Last month, we asked: has Nintendo abandoned its core community? Evidently, the answer is a resounding "no." According to the big N, they are currently developing core gaming franchises that are set to be released in the future. Ok, they're not coming anytime soon, but they are coming. More details in the full article.

Sega may not be the console manufacturing giant that it was in the early to mid-90's, but it's pretty happy where it's at right now. The publisher says it's in a good position to succeed and it's looking at companies like THQ to compete with. The game maker, however, said that it doesn't aim to compete with industry giants just yet. More in the full article.

It looks like there's more bad news from the company that can't seem to acquire Take-Two. Electronic Arts is expected to report US$ 111 million in losses at 33 cents per share. This report is for the quarter which ended on June 30. Find out more after the jump!

A new threat to the Nintendo gaming empire may soon oppose its position atop the consumer food chain. According to an article from Forbes, Apple may eventually have the potential to topple the video game giant in the handheld gaming market with the introduction of its new App Store this Monday. Find out more about this possible David versus Goliath story in our full article after the jump.

That man right there is Japan's richest man. After his top three finish last year, Nintendo's Hiroshi Yamauchi has now claimed the top spot among Japan's billionaires - thanks to the success of the Nintendo Wii and DS. More details after the jump.

We haven't run out of Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) reports as of late (with recent freezing problems and banning in other countries). This only goes to show that as far as popularity goes, GTA IV is on top of the list. But business publication Forbes wants to know if this hype will be enough to give the Nintendo Wii a run for its money. More at the full article.

In this day and age, it would seem that the boundaries of traditional gender roles are blurring, even with regard to electronic gaming. Forbes, for example, has recently picked up on what appears to be a surge of female interest in the casual game market.

If this sounds interesting to you, feel free to turn to the full article after the jump for more on gender-related gaming.

Atari just received a warning from NASDAQ stating it may be delisted for low stock market value. Even after patching things up with FUNimation, it seems the video game company is in the red once more. Find the details at the full article.

Aside from the shortage this coming holidays for the Wii, Nintendo also seems to face a minor case of writer's block. In an E3 interview by Forbes with George Harrison, Vice President of Marketing for Nintendo, we are given a brief but insightful look into the future of the Wii, post-E3.

In the interview, it was revealed that 32% of Wii consumers are aged 25 and above. Harrison explains that this is because that really was the goal of Nintendo's early marketing strategies. Part of the aim of the Wii is it's social aspect and to expand their audience besides the traditional gamer.

However, one of the side effects of developing early games designed to pull in the non-gamer is that there's a lack of games for the hardcore ones. In fact, the Wii has been experiencing a deluge of Mario games which, although fun and entertaining, won't sit well with more experienced gamers who want a bit more variety on their plate. Harrison answers this concern:

In terms of a complete breakaway into new IP - the introduction of brain-games a couple of years ago for the DS was a radical departure. You saw Wii Fit introduced - that was the most unusual game unveiled at E3! In terms of fictional stories - we're augmenting what we do. We're changing our thinking about what defines a viable piece of entertainment software.

Harrison also addresses the concern about the lack of multiplaying capabilities for the Wii. While he admits that the Wii isn't the best choice for MMORPGs, and although Nintendo believes that playing should be more about "socializing together in a physical location," it can still deliver the goods on an "aggressive [multiplayer] game" that is more relevant to the "social aspect in real life."

Nintendo will soon be releasing FIFA 08, Nitrobike, Guitar Hero III, and Mario Kart, all games with online multiplaying. There will also be a bunch of third-party games gracing the Wii soon.

Forbes Asia revealed its list of 40 richest Japanese for the June 18 issue, and numbers show that former Nintendo chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi jumped up a few spots to third place.

Yamauchi's net worth of US$ 4.8 billion doesn't come close to Bill Gates' US$ 56 billion, but the increase in his riches mean something for Nintendo. Thanks to the massive success the Wii and DS are experiencing, Ninty shares have tripled since January 2006. After dominating sales charts across the world, and almost catching up with the 360 even with earlier release advantage, it's no suprise that the greens are rolling.

From a company that used to sell hanafuda cards and run love hotels, Nintendo sure have gone big with the gaming industry. The only guys that topped Yamauchi were Mori Trust (real estate corporation) CEO Akira Mori who came in at first and Softbank (a telecommunications corporation) CEO Masayoshi Son at second place.