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Readers pick best webcomic: prescription meds
Scott Ramsoomair's VG Cats has caused more than a few commenters to overdose (har har) in dismay, but nonetheless it was the voted the best game-related webcomic this week. Second place goes to Hijinks Ensue, followed by Three Panel Soul in third. We're awarding Ctrl+Alt+Del an honorable mention since we should have put them in the running but subsequently overlooked them in the selection process. Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Plattchen developer inadvertently opens floodgates
In an interview with Cubed3, PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint art director Bernd Geiblinger denied online play for the downloadable title, saying that "An online multiplayer mode would certainly be cool, but currently our focus completely lies on making the game as good as possible." He then went on to utter the statement that will probably result in thousands of emails to Bplus: "Would you really want an online multiplayer mode? Would it be your reason to buy the game? If you like, you may start a poll about this and then we will discuss that again." We've learned that for any game that could possibly have online, there are plenty of folks out there who will demand it. Please, delete that draft you just started. Despite what Geiblinger said, they probably know that you want the game to be online.Speaking of possibilities, does the fact that Bplus chooses not to include online play mean that it's an option for Wii Ware games? While you're pondering, be sure to check out the awesome PLÄTTCHEN wallpapers, from which we took the post image. They're certainly ... at a much higher resolution than the Wii can display![Via GoNintendo]
Second set of Metroid Prime 3 videos rolls onto the scene
True to its word, Nintendo updated the Metroid Prime 3: Corruption channel with two new videos. Since they're streaming clips, you won't have to go through the download process again to grab them. Seeing this implemented so seamlessly made us a lot less annoyed with the steps we originally had to take to pluck the preview from the Wii's Shopping Channel.Like the last two clips, the first video provides a few details pertaining to the story, background info on the malfunctioning Aurora Unit in this case; the other movie, more focused on gameplay, shows Samus Aran in her Spider Ball form, navigating a series of winding rails and tracks. The Aurora Unit's resemblance to a certain previous antagonist has us tingling. Yes, tingling! The next two videos, P.E.D. Suit and Air Assault, hit the preview channel this Thursday.[Via NeoGAF]
Month of Metroid kicks off with MP3:C channel, VC releases
Building up hype for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's August 27th release, Nintendo has declared our eighth month as the "Month of Metroid," releasing a downloadable preview channel for the FPS/adventure title. As shown in the video we've embedded above, you can grab the preview from the Wii Shopping Channel's WiiWare section for free. Two streaming videos should be included with the download -- one a lengthy trailer, the other demonstrating gameplay -- as well as two hidden artwork samples. More videos will be made available this August 13th.Also on August 13th, as we predicted, Nintendo plans to bring the original Metroid NES game to the Virtual Console for 500 points. Super Metroid fans can expect to see the SNES classic appear this August 20th, priced at 800 points. Coinciding Wii releases with their complementary retro titles seems like an obvious sales stratagem; we wonder what took Nintendo so long to catch on? Anyhow, we can't wait to see what else Nintendo has planned for this Metroid Month. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Impossible Mission screens are evidence of actual Wii Ware
These screens of Impossible Mission may not scream "next-gen graphics" to you, but consider these points: first, sometimes Wii games look like this; and second, this is purportedly a downloadable Wii Ware title. That said, we think the hand-drawn 2D is sharp and colorful, and we personally enjoy the look. So maybe we'll add a third point to our rebuttal: shut up, nonexistant straw man.Nintendo World Report has a European/Australian release date of August 31 for Impossible Mission. If that's true, it means that Wii Ware games are on the way sooner than we thought. It's probably not true. We expect some more announcements from Nintendo before games just start showing up.[Via Digg]
Wii Warm Up: Wii Where?
We were sitting in our sound-proof Concentration Room, just pondering stuff, when we had a thought: why did we have this room built? Immediately following that, we had another thought: where was Wii Ware at E3? There was this huge trade show for video game companies to show off their video games, which Nintendo totally did, and they didn't mention Wii Ware at all. In fact, other than a single game announcement immediately before E3, we've heard shockingly little about what should be a very big deal. What's your take on Nintendo's silence? Why didn't they show any Wii Ware stuff at E3? Maybe there wasn't enough to show. Or maybe what there is will completely upstage boring, everyday stuff like Super Mario Galaxy.
Wii Warm Up: The coming 'surprise'
Possible megaton alert! Cue the excitement -- or the yawns; your mileage with these announcements-about-announcements may vary. NoA President Reggie Fils-Aime dropped a not-so-subtle hint that we'll be seeing something special on our Wiis come September. A surprise, and just for us! He even says it'll be a good surprise; awesome, says us, because that's the best kind. It's probably not the Check Mii Out channel, because he was talking about that in the same breath in his interview with Game Head's Geoff Keighley. So what could it be? Perhaps an early peek at WiiWare? Some of you thought such a thing could be possible (though not quite that early). A channel we haven't heard about? Maybe demos? Get your speculation on.
Kohler speaks with Miyamoto in a very revealing interview
Being the Nintendo maniacs we are, often the thought of finding and capturing Shigeru Miyamoto so that we may have him all to ourself crosses the darkest recesses of our mind. Of course, we realize these are just crazy thoughts and don't have them written down anywhere in the same book where we keep all of our homemade sketches of the iconic gaming legend. We would never do that.But, given how much we read about Shiggy, his latest interview with Chris Kohler is one of his best. Shiggy manages to touch on an icnredible variety of subjects, including price point talk for Wii Fit, the upcoming Wii Ware channel and even took time to offer his opinions on the violent video game debate. If you're going to read one interview from E3, this should be it.
Nintendo hints at end of Game Boy name, possible WiiWare in 2007
While it would have been virtually unthinkable just a few years ago, Nintendo is apparently now contemplating the possibility of a world without Game Boys. That's according to Nintendo marketing exec George Harrison, who recently told GameDaily.biz that we may have seen the last of the name, specifically saying that "it's hard to say in the future if we will ever bring back the Game Boy trademark." In other, less heartbreaking news, Nintendo's homebrew-happy WiiWare service appears to be progressing nicely, with Harrison also letting out word that "it may not take until 2008" for it to make its public debut. A firmer date will apparently depend on how quickly developers can get their act together.[Via Joystiq]
Revolutionary: Web Wii Wares
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. When WiiWare was announced, it seemed like a godsend for the garage developer wishing to make Wii games for mass appreciation. But details on how to get your hands on a WiiWare development kit and the costs involved are not public knowledge, and the official launch of the distribution channel (on the Wii Shop Channel) isn't going to be happening until some time next year. So what's a Wii-loving, budget-restricted developer to do in the meanwhile? Making games for Wii's Opera Browser is one option.
Game Boy name may be over and possible WiiWare in 2007
Nintendo marketing exec. George Harrison says the Game Boy name may be put to rest. The DS has been been successful enough that the company no longer needs to depend on the Game Boy brand name for future products. We always did wonder what happened to the next Game Boy.Harrison tells GameDaily.biz, "It's hard to say in the future if we will ever bring back the Game Boy trademark." And so a name synonymous with many gamer's childhoods is buried. Oh well, it's not like the DS name has hurt Nintendo's bottom line.Curiously, Harrison also said Nintendo's WiiWare could be out in 2007. Actually the quote is kinda in reverse order. Harrison says, "It may not take until 2008. I've seen a couple of ideas that have already been generated even before we went public [with WiiWare]. Whether those are going to be ready or not, I don't really know." So, it pretty much hinges if the developers get their stuff in order. Only the next six months will tell who gets their WiiWare out first -- the quality of those games is a whole other issue.
First Wii Ware game announced: Plttchen Twist 'n' Paint
Austrian developer Bplus announced today it has the official "ok" from Nintendo to release a game on the upcoming Wii Ware download service. Plättchen Twist 'n' Paint, a "puzzle shooter", has been designed specifically for the Wii and its motion-sensitive waggle wand. No release date or other details were mentioned, of course, but don't be surprised if Min-E3 brings a few juicy Wii Ware tidbits our way.Then again, knowing Nintendo and its love of secrecy, don't be surprised if it doesn't, either.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Wii Ware's first: Plattchen Twist 'n' Paint
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/First_original_downloadable_title_revealed_for_the_Wii'; The Wii Ware gold rush seems to have started. Austrian developer Bplus announced that they have the official okay from Nintendo to release a game on the download service. The game, Plattchen Twist 'n' Paint, is a "puzzle shooter ... which has been designed specifically for Wii and its innovative new controller." No idea when it'll come out, of course, since that would inadvertently tip Nintendo's hand about the real Wii Ware release timeline. Assume a release date between "2007 holiday season!" and "When monkeys fly out of my butt."Bplus was smart to make this announcement now when it'll get the most attention. We get the feeling that there will be a massive influx of Wii Ware announcements in a few days.[Via 4cr]
Wii Warm Up: Tabletop style
With the news that Jenga is coming to the Wii, and with the Wii so perfect for certain other games (DS/Wii Pictionary, maybe?), we're curious what else you might possibly be interested in. One of the best parts about board games on XBLA, for example, is the lack of setup or cleanup (which is always nice), but how many games really translate well? Also, are such games better suited for download services or budget titles?
Wii Warm Up: Original fare
Now that we know that original games are coming via WiiWare, we've got to ask what kind of things you expect -- or hope -- to see. Any particular developers or existing franchises you're crossing your fingers for? Adaptations of existing games, perhaps? We all know ports are (not) where it's at. Surely you've pondered this question; now the time has come to share your musings with the other kids in the class. Also: do you think this announcement makes a hard drive more likely, despite yesterday's denial?
Poll: WiiWare's real launch date
Nintendo's "early 2008" prediction for the launch of WiiWare might seem like a lifetime away, but we're still not convinced that the company has given itself enough time to turn the Shopping Channel into a vehicle for new downloadable game content. Nintendo isn't exactly known for its punctuality -- one need only look to the DS's delayed WiFi Connection implementation or the GameCube's nearly-nonexistent online service for examples of stalled promises.What're your thoughts on the possibilities of WiiWare arriving on schedule? Does early 2008 really sound feasible? Or does it sound like a bunch of duck tales (a-woo-woo!)?
