Wii firmware update ushers in Nintendo Points

A glowing blue slot on your Wii this morning will indicate the fact that there's a new firmware update to be downloaded.

The update relates to the Wii Shop, where you'll know notice that Wii Points have become Nintendo Points, to bring it in line with the launch of the Nintendo DSi and its new point system, that will allow users to download content onto their handheld. Points won't be transferable between the two consoles, but Nintendo obviously just wanted to avoid confusion by identically labelling the points scheme across both platforms.

There's also a minor aesthetic change with some new icons added to make sure you don't inadvertently purchase items from the shop when you didn't mean to. How very gentlemanly of them.

Included in the most recent titles for Nintendo's virtual console and WiiWare services are Tetris Party, a four player online version of Tetris. Incredible Maze, which is a maze game that sounds far from being 'incredible' and Gradius 2.

Source : http://gaming.hexus.net/

Evolution or revolution? Suspense builds for Wii 2

Nintendo fans rejoice: there may well be a new arrival in the group's family of consoles sooner than you think. Satoru Iwata, president of the Japanese computer games group that has been lauded for its ability to attract new waves of gamers, has admitted that the company is hard at work on a follow-up to the motion-sensing Wii.

Mr Iwata said this week: "The hardware team started work on the next thing as soon as they were done with their previous project, but what they think up doesn't necessarily become a product."

However, the speculation that has followed Mr Iwata's hint demonstrates the interest in Nintendo's next offering.

Fans around the world are salivating over how far the concept of motion-sensitive accessories might go: a full body suit that would capture a player's every movement is one suggestion, as is the possibility that Nintendo would dispense with the television as its chief means of displaying games and favour projecting everything on to the inside of a mask. There is even talk of a mind-controlled console that could take the form of a claw-like unit strapped to the head, which would translate brain activity into movement.

And it is not only gamers who have been known to hyperventilate when considering the possibilities of Nintendo's next offering.

Investors, who have goggled at the increase in the company's profits - which surged in the first quarter by 33.7 per cent to 107.3 billion yen (£507 million) and buoyant share price, may have been forced to reach for the smelling salts when considering the issue of what will come next.

One question that is exercising the investors is how Nintendo will handle the economics of that project. Will it just be a technological beef-up of the Wii platform - a Wii2 - or will the famously innovative company take things in an entirely new direction?

And amid the adulation, some gamers, too, are wondering whether the Wii has reached its limits. Its graphics are perfectly good, but the machine's lack of computing horse-power is evident when its games are compared with those on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.

Analysts are worried that the company's historical practice of "front-loading" its software line-up - squeezing at least 70 per cent of the most attractive titles into the console's first two years - may force the timing of a Wii2 more fiercely than in the past.

However, it is not just the traditional gamers who are thinking beyond the Wii. The ever-growing "casual" gaming community - those people tempted into the world of video games for the first time by either the Wii or Nintendo's handheld DS console - may not necessarily be satisfied for much longer.

Hiroshi Kamide, a games analyst at KBC Financial Products, said: "The casual gamer's tastes today are pretty basic but they won't be in five or ten years' time.

"The ones who came into gaming with the Wii are going to become more demanding and Nintendo will not be able to fob them off with the level of graphics and processing it is offering in the Wii today. Nintendo has got to make a pretty tough decision about whether the next Wii is going to be evolution or revolution," he said.

To maintain its margins, the bill of goods - components, assembly and shipping - for the Wii2 would have to be about $250 (£130) initially and fall to about $100. If Nintendo were to launch its next-generation Wii within three years, $250 would probably buy it about the same graphics and processing power as are currently included in the Xbox 360. By then, Microsoft may have stepped up a level of sophistication.

Dawn Paine, marketing director at Nintendo UK, is confident that there is still a "huge appetite" for the Wii in its current form across the world."The Wii is still finding its way into new markets. It is being played more in public areas like pubs and we heard recently that it was used in a care home," she said.

However, Ms Paine admitted that the group is "always looking at developments".

From : http://business.timesonline.co.uk/

The Nintendo gaming world awaits another Mario

After Shigeru Miyamoto developed a love of puzzles, the "brain-training" software that has proved to be an international "killer application" on the Nintendo DS console was born.

He became interested in taking more exercise, and Wii Fit was created. He took up music lessons, and Wii Music was the result.

Now, according to sources at Nintendo, the games designer has been banned by the company from speaking publicly about his hobbies.

It's not that they are naughty, illegal or even nerdish, it's just that any glimpse inside his head could be worth billions. Particularly so now: the Wii still sells strongly around the world, but its successor is the talking point. Unfortunately, the only place where the discussion has any grounding is inside Mr Miyamoto's head.

Having managed to lure millions to games with the inventiveness of characters such as Zelda and Mario, it became Mr Miyamoto's hobbies that shifted gears for Nintendo in the next-generation console era. And as Nintendo's Wii games console approaches its second year, even the most fleeting insight into how Mr Miyamoto is spending his work or play-time is creating huge interest.

In short, the gaming and investment communities are wondering which of his current pastimes will be translated into a virtual rendition that will attract millions of sales five years from now.

From : http://business.timesonline.co.uk/

Asus confirms Wii-style Eee Stick controllers

Asus has confirmed that it will launch its own Nintendo Wii-style gaming controllers, and ship them with some models in its Eee PC line.

Called the Eee Stick, the product is actually a pair of wireless controllers that use motion sensors so people can bowl, slash swords and play other games on an Eee PC or any other PC. One handheld device is an 'activation stick' featuring seven buttons, while the other is a 'navigation stick' with a thumb-operating joystick.

Both offer vibration feedback and connect to PCs over a distance of up to 10 metres. They provide 'up to' 72 hours of continuous play on two AA batteries per stick, according to Asus.

When Asus announced the Eee Stick earlier this year, rumours suggested the device would become available in mid-August. However, no details of a UK release date have been confirmed as yet.

From : http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/

Asus Eee Stick: How Nintendo Wii Remote should look

When I first laid eyes on the Asus Eee Stick I thought it was a couple of new controllers for the Nintendo Wii. Ok so I am a little dumb, but I bet I was not the only one who thought it.

The name that Asus has chosen "Eee Stick" is a strange one as they are a couple of sticks that are mated to a wireless receiver. So what is the Eee Stick I hear you ask, well they are basically a gamepad that has been split in half. This is something that Sony had hoped to launch at some stage.

The Eee Stick has motion sensing technology like the Wii Remote; I bet Nintendo wish that they had designed theirs to look as sleek as these. Asus has said that tailored games that require the Eee Stick will come bundled in the controllers.

As yet there is no idea when the Eee Stick will be released, but Asus reps have hinted that the UK could see them sometime in September.

Asus will make an announcement in the next few weeks.

VIA : Source

Net Neutrality Debate Gets Hot When Comcast Skips Out

By: Spacelab Research Staff

The Federal
Communications Comission held a hearing at Stanford University last
week to talk about Net Neutrality, this time in regards to network
management. It sounds geeky and boring, but it actually has a huge
impact on how we get to view and download content from the Internet.

The
hearing went down at the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet
& Society, so that Silicon Valley players and minds could attend
the hearing. If you've got some time, you can watch the whole hearing
online at the VonTv web site.

Comcast,
Pando Networks, AT&T, TimeWarner, and CableLabs were all invited to
participate in the hearing. They all declined to attend, meaning that
they all declined to go on the public record in accounting for their
practices. Even Comcast and Pando Networks were reinvited to describe
their customer bill of rights which was launched last week (perhaps in response to the hearing?), but declined again.

At
the heart of the issue is the decision by ISP's like Comcast to monitor
traffic on their networks, and whether that serves the public interest.
Supporters of Net Neutrality often say that the business owners are
conflicted in their interest to monitor their own networks, often
throttling or stopping traffic that includes P2P services and torrents.
These methods of downloading can carry copyrighted content and can
contain high amounts of traffic dedicated to unauthorized sharing of
that copyrighted content.

Comcast announced in April that it would work with BitTorrent to find a solution.

There's
legitmate uses for P2P and torrents too, so shutting down the network's
capacity to carry their traffic punishes legitmate use also. Given the
history of Comcast and how they've presented their side of the case,
sometimes being caught telling lies,
it's hard to see how they will be straight-forward in talking about it
in the future, let alone run their network in a way that benefits
paying customers as much as it benefits Comcast.

Plus,
Comcast can run their network however they want, because it's their
network. That brings about a real challenge, because if Comcast is the
only broadband service provider in your area, how can you make a choice
to go with someone else?

http://www.thespacelab.tv

Technorati Tags: Comcast, Blog

Mario Kart for Wii Video Review

IGN published a detailed review and a video review of the upcoming Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii (Amazon).

Quote from the review: "For the first time ever on a Nintendo console, the online portion trumps the single-player offering, and we'll explain why. Both 50cc and 100cc races are fine in Grand Prix, though the exclusion of the Mario Kart 64-like cooperative two player GP is a serious misstep in our opinion -- you can certainly go in and create your own GP competitions, but they work separately from the normal GP cup progression.
Mushroom Cup is a bit boring, Flower Cup starts to mix things up with some decent track design, Star Cup really starts to take off with some superb levels and true innovation, and a Special Cup that rounds things off with one of, if not the, best Rainbow Road tracks in franchise history."
Read the full review and see the video on IGN.

Mario Kart for Wii ships in 6 days on April 27th. Pre-order now on Amazon.com.
Form : http://www.i4u.com/


Technorati Tags: Mario Kart, Game, Wii, Nintendo, Review Game

[Nintendo Wii Media] New We Ski Screenshots

10 new screenshots for We Ski on Nintendo Wii have been added to our gallery. You will be redirected to the gallery automatically in 10 seconds, or you may view it now by clicking this link.

A First For Nintendo Wii: Binge Eating And Purging!

There are a million different games that we could have thought of for Wii, but to be honest, we didn't see this one coming from a mile away.

Major League Eating: The Game. We're dead serious.

It's an upcoming WiiWare title revolving around competitive eating whose price has yet to be announced.

The bizarre title will use the Nintendo Wii remote to eat in a smorgasbord of styles which include the cram, toss, and 'typewriter.'

We feel so out of the loop.

"Watching Major League Eating is like watching poetry in motion," says Bill Swartz, Head Woof at Mastiff. "Professional gurgitators have the grace of ballerinas yet the brute strength, mental focus, and intestinal fortitude to push their bodies and minds as hard as athletes in any other extreme endurance sport. Victory is sweet and defeat can be well, really, really messy. It's an experience we're proud to help bring into the home."

Hopefully, it will be incredibly cheap. It does promise to feature online play, at least.

http://www.nintendorevolution.ca/02292008/23/a_first_for_nintendo_wii_binge_eating_and_purging

Elderly stay active with the Wii Nintendo System

(WTNH) _ Staying active can be a challenge for aging people whose bodies may not work like they used to. But these days, more and more seniors are turning to video games -- to challenge their bodies and minds.

Who says video games are just for kids? Don't tell that to Helen Bower. She's become a real pro at 'bowling' on the Wii Video Game System -- and says it's a lot like the real thing.

"I actually thought I was in a bowling alley, holding a bowling ball," Bower, of Woodbridge, said. "And, when I got upstairs, my wrist even ached a little bit."

Bower is one of a growing number of residents at Coachman Square -- an assisted living center at Woodbridge -- learning how to use the Wii. "Oh, it's a great game," she said.

"People are realizing 'I can try something new' -- and it's moving them more than they've probably moved all day," Joan Cramer, an Occupational Therapist, said.

"You don't have to hit buttons on this game," Cramer said.

Malcom Webber, 91, is playing baseball on the Wii Nintendo system. And he's already having beginner's luck as a pitcher -- having struck two batters out.

"I couldn't do that well when I was a kid and used to pitch once and awhile," Webber, of Woodbridge, said.

Webber calls the game 'very practical' for older people -- it keeps them moving. For example, he and his wife used to play a lot of tennis. "So we've advanced from the real tennis courts -- to the tennis courts here," Rae Webber, of Woodbridge, said in reference to the Wii Nintendo game.

The game is something new and different -- a challenge for both mind and body. "I've tried to urge some of the other people who say -- 'No I can't do it' -- you can," Bower said.

After all, Bower never pictured herself as a video game player, but she is -- and she's pretty good.

The residents at Coachman Square are very busy practicing for a video game tournament in April. The tournament will feature the grandparents challenging their children and grandchildren.

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7942044

Wii Fit Priced for Europe by Nintendo

Wii Fit is eagerly awaited by Nintendo Wii users in North America as well as Europe. There was some confusion about the price of the package in Europe, but it seems that Nintendo has put it to rest. IGN is reporting that Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii Fit pack will cost GBP 69.99 in the UK (approx. Rs. 5500) and EUR 89.99 (approx. Rs. 5340) in the rest of Europe.

Wii Fit will have four training categories like Aerobic Exercises, Muscle Workouts, Yoga and Balance Games. It will feature more than forty different activities within these training categories such as Hula Hoop, Ski Jump, Press-up Challenge, Rhythm Boxing, Rowing Squat, Lunge and classic Yoga poses such as Half Moon, Tree and Crocodile Twist. The game will include an on-screen fitness trainer as well as helpful tutorials.

Wii Fit will be released in the UK and Europe on April 25, 2008. Gamers in Europe would be happy to get the game before their North American counterparts, who get the game on May 19, 2008. Wii Fit was released in Japan in the first week of December 2007 and has sold more than 1.4 million units till now.

http://www.gameguru.in/nintendo-wii/2008/28/wii-fit-priced-for-europe-by-nintendo/

Nintendo Wii Outsells PS3 Four to One in Japan

Enterbrain has revealed the Japanese hardware sales figures for the four weeks leading to February 24th and the Wii is once again steaming ahead.

The PlayStation 3 was outsold by nearly four-to-one by the Wii over the four week period. Nintendo shifted 331,627 units, while Sony moved 89,131 PS3s. Microsoft's Xbox 360, as ever in this region, trailed, selling 14,079 units. SPOnG did the maths and that means it was outsold by the Wii by 23.5 to one, while the PS3 outdid it by 6.3 to one.

In January, the Wii outsold the PS3 in Japan by nearly three-to-one.

Meanwhile, the Japanese software charts are in for the period from February 18th to February 24th, courtesy of Media Create. Smash Bros. Brawl once again rides at the top, while seven out of the Top 10 games are for Nintendo platforms. You can see the Top 10 in full below last week's position is bracketed.

(01) 1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) - 78,000
(NE) 2. Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail (Atlus) - 69,000
(2) 3. Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 62,000
(NE) 4. Musou Orochi (Koei) - 47,000
(NE) 5. Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (Marvelous Entertainment) - 45,000
(NE) 6. Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 (Konami) - 36,000
(NE) 7. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Capcom) - 23,000
(NE) 8. Bioshock (Spike) - 18,000
(6) 9. Wii Sports (Nintendo) - 17,000
(8) 10. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic

http://news.spong.com/article/14909?cb=178