Nintendo Wii News

• Xbox may make a move on Wii
  timesonline writes "Nintendo's bestselling Wii may soon have a rival. Speculation is rife about a new motion-sensitive controller for the Microsoft Xbox 360. Like the Wii, this would enable gamers to control on-screen characters by moving their body rather than pressing buttons. More than 24m Wiis have been sold worldwide since its launch in 2006. So popular have games such as Wii tennis and boxing become that there has been a surge in injuries caused by overexertion or by players accidentally striking bystanders. An announcement about the Xbox is expected on www.e3expo.com - the website of E3, the Los Angeles gaming trade show. You heard it here first."
  
  
• Top 12 Games Of Summer
  Need a good reason to stay out of the sun this summer? We've got a dozen.
  
  
• Game Releases for the Week of July 6, 2008
  Highlights this week include Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice (PC) Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360/PS3/Nintendo DS), Unreal Tournament III (Xbox 360), and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Nintendo Wii).
  
  Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of July 6, 2008 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC!
  
  
• PSP beats Wii and DS in Japan for June
  The game hardware sales data for the June period in Japan (aka the five weeks to June 29) has been released, and Sony's PSP managed to outsell both the Wii and Nintendo DS, with sales of 274,131 units according to Famitsu publisher Enterbrain.
  
  The market research firm said that Nintendo's lead with Wii is fading, as its lead on the PlayStation 3 narrowed to 1.7-to-1 in June, down significantly from its 6-to-1 lead in May. However, the PS3 did see the launch of Konami blockbuster Metal Gear Solid 4 in June, which had a lot to do with the buzz.
  
  Wii managed sales of 235,990 units, PS3 managed 139,494, DS managed 195,714, and as usual, Microsoft's Xbox 360 trailed by a long margin with just 10,964 units.
  
  
• Wii Fit flops in Japan. Gamers quit after buying
  One of the reasons health clubs stay in business is by signing up people to yearly contracts.
  What they know and the general public doesn't know is that a great majority of people who do sign up only attend about 57 days out of the full year while some drop out completely, thus affording more space in the gym for more people to sign up and fail to show.
  
  It seems that Wii Fit, at least in Japan, is taking on similar characteristics in consumer behavior. According to ITMeida of Japan, a poll was taken by a group of 1000 gamers that showed a staggering amount of people not using the Wii Fit game shortly after purchase.
  
  
• Is the PS3 More Popular than the Nintendo Wii?
  From the article: "Critics of the Nintendo Wii suggest that the remote control is just a gimmick, the novelty of which may soon wear off in the face of high performance consoles such as the Playstation 3. The controller also presents problems for 3rd party software vendors, because of its unique design, and Nintendo has tended to highlight its own games and been weak in its support of 3rd party titles.
  
  The Playstation 3, on the other hand, relies on superior technology ? a powerful, multicore, Cell processor, an RSX ("Reality Synthesiser") graphics chip from NVIDIA, and a maximum resolution of 1080p (in the 60GB version) ? as its unique selling point."
  
  
• Diablo 3 now a 'theoritical possibility' on consoles
  Despite a previous straight-out denial about Diablo 3 being on consoles, semi-contradictory reports have been leaking out in the press stating otherwise. A couple of days ago Blizzard COO Paul Sams told the Guardian he "do(esn't) know yet."
  
  
• Mirror.co.uk Review: Super Smash Bros Brawl
  Mirror.co.uk writes: "Ever wondered who would win in a fight between Mario and Luigi? Could Pikachu pack a punch to knock out the Legend Of Zelda's mighty Link?
  
  With Super Smash Bros Brawl, you'll find out as 35 of your favourite Nintendo all-stars go head-to-head.
  
  Up to four players can battle it out across stages familiar from the Nintendo universe, each attempting to knock their opponent off the edge of the arena to earn a victory. While fans of the likes of Tekken may initially find Super Smash Bros Brawl a little simplistic, the game's kooky style belies surprising depth."
  
  
• IGN E3 countdown
  See a LIVE countdown to Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and E3's press conferences on IGN.com.
  
  
• Spore Spawns Mario's Worst Nightmare
  Spore's population of creatures continues to steadily rise since the game's Creature Creator was released just a few weeks ago. GamesRadar have already taken a look at how freaky Pokemon invaded Spore. But today it's all about Mario.
  
  From badass Bowsers to busted Bob-ombs, check out the most awesome and awful clones of Mario's most memorable foes.
  
  
• Guitar Hero Expansion Answers Aerosmith Enthusiasts' Prayers
  I don't know about you guys, but playing with Aerosmith is just something I didn't even dare to dream of. Having them in my living-room would be another thing, but thanks to Guitar Hero, I will be just one of the millions of happy fans that can make both of their dreams become reality.
  
  "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" is much like Guitar Hero III, but with more of a personal feeling for all those classic rockers out there. They now have the opportunity to be a part of the Aerosmith history, from the Nipmuc High School to the star-studded halftime show at the Big Game.
  
  The game offers an exclusive chance to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, by offering all Guitar Hero and Aerosmith lovers out there the opportunity to fill in Joe Perry's shoes and play alongside Steven Tyler in some of the best concerts the world has ever seen.
  
  
• The 6 Most Blatantly 'Borrowed' Concepts of this Generation
  This gaming generation has seen great innovation, yet it has also seen its fair share of imitation. GamePro pit the originators against the imitators to see who does it better!
  
  
• Greenberg: Wii Customers May 'Graduate' To Xbox 360
  Talking to Gamasutra as part of a larger interview to be posted in the near future, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, has been commenting on Microsoft's attempts to attract casual gamers, suggesting that Wii customers are "going to want to graduate to an Xbox 360 experience" over time.
  
  
• Wii Fit: 64% of Japanese gamers already giving up
  Rather than a game, Wii Fit is more comparable to an exercise program. More specifically, it's something that most people would consider playing in short bursts each day. A recent poll, however, shows that close to two-thirds of Japanese gamers are already giving up on the product. ITMedia in Japan took poll data from 1000 gamers and a staggering 64% of the participants said they stopped using Wii Fit after purchase.
  
  See the link for the full poll results.
  
  
• Yoga Wii - Exercise Your Body, Mind and Soul announced
  JoWood has today announced Yoga Wii - Exercise Your Body, Mind and Soul for the Nintendo Wii, a title that will support the Wii Balance Board, and what the developer describes as "a unique gaming experience for young and young at heart gamers.
  
  
• New Facebreaker screenshots
  Electronic Arts published a new batch of Facebreaker screenshots. Check them out.
  
  
• Castlevania Judgment officially announced for Wii. Online multiplayer fighting confirmed
  Konami officially confirmed that Castlevania Judgment, the first Castlevania title in the fighting game genre, is currently in development exclusively for Wii. Developed by legendary Castlevania series producer Koji "Iga" Igarashi, Castlevania Judgment bridges the past with the present as it pits several generations of the Belmont clan against a host of characters that span the franchise's 22-year history. It will be released in North America in Fall 2008
  
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  As an added bonus, players are also able to compete head-to-head using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and connect with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the Nintendo DS to unlock bonus gameplay content.
  
  
• Atari: Positive Alone in the Dark reviews keep coming
  Videogamer writes: "Atari has revealed it wants more from its major summer release, Alone in the Dark, despite the title placing at No.1 in the Xbox 360 chart and at No.3 in the All Formats chart.
  
  "The positive review scores continue to come in and marketing support is scheduled to run through to the end of August," Atari product manager Ben Walker told MCV. "Our target now is to build upon the start and keep Alone in the Dark selling through-out the summer"
  
  We found Alone in the Dark to be one of the most disappointing games of the year so far, scoring only 6/10 despite much early promise and plenty of good ideas"
  
  
• On the PAL Wii Shop today: My Pokemon Ranch and Pop (WiiWare)
  Today Nintendo of Europe and Australia added new games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The WiiWare games are: My Pokemon Ranch and Pop.
  
  
• Mainstream media are getting hipper to gaming world
  I don't know whether many of you noticed, although you probably should have, that video games have been getting some interesting mainstream ink lately with perspectives by folks we wouldn't expect to hear on this subject.