Jason Wishnov
Articles by Jason Wishnov
Takeshi Shimada speaks of Wii dev tools
Development time on the Wii is already fairly quick, due to its architectural similarities to the Gamecube and general lack of difficult-to-corral horsepower hidden within magic-seal cores (you have to unlock them with the level 7 key). Takeshi Shimada, a Nintendo employee who works on toll packages for developers, spoke about some of the upcoming projects he had in mind.In addition to updated handwriting and speech recognition software for the DS, Shimada is working on a host of tools for the Wii. First off is a Wii emulating technology for high-end PCs to mitigate the slow "loading time" of putting recent code and assets onto a Wii unit itself (if this ever gets leaked ... ). He's working on some "fur-shaders" (which might apply also to grass or carpet textures) and other graphical tools, and finally, an advanced text-to-speech system that seems to be all the rage these days.What does this mean to you? Hopefully, prettier fur. We salute you, Shimada-san!
Japanese hardware sales, Feb. 19 - Feb. 25: Angry ranting edition
You know, you know what? We've had it up to here with some of the things we have to deal with everyday, and dammit, we think it's time we let people know. This crap has to stop. Where to start? Let's talk about the freaking CPUs they stick us with here at the Fanboy offices. Intel Core 2 Duo's: pathetic. We mean, what the hell? It's like two normal Intel processors duct-taped together. Look, we need insane processing power to make these blog posts funny and interesting, you know? These conditions are unworkable. And let's not even mention roller coasters. Mechanical and electrical engineers just aren't taking these things seriously enough; they need to start using the medium for proper artistic expression. We need to tell a story full of meaning and character depth during these rides, or people are going to feel unfulfilled and pissed off, like us. And we're really pissed right now. Finally, to Maxis, developers of the best-selling PC game of all-time and the future title Spore, expected to perhaps exceed that mark set by the exemplary Sims some years back: make a game that doesn't suck ass, okay? Ugh, these numbers? Where is the emotion? Where is the meaning? Life is so meaningless ....- DS Lite: 111,814 24,314 (17.86%) - PSP: 66,156 34,054 (33.96%) - Wii: 57,972 20,534 (26.16%) - PS3: 44,000 24,685 (127.80%) - PS2: 15,364 310 (2.06%) - Xbox 360: 3,379 804 (19.22%) - Game Boy Micro: 805 102 (11.25%) - GBA SP: 738 297 (28.70%) - Gamecube: 303 20 (6.19%) - DS Phat: 112 20 (15.15%) - GBA: 25 34 (57.63%) [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, Feb. 19 - Feb. 25: Angry ranting edition
You know, you know what? We've had it up to here with some of the things we have to deal with everyday, and dammit, we think it's time we let people know. This crap has to stop.Where to start? Let's talk about the freaking CPUs they stick us with here at the Fanboy offices. Intel Core 2 Duo's: pathetic. We mean, what the hell? It's like two normal Intel processors duct-taped together. Look, we need insane processing power to make these blog posts funny and interesting, you know? These conditions are unworkable. And let's not even mention roller coasters. Mechanical and electrical engineers just aren't taking these things seriously enough; they need to start using the medium for proper artistic expression. We need to tell a story full of meaning and character depth during these rides, or people are going to feel unfulfilled and pissed off, like us. And we're really pissed right now.Finally, to Maxis, developers of the best-selling PC game of all-time and the future title Spore, expected to perhaps exceed that mark set by the exemplary Sims some years back: make a game that doesn't suck ass, okay?Ugh, these numbers? Where is the emotion? Where is the meaning? Life is so meaningless ....- DS Lite: 111,814 24,314 (17.86%) - PSP: 66,156 34,054 (33.96%)- Wii: 57,972 20,534 (26.16%) - PS3: 44,000 24,685 (127.80%) - PS2: 15,364 310 (2.06%) - Xbox 360: 3,379 804 (19.22%) - Game Boy Micro: 805 102 (11.25%) - GBA SP: 738 297 (28.70%) - Gamecube: 303 20 (6.19%) - DS Phat: 112 20 (15.15%) - GBA: 25 34 (57.63%)[Source: Media Create]
He feels bad and stuff: A public apology from the Wii ranter
So remember that raving lunatic who badmouthed the Wii in a GDC free-for-all bash-fest a few days ago? Well, after a phone call from EA threatening to fire his ass he feels really bad, and recently came forward with a public apology. Chris Hecker, programmer for Maxis, says:"When I'm on stage, I'm me -- I'm not representing EA or Maxis. I do not think the Wii is a piece of shit."Know this, Hecker. We do not forgive you. In fact, we feel a satiric mood coming on right about now ... stay tuned.[Thanks, Markus!]
DS Opera Browser coming to the US in June
Obviously, wireless tube extension technology was only in its infancy here in America when Opera released its own internet browser for the Nintendo DS mid-last year. Tucked away in a laundry list of releases, however, we've noted that Opera has finally decided to port the darn thing over for our enjoyment, coming on June 4th.Though no pricing has yet been revealed, one has to wonder exactly how many of these they're going to sell. It's nice to be able to browse in a hotspot without the bulk of a laptop, but as our sister site Joystiq notes, it lacks Flash, sound, PDF, and video support. Exactly how badly do you want to check up on DS Fanboy every hour?
Spielberg working on Wii game with EA
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Spielberg_working_on_Wii_game_with_EA'; EA and Steven Spielberg had recently announced a collaboration to publish three games with authoritative control from the directing superstar. Recently, after Spielberg got totally owned in Wii Tennis after seeing the success and potential of the Wii platform, one of these three was announced to be Nintendo-bound.EA Los Angeles Veep Neil Young revealed in a recent interview that one of the projects, produced by Lou Castle, is coming to the Wii and is "very exciting and interesting". This could not even theoretically be a more generic statement, but this is E.T.-phone-home-guy we're talking about, here. Also, the article mentioned that Spielberg actually spends several hours a week actually going to the production studios and working directly with the staff, as opposed to simply signing a few papers and being done with it. Hopefully, this is cinematic gaming done right.
GDC 07: Phantom Hourglass multiplayer mode demoed
Ever since The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass made its debut at last year's GDC, the project has essentially been hidden within a solar eclipse. Now, on the celestial zenith anniversary of that momentous day, Nintendo has felt fit to show off another little part of the game: a multiplayer mode.IGN has some hands-on impressions; one player controls Link, attempting to gather pieces of Triforce scattered about a (now classic) hedge maze, while the other draws paths on the touchscreen for three guards to follow and intercept. There appears to be some strategic elements as well, and for those a bit skeptical, remember this: the last Zelda title to feature a "bonus" multiplayer mode turned out to be good enough to spawn its own title, Four Swords Adventures.
GDC 07: Super Paper Mario meta...preview? [update 1]
The RPG-turned-platformer, Gamecube-turned-Wii title Super Paper Mario was on display on the show floor, and it continues to delight hippies gamers everywhere. Several sources have posted impressions of the title, lauding the innovative puzzle mechanic of perspective-swapping and the bright, trippy graphical style. Game|Life's impressions 1up's impressions IGN's impressions But what impressions could be more important than ours? That's right. God's. But that's it. So, stay tuned for impressions of pretty much every Nintendo game you've ever wanted to play but couldn't because you're not at GDC, including yon Super Paper Mario. Word.[Update 1: Thought of a classier post title.]
Wii Warm Up: 'Cube aesthetic
The Wii is, by far, the most stylish Nintendo-produced console ever made. It's sleek, minimalistic, and shiny shiny white (not pictured!). However, when being used as a Gamecube, there tends to be a loss of aerodynamic flow. Flaps concealing the GC circuitry must be lifted or removed; Wavebird receivers stick out at awkward angles, and those outdated things called wires might even get in the way.Do you guys leave your GC stuff in the Wii, ready for (slightly) retro gaming? Does the loss of form factor make a big difference, and is it worth it to pull out and put in equipment every time you load up one of those tiny discs?(uses Jedi mind trick) Tell us.
DS Daily: Swiss Army Pocket DS
The DS plays games. It is the prime directive. Yet, the budding engineers inside us call for creative ways to use said device. There are simple things: using the twin suns also called screens to illuminate dark areas, or as a convenient excuse to ignore that annoying dude on the bus. Sorry, man, I'm busy being a male cheerleader.What have you got for us? How creative have you gotten? Doorstop? Protractor? SCI-embedded finite state machine? Yeahhhh we're nerds.(The above picture has very little relevance, we know. We just thought it was funny.)
Pokemon Online sooner than you think
Yes, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl will feature Wi-Fi trading and battling, hurray-hurrah. Little did we know, however, that some independent developers (i.e. programmers with way too much free time) were developing an MMORPG version of the franchise based on the original Red and Blue versions. Sister site Joystiq clued us in, and we were rather intrigued.Upon installation, we noted the extreme "alpha" status of the project. The only system currently implemented is that of battle, and even that seemed shoddy at best. You simply choose your six Pokemon from the standard list of 151 and walk around a grassy field until challenged. The game has a long way to go, and the chances that it can make it all the way past Nintendo's elite legal team seem slim. Try it out if you're bored a Pokemon fan! And please, Nintendo, take a hint. We really want an official Pokemon MMO.[via Joystiq]
Finally confirmed: SimCity DS to America
Proving once and for all that virgin sacrifices to a multitude of shadowy deities does in fact yield results, a rather confused EA finally announced a stateside version of SimCity DS (based off of SimCity 3000), that lovable juego de ciudad from our long-forgotten youths.Some extra features that you may or may not have known about? It turns out you can put out fires by blowing into the mic of the DS (hardly a substitute for proper fire fighters, we think). You can "sign off" on various deeds and proclaimations with a whip of the stylus, and there will apparently be some form of wireless data exchange. Our guess is that players will able to "neighborize", by which one another's cities will become adjacent in the game's geography.City-snatching UFOs, here we come![Thanks, Tom!]
Details on final Opera browser
Over the past several years, our quest for information has lead us down defined roads, ones that very obviously do not lead to simply asking a company to divulge critical secrets. They are, of course, led by evil PR demons who stem the flow of knowledge in a manner than would leave many medieval theocracies rife with envy.This is why, when playNintendo simply sent an E-mail with a bunch of questions regarding the final release of the Opera browser, we expected nothing of it. Lo! Data rains down when least expected, and although many questions could not be answered, here are the highlights: The final release of the browser will be coming in late March or early April. Sweet. Though Opera will not be directly involved in the support of USB keyboards, Nintendo has not denied any possibilities. The wording seems to imply a special, Wii-branded keyboard is en route. The browser will be regularly updated by Opera. Things that wouldn't get answered: will Java be supported? Will those black bars above and below the pages be eliminated? Where's the tabbed browsing? Hmmm ....
DS Daily: Convergence
Two nights past, during the Oscars, the first iPhone commercial aired (and promptly confused 80% of the United States, as nowhere in the commercial did it state the product name). The thing has some crazy features ... check out our blog overlord, Engadget, for details ... but it got us thinking. The whole "convergence" bandwagon has kind of tumbled off a cliff in recent years, but the iPhone certainly takes a step in the right direction. Will this paradigm of portable electronics ever be truly realized? Cellular phone gaming, in its current state, is absolutely horrendous. The PSP has some added features above and beyond gaming, but will a device ever come that can do everything really well? Well, prognosticators?
Wii Warm Up: Jacky-boy
O', Jack Thompson, thou art gold for gaming journalists such as ourselves. Your wacky hijinks and unceasing, irrational behavior fill our lives with joy. But amidst his juvenile catcalling, logical fallacies, and overall rejection of sanity, we look at the upcoming Manhunt 2 and begin to wonder. This game might be, with the inclusion of the Wii controller, the most realistically violent game in the history of mankind. Though we still firmly believe that a game will never be the true cause of mental imbalances and disorders, we still have absolutely no system in place to prevent the sales of these games to minors; whatever you may think about Jack Thompson, this goal is an admirable one.The industry is going to take heavy fire for this game regardless, but we feel as though his arguments hold a bit of water in this particular case. Do you feel strongly about the issue, and do you think we should have measures in place to prevent the acquisition of these games by kids who aren't equipped to properly process the violence in a nondestructive manner?
Japanese government sells its Nintendo stock
Wait, what? It turns out that the Japanese seat of power actually owned around 1.4% of Nintendo's stock, coming in at a pricey $557 million dollars ... turns out they made quite a profit, seeing as how Nintendo's stock has gone up 43% in the past six months alone.The unfortunate consequence of this action, however, is that Nintendo's stock value dropped by 2.7% to 32,950 yen per share. Before the Sony fanboys doom-sayers come out in full force, however, it should be noted that our sister site Joystiq notes that the government sold the shares as per Nintendo's request; the gaming giant actually wanted to increase the number of individual share-holders.Should you go buy some NTDOY stock? If you're business-savvy, why not? Nintendo's been on a roll financially, and it can't hurt to revel in some of their success.
Japanese hardware sales, Feb. 12 - Feb. 18: Cool stuff edition
Perhaps naught ever changes in the land of the rising sun, but this week felt especially mired in consistency. Christmas-colored arrows would tell you otherwise, but in fact the only changes in rank were the Game Boy Micro and the GBA SP swapping out the number seven and eight slots, respectively.So, what to do without our usual fountain of inspiration from which to draw? Part of our jobs include scouring the internet for days, nay, weeks straight, searching far and wide for things to make you, our readers, feel cool and well-informed. In our trek across digital lands we find many awesome things that may not relate to the Wii directly, and yet, we wished we could share them with you regardless. Now's our chance! You may have seen these three web-gems before, but for those who haven't, we do hope you enjoy. Now click that "Continue reading" link. Do it. - DS Lite: 136,846 64,331 (31.98%)- Wii: 63,618 14,932 (19.01%) - PSP: 34,505 2,330 (7.24%) - PS3: 20,676 2,755 (11.76%) - PS2: 16,192 159 (0.99%) - Xbox 360: 5,210 399 (8.29%) - Game Boy Micro: 953 69 (7.81%) - GBA SP: 843 137 (13.98%) - Gamecube: 347 36 (9.40%) - DS Phat: 153 32 (26.45%) - GBA: 40 4 (11.11%)[Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, Feb. 12 - Feb. 18: Cool stuff edition
Perhaps naught ever changes in the land of the rising sun, but this week felt especially mired in consistency. Christmas-colored arrows would tell you otherwise, but in fact the only changes in rank were the Game Boy Micro and the GBA SP swapping out the number seven and eight slots, respectively.So, what to do without our usual fountain of inspiration from which to draw? Part of our jobs include scouring the internet for days, nay, weeks straight, searching far and wide for things to make you, our readers, feel cool and well-informed. In our trek across digital lands we find many awesome things that may not relate to the DS directly, and yet, we wished we could share them with you regardless. Now's our chance! You may have seen these three web-gems before, but for those who haven't, we do hope you enjoy. Now click that "Continue reading" link. Do it. - DS Lite: 136,846 64,331 (31.98%)- Wii: 63,618 14,932 (19.01%) - PSP: 34,505 2,330 (7.24%) - PS3: 20,676 2,755 (11.76%) - PS2: 16,192 159 (0.99%) - Xbox 360: 5,210 399 (8.29%) - Game Boy Micro: 953 69 (7.81%) - GBA SP: 843 137 (13.98%) - Gamecube: 347 36 (9.40%) - DS Phat: 153 32 (26.45%) - GBA: 40 4 (11.11%)[Source: Media Create]
The big three still on for 2007 [update 1]
According to IGN, "According to German magazine Gamefront, "According to a Japanese retail conference" (translated from German)"", Nintendo has released a list of first-party games tentatively scheduled for release in 2007. The full list can be found after the break, but it's quite notable to see that the big three of Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are still scheduled to be released in 2007.Keep in mind, we still expect one of these games to be delayed into 2008, but the longer we go without hearing that news, the better. Also noted as that Disaster: Day of Crisis (recently screenshot-icized) is also slated for the Year of the Boar. Can it be true?[Update 1: Holy crap. Melee came out six years ago, Jason, get a grip.]
Wii Warm Up: Basis for buying
Console games, at fifty or even sixty dollars, represent a very significant purchase for many of us. And yet, many if not most gamers seem to have a tendency to pick up games on day one, without so much as a rental or demo to validate their purchase. They read the previews and look at composite scores, and then essentially gamble that they'll enjoy whatever title they've purchased.True, there are reviewers with whom people generally tend to agree. But how do you guys make your decisions, if not with a trial run first? Do you trust a specific company to deliver quality, or believe that a sequel to your favorite franchise will do justice to the series? Will you not purchase a game you were looking forward to if the game receives lower-than-expected ratings, such as the recent Sonic and the Secret Rings? Come one, come all, to the comments section! Right this way ....