Tag: Video Games

Wii U Console Features Controller with 6.2-inch Screen

Nintendo 3DS Continues its Evolution with Mario Kart, Super Mario and the Nintendo eShop as Nintendo Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)– At the E3 Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.

Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:
• In single-player games:
o The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
o The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
• In multiplayer games:
o The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.

In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller™ button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.

Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.

“Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together,” said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. “The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers.”

Nintendo 3DS™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the United States on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.

A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.

Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.

The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES™ classic Excitebike™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.

Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games, many of which are playable on the E3 Expo show floor in booth 4922.
• Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario™, Luigi’s Mansion™ 2, Mario Kart™, Kid Icarus™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Animal Crossing™, Paper Mario™, Picture Lives!, The Rolling Western™.
• Wii: The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword, Kirby™ Wii, Wii Play™: Motion, Mystery Case Files™: The Malgrave Incident™, Mario Party™ 9, Rhythm Heaven™ and Fortune Street™.
• Nintendo DS™: Kirby™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters™.
Nintendo kicked off its E3 Expo Presentation by announcing a number of initiatives to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season. Additionally, Nintendo announced a tour of orchestral concerts featuring music from the beloved franchise. Additional commemorative activities will be announced at a later date.

For the duration of the E3 Expo, Nintendo will provide fans with exclusive videos and Nintendo content on the Nintendo Network. People can visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch developer interviews, get all the information about new games and see coverage coming directly from the show floor. The same exclusive content also will be streamed through the Nintendo® Channel to Wii owners who have a broadband Internet connection.

UBISOFT TO LAUNCH MAJOR BRANDS, TWO NEW IPs FOR NINTENDO WII U

Assassin’s Creed®, Rabbids® and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Online, as well as two new brands including a revolutionary first person shooter for the hardcore audience being developed exclusively for Nintendo Wii U™ .

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES – June 7, 2011 – Today, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft® announced some of the titles that it has in development for Nintendo’s Wii U™: Assassin’s Creed®, Rabbids® and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Online, as well as two new brands including a revolutionary first person shooter for the hardcore audience being developed exclusively for Nintendo Wii U™ and a multi-sports game for the whole family.

“Nintendo is an industry reference for game design and accessibility. We are very honored to be a strong part of this new chapter of the videogame industry,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “This new console is an amazing new source of inspiration for our developers.
With the combination of technologies brought together by this console, our creative teams will be able to take the Ubisoft vision of developing rich, immersive and innovative gaming experiences for all audiences even further.”

Beginning at noon PST today and throughout the conference, playable versions of Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Online can be seen by visitors on the Nintendo booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Top Gun: Hard Lock Will Take You Right into the Danger Zone

Air combat game set in film’s iconic universe will take your breath away with a new storyline, new class of aviators and amped up action

PRESS RELEASE

Los Angeles, CA – June 7, 2011 – International videogames publisher 505 Games today announced the reimagining of a classic with Top Gun: Hard Lock.
Based on Paramount Pictures’ classic film, Top Gun: Hard Lock is set in the present day with a brand new story line and new wave of elite naval aviators fresh out of the Top Gun academy. In Top Gun: Hard Lock gamers fly right back into the danger zone for a jet propelled flight combat adventure with all the flair of a modern day action blockbuster. The game is being developed by Headstrong, a division of Kuju, and is set for release in Spring 2012 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC.

In development under license from Paramount Digital Entertainment, Top Gun: Hard Lock is aerial dog-fighting at jet speeds and tailgating MiGs at Mach 2, while offering a unique “Hard lock” mode where players perform air combat maneuvers that deliver an explosively satisfying visual payoff that brings them right into the action. Featuring the legendary F-14 Tomcat fighter jet and a number of additional licensed planes and weapons, and more than enough enemy MIGs to turn into smoldering rubble, the game is carefully mixed with just enough nostalgic references to remain true to its action movie roots.

“Top Gun: Hard Lock pays tribute to the brand’s heritage but will deliver the fierce action and intense aerial combat that today’s gamers expect.”
commented Ian Howe, Managing Director at 505 Games.

Top Gun: Hard Lock will be published in Spring 2012 by 505 Games.

POWER RANGERS SAMURAI COMING TO Wii AND NINTENDO DS SYSTEMS

The title will bring a new generation of Rangers to life to battle the evil forces of the netherworld.

PRESS RELEASE

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (June 7, 2011) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. has combined its Zords to announce Power Rangers(tm) Samurai coming to Wii(tm) and Nintendo DS(tm) systems for Holiday 2011. The title will bring a new generation of Rangers to life, as players utilize teamwork and the ancient Samurai Symbols of Power to battle the evil forces of the netherworld.

Based on Saban Brands’ incredibly popular Power Rangers Samurai TV show on Nickelodeon, players of all ages will finally be able to join the Rangers as they physically immerse themselves into the morphing action of the iconic team of heroes.

“There are few other long-standing cultural icons as influential as the Power Rangers with their spirit of heroism, teamwork, and physical fitness,” said Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., Carlson Choi. “For the millions of fans that have grown up with the Rangers over the last two decades, or for parents looking for high quality entertainment with a positive message for their children, we’re incredibly excited to bring this franchise to a new generation of players in a way that truly allows everyone to experience what it means to be a Ranger.”

Power Rangers Samurai will let fans wield the Samuraizer to master the elements of Fire, Water, Sky, Forest, and Earth as they morph into Red, Blue, Pink, Green, or Yellow Rangers. Martial arts training and fitness combined with team based battles teach the importance of team work, friendship, and responsibility to battle hordes of Nighlok monsters.

Players can also unlock secret passageways, access hidden levels, and get hints on how to defeat the armies of evil while collecting enough Zords to gain the Samurai Megazord needed to take down the MegaMonster once and for all.

Mortal Kombat Klassic DLC Pack Now Available

This collection consists of seven pre-order klassic character skins for Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Ermac, Mileena, Jade and Kitana and klassic fatalities for Reptile, Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

PRESS RELEASE

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios announce today that the first DLC pack for the legendary fighting game Mortal Kombat is officially available. Featuring all of the of the pre-order content in one set, this collection consists of seven pre-order klassic character skins for Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Ermac, Mileena, Jade and Kitana and klassic fatalities for Reptile, Scorpion and Sub-Zero. It is now available for purchase on Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points or $4.99 on PlayStation Network.

If you are attending E3, please be sure to stop by the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment booth (South Hall 2401) to check out the upcoming new DLC content – all-new warrior Skarlet – where she will be playable for the first time.

Mortal Kombat is the most brutal installment of the legendary fighting game to date and is currently available on the PlayStation(r)3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360(r) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2011. The game, along with the upcoming DLC, have all been developed by NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.

VIDEO GAME PLAY INCREASES AS BREADTH OF GAME CONTENT GROWS

Report Finds More Women, Adults Play Games

PRESS RELEASE

June 7, 2011 – Washington, DC – 72 percent of American households play video games and 82 percent of gamers are adults according to new research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). In a report released at E3, the world’s leading video game event, the data presented a consumer base that is increasingly diverse and receiving interactive game content on myriad platforms.

The report, 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, also found 42 percent of gamers are women and that women age 18 or older represent more than one third of the game-playing population. In addition, purchases of digital full games, digital add-on content, mobile apps, subscriptions and social network gaming accounted for 24 percent of game sales in 2010, generating $5.9 billion in revenue.

“Our industry’s innovative titles are reaching new consumers in broader, deeper and more-engaging ways,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. “Technological advancements and terrific entertainment experiences in our industry make it possible for people of all ages to enjoy games at home or on the go, and the creativity of our developers and publishers leads to an ever-expanding variety of video games to choose from in both digital and physical formats.”

The survey also found that parents remain highly involved in their children’s game play and see several benefits of entertainment software. Forty-five percent of parents report playing computer and video games with their children at least weekly and nine out of ten parents pay attention to the content of the games their children play. In addition, 68 percent of parents believe that game play provides mental stimulation or education, 57 percent believe games encourage their family to spend time together, and 54 percent believe that game play helps their children connect with their friends.

Other findings of the survey include:
• The average game player is 37 years old, while the average game purchaser is 41 years old;
• Sixty-five percent of gamers play games with other gamers in person;
• More than half (55 percent) of gamers play games on their phones or handheld devices;
• Eighty-six percent of parents are aware of the Entertainment Software Rating Board rating system, and 98 percent of these parents are confident in the accuracy of the ratings;
• Parents are present when games are purchased or rented 91 percent of the time; and
• Consumers spent $25.1 billion on game content, hardware and accessories in 2010.

The research for the 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry was conducted by Ipsos MediaCT and is the most in-depth and targeted survey of its kind, gathering data from almost 1,200 nationally representative households that have been identified as owning either or both a video game console or a personal computer used to run entertainment software.

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, hosting the E3 Expo, conducting business and consumer research, representing the video game industry in federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.