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Nintendo planning Zelda surprise for E3 2010

At E3 2009, Nintendo revealed a few fragments of information about the upcoming Zelda, basically confirming that it was in development and released a sweet teaser poster (which you can see above). Now Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has said that they’re “trying something new” with regards to the structure of the game, and adds,

“So we have been trying something new in terms of the structure of the Wii version of the new Zelda game this time. I am really hopeful that people will be surprised with the changes we have implemented for this Wii version.”

The game is set for a hopeful 2010 release. Very hopeful.

DJ Hero review

In the midst of all the Modern Warfare 2 madness and onslaught of news, we’d like to bring you something a bit more lighthearted: a review of DJ Hero for Wii. As a sidekick to Activision’s Guitar Hero, DJ Hero focuses on DJs and their world, and contains artists like Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, Justice, Marvin Gaye, Beck, Beastie Boys and N.E.R.D., with over 100 songs and over 90 mixes by real DJs.

DJ Hero comes with a DJ mixing board controller, and the gameplay process is very similar to that of other “Hero” games from Activision, you punch the correct keys as best as possible, scoring the best score you can. While listening to the songs, of course. There’s a huge assortment of songs, which span almost every genre, meaning you’ll probably find something you like in there. The songs are mixed by well known DJs, and you won’t find them anywhere else — they’re exclusive to DJ Hero. While you can’t create your own DJ, you can play as some fairly decent ones, and if you’re good, you can unlock superstar DJs like Daft Punk (complete with their outfits). Read the rest of our DJ Hero review

EA CEO frustrated by weak Wii game sales

During a recent conference all, EA CEO John Riccitiello expressed his frustration with games on the Wii selling not as well as they have, and not selling as well and they used to. He said,

“To be honest with you, I think the Wii platform has been a little weaker than we had certainly anticipated. And there is no lack of frustration to be doing that at precisely the time where we have the strongest third-party share.”

Riccitiello also added that Nintendo should support 3rd party developers more, and that EA has reached out to Nintendo to partner up and push third party titles even stronger.

Wii Fit Plus claims top stop on UK charts

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus expansion to Wii Fit has takes the top spot on the sales charts in the UK (read our Wii Fit Plus review), while the highly regarded Dragon Age Origins debuted at a solid 5th spot, the full top 10 list below:

1. 1.  Wii Fit Plus
2. 2.  FIFA 10
3. 3.  Wii Sports Resort
4. 4.  Football Manager 2010
5. 5.  Dragon Age: Origins
6. 6.  Forza 3
7. 7.  Mario & Sonic Winter Olympic Games
8. 8.  GTA4: Episodes from Liberty City
9. 9.  Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
10. 10. Tekken 6

Wii Fit Plus review

Wii Fit has been one of the few original and innovative games on the Wii, something new and refreshing in the hail of never ending Mario games. The Wii Fit training game, coupled with the Wii balance Board, has sold in excess of 20 million units worldwide, so it’s no surprise that Nintendo is looking to offer a bit more on that side. Enter Wii Fit Plus, which retails for only $20 if you already own Wii Fit with a Balance Board, but if you don’t, the whole package will cost you $100, which is $10 more than the original Wii Fit.

Wii Fit Plus isn’t really a sequel — it’s sold separately without the Balance Board for those that already own it — it’s actually an expansion pack which includes the original games and workouts, and even transfers your data from the old game. This is pretty slick, meaning that you won’t have to swap the new and old Wii Fit disc. Wii Fit Plus features 15 new work out mini games and six strength training and Yoga workouts, and this time, you can mix and match your workouts as you see fit. Read the rest of the Wii Fit Plus review

Iwata: only 35% of Wiis are online, 20% of DS

Nintendo has never been known for fully embracing online gaming, and the Wii trails a distant third behind the PS3 and Xbox 360 when it comes to playing online — despite being the top selling console. Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata has revealed numbers on online connectivity, saying that 35% of Wii consoles are online and only 20% of Nintendo DS consoles.

Furthermore, Iwata said that those numbers will decline if the company doesn’t “take aggressive action” on the online front — which it of course plans to do. All we can say is; it’s about damn time!

WiiWare demos coming

Nintendo has revealed that the company plans on offering demos for their downloadable-only Wii games from WiiWare. Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata told investors during a Q&A session that the feature is in development, and will be tested with demos of a few selected titles, before demos are rolled out to cover most of the lineup. Nintendo hopes that the demos will increase sales in the WiiWare store, as it’s currently trailing competitors from Microsoft (Xbox Live) and Sony (PSN).

Next Zelda game to use Wii MotionPlus

Wii’s Motion Plus accessory makes the Wiimote a lot more useful, offering a true 1:1 motion sense, meaning that everything you do with the controller is exactly replicated on the screen.

Nintendo legend Shigery Miyamoto has said in an interview with Wired that the next Zelda game, widely believed to be released next Fall, will use the Motion Plus attachment for more accurate sword play, among other things. However, he didn’t mention whether the game will require the accessory, or whether it will be optional.

Iwata confirms, “The Wii has stalled”

In a rather surprising move, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said in an interview that the Wii “has stalled”, after selling 40% less units in 2009 compared to 2008. Iwata contributes the slow sales due to the fact that there weren’t many great games released on the Wii this year, “Games of high demand could not be continuously released and the good mood has chilled”, Iwata said in an interview with Japanese newspaper Mainichi.

He further revealed that Nintendo misjudged the market conditions, and concluded by saying that they are now focusing on next year, and is determined to deliver key titles that will boost console sales.

Resident Evil Zero gets Wii release date

Capcom has revealed the release date of the Wii exclusive Resident Evil game. Called Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil Zero, the game will be released on December 1. The game is not a new title by any means, but a remake of the 2002 GameCube title of the same name, which will receive a minor visual overhaul with added motion controls, just like Resident Evil 4 did for the Wii.

Buy 2 Wii games at Target, get 1 free

From November 1 (or tomorrow), US retailer Target will run a Wii games promotion, where you can buy two Wii games and get a third one free. Luckily, there are no restrictions, and the deal applies to all Wii games (but only Wii games).

Nintendo reports declining profits

Nintendo’s latest financial results show a decline in profits, mostly due to lower Wii sales and a lower price on the console as well. The company reported a profit decline of 52% compared to last year, but still, unlike its rivals, Nintendo made a $750 million profit, and it still makes money on every Wii console sold, despite a new $199 price point.

Nintendo also revealed that the company has sold 56 million Wii units worldwide, while the DS has sold 113 million worldwide. Nintendo said they expect to sell 20 million Wiis this year, down from 26 million they projected last year.

“Hold your wee for a Wii” gets $16m awarded by court

Remember the infamous stunt a radio station pulled off a few years ago, when the Wii was in shortage? The KDND-FM radio station offered the winner of the “Hold your wee for a Wii” contest a Wii console, all the contestant had to do was to hold their wee, or urine. Sounds easy, right? Well, no.

Contestant Jennifer Strange died of water intoxication, and her family sued the parent company of the radio station, Entercom Sacramento LLC. Today, the court ruled in favor of the family, awarding them $16.5 million in damages.

GameStop to hire 15,000 part-time employees for holiday rush

Looking for a part-time job this holiday season and like video games? Well then, you should head over to your local GameStop and get an application as it was recently announced that the retailer will be hiring 15,000 part-time employees for this year’s holiday season rush.

Of course, since this is a seasonal job don’t except to hold onto the position for more than a few months if you are chosen. However, while you are an employee you will be given normal benefits like game borrowing and a discount.

via rttnews

Analyst: Netflix coming to Wii within a year

Game analyst Micheal Pachter predicts the Netflix movie streaming service to hit Nintendo’s Wii console withing a year, after being announced on the PS3 a year after hitting the Xbox 360.

However, he notes that Netflix might not be an integrated part of the Wii and PS3, because of the exclusive deal with Microsoft, meaning that a Netflix software DVD/Blu-ray drive will have to be present in the systems in order to stream movies.