via IGN


MTO has a new puzzler on the way for the Japanese version of WiiWare, and one look at the screens should send your cuteness alert wailing.

Titled Minna da Asobou Koinu de Kururin (roughly, Play Together: Kururin as Puppies), this falling blocks puzzler has players select their choice of puppy for a battle on the vertical grid. Pieces consisting of colored puppies fall from the top of the screen, and it's your job to line up like colors. Connect your growing groups of dogs to a like-colored dog-house, and the dogs will all go into the dog house and be cleared from the field.

Kururin offers players a few special moves, which should make multiplayer battles enjoyable. Up to four can compete in local split screen matches. The game does have Wi-Fi Connection support, but only for national rankings.

Japanese Wii owners can look for this latest WiiWare puzzler on October 7 at 500 WiiPoints.


Screenshots ...

via Games Industry


Specialist retailer GameStop has said that it is confident it can meet demand for the Nintendo Wii this Christmas.

Although the retailer stopped short of promising to stock the in-demand console on a daily basis, it did say that supply from Nintendo had increased, with less chance of consumers going away empty handed this year.

...

via Eurogamer


Codemasters is preparing more Xbox 360 and PS3 content for Race Driver: GRID, which will be available to download sometime this autumn.

Inside the upcoming 8 Ball pack will a selection of new cars: McLaren F1 GTR, TVR Cerbera Speed 12, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Honda S2000, Nissan GT-R (S-G2008), VW Nardo, Pontiac Firebird Trans AM and Volvo C30.

We know what a Ford Escort looks like, and a Volvo from the 1980s, but these are beyond us. Apparently Top Gear liked one of them or something. And we quite like Top Gear. Sometimes. [Is it wrong to fancy that little one who nearly blew up - Dep Ed]

All eight of the cars will be available in Race Day mode and can be revved around online - where there will also be a couple of additional events to try. No specifics, unfortunately.

The 8 Ball pack on Xbox 360 will also offer additional Achievements; four, to be precise, totalling 100 Gamerpoints.

Prices are to be announced, as are PC plans. This isn't the only DLC on the way, either, as Codemasters has V8 Supercars poised for the next batch. ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo has confirmed Wii Music will launch in the US on October 20th.

You know, it's the game (OR IS IT A GAME or is it not or is it or DOES IT MATTER) where you get to play all manner of musical instruments using the Wii remote. Videos et cetera can be found on the gamepage.

So when's it out here? No idea. "We've made no announcement for Europe," a spokesperson told us. "This is just for the US." We're guessing it'll arrive in time for Christmas, though. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The PSP video-on-demand service Go!View will allow PSP users to watch highlights to UEFA Champions League and Ryder Cup matches on their portable.

A deal with Sky Sports means the service will be graced with highlights for all 125 Champions League matches.

To get access to it all you'll need to have subscribed to the Sports package on Go!View, which costs £5 per month (or free if it's your first month).

Swing by the Go!View site if you want more specifics. ...

via Kotaku




At this year's Arcade Amusement show in Japan, Taito has resurrected retro title Elevator Action. Dubbed Elevator Action: Death Parade, this isn't a joystick game, but rather, a light-gun arcade game. The cabinet has surround sound and seems to even have elevator doors! The cabinet should hit arcades sometime next year. This cabinet better play elevator music when those doors are shut. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The Tom Clancy line of games are on their way to Wii, Ubisoft big man Yves Guillemot has confirmed.

The Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon series' have been some of the biggest games for the hardcore crowd in the past and current generation, but none have seen the light of day on Wii... yet.


We'll be hoping for more than rehashed ports of old games, though (Price of Persia, we're looking at you). Which of the three would you like to see first? ...

via Eurogamer


Sonic the mutant hedgehog heads the Virtual Console billing today, with the Master System port now available. If only he had stayed on that side of the road.

He's followed by a pair of C64 gems, the first being Boulderdash. This game has had countless sequels and a few remakes along the way - and for good reason: the original formula of digging through caves collecting jewels while avoiding obstacles such as rocks and monsters remains potent.

Jumpman is steeped in even more historical importance, as it was the original name given to Mario in the arcade game Donkey Kong. Jump around platforms defusing bombs, simple. However, as Retro heads will know, this is Epyx's Jumpman, and absolutely nowt to do with Nintendo's platformer. Still. It's a good 'un.

Each of these Virtual Console morsels cost 500 Wii Points, which translates to GBP 3.50 / EUR 5. ...

via Games Industry


The slow performance of home consoles in Asian markets outside of Japan shouldn't be just blamed on piracy, according to Nexon CEO Joonmo Kwon.

Kwon is optimistic that there could be a credible console market in countries such as Korea, provided console manufacturers and publishers take the time to understand the specific demands of the separate regions.

"It's true that the issue of piracy has had adverse effects on the development of the console game market in Asia to a certain extent," offered Kwon in an exclusive interview published today.

"However, as you can see by the consistent growth of the music and movie industries in most Asian territories despite such intellectual property issues, you can't really blame the underdevelopment of the console market solely on piracy."

Kwon detailed the performance of the three home consoles, noting that sales expectations for the Wii were lower than anticipated and that PS3 and Xbox 360 figures only make up a fraction of global sales.

"Microsoft's Xbox 360, which boasts sales of 15 million units worldwide, has only sold 150,000 units in Korea in the past two years," he said.

"Sony's PlayStation 3, which has sold 5.5 million units worldwide, has only sold 50,000 units during the past year in Korea. And the Nintendo Wii, which initially was expected to sell more than 100,000 units in the first month after it was released only sold about 40,000 units for almost two months - and the situation isn't much different in other parts of Asia, except of course for Japan.

"However, despite those numbers, the results aren't all discouraging when you consider that these numbers indicate that there is at least a possibility of a console game market in Asia, where online games traditionally had been completely dominant," he added.

Other encouraging signs are similar to growth areas in the Western market – the increased uptake of handheld consoles and a broadening of the demographic to include female consumers.

"You could even say that the situation is pretty much optimistic in general - the new trend has greatly contributed to the expansion of the game user demographics, capturing wider age ranges, not to mention female groups too," said Kwon.

However, if publishers really want success in Asian markets, Kwon believes they must cater to the local demands, and that means increasing online services in regions that expect such features as standard.

"In almost all parts of Asia, excluding Japan, online games have been leading the market growth since the very early stages of the games industry, which is something that indicates users have a strong preference and attachment for the common characteristics and typical features of online games.

"So for the console game industry to succeed in Asia, unlike in North America or Europe, it's extremely important to set strategies that are specifically suitable for the local market,” said Kwon. “Most Asian gamers are far more used to and attracted by interactive games via network connections, and they've long been enjoying the unique convenience that online games offer - such as being able to download and play a wide variety of games for free with a single account from any PC."

He added: "Games which require specific consoles and extra hardware devices, or are stored in a cartridge or CD/DVD-ROM, are purchasable mostly at offline stores and a new boxed product needs to be purchased for each new game that a person wants to play - all of those things simply make console games less appealing to gamers in Asia."

The full interview with Joonmo Kwon can be read here. ...