European gamers who have gone to great pains to register their Nintendo products, netting them hundreds if not thousands of useless Star Points can rejoice. Nintendo of Europe has finally begun the process of exchanging those meaningless Star Points into something slightly more tangible. Starting today, the new Nintendo of Europe web site allows gamers to swap those Stars into Wii Points, meaning Star-rich types could be enjoying free copies of Cybernator, Soccer and Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces any day now.
Registered members can start the transition now at the Wii Points Card Shop. Have fun Virtual Console shopping!
It’s plucky newcomer Nero versus seasoned bad arse Dante in a fight to the death, or as close as they can come to it. The pews are flying fast and furious in this cutscene from Devil May Cry 4, which ends as most of my parties back in high school did – with a broadsword through someone’s chest. I can only imagine that the brief pause in the middle was an ‘insert gameplay here’ pause, with an epic, player-controlled fight happening in between. Between this, GameVideos’ latest batch of gameplay clips, and this morning demo announcement and screenshot explosion, I’d say we’ve had enough DMC IV today to last us til February.
Tonight’s episode of Game Head features, according to the show’s producers, “the best cast in the Universe.” A bold claim, indeed, but when that group includes Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal, ESPN’s Aaron Boulding, the Mega 64 gang, Gizmodo’s Adam Frucci, MTV’s Stephen Totilo, Michael Pachter and I am 8-Bit Founder Jon Gibson, I find it hard to disagree. Unfortunately, the list also includes me, a weighty anchor who will drag the whole production down. If my performance on the episode requires defending, as I haven’t seen it, I was drunk during the taping.
The show will run on Spike TV tonight, at midnight in most markets, giving viewers a primer on Sunday’s airing of the 2007 Video Game Awards. Check your local listings and all that.
You? If you’ve found yourself still wanting following yesterday’s release of the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer, “Move Up, Ladies”, we have a batch of eighteen stills of Rockstar Games’ latest. GTA IV may be gritty, but it seems that its denizens like keeping their cars and bike helmets polished to a high shine. It’s so reflectiest Grand Theft Auto yet!
Yesterday a tiny little Brazilian gaming site called Blogeek run by Douglas Pereia stumbled upon some new information and screens of Capcom’s Street Fighter IV, which were due to be revealed in the next issue of EGM, which will surely grace bathroom floors across the country when it comes out. Gaming websites around the world – including Kotaku – picked up the story and ran with it. Douglas received the information from an anonymous source, but it all looks and feels legit. Well now said information has been confirmed in the form of a threatening e-mail to Douglas from André Forastieri, the boss of Futuro Comunicação, the publisher of the Brazilian EGM. “The content you posted in the site blogeek is property of Ziff Davis, given from Capcom only to Ziff Davis and EGM issues, with embargo for the publications. Your publication of this subject is theft of intellectual property and should have immediate legal consequences. Ziff Davis and Futuro want you to cut off the content form your site immediately.”
Pereia informed me that a follow up email informed him that Ziff Davis and Capcom lawyers were working to see what they could do to him, and that sales of the Street Fighter IV issue of EGM would suffer from the leak and he was responsible. Pressure is being put on Pereia to reveal his source as well, though Douglas refuses to do so.
UPDATE: Please see this post for comment from Ziff-Davis via EGM editor in chief Dan Hsu.
We’d seen YouTube user egyokeo’s videos of his custom MIDI drum pad-Guitar Hero III interface, but had yet to see him drum his way through Dragonforce’s “Through The Fire And The Flames” on expert. It’s a fairly impressive effort, even for a 20-year veteran of the drums, when someone can register a four-star performance on a song this challenging. For details on how he pulls off held notes and chords plus technical info, check his video description at YouTube.
Through the Fire and Flames – Achievement Unlocked on Drums [YouTube]
I’m not sure if THQ is competing in some sort of Pink Flamingos-style contest with publisher Ubisoft for most deplorable box art behavior, but if so, THQ has taken the lead. The entire concept of Bratz is already offensive, but the collection of tarted-up whorish toddlers on the cover of Bratz Super Babyz is gag-worthy, in a cover art sense. I’m gonna go lie down, as my head is spinning from the unnecessary Zs.
The First State is looking to be the first in parental game-rating awareness, as Delaware Lieutenant Governor John Carey and Rep. Helene Keeley launch a PSA campaign aimed at making parents more aware of the ESRB ratings. The campaign will consist of radio PSAs, mall kiosks, and even billboards that will put the ability of parents to completely ignore these ratings to the test. “With two sons of my own, I know about the tough decisions parents face today about the media they allow into their homes,” said Lt. Governor Carney. “The simple fact is that there’s no substitute for parental involvement, so it’s important that parents play an active role in choosing games for their children. The ESRB ratings help parents ensure that they are bringing home suitable games for their families.”
A noble effort, though I put forth that for many parents, nothing short of branding the ratings guide into their flesh is going to work. Nice to see Delaware has people now though. I guess they can now change their state slogan from “Where New Jersey Goes To Work” into something a little more catchy.
Konami may be looking to bring the Climax-developed prequel Silent Hill Origins to a wider audience next year with a PlayStation 2 port of the game. Released for the PSP worldwide this quarter, it now appears that Konami will have a PS2 version of the game ready for March of 2008. A fact sheet for the port was passed on to us this morning, courtesy of one of our tipsters, indicating that Climax would be responsible for the second release of the handheld horror title.
The official Climax site does mention that the group is working on a second unannounced project for Konami, but reps for the publisher have not yet responded to our request for confirmation that Silent Hill Origins for the PlayStation 2 is the unnamed title. If true, I certainly hope that Climax is giving the game a bit of a visual upgrade for those who passed on the on-the-go frightfest.
Super Cheap Time Crisis 4 Alert! Want a second GunCon 3 for Time Crisis 4 multiplayer fun? If you balked at the $US 89.99 US asking price for Namco’s latest gun shooter, maybe $US 49.99 is a bit easier to swallow. It’s Amazon.com’s current Lightning Deal and it’s going fast. Proof that people still like shooting at things, regardless of nauseating the character design. Thanks to our tipsters for the heads up!
