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Nintendo: Wii Fit steps into US May 19, WiiWare launches May 12
Update: Nintendo has confirmed these dates with a press release.The Wall Street Journal reports that Nintendo's highly anticipated and equally exhausting balancercise board and game, Wii Fit, will arrive arrive beneath American feet on May 19th. The exercise program and peripheral, a result of designer Shigeru Miyamoto's habitual monitoring of his own weight, has sold over a million units in Japan following its launch in December.The article, which predicts an official announcement from Nintendo later today (see update above), also pins the launch of the WiiWare service to May 12th. WiiWare will be a new download service offering smaller, independent games from developers such as Steel Penny Games and doublesix.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Nintendo's Wii Fit and WiiWare on-line game service coming Stateside in May
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo plans to begin shipping its Wii Fit with weight and motion sensing Balance Board in May. Nintendo will also make good on a new online gaming game distribution service dubbed WiiWare. Right, that homebrew happy service which should result in vast quantities of cheap and innovative content previously only available in Johnny Chung Lee's imagination.Update: Wii Fit on sale in Europe on April 25th, US on May 19th.
Former Naughty Dogs go to work on 'Bruising' WiiWare puzzler
Ex-Naughty Dog developers John Hughes and Andrew Gilmour have announced the first title from their new studio, Steel Penny Games. Bruiser and Scratch in the Case of the Puzzling Paw is said to "blend a challenging puzzle game with dramatic fantasy environments and appealing characters for an exceptionally satisfying experience." That's a similar description we'd give to critical darlings Zack & Wiki and Sam & Max. Here's hoping Bruiser enjoys the latter's commercial success (and not, unfortunately, the former's dearth in sales). In addition to WiiWare, Steel Penny Games is also reportedly certified for Xbox Live Arcade titles. Bruiser and Scratch is reportedly scheduled for a mid-2008 release. Nintendo's WiiWare service is rumored to have a March launch. [Via VideoGamer]
XGen browser game dev throws casual weight behind WiiWare
With the launch of Nintendo's WiiWare just around the corner, we expect developers to begin coming out of the woodwork with support for the new download service, the latest of which is Canada-based XGen Studios. Wait, who? As a company known for, of all things, web-based Flash games, XGen has not specified what its initial WiiWare project will be, simply stating that it will release the game alongside the service's launch in early 2008.On closer inspection, the announcement actually makes a modicum of sense for XGen, which has created browser games for a variety of web portals, including EA's Pogo Network and MTV. The studio's catalog of web games already included labels for those titles it feels are "Wii Compatible," paving the way for game development for the system itself. XGen notes that its first WiiWare title will be based on one of the studio's multiplayer titles, modified to use the Wii remote. But with titles like Fishy, Chicken Jockey, and Balloon Duel, how can you pick just one?
Rumor: Hudson working on New Duck Hunt for Wii?
Could Hudson Soft be working on an update to the classic Duck Hunt for Nintendo Wii? That all depends on how much faith you put into shaky cam footage, and loosely-woven stories of dad's carelessness with company property.The story goes that the boy's father works at Hudson Soft, and that the father left an unmarked disc on his desk, which the son soon discovered was an early build of New Duck Hunt for the Wii. The footage up on GameTrailers shows what looks like a 2.5D version of the original game, complete with NES sound effects, the original music, and that damn dog.We have a hard time believing this to be true, especially since the video's off-camera star could have basically guaranteed his father's termination the moment he uploaded this to the internets. Check out the blurry, shaky, job-threatening footage after the break.Update: Apparently the video's not DestinRL's, but rather one he found somewhere else on the internet. News updated accordingly.[Thanks, Peter; via Product Reviews Net]
WiiWare launching in March, according to developer
Nintendo has kept awfully quiet about their upcoming WiiWare service, but third-party developer Engine Software seems to have no problem going on record with the launch date. According to Engine, the service is scheduled to launch this March, GamesIndustry.biz reports. Engine Software, who acquired a Wii Developer's License this past October, is currently working on a casual title for release on WiiWare. Entitled Project Bang, the game uses the Wii remote functionality and features one or two-player gameplay. It's a bit bizarre to have a developer so flippantly reveal the launch date of a platform, so we'll wait for word from Nintendo before calling this thing official.
Joystiq Interview: Kuju's download-only studio doublesix
We admit that the opening of a new studio is not the most terribly exciting event under the sun, but that news becomes decidedly more intriguing when said studio dedicates itself to a single market, or in the case of British developer Kuju's newly opened doublesix studio, a single distribution channel. With a moniker always referred to in lowercase, we expected doublesix to be quietly reserved regarding its plans, which include developing titles exclusively in the downloadable space for Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, WiiWare and the PC. What we found, however, was a studio that is enthusiastic about its positioning in this young, but rapidly growing segment of the video game industry. To find out more, we managed to speak with doublesix studio head James Brooksby on a number of topics, including the price of downloadable games today and in the future, the importance of platform exclusives in the digital space, and of course, where the team likes to eat.
Anniversary aftermath: Next year's awesome games that you forgot about
We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention? Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!
Nintendo disputes WiiWare limitations
Nintendo has issued a statement to Eurogamer, disputing some of the claims regarding its WiiWare service made during an IGN podcast this week. During the podcast, IGN staff members claimed that Nintendo will set a 40MB limitation on the file-sizes of WiiWare titles. They also claimed that Nintendo was limiting developers to one release per month, and that pricing for WiiWare games would be set by developers.Nintendo denies the 40-megabyte cap on WiiWare titles, stating that the company encourages "smaller, more compact" games for the service, but that it does not set file-size limitations, and expects games of all sizes to be published.Nintendo is considering limiting developers to one release per month during the service's initial launch, though only to more carefully regulate the volume and traffic during the WiiWare launch window. Regarding pricing, Nintendo asserts that no pricing details have been made official, but that they stand by their goal to deliver "fresh, new content at a low price." How low, we don't know.
NGamer rounds up first WiiWare titles
We were certain that any Wii-related news this week would be focused on a certain mustachioed galactic explorer, yet much like the time we heralded the Virtual Boy as the "1995 Console of the Year," we've been proven wrong. The folks at NGamer recently wrote up a fascinating comprehensive list of titles that should be coming through the WiiWare service next year.We can't help but wonder: Will this be a functional service offering legitimate, quality games to Wii owners? Or is it just another channel through which crummy games can pour into the Wii's already murky reservoir of titles? Some games, such as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Little King and The Promised Country and Dr. Mario fill us with unbridled glee. However, we are considerably less excited about Pokemon Ranch Channel, despite its brave new methods of allowing us to show you our pokemans.
Rumor: BioShock on PS3, new Metal Gear on PSP
Got a crazy craving for that sweet ADAM flavor that all the kids are talking about, but only own a PS3? According to 1UP's Quartermann's Nostradamian prediction you might be able to get your BioShock fix soon. In the latest rotation of EGM's rumor mill, the exclusivity of the underseas fiasco has been brought into question, and PS3 owners could find themselves frolicking through Rapture sometime in 2008. However, this report contradicts the statement of BioShock's lead designer Ken Levine that the game is not PS3 bound. 2K Games, would you kindly confirm or deny this rumor?Quartermann also has great news for the feverish fans of FOXHOUND who were upset by the recent MGS4 delay - a new Metal Gear game for the PSP is on it's way, ready to heal those wounds. Reportedly, Kojima Productions is working on the title right now, which will "take Snake back to the early days of his career." Not his career as a master of espionage, mind you, but his first career as a pastry chef in a small Rhode Island bistro.Also rumored: Sega isn't letting the lukewarm reception of their two first next-gen Sonic games break their stride, as they're apparently hard at work on a new, "real" Sonic game. We don't know whether "real" means a return to the game's classic platforming roots, or if we can expect more creepy interspecies make-out sessions.
Phoenix Wright: Justice for Anyone with 15 Bucks
Perhaps to celebrate Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations' release this week, Amazon has new copies of its prequel, Phoenix Wright: Justice For All, priced at $14.99, the lowest we've ever seen for the adventure game. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so sitting on this one would be ... objectionable. See what we did there? Given the quality of that joke, we really hope you didn't. [Via CAG]
WiiWare Final Fantasy due March 2008 in Japan
Japan's weekly Famitsu magazine has divulged more details about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Little King and the Promise Country, the new Final Fantasy title recently revealed for Nintendo's online distribution channel Wii Ware. According to 1UP, the article reveals the game to take place after the Gamecube original, with the main character as the Little King, whose task is to create towns in order to populate a barren land with a new country. The Little Prince King uses special powers to collect elemental skills and develop the land, deferring to upgradeable side characters to do a lot of his dirty work.Famitsu reports that the game has a March 2008 release date in Japan, and will be priced at 1,500 Wii points (Or $15 USD). Now, given that we haven't heard anything from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers -- the other new Crystal Chronicles Wii game -- in quite some time, are we to assume that this game is an entirely separate venture, or simply Crystal Bearers reborn as DLC? Talk amongst yourselves.
Yay? Australian dev brings Pop to Wii Ware
Sydney-based studio Nnooo (pronounced "No!" as in, "No, our game doesn't really have much to it.") announced last night its plans to develop an all-ages Wii Ware project titled Pop. Playable by up to four people on the same console, Pop "challenges" you to quickly burst bubbles and rack up points with chains and multipliers. Judging from the trailer embedded past the break, the game's design and mechanics are about as simple as they sound. If you're looking for more depth, you might want to hold onto your Wii points and play with a sheet of bubble wrap instead.
Nintendo says over a hundred WiiWare games proposed
An IGN translation of statements made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says there are over 100 games proposed for WiiWare. WiiWare is Nintendo's answer to independent and smaller games development which is becoming more prevalent in the industry. We aren't aware nor have seen too many of these WiiWare games, but expect that to change dramatically in 2008.But if you think it's easy getting a development kit for the Wii, think again. Those currently creating games for WiiWare have been vetted. To even get a developer kit you must have (or be) a known publisher or have "a name." Even then Nintendo is keeping strict control over development kits. With any luck Nintendo will have a better time getting third-party games sold if people don't actually have to go to retail.[Via GI.biz]
Nintendo unveils more WiiWare titles, new Dr. Mario details
Following last night's unveiling of upcoming Wii Ware titles, Nintendo has announced its first-party lineup for the downloadable service when it hits Japan in March. In addition to last night's Dr. Mario and Pokemon Farm announcements, Nintendo will also release Maruboushikaku and Minna de Puzzloop (known stateside as Magnetica). Maruboushikaku involves three screens displayed, each with its own pattern (circle-, line- and square-based). We don't yet know the objective of the game, but your actions in one window will affect the other two. The game previously known as Pokemon Farm is officially titled Pokemon Bokujou Channel (Pokemon Ranch Channel) and will let you take your Miis to the ranch to take pictures of your pokemon and send your friends. Pokemon management was mentioned, but no information on whether you level up your characters in the channel. Dr. Mario & Saikin Bokumetsu (or "bacteria extermination") will also feature your Mii characters in-game and has options for online multiplayer. Saikin Bokumesu is a minigame from the Japanese Brain Age 2 and will feature four-player online co-op. IGN has a handful of pictures from the game. Star Soldier R, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land and Moji Pittan Wii were also announced last night. Wii Ware is coming to Japanese consoles in March.
Slew of new titles announced for Wii Ware
Though its potential can't be denied, Nintendo's Wii Ware channel, an upcoming download service for new Wii games, didn't impress us much with the seemingly low-budget titles announced for it so far. Nintendo amended that worriment today at its Tokyo conference by revealing a lineup of impressive projects in progress, turning our "Excitement Level" knob to eleven, one measure greater than what we previously thought the mechanism allowed. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Little King and the Promised Land (1500 Wii Points, March), a "country-building sim," stands out from the bunch, promising an exclusive side story which takes place after the original GameCube game. This marks the fourth entry to the series and the second Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title announced for the Wii. Square Enix has already made a teaser site for you to load up and immediately close once you've realized that there's almost nothing there yet. Hudson, having kept things on and poppin' on the Virtual Console side for some time now, demonstrated its commitment to the new service by announcing new games like Bomberman, Star Soldier R, and Joysound, the last of which will be a karaoke title. Namco Bandai also chimed in with Mojipittan, a Japanese word puzzle game. As for Nintendo's contributions to the Wii Ware channel, the company announced Dr. Mario (!!!), Pokemon Farm, Puzzloop for Everyone, and Maruboushikaku, all of which appearing to have some form of Mii integration. You can preview screenshots for those titles at the Famitsu links below. Read - FFCC: The Little King and the Promised Land teaser site Read - FFCC: The Little King and the Promised Land screenshots Read - Star Soldier R screenshots Read - Mojipittan screenshots Read - Dr. Mario, Pokemon Farm, Puzzloop for Everyone, and Maruboushikaku screenshots
Pokemon Farm, Crystal Chronicles game revealed for Wii Ware
Finally, some Wii Ware titles with less-than-sketchy origins. At today's press conference in Japan, Nintendo has announced a handful of downloadable titles that will be coming to its Wii Ware service when it launches in Japan this March. Pokemon Bokujou (which translates to Pokemon Farm, according to IGN), will have you raise the pokemon you have captured and transferred from Pearl and Diamond on - you guessed it - a farm.Also revealed was a new iteration of the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series from Square Enix. In The Young King and the Promised Land, you build your own country. No other details were revealed; Nintendo is touting this as an exclusive title for Wii Ware.Star Soldier R, Doctor Mario (why isn't this a Virtual Console release?) and the Bandai Namco word puzzler Mojipittan Wii were also announced.
New WiiWare revealed in Gravitronix
Medaverse has anounced that it is bringing an original title to Nintendo's WiiWare service in Gravitronix. It's supposed to support up to eight different players, but aside from that, all we know is that it is an action game involving the shapes in the logo up above, where players must assault enemy territories.So, for those of you counting at home, this makes the second game headed to WiiWare, joining Austrian developer Bplus' PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint.[Via Joystiq]
Indie studio announces WiiWare title Gravitronix for early 2008
Upstart developer Medaverse is bringing its own game to Nintendo Wii's upcoming WiiWare service. Gravitronix is an action game that will reportedly support up to eight players. Little else is known about the title, except that players will assault enemy territories using the shapes pictured above in the logo.Medaverse Studios was formerly a game news and review site before deciding to try their luck as a development studio. Gravitronix joins Plättchen Twist 'n' Paint as the two known games heading to WiiWare, which reportedly launches in early 2008. We suspect (and hope that) bigger, more established developers are likely getting behind the download service, but so far they've all been keeping mum, as has Nintendo.
