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Like the looks of those limited edition Baby Milo/Nintendo DS handhelds? Best of luck trying to find one. This vid was taken on the first morning the console went on sale in Japan. As you can see, the line outside Bape's flagship store in Aoyama, Tokyo was...considerable.
[via Wired via Go Nintendo]
Launching on May 19 in the US, Wii Fit will retail for $US 89.99. With the crappy dollar exchange rate, that's about the same as it costs in Japan, where it's priced at ¥8,800. There's more! The first 1,000 folks in the New York City area who pre-order Wii Fit with a $US 5 deposit at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza have will get a limited edition Wii Fit with a reproduced Shigeru Miyamoto signature on it. That's right, if you are lucky, you too can wear a fake Miyamoto autograph. Hooray!
Hit the jump for the press release.
And our contest continues! Today, since we're short on plane costumes, we bring you this B-2 "Spirit" bomber from reader Stephen, who writes:
So I know I don't score many points in the effort category here, but hopefully I make it up in the creativity and fan devotion categories :)Hit the jump for comparison fun fun.The idea is that it's a top down view of a B-2 "Spirit" bomber. Since it's a little esoteric I've attached a picture of a real B-2 for reference that maybe you can include with it.
Forget it. Your PSN name is not enough for Metal Gear Online. No way, no how. For those getting in on the MGO beta, you're going to need not one ID, but, you ready, two other separate IDs. That's right! Your PSN name is apparently worthless. According to the PlayStation.Blog:
Britain's all-format sales charts for last week are in. Seven out of the ten are Wii games. Yes, I'm as surprised as you are. Mario Kart took the top spot, becoming not only the 8th-biggest-selling debut game in British history, but the single biggest-selling debut Nintendo game in British history as well. Would love to tell you just how many copies that equates to, but ChartTrack don't think you need that information, so take it up with them.
Here's a Max Factory figure of the yo-yo slingin' bounty hunter Bridget from Guilty Gear XX. Quite nice, this figurine — check out the detail and colour on his face. Ah, yes. Bridget. Helping male gamers question their sexuality since 2002.
Hit the jump for an image of the entire figurine.
The combination of EA, Steven Spielberg and casual Wii gaming targeted at children and retirees may not instill much in the way of hardcore gaming fervor, but there is something unquantifiable about Boom Blox that makes it so appealing. On display on just one monitor at last week's Nintendo Media Summit, the Spielberg production—not unlike a virtual game of Jenga played with a cannon—had a consistent crowd of press and PR surrounding it, some of whom were repeat Boom Blox-ers regularly returning for another taste.
Boom Blox's main gameplay draw lies in the ability to knock down towers of inconsistently shaped blocks with the toss of baseballs, bowling balls, whatever, all of which adhere to an accurate physics model. Simply line up your shot, after a careful panning and scanning of the camera, then whip the Wii-remote at the screen to start knocking blocks off. Special blocks and multipliers pile on the tactics, but gamers of any skill level can compete from the get-go.
Frontier's WiiWare effort LostWinds may not be grabbing headlines, especially in the midst of releases like Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4 on the horizon, but it may be the WiiWare title with the most potential. Arguably the prettiest of the digitally delivered offerings from Nintendo's answer to Xbox Live Arcade, LostWinds lets players take control of two characters at once, big-headed boy adventurer Taku and, well, a gust of wind.
Sega is revitalising one of its most endeared and niche properties with Samba de Amigo for the Wii, handing of development to Gearbox Studios and trading in expensive, dedicated and unreliable maraca peripherals for a pair of Wii controllers. The Wii version can utilise either a nunchuk-and-Wii-mote combo or, preferably, a dual Wii Remote set up. The latter scheme feels more natural and, if Gearbox Studios gets force feedback and proper embedded speaker output working, potentially more authentic.
But how true to the original will Sega's casual-friendly music game ultimately be?
At Nintendo's Spring Media Summit, Mario Kart Wii dominated the available couches, with a half-dozen demo stations, twelve Wii Wheels and an opportunity to go hands-on with the game's online multiplayer modes. It was our first chance to spend time with the Wii entry in the series, now well into its second decade.
Don't confuse old Brave Highmountain here with your regular, run-of-the-mill World of Warcraft figures. Those things are for the Average Joe and his Average Toy Shelf. This thing, like last year's Illidan Stormrage, is deluxe. A deluxe Tauren Hunter, to be precise, which has a tonne of detail, and will most likely sell like hotcakes when its released in December.
World of Warcraft Deluxe Collector Figure: Series 3 [Action-Figure]
The ESRB is not perfect. Not at all. Some games that might appear "For Everyone" ain't, well, For Everyone. Website GamePro Family has a look at E rated games that aren't necessarily E. Tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Peekaboo need your help (so long as "you" are a games developer). The world's #1 seller of fad, celebrity-endorsed "pole dancing as fitness" products, would like someone to help them make a pole dancing fitness game for the Wii. Complete with - I presume/hope- a floor-to-roof dance pole peripheral. Sounds like a joke, but no, no joke. It's even got a precedent, with Peekaboo's DDR-inspired "Bedroom Boogie" kit (less dancing, more...yes) already on the market. Fingers crossed they're allowed to call it Wii Strip.
Peekaboo Pole Dancing concept game for the Wii [Tech Digest, via Go Nintendo]
Pre-ordered Okami Wii? You're in luck. Capcom is sending out handmade thank you cards with exclusive Okami stamps and made from recycled fibres and embedded with seeds to those who pre-ordered the game via the Capcom Store. You can plant these thank you cards and sage plants will grow! This is the thank you card that keeps on giving. Or growing, rather.
Thanks for the love [Capcom Blog]
So this kid, he likes Nintendo. And one day, he finds himself in an underground car park, with an RC car and around a gagillion empty wine bottles lying around. What's he do? He does what any of us would do, and combines the lot to belt out possibly the most wonderful rendition of the Mario theme you'll ever need to hear.
[via Boing-Boing]
Where do Hong Kong gamers go when they want to play some Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G? McDonald's. With burger, fries and WiFi, it's got all you need for a MH meet-up. It's such a popular gamer destination that Hong Kong game mag Gamestation lists all the 24-hour McDonald's in the city for Monster Hunting. According to Spencer at game blog Siliconera:
Posted by Logan Booker at 5:00 PM on April 15, 2008
Ah, Grand Theft Auto IV. We love you, we do. We're just not so taken by your undesirable modifications or hefty price tag. Once just the problem of Australian gamers, New Zealand has been caught in the storm as well.
So readers, where will you be buying your copy of GTA IV? Give your top recommendations here, and we'll get the word out.
I feel kind of dirty, encouraging people not to support the local economy, but really, it's hard to be positive when the unmodified game is selling for half the price elsewhere.
This isn't confirmed, and we're going to have to wait until Media Create releases the "official" numbers, but apparently Mario Kart Wii moved 300,000 copies on launch day. To put things in perspective, Mario Kart DS did 160,000 at launch, while Mario Kart Double Dash did 180,000 on its first day.
Rumored Launch Numbers [Shinobi]
Not to be outdone by the PS3 Store redesign, the PC/PSP Store has also had a quick facelift. Those looking for radical improvements (like the ditching of the download tool) to the way things are done will be disappointed, as the improvements are purely cosmetic, but hey, since the store worked just fine before that's hardly the single biggest issue facing the world today.
The 2.30 Update is live, and the PSN Store gets a shiny coat of new paint, and the Lair Add-on for standard non-motion controls. The interface is great — so intuitive and easy to use. Biggest gripe: none of the pictures seem to be loading. Well, at least for me. Anyone else?
Mandatory installs on the PS3. It's a new line over which you lot can divide yourselves into "for" and "not for" camps, but does it really have to be this way? No. It'd be a moot point if gamers were given the choice of an install, and while Capcom and SCE seem oblivious to this, Sega have at least taken note, offering anyone who picks up a copy of Valkyria Chronicles the choice between a 3.3GB install or fifteen second load times. Install, load times, install, load times, which will you choose?
Optional Hard Disk Install For Valkyria Chronicles [IGN]
Return of the Wii disc-read errors? Maybe! This echoes when Super Smash Bros. Brawl launched in Japan, there were reports of disc-read errors were blamed on the console's optical lens being "soiled" by dust and cigarette smoke, making it unable to read the dual-layer disc. This time around, some Japanese gamers are also reporting read errors, freezing and crashing — however, Mario Kart Wii is a single layer disc, and thus, the Wii shouldn't have optical lens issues. Nintendo has said its not aware of the problem, and the issue doesn't seem to be rampant, so.
Dirty Lens with Mario Kart Wii [ゲーム屋さんのお店だより via Go Nintendo via Dtoid]
Posted by Logan Booker at 2:00 PM on April 15, 2008
Rockstar hasn't exactly been straight with the Australian public regarding how different our version of Grand Theft Auto IV is to the rest of the world's. In fact, the publisher's been incredibly difficult. With its integrity in doubt, gamers have been seeking their copies from overseas retailers, including our close neighbours in New Zealand.
Sadly, it looks like the NZ version is the edited Australian version. Retailer Gameplanet NZ has sent out an email to its pre-order customers informing them of this fact.
We're not sure how it came across the information, just that it has.
We're still waiting for confirmation from Rockstar (which has failed to return multiple emails on the subject), but I'd say it's a safe bet both countries are out of luck.
The email from Gameplanet NZ can be found after the jump. Thanks Dave (via Luke P.)
Your computer would explode. That's what. So let's just play hypotheticals, then, and check out this clip showing what the Imperial City and surrounding countryside look like running on Crytek's CryEngine. The city assets are dropped straight in from Oblivion, but the natural stuff and lighting, that's all new. And gorgeous.
Oblivion To Crysis [Crymod, thanks Will!]
Being a kid is hard. Being a parent? Harder. When a 13 year-old Virginia kid intentionally broke the vacuum cleaner so he could skirt his chores and play Xbox 360, his mum took action. Mean mum action. She tells our sister site Gizmodo:
Can't let the competition get one up on you! After Def Leppard announced last week that one of their new songs will be debuting in Guitar Hero III, Mötley Crüe have today been wheeled out by the Rock Band camp, with news that their latest single, "Saints of Los Angeles", will be premiering not on the radio or TV but as a piece of Rock Band DLC. I'm trying to get excited over this, but really, wheeling out new stuff from these decaying old bands really doesn't do it for me. I want "Kickstart my Heart", not some new, inevitably-rubbish song.
New Motley Crue Song to Debut as Rock Band DLC [Shacknews]
Posted by Logan Booker at 12:30 PM on April 15, 2008
Ausgamers has posted a great article on the Office of Film and Literature's stance on online-only games, with World of Warcraft and its lack of a classification the focus of the piece.
Given the push for an R18+ classification for video games and the controversy over our version of GTA IV, the story makes for some hardcore pondering about not only the nature of online games, but the effectiveness of our classification system.
So, what did the OFLC have to say about WoW's non-rating?
To: Ash
From: Fahey
Re: Hospital... Endless... So... Tired...
Quiet footsteps across the Kotaku Tower floor are deafening in the silence left behind
No bird shirt...no McWhert-or...just the quiet ticking of time and the slight breeze
As Mark and I pass, then pass again.
The day draws to a close and the shadows grow long and in the distance
I hear the pleasant song of the night writers chattering from across the sea
So I type some words and leave a note, rubbing soreness from my wrists
And leave them with the posts they missed...
What you missed:
Iron Man Unlockables In Action
Rock Band DLC Brings More Classic Rawk And PS3 IOUsp
Activision: Army Of Two, R6: Vegas 2 Fail
Ikaruga Review: No Refuge For Wimps
The GTA IV Compendium & FAQ
Hot Chicks In Stupid Game-Related Clips
Now were staring to get a clearer picture of why Phil Harrison called Atari the best opportunity back in early March. This Friday the company is holding an event at Victoria Station in London to celebrate the release of their latest DS title, The Sun Crossword Challenge. The event will feature the crossword talents of two women famous for not being dressed, Page 3 girls Sam Cooke and Vikki Blows, which might not be her real name. What was that again Phil?
The Atari opportunity is the best opportunity that exists in the industry today to redefine, re-focus and re-energise an incredible brand, an incredible group of people towards that networked future. Um, and to do it in a fun way.Um, alright! For more on the fun way that Atari is re-energising their brand, hit the jump for the two pictures that were released along with the announcement of the Sun Crossword Challenge on the 18th. Sort of not safe for work publicity stills, after the jump.
Variety's Ben Fritz is a games journo, yeah, but dude also works at Variety. Which means he gets an insight into the movie business the rest of us don't. So it's interesting to see that, tucked away in his post about John Riccitiello's "OMG games > movies" rant from yesterday, is this:
Is Gamebryo the most powerful game engine available for the Wii? Polish developer Nibris seems to think so. They've tapped Gamebryo to power their upcoming black and white adventure game Sadness, and they're saying the engine lets them achieve the impossible on Nintendo's plucky little.
"Without a doubt, Gamebryo is the most powerful engine available for the Wii. After getting familiar with the engine several months ago we made the decision to choose Gamebryo. Since then, our team has been working on Sadness and we are quite impressed," said Tomasz Wisniowski, Project Manager of Nibris. "We will have quite a few graphical effects in our game, which some believe are impossible to attain on the Wii. Gamebryo helped make it possible. We are firmly convinced we made the right choice."So what exactly is impossible on the Wii? Well nothing now. Gamebryo has apparently ruined that for us, making it possible, therefore negating the whole impossible thing. Oh well, moving along.
Yeah, it's a tired old argument, but also one we don't mind revisiting from time to time, so indulge me. IGN have taken the ten top-selling games from 2007, put 'em in a list, then compared that list to the ten top-reviewed games from 2007. Any differences? Course there were differences. As in, seven of the games on the top-selling list weren't on the best-reviewed list, including FIFA 2008, Need For Speed: Pro Street and Brain Age 2. Doesn't really prove anything you don't already know/suspect (or at least, it shouldn't), but interesting nonetheless.
Do Reviews Sell Games? [IGN]
Hot Chicks With Cheat Codes [Spike.com Via Fleshbot *NSFW*]
This interesting bit of concept art for Sega's The Incredible Hulk game just showed in my mailbox today. What do you suppose it means? You don't think that Hulkbuster Iron Man could make a cameo appearance in the game, do you? Probably just a coincidence. I mean, the Hulkbuster armour is appearing in the Iron Man game, so they're probably just using leftover artwork or something.
OMG Iron Man in the Hulk game!
Posted by Logan Booker at 9:37 AM on April 15, 2008
Busy days! I'm in the process of moving and working - at the same time! I've heard people say it's not possible, but if I close my eyes and spin around my room a few hundred times, I really start believing I can do it.
The GTA IV Compendium & FAQ
A final look at what you can expect from Rockstar's open-world shooter. Minus anything the developers took out.
Activision: Army Of Two, R6: Vegas 2 Fail
While neither game has reached the heights of CoD 4, I'd hardly say they failed. I quite enjoyed both titles actually.
Oh, That MGS4 Headset Is Real
And just when you thought your Solid Snake costume would never be complete.
Maybe. Maybe. Speaking with German site derStandard, Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi has hinted that in order to take some money from the Chinese market, Sony may look at...unique ways of releasing GT:
Es ist sehr sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass GT auf einer anderen Konsole herauskommt. Aber vielleicht kommt es auf den PC. Vor allem am chinesischen Markt könnten wir so die Verbreitung fördern. [It's very, very unlikely that GT will be appearing on another console. But maybe it'll be released on PC. Particularly for the Chinese market.]PC, huh? Good for them. Maybe on PC the online would actually work!
This week's Xbox Live Arcade offerings are brought to you by the letter B! Something old and something we hope you'll really like are coming your way, in the form of the arcade classic Battlezone (400 Microsoft points) and Rocky & Bullwinkle (800 Microsoft points). One is a fast-paced collection of microgames featuring classic cartoon characters from ages past, and the other is vector tank combat with redone graphics and all-new Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag modes! Both utilise the Xbox Live Vision Camera for added functionality, so now it's up to you to figure out which is which. Good luck and godspeed!
This week on Arcade: Bullwinkle and Battlezone [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]
Game Developer magazine has just published the results of their annual Game Developer Salary Survey. Their findings? The average American developer salary—excluding people like part time testers and richie rich studio heads—was $US 73,600 in 2007. That's up scant $US 284 from 2006. Other findings of note include:
• 18% of producers are women (that's high for the industry)
• Business/Marketing personnel made most, averaging $US 101,848/year
• QA testers made the least, averaging $US 39,063/year
But there are lots more fun facts and figures in the release after the jump. So enjoy! (Our apologies if you make less than average. It's time to ask for that raise. Just make sure to print the report on company paper.)
Kaplan, the makers of all those test preparation books, is teaming with Aspyr Media to create an SAT prep program for the Nintendo DS. Sure, the same title will also be made available for the PC and Mac (probably just like the stuff we've seen for years), but the flashcard form factor of the DS version makes it incredibly appealing.
Famitsu publisher Enterbrain is not encouraged by the Japanese console market. In fact, they've predicted that game console and software sales will peak this year with spending of 710.4 billion yen and drop to 671.1 billion yen by 2010. More from Japan Today:
At GDC, we had the opportunity to demo a Zune running an XNA game. And it looked pretty good. So what has been Microsoft's Zune team been thinking about in the several months since then? XNA commander and chief Chris Satchell fills us in:
One of the things we talked about was the network play, and we've had people doing prototypes internally of multiplayer shoot-'em-ups both in versus and co-op.He continues: