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Watchdog Group Calls for Investigation in Wake of Manhunt 2 Re-rate

admin — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:38:00 +0000

Recently Rockstar announced it Manhunt 2 would finally get a public release after securing a M rating, however the Campaign for a commercial-free childhood is not happy with the decision. As a result they are calling for a federal investigation in order to find out how exactly Manhunt 2 became an M rated game.

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The [CCFC] is extremely concerned that the ESRB has downgraded its rating for Manhunt 2… Despite industry claims to the contrary, M-rated games continue to be marketed and sold to children under seventeen. The ESRB’s reversal of its earlier decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Manhunt 2 – the most violent game to date produced for the interactive Nintendo Wii platform – will be marketed and sold to children.

Just three months ago, the ESRB felt that Manhunt 2 was so violent that it took the extraordinary step of giving a game an AO rating for violent content for only the second time in its history. We urge the ESRB to make public their rationale for changing Manhunt 2’s rating, including detailing any content that was removed from the game.

We call upon Rockstar Games to allow the content of Manhunt 2 to be reviewed by an independent review board with no ties to the video game industry.

We ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the process by which Manhunt 2’s rating was downgraded from AO to M.

News Source: Gamepolitics.com

Pachter: Nintendo Diverting Wii Shipments to U.S. from Japan

admin — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 02:43:00 +0000

Analyst Michael Patcher has commented that he believes that it is possible that Nintendo have been diverting Wii shipments from Japan to the U.S. in order to help cope with the demand. It was something of a shock to see the Wii sell 425k units during July in US as the company has had problems in increasing its production capacity coupled with the fact that the console is constantly outselling.

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While Nintendo and leading video game retailer GameStop have said that the Wii continues to sell out quickly and remains in short supply, Pachter seemed a bit confused by the sudden increase in Wii supply during the month.

“Wii sales remain strong, with an apparent increase in supply during the quarter. This increase is inconsistent with reports that Nintendo has had difficulty in increasing its manufacturing capacity,” he states, “suggesting to us that the company has diverted supply from other areas (perhaps Japan) to the U.S.”

News Source: Gamedaily

Developer: Mags will go out of business if they diss Wii

admin — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 01:40:00 +0000

The president of Factor 5 who is responsible for the release of Lair on the PS3 has warned that if the Wii was to take over the world, any magazines out there which slightly diss in any way will be forced to change their opinions or face going out of business.

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During the Best Selling Games panel at this week’s GCDC, developers sounded off on Wii, the role of journalism in games, and the segmentation of gamers due to increased interest in casual gaming.

“Let’s say the Wii takes over the world. Just naturally, the traditional magazines — if they stick to their current position of slightly dissing it — will simply go out of business,” said Julian Eggebrecht, presdient of Factor 5′s who is most recently responsible for the release of Lair on PS3.

News Source: Gamepro.com

NPD U.S. July Figures – Wii outsells ALL, including DS, PS3 almosts beats 360

admin — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:02:00 +0000

At long last sales data for the U.S. market have been released by research group NPD for the month of July. The Wii came top with 420,000 units sold, beating the 405k sold by the DS. Unfortunately for Sony, the PS3 failed to outsell the Xbox 360 but it was quite close, just 11k units separate the 170k sold by the Xbox 360 and 159k by the PS3. However, Sony’s other platforms put in accomplished performances, with the PS2 selling 220,000 and the PSP 214,000. The top selling title was NCAA Football 08 for the Xbox 360, selling just shy of 400k units. Want to find out how the Nintendo crew have been celebrating their triumphant victory? Just click the following image…

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Hardware sales in particular saw much growth, rising 77.4 percent to $380.8 million. Of that total, console hardware dominated with $286 million in sales (a 140 percent jump), while portable hardware actually dipped one percent.

That said, the DS still fared quite well with 405K units sold. But it was the Wii, not the DS, that took top honors with 425K units. The news is encouraging for Sony as well, as the PS3 finally got over the 100K hump with 159K units sold, hot on the heels of the 360 which sold just 170K. Meanwhile, Sony’s other platforms continued to put up respectable numbers – the PS2 sold another 222K and the PSP sold 214K. At the bottom of the list, the old GBA sold 87K units.

On the software side, total sales were up 11 percent to $419.2 million. Console software, as with hardware, made up the bulk of that with $313.2 million (a 15.9 percent bump). Portable software fell 1.5 percent. Year-to-date, software sales are at $3.3 billion, up 22.4 percent over 2006.

The big winner for July was clearly EA Sports’ NCAA Football 08, whose total on the 360, PS2 and PS3 combined for 789K unit sales. As expected, Activision’s Guitar Hero games and Nintendo’s Wii Play, Mario Party 8 and Pokemon Diamond were all well represented too.

News Source: Gamedaily.com

Play Wii Tennis, Win a Lexus IS F on a one year lease

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:30:00 +0000

Lexus and their golden boy Andy Roddick are giving you the chance to win a grand prize of a Lexus IS F on a one year lease should you triumph in a ‘virtual tennis open’ for charity at Rockefeller Center in NYC next month. The tournament is running alongside the US Open Grand Slam whereby the real stars will be playing and can afford many a Lexus IS F with their prize money.

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The three-day tournament using the Nintendo Wii platform, which allows human interaction with a computer-generated tennis game, will benefit the Andy Roddick Foundation for neglected, abused and sick children.ýýý

“We created this event to bring the excitement of Flushing Meadows [site of the U.S. Open] to Manhattan,” said Steve Jess, Lexus national marketing communications manager. “The Lexus Virtual Open at Rockefeller Center gives them the opportunity to get a taste of it and win a one-year lease on the same vehicle Lexus is awarding to the men’s singles champion.”

In “The Big Backup,” a new spot breaking Saturday, Roddick is seen driving along a New York street when he is enticed by a yellow tennis ball into a high-performance chase, much of it backwards, using the car’s rearview camera and accident-avoidance features, all the way to the U.S. Open court, where the ball comes to rest. There are 30- and 45-second executions, each ending with the familiar tagline, “The relentless pursuit of perfection.”

News Source: Brandweek.com

Rumor: Demos coming to Wii

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:27:00 +0000

The latest Nintendo Power sweepstakes has a question which probes for peoples thoughts for demos on the Wii. So how about it, would you like to see demos being made available for the Wii?

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Reader Popple noticed something interesting in the latest Nintendo Power sweepstakes. There are a few questions you have to answer in order to return your entry form, and this time around NP is asking about your thoughts on demos for the Wii. Check out the scan below to see what questions are being asked.

News Source: GoNintendo

Rumor: Nintendo Release Schedule Leaked – Mario Galaxy Dated

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:23:00 +0000

A supposed copy of the Nintendo release schedule for Europe has been leaked, one of the big titles to get a mention is Super Mario Galaxy which is pencilled in for a November 16 release in 2007. If you are a DS fan, there are dates on there for you too, including Mario Party on November 23 2007.

Wii Dates

Avatar: Der Herr der Elemente 2 – November 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Asterix bei den Olympischen Spielen – November 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Barbie Island Princess – 22.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Carnival Games – 17.09.2007 – 29.99 EUR
Canis Canem Edit (Bully) – Oktober 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Cars Mater-National 15.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Crash of the Titans – Dezember 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Dewy’s Adventure – 16.10.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 – 8.11.2007 – 59.99 Euro
Endless Ocean – 9.11.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Ghost Squad – November 2007 – 59.99 Euro
Guitar Hero 3 Bundle – 08.11.2007 – 99.99 Euro
Godzilla: Unleashed – 22.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody – 19.10.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Indoor Sports (Konami) – Dezember 2007 – 29.99 Euro
LEGO Star Wars II: Die Klassische Saga – 08.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – 30.11.2007 – 59.99 Euro
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption – 26.10.2007 – 49.99 Euro
MySims – 20.09.2007 – 49.99 Euro
NBA Live 08 – 11.10.2007 – 59.99 Euro
Need for Speed ProStreet – November 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Nights: Journey of Dreams – 23.11.2007 – 59.99 Euro
Pimp My Ride – 22.11.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Puppy Luv (Activision) – 22.11.2007 – 29.99 Euro
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles – 30.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
RTL Winter Sports 2008 – November 2007 – 49.99 Euro
Simpsons: Das Spiel – 02.11.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Super Mario Galaxy – 16.11.2007 – 49.99 Euro
Table Tennis – Oktober 2007 – 39.99 Euro
Thrillville Off the Rail – Oktober 2007 – 59.99 Euro
Tony Hawk Proving Ground – November 2007 – 59.99 Euro
Tomb Raider Anniversary – 7.12.2007 – 59.99 Euro
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 – November 2007 – 59.99 Euro
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure – 7.12.2007 – 49.99 Euro

DS Dates

Boktai – Dezember 2007 – 39.99 Euro
Donkey Kong Jungle Climber – 12.10.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Freshly: Picked Tingles Rosy Rupeel – 14.09.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Heroes of Mana – 14.09.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Mario Party DS – 23.11.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Naruto Ninja Council – 5.10.2007 – 39.99 Euro
Practise English! Face Everyday (More English Training) – 26.10.2007 – 29.99 Euro
Sonic Rush Adventure – 14.09.2007 – 39.99 Euro
The Legend of Zelda – Phantom Hourglass – 19.10.2007 – 39.99 Euro

News Source: Neogaf

Rumor: Achievements heading to Wii, inspired by Metroid 3

admin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:38:00 +0000

Internet reports suggest that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption comes complete with a mini achievement system which throws out colored tokens depending upon the completion of tasks. One of the most intriguing tokens is the ‘friends voucher’ that you can send to fellow Wii gamers in order to gain green tokens for both groups. Red tokens are given for scanning enemies, blue tokens are given for completing side tasks and gold tokens are awarded for beating bosses. These tokens allow you to gain access to hidden content through the extras menu.

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Here’s a part of the game that I had no idea even existed. If you accomplish small tasks in the game, you are awarded with bonus tokens. These tokens come in four colors: Red, Blue, Green, and Gold. Red tokens are given as you scan a certain number of enemies/items. Blue tokens are given for scanning lore and accomplishing side tasks. Green I believe are when friends give you vouchers, more on that later. Gold tokens are given for beating bosses on various difficulties. You use the tokens to unlock hidden content in the extras menu. The final type of token is the “friend voucher”. Basically these are given for accomplishing some type of cool accomplishment in the game.

For example, when I beat the boss, a gold token flashed at the top of my screen saying it was for killing Lord Beserker. At an earlier point, I saved a GF trooper from being killed by two enemies. I was given a blue token for that one.

News Source: GoNintendo.com

Stormfront: The Wii is next-gen, it changes interactive entertainment

admin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:36:00 +0000

The Nintendo Wii may not sport the brains and graphical beauty of powerhouses such as the Xbox 360 and PS3, but the boss of Storomfront Studios (Lord of the Rings 2002, Eragon) has commented that the Wii should be considered a next-generation console for the way in which it manages to change perceptions of what interactive entertainment is. To him, this has every right to be classed as next-gen just as the Xbox 360 and PS3 are.

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“I’m sure that somewhere in this little section of this room, there’s somebody who does not believe the Wii is next-gen,” he said.

“It does not have the processing power the 360 or the PS3 do, and you can make the consistent argument that, without that processing power, it can not revolutionise the entire experience. That’s debateable, and we get to decide.”

“Nobody gets to tell us what we think is next-gen – we get to decide for ourselves. I can help start arguing, but we get to decide for ourselves.”

“Next-gen hardware is any platform that, upon its introduction, dramatically changes players’ view of the potential for interactive entertainment,” he said, before arguing that it’s a definition that fits software as well.

“If it changes the player’s view of what interactive entertainment is; if you think differently about it; if you have a new perspective after playing the game that you didn’t have before, to me that’s next-gen,” he told the audience.

News Source: Gamesindustry.biz

Nintendo: Wii Forecasts are Firm

admin — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:16:00 +0000

Following news on Friday that Nintendo has suffered a delay in its plans to increasae Wii production this summer, a Nintendo of America rep has stepped up to comment that their hardware forecasts will still remain firm despite such an event.

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Such a delay in production would further hamper Nintendo’s efforts to meet demand for the popular Wii in the second half of this year.

A Nintendo of America rep didn’t deny such a production delay, but still said the company won’t be adjusting its hardware targets. “Nintendo has no revisions to announce to its most recent shipment forecasts at this time,” he stated in an e-mail.

Global sales of the Wii were 9.27 million units as of the end of June this year.

In July, Nintendo raised its current fiscal year Wii worldwide ship target to 16.5 million units from 14 million.

News Source: Next-Gen.biz