Wii

A lot to cover on this Wiikend post. First, our third podcast is live, yes that soon. In this podcast we talk about the games that were announced this week; …
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Brawl was released in the UK yesterday, and almost after a 4 month delay from the NA release, Smash Brothers disc are still giving some people troubles. Here is what …
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Wired: You said you get your inspiration for your games from hobbies and parts of your life. Give me an example of where an idea for a game came from.

Miyamoto: Well, I think in the end I could say that my inspiration comes basically from my own interests. So, for a concrete example, Nintendogs was a game where that came about because of the joy and the fun that I discovered in the different aspects of raising and training a dog. Now, in the cases of Super Mario Galaxy, again, not so much a hobby but coming from my interests, looking at kind of the joy of discovery and surprise in the creation of kind of maybe an Escher-like world where you have strange angles and things like that, as well as kind of the different types of fun you can have playing with the effects of gravity. So, those are not necessarily hobbies, per se, but things that interest me.

Thompson: Where exactly did the idea for Donkey Kong come from?

Miyamoto: Actually, when I’m designing a game, I start with the game system. So, Donkey Kong was based kind of on this idea of almost like a collage where you have a defined area, and you would essentially within that area be able to paste — and this is in terms of the graphics.  Within that area, you’ve got specific elements that you’re pasting in there. The game system of Donkey Kong was the idea of you’re in this square, which of course is defined by the TV screen. And, originally the idea was that it’s a maze that you’re moving around in. And so in thinking of what types of art or graphics would go well in terms of representing this movement around kind of a maze, the idea was, well, if we have something big that you’re working toward, that serves as a clear objective. And so something big, a gorilla, gorillas are big, that would be a good point on screen.

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In all honesty, this isn’t really a fair comparison because the Wii screens are simply magazine scans and are not direct feed screens like the 360 version. …
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Nintendo Wii

North America: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo) 3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) 4. Rock Band Special Edition (EA Games) 5. …
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London (27th June 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces FINAL FANTASY® FABLES: Chocobo’s Dungeon®, featuring a loveable cast of Chocobo and his friends, will be available exclusively on the Wii™ across Europe and PAL territories in Autumn 2008.

Veteran character designer Toshiyuki Itahana delivers a uniquely compelling visual world in which a cast of beloved FINAL FANTASY characters lead players through an immersive storyline. With a carefully crafted narrative and a grand mystery to unravel, FINAL FANTASY FABLES: Chocobo’s Dungeon will captivate gamers of all ages.
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Hey everyone!   Last night I got the opportunity to be a part of a conference call with Master Higgins (Toshiyuki Takahashi) of Adventure Island fame.  The …
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Deal means Havok Physics will be used to bring realistic motion to several Wii^TM titles from 2K
Havok, the leading provider of physics engines to the global game and movie entertainment industry, has agreed to a licensing agreement with California based game developer 2K
Games. Under the terms of the deal, 2K Games will use Havok’s pioneering physics engines to develop several upcoming titles which will be available on the Wii home video game system
from Nintendo.

2K will initially use the industry leading Havok Physics engine to support its standards of realism and interactivity in Carnival Games: Mini-Golf™, the sequel to the popular Wii title Carnival
Games™, which has sold over 1.5 million units worldwide since its release last year. Havok technology will also be used in other yet-to-be-named titles for the Wii from 2K.
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PSP 59,351 Wii 41,037 DS Lite 36,599 PS3 20,336 PS2 6,346 Xbox 360 2,555

Link

– Maria unlocked through DS to Wii connectivity – special move gauge that builds up to a move that is much like a “final smash” – some sort of WFC …
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Joke comes half way through the clip.

EA says that the July release of NCAA Football 09 All-Play will launch the initiative, with “stylized gameplay that is quick and easy for fans to jump in and out …
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Tournament starts July 1st.

Link

• Characters confirmed thus far – Dracula, Simon, Alucard, Shanoa, and Maria Renard.
• Classic subweapons – holy water, magic spells, dagger, boomerang
• Subweapon use still …
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Coming from Nintendo Power:

Robot Masters

Magma Man Galaxy Man Jewel Man Concrete Man Hornet Man Plug Man Tornado Man Splash Woman

– Dr. Wily returns – …
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We already posted the screens, but here is the official Press Release.The question is raised. Do we want another boogie game?

New Sing and Dance Game Lets Girls Perform Today’s Hottest Music to Become a Star

Guildford, UK June 26, 2008 – For any girl who has ever dreamed of being a star, the Casual Entertainment Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) brings future stars one step closer today with the announcement of Boogie™ SuperStar. Combining the hottest music hits from around the world with the coolest dance moves and total character customisation, Boogie SuperStar provides girls the ultimate gaming experience: to sing and dance their way to superstardom! Exclusively for the Wii™, Boogie SuperStar will be available in North America and Europe October 2008, and in Asia in the following months.

Boogie SuperStar features more than 40 songs made famous by popular artists such as Rihanna, Fergie, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, Good Charlotte, Britney Spears, Kanye West, and more. Another 30 songs will be available on International versions of the game, allowing players to perform songs from local artists including Melissa M (France), Monrose (Germany), Finley (Italy) and Fito y Fitipaldis (Spain). The star power behind Boogie SuperStar doesn’t stop there. EA will soon reveal the game’s featured artist—a chart-topping, global music sensation who will help promote Boogie SuperStar.
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With the price of petrol going through the roof this could mean the nail in the coffin for Boy Racers, Speed Maniacs, Street Racing and Joy Riders. So how are you going to get your thrill of driving through city centres in illegal street races, where you need ram your foot on the accelerator and bugger the consequences?

Well now you can experience that excitement in your own home thanks to… Data Design Interactive – a successful video games publisher and games developer, who today announced a new title to be added to their Nintendo Wii label, Popcorn Arcade, Urban Extreme: Street Rage.

Urban Extreme: Street Rage is set in Fortune City. As an experienced Street driver you are forced by the Underworld into a series of extreme and sometimes lethal urban races. Competing in these contests is a dirty business and could cost you your car, and even your life..
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Jun 25, 2008 – Activision, Inc.:

WHAT: One of America’s greatest rock bands of all time –
Aerosmith – will unleash the latest Guitar Hero fan
frenzy in Times Square during the launch of their first
videogame, Guitar Hero^®: Aerosmith^®. Steven Tyler,
Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer
will unveil the game at a press conference and VIP
celebration at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Hard Rock Cafe will also be transformed into a Best Buy
home theater/videogame lounge where consumers will be
among the first to play the game on PLAYSTATION^®3
before it hits store shelves on June 29.
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