CALGARY, AB, November 6, 2006 - Zi Corporation (NASDAQ:ZICA) (TSX:ZIC), a leading provider of intelligent interface solutions, today announced that it has signed, exclusive licensing agreement with Nintendo Co., Ltd. to embed its predictive text input technology, eZiText, into Wii, Nintendo’s revolutionary new video games console. Wii launches on 19th November in North America, 2nd December in Japan and 8th December in Europe.

“Nintendo is a worldwide leader in video game systems and has a reputation for bringing innovative technology to the market,” said Milos Djokovic, President and CEO, Zi Corporation. “By embedding eZiText in Wii, Nintendo is empowering its customer with a more user friendly method for text input.”

“This announcement heralds the future use of eZiText outside of conventional mobile usage,” continued Djokovic. “The global gaming industry has become a worldwide phenomenon and is becoming an important new avenue for the distribution of our products. As such, we will continue to progressively pursue new gaming customers.”

Nintendo characterizes Wii as a console that “will revolutionize how people play games…it will entice new players into the world of video games by offering a variety of entertainment, information and communication channels.”

The announcement with Nintendo is the third entrance into the multi-billion dollar international gaming industry for Zi products and the second agreement with Nintendo, a well-known Japanese company and a global leader in video gaming. In 2005, Zi licensed its Decuma® handwriting recognition technology to Nintendo for use in the Nintendo DS handheld video game system. Also in early 2005, Gizmondo Europe Ltd embedded Zi Corporation’s eZiTap™ predictive text technology into a feature-rich handheld entertainment console.
Press Release

The german reporter ”Falafelkid“, has incuded in his blog some declarations of the top developers ( Sid Meier: Railroad Tycoon , Gabe Newell: Half-Life, Will Wright: The Sims) of the world about the Nintendo Wii console.

Sid Meier, being a PC man, of course, is unlikely to develop for the console anytime. Still, he was impressed by it.

While Gabe Newell said quite clearly that it’s the hardest console to develop for (because of the unique controller), he also said the Wii would be a cool platform for Half Life’s crowbar.

Will Wright was outspokenly positive about Nintendo. He could not comment on a possible Spore port, but he said that Wii was most apt to capture the mass market. So good news indeed for the Nintendo console from Leipzig.

More About: Nintendo Wii

Nintendo-Lan, managed to speak to the Red Steel Wii game’s developers on the issues of graphics, load-times and swordplay.

Mordrag: Hi, in your interview with Ubisoft you could ask how the swordfighting is going to work now, because it was announced to be redesigned. So that the swordmoves aren’t predetermined any more but are converted 1:1.

N-LAN: That’s the case indeed. The developer has confirmed that the control scheme will be completely redesigned so that the controller moves are converted into the game precisely. Besides the controller sensitivity will be completely adjustable in the final version. And the graphics were improved very well since E3, now the atmosphere is darker and thrilling. But that’s not all, there will be even more improvements on the graphics side.

Mordrag: Furthermore you could ask Ubisoft if there are any loading times in Red Steel or in other games on the Wii.

N-LAN: In Red Steel there will be no loading times at all because of smart streaming techniques.

More About: Red Steel Wii, Ubisoft

Konami released a new gameplay trailer of the upcoming Nintendo Wii game Elebits at the Games Convention 2006 in Leipzig, and in the trailer thie revealed a multiplayer mode in which four gamers could simultaneously control gravity gun streams on a single screen.

More About: Konami, gameplay, Nintendo Wii, Elebits, multiplayer

DSpot send my this info: Nintendo of Europe made it official: Battalion Wars 2  Wii was announced at the company’s “Wii prove our promise” conference, which took place prior to the Games Convention 2006 in Leipzig, Germany

Battalion Wars 2 will be playable for the first time on the GC 2006 show floor.

Here’s what Nintendo has to say about the game:

Tricked into believing that the Solar Empire is developing a devastating super-weapon, Commander Pierce and Colonel Windsor of the Anglo Isles launch a pre-emptive strike on the Coral Atolls. The world is once again at war.

Drive tanks, command ships, pilot planes and direct your troops into the heart of the action in the return of the popular tactical action game for Wii.

Three Online Multiplayer Modes

• Assault: Instant Combat
• Skirmish: Tactical depth
• Co-op: Work with friends

Three Theatres of War

• Combine land, sea and air combat

Five New Naval Units

• Battleship
• Frigate
• Submarine
• Dreadnought
• Transport

Six Different Races, Five Different Environments; and new vehicles for each side.

The Wii-mote provides “intuitive, all-action gameplay.”

Greater tactical depth

• Capture facility buildings to re-spawn units (HQ, Barracks, Factories, Airfield, Docks)
• Use Map Screen Commanding to order from afar

Bigger and Better

• 20+ single player missions AND 15+ mp missions Increased replay value

More About: Nintendo, Battalion Wars 2  Wii, Games Convention 2006

Mario Strikers Charged Wii in the far hall at the Leipzig Convention Center.

Here are some details about the upcoming Nintendo Wii game Mario Strikers Charged Wii :

Gameplay: Use your skills, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk Controller provide to win the ball, score unstoppable goals and take control of the goal keeper to perform spectacular saves

Characters: Mario is joined by other famous Nintendo characters who take on the role of captain. Players then select a host of popular teammates to make up the rest of the team.

Progress through the game: Players form an original team by combining one of 12 captains with three of eight sidekicks before competing in one of the games many modes. Anything goes in Mario Strikers Charged as players are allowed to utilize a variety of special abilities to clinch important goals.

Super abilities/power ups/moves/features: Each captain has their own set of skills, super abilities as well as the ability to perform special shots called Mega Strikes, where the iron ball splits up to five balls and flies at the goal. The defending player must use the Wii Remote to target and aim at and shoot these balls out of the air before they concede a goal. In this game players can also charge energy to the metal ball, making it more likely to find its target when fired at goal.

Stadiums: Each of the stadiums in Mario Strikers Charged have various characteristics and contraptions, which influence game play. Players must learn to use this to their advantage to truly dominate the pitch.

Multiplayer: Mario Strikers Charged will not only feature an action packed multiplayer mode but will also support the Nintendo WiFi connection service, allowing players to take part in tournaments with people from all around the world.

Mario Strikers Charged Wii is out TBA 2007 and will feature online Wi-Fi capabilities.

More About: Mario Strikers Charged Wii, Leipzig, Nintendo Wii, Wi-Fi

According to The Nintendo Official Magazine, in the August Games Convention 2006 in Germany, Nintendo will be showcasing new wii game titles.

The Games Convention (august 24th - 27th 2006) is the biggest exhibition of it’s kind in europe, a kind of european E3, open to the public and with about 130.000 visitors last year.
Games Convention

More About: Nintendo, Official Magazine, Games Convention 2006, wii game titles

Ubisift Gets public their Next-Gen Game titles that will present during the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) May 10–12, 2006, For the Nintendo Wii they will present RedSteel.

Press Release:
SAN FRANCISCO – MAY 3, 2006 – Today Ubisoft announced its lineup of titles for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) May 10–12, 2006 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Ubisoft will showcase its titles at booth #924 in the South Hall.

“Our E3 lineup demonstrates Ubisoft’s profound commitment to the next-generation of video games,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “Ubisoft is very excited to be introducing ground-breaking new intellectual property and showcasing how we bring innovation to our best-selling franchises. Our award-winning development teams are pushing the limits of what can be achieved and leading the industry into the future.”

Ubisoft lineup for E3 2006:

1. Assassin’s Creed™: Experience the power of a feared Assassin in the game that will redefine the action adventure genre for the next generation. Players’ actions will throw the immediate environment into chaos and shape events in this pivotal moment during the Third Crusade.
2. Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway™: Gearbox Software’s critically acclaimed squad-based WWII shooter launches into the next generation of gaming with amazing graphics and cutting-edge game play features powered by Unreal Engine 3 and a completely redesigned online component. As Matt Baker, lead a squad of real soldiers who think, relate and fight together through the brutal trials of the dramatic Operation Market Garden.
3. Dark Messiah™ of Might & Magic®: Discover a new breed of PC game that will redefine the Action-RPG genre. Powered by an enhanced version of the Source engine from Valve, the second chapter in the new Might & Magic® franchise allows players to experience ferocious combat as an expert warrior, mage, or assassin using a vast array of devastating weapons against vicious creatures in a captivating fantasy environment.
4. Enchanted Arms™: The first RPG developed exclusively for Xbox 360™, this epic adventure created by FromSoftware in Japan is arriving for the first time in North America and Europe. Enchanted Arms allows players to escape to a fantasy world filled with beautiful cinema-quality graphics, unique characters and bizarre creatures.
5. Game to be Unveiled: Experience the next-generation project from Ubisoft and Free Radical, the developers of the critically-acclaimed Timesplitters® series for the first time at E3.
6. Open Season™: Team up with the cast of characters from Sony Pictures Animation’s feature-length CGI film Open Season coming in September. It’s a riotous romp in the great outdoors for kids of all ages when a rowdy brood of forest animals turn the tables on unsuspecting hunters.
7. Rayman Raving Rabbids™: Developed by famed creative director Michel Ancel, this new installment of the Rayman franchise will be the funniest and zaniest yet. Rayman’s world is threatened by a devastating invasion by the most unexpected creatures and Rayman must battle to save his world and its inhabitants.
8. Red Steel™: The only original first-person game built from the ground up and exclusively for the Wii™ launch. Red Steel takes full advantage of Nintendo’s innovative controller and provides the unique experience of combined gunplay and swordplay.
9. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent™: The best-selling Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® saga is taking an entirely new direction. In the highly anticipated next chapter, play as a double agent spy for the first time. Take on dual roles of covert operative and ruthless terrorist, where choices of whom to betray and whom to protect affect the outcome of the game.
10. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® makes its dramatic next-generation debut. Rainbow operatives take to the chaotic streets of Las Vegas as an escalating terrorist siege in “Sin City” threatens to take world terrorism to new heights.

More About: Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo Wii, RedSteel, Ubisoft