov 16, 2016
Nintendo Co. will release "Super Mario Run" worldwide for Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad on Dec. 15 in U.S. time zones, a highly anticipated launch that has a high bar for success after this summer's "Pokemon Go" phenomenon. The game, the first mobile edition starring ...
Business / Tech Sep 8, 2016
Apple unveils water-resistant iPhone 7 with Japan-compatible payment system
Apple Inc. unveiled a new water- and dust-resistant iPhone 7 with high-resolution cameras at its fall product event Wednesday, and said that a "Super Mario" game was coming to the new phone and that "Pokemon Go" would feature on its upgraded Apple Watch. The excitement ...
Business | Japan Pulse Mar 15, 2016
Nintendo levels up smartphones with wallpapers and cases
by Tom Hanaway
As gamers anxiously await Nintendo’s new Miitomo app, smartphone users can level up their devices now with new wallpapers and cases from the Big N.