Downloadable Game Service Delivers Developers’ New Ideas Directly to Consumers

REDMOND, Wash., May 12, 2008 - Nintendo’s Wii™ console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare™ service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games - and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

"WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past - and the future."

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points™ and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds™ (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You’ll wield your Wii Remote™ controller to power Toku’s jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds’ novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle™ (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop™ (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone - casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack™ (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen - Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you’ll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
 

Aardvark Records and Audio Surf LLC today announcing a partnership which will see the British record label supply the US-based gaming company with its extensive catalogue of pop, rock and dance tracks. The innovative deal will see the initial delivery of 160 songs - including chart hits from Yahel, Zetan Spore, Jeff Alford, Eric M, Little Spitfire and other artists signed to the label - available to Audio Surf enthusiasts.

Audiosurf is the Independent Games Festival 2008 Audience Choice Award winner and the Excellence in Audio award winner. The game is popular with hundreds of thousands of users and a top seller on Steam, the #1 online publisher, for three months with good reason. Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where players use their own music to create their own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is determined by the song a player chooses. Players earn points for clustering together blocks of the same colour on the highway, and compete with others on the internet for the high score on their favourite songs.

Like many other racing games, Audiosurf can import music from a player’s collection - including CD audio, MP3s, M4As, WMAs and OGGs. Unlike those other games, Audiosurf actually analyzes each track a player uploads and generates a course specific to that song, using the primary instruments to place coloured blocks and tempo to alter the elevation of the highway. The result is a compelling and intuitive experience. As a song slows, players find themselves slowing, moving uphill, weaving between lanes and casually scooping up the blocks. As the tempo increases, players start heading downhill and pick up speed until the blocks are flashing past so quickly it’s practically dizzying. Music can be shared amongst players, however, not in the peer-to-peer or download sense of sharing music. Songs sit on the game’s central server and can be accessed directly, through recommendations made by Audiosurf itself or through Audiosurf’s virtual radio station.

Artists receive branding in the game with links to artists’ websites, promotional artwork, artist details and other information embedded with their songs.

Aardvark Record Director, Alex di Savoia, said: “I didn’t hesitate when Audio Surf got in touch regarding the availability of our catalogue. It was a no-brainer. The appeal of the platform was that self-evident.” di Savoia laughed when asked if he tried the game himself. “Audiosurf has to be one of the most addictive games I’ve come across in a long time. I keep telling myself it’s all to better aid the research process; figuring out which tracks work and which don’t. I’ve played the game using everything I could throw at it: Bjork, Tiesto, Frank Sinatra, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Earth Wind and Fire and our own Zetan Spore and Yahel.”
 

For more information about Audio Surf, please visit www.audio-surf.com

To buy Audiosurf, visit http://steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=12900&cc=US
and a free demo that lets you play 4 songs is available at:
http://steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=12910&cc=US
 

Conspiracy Entertainment, a developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment software in North America and Western Europe, announced today that it has entered into a publishing agreement with Epicenter Studios, developer of Real Heroes: Firefighters ("Real Heroes"), the fire-fighting action game exclusively designed for the Nintendo Wii. According to the agreement, Conspiracy has the rights to market, sell and distribute Real Heroes in the US, Canada, Mexico and South America. Conspiracy expects to begin distribution in the 2nd Quarter of 2009.

Real Heroes emphasizes non-violent, game-integral puzzles that mirror the challenges and on-the-fly choices firefighters face every day. Featuring Epicenter’s proprietary "Thinking Fire" technology, Real Heroes’ blazes will seem almost alive as they not only attack structures, potential victims and firefighters, but also cause unexpected changes to the environments that will suddenly alter the player’s options and strategies. No two scenarios will play out the same way.

"The motion sensing capability of the Wii Remote, combined with Epicenter’s intuitive fire technology, equips anyone to step into the role of rookie firefighter," said Sirus Ahmadi, CEO of Conspiracy Entertainment. "Not only is this game thrilling, but its realistic action pays homage to the nation’s real firefighters and is appropriate for the whole family."

Epicenter CEO Nathaniel McClure, "We are favorably impressed by Conspiracy’s flexibility and industry expertise in reaching the North American marketplace. We look forward to a successful product launch next year."

Keith Tanaka, CFO of Conspiracy Entertainment, said, "We are pleased to add Real Heroes to our product line up for 2009. Designed by some of the world’s top gaming producers, the early buzz on Real Heroes has been very positive. We anticipate a very busy year into 2009, including distribution of this highly-anticipated release."