Nintendo 3DS

The latest news on the video game front isn't pretty. Media tracker NPD Group's data reveals that industry sales plunged 21% last month. It's clear that the industry is undergoing a radical shift, but for investors, the more important issue is why.

Next week is going to be as eventful as ever on Wall Street. Watch for angry activist investors, gaming unveilings, and big brands being humbled by the numbers they have to report. Here are some of the items that will help shape the week.

Once upon a time, Nintendo was king of the video game consoles, but that day is long gone. Shares of Nintendo hit a five-year low this summer, wiping away any gains from the Wii era, and it took a steep operating loss to boot last quarter. Here's why there are no bonus lives in its future.

Wall St. was at it again last week, providing massive fodder for second-guessers and armchair CEOs. In this installment, we review trouble for non-Apple tablets, a get-rich-quick scheme from ailing Beazer Homes, bad numbers from Quepasa.com, and a shakeup at WalMart.com.

A research firm that tracks video game sales reported that March hardware sales rose, but software sales plunged again. NPD claims that 23% of software sales in 2010 came from apps, but the industry isn't sure that its lagging sales figures can be entirely blamed on apps like Angry Birds.

Nintendo was hammered when it announced that its new product, the 3DS, would miss the holiday shopping season. But the 'miss' may have been intentional, part of the company's strategy to maximize returns on its products.

In Asia Friday Japan's Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.4% to 9,404. Markets in Hong Kong and Shanghai were closed for National Day celebrations.

A small drop in Japanese factory output meant big headaches for manufacturers today as the Nikkei 225 Index fell 2%. China's Shanghai Composite rose 1.7% and in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index inched down 0.1%.

In Asia Thursday Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.4% and China's Shanghai Composite dipped 0.4% after a three-day holiday. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index lost 0.7%.

Nintendo has debuted its much-anticipated 3-D handheld gaming device, 3DS, and has unveiled a list of games to play on it -- along with an ecosystem of games publishers developing more.