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by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:34
And for once, it looks like it's all true. Breaking news in the US, all of which was pulled after being made public earlier today, posits definite launch dates, price and further launch details on Nintendo's Wii, without doubt the most secretive emerging console in videogaming's short history.
Price has been set at $229, somewhat higher than many had hoped and a price no doubt inflated by Nintendo on the back of Sony's $600 PlayStation 3 demand. A cynical, if totally expected, move from Nintendo which we predict will be turning a profit on every hardware unit from day one on sale.
Two launch dates (territory unspecified) were offered - November 2 and November 12. It appears third-parties are working to two different sets of Nintendo-issued guidelines. At time of going to press, we have no idea which is the most recently issued.
Two colour options will be available day one, black and white. Other colours will follow during phase two of launch, probably after four months of general Wii release.
According to IGN, an outlet that had published the mass leak only to pull it, presumably at Nintendo's request: "Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to 5.5 million units by the end of the year, a significant upgrade to previous numbers. The jump is purportedly based on the positive reaction to Wii from press and industry analysts at E3 2006.
The same report also stated that: "IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo hand-held -- presumably one that plays GameCube discs." SPOnG has had a handle on Nintendo's push towards a portable GameCube player for well over a year now. We are more than pleased such a device is seemingly nearing an official announcement. ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:27
News from Play Asia:
Weekly Special: Capcom's Gameboy Advance™ platform action game RockMan Zero 2 at US$ 9.90 only - offer valid for 1 week
RockMan fans rejoice! The blaster-slingin' blue bomber is back on the GBA™ in RockMan Zero 2.
Recent RockMan 2-D action games have proven to be top-notch 2D side-scrollers, and have also earned a reputation for being incredibly challenging. RockMan Zero 2 lives up to its legacy in both categories--it's a beautifully-designed game packed with intense, fiendishly-challenging gameplay.
The story of RockMan Zero 2 centers on the cyborg Zero's continuing attempt to battle the anti-reploid organization Neo Arcadia. A year has passed since the last adventure, and Zero searches for Ciel and the resistance fighters. Little does Zero know that he's about to be a pawn in an elaborate scheme to cause turmoil between reploids and humans.
Capcom's Gameboy Advance™ platform action game RockMan Zero 2 (aka. Mega Man Zero 2) is now available at discounted US$ 9.90 only.
More info ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:25
During a recent games convention in São Paulo, Brazil , a representative of Lamatel (Nintendo's Latin American distributor) announced that Wii will be released in Brazil during the first week of December to the tune of 1,400–1,500 Brazilian reais (roughly $640–$690). Ouch! That smarts more than a hot Brazilian wax! Not that we ... I mean ... it was just a team bonding experience ... it's not like ... oh, never mind.
But seriously, at that rate, who's buying? Just import. Of course, you may want to add some games to that overseas order. So far, only Twilight Princess is confirmed for launch in Brazil. ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:24
Great article from Modojo, heres an excerpt:
Ever since it was revealed, Nokia's N-Gage has been the butt of jokes from gamers all across the world. From its awkward, taco-shaped style, to the dorky side-talking design, the N-Gage seemed destined to fail before it even hit the market. But even with a system redesign, and Nokia's determination to succeed and appeal to gamers, the N-Gage was simply unable to make its mark. Now, after nearly three years since its debut, the N-Gage platform has finally died, with support dropped not only by third parties, but from Nokia themselves. While Nokia still has plans for the N-Gage name (something that should resurface in 2007) the poor old N-Gage as a closed platform has all but been abandoned.
However, many gamers have found that the best time to give a system a chance is during its death throes. The N-Gage is no exception. The system initially failed because there were far too many dry spells during the systems lifespan, with only a little over 50 games released for the platform over the course of three years. It was easy to see why being an N-Gage owner didn't always seem like a smart decision. But now that the system has shown everything it has to offer, the laggards can finally move in on a quality piece of equipment while losing little out of their wallets.
Why the N-Gage you might ask? It might be hard to look at what appears to be an outdated electronic with all the new flashy gaming devices now in days. For one thing you have the DS (and more recently the DS Lite) continuing to "wow" gamers with innovative game design, and then Sony is making their mark by providing gamers with a console-like experience on the go. Heck even the archaic Game Boy was given a sexy redesign with the Micro.
So where does Nokia fit in? Like most mobile games you find on phones, the game design often revolves around the idea of "pick up and play" format. Rather then being engaged with a massive and deep story line in, say, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth or complicated and complex control schemes such as Metroid Prime Hunters, the majority of the N-Gage library is built around being able to play a quick five minutes of gaming while, for instance, sitting in a waiting room for your doctor's appointment. This instant gratification is becoming scarce on the current handhelds (to a lesser extent with the GBA). That's not to say the N-Gage doesn't have deep titles however - even with a small library of games you can get the best of both worlds.
Full Article ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:21
For several minutes, in fact. Earlier today, IGN's Matt Casamassina posted an article that served to round up several wily Wii rumors, including the usual price ($229) and launch date (2 Nov. or 12 Nov.) suspects. More interesting, however, was the indication given by mysterious sources that IBM was in the process of shrinking and slowing down the Wii's Broadway chip for a "future Nintendo handheld -- presumably one that plays Gamecube discs."
Before the rumor managed to fully set in and plunge the masses into unyielding seizures of delight, the article was promptly pulled from the site and replaced by a decidedly unhelpful update. "At the request of our sources, who do not wish to go to jail this week, we have temporarily removed the Wii rumors piece that was posted earlier." Apparently, the oppressive and joyless Nintendo police were none too pleased with people blabbering about portable Gamecubes to IGN. When the article reappeared, all mention of it had been removed, spirited away to some great rumor recycle bin (send our love to the holographic projector).
Perhaps that's all there is to this story -- there is no portable Gamecube and the article's editing serves no purpose other than to make it more accurate. Of course, when an article is admittedly based entirely on whispered secrets and industry murmurings, why yank it just to edit out one rumor in particular? Or could it be another high-larious prank devised by Matt's IGN pals? Time will tell, though we'd rather it be an impatient and stocky time attending the Leipzig Games Convention.
Screen Via Comments ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:19
Via Washingtonpost
So what is it about Mario?
The portly plumber who's out to save Mushroom Kingdom and maybe get a kiss from the princess is still hopping, jumping, stomping his way from the original "Super Mario Bros." (released in 1985) to the latest "New Super Mario Bros." (released in May). He's still the friendly Everyman, still in the same red-and-blue overalls, still sporting the same mustached, rosy-cheeked, aw-shucks look.
And he's the most popular game character among 9-to-12-year-olds, says the NPD Group, which tracks game sales in the United States.
"Mario never gets old, kind of like James Bond," says Michael Pachter, a game analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. "And who doesn't think James Bond is cool?"
Twenty-five years after his debut, Mario is the angelic, lovable, all-too-recognizable face of the best-selling video game franchise ever, racking up sales of nearly $2.3 billion in the United States -- and that's only since 1995, as far back as NPD data go. There are currently more than 50 Mario-related games in the market. And the best ones attract tweens who are old enough to appreciate the games' complexity and beauty -- pipes that lead to secret mazes! Mushrooms that double your size! -- but young enough to want to have pure, easy, harmless fun. Who wouldn't want to break a brick by bopping it with your head?
It also doesn't hurt that many parents of these tweens, head-boppers themselves, have grown up playing Mario.
It's all Mario, all Nintendo, all the time at the Palamore residence in Arlington, where it's not entirely clear who's the biggest Mario fan.
Is it 8-year-old Matthew, who proudly declares, "I have Mario's voice," and spontaneously says " Mamma mia! "? Or Curtis, 10, who goes on and on about "Super Mario Sunshine"? Or 12-year-old Chris, who can't decide which of the family's eight Mario games is his favorite?
Or is it Brad -- the boys' 30-year-old dad, a minister at the Arlington Church of Christ -- who jokingly introduces himself as "Luigi" and has very fond memories of a five-day binge of pizza and "Super Mario Bros." on his Nintendo Entertainment System when he was 10?
"The thing about Mario is, you can play it with your kids," says Brad Palamore, a self-described "Nintendo dad." "You don't have to worry about what they're seeing on the screen because as a kid yourself, you've seen what goes on in a Mario game."
Mario is the creation of the legendary Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, also the man behind Donkey Kong. In the early 1980s, Mario was known as Jumpman, Donkey Kong's nemesis in an arcade game. But when Jumpman proved to be as popular as Kong, he transformed into Mario, the middle-aged plumber with a heart of gold. He's Tony Soprano but gentler, Tony Danza but cuter, Mickey Mouse but Italian by way of Japan, with a posse that includes Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach, et al. (It's been reported that the name is a homage to Mario Regale, the former landlord of Nintendo's warehouse in Redmond, Wash.) He's starred in "Super Mario Brothers," his very own live-action 1993 movie, and has appeared on "The Simpsons," playing an Italian tourist. He's the omnipresent mascot of Nintendo, which this fall will release Wii, its new game console, and if all goes well, a new game called "Super Mario Galaxy" with it.
"It's Mario's games that have made him so universally famous. 'Super Mario Bros. 3' is still my all-time favorite video game today. It's got such inventiveness -- not too simple, not too frustrating," says Dan Hsu, editor of Electronic Gaming Monthly. "Mario's games are consistently good. That's why the man is where he's at today."
There's a Mario game in practically every flavor and genre -- sports ("Mario Tennis: Power Tour"), racing ("Mario Kart: Double Dash!!"), adventure ("Mario Party 7") -- and like "The Sims," the hugely successful PC franchise, Mario has proven to be girl-friendly too.
The game world, like other entertainment media, is an industry built on brand loyalty -- there are "Legend of Zelda" people, "Final Fantasy" people, "Madden NFL" people, "Halo" people, "Grand Theft Auto" people and the folks who sweat and swear and live by "World of Warcraft." Then there are Mario people like Michael Koyfman. Five years ago, at age 12, Koyfman started his own Web site, the Super Mario Fan Club ( http://www.smfc.us/ ). The club has 239 members.
Koyfman, 17, who will be a senior at John A. Rowland High School in Los Angeles County in the fall, says he got hooked on Mario 10 years ago and still takes the time each day to play one of his 30 Mario games -- "Mario Kart DS" and "Super Smash Bros. Melee" are his favs -- save Mushroom Kingdom and kiss the princess.
"I guess I should be getting tired of the games now, but I'm not." ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:16
A special collector's edition of the classic board game Monopoly has been created that stars the finest heroes and villains from various Nintendo games.
Mario, Luigi, Link and Kirby all appear on the board, with the two moustachioed brothers taking up the prized Park Lane and Mayfair squares. Even the pieces you guide around the board have been Nintendoed, with Mario's cap, Link's iron boots, Donkey Kong's barrel, a Hylian shield and a Koopa shell all having been recreated in pewter.
The board game is currently available on this US website for $35.95 (about £19).
Screenshot Via Comments ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:11
News via Gamesindustry
THQ's animated movie tie-in is keeping well ahead of the pack for a second week on the run, overtaking the opposition on PS2, PSP, Xbox, GameCube and GBA - with PC and DS versions catching up fast.
The movie might be getting mixed reviews, but consumers are racing to the stores to buy Cars the game, sales of which are currently outstripping the competition across the board.
Rockstar has managed to steal another week in second place with GTA: Vice City Stories and the world's most popular plumbers are still bottom-bouncing their way around third place, despite a 5 per cent sales drop for New Super Mario Bros. on the DS.
The grey matter continues to be tested as Dr Kawashima's Brain Training enjoys a 3 per cent sales spike and climbs from fifth into fourth place, while Big Brain Academy enters the lecture hall late and just misses a top ten entry at number 12.
The goals keep coming at retail for Konami, with Pro Evolution Soccer 5 climbing two places to number five, followed by the return of an old favourite as retail promotions push the original version of The Sims into sixth position.
Disney and Ubisoft continue to plunder the lower depths of the chart with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow in seventh and ninth place respectively. EA's The Sims 2 is sandwiched between the two for another week in eighth place.
Sony roars into the bottom of the charts with Formula 1 '06, making roadkill of Activision's Over The Hedge - which slips out of the top ten and into eleventh place.
The bulk of the new entries in the top 40 chart this week relate to summer retail promotions, with several budget PC titles entering at 17-19, and Sony's SingStar Anthems hiding in the shadows at number 20.
Elsewhere in the charts, Finding Nemo swims back in at 26, The Incredibles slink back into their costumes at 33 and LucasArts continues its assault on outer space with Star Wars: Battlefront II charging in at 36. ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:08
New commercial DS Game released:
A pachislot simulator based on the very popular anime series Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star).
More info / buy here--> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793 ...by Published on August 8th, 2006 17:07
New commercial game released for PSP:
A pachislot simulator based on the very popular anime series Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star).
More info / buy here --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?cat...ucts_id=9281&# ...- Search DCEmu
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