Gamernode: Latest Wii News

So everyone HAS a Wii, but do they play it?

According to recent statements made by Enterbrain president Hirokazu Hamamura, the big splash made by the Nintendo Wii is quieting to just a few light ripples. He cited research that the system hasn't had a huge hit since the pack-in title Wii Sports, and roughly two-thirds of Wii owners are not using the system at all, for the time being.

So does this mean that the Big N's cash cow is indeed a passing craze, as its opponents have always been quick to claim? Does it mean that once the novelty of the device is exhausted, it will go the way of the Gamecube (if that's even possible at this point)?

Really, only time can tell, but 67% of owners NOT making use of the darn thing is pretty significant - at least to me.

So what do you, the GN faithful, think the future holds for Nintendo's little whi...

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Nintendo says, "Gamers were bored before Wii"

According to Nintendo, gamers have been bored untill the Wii showed up--heck of a bold claim, right? Perrin Kaplan, vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America, laid down the law when it came to the impact the Wii has made since its launch in November 2006.

"A major insight that Nintendo had early on was that they saw that gamers were getting bored, even though they didn't know it yet," Kaplan said. The Wii's easily approachable appearance and its appeal to the casual market has certainly helped the console get a leg up during the ongoing console war.

George Harrison, fellow main man at Nintendo, echoed Kaplan's statements by saying part of the Wii's success is due to Nintendo's aggressive marketing campaign. He also noted that whenever a little or unintentional story involving the W...

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October 15th Virtual Console Releases

This week's Virtual Console update is an excellent one. From Ninja combat to mech warfare to good old-fashioned spce shooting, today is a great day to dish out money for games you probaby already own.

Ninja Gaiden II was a game that I toiled over as a youngster, and only finally completed about 5 years ago. It was one of the earlier games to feature cutscenes, and included a bunch of badass secondary weapons to go along with Ryu Hayabusa's sword. The INSTANTLY respawning enemies were horribly annoying, but I guess that's part of the magic of the game.

Metal Marines may not have been incredibly popular when it was released, but it was (from what I can remember) a pretty solid strategy experience that did things it's own way. Building up a squad of metal marines to go destroy your enemy's i...

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Nintendo revamping their online plans

Of the three consoles, the Nintendo Wii is farthest behind when it comes to the online realm. While the Virtual Console has posted impressive numbers in the sales of old Nintendo games, it still doesn't shake the nagging feeling that Nintendo could be doing so much more.

Luckily, Nintendo has finally realized this as well and as a result is making some needed additions to their online plans. There is nothing revolutionary being included, just features we have become accustomed too thanks to Xbox Live and PSN.

The Wii will now have a service similar to the DS Download Station where demos will be available to download right to the Wii. Accompanying this will be Nintendo's initiative to find new and innovative ways to utilize the online environment as well as a call service which will help Wii...

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Mario Kart Wii to feature 12-player online multipl...

If your hopes were dashed when the rumored 16-player online multiplayer mode for Mario Kart Wii turned out to be false, then pick your head up because instead, Mario Kart Wii will feature 12-player online multiplayer instead. While it's not the originally rumored 16, 12 sounds like a decent number to me.

Fresh from Nintendo's Japanese press conference, 1UP has the confirmation from CEO Satoru Iwata himself, along with that Mario Kart Wii will feature a more streamlined matchmaking process. My guess is that Wii owners don't really like the friend codes system.

If you missed it, Nintendo also confirmed that a steering wheel controller would come bundled with Mario Kart Wii, pretty snazzy! Unfortunately, the game has been delayed in its native Japan and in the U.S. to sometime in early to sprin...

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Wii price cut for the holidays? Nintendo says...

If you were hoping for a nice price reduction for the Nintendo Wii this holiday shopping season—that is, if you can even find one, don’t hold your breath because there won’t be one, according to Nintendo’s Phil Harrison.

He said bluntly, "We'll stay at $249 for the foreseeable future. We are still selling everything we can make. We think we're in a great position. Both our competitors took price reductions and it hasn't stalled our momentum at all."

Gee, thanks Phil. We’ll remember that the next time we pass the Wii game aisle and pick up a 360 or PS3 game instead.

But seriously, economics rule and if you’ve got a hot seller on your hands with people literally clawing their way through to get one, there’s really no need to “boost” sales b...

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Nintendo planning 140 Wii games by end of 2007

As the number of people who own a Wii grows, more games are necessary to provide the needed entertainment content. With that said, Nintendo is expecting to release 140 games by the end of 2007, while the Nintendo DS game library will reach 450 and the Virtual Console library will reach 200.

George Harrison, senior VP of marketing for Nintendo of America, said, "Because of Wii and Nintendo DS momentum, third-party publishers are supporting our systems like never before. Their lineup of diverse games is testament to how we make the population of gamers a little bigger every day."

Listed below is a massive list of upcoming Wii game titles and release dates. The sheer number of planned Wii titles is pretty daunting but that is what's necessary to keep the Wii market happy. Hopefully there will b...

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Developers worried about making Wii games

Even though the Wii and DS have been flying off shelves lately, the core foundation of the console's success, Wii game developers, may be losing some footing.

According to a Japanese newspaper, The Nikkei Business Daily, they've spoken with various developers about the Wii's future and the outlook is not looking strong.Several developers have been claiming that Nintendo is the only company benefiting from the success of the Wii, since they can predict sales of the consoles. This leaves publishers scrambling to produce mass games, with some of them ending up as major flops.Another reason given for the Wii's possible demise is that it is "a fad and its popularity will fade." One developer said, "The Wii is like the 'Billy's Boot Camp' weight-loss program on DVD. People bought it out of curio...

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl delayed

Nintendo held its US Media Summit today. Among its many announcements, came the heartbreaking words: Super Smash Bros: Brawl will be delayed for two months. You heard me right: Two Months.

The new release date is set for February 10. This delay isn't all bad news, as it will give the developer time to add to the quality of the game. Nintendo hinted that there will be more levels and characters added.

This came shortly after the announcement that Sonic the Hedgehog would be included, so expect some more pleasant surprises.

Nintendo also mentioned adding a "unique way of sharing between users, even online." Vague, but still pleasant sounding. Can't wait for more details. Stay tuned for updates.

Via [wii.advancedmn]

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Look out Rock Band, here's Wii Music

As far as virtual instruments go, we definitely have guitars covered, we have the singer covered, now we have drums, and we even have maracas. Did I miss anything?

Well according to Nintendo, those aren't enough. Not even close to being enough. Nintendo is developing their own button timed music fest using a combination of the nunchuck and Wii Remote. It's called Wii Music. Original, eh?

Look out Rock Band, instead of just a four player band, Wii Music trumps you with a six person band. You can choose up to 40 different instruments. You can add that xylophone sound you've always wanted to hear. Ever want to play the triangle for a band? Have at it!

Wii Music is expected in Japan sometime next year.

But just remember, if you got that killer song and you feel like something's still missing, ch...

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Monster Hunter 3 defects to Nintendo

At a recent press conference held by Nintendo, it was announced that Monster Hunter 3 will be released exclusively on the Wii. Weird, considering the Monster Hunter series has always been a loyal PlayStation only franchise. Sniff, sniff. Do I smell a traitor?

Sellouts? Capcom's managing corporate officer Katsuhiko Ichii tried to explain the jump by saying it was "due to high development cost of titles for PS3."

Is it really because of high development costs or are they afraid that Monster Hunter 3 will never see enough sales because of the PS3's lack of a wide user base? The PS2 and PSP versions of the Monster Hunter series have sold over 4.5 million copies in the past, showing that there is a keen awareness for the series.

If this trend of jumping the PS3 ship continues, Sony could be in f...

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Want to try the Wii lightsaber? Go to GameCity

If you own a Wii, you've probably wondered at one point or another what it would be like to play a Star Wars game with a lightsaber. (And if not, you're not nearly as geeky as me.) For those attending GameCity in Nottingham this year, your chance to find out is coming soon.

This year at GameCity, one focus will be on Star Wars' impact on games, and the results. What makes a good Star Wars game? The music? The fighting? The X-Wings? Experts from the field of gaming and sci-fi will discuss this (and more), and October 26 will be Star Wars day at GameCity.

To take part in the celebration, the man behind the Lego Star Wars games -- Jonathan Smith of Travellers Tales -- will present The Complete Saga in remastered HD, and give some gamers there the first chance at playing the game with the Wii ...

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Wii Play 'n Learn is nothing new

For those of you who have been wondering just what exacty Wii Play 'n Learn is, I have some disappointing news.

The new Wii UPC code that was recently unearthed via the good old internet, referring to a package called Wii Play 'n Learn, is simply the new SKU for Wii systems that ship with the Wii remote jacket - nothing more, nothing less.

The Wii remote jacket is a silicon sleeve that slips over the Wii remote, allowing for a firmer grip on the often-flung and sometimes lethal controller. It is also available by request to clothe Wii-motes that have already found homes.

So what the heck does Wii Play 'n Learn even mean?! The world may never know.

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Nintendo's Fall Conference: Mario Kart Motorcycles...

Nintendo held a somewhat secret press conference yesterday in Japan, where they managed to release some big news to those fortunate enough to be in attendance. The announcement that Sonic would be included in Super Smash Bros Brawl originated at this event, as did a tidbit of Mario Kart news that's gotten me giddy with excitement; the game will include motorcyles!

Unfortunately, both of those games have been delayed until next year, to January 24 and spring, respectively - in Japan.

Other annoncements at the event included:

- Monster Hunter 3 will be released for the Wii. It was originally planned for the PS3, with the past two entries in the series having been on the PSP.

- Super Smash Bros Brawl will feature online cooperative play, as well as the previously announced offline option.

- Mario...

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Sonic's Smash Bros trailer

As Brendon reported earlier Sonic will indeed be joining the ranks of Brawlers in Nintndo's upcoming mascot fighter. Want a video of the little speedball in action? Of course you do, so here it is. Enjoy.

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Sonic officially joins Brawl's roster

The Orange Box is unlocked, I found my Boondocks DVDs, and somehow my dishes were cleaned. Just when I thought tonight couldn't get any better, out comes the latest Dojo update, confirming news we had only previously hoped and dreamed for: Sonic is in Brawl.

Before, I really wasn't that excited about SSBB. Sure, Snake was in it, and all the regulars and a few more Nintendo people... But it just wasn't something I wanted to play. Until now. Finally, we'll be able to have Mario and Sonic fight in a real game.

As the update says, "Sonic the Hedgehog crashes headlong into battle!"

In sad news, the game has been delayed in Japan, and the English site now lists the release as TBD. Are you to blame, my spiky blue friend?

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October 8th Virtual Console releases

Neo Geo has arrived! Nintendo is making sure we know it, too. This week's Virtual Console update is comprised entirely of Neo Geo titles, which all just so happen to be of the same genre.

Honestly, though, none of these really excite me as long as TWO different versions of Street Fighter II are available on the VC, and for less Wii points. I'll hold out for Samurai Showdown (and then not get that, either, because I don't purchase VC games), but you, dear readers, may choose freely.

From the press release:

FATAL FURY (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1991 and one of the longest-running series in the fighting-game genre, this title introduced players to Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi. Select one of the three and visit many locations as ...

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Epic has no interest in the Wii

Unlike Emergent Game Technologies, who announced last month that their Gamebryo engine would be making its way to Nintendo's Wii, Epic's Mark Rein says that the company has absolutely no plans to bring its Unreal Engine to the platform.

In an interview with GameTrailers, the VP had this to say:

"I think the problem is that it's not in our wheelhouse. I mean, what we're doing is the really high-end, next-generation visuals. We're pushing these [Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3] machines pretty hard."

"I just think that we have too many things on our plate to go back and put resources in that kind of situation."

"I don't think there's a lot of money on making engines for the Wii…because the big software dollars right now are being earned on Xbox 360 and they're going to be earned on PlayStat...

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Super Smash Bros Brawl to have co-op

If it was a big deal when Nintendo announced that Super Smash Bros Brawl would include a single player mode, then this is like icing on the cake. The previously-announced Subspace Emissary mode will also be playable cooperatively.

While player one will act as the main protagonist of the adventure, dictating the storyline and being the focus of the action, a second player will be able to join in the effort as a sort of sidekick, handling the light work. The scope of the camera will not adjust to accomodate both characters, but will instead remain fixed on the protagonist. If the second player can't keep up, he or she will "space jump" back into view. Getting knocked off screen, of course, loses a life.

The Subspace Emissary mode has really begun to sound like a fully-developed portion of ...

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N'Gai Croal proposes a Wiimote redesign. It's good...

Newsweek's N'Gai Croal usually has a lot to say about the videogame industry in his Level-Up blog. I can't say that I always agree with him, but in this particular case, I feel he's hit the nail right on the head.

In a conversation with MTV News reporter Stephen Totilo, N'gai proposed a redesign of the Wii remote that he would've liked to see bundled with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Basically, the only changes would be Gamecube-esque placement of the "-" and "+" buttons, flanking the large "A" button for easier access.

After explaining his new design for the remote, N'Gai confidently said, "I know you'll agree with me" - and yes, I do.

Anyone who's done a fair bit of scanning in Metroid Prime 3 would probably agree with Mr. Croal, too, because that game can give you a severe case of cramped...

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