Be sure to read the whole press release because it confirms some new information including:

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chroncles NA name confirmed
• 3rd Party support for Balance Board
• TellTale making new episodic game for WiiWare

WiiWare, Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl Shown at Game Developers Conference

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 20, 2008 – The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco attracts the top creative minds in the video game industry. With that audience on hand, Nintendo announces news that reinforces its commitment to provide entertaining and enriching experiences for veteran and new gamers alike. WiiWare™, Nintendo’s new downloadable game service, launches May 12 and expands development opportunities for developers the same way Wii™ expanded the world of video game players. Wii Fit™, the upcoming title for Wii, launches May 19 and introduces the Wii Balance Board™ peripheral. And Super Smash Bros.® Brawl draws in fans of all kinds.

“We are excited to participate in the Game Developers Conference this year to share with developers and consumers alike our upcoming unique services and products,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We are hopeful that they will appreciate our offerings of WiiWare, Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which represent a trio that will continue to attract new players to the world of video games.”
At the conference, Nintendo speakers will outline a number of plans for the coming months on their respective panels:

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AGOURA HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 19, 2008–THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Blue Fang Games today announced that they have entered into a development agreement for a brand new videogame property. The new property is in development for Nintendo’s Wii(TM) and DS(TM )systems, as well as Windows PC, and is scheduled for release in fiscal 2010. Blue Fang is most noted for its immensely successful Zoo Tycoon(TM) franchise, which continues to reach a broad audience of casual game players on the Nintendo DS(TM) game system.

“With sales in excess of seven million units worldwide, Blue Fang’s Zoo Tycoon franchise has served to expand the casual gaming demographic through its accessible, compelling gameplay,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of publishing, THQ. “We’re confident that this new property will strongly appeal to the new generation of casual players on Nintendo Wii and DS.”

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LONDON (13TH February, 2008) – SEGA Europe today confirmed the name of the forthcoming Sonic RPG adventure, as being Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Developed by industry admired and RPG specialists, Bioware, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood will appear on the Nintendo DS™ system during 2008.

BioWare is the award-winning developer that has created some of the world’s best-selling titles including the Baldur’s Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™, the 2005 RPG of the Year, Jade Empire™ and the recent global hit Mass Effect™.

The relationship with BioWare reinforces SEGA’s increased emphasis on Western content development for Western audiences. In the past few years SEGA has announced partnerships with developers Bizarre Creations, Gas Powered Games, Monolith Productions, Obsidian Entertainment, Planet Moon Studios, Pseudo Interactive and Silicon Knights. SEGA has also acquired development studios The Creative Assembly, Secret Level and Sports Interactive as well as creating the SEGA Racing Studio.

Game Press

February 2007, London United Kingdom - February sees London-based company Wrapstar celebrating the launch of their revolutionary range of skins for Wii Nunchuk and remote.The high-tech skins will be available for the first time in two special four-packs, Fusion and Invasion.Each pack contains four unique skins for Wii Nunchuk and remote only. Priced at £9.99 each, Fusion and Invasion packs are certain to be snapped up, particularly as one Wrapstar skin usually costs from £4.99.

Wrapstar Managing Director Max Haddow says, “These skins are much more high-tech as we have had to incorporate the intricate layout of the Wii Nunchuk and remote and allow for this in our cuttings.”

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Not sure why this is showing up now, but thanks to the people over at neogaf for putting this together.

Summary Complete:

Smash Bros.:

-Pikmin are multiple throw items.
-Matt has been trying to force himself into using the wii-mote only option. Fran a more core smash player, found he could do everything he needed to do with the option, though he still prefers to use the GC.
-Better than Galaxy/Metroid?? Matt: No, not for him. It is a really damn fine great fighter, but it does have some issues that need to be acknowledged.
-They haven’t decided who will review it, perhaps multiple people since its so huge

SSE:

-Matt on SSE: Its not entirely polished, its a good single player mode but it does have its flaws
-Some loading screens have ten second loads.
-Bozon “There may be a different ending i still gotta get”
-Bozon “It did start to get more fun, at about the 50% mark when you’re no longer playing to unlock characters and the evil presence really makes its mark and you want to start it”
-When it comes to review, even though we don’t love the single player much, we realize its a multiplayer oriented game so it won’t be doc’d a lot of points for what is essentially a side mode, they then go on to list the vast amounts of other side modes

MoH:Heroes Australia:

-No explanation provided for why there was no online
-PR said it was a misprint on the box.

BoomBlox:

-We like it, fun Jenga-style game for the Wii, feels like it was designed for the Wii.
-Bozon originally thought it would be a mid 7.0’s game before going over to EA thinking it would be kinda meh, apparently after the EA visit he’s enthused about the game.
-Matt’s biggest let down was that in the level editor when you start to make huge levels, there could be some slow down, they hope its fixed prior to release.
-”Its one of those games that’ll get a score, but really its a fun game to play with the family”

Okami:

-No advertising blowout, no TV commercials
-No New Content, but the controls are feeling better and it looks better.

Julian (Factor 5 President) Interview:

(Paraphrased responses but very accurate)

Q — Will this game push the Wii Hardware?
A — We want to push the hardware, for us its easy to push the hardware. A lot of it is exploiting the uniqueness of the Wii. On the graphical side of course we are going to try to out due everything else on the platform, like we did with the GC star wars games, but of course the emphasis is on the controls. He personally really loves the pointing device. Pointing stuff is probably the biggest innovation they are working on right now.

-Matt and Bozon talk a little about how some games over-use the waggle just to waggle(No specifics) then talk about PES and their innovative use of the IR.

Q — Are you going to use the nun-chuck controller?
A — I can’t comment yet, you try to design every game for the Wii to avoid the nun-chuck, but for some games the nun-chuck is a very viable option. When trying to go casual, the first barrier to over come is the ability to not have to use the nun-chuck.

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I received an interesting package from the State of Georgia over the weekend. It was from the Digital Entertainment Liaison for the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Film, Music and Video office.

Inside was a copy of the “Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual” and little pack of press releases singing the praises of Georgia and pointing out that the state has become “a hotbed for video game industry development.”

Hotbed you say? Read on.

According to the press release there are more than 50 game developers and publishers in the state employing more than 2,000 people. And Georgia is ranked number four in terms of compensation levels for game developers.

But all that’s sort of icing on the cake, the meat of the pack was about how the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act offers a sizable incentive to video game companies for producing games there. Devs and publishers get as much as a 12 percent tax break.

Why should you care about this? Because it means that state’s are starting to woo game developers they way they woo other businesses in other industries and if they’re willing to spend cold hard cash, in the form of tax breaks, then more than likely they will also be sure to protect their investment from idiotic laws that attack the product of these companies. In other words: State governments are finally starting to open their eyes to the value of the video game industry.

-Kotaku

I am now glade that I live in the great State of GA! Heres hoping to a gaming convention here sometime soon.

Link 

People Everywhere Find the Brain-Training Game Engaging

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 27, 2007 – Hair salons, RV shows and shopping malls might not be the first places you think of when it’s time to exercise your brain. But that’s exactly where Nintendo is showing off the brain-training abilities of its new Brain Age™ 2: More Training in Minutes a Day program for Nintendo DS™.

“Many different people are sampling and playing Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, including some people you might not expect to be trying video games,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “The title draws people in with its engaging game play, so this summer we’re giving all kinds of people a chance to energize and sharpen their brains while demonstrating that everyone’s a gamer.”

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day contains a collection of 15 fun, challenging exercises to get users’ brains pumping. Tasks in memory, math, reading and even music challenge users to complete them as quickly – and as accurately – as possible. Combined, global sales of Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day and Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day already have topped 14 million and still are increasing. Between now and January, Nintendo will showcase Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day in a variety of expected – and some unexpected – locations:

• A 50-City Mall Experience: Between now and Jan. 8, Brain Age 2 will be part of a 50-city nationwide mall game-play experience. Visitors can train their brains and check out all the latest Nintendo games. To find a location near you, visit http://wii.nintendo.com/malltour_07.jsp.
• Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk Events: As part of this nationwide event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research, Nintendo is sponsoring booths at Memory Walk events in Chicago, Austin, New York, Washington and Los Angeles. Participants and visitors can sample Brain Age 2 and learn how to keep their minds active.
• A Hair Salon (yes, a hair salon): In honor of National Self-Improvement Month, Nintendo has sent Nintendo DS systems and copies of Brain Age 2 to the new Nelson J Salon in Beverly Hills, Calif. During September, visitors to the salon will have the chance to freshen up the insides of their heads while stylists coif their tresses.
• Nintendo Street Team Appearances: Members of the Nintendo Street Team will fan out across the country to show off Brain Age 2 at a variety of major landmarks and expanded-audience events like home shows and fitness expos, including the Atlanta Home Show (Sept. 28-30) and the Long Island Fall Home Show (Sept. 28-30).

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day is rated E for Everyone. For more information about Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, visit www.BrainAge.com.

Nintendo Press Room

Activision, Inc., publisher of the wildly popular Guitar Hero® franchise and the City of New York are proud to proclaim September 26, 2007 “Guitar Hero® Day” in New York City. Fans are ready to rock the streets of Manhattan as thousands are expected to gather in celebration of the day, with guitar controllers in hand. This proclamation is one of many Guitar Hero events taking place in New York City this week, heading into the launch of the highly anticipated Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

The game was also included in Ziff Davis’ Hot Five Press Event on Tuesday, September 25 at Splashlight Studios. The press only event featured the five hottest products of the coming year. For the first time, U.S. fans have the opportunity to play Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock at the DigitalLife Conference taking place at Javits Center, September 27-30.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform. The game will feature a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. The sequel also will offer a vast array of downloadable content including songs from some of the most popular European bands.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, published by RedOctane® and developed by Neversoft, is rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB and will be available October 28, 2007. For more information about the Guitar Hero franchise, please visit the dedicated community site: www.guitarhero.com.

Link 

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Sept. 24, 2007

When you take on a challenge, it’s helpful to know your goal. Are you trying to bury an opponent under colorful boulders, defeat the evil Syndicate’s lifelike robots or rescue a princess? Maybe all three? Well, you can rest easy knowing that this week’s diverse selection from the Wii Shop Channel is here to help you take care of all the above.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

Kirby’s Avalanche™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Everyone’s favorite round, pink hero takes a break from swallowing his enemies to put your brain to work in this fast-paced puzzle game. Players take control of Kirby and match wits with well-known enemies from the Kirby series (including his archrival, King Dedede) in an effort to win the First Annual Dream Land Avalanche Competition. The simple-but-addictive game play revolves around brightly colored blobs and boulders. When the right amount of matching blobs are stacked, they explode and rain down on your opponent’s field of play. Repeat this until your screen is clear to move on to the next round. But be careful—the farther you advance, the faster the blobs fall and the smarter the opponents get. Are you good enough to help Kirby become the avalanche king?

Streets of Rage™ 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Violence, 800 Wii Points): Just when you thought the world was safe from the Syndicate and its shady leader, Mr. X, they have returned to torment the city once again. Mr. X has developed lifelike robots to take the place of various city officials so he can be in complete control. Now it’s up to our old heroes Axel, Skate and Blaze to stop the threat with their amazing fighting skills. With more weapons and combat moves, as well as secret characters and various endings, this return to the streets is one you won’t want to miss.

LEGEND OF HERO TONMA (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 600 Wii Points): LEGEND OF HERO TONMA is an action game that puts players in control of the magic-user Tonma, whose role - as was typical for game heroes of the day - is to travel to another world and save the princess. Fight your way through seven stages using Tonma’s jump ability and shot power. Collect power-ups and barriers to grow in strength and pummel your enemies. Bring that strength to the end of each stage to face off against and defeat the menacing bosses that aim to keep you from the princess. This well-detailed game’s comic visuals and feel will have players wanting to come back for more frantic and exciting action.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

• 10/01/07 The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass DS
• 10/02/07 Chibi-Robo™: Park Patrol DS
• 10/08/07 Donkey Kong® Barrel Blast Wii
• 10/15/07 Flash Focus™: Vision Training in Minutes a Day DS
• 10/29/07 Battalion Wars™ 2 Wii
• 11/05/07 Fire Emblem™: Radiant Dawn Wii
• 11/12/07 Super Mario® Galaxy Wii
• 11/19/07 Link’s Crossbow Training™ Wii
• 11/19/07 Mario Party® DS DS
• 11/26/07 Master of Illusion™ DS
• 12/03/07 Super Smash Bros.® Brawl Wii
• 12/03/07 Professor Layton and the Curious Village™ DS
• Q1 2008 Endless Ocean™ Wii
• Early 2008 Mario Kart® Wii (name not final) Wii
• TBA Nintendo® Crossword (name not final) DS
• TBA Wii Fit™ Wii

Nintendo Press Room