Miiverse Updated!

Quietly Nintendo has updated the Miiverse!  Nothing mind blowing but the changes are nice. 

 

First, the Communities section now allows you to switch between New Communities and Favorite Communities. Second, when you click on a Community there is now a button to Favorite the page, go to the eShop, or set preferences for that specific Community. As well you can switch between New Posts, Popular Posts, and Other Communities (This is not out yet but is visible. Iwata taked about this in the last Nintendo direct. These will be USER created!). Finally, when you go to post something it will show all emoticons at once! 

 

These are some nice little changes that help connect apps like Miiverse to the eShop, as well as showing off the very cool posts, and even though its not out yet allowing for my user created content! 

 

I do not take credit for the photo or video I got them from the sites listed below. 

Photo: Nintendo 

Video: NintenDaan1

Assassin's Creed 3 Wii U DLC NOW AVAILABLE

Assassin's Creed 3 Box Art 

In my last blog I blabbed on about Call of Duty and how  Activision and Nintendo need to get their act together with DLC. Well that has not happened. However, another great hardcore game has received DLC for the Wii U. 

Assassin's Creed 3 is one of the best games of the year as well as one of the better games on the Wii U to date. Today Ubisoft announced that starting imminently two DLC packs would be available for AC3. 

The first pack is called Hidden Secrets which adds some short new story missions adding up to about an hours worth of game play and will be yours for $4.99. The second DLC is for the multiplayer side of AC3. Battle Hardened pack adds new maps, characters, and more for $9.99. 

Battle Hardened DLC 

On other consoles they also have a new single player campaign via DLC called The Tyranny of King Washington. Ubisoft says it will be available in the future.  

[UPDATE] 
The DLC packs should be up now. Hopefully this helped everyone. 

I do not own or do I take any credits for the photos. I got them from the websites listed below. 

Photo 1: Pure Nintendo  

Photo 2: Metal Arcade  

Wii U Black Ops 2 DLC

Ever since the Wii U was announced it was known that it was going to try to win the hearts of the hardcore back. Thus far the Wii U has done so by having games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 that are just as good as they are on other systems. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Game Cover

However its not all good. These days in gaming the game does not finish when you drop the $60. Black Ops 2 will have Downloadable content. In fact the first batch has already been announced for January 29th on the Xbox. Now for those of you who do not know Xbox will have it exclusively for a month and shortly after that the PC and PS3 will receive the DLC. 

Well you might be asking IS THE WII U GETTING IT!? Well we just do not know. The Official word from Activision the makers of Black Ops 2 has been the same for awhile now.  That they are talking with Nintendo to see if they will include DLC and the Season Pass for the game. 

Season Pass? The Season Pass is a fee you pay for access to all the DLC that will be available to Black Ops 2. Tomorrow Season Pass holders on PC and PS3 will receive the Nuktown map that was exclusive to people who pre-ordered Black Ops 2. 

1st DLC for Black Ops 2 

With all that said I think its about time we hear something! There is content coming out tomorrow and we are still in the dark on what is happening. DLC for Black Ops 2 is a good oppurtunity for both Nintendo and Activision especially Nintendo who is slowly winning the hardcore back.  They need this. As for Activision, the amount of time to port to the Wii U compared to the profit that they will make is a no brainer!  

Lets look on the bright side both companies tend to be quiet with their good news. So who knows maybe this week when the eShop updates on Thursday we will have the opportunity for a  Season Pass! 

I did not take or do I take credit for any of the photos I got them from the websites listed below.  

Photo 1: Nintengen
Photo 2: Gamers Bliss  

Steam Box

Steam Logo

This past year we saw the launch of the next generation of consoles with the Wii U. Now in 2013 we will be introduced to the long awaited Steam Box.

The Steam box is basically a PC for the living room that will take advantage of the Steam platform with its already 50 million users. It will not just be made by Steam's creator Valve but by other companies who wish to develop a skew of there own, sort of similar to Android phones. 

Xi3's Piston

Manufacturer Xi3 announced at CES this week that their new prototype 'Piston' could be a steam box and has a price of $999. This sounds like a lot of money for a console and looking at how well or not so well Sony did by launching the PS3 at $599 this sounds ridiculous at first glance. 

However, when you think about that price tag and how much money you spend on Steam compared to buying console games you will actually be saving money. Let me explain. New AAA console games cost around $60 and on Steam it's usually $50 but they usually give good pre order incentives. It gets even better, that $50 game could go on sale 2 -3 weeks later for a limited time for around $30-$35 saving you half the price of the console version. Steam Holiday Sales, Steam usually has about 4 of these a year where over about two weeks they put almost everything in their catalogue on sale for some insane deals.  You could literally stock up for the year by the amount of content and games that you get. Valve has always been open with players being able to customize their games which has led to them buying the mods their fans have made and then making sequels to them (Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike) and these games last because they have constant updates and strong communities. Last year we saw this go one step further with Steam Workshop giving everyone access to free mods for select games that can add hours more of fun. Doing this keeps you in a game for a longer time saving you money! Not only is this saving you money. Games on PC that take advantage of this generally look and play better and have more modes and features you could never get on a console. 

Team Fortress 2

So the Steam Box is not a console. It's a smaller more affordable gaming rig made by some of the best out there. When we do see its release you should not be scared off by a higher price tag, compared to its rivals like the Wii U starting at $299. Instead think about the crazy sales that allow you to buy so many good game you wont know what to do. Think about the large community, customization  content, features, and flexibility. 

Left 4 Dead 2

Go now and check out Steam, if you have not already, you will be amazed with the things you can do in a game and how some games, for example, 2009's Left 4 Dead 2 are still very much alive  with new content and players. 

I do not own and do not take any credit for the images. I got them from the websites listed below. 

Steam Logo: Kotaku 
Xi3 Piston: Extreme Tech 
Team Fortress 2 Image: The Tech Herald 
Left 4 Dead 2 Image: About.com 
   

Netflix adds 3D and Super HD streaming

One of the things that I thought should always be on the 3DS is 3D movies. Well now with Netflix streaming in 3D that is all about to come possible. 

Netflix Logo

Netflix has now started to stream movies and television shows in 3D and Super HD. First you might be wondering what Super HD is. Well its a crisper smoother looking 1080p display which means it will look just that bit more like a Blu-ray. This may sound very interesting and a big step forward for Netflix. However, you will only be able to view both HD and Super HD if you have a 7Mbs. As well 3D will only be available on 3D capable TV’s and computers.

Yes you're right, I did not say 3D is available on the 3DS because there is no word on it yet. However, when Netflix originally launched on the the 3DS in the press release Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said that one day they plan to have 3D viewing. I think that time is here. 

Netflix for 3DS

So far I have only noticed 3D on the PS3 Netflix application. However Super HD Is on every platform including the newly released Wii U and a majority of the previously HD movies are now Super HD

I do not own or take any credit for the photos, I got them from the sites below.

Netflix Logo: Apple Headlines
Netflix on 3DS: TechnoBuffalo

Pokemon X & Y Legendary Names

Yesterday Nintendo announced Pokemon X & Y for the 3DS (Get the details about the new games here). Along with announcing the game they showed off five new Pokemon in the trailer. Three of which are the new starters which are named Chespin (Grass) Fennekin (Fire) and Froakie (Water). The other two Pokemon were clearly the two legendaries for each game however we did not get the names . 


Today we learn that the blue deer like Pokemon’s name is Xerneas and the red one that looks like a Y is Yveltal. 


I do not own and do not take credit for any of these pictures. I got them from the sites below.

Photo 1: Fennekin on Facebook
Photo 2: Geek.com

Pokemon X & Y

Early this morning Nintendo had their first Nintendo Direct of the year. It focused on one thing, and one thing only, Pokemon. 

It was just a short ten minute broadcast which started with Iwata going through the history of the main games in Pokemon and then finally unveiling two brand new Pokemon games, Pokemon X and Pokemon Y.  

The two games will be for the 3DS which will make them the first main series Pokemon games on the system. The games will be in a 3D world which is new for a Pokemon game in the main series. Today we found out the names of just the three starter Pokemon, Chespin (Grass) Fennekin (Fire) and Froakie (Water). 

Also another series first the game will be releasing simultaneously in the Americas, Europe, and Japan in October 2013.

Personally I am hyped for the game and have never disliked any of the previous main Pokemon games. I hope to see Nintendo and Game Freak take advantage of StreetPass and the Nintendo Network.

Here is the Nintendo Direct broadcast from this morning.

 

I do not own or take any credit for the photos and video I got them from the listed sites below. 

Photo 1: EGM Now.com  
Photo 2: Neoseeker.com

Video: Nintendo