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Capcom France head wary of Wii, says 2010 will be a 'difficult year' for DS and PSP
Though we've yet to see official numbers on November's Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Capcom France head Antoine Seux told Gamekult in a recent interview that sales of the game were "below what we had hoped." The English translation of the interview indicates that just 16,000 units were sold worldwide as of December 23, something that has Seux feeling "concerned" as Capcom continues to develop for Nintendo's consoles. "Indeed, the Wii is becoming complex," he says. Seux believes that high-profile games like Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and New Super Mario Bros. Wii -- games that were "strongly supported" by "massive advertising campaigns" -- are the only ones that stand a chance. "For us, Capcom, the future is the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," he finishes up with, couching that in his belief that "This will be a difficult year for the handheld in general, DS or PSP." Perhaps he's been borrowing Pachter's sorcery ball? [Via Nintendo Everything]
Olympics licensing director jumps the gun, reveals new Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
The rumors (that we all knew were true) appear to be true: Sega's got a winter version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the way. Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandise for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, seemingly revealed Sega's plans to The Province."Last year, 2008, they had a very successful game using Mario and Sonic at the Beijing Games, as well as a multi-sport simulation type of game," Kim said. "That's what's being discussed and planned for Vancouver. We are feeling optimistic about sales because of the Beijing experience." Kim has reason to feel optimistic: the first Mario and Sonic game is one of the best-selling releases on the Wii.Kim praised Sega's dedication to realism: "They want to get a real sense of accuracy, particularly with the landscape and the venues and the look of the Games." If the venue didn't look 100% accurate, people would be able to tell from the first moment a two-tailed cartoon fox stepped onto the track.[Via CVG]
Sega acquires 2010 Winter Olympics license
Sega has licensed the rights to produce games based on the 2010 Winter Olympics, taking place in sunny Vancouver, Canada. 1UP notes that more official information will soon be made available on the official website. Of the official games.This licensing agreement brings credence to the rumor that a Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics game will be revealed soonish. Expecting to compete in those Olympics? Start intense training for all that "A" pressing and waggling now.
Rumor: Sonic and Mario going to the Winter Olympics
Judging by an alleged scan of Spanish magazine "Nintendo Accion," a sequel to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games could be in the works at Sega. GoNintendo has a scan of the image, which teases a reveal in the next issue and clearly shows Mario and Sonic. SegaNerds roughly translates the text as: "Games, Olympics, Cold, It's winter." How ... elegant.Oh, and who would be to blame for another button-mashing, waggle-infused minigame fest on the Wii? That would be the five million (and counting) people who bought the first title. Let's see if those folks will come back for a second, colder dose.[Via SegaNerds]
Olympic gold medalist trained with Wii
It may come as a surprise, but there are a few Olympic gold medals that Michael Phelps forgot to nab, magpie-like, for the gold medal throne we imagine he's begun constructing. One of those, the gold for the men's 100m breaststroke, was won by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima. How did he best longtime rival Brendan Hansen? Why, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, of course."See, Mario does the breaststroke," he recently told Yomiuri Sports. "And thus, it's perfect mental training for envisioning the actual Olympic hall."... Let's, umm ... let's try to keep this from Jack Thompson, OK?[Via Kotaku]
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/17-12/23
The Wii did well last week in Japan, finally managing to outsell the PlayStation 3 again by five to one. Wii Fit, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario and Sonic continued to find success in the software sales charts, while Wii Sports and Wii Play extend their quests toward spectacularly high numbers.We're glad to see that Super Mario Galaxy is doing well (the game is great, in case you haven't noticed), and are still awed by the phenomenon that is Wii Sports. Only one game in the top ten (and top fifteen, for that matter) was for a non-Nintendo system, which exemplifies the company's current dominance in Japan. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon is mysteriously missing from the charts, however, leading some to speculate that the game sold less than FIFA 360 (which took the last place with 2,400 copies sold).Check after the break to see the sales numbers for Japan's hardware and software.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/10-12/16
It's that time of the week again when we find out how the Wii and its games sold in Japan. While we really have no need to be worried about the hardware, certain unconfirmed numbers earlier this week did raise concerns about third-party software sales. So, how did the fair Wii fare in the land of the rising sun this week? Regarding hardware sales, the Wii just barely eked out in front of the PSP to take second place with 168,000 units sold, jumping up over 50,000 units from last week. As for the software, there's some good and bad news. Check after the break to see the numbers.
Mario & Sonic take to the water
We occasionally fret that we may have already seen the whole of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, such has been Sega's bloody-minded determination to extract every last drop of video from the game in the build-up to release.Still, the rowing is new to us, and it shows promise, if only because it looks like one of those events where a bit of timing and rhythm is the key to success, rather than the brainless, arm-waving lunacy required for the track-based events (this may teeter on being sacrilegious, but we don't all miss Track & Field, you know). That said, the fencing and archery still intrigue this blogger a little more than anything else in the package.How about your good selves? Any particular events you're looking forward to trying out?
Joystiq hands-on: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii/DS)
Smash Bros. isn't the only place the mascot exchange program is thriving. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games pits Nintendo and Sega characters against each other in Summer Games challenges. Bowser, Peach, Tails, Robotnik, and others compete in triple-jump, swimming relays, velodrome races, and dozens of other contests.I recently sampled the DS and WIi versions of the game. Sega mentioned that the IOC helped make sure that the stadiums and other settings accurately reflect the 2008 Beijing games. But another license requirement pitches the title at kids; other than real-world-based measurements of distance and time, don't expect accuracy within the events. Instead, Mario and Sonic plays like another mini-game buffet.A few modes -- especially with four players and user-created tournaments -- are interesting, but the majority seem suited to a younger crowd. Gaming families may enjoy the humor, variety, and simple style. But sports enthusiasts should wait for a more realistic game.%Gallery-4863%%Gallery-4864%
