Its over!!! The console wars!!! Over!! Thats according to the next issue of the Fortune Magazine.

Key Points:

- Wii is really popular and is sold out a lot (even at NOA Company store)

- Wii Remote is cheap to make
Accelerometer: $2.50
Basic Memory Chip: $0.25
Audio Amplifier: $0.50
Data Converter: $0.50
Rumble Pack: $2.50
Bluetooth Chip: $2.00
Audio Translator: $2.00
Plastic Casing: Unknown
Wrist Strap: Unkown

- $50 profit per Wii

- $5 Million to develop Wii game vs $20 Million for PS3 game

-Ubisoft says Nintendo is best console maker to work with

- EA says Nintendo is a pioneer

- Wii’s success has done little to convince Microsoft execs that they’rs on the wrong course (Peter Moore: “I love the experience, the price point and Nintendo content of the Wii, but Microsoft provides experiences that Nintendo cannot provide”)

- CEO of SCE America says give credit to Nintendo but points out that Sony have a innovative controller as well, technology doesnt go backwards and the Wii is a re purposed gamecube

- Sony views the world through the eyes of an engineer while Nintendo takes its cues from the outside world (eg. Pikmin from Miyamoto’s garden)

FUTURE
- Nintendo could stick with the current tech for a few years and then introduce a Wii 2.0 with PS3 tech but cheap

- cut $50 of Wii price to compete with future price cuts for MS and Sony

- relationship between Mac/PC – iTune – iPod could be like Wii – DS

- needs more stock, did not expect Wii to be so popular….currently making 1M a month but want 1.5M – 2M but its difficult

Link

This is a shooting item. Basically, you hold it in your arms.

Gotta heft this thing! Hurrrgh!

After you grab this item, it’ll rapidly release blast after blast of firecrackers that explode gaudily.

Whoooooooaaa!

You can walk around and jump while holding the launcher.

You can also aim the launcher at different angles by tilting the Control Stick up or down.

Fire up or down!

Be safe and sane when playing with fireworks.

SSB WEBSITE

01. [NDS] Kekkaishi: Tale of the Raven Forest (Bandai-Namco) – 40,741
02. [PSP] Bleach: Heat the Soul 4 (Sony) – 37,764 / NEW
03. [NDS] Lucky Star Moé Drill: Travel (Kadokawa Shoten) – 30,397
04. [Wii] Wii Sports (Nintendo) – 27,642 / 1,629,207
05. [PSP] Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War (Square-Enix) – 26,019 / 220,390
06. [NDS] More Brain Age (Nintendo) – 22,378 / 4,307,282
07. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) – 21,472 / 4,480,257
08. [NDS] Kurikin: Nano Island Story (Nintendo) – 20,792
09. [NDS] More English Training (Nintendo) – 19,375 / 237,206
10. [WII] Wii Play (Nintendo) – 18,477 / 1,336,284
11. [360] Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft)
12. [PS2] Shining Wind (Sega)
13. [NDS] Yoshi’s Island DS (Nintendo)
14. [PS2] Pachinko Ultraman: Iron Pachi-Chonmage 12 (Hackberry)
15. [WII] Super Paper Mario (Nintendo)
16. [NDS] Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (Square-Enix)
17. [NDS] Momotarou Dentetsu DS: Tokyo & Japan (Hudson)
18. [NDS] Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)
19. [NDS] Brain Age (Nintendo)
20. [NDS] English Training (Nintendo)
21. [WII] Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Nintendo)
22. [NDS] Animal Crossing Wild World (Nintendo)
23. [PS2] Odin Sphere (Atlus)
24. [NDS] Prof. Layton and the Mysterious Village (Level 5)
25. [NDS] Phoenix Wright 4 (Capcom)
26. [NDS] Kanji Brain Test 2M (IE Institute)
27. [NDS] Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (Nintendo)
28. [NDS] Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (Nintendo)
29. [PS2] Medal of Honor: Vanguard (EA)
30. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom)

Link

This past week I was visiting my local Best Buy.  I went to the Wii section just to check out what they had in stock.  While I was browsing the Wii section, a sign crabbed my attention. I don’t remember what it said word for word, but it went something like this.

” Escape from Bug Island, which was supposed to be released this week has been delayed until June, because of manufacture problems.  Sorry for the inconvenience.”

I know this game wasn’t the most anticipated game of the year. I’m just wondering if this only occurred at my local Best Buy, or if any of you have seen the same thing?

 

Mushroom Men shows gamers the mundane world from the surreal perspective of a three-inch-high Mushroom Man. Unnoticed by humans, a war rages between the spore factions. As a brave Bolete Mushroom Man, players are given the opportunity to wreak havoc by transforming common household trinkets and trash into weapons and tools.

Mushroom Men utilizes all the unique control elements of both systems, allowing for amazing gameplay that draws players into an incredibly lush and treacherous stylized world.

“From the minute we signed Mushroom Men, we’ve worked to bring it to the Wii and DS,” said Rick Stults, Console Chief for Gamecock Media Group. “Both platforms are going to give Mushroom Men a life of their own as Red Fly Studio is building unique stories specific to each system.”

Mushroom Men gives players the opportunity to jump into the fantastic microcosm that is the backyard battlefield. Take control of the crusade, creating devastating weapons from everyday items and teaming up with other sentient plant forms that’ll leave the enemy sliced and diced. Let the stylus be your rapier and the Wii Remote™ your bazooka as you cut down the multitude of household pests that threaten our very existence!

Link 

UPDATE: Apparently this is a bogus news item from Digital Spy. Jerks.

Digital Spy is reporting that the once PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is now coming to the Xbox 360. In addition to that crazy news, they say Konami is in talks with Nintendo to bring a ‘cut-down’ version of the game to the Wii!!! Very exciting if it comes true! Here’s the dish:

Industry insiders claim publisher Konami is also in talks with Nintendo to bring a cut-down MGS game to the Wii.

Wow, another PS3 exclusive bites the dust. I’m sure we’ll hear more about these claims very soon!

Link

In the recent IGN DS mailbag, Craig made mention of the possibility of Contra 4 coming to the dual-screen handheld.  Apparently a game store clerk received some information about Contra 4 for DS and wanted to confirm with IGN.  Here’s what Craig had to say:

Retailers seem to get the scoop before we do…love the sales teams at game publishers breaking the news before the marketing can. Konami hasn’t officially announced any update to Contra on the Nintendo DS…but we’ve certainly heard rumblings that a dual-screen rendition (and not the arcade emulation version in Konami Arcade Hits) is being considered. When we know more, we’ll let you know.

I’m sure we’ll hear more at E3 in July.

Link

NINTENDO NEWS: NINTENDO DS GAMING SERVICE TOPS 5 MILLION USERS, 200 MILLION GAME SESSIONS

May 30, 2007

Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection has crossed two huge milestones within just days of one another. Worldwide, since its launch in November 2005, Nintendo’s wireless gaming service has now connected more than 5 million unique Nintendo DS™ owners, and those gamers have racked up more than 200 million game-play sessions. Worldwide, nearly 65 games can be played via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The five most popular globally are Animal Crossing®: Wild World, Mario Kart® DS, Metroid® Prime Hunters, Pokémon® Diamond and Pokémon Pearl.

“Nintendo DS gamers globally use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection as an easy, fun place to find fellow players, all without paying anything extra for the service,” explains Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The milestones represent millions of hours of fun and camaraderie despite miles between players.”

Nintendo DS continues to enjoy record-breaking success. According to new figures from the independent NPD Group, DS was again the top-selling video game system in April, with more than 470,000 units sold in the United States alone. That’s nearly 16,000 per day.

Nintendo DS also finds success beyond the stereotypical young male gamer. According to internal Nintendo demographic tracking studies, in less than 18 months, DS purchases have increased by 42 percent among women, 127 percent among people 30 and older and 212 percent among people 35 and older.

For more information about Nintendo DS, please visit www.NintendoDS.com.

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