New York, NY – March 5, 2008 – Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band. The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo.
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PS3 Screen
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec 09, 2008: Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) has released new details on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, whose titular hero is one of the most popular Marvel characters of all time. The video game, scheduled for release in May 2009, coincides with the global debut of Twentieth Century Fox’s release of its feature film, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, which is also based on the famous Marvel character.
From the award-winning studio Raven Software, the video game enlists players to experience the tormented origins of Wolverine, from his escape of the Weapon X facility to the jungles of Africa and beyond. The game is currently in development for the Xbox 360 TM video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION ® 3 computer entertainment system, Windows ® PC, Wii TM home video game system, Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation ® 2 computer entertainment system and PSP ® (PlayStation ® Portable) system, and is not yet rated by the ESRB.
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Nancy Drew Wii Press Release:
BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Her Interactive, Inc., the designer, developer and publisher of the award-winning Nancy Drew® PC game series, today announced they are partnering with SEGA® of America to bring the best selling franchise to the video game console market. Already a cross-generational phenomenon for over a decade and the number one bestselling PC game adventure series, Nancy Drew ®: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek will make its Wii™ debut this October.
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Peekaboo, a company specialising in the field of pole dancing approved by Carmen Electra, recently announced to be in talks concerning the development of a set of fitness strip on the console on the market for Nintendo.
The company and its associates have focused on the use of the different capabilities of Wii in hopes of initiating this discipline, like the series “Guitar Hero” for rock’n'roll. In addition, they said, this kind of exercise would gymnastic qualities, beneficial to the general public.
In response to recent speculation, we are pleased to confirm that Peekaboo is in talks to develop a game for the Nintendo Wii that meets mainstream demand for the fun and fitness benefits of pole dancing.
With pole dancing classes springing up in gyms and health clubs across Europe and the USA, the number of women seeking the body-sculpting and fat-burning effects of this aerobic form of exercise has never been greater.
While the Peekaboo Wii game is still in the developmental stage, it can be confirmed that it will not involve Carmen Electra, the inspiration behind our recent Electra-Pole Professional Pole Kit.
Peekaboo and its partners are focussed on using Wii friendly hardware to make aerobic pole dancing instantly accessible just as Guitar Hero did for rock’n’roll.
Men and women of all shapes and sizes will be encouraged to work on improving their skills, with the firm focus on fun and fitness as per the core brand values of Nintendo Wii.
Hardware keyboard support, send to a Wii friend are key features of new
release
Oslo, Norway and Tokyo, Japan - October 10, 2007
Opera today announced
Nintendo has started distributing the much-anticipated new version of the
Internet Channel for Nintendo Wii. The Internet Channel now features
new ways to share, communicate and enjoy the Internet Channel by adding
support for a USB keyboard and enhanced ways to communicate with your Wii
friends.
Hardware support for any USB keyboard makes typing both easier and faster.
Simply plug any standard USB keyboard into one of the two USB ports on
your Nintendo Wii and you are ready to write email, compose blog posts,
comment in forums and much more. Also making text input more comfortable
are several new keyboard-specific shortcuts to be used with the existing
soft keyboard, such as using the “B” button on the Wii remote as a “Shift”
button.
“We believe this new version of the Internet Channel is even more engaging
and delightful for the users around the world than its predecessor,” says
Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. “Nintendo has always brought a new
perspective, fresh ideas and unwavering enthusiasm to our partnership. And
today, our combined efforts have given users more reasons to be excited.”
Send to a friend enables you to send links to your favorite Web sites - or
the one you are currently browsing - to your Wii friends whom you have
added in your Wii. You can also add a message to send along with the link.
When your Wii friend opens the message, they can immediately visit the
page in the Internet Channel.
The new Internet Channel for Nintendo Wii carries additional usability
improvements. Users can now copy information from a Web page and paste it
directly into the search field. Users may also store nine more favorites,
bringing the total to 56. Visit the Wii Shop Channel to download the new
Internet Channel today.
For Web Developers
The Nintendo Wii also embraces Web content and applications in a
revolutionary new way with the debut of Widget View Mode in the Internet
Channel. By surfing to widgets.opera.com users can browse Opera’s
collection of community-built, Opera-tested Web applications immediately
ready to run on the Nintendo Wii Internet Channel.
Widgets available now include calendars, news readers, Internet radios and
other fun applications. Users of Opera’s desktop browser will immediately
recognize their favorite widgets on this new platform. Web developers can
publish widgets on Opera’s website to make them available to Wii users.
For more information on creating widgets, please visit widgets.opera.com
Availability
The Opera powered “Internet Channel” is available as a free upgrade for
existing Internet Channel subscribers. For people wishing to subscribe,
the Internet Channel can be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel menu for
500 Wii points.
Nintendo Power - August Issue Info:
1. Capcom - no plans to bring Okami to the Wii
2. Ghost Squad - 25 weapons, thermal and night vision
3. My Word Coach - Dr. Tom Cobb of McGill University worked on the game, four cartoon coaches, 11 different exercises, 15,000-word dictionary
4. Carnival Games - 20 games, 15 bonus games, 4 player
5. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground - Nail the Trick, Grab, and Manual. Create customized videos
6. Battalion Wars 2 - September
7. Soul Calibur Legends - development started in early 2006, wasn’t intended to be Wii exclusive at first. Timing is important to attacks. Egyptian themed level, gigantic bosses that take up the whole screen. “A 16th-century empire is on the brink of destruction and involves Siegfried with his gradual transformation into the “maleficent Nightmare” Takes place right after Soul Blade. 480p, 16:9 and 60fps
8. Tomb Raider Anniversary - Aim weapons in real time via Wiimote, nunchuk motion for quick dodge or grappling hook. Wii exclusive puzzles that take advantage of Wii controls.
9. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers - 4 character races return, main character is more of an adult. Story driven, very cinematic.
10. Team Ninja’s Itagaki interview excerpt: “(Note: he wants to see Pikmin 3 on Wii…) I think it’s (Wii) a very interesting piece of hardware, and it’d be interesting for us to challenge that area as well. The Wii has kind of carved its own niche within the home console arena. It’s almost in an entire category by itself. I do think that it’s totally different from the DS, though…I think it would depend on how you make it (a hard-core action title on Wii). You would really have to design it for the strengths of the hardware. If you used the kind of control scheme that most developers are using right now for the Wii and tried to do a really hard-core action game, I think people would just throw up their hands and say “No, we can’t deal with that”. The Wii has its own reason for existence. If you don’t adapt what you’re doing to fit that, then there’s not much point in bringing an action game to the platform. (regarding possible Wii action game) I’m currently brain-training about that right now (laughs).”
11. Eiji Aonouma would love to make a “Wind Waker” for the Wii.
12. Geometry Wars: Galaxies - 50-level, new enemies, new multiplayer component, eight hours of gameplay
Game Ratings:
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition - 9.0/10
Ratatouille - 7.5/10
Scarface: The World is Yours - 7.5/10
Harry Potter: OotP - 7.0/10
Pokemon Battle Revolution - 6.5/10
The BIGS - 6.0/10
Legend of the Dragon - 5.5/10
Next Month - Metroid Prime 3, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
REDMOND, Wash., June 1, 2007 – Nintendo is giving video game fans a way to access their favorite classic games, all without leaving the comfort of their homes. And gamers have responded en masse as the library of downloadable game classics continues to grow. The upcoming addition of Zelda II™ – The Adventure of Link® on June 4 marks the 100th classic game available on the Wii Shop Channel. And since going online Nov. 19, owners of Nintendo’s hot Wii™ video game system have downloaded more than 4.7 million classic games from Wii’s Virtual Console, a rate of more than 1,000 games every hour since launch. The top five classic game downloads globally to date, and their original system are:
1) Super Mario Bros.® (NES®)
2) Super Mario 64® (N64®)
3) Mario Kart 64™ (N64®)
4) Super Mario World® (SNES®)
5) The Legend of Zelda® (NES®)
Wii lets players visit the Wii Shop Channel to redeem Wii Points™ to download classic video games from the original Nintendo Entertainment System®, the Super NES® and the Nintendo® 64, and the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 consoles. These games are nostalgic totems to veteran gamers, and simultaneously, new, easy-to-play entries for younger players. These games demonstrate Nintendo’s staying power across generations by letting veteran gamers relive their glory days while their children play them for the first time. The addition of Zelda II – The Adventure of Link brings a fourth Legend of Zelda® game to the Wii Shop Channel from three classic Nintendo platforms, providing exciting adventures that span the decades. Additional classic games are added to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday.
“With an Internet connection rate reaching 40 percent, Wii owners have more options than ever to find the kinds of games they love to play,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Beyond the Wii Shop Channel, all types of people are getting connected and checking out the information and entertainment options available on the Wii Menu. Whether voting, creating a Mii or just checking the weather, everyone has a favorite channel.”
The Wii Shop Channel is one of the many entertainment and informational channels that are available via the Wii system. Others include the Forecast Channel, the News Channel, the Mii Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel, the Photo Channel and the Internet Channel. Each of these broadens the appeal of Wii to new audiences and draws in consumers who might not otherwise be interested in a video game system.
The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.4 billion video games and more than 409 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.
Nintendo press room
More About: Nintendo, Wii, Virtual Console
The three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the 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:
Donkey Kong Country 2™: Diddy’s Kong Quest™ (SNES®, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): In the sequel to the immensely popular Donkey Kong Country™, Diddy Kong® gets the spotlight, along with his girlfriend, Dixie Kong™ - a great little monkey with a dangerous ponytail. The action starts on the wreck of King K. Rool’s Gangplank Galleon that has apparently broken up on a reef offshore from the Kremlings’ Island. Diddy and his friends will have to work together to rescue Donkey Kong®, exploring all the hidden areas of the Kremlings’ island: a spooky haunted forest, treacherous swamps, a giant beehive oozing with sticky honey and lava-filled caves, just to name a few.
Streets of Rage™ 2 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): To celebrate their defeat of the Syndicate exactly one year before, Blaze, Adam and Axel met for drinks. The next morning, Axel received a frantic phone call from Eddie “Skate” Hunter, Adam’s younger brother, whom he was living with on the edge of the city. Blaze and Axel found Adam and Skate’s house wrecked, and a picture showing Adam chained up at the feet of Mr. X. The city then once again returned to its nightmarish state as criminals ran rampant. Unable to contact their old friend in artillery, Axel and Blaze team up with Skate and Max Thunder to free the city and rescue Adam from the Syndicate. It is up to you to take down Mr. X once and for all.
Blazing Lazers (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Blazing Lazers is a vertical-scrolling shooter that was praised for surpassing the limitations of the hardware of its time. Players control the extraordinary firepower of their Gunhed Star Fighter to take on the Dark Squadron that has begun its invasion of Earth. Collect power-ups to increase your ship’s battle strength so it can cut through enemies and defeat the bosses in all nine areas. Of course, as part of the “Soldier” series, the game contains a good combination of fast-paced speed with catchy, drum-propelled background music, coupled with the Field Thunder that can be used to destroy enemies in one fell swoop for the ultimate sense of satisfaction. With its fine-tuned difficulty levels, Blazing Lazers is a shooting game that anyone can enjoy.
Some unnamed Wii developers talk Wii power in comparison to the original Xbox and the next gen systems:
Question - Does the Wii have programmable shaders, either vertex shaders, pixel shaders, or both, as did the original Xbox?Answer (source 1) - “The Wii’s GPU has fixed functions for vertex, lighting, and pixel operations. All ‘programmable shaders’ means is that the code you write for the shader gets run on the vertex and pixel hardware of the GPU. This is how it works on the high-end ATI and Nvidia GPU parts. The Wii is an older fixed function design where you have lots of operations but the pipelines are not programmable in the sense of downloading shader code to run [on them]. Almost all the shader effects on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 can be reproduced on the Wii by re-implementing them with the fixed function hardware of the Wii’s GPU. Most games just port the effect over. A few teams have gone as far as making a shader-to-Wii conversion tool. It reads the shader code and generates the fixed function code necessary to achieve the same result. Keep in mind that the Wii’s GPU is not as fast or feature rich as the Xbox 360 or PS3, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get very close results.”
Answer (source 2) - “A dev support guy from Nintendo said that the Wii chipset is ‘Gamecube 1.5 with some added memory. I figure if they say that, it must be true. There are three main differences which will result in graphics improvements. One, the increased memory clock speed, from 162 megahertz to 243 megahertz, means that it is easier to do enough pixels for 480p mode versus 480i. Two, the enhanced memory size of the Wii gives much more room for image-related operations such as anti-aliasing, motion blur, etc. The performance to these memory systems from the graphics chip is also improved. So full-screen effects and increased texture usage seem likely as a result.
You can read the full interview here
More About: Wii developer, Wii power, Xbox
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