11/03, 4:35pm
LaCie Network Space 2 now out in 1TB capacity
LaCie on Tuesday revealed its latest storage solution, the Network Space 2 Network Attached Storage (NAS) and media server. Again designed by Neil Poulton like many of LaCie's similar products, the Network Space 2 is user friendly thanks to the preloaded LaCie Network Assistant. This allows users to customize the dashboard with widgets, which let them access networks and drive information as well as user accounts and drive capacity.
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10/29, 7:40am
DSi LL has larger screen for Internet use
Nintendo quickly confirmed rumors today by unveiling the DSi LL. Its screens have increased by more than an inch to 4.2 inches each and are seen as better for Internet access as well as for gameplay. It also gets a larger, more comfortable second stylus and a battery life that increases from 2.5 hours to three during active gameplay.
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10/28, 8:00pm
Company's foray into touchscreen sliders
Sony Ericsson's Aino handset has arrived in the US market as an unlocked model sold through Sony's online store. The device marks the company's first touchscreen slider, with several high-end features such as an 8.1-megapixel camera with flash and image stabilization. A Media Home feature can be used to sync media content with a desktop computer via Wi-Fi.
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10/26, 7:05am
PS3 Netflix deal breaks Xbox exclusive
Netflix this morning broke its once-exclusive Xbox 360 deal with Microsoft by offering Netflix for PlayStation 3. The link will let any US-based PS3 owner with a Netflix subscription stream movies and TV shows online; they can also add movies to the queue and rate titles. Early on, the service will depend on customers owning a free Blu-ray disc that draws on BD-Live for Internet access, but the service should eventually be integrated into the PS3's firmware.
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10/20, 4:15pm
Altec intros amp-like portable speaker
Altec Lansing on Tuesday introduced a new gaming console speaker system, its Stage-Gig. Resembling a guitar amp, the amplified speaker is made to work with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and DJ Hero titles on any gaming console. The 6.5-inch woofer contains a horn-loaded silk tweeter and has 40W of power. For easy portability, a carrying handle is built in, and the device can be daisy-chained with others thanks to a built-in AC outlet and RCA connections.
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10/15, 4:20pm
Slim PS3 with larger drive due Nov. 3
Sony in mid-afternoon revealed that it will launch a 250GB version of the PlayStation 3 in North America. Previously only due for Europe bundled with a game, the US and Canadian version will only include the higher-capacity hard disk, which more than doubles the existing slim PS3's capacity. The extra storage is pitched as a help for downloadable games as well as those who download movies from PSN in HD.
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10/14, 4:50pm
Sony Ericsson Aino supports PS3 Remote Play
Sony Ericsson has begun shipping the Aino, the first handset to support Remote Play on Sony's own PS3 game console. The Aino is a touchscreen slider, another first for the company, and was introduced alongside the Satio this spring. With the Aino, users will be able to turn on or off their PS3s, navigate the XMB interface and access the web as well as DRM-free media saved on the drive.
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10/05, 5:25pm
QNAP rolls out TS-410 home NAS
QNAP furthered its push into mainstream network-attached storage on Monday with the TS-410. While resembling its work-oriented drives, the NAS is meant for the home and has built-in DLNA and UPnP servers to share media over a local network, including to the PS3, Xbox 360 or to iPhones and iPod touch devices through an iPhone app. It also brings BitTorrent, FTP and HTTP downloaders to grab files no matter which computers are online.
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10/05, 11:10am
Toshiba Cell Regza and 4K appear
Toshiba took the lead at Japan's CEATEC show by unveiling its most advanced TV to date. The Cell Regza 55X1 uses a variant of the same Cell processor found in the PlayStation 3 and can handle tasks that were previously difficult or impossible in regular sets: it can record up to eight simultaneous digital over-the-air TV shows at once using a special DVR box and will even display those images simultaneously. Image correction also moves up with self-congruency adjustment at the edge of the display, better color balance and sharper upscaling for DVDs and other sub-HD video.
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09/25, 12:45pm
250GB PS3 bundles confirmed for the UK
Sony will bring 250GB versions of its new slim PlayStation 3 gaming console to the UK, bundled with various video games and Blu-ray movies, Pocket-lint reported on Friday. Priced at the equivalent of $455, there will be one bundle that includes FIFA 10 and another one with Need for Speed: Shift. On October 1st, more bundles will be introduced, including with two various Platinum titles and one with the open-world game inFamous.
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09/24, 11:45am
PS3 motion control on track for spring
Sony at the Tokyo Game Show solidified its plans for its PS3 motion controller. Although still unnamed, the wand-like controller now has common PlayStation buttons and a trigger. It further shares the force feedback technology from DualShock 3 controllers and and will run on a lithium-ion battery instead of disposables.
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09/24, 7:50am
PS3 Final Fantasy XIII and 1m slim PS3s sold
Sony kicked off the Tokyo Game Show with a special model of the PS3 for Japan as well as word of runaway sales for the slimmer model worldwide. The company's home country is receiving a special Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition of the console that both gives it a 250GB hard drive, making it the first to get the extra storage, and adds a special white design with pink artwork of the game's central character Lightning on the top. The model doesn't include a copy of the game but should ship for the equivalent of $455 on December 17th.
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09/23, 11:05pm
Wii at $200 on Sept. 27
Nintendo this evening confirmed repeated leaks by formally detailing its price cut for the Wii. The console's regular price will fall from $250 to $200 as of September 27th. The box will continue to include the regular bundle of the system, a Wii remote, a nunchuk and Wii Sports.
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09/23, 3:25pm
PS3 shortages may follow $300 price
The PlayStation 3 could face shortages during the holidays if its current sales rate keeps up, SCEA chief Jack Tretton warned today. He explained that PS3 sales have tripled since the price drop to $300 and the slim redesign and that it's "conceivable" a sustained surge could lead to some stores running dry due to demand finally outpacing supply. He didn't provide a more specific estimate for when this could happen.
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09/23, 8:40am
Memo proves Wii dropping to $200
A leaked note today has all but confirmed Nintendo's plans to cut the Wii's price to $200. The memo sent to Engadget tells staff that Nintendo will announce the cut on the 25th and have it take effect on the 27th. Such a schedule is consistent with Nintendo's past practices of announcing minor console updates on Fridays and of shipping updates on Sundays.
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09/22, 11:45am
Xbox 360 Elite now $250 after rebate
Microsoft surprised gamers Tuesday morning with word of an Xbox 360 Elite rebate (link active soon). The deal gives buyer of the 120GB game system a $50 mail-in discount that effectively brings the price of the system down to $250, or the same price as the Nintendo Wii. It lasts only until October 6th.
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09/22, 10:30am
Sega leaks PS3 motion control date
Sega has inadvertently left an SCEA meeting document (since pulled) on its server that appears to confirm major details of Sony's future PlayStation 3 plans. The notes appear to put the PS3 motion controller on store shelves in Japan for March, narrowing down the official spring launch window to the very early part of the season. Sony also expects to sell between four to five million of the peripheral and is helping game developers like Sega adapt their titles to support it; a 2012 London Olympics game and a Virtua Tennis port or sequel are labeled as candidates.
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09/21, 6:50pm
Leaked pic corroborates earlier rumors
Several alleged screenshots from a Norwegian GameStop inventory system show what appears to be several 250GB PS3 bundles, according to Joystiq. The gaming systems have been paired with titles such as Need for Speed: Shift, FIFA 10, Uncharted 2, and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.
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09/21, 3:05pm
Next-gen Nintendo Wii coming in 2011?
Speaking in an FT interview, software developer Square Enix's chief Yoichi Wada implied the second-generation Nintendo Wii console will be launched sometime in 2011. When it does arrive, Wada believes the so called Wii HD will be capable of many of the same features of competing gaming systems, namely Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. This likely means it will be capable of HD video playback and other multimedia capabilities already offered by its more expensive competition.
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09/16, 5:35pm
PS3 250GB Uncharted 2 bundle surfaces
Sony's rumored 250GB PlayStation 3 gained more traction again today with a leak showing a box for the system. The pack seen by Engadget shows both the upgraded capacity for the slim PS3 and the presence of the high-profile sequel Uncharted 2 in the package. The bundle suggests Sony is mirroring the strategy it took with the 160GB PS3 until it was phased out, which tied that system to the original Uncharted for a higher $499 price.
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09/15, 4:15pm
Home Base shares wireless USB devices
Belkin has introduced its Home Base networking hub on Tuesday, which allows users to share peripherals using their existing wireless networks, including printers, external hard drives or other USB devices. The Home Base is compatible with other Wi-Fi b/g/n devices and will also allow users to automatically back up a connected computer's files onto a designated and connected USB hard drive.
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09/14, 5:40pm
Wii at $200 says Toys R Us
Nintendo will finally react to Microsoft and Sony price cuts with one of its own, a Toys R Us flyer leaked on Monday appears to show. The ad obtained by Kotaku shows the Wii dropping from $250 to $200 for the regular bundle, which packs in Wii Sports. The cut would allegedly take effect for the last week of September, when the ad for the new price is supposed to run.
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09/10, 12:55pm
May be exclusive to Europe
A 250GB bundled edition of the PS3 Slim could be available as soon as October, says a Spanish gaming publication. The bundle will allegedly cost €350, and include the EA soccer game FIFA 10. Distribution is expected to be handled exclusively through Game, a major European retailer.
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09/09, 6:45pm
QNAP NAS servers get 8TB capacity, hot swap bays
QNAP recently announced it has added two new Turbo NAS servers to its extensive lineup, including the TS-419P for desktops and the rack-mounted TS-419U. Their specs are nearly identical, including the same Marvell 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of DDR2 RAM and support for up to 8TB. Either can hold both 2.5- and 3.5-inch hard drives in four hot-swappable bays. Storage expansion is made possible thanks to four USB ports and two eSATA ports.
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09/07, 11:05am
PS3 Sales Surge in UK
Sony achieved a rare feat in the past week with the PS3 clearly outselling every other console in the UK, data from ChartTrack shows. In what's also the first week the slim PS3 has been available, the smaller and less expensive model helped PS3 sales jump 999 percent. The research firm wouldn't provide hard numbers to MCV but said that the DS Lite, Wii and Xbox 360 all sold in similar numbers and that the PS3 sold roughly three times as many units as these.
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09/04, 3:20pm
PS3 outsells X360 and Wii
Sony's introduction of the slim PS3 and the resulting price cut have led it to a rare lead in game consoles in North America, weekly data for the end of August shows. While the new model itself wasn't on shelves for most of the August 23rd to 29th period covered by VGChartz, the outgoing 80GB and 160GB models registered 75,931 sales. The number is more than double the 37,167 Sony sold the week earlier and in a rare instance had Sony not only outsell the Xbox 360, which came next with 74,689 sales, but also the Wii's 74,245 units.
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09/02, 5:25pm
Microsoft on Xbox Elite ads
Microsoft today provided an unusual response to apparent leaks of a $400, 250GB Xbox 360 Elite gaming console on multiple retailers. When queried about the system by CNET, a Microsoft representative neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the system, saying only that the company has made "no such announcement." Such a response doesn't necessarily confirm the console but is uncharacteristic for a company that has flatly denied Blu-ray drive rumors in the past.
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09/02, 12:50pm
Sony 3D TV sets in 2010
Sony has announced an initiative to bring 3D visuals to several of its products, beginning sometime in 2010. Central is a 3D-compatible BRAVIA TV, which should use a frame-sequential display, and require active-shutter glasses. The company is promising a high framerate, as well as a 1080p resolution for each eye. No prices or narrowed release dates have been suggested.
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09/01, 2:05pm
NetGear RangeMax router
NetGear on Tuesday announced it is now shipping its RangeMax dual band 802.11 Wi-Fi router, the WNDR3700. The device earns its title through eight internal antennas that provide increased range and potentially better speeds: it supposedly handles as much as 350Mbps in real-world conditions. It's also the first NetGear product with its own broadband usage meter to track consumption across the entire network when using providers with low bandwidth caps, like Rogers or Time Warner Cable.
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08/31, 11:50pm
PS3 3 Firmware Live
Sony tonight quietly switched on its promised 3.0 firmware update for the PlayStation 3. The new version brings small but significant changes to the UI including icon-based shortcuts to recently available content, including downloads from the PlayStation Store and news from an in-XMB "What's New" section. Equally important is audio output to more than destination where it was previously limited to the main source, such as HDMI or the RCA output.
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08/27, 8:35pm
Xbox 360 250GB at Amazon
Amazon Germany today renewed talk of a new high-end Xbox 360 by posting a listing for an Elite with a 250GB hard drive. The system's 280 Euro ($400) price lines up with that of the Elite before the recent price cut and also bundles in an extra wireless gamepad as well as the as-yet unreleased Forza Motorsport 3. No clues are included as to the release date or whether there are any other significant changes, though a hardware update isn't likely besides the added storage.
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08/27, 7:15am
Xbox 360 Elite Drop to 300
As rumored, Microsoft on Thursday slashed the price of the Xbox 360 Elite to $300. The move puts the 120GB game console at the same price as the slim PS3 and will take effect Friday, August 28th. To clear stock, Microsoft also says it will drop the price of the 60GB Xbox 360 Pro to $250 until it clears store shelves. The Arcade will remain at $200.
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08/26, 5:55pm
PSP with UMD drive due?
An N4G forums user who also claims to work in Sony PS3's hardware department and has leaked info on the slim PS3's specs and capabilities that proved true is now saying Sony is developing a PSP with a UMD drive, the PSP-4000. In an IGN forums post, it's said that the PSP-4000 will replace the existing PSP-3000 system "sooner than you realise," and quashing rumors that the new, UMD drive-less PSP Go is the replacement.
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08/26, 5:00pm
Xbox 360 price cuts due?
Microsoft will make official the rumored drop of the Xbox 360 Pro and make other announcements regarding the new pricing structure for its two remaining game consoles, UK website MCV claimed on Wednesday. This rumor backs a previous report had the price drop coming on August 30th. It is expected that apart from the demise of the mid-range Pro model, the Elite will get a price drop to $300, while the bottom-rung Arcade model will also get a new revision, though whether this would mean a price adjustment or something else isn't mentioned
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08/25, 4:20pm
PS3 Slim at Best Buy store
Sony's slim PS3 gaming console, originally slated for an early September release, is already showing up in some Best Buy stores in Florida. One buyer has already bought the console in a Brandon, Florida Best Buy location, while a Tampa-based Best Buy employee is reporting that his store is authorized to sell the redesigned game console as of today.
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08/21, 4:20pm
Xbox 360 Elite Walmart Ad
Reinforcing rumors of an Xbox 360 Elite price cut, a Walmart flyer has surfaced today that shows the system's price dropping to $299. A copy of the ad sent to Engadget makes no mention of this being a temporary deal and is supported by what appears to be different packaging than the gray box the Elite uses today. It also reflects a recent change to pack-in content through the omission of the HDMI cable, which most assume is part of an attempt to lower the price.
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08/20, 4:45pm
MS delaying Xbox 360 cut
At the currently ongoing Gamescom show, Microsoft's announcement of a price drop for its Xbox 360 gaming console was conspicuous by its absence. Microsoft is apparently delaying the price drop for the Elite while it waits for stock of the Arcade and Elite models to clear out, an electronics retailer said. At the same time, Microsoft has informed retailers of a new Xbox part number being released, though specifics on it are unknown. It is expected to be the new, cheaper Xbox Elite, however. The price drop announcement was widely expected, especially in light of main competitor Sony's recent introduction of a slimmer, cheaper PlayStation 3 gaming console and the price drop of the company's existing products.
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08/18, 8:30pm
250GB PS3 Slim on its way
An FCC filing indicates that Sony has created a 250GB variant of the recently-announced PS3 Slim. Despite efforts to conceal the company name as "Sand Dollar Enterprise, Inc." and the product as a "Computer Entertainment System," the documents were still spotted by PS3 News.
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08/18, 1:40pm
Slim PS3 Official
Sony today confirmed the existence of the slim PlayStation 3. The new console is built on smaller, cooler Cell and RSX processors and as a result shrinks in size by exactly a third and sheds 36 percent of its weight. It further gets a larger 120GB hard drive without sacrificing the existing features of the PS3, including Blu-ray, two USB ports and built-in Wi-Fi.
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08/18, 1:20pm
PS3 3 Firmware
Sony at its Gamescom keynote today expanded some of its non-gaming services with the more formal launch of the 3.0 firmware for the PlayStation 3. The new update has a much improved interface that provides quicker access to the news section (now known as "What's New") as well as to shortcuts to the latest games and other downloads without having to leave the regular XMB front end. Users can also now see messages from friends directly from their profiles instead of having to burrow deeper into the system.
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08/18, 7:30am
FYE and Kmart PS3 Slim Ads
(Update with Kmart pre-order info) A pair of ads uncovered overnight have all but confirmed Sony's plans to launch a slim, low cost PlayStation 3 later today at the gamescom expo in Germany. A visit to the Kmart front page now shows a banner claiming "the rumors are reality" and tout both a lowered price for the PS3 as well as a "new exciting" model. Simultaneously, a poster received in advance at retailer FYE shows the prices on 80GB and 160GB PS3s each dropping by $100 to $300 and $400 respectively, but only "while supplies last."
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08/14, 5:05pm
Euro PS3 Price Cut
Online retailers in Portugal and Spain today may have spoiled Sony's plans for the gamescom expo next week by cutting the price of the PlayStation 3 by at least €100 to about €300. Both are present-day 80GB models, though the Portugese cut by FNAC also bundles the high profile game Infamous at the same time.
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08/12, 3:55pm
Wi-Fi suit targets Apple
A business based in Austin, Texas has filed a new lawsuit through a US District Court, targeting Apple, Sony and Nintendo. Bandspeed accuses the three other companies of violating its Wi-Fi patents, specifically a pair related to choosing a Wi-Fi channel according to signal strength. These are titled Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance, and Approach for managing communications channels based on performance.
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08/12, 1:45pm
Xbox 360 Pro price cut
A leaked image of an ad from a Meijer catalog reveals that Microsoft will indeed, as previously rumored, axe the Xbox Pro model from its lineup. In its place, the top-rung Elite model will get a price drop to just $300. This is also due to take place on August 30th, which is expected to be the date of the Pro's demise.
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08/11, 10:30am
X360 only Netflix Console
Microsoft as part of its just-launched summer Xbox 360 update revealed that it will be the only game console maker to get Netflix movie support. The company explains the deal as an "exclusive partnership" and as such locks out PlayStation 3 and Wii owners from streaming movies and TV shows. Both companies decline to say how long the exclusivity will last.
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08/10, 2:50pm
French Slim PS3 Rumor
French gaming social media site JVN today claimed to have confirmed Sony's slim PlayStation 3 through contacting an unnamed retailer in the country. The source says wholesalers expect the thinner, redesigned model in September and that it should drop exactly 100 Euros to €300. These new systems would come "naked," or without games, but stores haven't been told what's included in the hardware itself; most rumors have a 120GB hard drive as stock.
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08/10, 7:40am
Toshiba BDA Application
Toshiba started the week by revealing that it hopes to join the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The company explained the move as a reaction to "recent growth" in the amount of hardware supporting Blu-ray along with high-enough demand from the public itself. If accepted, the Japanese firm plans to make both Blu-ray movie players, drives for computers and notebooks themselves using the large-capacity format.
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08/04, 10:25am
PS3 80GB Phaseout and Slim
Sony could be in the last stages of winding down existing PlayStation 3 sales in preparation for its slim 120GB version launching soon. A leaked note from a Japanese retailer has the 80GB PS3 unavailable for order after August 9th as the result of a Sony request; the move also asks the store to take down displays advertising the 80GB console. As the 160GB edition isn't sold in Japan, the move would leave the retailer without any PS3s until a future revision.
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07/31, 10:00am
PS3 70pc Cheaper to Make
The PlayStation 3 now costs 70 percent less to make than it did when it originally launched, Sony said Thursday during a conference call for its financial results. While the company wouldn't say how much a PS3 now costs for it to build, original estimates had the system costing $800, or even more than the original $600 launch price for a 60GB model in November 2006. If so, the game console would now cost just $240 while still holding more storage.
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07/30, 2:20pm
Nintendo Hurt by iPhone
Nintendo today encountered a rare setback in its history owed partially to the impact of Apple on its business. The company's profit has dropped a steep 66 percent year-over-year to $426 million and said in a conference call that the iPhone and iPod touch, not Sony's PSP, are having the greatest impact on the performance of the DS and DSi. It also expects its fiscal 2010 profit to drop for the first time in years as a result of the added pressure from Apple's touchscreen devices.
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