Has Atari found the Holy Grail?
In a conference at Wedbush Morgan Securities annual Management Access Conference in New York, Nolan Bushnell, Atari’s founder, has declared to have found the most perfect and impenetrable encryption for games and computer programs. Not only this, but he is positive that said encryption will not be crackable, and that piracy will finally be immensely hindered.
In his own words,
“There is a stealth encryption chip called a TPM that is going on the motherboards of most of the computers that are coming out now. [...] What that says is that in the games business we will be able to encrypt with an absolutely verifiable private key in the encryption world – which is uncrackable by people on the internet and by giving away passwords – which will allow for a huge market to develop in some of the areas where piracy has been a real problem.”
New WiiWare
The Wii’s latest addition to its quite limited WiiWare library fits perfectly to the needs and expectations of the average gamer, offering several features that make game trials and demos easier to obtain, as well as know more about what’s new in Nintendo lately.
The main page is a list of the latest videos that Nintendo has uploaded, which will most probably refer to the latest games released. The videos stack in a descending order, depending on their creation date.
Now for the quality. The new channel’s video quality is something which was expected from the Wii console, and that most gamers have already taken for granted: average resolution and definition. Videos have low buffering speed, but the this varies depending on the internet connection, as always. The videos and images can go full-screen without suffering pixel fragmentation of any kind, and the general stats shown in the Titles screen complement the videos perfectly.
Of course, this new WiiWare, as most of Nintendo’s products, isn’t based in video quality but in the usefulness and/or fun in the software, and this is where Nintendo Channel makes its debut.
Not only does it give a list of the most recent game trailers, mini-documentaries, and upcoming game’s gameplays, but it also permits a connection between the Wii and the DS systems so to download the demo versions of several available games, which will help the gamers make up their minds when choosing the next buy.
Nintendo’s interest in gamers needs feedback as well, hence Nintendo Channel has a system of tracking which registers the games one plays and lets Nintendo know which games are the most appealing to the gamers. This will also filter the main page videos, leaving only those which fit the best the individual tastes.
The Nintendo Channel is completely free and is available in the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel.
Fan game tribute – Metroid: SR388
Disclamer: Viewing this may cause intense salivation – You have been forewarned
I’m sure a few of you have heard about AM2R. Sounds like a Metroid Fan’s dream come true right? Well keep reading, you’re in for quite a shocker.
Go ahead, pinch yourself.
After keeping the project a secret for quite some time Von Richter has decided to release this trailer to the public, and what a shocker.
The game features new graphics, with the exception of the nostalgic suit from Super Metroid, and a sleek frame speed of 60fps.
No word on how far along it is.
The people currently working on it are:
Von Richter
Infinity’s End
Moose Produce
Elpizo
Corey Annis
Hector Ayala
Is it just me, or are the current sound effects spot on? – the water and fire in particular. You can find out more about the game on Von Richter’s blog.
This looks like the fan game to be watching. Metroid fans may be in for a real treat between these two creations.
You can download the higher quality version through here.
Update for Clarification after mention from Forum Goers:
This is NOT the same fan game as AM2R. “AM2R” is being made by DoctorM64.
But between these two fan games, AM2R is the more “True” to it’s form than Metroid: SR388 even posing the same restrictions that the original Metroid 2 had, but the SR388 seems to be offering a completely new level for a fan game, aiming more for that classic Super Metroid Charm.
The only non-original sprite, as seen in the video, is the Super Metroid Samus.
A little competition between the two could make these games even better, best of luck to both.
Update 6-28-08: We just received a response from Von Richter, who has said that the trailer is now outdated.
Veteran Programer leaves Nintendo for Microsoft
Employee of Nintendo for 11 years Colin Reed, technical lead for Metroid Prime: Hunters and system programmer for Pikmin, has left Nintendo for Microsoft. He will be jumping in with the developers of Turn 10.
Turn 10 is responsible for the development of the driving simulator Forza Motorsports.
Though this interesting turn of events (pardon the pun) seems strikingly familiar to the recent loss of talent at Retro Studios, there is nothing to link the two together. From what has been heard, Turn 10 and Nintendo seem to be on good terms with one another.
Though Nintendo might should take more measures to keep such programmers in their own employment, the video game industry, Nintendo in particular, is doing well at the moment.
Nintendo spokesperson denies rumors of a Prime trilogy for the Wii
Following a recent rumor from GoNintendo regarding an invoice appearing on a retailer’s computer system for a Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii; speculation about a Prime pack with Metroid Prime 1 and 2 revamped with Wii controls crept its way through the Metroid community.
In an interview with Computer & Videogames a Nintendo spokesperson dismissed it as “Purely rumour and speculation.”
While this may not put a nail in the coffin on this concept, for now the idea is dead.
Could this be linked to the recent leave of three Retro staff members?
Retro Studios loses key employees
Shacknews reported that three key Retro employees left the company recently. Each played a pivotal role in the development of the Metroid Prime series: design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller, and technology engineer Jack Mathews were reportedly “escorted” off company premises. It’s still unclear as to why the three former staff members left.
Nintendo has confirmed that in an email to Computer and Video Games that “We still continue to work alongside the team at Retro and no official announcements as to its status have been made”.
Retro was bought out by Nintendo in 2001 three years after its founding. As of now Retro Studios is currently working on an unknown Wii title, taking a break from the Metroid series.
More fun right around the corner!
Nintendo has once again held high its motto of “Health and Fun” with its new and revolutionary project, the Wii Fit.
Wii Fit is another invention by Nintento to blend video games and exercises through innovation, to both have fun and be healthy. But not only is it the idea of “exergaming” that which gives Wii Fit such an amazing overall, but it is the way through which the game itself works: the Wii Balance Board.
The Wii balance Board works thanks to its sensitive outer layer that registers and processes information just as a computer would do. When stepped upon, the gamer’s weight is recorded, as well as the center of gravity. By imputing the height, the user’s body mass is calculated. But this interesting device won’t stop surprising us, because after said information is registered, the game will then proceed to make a Balance Test on the gamer, to determine the Wii Fit Age.
Once that is done, the fun is ready to start. There are four different categories to choose from before starting the gameplay.
- Aerobic Exercise: Possibly the easiest and most dynamic type of exercise there is from the four categories. It is the perfect mix between health and fun. Step Aerobics is one of the several activities available from this category, and consists of stepping in and out of the Wii Balance Board repetitively, following a constant rhythm.
- Muscle Conditioning: Want to work out for real? Motion conditioning is the category that tends to be more exercise than fun. It is made to fully grow some muscle and tone up the body. Push-Ups is an example of Muscle Conditioning. In this case, instead of stepping on the Wii Balance Board, the hands are placed in it and due to the highly sensitive technology, each time the gamer does a push-up, it is perfectly registered.
- Yoga Poses: This is just what we needed. Every wanted to relax and have a good time, but don’t know how? Apparently Wii Fit solved that problem by creating this exercise category. Go through the different kinds of exercises and stretch your body, the proper way. Perfect way to start a day, or to start and end an exercise session.
- Balance Games: This exercise category is the exact opposite of Muscle Conditioning. It is mostly based on fun games that will top the exercise session with loads of laughter. Balance Games include a huge variety to choose from. For example, Hula Hopping and Ski Jumping. In Hula Hopping, the gamer must coordinate the hip movements so to keep the hula hoop in the waist at all time. Ski Jumping is highly looked upon as well. In this game, the player must duck as low as possible, and stand up as fast as possible when prompted so to get a good ski jump.
When the exercise session is over, your overall performance is saved and placed in a chart. The Wii Balance Board can register up to eight gamers in its memory, and therefore it is possible to compare your physical performance and capacity with that of other players in the same chart. Wii Fit Age will ascend or descend depending on how well you work out.
Reception:
Wii Fit has only been released in Japan, on December 1, 2007. Yet the reception was amazing, and after the first month, the sales passed the first million. Review ratings are very changing though, and since it is made obvious that this game is not based on good graphics but in exergaming and fun, many reviewers decided to stay away from it. Average, 8/10 is the general rating. But compared to the fun and health Wii Fit promises, it i best not to judge it by reviews and ratings, but to try it yourselves.
Release dates:
- Japan: December 1, 2007
- Europe: April 25, 2008
- Australia: May 8, 2008
- North and South America: May 19, 2008
Good news from Nintendo
Fiscal Year 2008 ended in March 31st, but after a month of expectations, it was not until April 24th that Nintendo published the numbers.
At least we can say it was worth the wait, since we were greeted with amazing sales and revenues that have established, once again, a record in video gaming history.
Nintendo published a sale estimate of 1.67 trillion yen, which would be around 1.61 billion USD. This also sets an increase of 73% from last year’s sales.
The operating profits for Nintendo, which are the basic direct earnings of the company, rose high to 487 billion yen (4.65 billion USD), with an increase of 115.6% from last year.
But Nintendo is not planning to stay here. They are visioning rapid growth in Fiscal Year 2009, which would imply a rise in sales worldwide. To fit the public demand, it has been planned to increase the shipment of the Wii console globally to the official Nintendo retail stores, increasing the total amount of sold consoles from 24.45 million in FY08 to 25 million in FY09. It was also registered that in FY08, the company sold 18.61 million Wiis to retailers.
Yet those numbers only consider official Nintendo retail stores, which would imply a greater need for Wiis than the official numbers. Nintendo has taken that into consideration, as it always has every Fiscal Year.
Games will also have an impressive sales growth, from 119.6 million software units in FY08, to an expected 177 million games by the end of Fiscal Year 2009.
Now, to those who think that the Nintendo DS is starting to decay, and that the years are finally taking a toll on the sales, numbers prove you wrong. In the recently closed Fiscal Year, the company was able to sell 30.31 million DS systems worldwide, towering high above their competitors with a grand total of 70.6 million Nintendo DS units sold. And it’s not over yet, as forecasts calculate 28 million more systems sold globally. For DS games, Nintendo is considering the shipment of 187 million software units by the end of FY09, March 31st, 2009, staying above the previous sales in FY08, which were rather close to the new expectations: 185.62 million.
Each console and each gaming company has its different approach to the gaming masses. Their plans and expectations are different, as well as their limitations. But this difference between the points of view from one company to another is what determines their success. Going elitist and exclusive might work, but usually those who appeal to the great masses, even to non-gamers, and have new, revolutionary systems, friendly controls and fresh content are the ones to rise higher.
Competition is tough, and a “Console War” is an idea that only passes through the minds of those who aren’t able to apprehend the goddness of each console. Every console is good in some aspect, and lacks in another. But speaking clearly, if we consider how well Nintendo has achieved its goals, and comparing the amount of sales from company to company, we can just say that up to now, Nintendo has done an excellent job, and that there is much more to come.
===
Official Source: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=15039
Recent Comments
Metroid Gallery
