Shauntu شان: Nintendo

Will MS have its first year of profit from the gaming business?

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:00:48 GMT

First, a chart:

FY     Sony              Nintendo            Microsoft
1998 974,000,000    629,000,000
1999 1,130,000,000 645,000,000
2000 730,000,000    421,000,000
2001 -409,000,000   726,000,000
2002 623,000,000    800,000,000    -750,000,000
2003 939,000,000    560,000,000    -1,191,000,000
2004 650,000,000    316,000,000    -1,215,000,000
2005 404,000,000    777,000,000    -485,000,000
2006 75,000,000      894,000,000    -1,262,000,000
2007 -1,969,000,000 1,489,000,000 -1,892,000,000
2008 -965,000,000 2,480,000,000 614,000,000
Totals 2,182,000,000 9,737,000,000 -6,263,000,000

The chart above shows the profit from Sony (Playstation division), Nintendo (as a whole, seeing as how their only real business is the gaming business), and Microsoft (showing their division that is responsible for Xbox, but also over the years things like Zune). Also note, that the 2008 numbers show the full Fiscal Year for Nintendo, but only includes 3 quarters of data for Sony and Microsoft, whose 4th Quarter data isn't released yet.

My question is, will Microsoft be able to have its first year of profit from the gaming business? I honestly think it will, I really don't think their 4th quarter will dampen things any. And to me, that means that unless they do something boneheaded, they should continue to have profit for the next couple of years for the remainder of 360's life cycle... and that, given how much they invested in getting into the gaming business, is a huge checkpoint for them.

Sony meanwhile is having transitional pains. They had them when they transitioned from PS1 to PS2 (as can be seen in the 2001 loss), but were able to recover really nicely and take over the market for the next few years. Their transitional pains in moving from PS2 to PS3 is even deeper however, and it does seem unlikely they can be 1st in the market this time around. My advise to them would be to not over-tech the PS4 (I would also give Microsoft the same advice btw, for their eventual Xbox 720).

Finally, Nintendo, whose conservatism with wanting to maintain profit against all odds seemed to contribute to the Gamecube coming 3rd behind PS2 and Xbox, is showing how that conservatism can own everyone when they do it right. I mean, their last year's profit alone has exceeded Sony's total for the last decade -- and their projection for the next year is $3.13 billion...

Wii Domination

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:43:52 GMT

I will let the numbers do the talking.

US March 08 (5 weeks of data) Hardware

Wii - 721K
360 - 262K
PS3 - 257K

DS - 698K
PSP - 297K
PS2 - 216K

Japan Media Create 4/7-4/13 08 Hardware

Wii - 46K
PS3 - 8K -- { ok I can't help but comment: wha? }
360 - 1K

PSP - 85K -- { my balancing comment: impressive comeback! }
DS - 47K
PS2 - 7K

US March 08 (5 weeks of data) Software

WII SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL NINTENDO OF AMERICA Mar-08 2.7M
360 *TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS 2 UBISOFT Mar-08 752.3K
360 ARMY OF TWO ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-08 606.1K
WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA Feb-07 409.8K
PSP GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS SONY Mar-08 340.5K
PSP CRISIS CORE: FINAL FANTASY VII SQUARE ENIX INC Mar-08 301.6K
WII GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION Oct-07 264.1K
360 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K8 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE Mar-08 237.1K
360 *CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION Nov-07 237K
PS3 ARMY OF TWO ELECTRONIC ARTS Mar-08 224.9K
(* indicates including Limited Editions)

Japan 4/7-4/13 Software

01./00. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - 593,576 / NEW
02./01. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom) - 221,781 / 1,590,000
03./02. [PS2] Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns (Koei) - 55,506 / 283,000
04./07. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 31,325 / 1,865,000
05./06. [NDS] Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (Pokémon) - 30,159 / 436,000
06./08. [NDS] Tottado! Yowiko's Deserted Island Life (Bandai-Namco) - 26,109 / 65,000
07./04. [PS2] Pro Baseball Spirits 5 (Konami) - 21,510 / 102,000
08./03. [PSP] Star Ocean 2: Second Evolution (Square-Enix) - 17,591 / 108,000
09./10. [WII] Deca Sporta (Hudson) - 17,171 / 133,000
10./09. [WII] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) - 14,297 / 1,563,000

Nintendo's Developers

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:14 GMT

Here is just a list I compiled, utilizing personal knowledge and Wikipedia heavily, of Nintendo's development studios (1st and 2nd party, as well as 3rd parties that have developed for Nintendo in recent times -- I didn't mention studios that have, to my knowledge, either shut down or are confirmed not working for Nintendo anymore). The purpose is to sort of see how many studios, big and small, have had a lack of game releases recently, in an attempt to maybe realize what may be in store for the coming fall... Check out my previous blog entry for more details.

FIRST PARTY:

Intelligent Systems -- Best known for WarioWare, Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, and Paper Mario games, they had a busy release schedule last year with WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and Super Paper Mario for Wii, along with Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for DS. That said, their Wii stuff was all complete and released in somewhere in the world by April 2007, with Advance Wars showing up August 2007. A remake on their first Famicom Fire Emblem game is headed to DS, but I doubt that would keep them so busy in all this time that they wouldn't have new stuff coming this Fall, specially considering their output last year!

Brownie Brown -- Consisting of former developers of Square, their last game was Magical Starsign for DS last year. I'd expect more DS RPGs from them, though they seem to be a small team.

Monolith Soft -- Nintendo's latest acquisition, Monolith Soft has been developing Disaster: Day of Crisis for the Wii since before Wii came out (and since before they were bought by Nintendo). They also developed Soma Bringer for DS, which just released in Japan and likely should head to the US for Fall. Obviously, DS's fall lineup is starting to fall into place!

NST -- Nintendo's first major US based developer, they developed Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 for DS last year, and are apparently the developers for the soon releasing Nintendo Crosswords on the DS. For Wii, they had been working on Project HAMMER, but that apparently was cancelled -- which means their output, like HAL Labs, has been pretty quite for a while -- and like HAL Labs, they are one of Nintendo's bigger developers...

Retro Studios -- Nintendo's second major US based developer, who have so far only really made the 3 Metroid Prime games, including last year's awesome Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for Wii. They have so far normally released 1 game every two years, so I can't expect anything from them this year, necessarily...

Nintendo SPD -- Nintendo's internal set of studios that manages overseas projects along with internal development, currently split in 4 groups.

Group 1 works mainly with Intelligent Systems, with the last games being WarioWare: Smooth Moves released on Wii February 2007, and Card Hero DS which released in Japan in December 2007 (which may or may not ever come to US). Likely working with whatever Intelligent Systems is doing that doesn't happen to be Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, or Paper Mario.
Group 2's last games were Tetris DS and working with Tose (a big independant developer) on Super Princess Peach, both from early 2007, and are the developers of the just released in Japan WiiWare title, 'Dr Mario & Virus Buster'.
Group 3 mainly oversees overseas development, like Retro Studios Metroid Prime series, Excite Truck from Monster Games for Wii's launch, and last fall's Battalion Wars 2 from Kuju Entertainment in Europe. Random surprises can definitely come from here, since development is done by 3rd party developers from Europe/US...
Group 4 does the Wii Channels primarily now, and US is late getting the Nintendo Channel Japan got December 2007 anyway...

Nintendo EAD -- Nintendo's largest software development group and considered the core of Nintendo in many ways, headed by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto. EAD is made up multiple groups as well.

Group 1 just finished Mario Kart Wii.
Group 2's last published title is Wii Play (they also did Wii Sports). Obviously, nothing for almost 2 years come Fall; however, the rumors of Animal Crossing coming to Wii would likely be developed by Group 2 -- and with the time frame, that makes Animal Crossing being a reality much more likely...
Group 3 is the Zelda team, and they did have Link's Crossbow Training on Wii and Phantom Hourglass on DS in fall 2007, so expect them to be quiet.
Group 4 does most of the core Mario platforming games -- however, they didn't develop Super Mario Galaxy. That said, their last game is Big Brain Academy on Wii last summer -- leaving a year to work on something for this fall. So definitely possible for them to have something this fall...
Group 5 just finished Wii Fit, though technically most of it would have been done by December 2007 for the Japan release.
Group Tokyo is possibly their most exciting group, having developed Super Mario Galaxy, which released fall 2007. I don't think they would have something new in just 1 year though.

SECOND PARTY (studios that chiefly only work for Nintendo, but are not majority owned by Nintendo):

HAL Labs -- Best known for Kirby, Mother, and Super Smash Bros (as well as where Iwata, Nintendo's President, came from), HAL Labs output has been pretty low recently, specially when you consider that the latest Super Smash Bros Brawl game was developed freelance by ex-HAL Labs employee Sakurai through his new Sora company, with contract based work by independent developers Game Arts. HAL Labs recent work has been a Kirby DS title as well as Pokemon Ranger, both of which released last year, along with a recently released in Japan sequel to Pokemon Ranger (which will likely come to US for DS this fall). Its possible they could have something in development for Wii -- their last in development home console title was a Kirby title for GC that never got released, and is presumable still in development/conversion for Wii.

AlphaDream -- Small team, their last title, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, was a DS RPG in 2006.

Ambrella -- Makers of the just released in Japan WiiWare 'utility software' Pokemon Ranch, obviously a small team.

Game Freak -- Developers of the super hit Pokemon RPG games, with their last title, Pokemon Pearl/Diamond, coming to DS April 2007. While they experimented with non-Pokemon development with Drill Dozer on GBA in 2005, their main success has been Pokemon, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a new DS Pokemon game from them this fall, following their pattern of releasing a follow up 'combined' title that joins Pearl/Diamond together.

Genius Sonority -- Continued their line of Pokemon 'battling' games with Pokemon Battle Revolution on Wii last summer (minus an RPG adventure attached, so simply a battle game with online play), and also developed Square's Dragon Quest Swords which releases this year in the US (though it released last year in Japan). So their output in recent times does indicate possibility of a new game this fall...

Noise -- Small team that only makes Custom Robo games, their last one being on the DS March 2007.

THIRD PARTY (listing a few that work primarily for Nintendo or have a lot published through Nintendo, though they could always be busy working for other publishers)

Camelot -- Known for Golden Sun, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis titles for Nintendo, though currently working on We Love Golf for Wii, published by Capcom.

Fuse Games -- Did the Mario Pinball Land the supremely awesome Metroid Prime Pinball games, with nothing in a couple of years.

Kuju Entertainment London -- One of 7 studios belonging to Kuju Entertainment, the London studio makes the Battalion Wars titles published by Nintendo; the last one just released fall 2007 though.

Skip -- Developers of Chibi-Robo along with other Japan only titles Nintendo has published like the bit Generations series and GiFTPiA; the last Chibi-Robo title on DS was published fall 2007 though.

Artoon -- Developed some Yoshi titles for Nintendo, with the last one in Fall 2007.

Cing -- Developed Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk for DS, published by Nintendo; both are in a way old-school adventure titles, and its been 1.5 years since anything new from them...

Hudson Soft -- Now part of Konami, Hudson does make lots of their own games, but is also the developer of Nintendo's Mario Party series, for which they tend to have 1 title per year -- last fall they had Mario Party DS, so unless being part of Konami changes things, they are due this fall as normal.

iNiS -- Developer of Japan only Nintendo published music rhythm game series Ouendan, along with the Western version, the awesome Elite Beat Agents. Ouendan 2 released May 2007 in Japan, and I would really hope they would continue the series in the US too.

Mitchell -- Nintendo publishes some of their puzzle titles, specifically Polarium and Magnetica. They do have a version of Magnetica scheduled for WiiWare in Japan right now.

Namco -- They have been working with Nintendo in creating many Nintendo published titles in recent times, and are currently the developers responsible for the upcoming Mario Super Sluggers on Wii.

Capcom -- They used to create handheld Zelda games with Nintendo, but Minish Cap was the last such collaboration on the GBA a few years back -- nothing recently.

Next Level Games -- They developed the Mario soccer titles for Nintendo, with the last one, Mario Strikers Charged, releasing in August 2007. Since Nintendo doesn't normally have quick sequels (minus Mario Party games), its doubtful they will have anything, unless they do a DS version...

Paon -- They have created a few Donkey Kong games for Nintendo, with the latest ones being DK Jungle Climber and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast in fall 2007.

Sega -- They usually do their own thing, but did once develop F-Zero GX for Nintendo, which I would love to see a sequel to. They last worked with Nintendo on the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games titles for Wii and DS, published by Nintendo in Japan but by Sega in the US in fall 2007.

Sora -- Basically Sakurai's 'freelance' base, they technically headed Super Smash Bros Brawl development, which just shipped last month.

Square-Enix -- They collaborate pretty frequently with Nintendo now, from having Brownie Brown develop some of their GBA and DS RPGs to developing Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and the so far Japan only Itadaki Street on DS. No current collaborations are announced though.

Level 5 -- Currently developing an epic RPG for PS3, but also the developer of the Professor Leyton series that while they self-publish in Japan, Nintendo publishes for them in the US. The first game came out in February this year to critical acclaim; meanwhile, the 3rd is currently in development for release soon in Japan. Its pretty likely the whole trilogy will get released in the US over time as well.

Tose -- The ultimate 'anonymous' independent developer, Tose is huge with many teams, and they like to get hired by others to perform work that never gets credited to them. That said, they do have a series of games, Legend of Starfi, that started on GBA and has continued on DS, published by Nintendo. Unfortunately, the series has stayed in Japan.

Atlus -- Occasionally, Nintendo helps publish titles in Europe that are published by other companies in the US, and an example would be Atlus, whose Trauma Center series, for e.g., gets published in Europe by Nintendo. Atlus has at least once returned the favor, publishing Cubivore on the GC in the US after Nintendo published it in Japan but didn't in the US. This entry is here just for completeness, of course, since I am mostly concerned with the US market!

Rare -- I almost forgot to mention Rare, who were once a Nintendo 2nd Party until Nintendo sold them to Microsoft. That said, Rare has still been developing Donkey Kong Country remakes on GBA and more recently Donkey Kong Country conversions for Wii's Virtual Console, all published by Nintendo. Still, most of Rare's work is for Microsoft and so this entry here doesn't mean much anymore...

What is up Nintendo's sleeve?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:00:29 GMT

Nintendo is at an all time high, it seems nowadays. Mario Kart Wii, a game that flew under the radar until it released earlier this month in Europe is suddenly turning out to be a killer game, selling really well both in Europe and in Japan, where it just released. US release by the end of the month, complete with what looks to suddenly. Wii Fit, their killer Balance Board using title, already a big hit in Japan, releases in the US in May and I suppose soon after in Europe -- the announcement of Wii Fit yesterday as retailing for $89.99 prompted Amazon's pre-orders to apparently go up 800,000%, according to Amazon's page. Super Smash Bros Brawl released last month with super hype and as a super hit. Wii's are outselling everything else, still hard to find in stores. Nintendo DS continues selling at phenomenal rates.

Analysts are predicting March US sales for Wii and DS to be 700k each (in comparison, the analysts predict 360 and PS3 to have sold 310k and 365k respectively). Software sales are doing great as well: Next-Gen reports the top 100 selling games that released in the last fiscal year for US and Europe included 12 and 11 exclusives on Wii and DS (compared to say, 3 exclusives on 360 and 5 on PS3 -- and 0 on PSP!). Japan, other than Monster Hunter 2 on PSP and the odd PS2 Soccer game, is all Wii and DS titles -- and Monster Hunter 3 is exclusive to Wii.

Now analysts are predicting Nintendo will sell 26 million Wii's in the newly started fiscal year (compared to an estimated 18.5 million in the last fiscal year). In comparison, 360's total worldwide sales since it released in 2005 is estimated at 18 million units, and Nintendo's own Gamecube sold little more than 22 million in it's total lifetime!

With all this, comes the rather surprising question: What are Nintendo up to? Beyond Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii, as it turns out, Nintendo hasn't really announced much in regards to what software is coming to Wii and DS in the future! That's right, nobody knows what big titles are coming for the coming Fall! Whereas Microsoft already has Gears of War 2, Too Human, Fable 2, Banjo-Kazooie 3, and Halo Wars scheduled for 360, and Sony already has Resistance 2, Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, Echochrome, and Motorstorm 2 scheduled, Nintendo in fact has only really announced Mario Super Sluggers, and briefly previously shown off (but not scheduled) Disaster: Day of Crisis and Wii Music (similarly, on the DS, they only have Pokemon Mysterious Dungeon 2 and Nintendo Crosswords scheduled -- both by May/June in fact, with Fire Emblem DS and Professor Leyton 2 previously shown likely for Fall).

This is where I get conspiratorial. Nintendo has many internal studios and teams along with partner development companies that are owned by them, and I figured, lets see what they have been up to recently. Oh, my rule of thumb is, if a developer hasn't released something since summer of 2007, they likely are contributing to Nintendo's Sleeve ;) (though smaller 2nd party teams sometimes just assist other teams). (Oh, also, my guess is that most WiiWare and DS development would have shorter cycles, as well.) I will detail my results in another post tomorrow or so...

E3 2007 -- Wii (and DS)

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:27:56 GMT

The annual E3 conference is taking place, and Nintendo just had their big press conference, showing off what they have in store for the Wii and DS for the near future. My highlights summary follows...

The big focus is on the fact that they are successfully expanding the gaming market (in recent history with games like Nintendogs, Brain Age, and Wii Sports, not to mention the Wii controller), and will continue to do so. As such, they showed off Brain Age 2 and Flash Focus (a DS title for 'vision training') as well as announced stuff like Nintendo Crosswords, Picross, and Professor Layton for the DS -- all are basically some form of puzzle titles. Their killer app for the expanded audience though is on the Wii: Wii Fit. Check out the video here and tell me it won't be a hit. Unfortunately, Wii Fit is scheduled for the US in 2008... They also announced a new upcoming (free) channel for Wii, the Check Me Out channel, where people can compete on their created Mii's with others worldwide.

Overall, Nintendo does appear to be in a really good position. They are hitting the casual market hard. They have a strong online network for the DS now (almost half the games nowadays seem to support it), with the Wii now catching up as well, with Mario Strikers Charged, Battalion Wars II, Super Smash Bros Brawl and Endless Ocean some of the online titles coming, along with Madden 08, FIFA 08, Medal of Honor w/ 32 players, Guitar Hero 3, etc... and the newly announced Mario Kart Wii will be online too, coming 1st quarter of 2008.

They certainly do appear to be getting good 3rd party support too, with titles like My Sims, Boogie, Red Steel 2, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Trauma Center 2, Geometry Wars, Civilization Revolution, My Word Coach, and more heading to it.

One other thing I am noticing, is that the Wii is going to end up being peripheral friendly -- Wii Fit above is using its own completely unexpected Wii Balance Board controller, Guitar Hero 3 comes with a Guitar controller that the Wiimote snaps into, rumors of Rock Band coming to Wii indicate another Guitar controller and Drum Set controller... Boogie and High School Musical both come with Microphones, and Mario Kart Wii comes with a Wii Wheel for the Wiimote to snap into. On top of all that, they showed off the Wii Zapper attachment, which combines the Wiimote and Nunchuck controllers into a gun controller, that will come with an unannounced game and also be useable in Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, Ghost Squad, and the above mentioned Medal of Honor (which, unlike the other 2 here, is a full FPS title).

Finally, we got dates for the big games. Fire Emblem on Nov 5; Metroid Prime 3 on August 27; Super Mario Galaxy on Nov 11; Super Smash Bros Brawl on Dec 3; and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on the DS Oct 1.

Interestingly, they didn't show of anything that looks to be later than Q1 2008...

Interactive Game Music

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:33:52 GMT

One of the things I have a great love for, is video game music. In particular, I am able to hum from memory many tunes from past Mario and Zelda games, among others. I also have a healthy collection of tunes from soundtrack CDs and remix hobbyist websites.

A key commonality in the tunes is that they tend to have originated in MIDI form. For those who don't know what that is, it is a form of music where each note is programatically specified -- compared to synthesized or orchestrated music, which are more in the form of being 'recorded'. What this means is that the MIDI tunes traditionally don't sound as full and rich as other music, but are capable of being programmed to be more interactive according to what is happening in the game.

Nowadays, with the presence of synthesized and orchestrated music in most games, Nintendo tends to get criticised for sticking with MIDI music. This week at GDC, Koji Kondo, the man responsible for most of Nintendo's music, gave a keynote about music in games. He showed off some cool uses of interactivity in the music they do, including varying the music in commonly visited places in games, added and removing notes from the music to emphasize what is happening, and even having enemies jump to the beat of the music! Very cool stuff, I recommend checking it out.

Anyways, Dolby has come out and said that they believe MIDI is going to be the future for next-gen music in games! Apparently, hardware has gotten good enough that the MIDI instruments fidelity can sound as good as anything synthesized or orchestrated, at which point the interactivity pointed out by Koji Kondo becomes a key benefit for games -- after all if games are interactive, why shouldn't the music be interactive as well?

Wii Sensor Bar: How It Works

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:11:23 GMT

Wii comes with a sensor bar, that you attach above or below your TV to enable the Wii Remote's pointer functionality. It doesn't work as you might expect though...

Basically, the sensor bar emits an IR field -- and then the Wii Remote can detect the IR field, and know where it exists in the IR field. This allows it to have the fast refresh rate it needs to give you pinpoint accuracy for a pointer to work well. It does NOT transmit anything back to the sensor bar.

These guys made this video proving this point in a rather interesting way -- by getting the Wii Remote's pointer functionality to work while having the sensor bar disconnected. How? He uses the IR field generated by TV remotes when you press buttons on them to allow the Wii Remote's pointer functionality to work.

Interesting...

Wii: The Software

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:53:10 GMT

Wii is getting a pretty large number of games this early in the console's life -- whereas the N64 launched with 2 games and the Gamecube with 12, Wii is launching with, at final count, around 20 titles. And then there are a few more (the ones that just missed launch) that will release within the 'launch period' (by the end of December).

With the variety of games come games for most types of audiences: casual gamers, hardcore gamers, Nintendo fans, sports fans, kids... Nintendo is also hoping to open up the market to people who have never played games before. Obviously, not all games are going to be good or great, and some games that could have been great will end up not being so due to being rushed for launch.

I am listing here in the following blog entries what, as far as I know, are the currently scheduled games for the launch period (as well as announced for the near future), as well as my comments on them. I decided to categorize them based (broadly) on genre, so click on the genres that interest you to learn more. In brackets I am adding the type of game it is, and who it might appeal to (atleast, in my opinion!). I will also note my personal excitement level for games with what I know of them now (when most games haven't even had reviews yet).

Obviously, many games cross genres -- I placed them in one page each, depending on what I felt to be the primary genre. So, even though Super Monkey Ball is both Puzzle and Party, it is found in the Party section...

I. Action/Adventure/Platform Games (Zelda, Splinter Cell, ...)
II. Party Games (Rayman, Super Monkey Ball, ...)
III. Sports Games (Wii Sports, Madden, ...)
IV. First Person Shooting Games (Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, ...)
V. Racing Games (Excite Truck, Need for Speed: Carbon, ...)
VI. Role Playing/Strategy Games (Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Battalion Wars 2 ...)
VII. Puzzle Games (Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Elebits, ...)
VIII. Fighting Games (Dragon Ball Z, Mortal Kombat...)
IX. Kids Games (SpongeBob, Happy Feet, ...)
X. Niche Games (Poker, Fishing, ...)
XI. Other Games (Blazing Angels, Heatseeker ...)

Finally, you can view my post about the Wii Hardware here.

PS: This was fun to do :)

Wii: The Software I: Action/Adventure/Platform Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:54:58 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

The Action/Adventure genres are the games that don't really fit the other major categories, and yet happen to be rather popular. They are generally either involving lots of action/combat, lots of platforming action, or a combination of the two. Some also tend to have a lot of puzzles, and the action/combat can be based around shooting. The thing in common with them is they are generally all played from the 3rd Person view.

Note: A lot of the games created for kids based on kids shows tend to be Action/Adventure oriented as well, but I placed them in their own section here.

Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Adventure; Appeal: Hardcore/Nintendo Fans)

Simply put, Zelda is my favorite game series. Twilight Princess doesn't look as uniquely awesome to me as the last big Zelda game (Wind Waker), but it still looks gorgeous. It is a port of the upcoming Gamecube version of Twilight Princess, with Wii controls added to it -- which means you will be aiming weapons like Bows and Boomerangs yourself. Zelda is my most anticipated, must have game for the year!
ME: CAN"T WAIT FOR IT!

Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent (Stealth Action; Appeal: Hardcore)

This game is for hardcore players, as you really have to be careful and patient while playing. The slower pace of gameplay doesn't appeal to everyone, but to those that it does, it can be quite rewarding. At times, you will have to make moral decisions that will affect the storyline while playing undercover. This time is available on the other consoles as well, and lacks online play in the Wii version.
ME: Rent at Some Point

THQ
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Action; Appeal: Casual Gamers, Avatar Fans, Kids)

Based on the Avatar tv anime, this game is focused on combat; however the reviews for the non-Wii versions so far are pretty bad...
ME: Not Interested

Post Launch:

Sega
Sonic and the Secret Rings (Platforming Action; Appeal: Sega Fans, Casual Gamers, Kids)

Sega is abandoning the exploration aspects of 3D platforming games and concentrating on the speed that Sonic is famous for.
ME: Might Rent it Well Reviewed

Ubisoft
Prince of Persia (Action Adventure, Platform; Appeal: Hardcore)

A game in the awesome Prince of Persia series has been announced for the Wii.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Activision
Spider-Man 3 (Action Adventure; Appeal: Hardcore/Casual Gamers, Spiderman Fans)

I can't wait to see how they make use of Wii controls with web-slinging action.
ME: Hopeful

Nintendo
Super Mario Galaxy (Platformer; Appeal: Hardcore/Casual Gamers, Nintendo/Mario Fans)

I find the Mario platformer titles to generally be the best of the platformer style games. It is why Mario is so famous. And this game looks awesome.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Nintendo
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. (Action; Appeal: Hardcore/Casual Gamers)

You play a big guy with a big hammer that you swing around to defeat enemies. Seems pretty basic.
ME: Wait & See

Capcom
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Survival Horror; Hardcore Gamers, Resident Evil Fans)

From what I know, this game will replicate the awesome 3rd person shooter controls from Resident Evil 4, but base the scenarios around each of the previous Resident Evil games..
ME: Highly Anticipated

Wii: The Software II: Party Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:53:31 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

Party games are intended to be played with others, and generally tend to be very easy to play and enjoy. Obviously, games in other genres do include multiplayer regularly (especially, for e.g., Racing & Sports games), but games specifically made for playing in groups are listed here. Another thing to note about these, is they tend to be filled with minigames for quick, simple fun.

Ubisoft
Rayman Raving Rabbids (Minigames, Party; Appeal: Everyone)

The evil rabbids have taken over the world, and taken Rayman captive. Now Rayman, Gladiator style, has to wow them in 70 minigames to win their favor, to be able to overthrow them. The minigames themselves tend to be funny, involve various types of controls (from on-rail FPS to cow-milking), and includes 4 player multiplayer for many (but not all) of the minigames.
ME: Bunnies Make Me Laugh, Thus Highly Anticipated

Sega
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Puzzle, Minigames, Party; Appeal: Hardcore, Everyone)

This game is a weird contradiction -- on the one hand it has 50 minigames, all intended to be played multiplayer; on the other hand, it has 100 puzzles of navigating monkeys (in balls) through particularly devious 'mazes' that can challenge the most hardcore of gamers.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Midway
Rampage: Total Destruction (Action, Party; Appeal: Casual Gamers)

Port of the Gamecube game, based on the original arcade title -- basically you and friends pick from 30 or so monsters, then destroy the crap out of various cities. As you destroy all the buildings, you move on to new areas. The various means used by the army to stop you tend to be pretty futile, and the most fun part is beating up your buddies monsters and then eating them when they 'die' and return to human form.
ME: Nah...

Post Launch:

Nintendo
WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Minigames, Party, Puzzle Action; Appeal: Everyone)

A bizarre title -- not really minigames, as they last 5 seconds each. But they keep coming, randomly, faster and faster, challenging you to complete them as fast as possible. I really consider it to be puzzle action due to that. You will use the Wii Remote in 15-20 different ways to complete the various microgames until you lose. It's really a party game, challenging you and friends to look completely silly playing this game together.
ME: I Love WarioWare!

Nintendo
Wii Play (Minigames, Party; Appeal: Everyone)

A collection of very simple games that would be pick up and play for just about anyone. As more incentive, it looks like the game comes with a free Wii Remote, which makes it a perfect value purchase.
ME: Free Remote, Why Not?

Nintendo
Mario Party 8 (Minigames, Party; Appeal: Casual Gamers)

The original party game returns with new minigames based around the Wii controllers.
ME: Highly Interested

Wii: The Software III: Sports Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:53:21 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

There can be as many different sports games as there are sports. The difference in games is, you can have sports games that realistically simulate the real sport, and you can have sports games that simplify the sport (or add to it) to make them easier and more of a video game experience.

Nintendo
Wii Sports (Free w/ Wii -- Sports, Party; Appeal: Everyone)

This is the game Nintendo believes will sell the Wii to the general consumer -- especially casual gamers and non-gamers. It includes basic versions of Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Bowling, and Boxing. The games have depth (add spin, etc, to the ball with how you swing the Remote) but are also simple (you can't control your player in Tennis, or the baserunning in Baseball). Boxing is the only one that uses the Nunchuk controller, the rest are played with one hand.
There are also challenge modes for each sport that add to the fun, and a daily fitness mode that you can use to exercise and track how well you are doing over time. The best feature though, is that you use 'Miis' that you create in the Wii Mii Channel to represent you in the game.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Electronic Arts
Madden NFL 07 (Sports; Appeal: Football Fans, Casual Gamers)

Possibly the biggest game franchise in the US comes to the Wii with all new controls intended to be more fun and easier to get in to. Apparently, it's working, as many Madden fans are enjoying it more than normal Madden. Features all the game modes of the other console versions, and adds Wii exclusive multiplayer modes -- however, no online play in the Wii version. For the serious Madden fan then, getting both a Wii version and a PS3/360 version is a definite possibility.
ME: No Real Interest in Football, Yet May Rent at Some Point

Tecmo
Super Swing Golf (Sports; Appeal: Golf Fans, Casual Gamers)

A golf title that concentrates on being fun rather than being too realistic, but still keeps the golf mechanisms as accurate as possible. It's basically between Wii Sports Golf and Tiger Woods PGA Tour in complexity and realism.
ME: May Rent

Post Launch:

Electronic Arts
Tiger Woods PGA Tour (Sports; Appeal: Golf Fans, Casual Gamers)

The most prominent golf game series in the market.
ME: Not Interested For Now

Midway
Blitz: The League (Sports; Appeal: Football Fans, Casual Gamers)

This is the football title to look out for if what you want is something with more of an arcade feel. It is unknown whether the Wii controls will be as polished as Madden appears to be above.
ME: Not Interested

Nintendo
Mario Strikers Charged (Sports; Appeal: Soccer Fans, Mario Fans, Casual Gamers)

I enjoyed Super Mario Strikers on the Gamecube, but thought it could have used more variety in characters and stadiums. This game intends to deliver that. It's basically a fast and fun arcade soccer game.
ME: Highly Interested

Wii: The Software IV: FPS System

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:53:12 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

First Person Shooting games tend to dominate when it comes to the typical hardcore gamer in the US. The Wii, with it's pointer functionality in the Remote, seems immediately to perhaps be ideally capable of new controls in FPS games -- it remains to be seen if the games will show that to be the case.

Ubisoft
Red Steel (FPS; Appeal: Hardcore/FPS Fans, Casual Gamers)

Red Steel is an FPS game that has been designed around the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo -- as such it plays very differently than standard FPS games. The main difference is the your targetting cross hairs are no longer stuck to the center of the screen like in almost all FPS games -- instead, you can aim anywhere on screen, facilitating shooting people on balconies, etc, with ease. You will also be able to throw grenades and turn tables with the Nunchuk controller. The game also adds sections where you sword fight in first person by swinging your controllers, and has gun only split-screen multiplayer for up to 4 players.
ME: Interested in Trying Out

Ubisoft
Far Cry Vengeance (FPS; Appeal: Hardcore/FPS Fans)

Wii is getting its own exclusive edition in the "M" rated Far Cry series of FPS games, where the trademark is that you spend much of the game in lush tropical areas. As can be seen, the Wii is already getting a bunch of FPS games. Other than being able to drive vehicles (which is turning into a standard ability in FPS games), what sets Far Cry apart is that at some point in the game you will gain the ability (experiments gone wrong?) to pounce on your enemies and slash them with your 'claws'.
ME: Rent at Some Point

Activision
Call of Duty 3 (FPS; Appeal: Hardcore/FPS Fans, Casual Gamers)

There have been a lot of WWII FPS games in the last few years, but the Call of Duty series has risen to the top in quality. With the 3rd installment, they try to do some things differently, like how your head moves separately from your movements. They are also adding various moments where you will be more involved in the action other than just shooting, like wrestling for your gun with enemy soldiers and driving vehicles. The best part about WWII shooters is the feeling they tend of sticking you in the middle of the action while a war goes on around you.
That said, the other console versions of Call of Duty 3 would be preferable to anyone wanting to play online, as the Wii version has no online play, while the others support 24.
ME: Rent at Some Point

Post Launch:

Electronic Arts
Medal of Honor: Airborne (FPS; Appeal: FPS Fans, Casual Gamers)

This upcoming FPS game is another WWII shooter, but not too much is known about it.
ME: Not Interested

Nintendo
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (FPS, Adventure; Appeal: Metroid Fans, Hardcore Gamers)

This FPS Adventure is from a series famous for its difficulty and challenge, specially since it is not a linear, stage based FPS game, but instead based around exploring a large, open world. It also does not utilize standard FPS controls, allowing locking on to enemies to fire at them easily, and also features the large 'freestyle' aiming that Red Steel is aiming for as well. With giant bosses and a steady stream of puzzles, it really plays more like Zelda games than like other FPS games.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Wii: The Software V: Racing System

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:53:00 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

These are the racing games on the Wii. They vary from Arcadey to Realistic, usually include multiplayer modes, and usually appear to play with the Wii Remote held sideways, rotating the controller to turn the car. The Wheel shell attachment, included free with two of the Ubisoft titles (or sold separately for $20) can provide a nice grip for most of these.

Oh, and I am sticking racing games based on Extreme Sports (skateboarding, snowboarding, etc) in this section as well.

Nintendo
Excite Truck (Racing; Appeal: Everyone)

A simple, fast, arcade racing game. You turn by tilting the Remote, and can also turn your truck in the air before hitting the ground for perfect landings. You can modify the terrain through racing through specific pickups, and turbo boost till your engines overheat. The game is fun (only one I have actually played before the launch), though the multiplayer is limited to 2 people (and the CPU opponents are not present in multiplayer).
ME: Interested in Playing More

Electronic Arts
Need for Speed: Carbon (Racing; Appeal: Racing Fans, Casual Gamers)

This series has recently focused heavily on the underground racing scene, complete with heavy customization options for tricking out your cars, which can be a little daunting for first time players. The Wii version features both controls similar to most other Wii racing titles, but also alternate control schemes where you can, for e.g., use the Remote joystick style to control acceleration. Oh, and the racing can get pretty fast.
ME: Interested in Trying Out

Ubisoft
GT Pro Series (Racing; Appeal: Realistic Racing Fans)

I am personally not a fan of realistic racing games, and on top of that the graphics (cel-shaded) look rather antiquated. Which is because they are antiquated, as this is a port of an old Japan-only Gamecube game. It does include a free Wheel attachment though (which are otherwise $20 on their own). But if you want a game + Wheel combo, you might be better off with...
ME: Ughh...

Ubisoft
Monster 4x4: World Circuit (Racing; Appeal: Everyone)

This arcade truck racing game also includes a free Wheel attachment. It doesn't have the speed of Excite Truck, but for multiplayer is possibly more fun.
ME: Might Try

Activision
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Racing/Skateboarding; Appeal: Extreme Sports Fans, Casual Gamers)

The Tony Hawk series is extremely popular among a segment of the gaming population, but this exclusive Wii version is changing the rules -- instead of focusing on skating tricks, you will now be performing skating tricks while racing other skaters on downhill tracks. Looks like fun.
ME: Rent at Some Point, but Looks Fun

THQ
Cars (Racing; Appeal: Casual Gamers, Kids)

Racing game based on the Disney/Pixar movie. Likely more fun for kids than your typical kids game, and might be fun for others too.
ME: Not Interested

Post Launch:

Electronic Arts
SSX 4 (Racing/Snowboarding; Appeal: Extreme Sports Fans, Casual Gamers)

The SSX series has been popular and is obviously the inspiration for the Tony Hawk game listed above, as it is based on racing downhill in the snow while performing tricks in the air.
ME: Loved SSX 2, but not 3 -- Hope its Good

Wii: The Software VI: RPG/Strategy Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:52:41 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

RPG games are basically games that focus on characters and gameplay that are based, to some extent, on statistics -- where your characters improve in statistics the more you play. Generally, you can expect some strategy in playing them, and they tend to have a high focus on story. There are other strategy games than just RPG's though, with the most common kind being focused on resource and battleplan management.

Activision
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Action RPG, Party; Appeal: Comic Fans, Casual Gamers)

Up to 4 people can get together and control from more than 20 Marvel Comic characters (including Spider-Man and most X-Men, for e.g.) through a long game, combatting their favorite comic villains with a new story derived from the comics. I am labelling it as a Party game as that is when games like these are most fun -- in single player, I find that they get extremely repetitive and boring very fast.
What will be interesting to see is how the Wii version ends up doing compared to the other console versions, as in the Wii version you perform various super moves through gestures (while in the other games you have to go to a menu to set super moves to 2 buttons, and switch them whenever you want to use other super moves). This, interestingly enough, could show that even with fewer buttons, you can get more control options through motion control.
ME: If Reviews Well, Rent at Some Point

Post Launch:

Nintendo
Battalion Wars 2 (Strategy, Action; Appeal: Hardcore Gamers)

Real time strategy game, where you can switch between your troops or control any of your vehicles (jeeps, tanks, helicopters, jets, ships, subs, etc), all while ordering your troops and vehicles on the map to defeat the enemy. The game is announced to feature online play.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Square-Enix
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers (Action RPG; Appeal: Final Fantasy Fans, Casual Gamers)

Multiplayer action RPG in a Final Fantasy style world. Farah loved the previous game in this series, so...
ME: Highly Anticipated

Nintendo
Fire Emblem (Strategy RPG; Appeal: Hardcore Gamers)

The Fire Emblem series is the perfect strategy and rpg game in my mind. You take a bunch of characters, tactically move them about the map combatting enemies with tons of strategy, and follow the awesome storylines and even better characters. Best part of all, if a character dies, they are dead for good -- which makes the games hard for some, but to me that is awesome.
ME: CAN'T WAIT FOR IT

Square-Enix
Dragon Quest Swords (RPG; Appeal: Hardcore Gamers, Dragon Quest Fans)

An RPG title where you defeat enemies through sword strikes made with sword motions from the controller.
ME: Rental

Nintendo
Pokemon Battle Revolution (RPG; Appeal: Pokemon Fans)

This game looks like its mostly intended to allow DS Pokemon players to battle each other, including online, in 3D graphics.
ME: Not Interested Yet

Wii: The Software VII: Puzzle Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:49:31 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

This section is for games that tend to focus on puzzles, whether they are true puzzles like say Sudoko, or puzzle action games like say Tetris. Yeah, if you think about it, Tetris isn't really an actual puzzle solving game, but games like it can be termed to be in the Puzzle Action genre... There are also always original ideas coming in this genre, as can be seen below:

Atlus
Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Puzzle Action; Appeal: Hardcore Gamers)

This game makes you the surgeon in charge of performing surgery on patients using a full set of surgery tools, all simulated with the Wii controllers. There are time limits, and the storyline leading you through your supply of patients is based in both medical drama and sci-fi (biological terrorism, basically). This game will make you sweat from the intensity.
ME: Definitely Want to Play

Konami
Elebits (Original Puzzle, Party; Appeal: Unknown)

I actually don't know how to classify this game, as its rather original in nature. Basically, you use the FPS perspective to zap creatures called Elebits, which gives your weapon enough charge to power electronic devices in the household, which allows you to locate more Elebits to zap. You can also use your zapper to open doors and pick up and move objects (even houses eventually) to find more Elebits. Thus it has elements of puzzles, FPS, and exploration, plus it supports up to 4 players playing together. The game that it most reminds me of, by the way, is Katamari Damacy from the PS2.
ME: Definitely Want to Play

Post Launch:

Majesco
Cooking Mama: Cook Off (Minigames; Appeal: Casual Gamers)

A game that simulates cooking in minigame sized challenges.
ME: Wait & See

Majesco
Bust-A-Move Bash! (Puzzle Action; Appeal: Puzzle Fans)

Puzzle action fans of games like Tetris can get addicted to games like this. The other main interesting thing for this game right now is that 8 people can play together against each other.
ME: Not Interested

Wii: The Software VIII: Fighting Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:48:29 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

These games concentrate on fighting between characters, usually one-on-one, but sometimes with 4 player free for alls. Obviously, most focus on being multiplayer games. These are the games that gamers most worry about being possible with the Wii Remote, as they tend to depend on lots of buttons on the controller -- and thus it is believed they will tend to rely on the Classic Controller instead.

Atari
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Fighting; Appeal: Dragon Ball Z Fans)

This game is for hardcore Dragon Ball Z fans, with more than 100 characters to play with from the anime series, and with battles that follow storylines from all the episodes of the anime series. Interestingly, they allow using the Wii Remote / Nunchuk combo, utilizing gestures for initiating special moves -- though the Classic Controller is also allowed for traditional gameplay.
ME: Not a Dragon Ball Z Fan

Post Launch:

Midway
Mortal Kombat: Armagedon (Fighting; Appeal: Mortal Kombat Fans)

With around 60 fighters assembled from the series history, this fighting game will appeal chiefly to the fans of the series.
ME: Rental at Most

Nintendo
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Fighting, Party; Appeal: Nintendo Fans, Hardcore/Casual Gamers)

Up to 4 players choose from their favorite Nintendo characters and fight in out in levels based on Nintendo games. This is likely the most anticipated Wii title for 2007. It will use the Classic Controller for more standard fighting controls.
ME: Highly Anticipated

Wii: The Software IX: Kids Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:48:10 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

These titles are aimed squarely at children. Generally they tend to be licensed from kids TV shows and kids movies. Some are definitely better than others, while most do tend to be lazy efforts by developers and a disservice to the kids who end up with them. I tend to ignore them, so can't really give a good indication as to whether some of them might actually be worth playing, and that is less because they are kids games, and more because they have a reputation of being unchallenging and/or crap! Still, kids tend to like some of them, or they wouldn't sell...

Anyways, most tend to be either Action Adventure games (usually with Platformer influences) or, recently, based around Minigames.

Note that games like Rayman and Super Monkey Ball, I do NOT place in this category, as they are aimed at all gamers and NOT just children.

Ubisoft
Open Season (Action Adventure; Appeal: Kids)

Based on the upcoming animated movie same name. You play as a bear and a deer and try to scare off hunters with skunk bombs and acorn-throwing squirrels.
ME: Not Interested

Midway
Happy Feet (Action Adventure; Appeal: Kids)

Based on the upcoming animated comedy, the game will in addition to the standard platforming gameplay, also have music based minigames -- think Dance Dance Revolution, without a dance mat.
ME: Not Interested

Midway
The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy (Action; Appeal: Kids)

Presumably, based on a kids TV show.
ME: Not Interested

Midway
The Ant Bully (Action Adventure; Appeal: Kids)

Based on the upcoming animated movie.
ME: Not Interested

THQ
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (Action Adventure, Minigames; Appeal: Kids, Casual Gamers, SpongeBob Fans)

The SpongeBob characters, somehow, appear to appeal to more than just kids, and the game designers keep that in mind with the humor in their games. The game itself is more of a collection of different play styles patched together, and according to previews, it appears to work well. Likely one of the more decent titles from this page ;)
ME: Not Interested, Unless Reviews Wow

THQ
Barnyard (Action Adventure; Appeal: Kids)

Based on the upcoming animated movie.
ME: Not Interested

Buena Vista Games
Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action (Action Adventure; Appeal: Kids)

Based on the Disney cartoon movie, from what I have read in previews, the game's controls are apparently enhanced by the Wii controllers to be rather fun. Given the game's presentation though, I doubt it will appeal to anyone but kids, but atleast they will get a good game out of it...
ME: Not Interested

Wii: The Software X: Niche Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:47:47 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

This is a collection of games that don't really fit anywhere else on my list very well. More importantly, they tend to appeal to a very specific subset of gamers.

Activision
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions (Card Game; Appeal: Poker Fans)

It's poker, but I don't know anything else about it...
ME: No Interest

Activision
Rapala Tournament Fishing (Fishing; Appeal: Fishing Game Fans)

Another niche title for fishing game fans.
ME: No Interest -- Will Fish in Zelda

SnK Playmore
Metal Slug Anthology (Compilation, Arcade Action; Appeal: Metal Slug Fans, Arcade Shooter Fans)

It's basically a compilation of 7 Metal Slug arcade titles, which themselves tend to be old school sidescrolling shooting action games. They went ahead and implemented a bunch of motion based control schemes, along with the basic Classic Controller controls the fans of the series would be used to.
ME: If Really Cheap Someday...

Wii: The Software XI: Other Games

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:47:25 GMT

This is a continuation of a series of posts about the Wii Software at launch and beyond; for the main post, click here.

There are so many genres in 'video games', that I can't really list them all separately. Here is where games from the other generally popular genres are placed...

Ubisoft
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Flying Shooter; Appeal: Hardcore, Casual Gamers)

A fun looking game where you fly WWII era planes in dogfights. I am rather interested to try it out, as the Xbox 360 demo I played seemed promising.
ME: Rental

Post Launch:

Codemasters
Heatseeker (Flying Shooter; Appeal: Hardcore, Casual Gamers)

A realistic, current day simulation of flying combat, but the game designers appear to be trying out some interesting ideas with Wii controls.
ME: Wait & See

Wii: Nov 19. The Hardware

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:34:23 GMT

Ok so Wii releases in the US on Sunday. PS3 released this morning, and I did see people in tents and whatnot outside Walmart and CompUSA (and 2 dudes outside Sears at Fiesta Mall), so we know PS3 is hot. But with it's price, I don't really care for it. So, I'm all about the Wii :) and hopefully, barring huge lines gobbling up all the Wii (yup, the plural is Wii) before I can get to them I hope to be playing Zelda this weekend.

So, been a long time since I have even posted here, so I figured, time to post an entry here about the Wii, and let my friends know what games and features etc I'd highlight if asked. In case anyone cares :).

The Wii is $250, and includes the game Wii Sports with it. Here is what you get!

Hardware:

Wii is tiny -- designed to stand vertically, comes with a stand. It's quite literally the size of 3 DVD Cases stacked together. It is designed for low power consumption -- why? because it is also designed to always be ON. The idea is when you turn it off, it actually goes to Standby mode so that it is a) faster to turn on, and b) continuing to work with online services.

Wii has the fastest memory on the market, but the memory's amount is less than the competition. The chipset / cpu / gpu have been designed to eliminate bottlenecks, but overall processing power is far less than the competition. It also has the biggest cache of all the new consoles, again with smaller load times in mind. It comes with 512 MB built-in SD memory for saving games and other essentials, and you can attach secondary SD cards for more save space. It does NOT support 720p/1080i/1080p -- which does free up processing and memory power to do the 480p and 480i right.

Controllers:

The big thing with the Wii is the controller -- officially named the Wii Remote. This thing is awesome -- I used it in a Gamestop Demo Kiosk, its small and light and fits in the hand very well. It is shaped like a remote controller (or cellphone unless you have a fat one), doesn't have an analog stick, and has few buttons compared to normal controllers.

It uses motion sensing instead (accelerometers? gyroscopes? who really knows...), and does a rather good job of it too. So you can move it in 3D space and games will know whether you are moving it up/down, left/right, diagonal, in/out (depth), tilting, rotating, etc... and it will know how fast you move it. So certainly, you can expect games that use the motions to simulate something you do in the game. For e.g., in the demo I played, you held the remote sideways with both hands and used it to simulate the wheel while driving a truck.

Generally, the Wii Remote supports playing with one hand for most games, but two handed if you hold it sideways.

It also features pointer functionality -- basically the Wii comes with a sensor bar, which you attach above or below your TV. It emits an IR field which the Wii Remote can detect, and somehow use it to give you pin-point accuracy in moving on-screen cursors. Basically, a 3D mouse. You don't actually point on the screen, you move a cursor about. Many games are using this for things like menu selections, first person shooting games, and so on.

Other features include a built-in speaker for game sounds to come from your hand, rumble for force feedback, and memory on the controller to save some user profile data. It is wireless (uses Bluetooth). And finally, it supports attachments -- basically making the attachments 'wireless' even though they connect to the Wii Remote.

The major attachment is officially called the Nunchuk attachment. It is designed for more advanced games where you use your otherwise free hand to hold the Nunchuck attachment, giving you an analog stick and 2 extra shoulder buttons. The Nunchuk controller also features basic motion sensing, but not the pointer functionality of the Wii Remote.

A second attachment being released is the Classic Controller, and it is designed as a normal standard controller for any games that do NOT use the Wii Remote / Nunchuk combo... In other words, its designed for older style games.

A third attachment being released at launch (not from Nintendo) is a Wheel shell. It doesn't add any buttons or functionality, just gives you a more natural grip when simulating driving with the Wii Remote.

Finally, Nintendo has shown off a Zapper shell attachment, but no current release plans have been announced. It turns the Wii Remote into a gun shape, while adding an analog stick and a second trigger button.

Backwards Compatibility:

Xbox 360 has BC with Xbox games, but only about 1/3rd of them work problem free. PS3 is BC with PS1 and PS2 games, but now that it is released, information is coming that about 196 games don't work properly with it (in some cases due to hardware, e.g. Guitar Hero's guitar controller having problems; in other cases with sound/audio). MS did have firmware upgrades for the last year fixing the BC problems, but it appears they have given up now. Sony claims they will have firmware upgrades as well for individual games. With both Xbox 360 and PS3, transfering save files is a hassle.

Wii is BC with Gamecube games, but more importantly, with the peripherals. Wii actually has a docking station built-in, allowing you to plug in GC controllers (including the wireless Wavebirds) and GC Memory Cards. There is no word yet on whether individual games have problems, but since Wii architecture is based on GC architecture, it isn't expected that there will be any problems.

The main reason then to keep a GC around is if you use the Game Boy Player attachment, which cannot be plugged into the Wii.

Online / Media Services:

Wii has built-in Wi-Fi, though wired connections are supported with an add-on. Wii supports USB. Wii has a free online service, but no games are making use of online play at launch (though Pokemon Battle Revolution, out in December in Japan, will be the first online game for the Wii). Wii has what it calls the WiiConnect24 service, which allows updates, emails, etc to be recieved while the console is off.

Other than the email/message board stuff, everything is organized in Channels. The Internet Channel allows web browsing with the Opera browser (Flash supported). The Photo Channel allows viewing photos on SD cards, editing them, running slideshows (with music running off the SD cards), etc. The Forecast and News Channels give you information downloaded through the WiiConnect24 service. More Channels are expected in the future. One expected from the rumors is the DS Demo Station, for downloading DS Demos and uploading them to your DS.

Virtual Console:

The Wii Shop Channel allows you to purchase games for the Virtual Console -- basically old NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and TurboGraphx-16 games. Other older consoles are expected to be added to the list over time (TurboGraphx-CD, MSX and Commodore 64 have been mentioned so far, along with Arcade games). Once you purchase a game, you can re-download it from that same Wii as many times as you want, as long as you don't format the builtin SD memory. If you do have such a problem, Nintendo says call them, and they will help you configure your account on the Wii memory again (including a different Wii).

There are also plans to have new original games purchaseable from the Wii Shop Channel as well.

The pricing is, frankly, nuts. Generally, $5 for NES games, $8 for SNES/Genesis, $6 for TurboGraphx-16 games, and $10 for N64 games. Rather expensive, in my opinion. Listed here are the games that will be available in the launch period -- and then starting January, Nintendo has announced there will be 10 new games added to the VC list every month. (100 points equals $1... you can purchase the points from Wii Point Cards in store, or through credit card in the Wii Shop Channel.)

NES Games (500 Wii Points)

Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Ice Hockey
Pinball
Soccer
Tennis
Urban Champion
Wario's Woods
Baseball
Solomon's Key

SNES Games (800 Wii Points)

F-Zero
SimCity

N64 Games (1000 Wii Points)

Super Mario 64

Genesis Games (800 Wii Points)

Sonic the Hedgehog
Altered Beast
Golden Axe
Columns
Ecco the Dolphin
Gunstar Heroes
Space Harrier II
Toe Jam & Earl
Ristar
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

TurboGrafx 16 Games (600 Wii Points)

Bonk's Adventure
Super Star Soldier
Victory Run
Bomberman '93
Dungeon Explorer

My next entry will look at the launch games.

Credit for pictures goes to IGN

What type of Pokemon are you?

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:56:10 GMT

With the upcoming launch of Nintendo's newest handheld Pokemon games (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon) on the DS and GBA, they have launched a website where they have a little quiz to help determine what type of Pokemon one would be in the game (in the game, you play a Pokemon based on the same initial quiz).

As it turns out, I am Charmader. Fitting. I like being a fire-breathing hothead of an entity.

So, what type of Pokemon are you? Find out and post it here!

Fan video on video game labelled as terrorist's work

Mon, 08 May 2006 04:21:34 GMT

UPDATE: ABC reports on the Government's mistaken assumptions with Battlefield 2's 'terrorist modifications'.

I am not sure if I should laugh or cry about this news...

Firstly, check out the Reuters news article: Islamists using U.S. video games in youth appeal.

In summary, its about 'Islamist terrorists' modifying U.S. video games to push propaganda and turn them into 'training games' for Muslims. The main part of the article is describing the example the journalist appears to have found -- a video 'trailer' of Battlefield 2 from the perspective of a Middle East insurgent.

"Battlefield 2" ordinarily shows U.S. troops engaging forces from China or a united Middle East coalition. But in a modified video trailer posted on Islamic Web sites and shown to lawmakers, the game depicts a man in Arab headdress carrying an automatic weapon into combat with U.S. invaders.

"I was just a boy when the infidels came to my village in Blackhawk helicopters," a narrator's voice said as the screen flashed between images of street-level gunfights, explosions and helicopter assaults.

Now, here's the thing. The video was actually made by a fan of the game. The insurgent model used in the video, claimed by the article to be a mod, is actually made/distributed by the publishers, Electronic Arts, in the expansion pack for Battlefield 2, Special Forces. And the quote about the 'infidels came to my village'? In the video, it is the voice of Trey Parker -- yup, the quote comes directly from the movie Team America. So what about the emphasis placed on this so-called non-existant mod by the Reuters article about it being made to train Middle Eastern insurgents to kill U.S. soldiers? If the video was a fan made video made using what was available in the Electronics Arts published, DICE developed game, does that mean that Electronic Arts/DICE support training Middle Eastern insurgents to kill U.S. soldiers?

You can read about the person who made the video and the discussion of how messed up the article is if its basis is this fan made video, at the Planet Battlefield forum. A nicely written rebuke of the article from one of the forum posters is here. Finally, a direct quote from the creator of the video, extracted here:

A direct quote from the creator of the video.

"Nah now srieously that vid I made was just 4 fun , no propaganda or what so ever....for god sake the video begins with a team america quote.....how the hell can they take this isshhhh seriously?????

And the rest is just ingame footage from SF, no selfmade mod at all...cant get even my own freakin' computer to work....So you can see programming isnt on of my strong points (and that is a big ass understatement)....

But well overall I dont even think it is funny...I think it is sad that Reuters a respected newsagency comes up with these bullsss articels....and dont even get the facts straight.......

Now lets hope they al see it like it was intended ...as a funny BF video....."

The sad part is, this Reuters article is being published by news outlets the world over. With absolutely no fact checking.

Dream Machines

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 18:51:03 GMT

I highly encourage everyone to read the linked editorial. It's written by Wil Wright, one of the most recognized game developers in the world (second in recognition likely only to Nintendo's Miyamoto). The guy is smart, and his editorial shows how to see video games in a new light...

Quotes

Wired 14.04: Dream Machines
But the gamers' mindset - the fact that they are learning in a totally new way - means they'll treat the world as a place for creation, not consumption. This is the true impact videogames will have on our culture.
Just watch a kid with a new videogame. The last thing they do is read the manual. Instead, they pick up the controller and start mashing buttons to see what happens. This isn't a random process; it's the essence of the scientific method.
Imagine that all you knew about movies was gleaned through observing the audience in a theater - but that you had never watched a film. You would conclude that movies induce lethargy and junk-food binges. That may be true, but you're missing the big picture.
Early computer games were little toy worlds with primitive graphics and simple problems. It was up to the player's imagination to turn the tiny blobs on the screen into, say, people or tanks. As computer graphics advanced, game designers showed some Hollywood envy: They added elaborate cutscenes, epic plots, and, of course, increasingly detailed graphics. They bought into the idea that world building and storytelling are best left to professionals, and they pushed out the player. But in their rapture over computer processing, games designers forgot that there's a second processor at work: the player's imagination.

Games are good for you & your Brain

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:06:28 GMT

Nintendo has a new series of 'games' in Japan nowadays on the Nintendo DS system -- they call em Touch Generation games there. The most successful one is the Brain Training series of games...

Its a simple idea. The game is a set of 'exercises' for the brain, the idea being to perform the exercises daily for 15-30 minutes or so. The exercises will get tougher as time passes, and the game will score your brain with an age (lowest being 20). You want your brain age to be as low as possible. The exercises and the way it measures your brain age were designed by a Japanese University Professor and are thus supposed to be authentic...

Anyways, the US launch for the Brain Training series (called Brain Age for the US version) is April 17, budget priced at $20...

Here's the hilarious part: In Japan, its gotten to the point where hospitals are using the Brain Training games to diagnose patients, prescribing the games to patients, and checking out DS's with the games to patients...

Warren Spector & Grand Theft Auto

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 22:12:00 GMT

Warren Spector, developer of games like Deus Ex (a personal favorite), Thief (loved the concept even if my graphics card couldn't handle it at the time), and Wing Commander (on of my favorite old series, although I didn't know he worked on it), has this to say about the Grand Theft Auto series (and presumably the large number of clones on the market). Read this article for the full story and his full speech on the matter, but here are a couple of excerpts:

"I'm really angry at the Rockstar guys," Spector said in an interview Wednesday at the Montreal International Game Summit. "Not like I'm going to go beat them up and yell at them, but they frustrate me because Grand Theft Auto III, in particular, was an amazing advance in game design. It was a stunning accomplishment as a game design. And it was wrapped in a context that completely for me undid all the good they did on the design side. "
"Escaping from a 16-colour virtual world populated by stick figures is one thing. Killing a cop who looks like a cop . . . or being a virtual boxer and watching the blood fly in slow motion. Is it any wonder non-gaming adults in positions of power fear us and our influence?"
"This is not just something we can say 'Ah well, screw them. They're all going to die some day,' " he added to laughter.
To that end, Spector says the industry has to create more content besides "mindless pathetic killfests."

I have to say, I couldn't agree more. As much as I like the GTA sandbox design, I fault it's actual gameplay similar to how Warren Spector described it. What do others think? More mindless killfests, or more intelligent games like Deus Ex -- where you can go through the whole game killing everyone you meet, avoiding killing everyone you meet no matter what, or a mix of the 2 based on your own moral code (usually the most balanced way of progressing in Deus Ex anyway)...

Mock of possible attachment for Nintendo Revolution Controller

Sat, 17 Sep 2005 01:55:15 GMT

UPDATED: The image here, unfortunately, I had linked to rather than uploading, and is no longer available. Basically it was a wheel type attachment... sorry!

UPDATED: I found and added the Wheel Mockup, along with an interesting Light Gun Mockup, as photos at the end of this entry. I don't know who actually made these though, as I got them off random message boards. Anyways, click them for bigger views...

Now that looks like a plausible steering wheel attachment for driving/racing games doesn't it...

Nintendo needs to give names to the announced controller parts -- for now, though, I will use 'wand' for the main freehand part, analog attachment for the already shown analog stick attachment, and classic shell for the attachment that would give you retro/port playability (not yet shown, but discussed by both Jim Merrick (NOE Marketing) and Iwata (Nintendo President) in his initial keynote where he showed off this new controller). IGN also has a new FAQ for the functionality of this new controller, including their mockups of how the wand would fit into the classic shell.

Also, notice in the picture below the ridgeline in the right most picture of the wand controller -- it does show that when it fits into a shell like the classic shell or a theoretical plane shell etc, the top D-pad portion would still stick out...

Credit for 2nd picture goes to IGN; 1st I found on a random message board...