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Brain Age sells 4 million worldwide
Nintendo recently sent out a press release where they went over the latest numbers for their popular brain-trainer DS title Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. In revealing the numbers for the three major regions of North and South America, Europe, and Japan, Nintendo stated they have sold over 4 million units worldwide. 600,000 of the units were sold in the Americas, 500,000 total in Europe, and an insane 3 million units have been sold in Japan."Brain Age is so easy to pick up and play, regardless of your experience level," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "You can play it for 10 minutes or an hour and keep yourself feeling sharp. As a baby boomer, it's like a treadmill for my mind."[Source: Nintendo Press Release]
Leaked Aussie Wii release date?
An Australian retail supplier recently released a listing containing a release date for the Wii to Aussie retailers according to Aussie Nintendo. The listing, which is shown above and the blokes over there were kind enough to save, does not list a price, instead providing a release date of 11/30/06. Seeing as how gamers from down under received their DS Lites first, are we to believe that they'll be getting the Wii first as well? Not very likely considering Iwata's statements of wanting to get the console on the market before the US celebrates Turkey Day.[Via Go Nintendo]
New info on Pokemon Diamond/Pearl [Update 1]
Recent scans from the Japanese magazine Coro Coro have revealed a few new game details on the mysterious Pokemon: Diamond and Pokemon: Pearl. Among the translated information is the return of the day/night system, with four distinct periods (dawn, day, dusk, and night) that will affect Pokemon behavior and appearance. In addition, male and female characters will now look different in-game; one of the genders might be larger, be missing certain features, or have different skin patterns. The traditional Pokedex will also be upgraded to include more than twenty features, including time management, type charts, monitoring of Pokemon in the breeding center, and more.The Pokemon games have no confirmed release date in North America, but it shouldn't be too long before the market drops ten gajillion dollars on this tried-and-true franchise.[Thanks Nushio, you tip-crazy fiend you][Update 1: clarified unknown N. American release date]
AC: Wild World keeps on trucking out the holiday gifts
Looks like we're batting 0 for 2 on news outside of the LA Convention center last week as another trusty reader, well aware of our fascination with all things Animal Crossing, sent us an email that was both informative and painful to read. Informative in the way that Mother's Day was another occasion where Nintendo let loose another holiday gift for all those Wi-Fi-connecting Animal Crossing: Wild World addicts out there and painful in the way that we failed to obtain it! His email reads: "Hi there,I'm not sure if this was something sent out over WiFi connection, but I opened my gates yesterday (Mother's Day) just in case.A letter in my mailbox was waiting today. It reads:"Buy low, sell high, and call your mom on Mother's Day. These are the keys to a regret free life. - Nintendo"A dafodil was attached. Just wondering if all the post-E3 stuff obscured this ostensible WiFi goodie. :-)" Now, as awesome a reader as you are to let us know what we all missed, I must ask you just exactly where are the pictures man?! Hook it up! [Thanks NotAwesome! Image courtesy of Hallmark]
Switched On: Burning love
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:Baby, on this Valentine's Day, I want you to remember that our love is as rare as an Xbox 360 on a retail shelf and as deep as Gizmondo Europe's debt. You know I'm someone who appreciates the best that life has to offer -- as long as it's offered at a reasonable price. When I rolled up in my Kia Amanti ("the Kimmer," as i like to call it), put that sweet chunk of cubic zirconia on your finger and read you the love poem I'd written on my Brother GeoBook personal digital notebook, I knew you'd be mine forever.This year, I wanted to get you something romantic, something sophisticated and something substantially under $25. I thought candles might be nice but, as you and my parole officer know, I am not allowed within 30 feet of a blunt object since the incident regarding the $399 notebook at Wal-Mart last Black Friday. So I considered getting you a Philips Aurelle LED candle. The key to the LED candle is a light source that flickers to approximate its fiery counterpart. I bet the LED candle story is a lot like the one that led to the development of Post-It notes, you know, where the engineer developed a weak adhesive for which no one could find a use. "Hey, Klaas, I can't get this darn LED to stay lit!"The Aurelle candles are available with a choice of three frosted glass candle holder cups -- in round, square and triangular shapes -- for about $20. The amber lighting units have rechargeable batteries and, in an interesting twist, several of them can be charged simultaneously from the same charger by daisy-chaining them together magnetically. Could anything symbolize our love more than multiple hook-ups? Unfortunately, though, it's relatively easy to see the metal contacts even in the cups, which compromises the effect. And, baby, I need the look to be right when I'm putting out my best Chinette for you.
