As if you don't waste enough of your time in a gamer's haze, here's Kotaku: a gamer's guide that goes beyond the press release. Gossip, cheats, criticism, design, nostalgia, prediction. Don't get a life just yet.
Going to QuakeCon 2008? The 13th annual event is being held at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas (my hometown!) from July 31st to August 3rd. Organizers are expecting 6,000 folks to be in attendance over the four day extravaganza. This year's QuakeCon will see the debut of QUAKE LIVE as well as an Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars console tourney, a QuakeCon first. Hit the jump for a full rundown and more details.
The Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships
QuakeCon 2008 will mark the debut of the first-ever Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships pro tournament. QUAKE LIVE is id Software’s new game created to deliver the excitement and energy of a first-person multiplayer game to a broader audience through a free and easily accessible browser-based experience. The Intel QUAKE LIVE Championships will feature a classic $12,500 One Versus One tournament along with a $12,500 Capture the Flag Team Tournament.
The Activision Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Championships
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ makes its second annual tournament appearance with the Activision Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Championships. Featuring competitions on both PC and for the first time on Xbox 360, the tournament contests will enlist six-person teams to battle it out in double-elimination bracket-style competitive play, in which each squad will have the chance to attack and defend. On the Windows PC side, 16 teams will compete for $15,000 in prize money and in the Xbox 360 competition, eight teams will vie for $10,000 in prizes.
The Alienware Quick-Draw Challenge
For anyone who’s dreamed of competing for prize money on the QuakeCon main stage, the Alienware Quick-Draw Challenge offers $10,000 in prize money to randomly selected attendees competing in special QUAKE LIVE competitions throughout the course of the event.
In addition to their prize money, the top 2 finalists and teams in each of the above competitive tournament events will also be given tickets to the previously announced “QuakeCon Ultimate Power Up” raffle contest, sponsored by Ventrilo, for the brand new 2008 Corvette. Additional raffle tickets and eligibility will be subject to contest rules.
“QuakeCon 2008 will be the grand slam of competitive gaming with the best games and an amazing prize list,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. “We’ve partnered with our sponsors this year to bring the top competitive players what they want most: skill based games, top money prizes, the most enthusiastic fans and audience and the world’s best Finals party!”
More information, including map names, prize money distribution, detailed format and rules, and sign-ups for both tournaments will be available soon at www.quakecon.org.
QuakeCon Ultimate Power Up Rules:
QuakeCon 2008 registered attendees who are 18 years of age and older AND are legal residents of the United States, its territories and possessions and the District of Columbia are eligible to participate. No purchase necessary. 250 raffle tickets will be distributed throughout the event. Additional information about contest rules, eligibility and requirements will be available at www.quakecon.org.
Time to vote! We've got a handful of finalists for out Top Spin contest. Click through the gallery below and write "I vote for this" under the individual picture you like best and not the comment section directly below. No double voting! Poll close in exactly 24 hours. We'll tally the votes and give the winner a copy of Top Spin 3. Much love to everyone who entered — gave us some good chuckles.
Penny Arcade (And Others) vs Street Fighter [Street Fighter]
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Capcom's Street Fighter franchise, longtime series collaborators Udon Entertainment are releasing the mother of all (Street Fighter-related) coffee table books: Street Fighter Tribute, a "special volume of original illustrations from artists all around the globe". Above, you can see Gabe from Penny Arcade's contribution. Below? A selection of some of the other illustrations to be included when the book starts shipping next month.
This is only fair, we guess. Wii Fit Girl and Playboy's Jo Garcia showed just how saucy playing Wii Fit is. Playgirl model Nicholas Ryan tosses his hula hoop in the ring with a YouTube video showing the male retort — among other things. The video quality isn't as high as in the Jo Garcia clip, but Ryan attempts to make up for that with a variety of underpants, a riding whip and nunchakus.
Hit the jump for the clip. It's NSFW and there is man ass. You've been warned.
Here's Why Fallout 3 Was "Banned" In Australia [Fallout 3]
Last night, we heard that Fallout 3 had been refused classification in Australia by the Office of Film & Literature Classification. Which is a lovely, legalese term for "banned". But just what was it about the game that caused the decision? What content was deemed too explicit to be given an MA15+ rating, the highest the OFLC are allowed to give? Turns out it had nothing to do with gore, or cannibalism. It was the drugs. Specifically, the game's "chems", or power-ups:
Corresponding with the list of various "chems" are small visual representation of the drugs, these include syringes, tablets, pill bottles, a crack-type pipe and blister packs. In the Board's view these realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method bring the "science-fiction" drugs in line with "real-world" drugs.
Our advice, Bethesda: add some antenna and tesla coils to those crack pipes.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Arcade Ice Cream! [Japan]
Mmmm, yummy. Just in time for Japan's dog days of summer, game maker Atlus has done traditional arcade crane games one better by stocking a 'em with ice cream. And who doesn't like ice cream? (Bad people, that's who!) Dubbed the Triple Catcher Ice -25C, the machine is set at a frosty -25C and has players manipulate a three pronged claw to pull out delicious icy treats. As the official page explains in English:
ATLUS has developed "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE", THE state-of-the-art prize machine carrying the latest freezing technology. "TRIPLE CATCHER ICE" is so unique that it will be absolutely imperative at every amusement scene worldwide.
We agree. This is absolutely imperative. Oh, and while other machines are typically one player affairs, the Triple Catcher -25C can be played by four players at once. It's a quadruple catcher! The Triple Catch Ice -25C doesn't use more electricity than the standard crane machine. For Atlus, arcade innovation means cold and delicious.
We've long been working under the assumption that Microsoft have conned Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents creators iNiS into developing a Singstar-killing karaoke game - called Lips - for the Xbox 360. An assumption that should next week be kicked up a notch. Variety's Ben Fritz is reporting that "Microsoft will be debuting a brand new music/singing game", which fits Lips' mission statement pretty snugly. Having been almost continually disappointed by SingStar PS3's tracklist, here's hoping iNiS can get this one right. And if not, can at least get it wrong but with Ouendan's homework-finishing, meteor-deflecting charm.
DirectX 11 Announcement Coming This Month? [Rumor]
Do you feel that, PC gamers? That pressure? It's the future, bearing relentlessly down upon you. While many PC gamers are still without DirextX 10, thanks to its Vista-only segregation, word on the PC tech streets (in this case, Graphics Whore boulevard) is that DirectX 11 will be announced by Microsoft later this month, no doubt accompanied by pictures of Crysis featuring all kinds of lighting and environmental effects you won't be able to see/afford until 2011. The announcement's supposed to take place on July 22-23 at the XNA Gamefest event in Seattle. DirectX 11 to get announced this month [Fudzilla, via VG247]
This Dead Or Alive Figure Does Not Lack Graceful Pose [Japan]
This November, famed Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya is bringing the latest entry in its Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 series with a 1/6 Kokoro statue. Priced at ¥7,882 (US$74), the figure not only features removable clothes (been there! done that!) but hot umbrella action (ooooooooooooh). Out of all the Kotobukiya DOAX2 figures, this one has the most graceful pose. Umbrellas really make everything all classy like.
Midway To End Fall Mini-Game Drought With Game Party 2 [Wii]
Following the release of Majesco's Wonder World Amusement Park, there isn't much for fans of casual mini-game collections to play on their Wiis. Well, there's Sports Party, Summer Athletics, and Carnival Games: Mini-Golf, which all hit later this summer, but after that? It's looking a little dry.
Fortunately, Midway is filling the Fall 2008 void, announcing Game Party 2 for the Wii, sequel to the million-plus selling original. It promises a total of eleven games, including Skee Ball Skill Ball, Jarts Lawn Darts and Beer Pong Ping Cup. Sounds like something I'll never touch fun! Pics of some of the games in action in our gallery below.
Bionic Commando Rearmed's PS3-Only Features (Remote Play Is Go) [Bionic Commando Rearmed]
Bionic Commando Rearmed might be coming to both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, but that's not to say both versions are identical. Capcom's Ben Judd has teased that they have a "VERY cool surprise for those of you who purchase the PSN version". So not cool, then, but VERY cool. Guess that'll be revealed next week. Something revealed today, however, is the fact the game will also support Remote Play via your PSP, which really, is as VERY cool a surprise as we need. Bionic Commando: Rearmed, PSN Features: Revealed [PlayStation.Blog]
Ninja Gaiden II Mission Mode Hits Xbox Live July 25 [Team Ninja]
Those looking for more to do in Ninja Gaiden II should start rooting through the couch cushions for loose Microsoft Points, because details on the game's DLC have appeared, like, out of nowhere. One second there's a puff of smoke, the next Gamersyde reports that you'll be paying 800 MS Points for 25 new missions via Xbox Live. Cheap!
According to the report, two types of self-contained missions will extend the life of your Ninja Gaiden II experience: "Karma Attack missions task you with obtaining the highest score, while Survival missions give you a single weapon to fight off as many enemies as possible." What? No camera battle missions? That's the best part!
That Sony Computer Entertainment is going back to the LocoRoco well for another chance at acclaim and fortune should come as no surprise. The game's director, Tsutomu Kouno, has been chatting it up for ages and even SCEE reps confirmed it for a PSP release this year. Good then, that Sony got around to confirming its existence in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu.
According to details translated by 1UP, LocoRoco 2 looks to stick to the formula of the first pretty closely, with new music, new bosses and the ability to bite more things — that's a bullet point, for sure — topping the list of new features. Following sequel evolution tradition, your Locos can now swim. Amazing how that always seems to take an iteration or two.
What the?! Another Nintendo controller peripheral? This recently published US Patent and Trademark Office filing would certainly convince one to believe so! That is, until one looked at the date of the patent application submission, which dates back to 2005. Sure, the patent was published on June 28 of this year, but it references foreign application data that predates the official unveiling of the Wii Remote prototype.
While it may look like a snazzy Wavebird-style controller shell, what we think we're seeing is merely the original patent for the Wii Classic Controller. That device thankfully dropped the need for multiple controller shells — others in the style of SNES and NES pads are also in the patent — and kept the Wii Remote tethered to the controller by a cord, not slotted in as seen above.
Feel free to poke around the patent, linked below, for drawings of Wii controller patents that you can color and make your own!
Bikini Zombie Slaying Comes To America With Onechanbara [Wii]
Finally, D3 Publisher of America has come to its senses! We don't want your Dark Sectors, guys; we want your poorly animated super soldiers shooting giant bugs and gooey zombie killin' adventures in combat inappropriate clothing. We want that mind-numbing stuff. That's why we're so pleased to learn, via GamesRadar, that Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers will be coming to the Wii in early 2009.
Sure, it wasn't my most memorable experience at Tokyo Game Show last year and these games aren't exactly "good," but you can dispatch the undead in bikinis, biker outfits and barely legal schoolgirl get-ups. We're willing to sacrifice our joints to over-waggling if it helps convince D3 to bring Onechanbara VorteX over here.
Downloadable music has made music-specific games, like Rock Band, essentially self-renewing, as new tracks to play are popping up all the time. But when MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo talked to EA music guru Steve Schnur (we talked to him, too), he asked him when we'll see the ability to change up the soundtracks of other games with DLC.
“You’re going to see it in 2009,” he said. He said that by “Madden ‘10” gamers can expect some of the “broader-based” EA games (not just any music titles) to be able to “continually recommend” new music that can be downloaded to enhance a soundtrack.
EA Showcasing BioWare's Dragon Age At E3 08, Gives It Fancy New Name [E308]
EA just tipped us off to the fact that BioWare's long in the works PC role-playing game Dragon Age is going to be "one of the premier titles" showcase at E3 next week, with select press getting hands on time with the game — which is a good thing, because I have an appointment to play the thing next Tuesday. If I showed up and it wasn't on display, it might get awkward.
You'll get your first look at Dragon Age this Friday, as first footage of the game will be featured on the next episode of GameTrailers TV on Spike.
The "highly anticipated dark fantasy epic" also has a new name, officially known as Dragon Age: Origins from this point forward.
The official Dragon Age web site continues to tease us with its promise of "More July 9, 2008." We hope they hurry it up, because there's not much July 9, 2008 left to spare.
James Bond may have taken a digital breather on Casino Royale, but Daniel Craig fans will finally get to play as the super buff super spy in Treyarch's Quantum of Solace. Oh, sure, the name is horrid, but the gameplay could be a silky smooth experience, given that Quantum of Solace is built on the Call of Duty 4 engine. That means there will be plenty of shooting, but Treyarch's take on Bond adds some variety with stealth gameplay and "quick time events." Damn it, Shenmue. I'll never forgive you for these.
New Title Chronometer In The Works At Introversion [Introversion]
Over at Introversion Software's blog, the developer of Defcon and Darwinia has revealed it's at work on its sixth game, Chronometer, with funding from the UK's Channel 4.
It's unclear what the fate of the game, currently in pre-production, will be; said Introversion's Chris Delay:
Ultimately we don’t know for certain if Chronometer will be going into full production – the conditions would have to be right for Introversion and for Channel 4, although they’ve been fantastic to work with during pre-production. We’re pretty much finished with this phase of Chronometer for now, and we’ll keep you updated about this interesting sixth game project as decisions are made.
The team is currently preparing for the launch of Multiwinia (shown), a multiplayer version of strategy title Darwinia, for PC.
How weird is that. Do you think someone accidentally spilled paint on your? I've run into my share of toothless people, but they're rarely so happy to see me.
It's been quiet around her this week. We shipped Tristan off to the folks in Texas on Sunday. He's been enjoying the hospitable people and inhospitable weather all week. Friday I'm planning on driving up to Breckenridge with Trish so we can do some biking and relaxing before the big show. I suspect the relaxation will be worn off by Monday morning.
Did You Just Get Master Chief In My Fable II? [Lionhead]
Lionhead fan site Loinhead has posted a rather suspicious and alleged Fable II screen shot today, one that it claims originates from an anonymous source. The site cryptically writes "we seem to have found an image in the style of Fable 2 very shortly after the Collector’s Edition was announced." Hoax? Semi-clever marketing? Merely intense character customization?
My usually reliable Photoshop bullshit detector isn't being very helpful, but those who suspect that a Master Chief lookalike in Fable II is simply pixel alchemy are welcome to eyeball a larger version linked below.
31 complaints against a TV ad for Take-Two's Bully: Scholarship Edition were dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority. The complainants said that the ads "glorified and trivialized" bullying, but the ASA found that the ads themselves were not in violation of any standards.
According to GamesIndustry, the ASA did find the game distasteful, but was not glorifying violence because of its "comic and exaggerated" nature:
"Although many might find the name and content of the game to be in poor taste, the content of the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence," it said.
You may remember that back in February McWhertor wrote up a rumor that Dead Rising 2 would be developed by a Western developer. Specifically, McWhertor wrote that development duties for the game have been handed over to Vancouver-area third-party Blue Castle Games.
Well, like a zombie, a good rumor is hard to kill. We've just gotten tipped off from yet another source that yes the folks behind The Bigs for 2K Sports are in fact the team working on the Dear Rising sequel. (Is that a copy of Dead Rising on their art director's desk?) Moreover, we're told that this new Dead Rising game will leave the wilds of Colorado (dammit) and venture into Las Vegas.
That's right, what's killed in Vegas doesn't stay dead in Vegas.
In their Games section, Blue Castle Games taunts visitors with redacted details about what they are working on:
We’re continuing to deliver outstanding, action-oriented games with the up coming XXXX, as well as two sports related titles, XXXX XXXX and XXXX.
Our teams are having a blast working on the new games. XXXX in particular is getting a ton of buzz internally. We think it must be the XXXXXXXX aspect of XXXX XXXX that gets everyone so excited. Plus, we can’t wait to see how people react to the XXXX in XXXXX .
Man, I sure hope those last set of Xs spell out Zombie Hookers in Dead Rising 2!
Mercenaries 2: Landing Assignments [Mercenaries 2: World In Flames]
This new Mercenaries 2: World in Flames video shows off a bit of how the assignment system in the game works and a how you can tackle missions using various methods, from silent and deadly to blowing lots of shit up. I tend to go for the latter personally, especially when you can bring down whole blocks of buildings.
Microsoft Denies Motion Control Revealed Via Banjo Kazooie Preview [Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts]
Last night, in a preview video for Rare's Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, clip commentator Ken Lobb dropped some knowledge on controller twisting in the Xbox 360 platformer. That lead to some speculation that the Microsoft Games Studio creative director had just confirmed motion control, in a roundabout way. Not so, says Microsoft, who tells us there is no truth to the speculation. See?
“There is no truth to this speculation," reads an official statement that comments on rumor and speculation. "Ken’s comment is in reference to rotating the left analog stick while hitting the X-button to move different things in the game.”
Aw, you're no fun, official statement. Why'd you have to come in to our post and spoil the speculative fun? Regardless of this denial, we're still sticking to our multiple E3 predictions based on an X-waggle reveal. Bring on the accelerometer! [Edit: I mean X-elerometer!]
With most of Kotaku Tower emptying out to fly to Los Angeles this weekend it would be a crime not to throw a party. So of course we are. Come join us for a some pre-E3 libations on Sunday July 13 at LA's historic Golden Gopher.
Among the guests will be Kotaku's own Maggie Greene and Owen Good as well as such surely editor types as Brian Ashcraft and Mike McWhertor. You'll also be able to catch up with Leigh Alexander and Mike "Mountain Man" Fahey. I'll be around as well, probably demanding things of Intern Adam, like having him fetch me sammiches.
The thing kicks off at 8 p.m., when the place opens, and we will, for a time, have an open bar. The place isn't gigantic, and in Tokyo we managed to burst Mother at the seams, so you may want to try and get there on the nose.
Give a shout out in comments if you plan on making it and make sure to obtain a wristband from one of us once you arrive for the free drinks. Oh, 21 and older only, unfortunately. Sorry.
What industry-shaking, fanboy spirit-crushing announcements will we see revealed at E3 2008? Will Nintendo finally respond to nostalgia-laced cries for a new Clu Clu Land? Will Microsoft's X-waggle reveal emit applause, the sound of crickets or an arena full of tittering? Will Sony finally reveal the sequel to Blasto? Will we see even *one* pair of short shorts at the LA Convention Center?
1. You may make one comment and one comment only in this post. This comment represents your wager and should not be used to discuss another commenter's bet. Any further comments beyond the wagering comment will disqualify you. 2. Do not add your own predictions to the list of bets. Please use the comments in our E3 predictions post for your own speculation. It's fun! 3. You have 500 Kotaku Points to bet. The minimum bet is 50 KP per prediction, and the maximum bet is 250 KP. Distribute as you will! 4. All bets must add up to 500 Kotaku Points. Any bets totaling more or less than 500 will be thrown out. Check your math! 5. Place your bet in this format:
50 KP - Microsoft will announce a Blu-ray add-on (50:1) 200 KP - Bungie’s answer to Mario unveiled (2:1) 100 KP - Smaller, cheaper PlayStation 3 announced for 2008 release (10:1) 100 KP - Nintendo announces Factor 5 developed Kid Icarus for Wii, spares us a Wii Bow peripheral. (4:1) 50 KP - The Xbox 360 gets a web browser. (20:1)
Failure to observe the rules above disqualifies your entry, so let it stew until you have it right.
What do you win? Fabulous cash and prizes (minus cash)! Expect that whomever walks away with the most points not only scores internet credibility (approximate value is 1/10 of 1 cent) but will also secure a pile of E3 swag the likes of which may have never been seen (except for possibly last year's haul). I've personally got plenty of coveted mystery stuff to give away. Don't worry. We'll make it worth your while.
In the case of a tie, we'll doing a random drawing to determine the winner.
Got it? Betting ends Friday, July 11 at 8 PM EST. Have fun!
Zero Punctuation on Lego Indy, With Bonus! [Clips]
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, it's pretty fun, try it out. This pretty much sums up Yahtzee's latest Zero Punctuation, in which he takes on Lego Indiana Jones, a game far too cute and nostalgia-packed to really trash. Don't let the quick summary keep you from watching, however, as not only are there some truly laugh-out-loud moments in the main review, the bonus review afterwards is just dead on.
How do you guys like the new music? ZP was getting a bit too big to continue using commercial music without drawing attention, so now it opens and closes with generic heavy metal. Call it his Guilty Gear period.
Inside The 169-Page Thompson Report: Judge Recommends $43k Fine Also [Florida Bar V Thompson]
Judge Dava Tunis' full report to the Florida Supreme Court in Jack Thompson's Florida Bar Trial, in which she recommends permanent disbarment for the attorney, also recommends he pay disciplinary costs of $43,675.35.
Judge Tunis, Referee in the case, noted in her 169-page report that she considered some 5,900 pages of evidence, "hundreds, maybe more" documents submitted over the past eighteen months of litigation.
Among these, according to Tunis:
Therein were page-sized photos of men, portraying full frontal nudity, including photos depicting men engaging in oral sex. This fax was accompanied by at least twenty websites, whose names suggested they were websites containing pornographic material.
The report also details Thompson's many legal maneuverings in the case, including a request for a continuation citing unfair treatment of his case in light of his wife's poor health. Attached to the report in support of several claims of misconduct against Thompson were letters he wrote to numerous attorneys, governors, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, actor Joe Pesci and even President Bush.
Finally the report included Thompson's history of anti-game litigation, notably a case titled Steve Strickland et. al. v. Sony Corporation of America, et. al, in which Thompson led a suit alleging Sony, Take-Two and Rockstar were responsible for the "Grand Theft Auto" killings of two police officers and a radio dispatcher by Devin Moore. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed due to Thompson's failure to file several key documents correctly. In Moore's criminal trial, his 'GTA defense' was rejected.
The judge in that case, Judge Moore, filed a complaint against Thompson that asked he use third parties to distribute communication of any kind regarding the case rather than submit it himself. When asked why he filed the complaint, the judge said:
Because he was continuously sending documents to my office; three, four, five times a day, easy. Every day, it seemed like, a lot; plus when he would send his media alerts out that he composed and sent out, when he sends them to these media people, then they call my office. We got calls from all over the world about this, and it was extremely disruptive.
Thompson ignored the complaint and, according to the full report, "conducted himself in complete contravention to the court’s order."
During Thompson's June sanctions hearing, Judge Tunis found Thompson guilty of 27 out of 31 incidents of such misconduct, and the Florida Bar asked Judge Tunis to recommend disbarment for him. Her report, released today, recommends a permanent disbarment for Thompson, though the final ruling is up to the Florida Supreme Court.
The Judge recommended the disbarment based on Thompson's "abuse of the legal process, violations of other duties owed as a professional, and prior discipline orders." Additionally, the report found that Thompson's case had such mitigating factors as:
9.22(a) prior disciplinary offenses; 9.22(b) dishonest or selfish motive; 9.22(c) a pattern of 162 misconduct involving repeated or similar misconduct; 9.22(d) multiple offenses; 9.22(e) bad faith obstruction of the disciplinary proceeding by intentionally failing to comply with rules or orders of the disciplinary agency; 9.22(f) submission of false evidence, false statements, or other deceptive practices during the disciplinary process; 9.22(g) refusal to acknowledge wrongful nature of conduct; and, 9.22(i) substantial experience in the practice of law.
Activision plans to dump release a bunch of casual Wii games on the market this holiday as part of their newly-minted Wee 1ST brand. Wait. Wee? What the hell is that about? Everyone knows that any stupid Wii related puns have to be spelled Wii. You can't purposely mispell an already mispelled word. What's next Wheeeeeeeeeee Games?
Their... Wee 1ST (Gah, it even used a numeral) games will include Little League World Series 2008, Rapala Fishing Frenzy and Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On, with other titles expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Wii is introducing new audiences to gaming," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "Clearly, the Wii's accessible controls are changing how the audience plays games and how we look at game design. This initiative is designed to showcase games that take full advantage of the Wii's capabilities."
By the way, when we contacted Activision about their new name they said they couldn't go with Wii because of trademark issues. Bah!
"Wee 1ST" Games Will Hit Shelves This Holiday Season SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jul 09, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today unveiled a new consumer initiative to expand the company's Wii portfolio this Fall. Dubbed "Wee 1ST", the brand highlights the company's games that were developed specifically with the Wii in mind. "The Wii is introducing new audiences to gaming," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "Clearly, the Wii's accessible controls are changing how the audience plays games and how we look at game design. This initiative is designed to showcase games that take full advantage of the Wii's capabilities." With the Wii on track to be the leading platform by Christmas, the company's move to expand its offering has been in the works for more than a year. The first titles under the "Wee 1ST" brand include Little League(R) World Series 2008, Rapala(R) Fishing Frenzy and Dancing with the Stars(TM): Get Your Dance On. More games will be announced in the upcoming weeks, all of which will hit shelves this holiday season. The "Wee 1ST" brand is supported by a national television and print advertising campaign scheduled to kick off this fall. New branding is featured on the front of all boxes and at retail locations nationwide.
Nintendo's E3 presentation last year, dominated by the unveiling of Wii Fit, stirred a fair bit of dissent, as the company looked to be following a gleaming white road away from its hardcore userbase and into the smiling embrace of your Mom. Now that the Wii has demonstrated record-shattering success as a mainstream product, skeptics theorize that Nintendo's no longer got any need to court the traditional gamer — and therefore we can expect a bit of status quo from the company this year.
Nintendo is promising, however, that it hasn't abandoned the core, while Nintendo prez Reggie Fils-Aime coyly suggested back in April that gamers will have plenty to be delighted about this year. He talked about "maximizing our key franchises," and hinted at "a big game for the holiday that the gamers will want." That the title in question is Animal Crossing Wii has all but been confirmed.
Thus far, Nintendo's been mysterious, with only Mario Super Sluggers and Wario Land: Shake It! announced for Wii, and Kirby Super Star Ultra and seek-and-solve title Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir confirmed for DS.
And what about the hardware? Hit the jump for more on Nintendo at E3 this year.
Given Nintendo's investment in Wii Ware, it's rational for gamers to hope for a new storage device of some sort for Wii. But the company has repeatedly appeared to deprioritize the issue, with Nintendo of Europe managing director Laurent Fischer somewhat famously stating that "geeks and otaku" were the only ones who'd want such a thing (he later apologized).
When we recently asked a Nintendo of America rep for an update on the issue, he said, "I can tell you that if you need more space, you can just delete downloaded games that you have not played for a while. If you want to play them in the future, you can re-download them again for free. And SD cards also can be used to store content." So, storage device? Seems unlikely.
Product-cycle aficionados eyeing the life cycle and sales patterns of the DS have suggested the time might be right for a DS redesign, and Nintendo's placid pre-E3 quietude (relative to some of its industry peers) just might be explained by the fact they have such a big reveal under wraps. But not so much as a peep on that front has been forthcoming, and Nintendo has been quick to dismiss any rumors that crop up, like when a widescreen DS concept design seemed to pop up in a Disgaea ad.
Meanwhile, Rhythm Tengoku Gold for DS hits July 31 in Japan, and a US release date has yet to be announced. In the April interview, Fils-Aime sidestepped questions about the Wii music game announced at E3 2006, now tentatively titled, sensibly, Wii Music — although given the current band-game craze, the timing might be right. Fils-Aime has also been mum on a Donkey Kong for Wii.
Nintendo recently said that a Kirby for Wii is still on track for 2008, while at last report, previously-announced Monolith Soft Wii project Disaster: Day Of Crisis was "delayed indefinitely."
So here are the only E3 titles we know for sure:
NINTENDO'S WARIO, KIRBY BRING THE FUN; SLEUTHS GET A NEW MYSTERY CASE FILES GAME
New Experiences on the Way for Wii and Nintendo DS
REDMOND, Wash., June 25, 2008 – While the game world awaits the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles next month, Nintendo isn't waiting to announce new titles for its mushrooming libraries for the Wii™ console and Nintendo DS™. Classic Nintendo characters like bad-boy Wario™ and pink powerhouse Kirby® will star in their own platform games. A new Mystery Case Files™ game brings the best-selling Big Fish Games franchise to Nintendo DS for the first time. These games join the recently announced Mario™ Super Sluggers baseball game for the Wii console.
"Nintendo's game libraries continue to grow at a rapid pace," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Wario stars in a great new platformer, Kirby enthusiasts get an updated version of a fan favorite, there's a new mystery for Mystery Case Files aficionados and baseball gets a few new Mario-style twists."
Wario Land™: Shake It!, a classic side-scroller for the Wii console launching Sept. 29, stars Wario, the smelly, bad-mannered alter ego of Mario™. With the Wii Remote™ controller turned sideways like an old-school controller, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. Players shake the Wii Remote to help Wario take down his enemies, empty bags of treasure or cause earthquakes. Best of all, there are numerous stages each offering multiple missions to keep players coming back again and again to unlock everything, collect more coins or just improve their best times.
Kirby Super Star™ Ultra for Nintendo DS, launching Sept. 29, re-imagines one of the most beloved Kirby games of all time. Kirby Super Star Ultra features new graphics and fully rendered animated cut scenes. With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight. New modes like Revenge of the King and Meta Knight Ultra await, along with classics like The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes. On top of the main modes, there are also three new touch-screen-controlled mini-games that can be played with up to three friends via DS Download Play. Not only that, but players can go on Kirby adventures with a friend via local wireless as well.
Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™, launching Sept. 8, uses the unique Nintendo DS interface to expand upon the seek-and-solve game play of the popular series from Big Fish Games. Players seek out cleverly hidden items in a multitude of painted scenes. Players progress through an interactive detective story investigating a cast of characters and uncovering new evidence to find the rightful heir to a million-dollar fortune. This new portable installment is available only for Nintendo DS. With interactive logic puzzles that use both the touch-screen interface and built-in microphone and include the first ever multiplayer mode for a Mystery Case Files game, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir presents a new generation of seek-and-solve games for casual gamers and franchise fans.
Mario™ Super Sluggers, launching Aug. 25 for the Wii console, stars the ever-lovable Mario and his crew of friends. It builds on the social-gaming fun and movements people learned in Wii Sports™ and turns them into a full-fledged baseball game that can be played by every member of the household. Players make a throwing motion with the Wii Remote controller to pitch the baseball and make a swinging motion to swing at the pitch. The game boasts more than 30 playable Nintendo characters and all the madness of a Mario sports game. Just like Mario Kart® Wii, it bridges the gap between experienced players and those new to the Wii console, with fun challenges and beautiful graphics.
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.
For more information about these and other Nintendo products, visit Nintendo.com.
Way back in 1991, PC publisher Microprose released Sid Meier's Civilization, and some fans still haven't slept since. The game is widely considered to be one of the greatest PC games of all time. Now with three sequels plus expansions for each, multiple ports, and even a rather fine board game under the series' belt, 2K and Firaxis are taking the franchise where no original Civ title has gone before - the console. Shoddy PC to console ports aside, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is the first game in the series to be built from the ground up with game consoles in mind.
Will this new direction bring all-night Civ sessions to the console crowd, or should it be put to bed early? Get the verdict from the reviewing public, after the jump.
Eurogamer You can't play Civ Rev like Civ. The underlying systems are the same, if hugely (and at times brutally) simplified, but where its PC siblings could, to a certain extent, be played at your own pace, this sticks army ants in your bed. If you try to sleep, you'll be eaten alive. It keeps moving at all times, and if you don't move with it you won't get anywhere. That said, the lowest couple of difficulty settings are almost hilariously forgiving, but you'll very quickly want to graduate to a more challenging one. Even if you're specifically aiming for an economic, cultural or technological victory, be prepared to shed some blood along the way.
VideoGamer There are drawbacks to the new approach. As we said the world map is small, but at times it feels way too small. It seems like an oversight that the game doesn't allow players to generate custom maps that are bigger. And despite the world being tiny, it's sometimes hard to get an overview of what's going on because the camera's distance to the action is fixed in place. It's kind of like only being able to play PES on the short camera view. Sometimes you need to switch it to wide in order to see more of the playing field.
1UP If you're new to Civ's turn-based world, the abundance of information at the beginning of a game can be daunting — and even more so for your chosen civilization's different opening gambits. Revolution does a great job of appropriate hand-holding, with its array of cartoon advisers and "Civilopedia," which contains a wealth of strategic and operational knowledge, accessible at any time. So, when your first Settler unit establishes the capital city in the opening turns, you'll be in good shape for the Manifest Destiny that's to follow.
IGN Civilization Revolution is a standout strategy console game that successfully straddles the line between hardcore and casual. But after spending many hours with the game, I found myself wanting just a bit more depth, which I suppose is the inherent pitfall of bringing one of PC gaming's deepest experiences to a console with both input and hardware limitations. True, I could get in and out of a game with relative ease, but I also didn't have the option to micromanage my workers (there are production settings, but they are quite basic) or embark on an epic campaign.
Kotaku ...the game can be too short, and too small, and in some cases a little rough, but what Firaxis needed to do if this game was to ultimately succeed was take that core Civilization experience – the discovery, the advancement, the combat, the diplomacy – and ensure that even a streamlined version of the game still had you up at 3 in the morning, telling yourself you'll just have "one more turn". Which it does.
Looks like many more sleepless nights are in order.
Thompson: Judge Recommends Permanent Disbarment [Florida Bar V Thompson]
Judge Dava Tunis recommended a permanent disbarment for Jack Thompson with no opportunity to apply for reinstatement, according to a mass email sent out by Thompson this afternoon.
Your Referee down here, Dava Tunis, the one who does not have a federally-mandated loyalty oath even to be on the bench, just today issued her final Referee’s Report in the above matter, and she rejected The Bar’s recommendation of a ten-year disbarment for me and instead is asking you to disbar me permanently with no opportunity ever to apply for reinstatement.
Thompson goes on to point out other bar disbarment cases which resulted in fewer years, including one involving a Miami lawyer who Thompson said was suspended for two and a half years for having sex with an underage prostitute.
The report, which had a September 5 deadline, recommends Thompson be permanently disbarred, according to Thompson.
We broke the news that Judge Tunis had been asked by the Florida Bar to recommend an "enhanced disbarment," which would have prohibited him from practicing law for ten years, but she recommended a permanent revocation of Thompson's right to practice law.
He yesterday released a statement calling the Judge a "raving wild woman." Thompson went on to express a desire to resolve the issue, then segued into a story about punks threatening the Biltmore Hotel's golf patrons in order to demonstrate how policies he has recommended help enforce public safety.
We have a call into Florida District Court handling the case for verification of the recommendation but have not yet heard back.
Win A Modded Xbox 360 Easy Question Numero Three [Alone Contest]
Yes, yes we are giving away a modded Xbox 360 this week. You just might win it! Here's contest: Everyday at 12 noon Kotaku Time, we will ask one question for a grand total of five questions at the end of week. Each answer will be buried somewhere in Kotaku — yes, it's a scavenger hunt. (But, this contest will be cone hat/stormtropper leg free!) So simply answer each day's question and save them for Friday. Because on Friday, July 11th, we shall ask the last question. The 11th person to send kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom all the questions this Friday (with links) and all the correct answers (with links) will win. The questions will not be hard. Well, not that hard. First question goes up later today. Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.
Also, anyone who puts answers below in the comments or elsewhere will be banned and mocked. Hit the jump for the second easy question — and the first one, in case you missed it.
Third Question Where did Fahey meet up with two former University of Georgia students that went on to create a parody of the chidlren's books?
Going to QuakeCon 2008? The 13th annual event is being held at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas (my hometown!) from July 31st to August 3rd. Organizers are expecting 6,000 folks to be in attendance over the four day extravaganza. This year's QuakeCon will see the debut of QUAKE LIVE as well as an Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars console tourney, a QuakeCon first. Hit the jump for a full rundown and more details.
Time to vote! We've got a handful of finalists for out Top Spin contest. Click through the gallery below and write "I vote for this" under the individual picture you like best and not the comment section directly below. No double voting! Poll close in exactly 24 hours. We'll tally the votes and give the winner a copy of Top Spin 3. Much love to everyone who entered — gave us some good chuckles.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Capcom's Street Fighter franchise, longtime series collaborators Udon Entertainment are releasing the mother of all (Street Fighter-related) coffee table books: 
This is only fair, we guess. 
Last night, we 
Mmmm, yummy. Just in time for Japan's dog days of summer, game maker Atlus has done traditional arcade crane games one better by stocking a 'em with ice cream. And who doesn't like ice cream? (Bad people, that's who!) Dubbed the Triple Catcher Ice -25C, the machine is set at a frosty -25C and has players manipulate a three pronged claw to pull out delicious icy treats. As the 
We've long been 
Do you feel that, PC gamers? That pressure? It's the future, bearing relentlessly down upon you. While many PC gamers are still without DirextX 10, thanks to its Vista-only segregation, word on the PC tech streets (in this case, Graphics Whore boulevard) is that DirectX 11 will be announced by Microsoft later this month, no doubt accompanied by pictures of Crysis featuring all kinds of lighting and environmental effects you won't be able to see/afford until 2011. The announcement's supposed to take place on July 22-23 at the 
This November, famed Japanese figure maker Kotobukiya is bringing the latest entry in its Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 series with a 1/6 Kokoro statue. Priced at ¥7,882 (US$74), the figure not only features removable clothes (been there! done that!) but hot umbrella action (ooooooooooooh). Out of all the Kotobukiya DOAX2 figures, this one has the most graceful pose. Umbrellas really make everything all classy like.
Following the release of Majesco's 
Bionic Commando Rearmed might be coming to both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, but that's not to say both versions are identical. Capcom's Ben Judd has teased that they have a "VERY cool surprise for those of you who purchase the PSN version". So not cool, then, but VERY cool. Guess that'll be revealed next week. Something revealed today, however, is the fact the game will also support Remote Play via your PSP, which really, is as VERY cool a surprise as we need.
Those looking for more to do in Ninja Gaiden II should start rooting through the couch cushions for loose Microsoft Points, because details on the game's DLC have appeared, like, out of nowhere. One second there's a puff of smoke, the next Gamersyde reports that you'll be paying 800 MS Points for 25 new missions via Xbox Live. Cheap!
That Sony Computer Entertainment is going back to the LocoRoco well for another chance at acclaim and fortune should come as no surprise. The game's director, Tsutomu Kouno, has been chatting it up for ages and even SCEE reps confirmed it for a PSP release this year. Good then, that Sony got around to confirming its existence in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu.
What the?! Another Nintendo controller peripheral? This recently published US Patent and Trademark Office filing would certainly convince one to believe so! That is, until one looked at the date of the patent application submission, which dates back to 2005. Sure, the patent was published on June 28 of this year, but it references foreign application data that predates the official unveiling of the Wii Remote prototype.
Finally, D3 Publisher of America has come to its senses! We don't want your Dark Sectors, guys; we want your poorly animated super soldiers shooting giant bugs and gooey zombie killin' adventures in combat inappropriate clothing. We want that mind-numbing stuff. That's why we're so pleased to learn, via GamesRadar, that Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers will be coming to the Wii in early 2009.
Downloadable music has made music-specific games, like Rock Band, essentially self-renewing, as new tracks to play are popping up all the time. But when MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo talked to EA music guru Steve Schnur (we 
EA just tipped us off to the fact that BioWare's long in the works PC role-playing game Dragon Age is going to be "one of the premier titles" showcase at E3 next week, with select press getting hands on time with the game — which is a good thing, because I have an appointment to play the thing next Tuesday. If I showed up and it wasn't on display, it might get awkward.
Over at Introversion Software's blog, the developer of Defcon and Darwinia has revealed it's at work on its sixth game, Chronometer, with funding from the UK's Channel 4.
Lionhead fan site Loinhead has posted a rather suspicious and alleged Fable II screen shot today, one that it claims originates from an anonymous source. The site cryptically writes "we seem to have found an image in the style of Fable 2 very shortly after the Collector’s Edition was announced." Hoax? Semi-clever marketing? Merely intense character customization?
31 complaints against a TV ad for Take-Two's Bully: Scholarship Edition were dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority. The complainants said that the ads "glorified and trivialized" bullying, but the ASA found that the ads themselves were not in violation of any standards.
You may remember that back in February McWhertor wrote up a rumor that Dead Rising 2 would be developed by a Western developer. Specifically, 
This new Mercenaries 2: World in Flames video shows off a bit of how the assignment system in the game works and a how you can tackle missions using various methods, from silent and deadly to blowing lots of shit up. I tend to go for the latter personally, especially when you can bring down whole blocks of buildings.
Last night, in a 
With most of Kotaku Tower emptying out to fly to Los Angeles this weekend it would be a crime not to throw a party. So of course we are. Come join us for a some pre-E3 libations on Sunday July 13 at LA's historic Golden Gopher.
What industry-shaking, fanboy spirit-crushing announcements will we see revealed at E3 2008? Will Nintendo finally respond to nostalgia-laced cries for a new Clu Clu Land? Will Microsoft's X-waggle reveal emit applause, the sound of crickets or an arena full of tittering? Will Sony finally reveal the sequel to Blasto? Will we see even *one* pair of short shorts at the LA Convention Center?
Judge Dava Tunis' full report to the Florida Supreme Court in Jack Thompson's Florida Bar Trial, in which she recommends 
Activision plans to 
Nintendo's E3 presentation last year, dominated by the unveiling of Wii Fit, stirred a fair bit of dissent, as the company looked to be following a gleaming white road away from its hardcore userbase and into the smiling embrace of your Mom. Now that the Wii has demonstrated record-shattering success as a mainstream product, skeptics theorize that Nintendo's no longer got any need to court the traditional gamer — and therefore we can 
Way back in 1991, PC publisher Microprose released Sid Meier's Civilization, and some fans still haven't slept since. The game is widely considered to be one of the greatest PC games of all time. Now with three sequels plus expansions for each, multiple ports, and even a rather fine board game under the series' belt, 2K and Firaxis are taking the franchise where no original Civ title has gone before - the console. Shoddy PC to console ports aside, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is the first game in the series to be built from the ground up with game consoles in mind.
Yes, yes we are giving away a modded Xbox 360 this week. You just might win it! Here's contest: Everyday at 12 noon Kotaku Time, we will ask one question for a grand total of five questions at the end of week. Each answer will be buried somewhere in Kotaku — yes, it's a scavenger hunt. (But, this contest will be cone hat/stormtropper leg free!) So simply answer each day's question and save them for Friday. Because on Friday, July 11th, we shall ask the last question. The 11th person to send kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom all the questions this Friday (with links) and all the correct answers (with links) will win. The questions will not be hard. Well, not that hard. First question goes up later today. Remember, you are only sending us your answers this Friday, not before and not after. FRIDAY.
Konami's Castlevan