09/23/2002

Star Fox Adventures and Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island have been shipped to stores, the games are for the GameCube and GameBoy Advance respectivly. Expect the games to be in stores in a couple of days.

09/20/2002

Nintendo has made is official. Here is there press release:

LONDON--Sept. 20, 2002--As part of a strategic redirection of its game development investments, Nintendo announces it has sold its 49 percent ownership position in U.K.-based developer Rare, Ltd.

"Nintendo had the ability to continue its exclusive relationship with Rare, but in looking at the company's recent track record, it became clear that its value to the future of Nintendo would be limited," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America. "In other words, we passed on this opportunity for very good business reasons."

In fiscal year 2001, Rare accounted for only 9.5 percent of total Nintendo software sales worldwide. In fiscal year 2002, that number declined to 1.5 percent.

Nintendo will retain exclusive rights for all original properties and franchises featured in games developed by Rare, including Donkey Kong(R), Diddy Kong(R) and Star Fox(R).

According to MacDougall, game development is, by nature, dynamic. Relationships continually change to meet the needs of both manufacturers and publishers. "The disposition of this investment leaves us in a position to become even more aggressive in expanding our development capacity, both internally and externally. Aside from several partnerships already announced over the past year, we are currently in similar talks with several other prospective partners around the world."

In the past year, Nintendo has added emphasis on games which offer true innovation to video game players, and especially those with appeal to older players. Key current and upcoming NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM) titles include Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem(TM), Animal Crossing(TM), Metroid(R) Prime, The Legend of Zelda(R) and Capcom's upcoming Resident Evil series exclusively for NINTENDO GAMECUBE.

"Although we declined the opportunity to continue our exclusive agreement with Rare, this announcement does not diminish our respect for their work or the past contributions they have made to Nintendo," adds MacDougall.

09/16/2002

Nintendo today has shipped Animal Crossing for the GameCube and the e-Reader for the GameBoy Advance. Expect both products to be in stores in about two days. Here are the boxes for the NES e-Reader games.

The following press release is from Nintendo regarding the e-Reader. Note that the press release states that there will be more NES avalible for the e-Reader soon.

REDMOND, Wash.--Sept. 16, 2002--Nintendo is turning paper trading cards into electronic games for the Game Boy(R) Advance using the new innovative e-Reader.

When slid through the e-Reader, high-tech paper trading cards allow players to experience games in a number of ways, depending on the card. The e-Reader cards hold complete video games playable on Game Boy Advance, enhance game play on Nintendo GameCube(TM), and expand the play of traditional trading card games, all from just sliding one or a few paper cards.

The e-Reader, with a suggested retail price of $39.95, includes a set of cards with one classic NES(R) game, either Donkey Kong Jr.(R)-e or Pinball-e, and a sample pack of five e-Reader cards. The sample pack includes the Manhole-e Game&Watch game, one Animal Crossing(TM)-e card, which connects to the Nintendo GameCube, and three cards from the Pokemon(R)-e: Expedition series. Additional e-Reader card packs will retail from $1.95 to $4.95.

"The e-Reader creates a completely new experience for game players. It's the fun of collecting trading cards and the challenge of playing video games," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "Now anyone can carry their favorite games on just a few cards -- all they have to do is slide it and play it. It's technology on paper."

The e-Reader accessory connects to the Game Boy Advance via the cartridge slot and uses "dot code technology" to read optical data imprinted on the specially designed trading cards. The e-Reader hardware has a 64 Mbit Mask Rom to store up to one video game for continued play. The hardware also links to a second Game Boy Advance or a Nintendo GameCube. Animal Crossing for Nintendo GameCube uses the feature and upcoming products will take advantage of it in exciting and innovative ways.

Card sets for five classic games originally made for the Nintendo Entertainment System(R) (NES), Donkey Kong Jr.-e, Pinball-e, Balloon Fight(R)-e, Tennis-e, and Excitebike(R)-e cards, will be available at launch. Pokemon-e trading card game cards which also can be used as a stand-alone trading card game, will be distributed by Wizards of the Coast under license from Pokemon USA, Inc, will also be available on September 16th.

In Q4, a second series of NES cards will launch including Donkey Kong(R)-e, Mario Bros.(R)-e, Ice Climber-e, Baseball-e, and Urban Champion-e. Animal Crossing-e card packs will also be available to unlock features and enhance game play in Nintendo GameCube games.

09/13/2002

It's official, Nintendo has ended ties with Rareware. Here is their official statement:

Although Nintendo doesn't comment on rumors or speculation by the media, we can tell you that Nintendo has made the decision not to request Rare to make any further exclusive games for the Nintendo GameCube. Although we're proud of our joint efforts with Rare over the years and have enjoyed our relationship with them, in fiscal year 2001, Rare accounted for only 9.5% of total Nintendo software revenue worldwide. In fiscal year 2002, that number declined to 1.5%. Therefore, in evaluating our investments in developers, as well as the financial benefits to Nintendo over the years, we've decided it's in Nintendo's best interests to focus on diversifying our portfolio of developers and projects.

Star Fox Adventures, which was jointly developed by Rare and Nintendo, will launch as scheduled on September 23rd and will remain exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube. Nintendo's other great franchise characters such as Donkey Kong also will remain exclusive to Nintendo.

We have no additional details to share on this issue at this time. Be sure to check out our official website (www.nintendo.com) for the latest information as it becomes available.

09/12/2002

An article from the Dow Jones newswires states that Nintendo has not sold its stake in Rareware. In the article a Nintendo spokesperson said, hypothetically, "the company would consider what to do with its Rare shareholding if actually contacted by Microsoft or Rare, but there hasn't been any such contact."

Could this be a flat out lie by Nintendo just to quell rumors until any official announcements are made or is Nintendo still interested in keeping its stake in Rare? It looks like this soap opera will never end.

Source - Dow Jones Newswire.

Major news publications, including IGN, Reuters and Bloomberg are reaffirming the story that we posted earlier.

All three publications are stating that earlier this year Rareware went up for sale. Nintendo had the option of purchasing a 100% state in the company and declined. Rareware then went to the market and two major publishers; Microsoft and Activision were interesting in its acquisition. Microsoft won out and purchased a 100% percent stake in the company, which in turn terminated Rare's second-party relationship with Nintendo.

The reports stated that the deal has not been announced because Nintendo and Rare are in negotiations as to who owns the rights to certain franchise characters. While Rare created many game franchises, Nintendo owns the copyrights for most of them.

Sources - IGN Cube, Bloomberg, Reuters, RareOps.

Left Field Productions officially announced yesterday that they have left Nintendo as a second party developer. Left field announced that they have bought back all of the shares that Nintendo owned in the company ending their five-year second party relationship with Nintendo.

During that five-year period, Left Field developed eight games on several Nintendo platforms. Left Field is responsible for the Kobe Bryant series of basketball games. They also developed several GameBoy Color games with Disney licenses. All of these games received mixed reviews and recorded mild sales. The best game that Left Field developed was Excitebike 64, considered one of the best motocross racing games of all time and one of the best racing games on the Nintendo 64. The last game that Left Field developed for Nintendo was NBA Courtside 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube. NBA Courtside 2002 was released in January 2002.

Left Field said that it would still support the Nintendo GameCube. Backyard Football is Left Field's latest game and is scheduled for release this fall.

Source - IGN Cube.

The name of the next Kirby GameBoy Advance games has always been shrouded in mystery since its unveiling at E3 in May.

The shroud has been lifted. EBGames is listing the game as Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. Here is the official boxart:

Source - EBgames.

Ndex affiliate RareOps has learned through sites Raretopia and Computer and Videogames that a deal is in the works that would allow Microsoft to purchase a 51% controlling interest in Rareware.

The supposed deal would be worth around $550 million USD and would most likely mean that any game that Rareware develops will be for the X-Box. Rareware has been developing games for Nintendo systems since 1994.

Rareware still has a GameBoy Advance development team and therefore Rare may not completely leave Nintendo. However, one must assume that such a development team would be dissolved under Microsoft ownership.

Please note that this is still a rumor, but a very strong one. Rare, Nintendo or Microsoft has confirmed none of this.

StarFox Adventures will be released on the Nintendo GameCube on September 23^rd, 2002 regardless of what happens with Rare.

09/07/2002

Super Mario Sunshine is doing quite well. Here is Nintendo's press release:

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 5, 2002 - The world's favorite plumber has returned with a bang! During its first 10 days of availability, Super Mario Sunshine for Nintendo GameCube is already a smash hit, selling through more than 350,000 games. This is a total not achieved by any competitor, including Xbox's popular Halo or Playstation 2's Grand Theft Auto 3 until a month or more on store shelves.

The immediate popularity of Super Mario Sunshine, which chronicles the chubby plumber's attempts to clean up a lush tropical island, is also creating a significant demand for its host system. During its first week, Nintendo's retail partners cited jumps in Nintendo GameCube hardware sales averaging 50 percent, with some accounts reporting that system sales had more than doubled.

"This launch is historic - promising to break longstanding records," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "So far, sales rates for Super Mario Sunshine are running 36 percent ahead of even Super Mario 64 six years ago-and that game went on to sell more than 10 million units worldwide."

Super Mario Sunshine is already one of the 15 top selling console games for all of 2002, but will face stiff competition from other eagerly anticipated Nintendo GameCube titles through the remainder of 2002. While Mario's record of more than $7 billion in worldwide game sales knows no limitations in demographic or national appeal, older Nintendo GameCube fans will have a particular feast of choices throughout the fall.

In the first half of November, both Resident Evil Zero and Metroid Prime arrive exclusively for the console, along with Star Fox Adventures later this month. These will be accompanied by a host of companion teen- and mature-rated titles before the holidays, including: Medal of Honor: Frontline and James Bond 007: Nightfire from Electronic Arts; Turok Evolution and BMX XXX from Acclaim; Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee from Infogrames; Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 from Activision; Bloodrayne from Majesco; Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance from Midway; and a long list of sports, racing and other extreme sports titles.

09/02/2002

Earlier we reported that having Super Mario Sunshine and Metroid Prime game data files on the same memory card could access two Super Smash Bros. Melee trophies. This is not the case. The trophies can only be accessed by a Nintendo giveaway (much like the Pokémon Mew). There have been Super Smash Bros. Melee giveaways in Japan but none in North America are scheduled.