via kotaku

Sony may be trailing Nintendo in the handheld sector, but there is one area were Sony clearly dominates—fancy, expensive cases within which to carry your portable of choice. From Emilio Pucci to Porter to Yoshida to Puma, the number of options a fashion conscious PSP owner has is remarkable.

Now, Nintendo is getting into the game, partnering with United Arrows to release a series of pricey DS Lite cases from Briefing, Whitehouse Cox, and United Arrows sub-brand Beauty & Youth. These handsome leather and suede cases range from 8400 yen ($71 USD) to 16800 yen ($142 USD) and are worth every single penny. Or yen. Label whore that I am, I'll humbly request a review sample of each.

More Info ...

via kotaku

The pictures, videos and articles of lines and shortages surrounding Wii restocks in North America makes for compelling viewing. Unfortunately, it also looks like it's leading to some stupid behaviour, with some Australians assuming the shortages in the US translate into shortages globally. Hint: if you read it on CNN, it's probably not local.

Sensing a scam, Australians are snapping up Wiis and selling them off on eBay to crazed, desperate shoppers, often for double the retail price. Only problem is the Wii is available in stores here so long as you a bit of searching, especially at some of the big department stores, and "there are continuous shipments going out from here on", according to Nintendo Australia.

Take a deep breath. There's plenty for everyone ...

Nice contest from Games radar

Ever felt like being a racing driver; an off-road speed demon or a GT ace? Well, now's your chance to experience the thrill of the racetrack - we've teamed up with Ubisoft to offer one lucky winner a copy of Monster 4x4 World Circuit and GT Pro Series, along with copies of Rayman Raving Rabbids and Open Season. And as if that wasn't enough, the prize includes a brand new Wii console to play them on, too. Yowsers!

Of course, you'll also get the groovy plastic steering wheel that comes with GT Pro Series so that you can slot in your Wii-mote and make an instant wireless steering wheel to cane the tracks with on Wii racing games. It's a whole bundle of fun and you could win it. The prize will be sent out in around February or March 2007 so there's still plenty of time to practise your air steering technique with your hands or a plate.

So what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this insanely cool console bundle? Just email us your answer to the following question:

What is the full name of Ubisoft's new Monster Truck racing game for Wii?

a) Big cars going fast
b) Monster 4x4 World Circuit
c) Monster Mash

If you think you know the answer, click here to email us with your answer, name and full address. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 17 January 2007. ...

In a flurry of Virtua Fighter 5 based activity, Sega has not only confirmed the kicker's release date but has unleashed a horde of lovely new screens, too.

So in between treating your eyes with the pleasing plethora of pictures you can bask in the knowledge that developer and publisher Sega has now confirmed that the game will be a launch title when PS3 finally lands in Europe in March.

Also due to appear in the US on 20 February, the fighter features 17 different warriors including two new faces just begging to be bruised. They included El Blaze, a Mexican wrestling champion and Eileen, who uses a Monkey Kung Fu style which she learned from her grandfather, who happened to be a baboon with a black belt.

screens here ...

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has promised that the Wii will not suffer from a lack of software titles as other Nintendo consoles have done in the past.

Speaking to Newsweek, Fils-Aime highlighted three games - Zelda: Twilight Princess ("arguably the best game we've ever made"), Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy - as examples of key titles for the Wii.

He said that Metroid was down for a release "early in 2007", while Mario Galaxy will be "strategically" timed "to make sure that we continue driving momentum through 2007".

"How do I answer the question, "Will there be no drought," and "How will we make sure that there are fantastic titles for Wii?" The answer is Zelda, Metroid and Mario. Which is a pretty darn good lineup," Fils-Aime concluded.

When then asked if he'd repeat George Bush's infamous "read my lips" pledge to deliver games at a steady pace, the NoA president added, "I thought I just did."

Speaking to MTV News recently, Fils-Aime said that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption would be the next big first party title after WarioWare: Smooth Moves (January) and Mario Party 8 (March), while Mario Galaxy would arrive sometime between March and Christmas 2007.

via gibiz ...

Two former Nintendo of America executives are set to be recognised for their contributions to videogaming by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Minoru Arakawa, who was president of NoA, and former chairman Howard Lincoln will be presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the DICE Summit, which takes place in Las Vegas on February 8.

Arakawa was responsible for establishing Nintendo of America in 1980, and remained with the company until 2002. Lincoln's career in gaming began in 1981 when he was hired as a legal advisor for Nintendo, and he also continued to work for the platform holder throughout the following decades.

The awards will be handed over by EA boss Larry Probst, who commented, "Both are pioneers whose contribution to Nintendo and to the game industry has had a profound impact on interactive entertainment. These men personify the industry's highest ideals for integrity, creativity and innovation."

AIAS president Joseph Olin added, "The impact of the work done by Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln can still be felt today. The creation of the licensed publishing model, quality approval for third party games and peripherals, and the fostering of innovative sales and marketing programs, played a significant part of Nintendo's success then, and are at the foundation of the consumer interactive entertainment business."

via gibiz ...

via gibiz

Nintendo has labelled a lawsuit which alleges the company to be engaging in "unfair or deceptive practices" as "completely without merit."

The suit claims the wrist strap for the controller of the recently released Wii console is ineffective for its intended use and Nintendo has breached the warranty of the device.

Filed on December 6th, the suit is seeking to become a class-action, with anyone who has suffered similar problems able to join.

Nintendo has offered an official rebuttal to the lawsuit, stating: "We believe the lawsuit to be completely without merit."

"Nintendo has a long tradition of delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service, and we take all reports from our customers seriously."

"At the time we became aware of the lawsuit, we had already taken appropriate steps to reinforce with consumers the proper use of the Wii Remote and had made stronger replacement wrist straps available. This suit has had no effect on those efforts," said the company.

Shortly after the console was released, Nintendo said that it would investigate clams that the Wii strap was prone to breaking, and last week the company offered to replace the item while insisting the peripheral had passed relevant safety tests.

However, the lawsuit, which was filed in Austin, Texas, seeks a refund or replacement strap, reimbursement of legal fees and "other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper."

"The controller is an essential component of any video game console, and so plaintiff is unable to use the Nintendo Wii for its intended purposes as a result of the broken wrist band. Accordingly, it renders the Wii console, which retails in the United States for $250, useless," details the lawsuit. ...

via eurogamer

EA's Tokyo development studio is working on a DS version of Theme Park, the publisher has confirmed.

The latest incarnation of the popular fairground simulation will, as ever, allow you to create your dream-park and fill it with stomach-churning rides, tacky shops, and 'Butlins' sideshows. It's a familiar description of an old franchise, but EA believes the DS can bring a new, intuitive approach to the series via the touch-screen interface.

"Theme Park is one of EA's long standing properties, and we are excited to breathe new life into the series by bringing it to the NDS platform for the first time ever," said Stan Chow, general manager of EA Japan. "Taking advantage of the unique controls in the NDS, we are able to create an easy-to-pick-up game that will have the depth to satisfy fans of the series, and also be accessible to lighter and new gamers with its user-friendly controls."

The game is due for release in spring 2007. ...

The high price of the PS3, along with the retail practice of bundling the console with software, has lead to a glut of stock online, claims tracking firm NotifyWire.

The company believes the fervour greeting the console launch has already slowed, with gamers put off by forced software and hardware bundles which in some cases can see the retail price doubled.

via eurogamer ...