Nintendo is set to launch a new ultra precise version of the Wii Fit Balance Board alongside an updated and newly refined Wii Fit.
Japan’s Nikkei newspaper has leaked details of a newly revised Wii Fit and Balance Board ahead of Nintendo’s planned announcement at E3 this week. Wii Fit Plus will include additional exercises for gamers to participate in and will include a more accurate balance board.
It’s been a long time coming but it now seems as though Super Mario Kart is ready to hit the Japanese Virtual Console.
Nintendo have just released their list of forthcoming Japanese Virtual Console games for June and heading that list is an all time favourite, Super Mario Kart. Another game of particular interest for many gamers is the addition of Square’s Final Fantasy II which will also be making a welcome appearance on next months Japanese Virtual Console catalogue.
Rumours are circulating that Nintendo plans to hold another press conference after this years E3 event in Los Angeles.
The event, which is speculated to take place in Japan, could put a serious damper on what Nintendo decides to announce at this years E3 conference. The company did a similar event last year after E3 in which it revealed the Nintendo DSi to an unsuspecting audience. Does this mean another lacklustre presentation from Nintendo in the vein of last years E3? We will have to wait and see.
In a surprising effort to imitate the joy and pure unadulterated fun of Nintendo’s Mario Kart franchise, Sega have seen fit to produce their own cutesy racing franchise using their definitive mascot, Sonic, and a whole slew of Sega characters.
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing sees Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in mediaeval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favourites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will race around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in AiAi’s case – a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.
- Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Press Release
Nintendo’s prodigal game designer/developer Shigeru Miyamoto won’t be making a centre stage appearance at this years Nintendo press conference at E3.
Online gaming publication, Eurogamer, have stated that Mr Miyamoto won’t be making an appearance at Nintendo’s E3 press conference next month. Instead we will be graced by the presence of Satoru Iwata, Reggie Fils-Aime and Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing for NoA, who participated in the conference last year.
Nintendo have unleashed a new channel for hungry Wii owners in Japan titled The Demae Channel (Catering Channel)
The Demae Channel allows Wii owners to point, click and order their wanted dinner with the Wii remote. Food categories included in the Demae Channel include pizza, sushi, bento boxes, Chinese food, Western food, and others. Sadly no word as yet has been mentioned regarding a Western release, but fingers crossed we will hear something at next weeks E3 conference.
President of Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software, Yutaka Kubota, has branded gamers who play Nintendo DS games illegally as terrorists.
In an interview with Japanese gaming bible, Famitsu, Kubota stated that gamers who download Nintendo DS games via the Internet and then upload them on their own flash-ROM carts are nothing short of terrorists seeking to destroy the gaming industry.
This is an issue that affects our national interests and, personally, I see it as a form of information terrorism that is crushing Japan’s industry. I know that Famitsu’s readers like playing games. I want them to be aware that unless we do something, nobody will be able to make the games they love to play. Not only will gamers wanting to play new games not be able to play anything, but people who want to join the game industry in the future will have their dreams trampled upon.
- Yutaka Kubota, Japan’s Association of Copyright for Computer Software
Those Animal Crossing Wii enthusiasts amongst you may wish to indulge yourself with some free Animal Crossing downloadable content.
If you’re connected to Wii Connect24 and have a copy of Animal Crossing handy then you’ll be pleased to know that you’re entitled to a free Punch Out!! cutesy themed boxing helmet for your caricature to proudly wear.
Head of American gaming retail chain speculates that consumers should see the Wii’s recommended retail price drop this Autumn.
Dan DeMatteo, head of US gaming store Gamestop, believes that we should see pricing of both the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3 drop substantially this Autumn, as he strongly believes both gaming consoles recommended retail prices are overly excessive in the current economic climate.
These hardware prices have stayed up longer in this cycle than in any other time before, and in a very dire economic environment, those two things seem to be mutually exclusive. Put all those things together, I think that there will have to be price cuts in order to get the hardware moving to where it needs to be.
- Dan DeMatteo, head of Gamestop
Whilst Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners have already been graced by the latest edition of the Resident Evil franchise, Wii owners could still be in for a surprise.
We have not decided whether we are doing it or not doing it…up until now, after releasing our PS3 and Xbox 360 games, we have brought them to Wii. Basically, this is the approach we are considering taking.
Capcom’s Chief Financial Officer, Kazuhiko Abe
