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Conduit 2 includes optional MotionPlus support
High Voltage Software experimented with support for the MotionPlus peripheral in The Conduit, but omitted it from the final game. Sega announced today that the sequel will allow players to augment the game's controls with the underused gyroscope peripheral. According to the announcement, in addition to general response improvements, the MotionPlus will improve "edge tracking and transitions to pointer control" -- which sounds like it should make the experience of accidentally pointing off screen while turning somewhat less infuriating. If you are living a MotionMinus life and still want to play Conduit 2, don't worry: it's totally optional. Conduit 2 will be out this fall.
NintendoWare Weekly: X-Scape, Ben 10, Wild Guns
Even though it's a holiday here in the US, Nintendo has released a plethora of new downloadable titles for the Wii and DSi. It's a great thing, not simply because OMG moar gamez, but because it gives us a distraction from the day's festivities. There's only so much of Aunt Linda's trip to the Grand Canyon we can listen to, you know? %Gallery-86442%
Epic trailer and screens for Tournament of Legends
Sega released a new trailer for High Voltage's Tournament of Legends (formerly Gladiator A.D.), the weapon-based Wii fighter due in July. The trailer's got some enjoyably melodramatic narration, which, combined with the theme of the game (mythological beings hitting each other with swords and whatnot) and the appearance of huge monsters in each stage, lends a sort of Clash of the Titans feel to it. One detail seen in this trailer that we especially love: the combo counter is displayed in Roman numerals! See the trailer after the break, and check our gallery for IX new screenshots. %Gallery-84611%
Namco Bandai game segment records annual losses ... but Ben 10 sales soar!
Namco Bandai's "Content" segment, which combines its video game software and arcade machine products, recorded ¥6.86 billion ($74.68 million) in operating losses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010. The division proved the most costly for the company, which also runs a successful "Toys & Hobby" segment, in addition to several other businesses. Overall, Namco Bandai suffered ¥29.08 billion ($317.28 million) in net losses for fiscal 2010, but the company forecasts a modest turnaround in net income of ¥4.5 billion ($49.1 million) for the current fiscal year. The games segment, which this fiscal year includes the previously separate "Visual and Music Content" division, is forecast to post ¥3.5 billion ($38.19 million) in operating income over the next four quarters; aided by an estimated 90 game releases, which are predicted to bring in ¥88 billion ($960 million) in sales. In fiscal 2010, Namco Bandai software sales, which encompassed 86 titles (or 225, if you're counting localized versions), totaled 22.737 million units and ¥77 billion ($840 million); with portable games accounting for a significant 9.701 million units sold. Multiplatform versions of Ben 10 Alien Force and its sequel, Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks, in the US and Europe during the fiscal year, combined to sell 1.89 million copies alone. The console version of Tekken 6 was the publisher's only title to move more units than either of those two Ben 10 games. A third Ben 10 title, Protector of the Earth, added another 610,000 units sold in the fiscal year. Across all Namco Bandai products, "Ben 10" the franchise racked up ¥17.9 billion ($195.3 million) in sales. Not quite Mobile Suit Gundman numbers (¥34.6 billion), but still. Head past the break for the complete list of Namco Bandai's top-10 bestsellers and sales distribution by platform.
High Voltage: It's just 'Conduit 2' now
In a Nintendo Life interview, producer Jason Olson clears up something regarding the title of the sequel to last year's The Conduit: it's less definite now. "It's Conduit 2. The 'THE' got a bit clunky – too much of a mouthful – and we always referred to it as Conduit 2 internally. It flows better and just kinda stuck." Of course: now that there are two of them, each is just a Conduit. Olson also offered some details about the revamped multiplayer. Perks will now be available, which will allow players to customize their characters significantly. "If I wanted to be a medic, for example, I'd probably pick Reverse Damage (Shooting allies heals them), Field Medicine (Doubles revive times), and Robot Legs (Unlimited sprint) among my perks. If I wanted to be a tank, I'd pick Heavy Armor (Damage reduction at a cost to movement speed), Ammo Belt (Two extra magazines), and Improved Bullet Damage." And you'll be able to set up two sets of abilities, so you can switch quickly.
Sega releases first screens and details of The Conduit 2
Following its unveiling in Nintendo Power magazine, The Conduit 2, High Voltage's second pass at a Wii FPS, has been officially announced by publisher Sega. Due this fall, The Conduit 2 expands the venue for the serie's action from Washington, D.C. to a variety of locations across the world. The game also adds "all-new" online and couch co-op modes, including Team Invasion Mode, a 4-player split-screen mode that can be played online or off. The 12-player online competitive play now benefits from "larger and more intricate indoor and outdoor battlefields," and retains the Wii Speak functionality that so few games employ. Turn your All-Seeing Eye toward Sega Europe's blog to see the first screenshots.
Astro Boy voice acting gets real with Kristen Bell
You'll remember Kristen Bell from her less-than-endearing performance as Lucy in Assassin's Creed a couple years ago (and you should remember her from TV's Veronica Mars). Bell's back in the sound booth to record another game voice, playing Cora in Astro Boy, the upcoming movie-based adaptation. According to the video interview above, her character is a "17-year-old, edgy girl," immediately demonstrated by her declaration, "Sorry, we don't need any newbies." Good to know! (We were worried.)
High Voltage licenses Infernal Engine for-ev-er
Talk about your long-term commitments. The Conduit developer High Voltage Software has just entered into a lifetime agreement with Terminal Reality to use the company's Infernal Engine (right, that's the one that makes Ghostbusters run). High Voltage hasn't really been a force on PS3 or 360 yet, so we're wondering if the move was prompted by slow sales on its last Wii outing (which, you may remember, ran on its own Quantum3 engine). "By incorporating some of the best PS3/360 technology, we are able to really push the envelope with our next wave of titles," Kerry J. Ganofsky, founder of High Voltage, said in the release. In related news, isn't Infernal Engine the best name for an engine ever? We're pretty sure it is.
The Conduit sales fizzle in late-June debut
Once again, Sega places its hopes and dreams in the untapped hardcore Wii market, and once again it just doesn't pay off. With the June NPD sales figures comes a sad truth for those who've been hyping The Conduit since it first reared its head last April: according to those figures, the conspiracy-infused FPS sold under 72,000 copies between its June 23 launch and the NPD cutoff date of July 4, placing it at number 25 on the U.S. top sellers list.Sure, The Conduit hasn't been out for a full month yet, but that sales total has got to be a disappointing figure for Sega, whose last two adult-themed Wii releases, MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill, made even smaller impacts during their respective launch months (we suppose there's a little silver lining in The Conduit performing slightly better). We've contacted both Sega and High Voltage to find out how they're feeling about the game's somewhat underwhelming sales figures.
Metareview: The Conduit (Wii)
While you're patiently waiting for the end of the week so you can cash that paycheck and pick up High Voltage Software's The Conduit for your Nintendo Wii, why not take a gander at what the rest of the interweb had to say about the game? Considering the lack of correlation between Metacritic scores and the sales numbers of Wii games, though -- at least according to Peter Moore -- you probably shouldn't let these numbers get to you too much. GamePro (70): "The Conduit is the closest you will get to recapturing the magic of Goldeneye ... To be blunt, The Conduit is a by the numbers shooter that offers a couple of thrills but ultimately doesn't make much of an impact ... anyone who loved Goldeneye will want to give a look as well if only to get a nice dose of nostalgia, but the rest of you shouldn't feel a need to abandon your favorite next-gen shooter for this one." GamesRadar (80): "The Conduit is fun, controls well, and is, at times, quite beautiful ... Both humans and alien drones are animated with competent physics and personality that puts High Voltage Software's Quantum3 engine outside the realm of the "GameCube 1.5" criticisms ... The truth is you probably wouldn't bat an eye at The Conduit had it appeared on PC, PS3 or Xbox 360 ... The solid, yet unremarkable single-player won't win any awards, but The Conduit still features the most finely honed online outings available on Wii." IGN (86): "The Conduit is not a revolutionary first-person shooter, but it's a damned good one ... the title features the tightest, most comfortable control scheme of any console-based first-person shooter to date ... The Conduit features a robust list of modes and maps to play online and nearly 20 weapons to use as you rip through arenas blasting foes ... it's not revolutionary, but The Conduit is a great first-person shooter designed just for Wii owners." %Gallery-33787%
Impressions: Astro Boy (Wii)
Many of you likely remember the punishing gameplay of Astro Boy: Omega Factor. In fact, our first question to the High Voltage rep that demoed the game at the D3 Publisher booth was just that, if they played the game and whether they planned to follow in its footsteps. The good news is that High Voltage indeed did play through Omega Factor and took inspiration from the game, evident in the 2.5D approach of the Wii game and simplistic combat. The bad news is that this seemed less like a game inspired by Omega Factor and more a watered down version of one of the better GBA games out there.
High Voltage announces another new Wii game: 'The Grinder'
The Conduit developer High Voltage Software has announced another new Wii game, and, like Gladiator A.D., it's a brutally violent game designed to attract the bloodthirsty "hardcore gamer." The Grinder is an online co-op FPS starring "a sort of the cryptobiological A-Team," in the words of High Voltage's Eric Nofsinger, who goes on to refer to "a team of freelance hunters that ruthlessly exterminate savage armies of bloodthirsty monsters."The FPS shows a clear (and acknowledged) Left 4 Dead influence, with each member of the team different in skills and personality. The game differs from L4D in that instead of just zombies, your team fights werewolves, vampires and all manner of other mythical shootables.
Joystiq hands-on: The Conduit online multiplayer
click to enlarge Wii's biggest FPS of the summer (we'd say year, but Ubisoft has a little something cooking), The Conduit, has, perhaps in keeping with its theme of conspiracy and hidden secrets, only just now been shown with its online multiplayer component virtually complete and ready for the game's June 23 release. We spent an afternoon at Sega America playing through its various maps and modes with other games press and members of the dev team from High Voltage Software.Before we even got into the action, though, we were already impressed by how, well ... un-Wii-like the online mode was in both presentation and function. High Voltage has clearly spent a good deal of time pondering what players will want to find when they sit down for a multiplayer game of The Conduit for the first time. %Gallery-51693%
High Voltage Software revealing two games at E3
Though its highly anticipated, National Treasure meets Duke Nukem shooter The Conduit has yet to hit store shelves, High Voltage Software is already teasing the big E3 reveal of two new Wii-exclusive titles. According to French gaming site Nintendo Master's recent interview with Voltage's Eric Nofsinger, the developer is cranking out another FPS (one with even stronger visual tech than The Conduit), and another title which is "a different kind of a thing." You know what that means? Equestrian breeding sim. Check out the video interview after the jump![Via Nintendo Everything]
Joystiq interview: High Voltage Software on The Conduit
While the Wii can often become a minigame jukebox, games like House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld prove that there's still room on Nintendo's console for players hungry for more than just another party. Despite Nintendo's preaching that it has not abandoned core gamers, others, like Illinois-based High Voltage Software, are doing something about it.High Voltage's upcoming shooter, The Conduit, was positioned early on as the studio's effort to prove that the Wii could handle a hardcore FPS. Now, with it set to release in June, we cornered High Voltage creative director Matt Corso and spoke at length on the Wii, its perception with the hardcore crowd, and how his game's graphics size up to other titles like Gears of War. %Gallery-33787%
Compare The Conduit's graphics to other Wii FPS titles [update]
Update: Apparently neither Sega or High Voltage approved this video, and it was uploaded by accident. At the request of Sega and High Voltage, we've removed it from the post.High Voltage dares you. This isn't some kind of silly kid's dare, though. No, this is a triple dog-dare, the coup de grace of all dares. And, after watching the video past the break, which compares The Conduit to the likes of other Wii FPS games such as Metroid Prime 3, Red Steel, and Call of Duty: World at War, we'd say High Voltage has certainly made its case. What do you all think? [Via Go Nintendo]
The Conduit channeled into retail on June 23
Representatives for High Voltage Software and Sega have informed Joystiq that The Conduit will reach retail on June 23. There was some confusion this morning about The Conduit's development status, following a Eurogamer story indicating that Sega had "pushed ambitious Wii first-person shooter The Conduit back from spring to summer." This is technically accurate -- The Conduit was originally scheduled to release June 9 (spring), but will now release June 23, two days after summer begins. High Voltage Software's Eric Nofsinger assured us that the game's development hadn't slipped at all, but that pushing the "Nintendo networking beyond its usual transfer of data and taking full use of the WiiSpeak" is "good for the game and gamer," even if it lengthens the time taken for testing and approval.%Gallery-33787%
No split-screen multiplayer in The Conduit to preserve visuals
Sorry, split-screen fans, The Conduit is hanging you out to dry. According to lead designer Rob Nicholls, the upcoming shooter will exclude a split-screen multiplayer option in order to maintain the game's visual punch. In an interview with HD Warriors, Nicholls said the main reason the feature isn't included is because of concern the graphics quality would be reduced when "double-rendering" the game for the mode. High Voltage's top priority in developing The Conduit is making sure the title achieves the "best looking" graphics on the Nintendo Wii, said Nicholls. While the in-house tech team at High Voltage continues to squeeze power out of the console, The Conduit will ship without split-screen -- but Nicholls said it is a possibility for future titles.[Via Nintendo Everything]
Conduit devs had 'dusty Wii syndrome,' hope to release cure
The dev team at High Voltage Software has suffered from dusty Wii syndrome, but is hopeful that its upcoming shooter, The Conduit, will hold a piece of the cure. Speaking with CVG, Conduit producer Josh Olson said High Voltage Software's Wii units had been "gathering dust" due to a lack of games for the core audience. Of course, Olson's comments echo (Conduit publisher) Sega's recent company line that the hardcore market needs Nintendo Wii love too. To that point, Sega has recently released The House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld. Or maybe High Voltage just wants gamers to start cleaning up their rooms. Olson also took an opportunity to discuss the multitude of player customization options found in The Conduit. In the game, players are free to remap the controls, alter the sensitivity, remodel the in-game HUD and pretty much change anything they can think of because High Voltage isn't "so arrogant to think that the game has to be played a certain way." Then Olson throws it down, exclaiming that he is confident that The Conduit will be "the best-looking game on the console" and will include the "best available" multiplayer the Wii has ever offered. Unfortunately, High Voltage hasn't detailed any multiplayer features other than the use of Wii Speak.[Via GoNintendo]
Tap into new The Conduit screens
Click for more screens, you con-du-it It feels like we just wrote a post about new The Conduit screens. Oh wait, that's because we did. Yesterday. But, these are new screens, differing from those presented yesterday in almost every way possible. So, if you're anxious to step into Mr. Ford's shoes, then we suggest you step into our gallery below and satiate yourself on 13 brand new screens, some of which even depict real-life locations.
