Game Politics blog is following this developing story - someone else is trying to get some moolah out of Nintendo again for tossing their Wiimotes through their TVs. I can’t say I’ve done it, but I guess it could happen.
Filed on December 2nd by Colorado resident Molly Elvig, the new class-action suit mostly picks up right where the old left off… Argued by the same lawyer… This time, Nintendo is also being accused of covering up evidence from the very Consumer Product Safety Commission with which they created the Wii Strap replacement program.
“Despite actual knowledge of hundreds of incidents involving broken televisions over time and subsequent to December 27, 2006,” reads the complaint, “Defendant failed to report the existence of even a single ‘Incident’ to the CPSC in its Monthly Reports to the CPSC.”
This doesn’t seem like a spurious accusation, either. Attached to the court filing as a matter of public record is the very evidence Nintendo allegedly tried to hide: actual, internal Nintendo documents where customer service reps received complaints of cracked televisions and broken Wiimote straps — and the corresponding Monthly Reports that Nintendo was compelled to file with the CPSC as part of their agreement… you don’t need to be a lawyer to see that the numbers don’t add up.
This gets surprisingly good reviews - Nerf-N-Strike has a bundle package with a nerf weapon for the Wiimote and apparently a bunch of fun.
Some PR for the game:
The Search for the N-Strike Elite Begins
Bundled with every game, comes the revolutionary SWITCH SHOT EX-3 which transforms between a live Nerf blaster and a Wii remote shooting peripheral for the game
Play with over 25 NERF Blasters including the MAVERICK REV-6, VULCAN EBF-25, LONGSHOT CS-6, and many never seen before
Explore a top-secret NERF facility and unravel the mystery of the unknown threat that awaits
Go head to head with up to 4 players using additional Wii Remotes and SWITCH SHOT EX-3 blasters
I read a hack today about a homebrew gamed called the Swiitboard - there is a site dedicated to making this Swiitboard, and you have to check it out. There are several videos there for you to use.
CNet has a decent article about Activision’s Call of Duty: World at War for Wii. It’s a pretty informative article, and gives an “Excellent” rating. I am really hoping to get this game for Christmas from Santa… From the article by Chris Walters:
The default controls feel balanced and well-mapped, but there are a few hang-ups. The fast and deadly melee attack is performed by shaking the Wii Remote or hitting down on the D pad. Unfortunately, shaking will shift your aim abruptly, often causing you to miss your target. The D pad is the better option, but melee attacks will still tend to go astray more often than they should. The D pad is also used for switching weapons, so resting your thumb in the A-button/D-pad area is generally advisable. Unfortunately, grenades are mapped to the + button, and shifting your thumb halfway down the remote can be awkward. It’s a minor inconvenience, though, and all things considered, World at War’s control scheme is well-suited for the rigors of war.
HEY SANTA!
Ah, I’m sure he can hear me…
Check out a game trailer for Call of Duty: World at War:
We just got Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip from my wife’s folks (THANK YOU, BY THE WAY!!!!) for Christmas, and we haven’t had a chance to play it yet! You know me and the snowboarding games… SSX Blur, which is $17 bucks right now, for Wii, and the all popular SSX Tricky and SSX 3 for my other favorite console, Playstation 2. Just so you know, SSX 3 for PS2 is EIGHT DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.
Have you played this? Is it awesome? Post in the comments! I have included a video from Gametrailers.com below. Check it out!
I was browsing looking for Wiimote stuff this afternoon, and I came across this gem: a Wiimote and Nunchuk completely covered in hemp fibers, and still 100% usable and playable. Check this out!!
Nintendo put out a press release yesterday (December 15) about some new WiiWare titles. Check it out!
WiiWare Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,000 Wii Points): Trogdor, the beefy-armed dragon of legend, has shaken free from his video game and is running through the countryside, “burninating” everything in sight. With a dragon on the loose and 8-bit classics leaking into the real world, it’s all fun and games until the proud land of Strong Badia falls to Trogdor’s fiery wrath. Now Strong Bad must take back the night by sending this scorching menace back into his arcade cabinet once and for all. Just one problem: Does anybody know how to kill a dragon?
Big Kahuna Party (Reflexive Entertainment Inc., 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Embark on a tropical adventure with the explosively charged Big Kahuna Party. Looking to make the ultimate party game, we started with a concept that’s accessible to the whole family-the popular match-three game. On top of that, we crafted a unique multiplayer experience in which you can choose to work together to complete the challenging levels before the timer runs out, or go head-to-head and compete in a frenzy of fun. To top it off, we added 99 uniquely free-flowing levels, the challenging Tiki Pole, 20 hidden tropical sea creatures to unlock, the strategic Fish Net and more. The result is a family party game like no other, easy to pick up but impossible to put down. Play alone or with friends, and unleash the Tiki spirit within.
Virtual Console Enduro Racer (SEGA Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular SEGA arcade game and redesigned for the SEGA Master System, Enduro Racer takes you on an intense set of adrenaline-designed courses containing diverse and rough terrain that will test your skills and reaction time. Ride as fast as you can to pass as many cars and bikes as possible while also avoiding obstacles and pitfalls such as debris on the road. Take jumps off ramps and try to keep your speed up, but make sure to keep an eye on your bike so it doesn’t blow up in your face. Are you ready for the challenge?
Hey, the release date for Rock Band 2 is out - December 18, they’ll be shipping the game only, and I haven’t seen the Special Package yet, although Amazon has a link for notification.
I also understand that the whole PS3/XBox 360 list of tunes will be available for the Wii via downloadable content (DLC). More on that as I get it.
Guitar Hero World Tour is going to be sporting some huge rock acts - specifically The Eagles, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins. According to a press release from Activision, sing packs will be available for download pretty soon. Check it out!
An article at G4TV tells of an impending project by the makers of Q Entertainment games. From the article:
“Q Entertainment’s Tetsuya Mizuguchi is developing a new Wii music game for Atari, the publisher said today. The game currently goes by the working title ‘QJ’. Atari, which is holding a winter press event this afternoon, also just announced that it plans to release a boxed compilation disc consisting of Rez HD, Lumines Live and Every Extend Extra Extreme including all available downloadable content.”
The US Patent Office kind of balked at Nintendo’s request to patent the term Wii Remote back in March. According to GamePolitics, there’s a small television remote control manufacturer in FL that makes a device called a “WeeMote,” geared towards children, and has owned the patent to “WeeMote” since 2000. Nintendo had some discussions with this manufacturer, Forbis Technologies. Nintendo walked away from those talks. The suspension was sent November 26, or at least dated then.
I did not know that. I learn something new every day.
WeKnowWii.com keeps looking at all of the new games that are out, and wishing we could buy every single one to play - obviously we aren’t made of money, or we’d be writing about how much we’re enjoying all of our new games. There are lots of stats out there regarding the crisis - people are playing more, people are playing less, less games are selling, new titles are coming out, and more Wiis are available this year than in previous years.
We’re finding that sitting home and playing a few games of Mario Kart or Wii Sports has been just as much fun, if not more, than the thought of dropping fifty bucks on dinner and a movie. We’re also carefully considering which titles to purchase around the Christmas season, and carefully, hawkfully watching for deals to post here and exploit for our own enjoyment.
What have you found to be the effects of the current economic crisis on your gaming? Please post in the comments, we would really love to know how the situation is affecting everyone.
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