Go Nintendo reader Andy works at Target, and loves him some Nintendo. So he’s the kind of guy to pay attention to things like changes in the way Target catalogue their Wii SKUs. Changes like the one he noticed the other day when scanning a Wii console through the register. Where previously the product would be displayed as “Wii Console”, it’s now coming up as “Wii White”. Why emphasise the colour? No reason. Oh, unless you’re about to release other colours, and need to differentiate between them. That might be a reason. Target giving insight into new Wii colors? [Go Nintendo]
The only explanation that the clip needs is that it’s awesome. Really, really awesome. Hit the jump for the original Japanese version. Likewise, awesome. More »
Want some good times but can’t afford a real 360? Japan’s so got your back. And your unmentionables. The SeXbox is a bag of fun that, despite the 360-inspired trimmings, doesn’t come with any controllers. Or cables. Or power bricks, or headsets, or even a 360 console. So what does it come with, then?
Slightly-curved gaming displays? Load of old codswallop. Would you settle for a monitor with a little bend when you can, like these industrious Germans, rig up a 360-degree network of projected screens that’s powered by what looks like a Wii Remote? No. You certainly would not. [via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
You’ve got to appreciate his honesty. John Rhys-Davies, who you’ll know from Lord of the Rings if not Indiana Jones, is currently starring in a videogame adaptation. Uwe Boll’s Dungeon Siege film In the Name of the King, to be precise. But don’t think Boll’s bought his silence on the quality of game-to-film adaptations, though, because while Rhys-Davies knows which hand is feeding him, he’s also not afraid to bite into its soft, German flesh: [Hollywood's infatuation with games is]a disaster. One or two may succeed, and I hope this is one of them, but the structure of a game is completely unlike the structure of a film. And it shows the despair of the studios and producers that these movies even get a look at.
That’s probably the smartest quote that’s going to come out of that project. John Rhys-Davies Talks In the Name of the King [GameDaily]
Here’s the Japanese hardware sales by system/companies during the year’s 1996-2007. Just look how Sony had it all! And then blew it. (Nintendo, of course, blew it before that.) Marvel at Nintendo make in-roads between 1999 and 2002. The clip features brief appearances by Sega, Bandai and Microsoft. Aren’t pie charts fun?
Note: For those who cannot read Japanese, セガ means “SEGA,” バンダイ means “Bandai” and 任天堂 means “Nintendo.” Also, “SFC” stands for “Super Famicom,” and “WS” is Bandai’s handheld console the WonderSwan.
Thanks, Muu!
Fukubukuro boxes/bags are a Japanese new year’s tradition. The deal is this: retailers take a bag, fill it with random crap from their store, put a price on the bag and sell it for a cheap price. Retail gambling, if you will. You could get something you really want for a great price, or you could have paid for a load of crap. Julie bought one from Japanese game mecca Super Potato. She paid a little under $US 10. Inside? Seventy-six games for the Dreamcast, Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, PC-Engine, Virtual Boy and Famicom. Lucky sod. レトロゲー★ジャンクダイビング [via Hobby Blog]
We know there’ll be more Guitar Hero games coming. We’re pretty sure one of them – most likely an expansion or “encore” pack – will feature Aerosmith. Now, via EGM’s Quartermann rumours section, we’re hearing another may star…U2. Really, of all the bands that truly rock in this world, they choose U2? If you need me, I’ll be on the roof, trying to come up with reasons why I shouldn’t jump. Guitar Hero U2 Edition in the works? [EGM, via Destructoid][Image: Dror Eyal]
Back in November, we reported that Bionic Commando producer Ben Judd said, “In three months, you will be happy.” Well, it’s been about three months, and we’re still unhappy. We’re always unhappy! In the short future, Judd assures, there will be an announcement he’s dubbed as a “megaton bomb.” Over at the game’s official site, there is a poll about that “megaton bomb” that apparently hints at what’s coming. It reads as:
What do you think the Bionic Commando Megaton will be?
• The original Bionic Commando will be released on Virtual Console • Nathan Spencer will appear as a playable character in Super Smash Brothers Brawl • A Bionic Commando movie announcement • A 2D version of the original on next-gen consoles • A Wii version of Bionic Commando • Multi-player for Bionic Commando • A Bionic Commando Collection Pack will be released on handhelds
Multi-player is a given, so that’s not much of a megaton. We’re betting that the original BC will be re-released on both the Wii and next-gen consoles. We’re hoping they get rid of the hot dogs.
Prior to today, I’d never heard of the conservative news site, The Cybercast News Service. What follows may be a reason why. Seems the CNS are taking objection with Mass Effect’s sexual content. Or, at least, the sexual content they think is in Mass Effect, but really isn’t (Rule: No sack, crack, lady nipples or dangly bits = totally kosher). There’s too many entertaining quotes for us to highlight them all, so we’re just going to post the best one. It’s from Cathy Ruse, a lawyer and senior fellow for legal studies at the Family Research Council: There are cultural implications for feeding porn to kids in this way,” and “when you do this, you’re teaching them a distorted lesson about human sexuality and human dignity. These are lessons that they will take with them into adulthood and ultimately society.
Lady, the only lesson you learn from pursuing a romance in Mass Effect is that it isn’t worth the effort. Sex in Video Game Makes Waves Through Industry [CNS, via GamePolitics]
