Nintendo legend leaks Wii update news

Shigeru Miyamoto, who is the man behind the majority of Nintendo’s most famous characters and games, has given hints that suggest a technical overhaul could be coming to the phenomenally popular Wii console.

Mr Miyamoto has been working for Nintendo for over 30 years and in his time he has forged gaming in his own image with Mario, Zelda and Starfox all listed on his extensive CV.

Mr Miyamoto was receiving an award for his services to gaming when he took the time to spill the beans on what sounds like some new Wii-based technology that will be coming to consumers in the near future.

As well as working on the upcoming title in the Zelda franchise, Mr Miyamoto said that he was also putting his talents towards many other titles. Fans of the Wii will be pleased to hear that the MotionPlus add-on will be getting far greater support in future games, which will make the investment well worth it.

It was also suggested that the Wii was due for a hardware upgrade and given Mr Miyamoto’s position within Nintendo it is fairly safe to say that when he hints at something, it is almost definitely in the pipeline.

There has been much speculation as to where Nintendo will take the Wii next and many believe that the obvious route will be to offer a slightly beefier version capable of high definition gaming. However, given the Wii’s ever-growing user base, it is likely that backwards compatibility rather than complete replacement will be its aim.

Games Of The Month February 2010

As 2010 gets into motion the video game release schedules are starting to look a little more packed and February is going to see some big name updates as well as some brand new franchises getting their first chance at success.

Dante’s Inferno
Perhaps the first ever game to be based on a classic poem, Dante’s Inferno is going to be a bloody trip into the bowels of hell itself. Taking more than a little inspiration from the God of War series, you will be able to hack and slash your way through various demons and devils in a suitably violent portrayal of the underworld. Read more

Sega launches new console

After the Dreamcast sank nearly a decade ago it looked as though Sega would never produce another home console again, but that will all change when the Sega Zone launches.

The Zone is not attempting to take on the PS3 or the 360, but is rather gunning for the Wii, as it will sport motion sensitive controls and a low price tag. For £50 you can pick up a Sega Zone, but would you want to?

The Zone comes with 50 preinstalled games and retro fans will love the fact that this includes 20 titles from Sega’s heyday including Alex the Kid and Golden Axe. Also do not be surprised to see at least one Sonic game turn up on the Zone.

The Zone is controlled by a Wii Remote-alike device and of the 30 unique titles just over half will make use of the motion sensitive interaction that the controller affords.

Although this is ostensibly a ‘Sega’ console, if you take a closer look you will realise that in fact this is a re-branded version of the Zone 40, a console that saw a fairly bad reception because of its low price and Nintendo aping qualities.

The difference between the Zone 40 and the Sega Zone is of course that there will be a bunch of old Sega titles licensed for use. If this kind of thing tickles your fancy then you might well be interested, but if you already have a Wii you will probably be getting all of your retro gaming thrills via the Virtual Console.

Motion-sensitive controller for PS3 imminent

Although speculation has been heating up for a while, it now appears that Sony is definitely gearing up for the launch of its first truly motion-sensitive controller for its PlayStation 3 console.

The first stirrings began back in August 2009 when Sony hinted that it was developing a control scheme that would rival the Wii’s remote and nunchuck setup. Since then Sony has been keeping quiet about the product, but a launch in the spring of 2010 has always been on the cards.

The latest development comes after Sony bought a domain name ‘playstationarc.com’, which has led many to claim that the motion controller will be named the ‘Arc’ when it finally arrives. Various code names have been attached to the project since its inception, with an EA exec accidentally revealing that he had heard it would be called the ‘Gem’.

Most industry observers expect that Sony will give the Arc, or whatever the name ultimately chosen may be, a full unveiling at the E3 gaming convention in June this year. As with the Wii Remote, it is likely to require a sensor that sits atop your television to detect motion, as well as using onboard accelerometers, which means that those who own both a Wii and a PS3 will be stacking up their sensor bars on top of the TV later in the year.

The PS3 motion controller is likely to be a direct rival to Microsoft’s Project Natal on the Xbox 360, which should also be arriving in the second half of 2010.

Tetris tops the mobile sales charts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever since becoming a legendary title on the original Nintendo Game Boy, Tetris has been a staple of pop culture and its popularity seems to be enduring. It has just reached a landmark in the mobile market, with 100 million users having paid for the Tetris app for their phones. This makes it the best selling mobile game ever released by quite a large margin.

EA Mobile and Blue Planet Software Inc. released the news at a press conference in Montreal and since the two firms hold exclusive rights to Tetris it is clear that the financial benefits have been significant.

Tetris has been available for mobile phones for 9 years now. Since its launch has been available to purchase and play on no less than 64,000 different phones. The iPhone’s App Store has seen the most recent success and surge of sales for the classic title.

Tetris was born in the mind of a Russian mathematician called Alexey Pajitnov in the mid-80s and it found worldwide fame in 1989 when Nintendo’s handheld Game Boy used it as a flagship title. Since then it has become a global phenomenon, selling millions of copies for every conceivable format and still out-selling recently released mobile titles ten to one.

If you have an iPhone and want to continue to enjoy the Tetris legacy then it is available from the App Store for £2.99. In all likelihood you will already have bought it for another phone in the past, but it is still able to eat into your spare time with its addictive gameplay on the latest platforms.

Sequel for DJ Hero announced

DJ Hero has only been with us for a few months and it seems that unlike the Guitar Hero franchise, it is a little more difficult to translate the vinyl-based rhythm game into significant sales. Publisher Activision was disappointed that pre-orders for DJ Hero were a little underwhelming and since its release it has sold solidly if not spectacularly, which might suggest that consumers are tiring of filling their living rooms with plastic peripherals.

Despite this, it seems that Activision is still supporting the DJ Hero brand and is in the process of developing a sequel, to be released in late 2010 or early 2011.

Bobby Kotick, who is Chief Executive at Activision, said in a recent interview that he is convinced by the DJ Hero idea and believes in both the game and the turntable controller which is necessary to play it. He also said that Activision would continue to back the franchise and confirmed that a new version would be launched at some point in the future.

As with the Guitar Hero franchise, DJ Hero used endorsement from major names in the music industry in order to promote itself. Old hands Jay-Z and Eminem laid their likenesses onto the first game and Activision is seeking out hot new dance floor maestros to add to its next title.

Producer and DJ David Guetta has said that he will be appearing in DJ Hero 2, which could mean that some exclusive mixes of his songs will appear, alongside some of his celebrity mates.

His and hers Wii Remotes arrive for Feb 14th but only in the US

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nintendo is planning to launch a new set of controllers for the Wii aimed at the Valentine’s Day market. The Wii remotes will be identical to the original design and are still compatible with the Wii Motion Plus add-on, but instead of the standard white they will be available in pretty pink and boyish blue.

The Wii is out selling all of its rivals and in the run up to Christmas 2009 it reached record figures. This latest release is just another example as to how Nintendo can take advantage of those occasions that are typically associated with present giving.

At the moment the new remotes are only planned for launch in the US in time for the most romantic day of the year and their price tag will be the equivalent of about £33, which brings them in line with the cost of the motion plus package that bundles Wii Sports Resort. Perhaps Nintendo doesn’t believe that those of us in the UK are romantic enough to merit inclusion in the launch.

The Wii shipped 3.81 million units in the last month of 2009, nearly three times the number of Xbox 360s sold by Microsoft in the same period. The PS3 also made some gains in the run up to Christmas, although with 1.36 million sold it was still nowhere near to catching up with Nintendo’s little white box.

If you want to brighten up your Wii Remotes but you cannot get your hands on an official multicoloured controller, there are many third party products, such as protective sleeves, which can coat any exiting Wii Remote with a splash of colour.

Nintendo’s next handheld to get 2010 release

 

 

 

 

 

Speculation is building around rumours that the next handheld console from Nintendo is going to be announced at some point this year and could then be set for a swift release. Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata has already provided some interesting nuggets of information, saying earlier this month that motion sensitive controls and improved graphics would be a must on the next-generation DS.

Mr Iwata did not get specific as to release dates, although he did say that unlike the DSi and DS Lite, Nintendo would not simply be updating a current console but creating an entirely new platform.

Industry analyst Jesse Divnich is the person pushing the idea of a 2010 announcement for the new handheld. According to his research he anticipates that within the 8 months Nintendo will be bringing the first official news of the sequel to the DS and then six or seven months after that the device will actually arrive.

Mr Divnich supports his findings with various theories, including the fact that piracy is currently compromising the DSi. As a result, Nintendo needs to update its handheld console in line with the home consoles and current generation mobile phones by offering a wireless download service.

Whilst these rumours should not be dismissed out of hand, there is little official evidence to back them up aside and some simply interpret them as wishful theorising. However, given that the current DSi has not received any major upgrades to its basic capabilities other than a couple of cameras, it is not unreasonable to assume that Nintendo is gearing up to unleash a more powerful handheld in the near future.

Games Of The Month December 2009

As Christmas approaches and thoughts turn to what to do during the dark days after the food-induced comas have worn off, most will turn to video games in order to stave off the boredom. The line up of games released before the festive season is always excellent, so let us dive straight into the fun and frolics.

Tony Hawk Ride
Since this is the billionth game in a slowly declining series, its developers have chosen to take a very different approach to what has traditionally been an arcade-style affair. They’ve ditched the ridiculous scores, silly storylines and outlandish list of tricks in favour of a much more ‘realistic’ experience. That means the game now comes with a massive plastic skateboard controller, which you use to wirelessly guide your extreme athlete around the cut down list of courses. The control scheme is less than perfect and the learning curve is steep, although those looking for a slightly more authentic skating game may well find a lot to like if they can swallow the inflated price tag. More December Games

Games of the month November 2009

November may be a cold month, but the new releases on the PC, Xbox, PS3 and Wii are looking scorching hot and are sure to keep you warm this winter. Get out your Christmas wish lists and get ready to pencil down any of these exciting new games that are heading for the shelves this November. Of course, you don’t have to wait till Christmas to get your hands on them and most of us certainly wont!

Dragon Age: Origins
Platform: Xbox 360 and PC (PS3 release expected November 10th)
Release Date: 3rd November
Bioware has returned to its roots with this stunning RPG that goes back to basics. As the spiritual successor to BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate™, Dragon Age: Origins is set to become the must-have for all lovers of fantasy RPGs.

November Games 2009

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