Category: Wii

Nintendo Owns Industry

News

Whether or not you like Nintendo, you can’t disprove these 10 facts for the first half of 2007 based upon NPD and NPD Canada figures:

–Through the first half of 2007, the total Wii hardware sell-through in the United States and Canada combined is more than 2.3 million units (2.1 million United States, 222,000 Canada).

–For the first half of 2007, Nintendo represents nearly 70 percent of the industry growth in the United States and Canada combined.

–In June alone, Wii was once again the top-selling home console with nearly 435,000 units sold in the United States and Canada combined (381,800
United States, 53,000 Canada).

–In June alone, Nintendo DS was the top-selling video game system overall with nearly 608,000 units sold in the United States and Canada combined (562,000 United States, 46,000 Canada).

–Nintendo remained the top video game publisher in the United States and Canada in June, as well as the top publisher for all of 2007.

–In June alone, Nintendo has six of the top 10 best-selling games in the United States, including the top four: Mario Party 8 and Wii Play for
Wii, and Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl for Nintendo DS.

–Of the top 30 best-selling games in the United States for all of 2007, half are for Nintendo systems.

–The three best-selling games in the United States for all of 2007 are for Nintendo systems: Pokémon Diamond, Wii Play and Pokémon Pearl.

–Wii already boasts more than 180 games, including 120 downloadable Virtual Console titles. By the end of the year, that total number will climb to about 330 games, including an additional 100 new games from every major third-party publisher, along with an additional 50 Virtual Console titles.

–Approximately 300 games are already available for Nintendo DS, with another 140 titles expected by the end of the year from every major third-party publisher.

Bully goes back for seconds on Wii and 360

Canis Canem Edit

Today Take Two entertainment announced that their critically praised game Bully, Canis Canem Edit(dog eat dog) in Europe, is getting the mulitplatform treatment. The game will be released on the Xbox 360 and Wii, presumably at the same time. While the specifics aren’t mentioned, Take Two says both will feature unique new content, whether this means each will have it’s own console specific features such as waggle controls and DLC for the 360 it’s definitely a great thing to see the games on more consoles.

Personally I’m quite excited. I rented Bully and beat it on my PS2, and just thought to myself how all of the side quests and such in the game could make for some awesome achievements on the 360.

Keep your eyes and ears open for Bully: Scholarship Edition’s release this coming winter.

[Via Take Two Games ]

Wii Fit Skateboard, Snowboard, Surfboard

Arguably the most exciting revelation at Nintendo’s E3 Media Briefing this year was the Wii Fit. A new peripheral that is able to sense where a person is stepping. Nintendo showed off the possibilities of doing exercises and fun mini-games by using this “stepping platform”.What Nintendo now presents is yet another merge between the arcade and the home console. Imagine using the Wii Fit, not as a excercise platform but as a skateboard, snowboard, or surfboard! Turn the Wii Fit sideways and you’ve got a two-in-one peripheral. Sure you probably won’t be able to do crazy tricks with the board, but for people who can’t find their balance in the real sports Wii Fit is going to be a fun alternative.

For all of the above sports, you’d steer with both feet on the platform. Since Wii Fit is tilt sensitive the peripheral can be as accurate as the real sports. Skateboarding would be a little more tricky, if you want to consider having one foot step down to have your avatar push the skateboard faster difficult.

The real brain teaser is why didn’t Nintendo market the Wii Fit at E3 with more of these amazing game possibilities? As Reggie talked about during the presentation Nintendo is going for the general gaming audience and then the hardcore users. It’s plausible that Nintendo realizes that this peripheral is probably not going to be used by the average male gamer at least as a fitness machine. Lets face it, this is what the game industry considers as a serious game. Have serious games sold well thus far? If you have no idea what a serious game is, that just proves my point. By marketing this peripheral as a fitness machine, it’s the female audience who will most likely be the first to purchase it. If specifically mothers were to buy this peripheral for their family Wii console, Nintendo gains access to the whole family. It’s at that point when Nintendo will unveil more casual games like they have already done with their Wii Sports and Wii Play series.

These short gameplay session games are becoming a key to Nintendo’s success and with the Wii Fit a whole new door of gameplay has been opened.

E3 Videos

We’ve been working around the clock to bring you as many E3 07 videos as possible! As such we now have tons of videos related to Nintendo’s Press Briefing Conference that was held earlier today. Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Fit, the Zapper are only some of the videos available for your viewing pleasures!

We’ve also uploaded some new videos from Electronics Arts: Army of Two and The Simpsons game.

Oh and don’t forget Microsoft! Halo 3 yada yada… It’s all there.

Sony related videos will be going online tomorrow.