Remarkable Wii And Nintendo DS Controls Earn Nintendo A Second Emmy Award

Jan. 8, 2008

For the second year in a row, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has honored Nintendo with an Emmy® Award for excellence in engineering creativity. The groundbreaking Wii™ system was recognized for its innovative motion-sensing controls, which have attracted a broad range of nontraditional gamers and veteran players alike. The award also recognized Nintendo DS™ for its pioneering touch-screen control scheme and distinctive dual-screen display, both of which helped to make it the nation’s top-selling game system of 2007.

Presented in Las Vegas at the annual Technological & Engineering Emmy Awards on Jan. 7, these latest honors set the stage for even more exciting control innovations from Nintendo in 2008. A forthcoming Mario Kart™ racing game for Wii will be packaged with a wireless Wii Wheel™, while the hotly anticipated Wii Fit™ will keep players more active than ever with the extraordinary Wii Balance Board.

“The pioneering interfaces for Wii and Nintendo DS reflect our long tradition of seeking new ways to enhance the gaming experience for users at every level,” said Don James, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of operations. “We’re grateful for this award and thank the academy for honoring us a second time.”

Nintendo previously received an Emmy in 2007 for its invention of the plus-shaped D-pad, which radically changed how people interact with their video games and, by extension, their televisions. For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

Nintendo lovers are now getting in on the current spate of gaming rumour.

Specifically, expectant Wii fans (im)patiently waiting for the arrival of Super Smash Bros Brawl – and its impressive canon of prominent battling Nintendo characters – are facing the possibility of receiving an advance playable demo of the game via the Wii’s Shopping Channel.

Should the rumour prove to be true, that will give any resulting demo a window of around 5 weeks, with the final version of Super Smash Bros Brawl scheduled to hit retail on February 10.

Although Nintendo is not known for bolstering its upcoming Wii titles via online promos or demos (which have become par for the course for the likes of Microsoft and Sony through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Store), the gameplay nature and wealth of interest in Super Smash Bros might just see a pre-release demo actually rolled out.

To compound the idea that the quick-fight construction of the game would play perfectly in demo form – without requiring massive amounts of memory data – screen captures from the apparent ‘beta demo’ of Super Smash Bros Brawl indicate that individual characters and modes can be selected for download by the user.

Whether Nintendo moves to break its usual standpoint of stagnancy with Super Smash Bros remains to be seen. If the demo does indeed arrive, Wii fans should prepare to participate in an online scramble of epic proportions. If the demo fails to materialise, then a further 4-5 weeks of waiting shouldn’t be too hard to shoulder.

As of today, the official Super Smash Bros DOJO has no comment or information regarding the rumoured beta demo and its accompanying images.

Super Smash Bros Brawl on the Nintendo Wii, which is sure to be a huge hit, will include the likes of Mario, Wario, Solid Snake, Diddy Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, Samus Aran, Link, Pikachu, and Princess Peach.

(original from monstors and critics)

Santa Clara, Calif., (January 7, 2008) – Leading video games publisher and developer, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today Tamagotchi Connection®: Corner Shop® 3 for the Nintendo DS™. Available this summer, Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 will feature the most robust store lineup to date, with 13 brand new shops to run and expand, a park to design and visit, and the ability to trade journals with your friends wirelessly.

Business in Tamagotchi Town is booming, and over a dozen new shops have moved in. Help manage these brand new shops and keep customers coming back for more. When the work day is done, relax in the very own park that you’ve created. You can write in your journal to record the day’s events, and share items and journals with your friends over Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

“Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 emphasizes the responsibilities of running successful businesses in a fun and creative way,” said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “With so many new shops, mini-games and Tamagotchis, there is a lot of fun to be had for new and returning players.”

Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 includes the following features:

• All New Stores: Find over a dozen brand new stores to run! Bake fresh bread at the Bakery, plan a party at the Event Coordinator shop, or scoop ice cream at the Ice Cream Parlor. Combine and upgrade stores to keep happy customers coming back for more.
• Create Your Own Park: Create a relaxing and fun park to hang out with friends and chat with other Tamagotchis. Decorate your park with fountains, gardens and other items to be discovered. Come back often to see how your park has changed.
• More Characters: The popular Violetchi joins in on the fun with Mametchi, Kuchipatchi and Memetchi to team up with players and help them run the best business they can.
• Connect With Friends: Share items and swap journals with friends via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

For more information about Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 please visit http://www.namcobandaigames.com.

Try out what it’s like in the afterlife for free before taking the plunge…

Sharon, MA, January 8th, 2008 – Tri Synergy, Inc. (www.trisynergy.com) and CBE (www.ghostinthesheet.com) are excited to announce that a free playable demo for Ghost in the Sheet is now available for download from the Tri Synergy website. Now supernatural sleuths can put their paranormal skills to the test before taking the full plunge into the afterlife with the retail version of Ghost in the Sheet.

Ghost in the Sheet is a point’n’click adventure game based upon a highly original story about a ghost who finds out that the Afterlife is not nearly as fun or relaxing as it sounds. Having met your new and rather unpleasant astral boss, you embark on an adventure to an abandoned factory with the goal of finding out what happened there. This dark and winding factory called “Sector Omega” is filled with other undead with whom you can talk and gather details as you slowly come upon the ultimate truth as to why “Sector Omega” fell into an abandoned darkness…

Features of Ghost in the Sheet include:

• High resolution graphics with detailed animations to immerse the player
• Gripping storyline garnished with black comedy ‘afterlife’ style
• A RPG-like skill learning system – as the player progresses through the game, he learns new paranormal skills which are vital for future adventures
• Skills range from the conventional paranormal Telekinesis to obscure skills like Scary Sound
• Nonlinear gameplay that allows the player to freely roam the factory while solving a variety of puzzles in any order
• No dying, mazes, slider puzzles, or timed sequences that can needlessly frustrate

Ghost in the Sheet is available at GameStop, Circuit City, MicroCenter, Frys, Amazon.com & other fine retailers nationwide.

Fly through treacherous 3D environments with “Omega Five,” a graphically explosive next-generation shooter firing its way onto Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™. Also this week, Disney Interactive Studios and Backbone Entertainment bring back an arcade classic, “Tron.” Both games will be available this Wednesday, 9th January, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. GMT.

Hardcore and casual gamers alike will love “Omega Five,” a new high-definition shooter with awe-inspiring graphics. “Omega Five” features a gorgeous and challenging environment, with enemies coming at players from all angles, even the background. Battle enemies as Ruby, Tempest or other unlockable characters and simply add another controller to play local co-op with a friend. “Omega Five” features the highest quality visuals available on an Xbox LIVE Arcade shooter and offers multiple levels of difficulty including “++Mode” where players are only allowed one hit.

Featuring the familiar gameplay from the original, players battle as the mighty warrior Tron against the insidious Master Control Program and his ruthless right-hand man, Sark. “Tron” offers a four-part retro-futuristic test of skills, including racing light cycles, battling Sark’s tanks, fighting to enter the MCP cone and dodging grid bugs. “Tron” offers both the original arcade game and an enhanced version with new graphics, improved sound and two-person multiplayer. It’s the perfect re-creation of the original game based on the pioneering computer animated Walt Disney Pictures’ 1982 feature film, “Tron.” Plus, the Xbox LIVE Arcade version is the first version of “Tron” with two-person multi-player functionality of co-op and versus.

Where can I get “Omega Five” and “Tron “ from?

Omega Five: available for 800 MS Points from 9:00 a.m. GMT, Wednesday 9th January 2008

Tron: available for 400 MS Points from 9:00 a.m. GMT, Wednesday 9th January 2008

They are rated 3+.

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

Philips today announced an alliance with Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, to amBX-enable Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway and Far Cry 2, both due for release in 2008. The agreement will also see an amBX patch being released for the original Far Cry. Further patches for existing Ubisoft games will also be released with the amBX-enabling of additional titles to be announced later.Demonstrations of amBX-enabled versions of Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway and Far Cry will be available on the Philips stand, Central 12124, at CES, Las Vegas from 7th to 10th January 2008.

Shorthand for ‘ambient experiences’, amBX reinvents the gameplay experience by extending the traditional gaming world out of the screen and into the real world. amBX delivers full ‘surround senses’ by allowing developers to use light, colour, sound, rumble and even air flow through enabled devices, including the Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals range of LED colour-controlled lighting, rumble peripherals and variable speed desktop fans.

Developed by Gearbox Software, Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway proudly builds on the critically acclaimed World War II game franchise and sees players dropped into Operation Market-Garden, the largest paratrooper operation in wartime history, fighting to open the famous ‘Hell’s Highway’ in a daring bid for a quick end to the war. Incorporating amBX in Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway will create a huge arsenal of real world effects and experiences using air movement, light and rumble.

Variable speed fan effects will simulate wind speed from soldier movement on foot, in the air and in vehicles, as well as punches of airbursts from explosions and object collision. LED light effects will deliver directional light - across a 16 million colour range - to indicate danger, bullet and shrapnel impact and simulate everything from the use of torches in dark environments to full-on explosions. Finally, rumble effects will create distinct tyre and track rumble from different vehicle types, a wide range of weapon recoil effects and the thud and shock of being on the receiving end of a bullet, grenade or bomb. All these explosive amBX effects will be running throughout both gameplay and the game’s detailed cinematic cut scenes.

The original Far Cry won PC Gamer’s ‘Action Game of the Year’ Award in 2004. Since then the Far Cry brand has gathered critical acclaim and numerous awards, selling a whopping three million units. Developed by Ubisoft’s Montreal Studio, Far Cry 2 is all set to continue the original’s award-winning success and despatches the player to a collapsing central African country to tackle a factional mercenary conflict.

Using the developer’s tailor-made Dunia game engine, Far Cry 2 will deliver incredibly realistic destructible environments, special effects such as dynamic fire and storm effects, real-time day and night cycle, dynamic music and non-scripted enemy A.I. - all of which will be given the real world treatment through the amBX light, fan and rumble effects.

“In striving to create high quality games, incorporating the most innovative technologies to produce the best possible gaming experience is of fundamental importance to Ubisoft,” commented Vincent Greco, Worldwide Production Technical Coordinator, Ubisoft. “With amBX we can enhance the immersive experience, adding a new dimension to our games.”

“Working with one of the world’s largest publishers on two of the most successful gaming franchises of all time is an amazing opportunity for our amBX technology to really shine in front of a worldwide audience,” commented Jo Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, Philips amBX. “Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway and Far Cry 2 are titles that will showcase just how powerful and in your face amBX effects can be in a war game. This is just the start of the alliance between amBX and Ubisoft and the level of our co-marketing with Ubisoft will underline our dedication to bringing all-new ambient effects to world class games.”

Philips is setting a global standard by licensing the amBX technology to computer game developers, publishers and peripherals manufacturers and Ubisoft joins a rapidly growing list of content creators, including Codemasters, THQ, Introversion, Gearbox Software, Gas Powered Games, Zombie, Riot Games, Brain in a Jar, Invictus Games, Instinct Technology, Kuju, Revolution, Sumo Digital and Rivers Run Red.

A full list of specifically amBX-enabled, modded and FXGenerator compatible games, searchable by genre and publisher, can be found at www.ambx.com.

The inaugural ‘Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2008’ has finally arrived! Released on the 8th February it is definitive guide to all computer gaming records, facts and figures - the games fans ultimate companion.

From Pac-Man to Halo 3 the new Gamer’s Edition celebrates records and achievements in gaming history. Game devotees can enjoy profiles of the worlds best selling titles, interviews with champion gamers and learn fascinating facts on all consoles and games since gaming began!

The Gamer’s Edition announces Halo 3 as the Highest Grossing Game In One Day generating $170 million worth of first day sales in the USA alone on 25 September, and the Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time succeeds in being the Highest Ranking Game Of All Time with a combined score of 97% from GameRankings.com and 40/40 from Famitzu.

Quiz masters will enjoy Games trivia such as Faiz Chopdat who served the Longest Prison Sentence For Playing A Computer Game after refusing to turn off his Tetris game while aboard an airplane, and how Metal Gear 3 holds the record for Most ‘Ghosts’ In A Game with 43 of the games producers appearing throughout the game.

In addition Guinness World Records are also searching for the next new gaming record breaker to join the hallowed ranks of the book, the Highest Scorer on Guitar Hero! Applicants are being encouraged to upload their scores on the Gamer’s Edition website, http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com to enter the challenge.

The all new Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2008 is on sale from 8 February 2008, and is bursting with new records, high score statistics and fascinating facts.

The arcade-oriented winter sports compilation comprises the 15 most popular disciplines spanning 9 exciting sports. 42 missions with final boss rivals recreate the atmosphere of a magnificent international winter sports event in the brand new single player campaign mode, not least owing to the stirring opening ceremony and the final presentation ceremony.

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The hot seat (4 players) and split screen (2 players) modes feature multiple tournament options and a gripping multiplayer experience as players compete for record times and gold medals. Winter Sports 2008 features 9 disciplines including Alpine Skating, Ski jumping, Bobsleigh, Speed skating and Figure skating.

               Features 

• 15 playable disciplines spanning the 9 most popular winter sports
• Brand new campaign mode with 42 missions, incl. Boss rivals
• Multiplayer party fun: hot seat (4 players), split screen (2 players)
• 21 locations loaded with atmosphere
• Controls perfectly adapted to Nintendo Wii
• Lively sports events with mascots, opening ceremony, presentation ceremony, national anthems and many more
• Career mode with a skill system, incl, increasing skill values
• Magnificent sound tracks to the presenter duo & rousing soundtrack
• Motion capturing in cooperation with a leading European studio and an up-and-coming figure skater

We @ Pimpmywii.co.uk are being sent a version of the game and will be doing a full review within the next 2 weeks. So keep popping back in for more details!!!! 

Peace…

Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition to attempt the ultimate International Guitar Hero Marathon!

Guinness World Records are excited to announce an international Guitar Hero Relay Marathon record attempt on 6th February between the UK, France, US, Canada, South Africa and Australia to celebrate the launch of the inaugural Guinness World Record: Gamer’s Edition 2008.

All budding Guitar Heroes are welcome to come and take part in the historic record attempt – dressed as their favourite rock star or Guitar Hero player! The UK leg will take place at HMV, Oxford Street, London at 6pm kicked off by XX untill passing on to New York at 8pm.

Players will rock in pairs to one song before passing on to the next Guitar Hero, with just 15 seconds changeover between jams! Paris will kick off proceedings followed by the London, New York, Toronto, LA and Sydney. Players will also be given the chance to form a group and compete for the highest score set by a 6 people playing one guitar, with each person allocated a key and the strum bar to play!

The Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2008 released on February 8 is an exciting new venture which celebrates the records and achievement of the video gaming world. The book profiles the worlds best selling titles, reviews games and accessories and is packed with tips, cheats and trivia that will keep gamers engrossed!

‘Videogaming was one of our most popular sections of our annual book,’ explained Gamer’s Edition Editor Keith Pullin ‘we are delighted to now give video game records the space they deserve, it is a must have for every gaming enthusiast!’

To register for the London leg of the Guitar Hero Relay marathon please contact guitarherolondon@guinnessworldrecords.com

 If you can dream it, you can build it as Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Our House for the Wii™ home video game system. Developed by Budcat Creations, Our House turns the Wii Remote™ into the ultimate creation tool that lets players design, build and decorate their own personalized trophy home they can share with others in an online neighborhood.

“Few things are as exciting as building and personalizing a home of your own, and only the innovative Wii Remote makes it possible to hammer every nail and paint every wall,” said John Merchant, Marketing Manager, Majesco Europe. “We believe Our House’s combination of unique subject matter, endless creativity and competitive multiplayer fun will resonate with players of all ages.”

Our House is the only game that lets you build and remodel your home as you design a unique customized creation. After shopping for raw materials in the Home Store, players will use their Wii Remote to hammer, saw, paint, tile and much more as they assemble and decorate their family dwelling. But the creativity doesn’t end indoors since a home’s overall neighborhood value is based on landscaping and exterior upgrades too. Four-player “build-offs” encourage social play while Wii Connect 24 lets players share their creations with friends via the literal community-building feature of Neighborhood Mode.