Nintendo Wii

Reggie Fils-Aime Says Wii Vitality Sensor Needs Software To Be Understood

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:38:14 +0100

I'm the first to admit that I had a complete ‘WTF' moment when the Vitality Sensor was announced. I was even so bold as to create a post titled ‘Wii Vitality Sensor - Worst Nintendo Idea Ever?'. In an interview with FastCompany.com, Reggie Fils-Aime has come out and told gamers like me to chill out, and wait for some software to be announced before passing judgement.

Ok, Reggie I'll chill for a bit...but that software better be killer.

Here's an excerpt from the interview; click here to read it in its entirety:

Going back to the Wii Vitality Sensors and looking at how one might use it, I've used those sorts of sensors for relaxation, and heart rate monitoring. I get the potential for meditation, fitness, that kind of stuff. But thinking about this for traditional video games, it seems like depending on where it's placed, it might take one hand out of play–

Fils-Aime - Good thing we have a one handed remote.

[Laughs] You thought ahead. I know you can't talk about specific video games but do you see that as a barrier to building a traditional video game that also monitors a player's heart rate?

Fils-Aime - So what I can tell you is this. You and I probably had a very similar conversation when we first showed the Nintendo DS: how is it going to work, why a touch screen, voice activation–I don't get it. We probably had a similar conversation about the Wii Remote: how is this going to work, how is it going to work with the video games that I want to play–I don't get it. Now I'm hearing something similar for the Wii Vitality Sensor. And all I can tell you is, with the video game developers that we have, we will bring forth an experience that you will say, “Wow, I get it.”

Until you have that software, it's tough to understand. If I told you that you would be standing on an oversized bathroom scale, and having fun doing it, you probably would have said, “Reggie, I don't get it.” And yet here we are with the balance board arguably as the third largest development platform across the globe.

So I'm lacking imagination?

Fils-Aime - And you're lacking the specific software example that undoubtedly will show exactly how it comes to life.

At this year's show, in the case of the Wii Vitality Sensor, you showed an image of what it might look like, and explained how it might work, but you didn't show anything playable. When you look at what your competitors did, and their decision to show some tech demos of varying degrees of polish–or some might say the lack thereof–is that something you think about? That when it comes to capturing the imagination of consumers, it may be dangerous to show this stuff publicly when it's not ready for prime time?

Fils-Aime - N'Gai, I hear you, and we debate this a lot. In this case we believed that was important, especially in the critical role that Mr. Iwata plays in our company, for him to showcase in our view an example of the future, and doing it in a way that is not 100% product centric, but doing it in a much more conceptual way. And it's a choice that we make, and we make those types of choices every year as we structure our press conferences.

But the fact is that Nintendo will continue to push the envelope on what a gaming experience is. Now, we're doing that, because as we showed, there are a 150 million consumers in the markets that we do business, that say they'd be interested in videogames if they had the right content, but today don't play. Those are the consumers that we believe something like the Vitality Sensor with the right software could compel to get in the video game.

Hilarious Madden 2010 Video Leads To Me Pondering

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:38:09 +0100

I've always had this thought, and it took this hilarious video from Dan Wilbur of Philoso-Wii to provide me an avenue to unleash it. Why do we need commentators from real sports calling our virtual video games? As you think about the question, I'll provide my thoughts on the situation.

Back in 2004, playin NCAA Football 2005 (Go UK) I remember hearing Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit calling the action in my video games. While their lines made sense, there was always this feeling of disingenuous line reading. There's a good reason for that. They're sports commentators, not voice actors. They call action as they see it happening on screen, not reading lines in a sound studio trying to imagine what's occurring on the field. Which leads to my next question...

Why can't we have voice actors doing commentating for video games?

Granted, not every voice actor is skillful but they sound much better than actual announcers. Take Scott Van Pelt in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for example. He's one of my favorite reporters on ESPN, but playin Tiger Woods I want punch him in the teeth. The main reason is because his commentating seems so forced and lacks any fervor at all. Wilbur's video furthers my point, as there's so much dialogue in sports video games that the announcers sound like robots from time to time. Not very immersive at all.

Oh, enjoy the video. It's pretty funny, and dare I say that it would be awesome to have some NBA Jam sound bites in Madden 2010...

Big Blue Bubble developing Warlock of Firetop Mountain for DS

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:38:11 +0100

Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble is working on an action RPG for the DS named "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain." Sound familiar? Some of you may recognize it as the first book in Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy book series -- portable gaming for the pre-Gameboy crowd. This video game, based on the book, will be published by Aspyr Media and will release this holiday season.

Jackson and Livingstone have both been involved with the project, helping Big Blue Bubble nail the look and feel of the Fighting Fantasy universe. While the last Fighting Fantasy book to be made into a videogame, Deathtrap Dungeon, wasn't particular successful -- or good -- Warlock of Firetop Mountain looks to remain much more faithful to the book. Hey, video games industry. You know what else would make a good transition from book to video game? The Lone Wolf series. You should get on that.

Big Blue Bubble developing Warlock of Firetop Mountain for DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scribblenauts could come to other platforms

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:38:13 +0100

It's a scientific fact that 100 percent of people on Earth love Scribblenauts -- trust us, an actual scientist said that -- unfortunately, not everyone owns a Nintendo DS. Sure, almost everyone owns a DS, but that still leaves a small sliver of humanity who will be unable to experience 5th Cell's wordy puzzler whenever it hits store shelves this September.

Fortunately for this minuscule contingency, there's a chance Scribblenauts could be released on other platforms. In a recent interview with VG247, the video game's technical director, Marius Fahlbusch, explained, "We never limited ourselves to the DS as platform in our heads and we'll see what the future holds." Personally, we think it would be a hit on any platform, whether that platform be Xbox 360, PS3 or coloring book.

Scribblenauts could come to other platforms originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo sneaking a new Chibi-Robo game out this month

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:38:14 +0100

Nintendo has released a trailer for its latest Chibi-Robo sequel for the DS. Called Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Osouji! (Welcome home, Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Big Cleanup), the third Chibi-Robo video game returns to the house-cleaning gameplay found in Skip's original GameCube video game.

The new video game takes place in the home of a grown-up version of Jenny, the frog-obsessed little girl from the original video game. Chibi-Robo sweeps, vacuums, scrubs with a toothbrush, and sifts through dust to find gems, which he trades for money that can be used to buy things from a home shopping channel.

Happy Rich Cleanup is coming out in Japan on July 23, which seems really soon! See the trailer after the break, and see short video clips of the video game here.

Continue reading Nintendo sneaking a new Chibi-Robo video game out this month

Nintendo sneaking a new Chibi-Robo video game out this month originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:38:15 +0100

click to enlarge

We stopped by Ubisoft's San Francisco offices late last week to spend more time with its upcoming Nintendo platform lineup. Although we'd played many of the same video games -- at the same stage of development -- during E3, now was the time to really focus on details. So, first up was Red Steel 2, a video game that initially had us smitten with its manga-esque East-meets-West visual style, but failed to impress once we took hold of its controls.

So, once again, we were faced with the extremely short demo / gameplay primer Ubisoft had created for last month's trade show. This second look didn't leave us any more enamored with the mix of sword slashing and pistol shooting, but we were able to get a better idea of exactly what didn't feel right. At the same time, we came away even more impressed by the video game from a visual standpoint than when we'd first seen it in action.

Continue reading Hands-on: Red Steel 2

Hands-on: Red Steel 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip: Core becomes 100th WiiWare game

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:38:10 +0100

Folks, it's time to break out the party hats and noise makers because, just as expected, Bit.Trip: Core is the 100th WiIWare video game to release on the service. Why, we remember our little pal doing finger paintings and learning to ride a bike like it was yesterday. They grow up so fast!

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip: Core becomes 100th WiiWare video game

NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip: Core becomes 100th WiiWare video game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is how you make a portable SNES

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:38:10 +0100

We often want to play SNES, but our busy up-and-go lifestyle of blogging for Joystiq doesn't allow it. Thankfully, a modder over at Retroactive.be came up with a solution: the portable SNES you see above. Sure, it's not our first time seeing such a mod, but it is definitely one of the most stylish. Why, we haven't been so blown away since we've seen this same mod made out of wood!

Head past the break for a video showing off the device, then hit up our gallery below for some other impressive retro mods.

[Via Pocket Gamer]

Gallery: Retro Mods

Continue reading This is how you make a portable SNES

This is how you make a portable SNES originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Weekly: Green Day and Mayhem Pack

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:37:15 +0100

Next week's Rock Band Weekly brings the announced 3-pack from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown album. The tracks are apparently the first offerings from an "exclusive partnership" between Harmonix and Warner Music to bring the band's songs to the platform. Green Day isn't even the angriest band this week ...

Green Day Pack (440 / $5.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece)

"21 Guns" (160 / $2)
"East Jesus Nowhere" (160 / $2)
"Know Your Enemy" (160 / $2)

Mayhem Pack (1080 / $13.50/ 200 Wii Points apiece)

"Conquer All" -- Behemoth (160 / $2)
"What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse" -- Black Dahlia Murder (160 / $2)
"Hammer Smashed Face" -- Cannibal Corpse (160 / $2)
"Empire of the Gun" -- God Forbid (160 / $2)
"Embedded" -- Job for a Cowboy (160 / $2)
"Disposable Teens" -- Marilyn Manson (160 / $2)
"Black Magic" -- Slayer (160 / $2)
"This Is Exile" -- Whitechapel (160 / $2)

All tracks are original masters and are available for download next Tuesday on Xbox 360 and Wii. They make their way over to PS3 on Thursday.

Rock Band Weekly: Green Day and Mayhem Pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dead Space Extraction box art is terrified and screaming

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:37:46 +0100

The guys at Visceral video games have revealed the box art for the upcoming Wiixclusive Dead Space prequel, Dead Space Extraction. This time, there's no sign of Isaac or his iconic space suit. Instead, it consists of a terrified and screaming woman protecting a man from evil space beasties -- an ultimately futile battle if the events of the first video game are anything to go by.

We're all for equal opportunities in the space monster-battling workplace, but this terrified and screaming woman is using Isaac's plasma cutter -- is she a space-engineer too? We suppose anything will do when you're terrified and screaming for your life. Try not to look at the artwork too long, you might get the image of that poor woman's face stuck in your head, like we have ...

Dead Space Extraction box art is terrified and screaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suda 51: next No More Heroes won't be on Wii

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:37:14 +0100

Awesome news for No More Heroes fans: creator Suda 51 told Edge that he wants to continue the series. "I really want to make NMH a big franchise," he said, "and with this second episode have bigger success."

Slightly less awesome news for certain No More Heroes fans: if the series does continue past Desperate Struggle, it probably won't be on the Wii. "I think this is the last NMH that is going to be developed on Wii," Suda said. "To expand NMH to new possibilities, we need a new platform. Wii is a great platform, but we've done everything we can with it now."

Recent comments from Suda suggest that he's looking toward the Natal-enhanced Xbox 360 for at least one future project -- and No More Heroes was originally planned as a 360 video game. Perhaps he's realized that charging Travis Touchdown's beam saber could be made even more embarrassing without a Wiimote prop.

In any case, it may be a bummer for Wii-only gamers, but at least if No More Heroes comes out on one of the other consoles, the "hardcore" types will be able to admit it's wonderful without having to say something nice about the Wii.

Suda 51: next No More Heroes won't be on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: EA cancels Wii Brutal Legend that might not even have existed [update]

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:37:45 +0100

[Update: EA's response: "Br�tal Legend was never announced for the Wii." That's ... true ...]

Remember the rumored Wii version of Br�tal Legend? It was rumored that EA planned to release a Wii version of the video game, developed by someone other than Double Fine. The very mention of the project made Tim Schafer uncomfortable.

According to Destructoid, that Wii release, which we don't even know was real to start with, has been canceled. "Word has it that quality assurance testers who moved from Electronic Arts to Double Fine were recently let go," Destructoid notes, "after the demise of the project left their services unnecessary."

Whether the video game was real and canceled or never existed at all, the net effect would seem to be the same: no Br�tal Legend video game on Wii. If it really was so bad that EA decided to cancel the project, we can only feel grateful that the company didn't subject Wii fans to the kind of embarrassment we had to endure whenever a screenshot of the Wii Dead Rising came out.

Rumor: EA cancels Wii Brutal Legend that might not even have existed [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget gets in-depth with the Wii MotionPlus

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:37:12 +0100

Like trying to watch a foreign language film on a tiny TV, it seems that our buddies at Engadget can't figure out if they've got problems with the Wii MotionPlus technology, or just the way it's being used. The site recently did an exhaustive hands-on with Nintendo's new add-on, the fruits of which you can see here.

The best implementation/demonstration for the super-sensitive tech seems to be manipulating an e-frisbee in 3D space, which is almost too precious and appropriate for our brains to comprehend.

Engadget gets in-depth with the Wii MotionPlus originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver hitting Japan Sept. 12

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:37:09 +0100

Yes, the once-vague "fall" launch window for the pedometer-infused pok�remakes, Pok�mon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, has evolved into a much more specific Japanese release date of September 12. The video game will be catchable if you've got 4,980 yen ($50) to spare, which seems an exorbitant price, but is actually the standard cost of Pok�mon titles in Japan, thanks to that completely unwarranted Adorability Tax.

North America hasn't gotten a release date or price for the remakes -- probably because Nintendo has yet to formally announce the video games in the States -- but we'll let you know when it finally does. You'll know which post contains this announcement, because it'll be written in bold all-caps to reflect our uncontrollable excitement.

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver hitting Japan Sept. 12 originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Megan Fox On Gaming, and The Nintendo Wii

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:37:47 +0100

Earlier in the week, I called out Shia Labeouf's fanboyistic mentality towards the Nintendo Wii. Fast forward to today, and there's another Transformers star who has mentioned the Nintendo Wii in an interview. If the picture or post title didn't give away who it is, let's say the person sounds much more adept and intelligent towards gaming, and is someone who's picture I enjoyed putting on the site.

Of course, I'm speaking of Megan Fox. You know, the actress who took the entire young male 15-30 demographic by storm in the first Transformers movie.

Megan Fox was interviewed by WhatTheyPlay, and after reading the interview I hold a new found respect for the actress. She was first asked what video games she played while growing up,

Megan Fox: My first gaming console was the Super Nintendo when I was about nine, and my first video game was Aladdin. I remember playin that as a wee child. I've always really loved videogames. Some of them, unfortunately, I'm not very good at playin, but some of them I'm kind of a badass at.

Aladdin. On the Super Nintendo. I couldn't have thought of a better answer. I honestly had forgotten about the video game, but it's definitely a title worthy of respect. Aladdin and Lion King were both quality play throughs, and I recommend you try to find both.

Moving on, Fox then mentions her love of Mortal Kombat and how she can kick many people's asses whilst playin. Things really got interesting in the interview, when the topic of conversation turned to the Nintendo Wii. Here's some of it...

What are your thoughts on all of the videogames for girls they're releasing these days?

Megan Fox: Like what?

Like Wii Fit.

Megan Fox: Why is Wii Fit for girls?

Because it's all about Yoga and stuff.

Megan Fox: And yoga is about girls? I know who would disagree with that statement. Sting. Sting would tell you that's not true. That's why his ass looks the way it does. He's done years of yoga.

I'm not a huge Sting fan, but she makes a valid point. What does constitute a video game ‘made for girls'? Well, Fox has some insight into that question as well...

Megan Fox: I think it's all relative. What is a girl videogame and what is not is relative to the type of girl that you are. I think the reason more girls are into gaming is because parents are buying girls more video game consoles. And giving them the access to videogames. Maybe a few years ago it wasn't that way.

She goes on in the interview to talk about how the Wii is making video games active, and that it's a good direction to take. Apparently, she's a huge Lego Star Wars fan as well. Better brush up on your saber/laser blaster skills.

I'm not completely sure what the purpose was for writing this article. Part of it was posting the picture I must admit. However, Fox's interview was a breath of fresh air. First, it was nice to read a celebrity interview about gaming that felt natural. It never read like that she was stumbling around trying to relate to gamers. Also, her statement about ‘girl videogames' speaks volumes. I can tell you the more female gamers I meet, the more I find they're playin the same titles I am. Let's keep building those bridges

The next gender gaming problem: Make playin online less like getting hit on at a bar for the ladies. Nothing is more sad than to go online and have a girl/woman talking on the microphone, and having that followed by 5-8 dudes fumbling around trying to hit on her. Or in the worst case scenario, harass her.

So sad. Thoughts on Megan Fox's statement? How has your views towards the fairer sex playin video games changed throughout the years?

SaGa 2 remake arrives in Japan this September with limited edition DSi

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:37:11 +0100

Square Enix announced a Japanese release date for Matrix Software's DS remake of SaGa 2 (Final Fantasy Legend II): September 17. The remake is getting the same kind of treatment from Square that any major DS RPG would -- by which we mean Square is charging a lot for it and releasing an even more expensive limited edition.

Though the company has yet to reveal the design, a limited-edition SaGa 20th Anniversary DSi system will be available on the video game's release date, for 24,880 yen ($261). It's a good idea for Square Enix to release this limited edition and celebrate this milestone with this particular SaGa video game, as ... people like this one.

Gallery: SaGa 2

[Via Siliconera]

SaGa 2 remake arrives in Japan this September with limited edition DSi originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metroid Prime Trilogy packaging cooler than a Chozo suit

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:37:50 +0100

Click image to morph into gallery

We just got sent the box art for the upcoming Metroid Prime Trilogy and, wow, it's really nice. Featuring a badass Samus-adorned metal case, the box art is about as cool and futuristic as the retooled Metroid Prime content located on its disc. In addition to the metal case, the Wii Trilogy will also include a "special Metroid Prime Trilogy artbook." Looks like Nintendo's managed to weasel out another $50 out of us, huh? We'd go on more about it, but then that would keep you from going into our gallery below and checking out the various shots for yourself.

Metroid Prime Trilogy packaging cooler than a Chozo suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Conduit Receives First Review

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:37:10 +0100

The FPS title you've all been waiting for, The Conduit, releases next week. IGN of course already has a review posted, and everything is sounding positive so far...

It's not revolutionary, but the Conduit is a great first-person shooter designed just for Wii owners. While the video game does not turn the genre upside-down, it is innovative in certain areas — for example, it features the most customizable, precise and enjoyable controls of any console shooter created, hands down. Meanwhile, the technology powering the experience is leaps and bounds ahead of most third- party offerings for Nintendo's system. Combined, you've got a video game that controls flawlessly and looks great. If you're okay with a few presentational cliches — a story involving aliens that seems played out — and a shooting experience that rarely strays from straightforward running and gunning, you're probably going to love the end product. If, on the other hand, you own another system, nothing The Conduit offers, fantastic controls aside, will seem extraordinary. Supposing you are a single console owner, though, High Voltage's shooter not only delivers a fun single-player quest, but an engaging online mode that will keep you fragging complete with WiiSpeak support for months to come.

or if you can't be bothered to read a review, here's a video review from IGN as well...

The Conduit at IGN.com

Preview the Flipnote Studio site

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:37:47 +0100

The Japanese version of Flipnote Studio, called Ugoku Memo-Chou, integrates with a special version of Japan's Hatena blog site, allowing users to upload, share, and view videos made using the DSiWare animation app. Soon after the launch of the Japanese site, Hatena put up a partially translated version of the Ugomemo Hatena site as a preview of the eventual North American version.

The site has been somewhat of a work-in-progress since then, with some extra pages translated, including the explanation of the premium Ugomemo Hatena Plus service, and some content remaining in Japanese. It's a sign that we'll be able to share our insane sprite sheet flip books and cute Mario animations immediately after the service launches, whenever that happens.

[Via GoNintendo]

Preview the Flipnote Studio site originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retailers list DJ Hero for $120, handful of other Activision titles detailed

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:37:10 +0100

Pegging the release date of DJ Hero as October 27, GameStop is listing the video game with a $120 price tag across all consoles -- turntable peripheral in-tow. While we are, at very best, suspicious of any release dates or price tags attached to retailer listings, both GameStop and Amazon have details on not just DJ Hero, but also Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero and, strangely, Modern Warfare 2 (in Collector's Edition form, priced at $80). Those with a keen eye and a nose for all things "exploitable" will note that these titles all come from mega-publisher Activision, making us wonder if the company has simply released the information to retail before anyone else.

Considering the price for Tony Hawk Ride (and its living room-destroying peripheral of $120), a precedent for unproven peripheral pricing has certainly been set. We've asked for comment from Activision regarding the release dates and pricing, though had yet to hear back as of publishing.

Retailers list DJ Hero for $120, handful of other Activision titles detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you'll need it: the Wii MotionPlus instructional video

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:38:01 +0100

With the release of the Wii MotionPlus, Nintendo has apparently placed how-to videos with applicable video games to instruct its customer base on how to attach the accessory. Destructoid took the opportunity to upload the video, which walks a fine line between airplane emergency video and a tape that would be played in "health" class.

Dtoid notes that the real horror is that once the 3-minute video starts ... there's no way to exit (not even the glorious Wiimote's Home button will save you). So, if you really need to know how to shove, slide and thread your components inside the Wii prophylactic, please feel free to watch the video after the break.

Continue reading We know you'll need it: the Wii MotionPlus instructional video

We know you'll need it: the Wii MotionPlus instructional video originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game Developer Research lists 'Top 50 Developers' of 2009

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:37:09 +0100

video game Developer magazine (and its brainy video game Developer Research division) recently published its second annual enumerated accolades for the fine folks who make the video games that you crudely jam into your home entertainment consoles -- or, in layman's terms, the "Top 50 Developers 2009" report. The rankings are based on how many video games a studio created, the sales for those video games, and their metacritic ratings. Quality of box art and amount of 'tude possessed by the video games' protagonists, however, were not taken into consideration.

The results are utterly shocking -- for the second year in a row, Nintendo took top honors, with fellow money-printing organization Blizzard taking second place. Ubisoft Montreal skyrocketed from 12th place in the '08 report to third place in the most recent rankings. Regardless of your fanboyism for a certain developer, we think we can all agree -- in such a financially (and employmentmentally) challenging time, we're just glad to hear there's at least 50 video game developers that haven't been forced to shut down.

The full list is posted after the jump.

[Thanks, Braz!]

Continue reading video game Developer Research lists 'Top 50 Developers' of 2009

Game Developer Research lists 'Top 50 Developers' of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii viewed as 'intriguing' to BioWare

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:37:46 +0100

Speaking to IndustryGamers.com, BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka said that the renowned RPG dev is "intrigued by the idea of developing on Wii," but that it has "nothing to announce right now." Right now?

"We do have some unannounced projects that we're not ready to talk about yet, and they are different from some things we've done in the past," Muzyka continued. He stated that "[BioWare's] goal, really long-term, is to broaden our base and continue to differentiate and have diversity of choice on different platforms, because we know there are different audiences on platforms like mobile and Wii."

If it were to create a title for Nintendo's console, BioWare would strongly consider "[what] the Wii audience [is] looking for, and what would we want to deliver that has emotionally powerful narrative?," adding that it "probably wouldn't be exactly the same as everything else we do; we did a DS video game and that was already very different from what we've done before." Actually, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (the video game in question) was an RPG -- and a very good one at that -- that exploited the DS hardware nicely. We imagine Wii owners would be plenty happy to play something that is as tailored made for their systems.

Wii viewed as 'intriguing' to BioWare originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Punch-Out! Sales Figures

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:37:08 +0100

We've had a month and a day to get our Punch-Out! gaming on. After all this time, you might be curious to see how Punch-Out! fared sales wise during its first month of existence. Here are the numbers, provided by VGChartz.

For total sales, that's really not too shabby. Considering the video game hasn't even been released in Japan yet. We still don't have the fourth week's numbers for NA so there's a good chance the video game has eclipsed the 300k mark.

I was expecting anywhere from 300-500k units and I think Punch-Out! has done what it was made to do. With the current economic climate, coupled with the fact this video game is the first release in over a decade for the series I'm pleased with the figures.

What say you? Did you expect Punch-Out! to perform better, the same, or worse? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The future is now: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 screens in 3D

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:37:45 +0100

Normally we don't get excited for new screens in the "Holy S! It's the future in front of my eyes!" kind of way, but friends, today is an exception. Vicarious Visions has posted its second 3D screenshot of upcoming superhero extravaganza, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (both found after the break) on its site and, to be honest, it's really impressive, allowing you to spin the full image in 3 dimensions.

The newest one features Deadpool leaping into the air and firing dual pistols at a bunch of fools, while the first (and even more impressive) screen has Thor combining with The Human Torch's powers to create some form of fire tornado. That's right -- a fire tornado. And no, things don't get much sweeter than that.

[Thanks, Wombat!]

Continue reading The future is now: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 screens in 3D

The future is now: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 screens in 3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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