Giles Goddard, developer of the game 1080 Snowboarding has a project that we’ll see on Wii Ware in September. There won’t be any real serious details until Nintendo gives the okay, but Cubed3′s Adam Riley recently had a chance to chat with Giles:
Cubed³’s Adam Riley: With Wii Fit taking Japan by storm at the moment and more Balance Boards now in Japanese homes than PlayStation 3 consoles, have you given any thought to creative ways your team could make use of the Wii peripheral in the future?
Vitei’s Giles Goddard: Our current game uses the Balance Board actually, and it’s due out in September on WiiWare. So yes, much like Theta we came up with several prototypes of games and picked one that we thought was the most uniquely suited to the interface. The interesting thing is that the games you would think would work well with the Balance Board actually don’t. So it should be interesting to see what kind of stuff gets made for it.
We’d really like to see the game from Giles Goddard, entitled Theta, that wasn’t released in the west. It’s a water-themed DS game that we’re hoping to see on Wii.
There’s some new info out on a “game” in development right now by a group called PheroseSoft – it’s composed of a bunch of ex Rockstar Games and Electronic Arts folk. Apparently we’re going to be able to have some kind of “Second Life” experience using our Balance Boards – having interactions and other experiences with other “people.”
This is getting a lot of buzz now on the fan sites. The movie is a lot less confusing than the first – we’re looking forward to seeing what this is all about.
Today only, Cabela’s Big Game Hunter is on sale for $14.99. That’s a savings of 63% off the retail price of $39.99. This is a great deal if hunting is your thing.
Laurent Fischer of Nintendo Europe has fired up some new debate about extra storage for Nintendo Wii users struggling with a lack of internal memory and having to use SD memory cards. Fischer stated that there is nothing as drastic as an external hard drive in the works.
“We definitely detect that [gamers] are serious and we know there is an issue in this, so it’s something that we’re working on,” he told GamesIndustry.biz.
“Definitely there’s no plan to issue hardware – an external hard drive, but we know that we have an issue in that area. It’s very obvious and we’re perfectly aware of it, but there’s nothing we can say beyond this.”
Fischer recently shot his mouth off and got caught after he was quoted saying that only “geeks and otaku” wanted a proper storage solution for Wii. His explanation is this was all just a misunderstanding:
“I really didn’t use that terminology to describe the Nintendo consumer – it was something related basically to myself and to the journalists attending,” Fischer said. “It was a joke I made on myself and somehow it’s been confused and taken out of context to define those consumers.
“I understand I have created a lot of offence with people. And for me it’s very, very important to clarify this – that’s not the kind of thing I’ve been saying in [the way it has been reported.
“Disappointment in the community is something I was really affected by,” he added.
There is a LOT of stuff coming up, Nintendo. We need to get this solved. We’re doing just fine with SD cards, but others aren’t going to take this as a fix.
Nintendo’s Public Relations director was quoted as saying this week, in an article at GamePro:
“We recently announced the upcoming release of Mario Super Sluggers. Additionally, we will be announcing several new titles that core gamers will be interested in around the time of E3.
So, what we want to know is what constitutes a “core gamer?” Are “core gamers” the people who wait in line at 5am to get their console? Are “core gamers” the people like yours here at WeKnowWii.com, Nintendic, GameDaily, IGN, and others who take some time to inform others as to new games, news, information, and other Wii-related stuff?
What do you think? Post in the comments, we’d love to hear about it.
PC Live Magazine posted an article about a device that gives you the ability to connect your Wii to the Internet, even if you can’t utilize the wireless connectivity and networking abilities of the Wii console. The AirLive EtherWe-1000U Adapter is a plug-and-play adaptor that, once plugged into the USB ports on your Wii console, connects you to the internet – no headaches, no problems. You don’t need a wireless router, and you don’t need anything but an RJ-45 connection into your modem.
WALL-E, from Disney-Pixar, is being turned into a Wii game! The release is coming out June 24, 2008, and promises to have environments not seen in the film. Heavy Iron Studios developed WALL-E for Wii, and have brought such other games to the market like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, SpongeBob SquarePants the Movie Game, and Scooby Doo! Night of 1000 Frights.
In lieu of Nyko’s lawsuit with Nintendo over the wireless Kama Nunchuk, we’ve decided to link to a page full of Nyko’s accessories. We highly recommend the Wireless Sensor Bar, for starters. It improved our Wii playing distance by at least fifteen feet.
Apparently Playboy is trying to outdo the original Wii Fit Girl with their model, Jo Garcia, doing her gyrating and hoola-hooping to Wii Fit games. Quite frankly, I feel that the original Wii Fit girl had better hip moves. From the article:
When Wii Fit Girl did her 3 million hits thang, somehow I knew this was coming down the pike. Because Playboy is the home of Jo Garcia, the Cyber Girl of the Year for 2008 and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gamer herself. And not only does she have noooo problem wearing much less than naughty librarian glasses and panties, Playboy also has muuuuuch better video equipment and editing.
You have to read some of the comments in the Kotaku article – my favorite: failed. original wii fit girl was hypnotizing.
I guess this goes to show that a lot of industries can get in on the Wii Cash Machine – accessories makers, game makers, and now, porn makers. Hmmph. Have you got YOUR Wii Fit yet?
Happy Monday!
An informative article from GameZone had some very excellent detailed comments about the game, check out their article – some highlights from the game, via the article:
Drive the next generation of rescue vehicles. Pilot and command numerous high-tech rescue vehicles designed specifically for ultra-high-risk, high-speed navigation. Choose between police, fire and EMT vehicles.
Explore and protect the entire city. As an emergency hero, your mission is to protect the peaceful city of San Alto. Drive through stunning free-roaming open environments, rescuing the city from imminent danger at every turn.
Fun for the whole family. Making full use of the Wii Remote(TM), everyone in the family can enjoy being an emergency hero.
Fast-action gameplay. Take advantage of Hero Mode and play like you mean it – the faster you drive, the faster you rise and gain access to powers of invincibility.
Dreamgear is offering a fitness bundle for Wii fans, we’ve seen it first on Amazon. The bundle, which is running about $59.95, includes a protective silicone cover, a Wii Balance Board carrying case, a balance board battery pack with USB cable, 3 pairs of Dreamgear exercise socks, and a yoga-style mat for your Wii Balance Board.
That’s right, there is now a sword accessory for Wii that your wiimote plugs into that turns you into a Jedi! Or rather, with the right stretch pants and an overcoat and the Wi Glo sword you can reach Jedi status.
Here’s a list of the week’s releases on the Wii – as always, let us know if you have some insider info or corrections.
Our sources usually prove to be reliable!
The good folks at Game Daily just reported on a new-ish tennis game, Top Spin 3. It’s a game with situation-specific movements, new controls, and styles to go along with its online offerings. The big news is that Top Spin 3 is going gold for PS3, Xbox, and Wii. I haven’t played it yet, but I’m a fan of the tennis games…
Get a copy at Amazon, a bit on the pricey side, but it’s still a big hit right now, at $49.99.
In September we will all be looking forward to playing NHL 2K9 Hockey for all platforms, but especially Wii. NHL 2K9 will be the first hockey release for the Nintendo Wii this year. We’re stoked over here.
If you’re looking for a Wii Hockey fix, there’s about one whole title you can order.
Try Kidz Sports: Ice Hockey for Wii. That’s about it for now – hint, hint, developers!
Thanks to Nintendic, we now know that Firaxis is going back on their promise to release Civilization Revolution for Wii. According to Game Daily, who had an interview with “The Father of PC Gaming,” Sid Meier, Firaxis still gives the Wii some love. Just not right now.
Game Daily:Why turn your back on the largest installed base on the console landscape today, and not release the “game you always wanted to make” on the Wii? Or are you planning to release the Wii version of Civilization Revolution later after all?
Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at Firaxis:We’re still in the process of mak:D
ing decisions on that and will keep you posted. We certainly think the Wii is a fantastic system and have no intentions of turning our backs on it!
How does this make all of you feel? Postyour gripes in the comments.
It appears as if Nintendo isn’t very happy with Nyko right now. Nyko, the peripheral manufacturer, is being sued by the Nintendo Corporation for its wireless versions of the Nunchuk. Nintendo stated that Nyko’s Kama Nunchuk “wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller” in their federal court complaint.
A man named Dylan Romero has beat 127 other competitors in a Wii-mbeldon style Wii Tennis competition in Eugene, OR. Who even knew that these things existed? I know that my co-editor has a freaking wicked Wii Tennis backhand shot!
Is anyone else getting their tushies handed to them in the 150CC class of Mario Kart? I swear it’s all I can do to place 4th in the Special and Leaf Cups. GAAAA!
Anyone? Is everyone doing better in the 150CC class than I am right now? Discuss in the comments!
