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Seattle Film and Music Blog

MICROSOFT AND NINTENDO ON TOP AT ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO

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Wired
The E3 2009 media briefing in Los Angeles, California included announcements on Super Mario Wii, Metroid: Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii Fit Plus. Nintendo triumphed by adding classics into the mix of these new games , which is sure to keep hardcore gamers happy. The media briefing also included announcements by Microsoft on The Beatles: Rock Band, Tony Hawk: Ride, Metal Gear Solid Rising, Alan Wake and Project Natal. E3 Expo is the world’s premiere trade show for computer and video games and related products.

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DSI SELLS BIG, EVERYTHING ELSE PLUMMETS

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Wired
The launch of Nintendo DSi propelled total U.S. sales of DS hardware to over 1 million units in the month of April 2009, the NPD Group reported on Thursday. Meanwhile, sales of nearly every other game console fell versus April 2008. Wii sold only 340,000 units compared to 714,200 last year, although it is still the top-selling home machine by a wide margin.“It is important to remember that last April, Wii hardware sales were fueled by two huge new titles: Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart. Taking that into account, Wii unit sales are still very strong,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement.

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NINTENDO’S PROFITS ON THE RISE

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Variety
Nintendo’s annual profit rose 8.5 percent, propelled by its hit Wii and DS game machines, but a forecast for lower sales shows even the resilient video game maker isn’t totally immune to the global slump. Still, Nintendo is faring much better than other big name Japanese manufacturers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., both forecasting record annual losses, lending weight to president Satoru Iwata’s boast the game maker is “recession free.”

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WII NOTCHES UP 50 MILLION SALES

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Variety:
The Nintendo Wii console will pass the 50 million worldwide sales mark this month, setting a new game console record. The Wii is set to hit the milestone two years and four months after launch, eight months faster than previous record holder, Sony’s PlayStation 2. The Wii console has lured million of gamers of all ages with the Wii Fit, Wii Sports and other software that even beginners with no interest in traditional games can enjoy.

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In iPhone’s Wake, Nintendo, Sony Push Handheld Game Downloads

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Wired:
Apple’s iPhone is changing the way we buy and play handheld games. Small wonder, then, that both Nintendo and Sony are pushing game downloads as the next big thing on their portable players. On April 5, Nintendo will launch its DSi hardware in the U.S. The big feature upgrade: Internal flash memory, and a slot for a SD card that will allow users to buy games online. And Sony will be putting much more muscle behind its online game store for the PSP, which has languished.

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Nintendo wins Wii controller patent dispute

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NY Times:
Nintendo said today that a federal court dismissed a lawsuit brought against Nintendo over patents related to the Wii and GameCube game controllers. Fenner Investments alleged that the game controllers infringed on its patent, U.S. No. 6,297,751. Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas, dismissed the case today.
Nintendo said that it was pleased with the decision. But the company has been the regular target of patent holders who are trying to collect royalties from the game company.

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Video games go up in down economy

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Variety:
Consumers may be cutting back on entertainment, but they’re still spending on videogames. The vidgame sector was up 13% in January, collecting $1.3 billion in coin, driven mostly by Nintendo hardware and software sales, according to data from market research group NPD. Nintendo’s Wii was once again the top selling console, moving 679,000 units, while its handheld DS device sold another 511,000 units. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is still besting PlayStation’s console sales, with 309,000 systems sold versus 203,000 for the PS3 and another 101,000 for the PS2. Sony’s PSP shipped 172,000 units.

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TEACHERS INVITE ‘WII MUSIC’ INTO THE CLASSROOM

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MSNBC:
You might play games with your kids at home. But would you send your kids to school to play video games? Eileen Jahn, who teaches music in Newark, N.J. is one of 60 music educators around the country that have begun to integrate “Wii Music” into their regular curriculum. “They are giddy with excitement when they walk into the room and see the Wii set up,” Jahn wrote in an e-mail. “Their aural skills are improving with every lesson, and they have developed rhythmic and improvisational skills as well.”

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Nintendo Wii, DS drawing women, seniors to gaming

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KING 5:
Contrary to the stereotype of the young slacker video gamer, a new study has found that the prototypical gamer is now as likely to be a woman as a man. A study by market research publisher Packaged Facts says thanks to the Nintendo Wii and DS systems, the gamer population now includes 25 million adults in the 55 and older age bracket, 13 million retirees, and 28 million grandparents. Packaged Facts says the introduction of the Wii and DS systems brought a slew of gaming options developed for the mass consumer and those who would not typically regard themselves as gamers into a marketplace once dominated by hardcore gamers.

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Nintendo props up video game biz

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Variety:
The videogame biz remained a beacon of double digital growth during the recession in 2008, but slowing holiday sales indicate that it’s quickly coming down to Earth. Market research firm NPD released its 2008 sales data on Thursday, revealing that total vidgame industry revenue soared 19% to $21.3 billion. Though impressive during such a tough year, it’s down significantly from 2007’s 28% growth, which brought in almost $18 billion. While Sony struggled, Redmond-based Nintendo continued to almost single handedly prop up the biz, proving that its focus on low-cost, family-friendly gaming is paying off big in the current climate. Defying all economic trends, Nintendo saw sales for its Wii and DS consoles surge 59% and 23%, respectively, in December, and 62% and 17% for all of 2008. Nintendo’s hardware strength was mirrored on the game sales charts, where titles for its consoles took six of the top 10 spots in December and five of the top 10 for all of 2008.

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