|
|
Nintendo DS News is a News and downloads site for All Nintendo Handhelds and Consoles including the Gameboy, NES, N64, Snes, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, NDS, 3DS, GBA and Snes, We have all the latest emulators, hack, homebrew, commercial games and all the downloads on this site, the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
|
November 19th, 2006, 23:37 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via arnnet
Nintendo's Wii console will do more to challenge Microsoft's Xbox 360 this holiday shopping season than the long-awaited PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment, according to analysts.
U.S. customers got their hands on Sony's PlayStation 3 on Friday, but the console is suffering from a lack of supply as well as a hefty US$599 price tag for the 60G-byte model. Sony also offers a US$499 version with a smaller hard drive. However, the US$299 Nintendo Wii, though not targeted at hard-core gamers like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, will give Microsoft's early-to-market Xbox 360 a run for its money.
The Wii will reach customers in the U.S. on Sunday. Microsoft released the Xbox 360 last November for the 2005 holiday shopping season with a US$399 or US$299 price tag, depending on which version is purchased.
"Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii," said David Mercer, a vice president with U.K. research firm Strategy Analytics. "The price point will be very tempting even for consumers that many have not even thought of buying a console. As a general holiday present, Nintendo will do well."
Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, agreed that the Wii will be a successful holiday seller. "But people will still be buying a lot of Xbox 360s this year," he said. "There are more games for them, and they are significantly less expensive than the PlayStation 3. And they're available. They're in a really good spot."
That's good news for Microsoft, which has a lot to prove with the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. The company has projected it will sell 10 million consoles by 2007. By the end of September, Microsoft said it sold 6 million worldwide, which means it must sell 4 million in the last three months of the year.
In addition to introducing new Xbox titles for the holiday season to bolster 2006 sales, Microsoft also released an external HD-DVD drive for the console and will begin allowing users to download movies to their Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live online marketplace on Nov. 22.
Holiday competition from the Wii aside, Microsoft should try to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's two main weaknesses this holiday season -- lack of availability and cost -- to prove it can stick it out against the PlayStation 3 over the long haul, Mercer suggested.
"There's a lot of loyalty to the PlayStation brand," he said. "People who want the [PlayStation 3] but can't get ahold of one are the people Microsoft should be targeting."
Even though Sony will be lucky to sell 1.5 million of its projected 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season, the Sony console should outlast its competition over the long haul, Mercer added.
"In the long term, there's no question the PS3 is a superior system," he said. "It's designed to be going strong in five or 10 year's time. We just don't see the Xbox 360 having that kind of sustainability."
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
 Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
 |
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 23:32 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via engadget
We've had our Wii kicking around the office for a little while now, but we had to hold off on answering your many questions about it until last night when they rolled out their launch update. Trust us, it definitely changed some answers, so let's get to the FAQ. Oh, and thanks for the questions. Feel free to leave your followups in the comments.
1. How loud is the Wii?
We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.
2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.
3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?
Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.
4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?
If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.
5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?
The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.
6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?
Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.
7. What are the load times for the games?
Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.
8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?
Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.
9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?
Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.
10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?
Not at all! It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.
11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?
Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.
12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?
Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.
13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.
14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?
That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand (in case you didn't want to use the larger plastic variety in box).
15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?
They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two months from now.
16. What does the Sync button do?
It allows you to sync wireless peripherals (Wiimote, etc.) to your system, like an Xbox 360. Nothing more or less.
17. Is the Wii controller REALLY Bluetooth-compliant, or is it simply RF? What happens if you try to pair it with a Bluetooth 2.0EDR capable PC?
It is indeed! And unlike the PS3, since it has that sync button you can make it go into discoverable mode. We tried and found the Wiimote, but we were unable to pair with the device. For those curious, its Bluetooth device name was Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 -- different from its official model number RVL-003.
18. Was there a "Wii Startup Disk" included in the box?
Nope! It works right out of box -- for us. We actually got an email this morning from reader Mitch, who says: "I got a Wii this morning. Waited 32 hours in a 24-hour Wal-Mart to do it, but I did it. I get it home, set it up, and it asks me for a setup disc. But there wasn't a setup disc in the box. [As with ours. -Ed.] When I called Nintendo, they said it was something they'd been contacted about on a small number of units, and are shipping new ones for free to those who call in. Like me." Ouch, that sucks!
19. How long are the standard composite AV cables? Component cables? Sensor bar cable?
Composite: 94-inches
Component: 94-inches
Sensor bar: 138-inches
Wii to power brick: 38-inches
Power brick to wall: 62-inches (power cable length total: 100-inches)
20. Does the Wii's sensor bar limit you from what kind of TV you can hook it up to? For example, a 60" projection TV that sits on a pedastal -- can you put the sensor bar above the TV or does it have to go below? How about for setups where the gamer does not sit directly in front of the TV but perhaps off to the side?
Not as far as we know, no. You don't have to be dead on with your TV (of course it helps), but you do have to be within a reasonable angle of it. We'd estimate it was about a 145-155 degree angle on both sides that you could play within -- more than enough for getting four people going on the system. It is IR though, so if there are any obstructions the Wiimote won't cursor properly (although the motion control will still work).
21. How steep is the learning curve on the Wii? Is it worth the time investment to learn a new way of gaming?
Not very steep, most of the motions and gestures come naturally. Which is kind of the point -- they wanted to make gaming less about button combos on a 20-button controller, and more about natural, intuitive movements that people of all ages can understand and play with.
22. Is the blue light always on during gameplay?
Nope, only when loading games into the drive.
23. Are there any screws outside of the Wii allowing you to open the unit?
The screws are all well concealed, but no doubt about it, the Wii can be opened one way or another.
24. Does the sensor bar not function properly when it is exposed to sunlight from outside or from many reports, when somebody points a laser pointer on it?
We can't possibly imagine why anyone would be shining a laser pointer at the Wii sensor bar. But since you asked, we did just that and saw absolutely no problems with cursor movement. As you might imagine, we've also had no problem playing in a well lit room.
25. Does cursor speed change when playing in a totally dark vs a well lit room?
No, not that we can tell. Although the Wii does have a cursor sensitivity setting in options
26. Does the Wii support WPA?
Yes! The Wii supports WEP, WPA-PSK (TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES), and WPA2-PSK (AES). Pretty surprising!
27. How do the graphics of the games for the Wii compare to that of the previous generation consoles?
Previous generation consoles? Well, it's better than the GameCube! Just not by as much as we'd have liked. Compared to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 it's kind of pathetic. But if you're a GameCuber and haven't really dabbled with Microsoft's and Sony's latest offerings, you'll probably be happy.
28. Can you use Wii game save slots for GC games?
We don't see why not! We didn't see any messages in the system that would lead us to believe we couldn't save our games to SD or internal memory, but we couldn't confirm for sure. Why? Good question. Our copy of Wind Waker started ok, but it wouldn't even let us get to the main menu without a classic controller. We really wished they'd have prompted us to plug one in (like the way it prompts you to plug in a nunchuck for some games) before we had to shut down the looping Zelda title and restart the system.
29. When you save Wii game save data, do you get a choice of saving it to the internal memory or SD card, or can game save data only be saved to the internal memory?
You can save your game data and even downloaded games to your inserted SD card. The files are stored in \private\wii\title\FAKE and RSPE folders as either content.bin (ours was 2.7MB) or data.bin (80-200KB) files. We weren't really able to do anything with those files, although it stands to reason you could back those up (or hack them to pieces).
30. Does the sensor bar have to be in the exact center of the display, or can it still be accurate if its a little bit off.
Not at all. We put ours completely off to the side and it was still totally accurate. We have a feeling when you've got a bunch of people around you'll want to try to keep it centered, but you definitely don't have to bust out the measuring tape during the install.
31. Does Excite Truck indeed support custom soundtracks off of the SD card?
Yep, and it worked perfectly -- as long as they're MP3s! You can play in order, or set to shuffle.
32. Does Wii support SDHC cards? MMC?
Actually, MMC didn't work! We can't 100% confirm it won't take SDHC cards, but given the fact that we're seeing 2GB Wii cards -- and not 4GB+ cards -- we're assuming that SDHC isn't supported right now.
33. Are the battery contacts coiled springs, or bent metal?
They're spring-engaged bent metal, actually. Some of the nicest battery contacts we've ever seen in a came console, to be honest.
34. After playing with the Wii for a few days, do you feel that your interest in the Wii will last? Or is it a gimmick?
We'll save that for a full review, but basically that's up to the game developers. If they can make the games feel right with the motion sensing and continue to come up with new, interesting ways of using it, then no, not gimmicky at all. But if all these games are just going to be use your Wiimote to aim an onscreen cursor like the new Mario and Zelda, that might get old after a while. Still, for now it's all very fresh and fun.
35. What input does the power brick take, just 120v, or right up to 40v? Also how many watts?
Our adapter reads 120V only, not 120-240v; it's rated at 53 watts, and 3.7 amps.
36. Is the Wii multi region?
It stands to reason that because of the power supply, you probably won't be able to (easily) import your Wii. Even still, Wiis are supposedly quite certainly region-locked. Sorry, gamers!
37. How do you put the mini Gamecube discs into the slot-loader?
Like so!
38. Does the Wii have HD capabilities?
If you define HD as being 720p or higher, then no. The best we could do was get ours going with extended def, 480p.
39. Can you turn it on and off remotely with the controller like you can with the Xbox 360?
Yep, absolutely!
40. Can I put DVDs in the Wii?
You can, but it won't read them. Watch out for a DVD-reading Wii next year.
41. Do I have to sync the Wiimote every time I want to play?
No way! But you do have to sync it if you bring your Wiimote to a pal's house. Also, your Mii can be saved to your Wiimote, so when you play at a friend's place you don't have to do anything weird to transport it.
42. Is the Wii's sound similar to some GameCube games in the sense that they are MIDIs on steroids (think: Metroid Prime)?
No, for the most part our Wii audio experience has been pretty good. Excite Truck has real, honest to goodness lame rock music. The sound coming out of the Wiimote, however, is another story entirely. It's pretty awful. We're not sure if that's due to Bluetooth bandwidth restrictions or a really awful speaker, but man does it remind us of a Game Boy trying to make real audio sound effects.
43. Is there a hard switch to turn off the WiFi on the Wii?
Nope, not that we can tell.
44. How does the Wii's browser do on the ACID2 test? Have you seen any problems with page rendering?
Sorry, as we wrote last night, the Wii browser isn't available yet. However, since it's Opera based, and Opera performs well on the ACID2 test, it stands to reason that it will render it properly.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 23:25 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via spong
Today in the US, Nintendo launched the Wii console, not that you'd know it watching the news. In contrast to the lead-story coverage generated by last week's PlayStation 3 launch, mainstream news has largely ignored the Nintendo release.
Although the machine is a sell-out in most areas of the US, Nintendo lost vital publicity that it had hoped would hit its target of lapsed and non-gamers. These consumers, typically disinterested in gaming, simply heard that a new PlayStation had arrived and everyone seemed desperate to buy one. They have probably missed the fact that a Nintendo machine has also been launched, a machine they might very much want to play or at the very least investigate.
Calls to branches of Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart today painted a picture of quiet and orderly satisfaction. Although actual allocation figures are well-guarded, it appears that regional Wal-Mart stores received 20 units, Target and Best Buy had around 60 available per outlet. In contrast to the PS3 launch, queuing began hours, rather than days, before stores opened.
Only Wii's New York launch event gathered a healthy amount of publicity, including mentions in the mainstream media's entertainment and tech pages. The coverage Sony enjoyed is not present, even though more machines reached more users.
In-store pre-orders for Wii sold out in minutes of going on sale. Follow-up pre-orders were available online only and comprised $700 bundles, and also sold out within minutes. Online actions saw pre-orders sell for around $1,000 in some cases and as far as anyone could see, the Wii was almost as hot at the PS3. However, allocations for both machines went in opposite directions, and the laws of supply and demand came into play.
The fact stands that more people have had a Wii today bought PlayStation 3 on Friday. More people have one hooked up to their SD televisions playing a greater library of games, some of which are actually very good. So what happened?
Despite its a $600 price tag, limited supplies of PlayStation 3 resulted in pre-orders selling at thousands of dollars over the RRP on auction sites. The US was initially expecting over 400,000 consoles to hit retail, but this figure diminished and by mid-week, it was largely accepted that only 250,000 units would be available at launch. This drove people onto the streets and by Thursday night, retail outlets across the country were besieged by little shantytowns comprising an estimated 70% scalpers and 30% gamers.
Compared to the last big camp out for the Xbox 360, more was at stake with the PlayStation 3 launch. It is a console that promises more than any other, it commands a higher retail price than any other, it is in desperately short supply and promises to be for many weeks.
PS3 also represents the best overnight investment ever in a games machine, with people netting thousands of dollars within hours of launch. Transactions were taking place in car parks, with scalpers seeing big returns for a working week out in the cold. There were sporadic shootings, stampedes and fights around the country, although SPOnG witnessed a standard trouble-free launch here. It was enough to drive blanket media coverage of the PlayStation 3 in almost every single news outlet coast-to-coast. Starting on Tuesday and building to a crescendo on Friday evening, anyone picking up a newspaper, turning on the television or tuning in their car radios was well aware that the PlayStation 3 was such a hot item. The result: Non-gamers and lapsed gamers became aware that everyone wanted a PlayStation 3. That's quite a seed to plant...
Stay tuned for some on-the-spot coverage of Nintendo's New York launch soon on SPOnG and be sure to let us know how you feel things went right and wrong in the US over what has been an amazing weekend for gaming.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 22:08 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via chron
NEW YORK — Nintendo Co.'s entry into the game console wars, the Wii, went on sale Sunday, and quickly sold out in many stores despite stocks that far surpassed those of the rival PlayStation 3, which went on sale two days earlier.
Spot checks at area stores turned up only one, the Toys R Us in Times Square, with Wiis in stock. The store hosted a midnight launch event that drew a crowd of more than a thousand people for the sale of the very first Wii.
The first buyer, Isaiah Triforce Johnson, had been waiting outside the store for more than a week. He wore a Nintendo Power Glove, a wearable controller that came out in 1989, while shaking hands with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Johnson said he had legally changed his name to include a reference to Nintendo's "Zelda" series of games.
The launch apparently went smoothly, a contrast to the launch PlayStation 3 release, which forced police to disperse rowdy crowds at some stores around the country.
Sony had about 400,000 PlayStation 3s in North American stores on Friday. Nintendo has said it would have "five to ten" times as many Wiis available at launch, and will have shipped 4 million units by the end of the year.
The Wii costs $250, including one game, half of what the cheaper PlayStation 3 model costs. The most common PlayStation 3 model costs $600, with no included game.
On the eBay auction site, Wiis were selling Sunday for twice the store price, indicating that supplies are still tight. The PlayStation 3, meanwhile, was selling for around $1,500, already down about $1,000 from Friday.
Launching right after the much-vaunted and technically sophisticated PlayStation 3 is a brave move for Nintendo, which lost the top spot in the market to Sony Corp. in the mid-90s. More recently, Microsoft Corp. has waded into the market as well.
The Wii takes a different tack than the competition, forgoing the high-definition graphics that Sony has spent billions to develop for the PlayStation 3.
Instead, Nintendo aims to draw gamers and non-gamers alike with intuitive game play. The Wii comes with a motion-sensitive controller that the gamer waves around in the air, using it as a tennis racket, golf club, steering wheel, gun or sword depending on the game.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 22:03 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via news8austin
Analysts say going up against industry behemoth Sony is a gutsy move. But days after the chaotic launch of PlayStation 3, Nintendo has released its new Wii video game system, drawing crowds of its own. And so far, Wii's debut has gone smoothly.
About 1,000 people gathered at Nintendo's Time Square store waiting for the Wii's midnight release. More than 500 waited outside a video game store in Los Angeles.
PlayStation's advanced technology makes it an industry force, but Nintendo took a different direction with Wii.
To make it affordable, Nintendo left out high-definition graphics and DVD capabilities. Instead, the Wii's highlight is an innovative motion-sensitive controller that's aimed at changing the way people play games.
Wii's $250 price tag is less than half that of the PlayStation 3.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:58 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
My friend Mike in New Haven, Conn. is a gamer. Not a hardcore gamer, but he's definitely done his share of gaming and console buying over the years. he loves his DS, but since the arrival of his 7 month old son, Paul, he doesn't have time for midnight launch madness or waiting around in the cold all night for the newest console. He was, however, very interested in getting a Wii. Since he had Paul last night, he decided to wait until this morning to see if he could actually acquire one. So, He made his way to the local target around 8am.
Upon arriving, he was greeted with the scene that is so familiar at this point, a huge line of people. There were about 60 people in line and as he walked up, he was informed that there were only 60 Wiis and that they had just given out all the claim tickets. It looked like it was going to be a day of running around with an infant trying to find his system. A daunting task, certainly. So, imagine his surprise when a gentleman approached him as he was leaving.
I had just gotten the car door open for Paul when this guy approached. I have to admit I was a bit dubious of his motives but the whole line was standing there watching. He said he had an extra ticket, and I was thinking he wanted to make money off of me and I said, "You're serious? Do you want something for this?" He just said no, that he saw me with the baby and he had an extra he was going to sell on eBay.
He had camped out with his sister since 11 pm to buy a Wii for his 8 y/o son for Christmas. He had never even heard of the Wii until two days ago. He said he was going to buy his son a PSP, but then the boy said he wanted a Wii instead. Then he walks to his car to get the extra ticket and comes back and hands me the ticket and I take my place next to him in line, feeling a little odd about cutting, but thrilled because I had my Wii!
It's so nice to hear stories of things like this happening with the Nintendo launch. It really gives one hope for the future.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:54 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
Nintendo held their Los Angeles based midnight launch at Universal Citywalk, which, on a Saturday night, is already filled to near capacity. Add an extra thousand gamers and you get a maddening crowd.
After $20 worth of "preferred" parking, we made the journey through the thick soup of teenagers and families to the far end of the strip. Basking in the tacky neon glow illuminating everything around us, I finally see the sign: EBgames! I'd never been so thrilled to see one.
After witnessing what looked like a surprisingly short (and sparse) line, we learned that the line had been split up into segments, wrapping around the Hard Rock Cafe and far beyond. With gamers stacked several hundred deep, I knew there was no way I'd sneak my way into nabbing a last minute Wii for myself.
The line had started to form early Friday for Saturday night's Wii launch. Staying cool in nothing but red overalls, Jonathan Mann was first in line. He was going to have his Wii handed to him by Nitnendo's very own George Harrison at 12:01.
To keep the Wii faithful entertained while waiting in line—despite the fact the virtually everyone was armed with a DS or DS lite—Nintendo had off-road Segways with widescreen monitors cruising through the crowd.
For line gawkers and passersby, about a dozen Wii demo stations (as well as a handful of DS kiosks) were installed. Gamers lined up to play Excite Truck, Wii Sports, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Red Steel. Hundreds of onlookers got their first exposure to the Wii that night and the buzz seemed positive.
The night kicked off with an interview with Nintendo's George Harrison, who was as excited about the Wii launch as a Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications is allowed to get. In addition to thrilling executive interviews, the crowd was also kept entertained by DJ Rap and the acrobatic group Antigravity. (We were kept entertained by the Rum Runners and Pink Sunsets from the Hard Rock.)
As midnight approached, dozens of Wii retail boxes were pulled from the stock room and stacked on the now empty EBgames register countertops. Following a rousing DJ Rap lead countdown, Mr. Mann entered the store at 12:01 AM.
After picking up his Wii, he read his Nintendo themed poem (seriously) to the gathered media. The first Wii owner exited, booty held aloft, and the patient crowd was allowed entrance. Media were quickly booted out to give the staff some breathing room.
Having engaged in midnight launches myself, I knew that the last person in line wouldn't receive his or her Wii until very, very late that night.
Sleepy from our night of heavy Mexican food, overly sweet adult beverages, we headed back to the lot. Sans pre-order and spot in line, we then set off to find our own Wii. Will we find one?
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:50 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via kotaku
Only two emails have made their way into Kotaku central so far of dead Wii.
In the first report, the reader says that the system worked sporadically for an hour and then he started getting disc read errors. Now his Wii read games about five percent of the time.
The second reader's Wii went belly-up in the middle of his network set-up.
After the long hard months of waiting for my wii, was able to get one at target this morning. I get home, set it up, power it on and go through the initial setup. I decide to configure the online settings next, click the first connection profile, and it shuts off. Dead. I try reseating everything, but it's dead. Trying to call nintendo service, but all lines are busy, they won't even let you wait for an operator. Called Target, but of course they don't have any more.
At least that last story has a happy ending. The tipster wrote back a few hours later to say he was able to get through to Nintendo and they are sending him both a new Wii and a free power supply. I assume an extra. Both should be there in three to four days.
Screens Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster
WFCStatus by KevinC is a status viewer for Nintendo's WiFi connection.
Heres whats new:
Added homebrew support! (OMalone 2.0)
Added now online option for OMalone 2.0
Added option to restart when changing timers
Added delay for some update buttons (5 sec)
Updated info in tray tooltip
Removed games timer
Fixed bug in tray menu
Download and Give feedback Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:29 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via playfuls
In the battle of giants, the outsider seems to be the Wiiner. Unlike Sony this year or Microsoft last year, Nintendo is delighting its fans from the beginning with plenty of enticing titles and a stockpile of Wiis.
Nintendo has recently been considered sort of an outsider after Sony and Microsoft entered its gaming turf and conquered it. From the leader’s position, Nintendo slowly slide to an unsatisfying third place and few analysts would give Nintendo a chance to win back its place a year ago, when MS launched the Xbox 360.
But one should never underestimate the power of… the Wii. Nor should one forget the proverbial imagination of Nintendo’s president, Mr. Satoru Iwata. He is responsible for all recent successes in the company’s the gaming and marketing field, including the calm, but not quiet, launch of the Wii console.
He first “directed” the worldwide hit of the Nintendo DS portable console. Compared to Sony’s PSP, the Nintendo DS now surpasses its more complex rival by a factor of five to one, at least in Japan (the third most important gaming market in the world). Now, it seems that the Wii console is again in front of its Sony counterpart, with a sufficient provision at launch, a serious and intelligent marketing campaign behind it and, as a consequence, a lot of interest from fans.
Shortages for PlayStation 3 in the US (only 400,000 consoles launched two days ago, but that is just official numbers…) have stirred up masses and violence eventually burst among customers waiting in line.
Unlike Sony, who invested a lot of money in a PR campaign that has eventually proven disastrous, Nintendo preferred to invest more in the production circuit, in order not to repeat Sony’s announced failure. So they are now boasting with more than 2 million consoles ready to find their owners at this week’s debut for Wii, with another 2 million standing by, just in time for the Christmas shopping season.
Pre-orders for Wii have been stellar, a reason for Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime to urge fans to stay in line, despite the impressive reserve of gaming gadgets.
"Wii is for both experienced and uninitiated gamers, and it will be available for the masses. Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary."
"Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are non-traditional gamers - people looking for a better way to play. And that's exactly what Wii is designed to provide," he added.
Reggie Fils-Aime’s advice was taken seriously by both hardcore fans and occasional gamers, some of which have camped several days and nights in front of retailers like Toys “R” Us.
At the Times Square Toys "R" Us store in New York, more than 1,000 people crowded in hope of getting a Wii signed by Nintendo’s boss, while more than 900 enthusiasts gathered for the West Coast release at the GameStop store at Hollywood's Universal City Walk.
Fans’ interest is justified by at least two factors: the price and the fun. Of course, there could be more but these two are dominating, since for Wii you’d only have to pay $279 and the games are also cheaper than for Xbox 360 or PS3. The fun is also “different” from what Wii’s rivals provide: Nintendo’s console has a new, revolutionary controller (btw, Wii’s previous name was Revolution), allowing you to play and even merge with the game’s action.
The Japanese gaming giant also added an impressive number of 65 new titles to the launch list, all built exclusively for Wii by some of the world’s best known gaming studios. Moreover, other 30 “oldies, but goodies” will soon be included in the software pack that will accompany the gadget at its launch.
Among the new titles will be "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," "Madden NFL '07," "Need for Speed: Carbon," "Call of Duty 3," "Marvel Ultimate Alliance," "Rampage: Total Destruction," "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from Krusty Krab," "Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam," "Red Steel" and many others.
Wii is due to launch on November 19th in the US, December 2nd in Japan and across Europe on December 8th.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America put out a list of new game releases for the first quarter of next year on the Wii, DS, and GameBoy Advance. No word yet if Wii Play will include a Wii remote controller like it does in Europe and Japan when the Wii launches there on December 2nd & 8th.
Wii release dates are on:
January 15th, 2007: WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play;
March 5th, 2007: Mario Party 8.
DS releases arrive on:
January 22nd, 2007: Hotel Dusk: Room 215;
February 5th, 2007: Diddy Kong Racing DS;
March 5th, 2007: Wario: Master of Disguise;
March 19th, 2007: Custom Robo Arena.
One GameBoy Advance release on:
February 5th, 2007: Final Fantasy VI Advance.
Via Videogamesblogger
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:25 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America put out a list of new game releases for the first quarter of next year on the Wii, DS, and GameBoy Advance. No word yet if Wii Play will include a Wii remote controller like it does in Europe and Japan when the Wii launches there on December 2nd & 8th.
Wii release dates are on:
January 15th, 2007: WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play;
March 5th, 2007: Mario Party 8.
DS releases arrive on:
January 22nd, 2007: Hotel Dusk: Room 215;
February 5th, 2007: Diddy Kong Racing DS;
March 5th, 2007: Wario: Master of Disguise;
March 19th, 2007: Custom Robo Arena.
One GameBoy Advance release on:
February 5th, 2007: Final Fantasy VI Advance.
Via Videogamesblogger
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:13 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via next gen wars
"The next generation of gaming is upon us, and the console wars has begun. NexGen Wars.com has spent countless hours researching sales facts from dozens of sources to track the sales of the consoles and monitor the next generation of console wars between the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Sony Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii."
My first question would be how on earth are these stats updated so quickly (refresh page to view updated counts) and second.. WHO WILL WIN?
Wii is outselling PS3 already? It's been half a day!
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:10 Posted By: wraggster
Alekmaul has posted some news of his Arcade emulator for the Nintendo DS, here via translation (crappy google) is the news:
Again small news of MarcaDS which arrives soon at 100 emulated Games (^^ yes yes). Green Beret and his clones (thus Mr. Goemon) are now playable and at the same speed when arcade (it is a pity because I could make the play faster  ). Scramble is now also playable… I thus attack the clones of this last (thus galaxian and frogger) in order to arrive at 100 plays and I release this version 3.0… thus… the next week I think! For information, go on the page of MarcaDS, small video (at the foot of the page) of Green Beret on V30 is available 
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:08 Posted By: wraggster
CraigT posted a new version of his Spectrum emu for DS:
Heres whats new:
Fixed ARM7/ARM9 synchronisation to prevent sound corruption.
Altered ADD IX,SP and ADD IY,SP instructions to fix crash in Bubble Bobble.
Altered ROM protection to fix crashes in Megabucks and others.
Altered HALT instruction to fix crashes in Chaos, Critical Mass and others.
Corrected S flag behaviour in BIT instructions to fix Sabre Wulf.
Added button support to the file browser. Files can now be selected using the d-pad and A buttons.
Added auto scrolling to the file browser. Display can now be scrolled by holding down the buttons.
Filenames are now displayed in the correct case in the file browser.
Added .Z80 loading support.
Added .Z80 saving support.
Implemented REIN fat library to increase hardware compatibility.
The following games which did not work in the previous version are now working:
Arkanoid
Asterix and the Magic Cauldron
Bubble Bobble
Chaos (Some graphical corruption remains)
Critical Mass
MegaBucks
Sabre Wulf (Fixed rhino behaviour)
Uridium
Zynaps
Download and Give Feedback and Compatibility Reports Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 21:07 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via ign
now that the wii's out there seems to be so many concept art going around. From things like a portable gamecube to a docking port for the wii remote. This is no different. A concept of a gun, where the wii remote is placed in the front. This would work very will and give a combat/shooter feel to the wii. The wii makes you feel like your in the game. Even better with this concept.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 20:48 Posted By: wraggster
Those crazy fools at Smashmywii have done exactly that, they smashed a lovely new Nintendo Wii to bits.
Screens Via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 20:34 Posted By: wraggster
Interesting article from Joystiq
Pure conjecture, but bear with us:
The Wii is inexpensive to manufacture. Super inexpensive, even.
The Wii is architected for very low power consumption
The Wii is tiny. It's the smallest of the consoles, and box space is taken up by the optical disc drive, connectors for controllers, memory, video cables, and other stuff that'd be completely uneccessary in a mobile device
Motion-sensing capabilities can be embedded in the device housing itself
Of all three new consoles, the Wii is certainly closest to portability. Home modders like Ben Heckendorn will likely create a portable (but chunky) Wii without too much difficulty. Could a portable version of the device be far away?
We're not suggesting the hypothetical Wiiboy will be released in time for this Consumermas, but 2008-2009 doesn't seem like a stretch, does it?
Call to action: let's got a hot mockup up in here. Though the Wii is a GameCube at heart, it certainly doesn't look like one; it's time for photoshop pros to whip up some Wiiboy mockups.
Gamecube Portable Mockup via Comments
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 20:15 Posted By: wraggster
from Gamespot:
Already on the Virtual Console, users can purchase Wii Points and download games from older systems. NES games cost 500 Wii Points ($5), Super NES and Sega Genesis games are 800 Wii Points ($8), and Nintendo 64 games are 1,000 Wii Points ($10). There weren't any TurboGrafx-16 games on the service at press time, but Nintendo has said pricing for those will start at 600 Wii Points ($6).
While the games are expected to be faithful re-creations of the originals instead of the type of revamped or rearranged arcade classics that have been sold on the Xbox 360's Marketplace, GameSpot editors found at least one new trick had been added. After quitting a session of Sonic the Hedgehog back to the Wii channel menu, and then loading the game back up, the editors found that the Wii had automatically saved the editors' place in the game, and resumed play right where it had left off. Also, while downloading games, users are shown a Mario-themed progress bar that shows the mascot plumber or his brother Luigi running across the screen, hitting coin blocks and collecting coins off the ground.
Mario serves as the download progress bar.
Nintendo announced last month that the following titles would be available on the Virtual Console by the end of the year.
NES
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
A dozen titles dating back to the '80s are already available.
SNES
F-Zero
SimCity
Nintendo 64
Super Mario 64
Sega Genesis
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
Bonk's Adventure
Super Star Soldier
Victory Run
Bomberman '93
Dungeon Explorer
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
November 19th, 2006, 19:53 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has defended the company's hardcore credentials, arguing that it will continue to make "big epic games" despite its desire to expand into new markets.
Nintendo Wii goes on sale in the USA today, 19th November, with demand expected to be as high as it was for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and while Nintendo has repeatedly made it clear that it does aim to satisfy "core gamers", the success of the DS has led some to worry that it's focusing too heavily on the other two areas it's specified as important - re-igniting interest in disillusioned gamers and attracting new players.
Not so says Fils-Aime, who responded to such a question from GameSpot by saying, "The answer to that is Zelda, right?"
"For the passionate fan who wants something a bit more challenging, a deep story, 70 hours of gameplay, it's Zelda. It's all there, it's nine dungeons long, it is an immense area - that alone should stop all of the worries as to whether Nintendo will continue to make big, epic games. We absolutely will," he said.
"We're also going to do other things to bring that NES or SNES fan who now has three kids, a job, doesn't have time to play games; we're going to bring him Link to the Past that he enjoyed back in those days and has a great opportunity to play again on the Virtual Console.
"We want it all, quite frankly. So when we talk about bringing gaming back to the masses it is both for this core fan, which we will continue to have great content for, and this new expanded gamer who either hasn't played in 20 years or hasn't played at all," he concluded.
Fils-Aime also revealed that he expects Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl to launch in 2007 ("Based on what I know today, the answer is yes"), with Nintendo's Wii Play package of mini-games to arrive in the first few months of next year too.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
« prev
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512
1513
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
next » |
|
|
