Thursday, August 13, 2009

Wii Bike revealed, $30 Wii Fit Plus detailed?

Source: The Star Wars cantina of game discussion known as the NeoGAF Forums.

What we heard: On Tuesday, the Web lit up with news of an inflatable horse-riding peripheral for the Wii. Today comes word that Nintendo may not be limiting its simulated conveyance to the equestrian realm. NeoGAF user "Kswiston" has posted a purported market-research presentation slide that shows what appears to be a bicycle-peripheral-based Wii game.

According to the slide, the unnamed $89.99 single and multiplayer title will let players "pedal their way to fitness!" Accompanied by pictures of a round, white pedal controller with three resistance levels (pictured top), it will have over 30 maps based on actual locations. Accompanying images show a variety of locales on all continents but Africa and Antarctica, including Monaco, Paris, the Grand Canyon. A Hawaiian level is also shown.

The Wii biking game will also feature over 60 activities, with road races, downhill, dog-walking, and pedal-powered paragliding on display. Though the cardiovascular-intensive game will track calories burned with a Wii Fit-like interface, one of the activities its simulates is a high-fat barbecue, with players cranking the pedals to simulate turning a spit roast.

Speaking of Wii Fit, Kswiston also posted a slide which appears to detail Wii Fit Plus, the sequel to NPD's best-selling non-PC game of 2009 from January to June. Though not named specifically, the title is described as "a new version game of Wii Fit" (sic), and will feature "original Wii Fit activities"--something no non-Wii Fit game could do. These activities can be combined with just six new training and yoga exercises into workout playlists like EA Sports Active, or players can choose from preset 20, 30, or 40-minute workout routines. The game will also feature workouts targeted at certain parts of the body, including abs and arms, as well as stress reduction techniques.

Besides the workouts, the slide promises Wii Fit Plus will sport 15 new balance board minigames, including skateboarding, "rhythm kung fu," and a series of flapping games involving a chicken suit. The game will let players weigh their dogs or cats directly--versus subtracting the weight in the original Wii Fit--and, judging by an image, will allow players to create Miis for their pets. The game will apparently cost $29.99 on its own or $99.99 when bundled with the Wii Balance Board.

Finally, Kswiston said there was a third game in the market-research presentation which featured resistance bands a la EA Sports active, as well as video of the pedal device in action.

The official story: Nintendo reps declined to comment on the slides.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. The pictures look at little complex to be mere forgeries, and the descriptions carry a very Nintendan tone. Adding credibility are the Miyamoto-esque flourishes like the barbecue simulator and chicken suit, as well as the fact Wii Fit Plus slide shows a senior citizen--reportedly one of its target groups.

Army of Two: The 40th Day deploys Jan. 12

The first few months of 2010 are shaping up to be as busy as most holiday quarters. Games that have been dated or delayed to the once-fallow period include BioWare's Mass Effect 2, EA's Dante's Inferno, Microsoft's Alan Wake, Sega's Bayonetta, Activision's Singularity, Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Capcom's Dark Void, to name just a few.

And still it continues. EA Montreal announced today that Army of Two: The 40th Day will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PSP on January 12 in North America and January 8 in Europe. The date represents a slight advancement on the original Army of Two, which landed on the Xbox 360 and PS3 to lackluster reviews in March 2008.

The 40th Day is a direct sequel to the original game, picking back up with Salem and Rios as they head to Shanghai, China. Unfortunately for them, Shanghai is suddenly assaulted by a number of highly suspect catastrophes, and the mercenary duo must solve the mystery and, ideally, survive.

Like the original, The 40th Day will deal extensively in co-op gameplay. EA Montreal has expanded upon the interactions available to Salem and Rios, promising a more tactical experience this time around.

The 40th Day will also feature online play and include four different multiplayer modes. One of these modes, Extraction, drops up to four players into a heavily militarized zone, and they must move to a certain point in the city while fighting off increasingly lethal waves of enemies. EA notes that this mode will be available at launch only to those who preorder The 40th Day, with everyone else gaining access to Extraction a month later

Panzer General blitzes XBLA

In the 1990s, SSI's Panzer General series was a standout entry in the then-crowded PC turn-based strategy genre. However, 2000's appropriately titled Panzer General III: Scorched Earth fell critically short of its predecessors, and the franchise has sat fallow ever since.

The Panzer General series is finally ready for a return, as Ubisoft today announced Panzer General: Allied Assault for Xbox Live. Set for release this fall, Allied Assault will re-imagine the franchise as a board game with collectible card game elements. Players will be able to customize "decks" of 60 cards, selecting from a number of units (infantry, artillery, and of course tanks) and actions (air strikes, reinforcements). Allied Assault will reward players with new cards for every multiplayer or single-player victory, with the campaign mode recreating a number of key battles from the final days World War II.

The turn-based Allied Assault is being handled by Petroglyph, a developer more familiar with the real-time side of the strategy genre. The studio made a name for itself with 2006's Star Wars: Empire at War, and followed it up in 2007 with the original Universe at War: Earth Assault (which arrived on the Xbox 360 the following year).

For gamers who don't have an Xbox 360, Ubisoft has also arranged to produce a physical Panzer General: Allied Assault board game based on the XBLA title. Described by the publisher as a "World War II 'lite' wargame," the box will include 240 cards and scenarios for both single-player and multiplayer action. The board game will also arrive this fall, with a $59.99 price tag attached.

Mini Ninjas infiltrates stores Sept. 8

Earlier this week, the online resume of a British actor indicated that IO Interactive may not be returning for the fifth installment in its notorious Hitman franchise. That being the case, it is altogether unclear what the once-Eidos-owned, now-Square Enix-owned Danish development house will be working on once its current project, Mini Ninjas, concludes.

And that finale is rapidly approaching, as Eidos announced today that Mini Ninjas will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS, and PC on September 8 in North America. The European and PAL region launches will follow that same week.

Mini Ninjas is a substantive break from IO's traditional bloody stealth fare, the likes of which can be found in the aforementioned Hitman franchise as well as 2007's Kane & Lynch. Instead, the E10+-rated action adventure deals in much lighter fare, as it follows the travails of Hiro, who ventures forth to defeat an army of evil samurai and restore harmony to the world.

As detailed in GameSpot's most recent hands-on with the game, Mini Ninjas tasks gamers with engaging in non-lethal fisticuffs, as well as stealth and magic to rid the countryside of marauding samurais. Rather than collapsing in a heap of rent flesh and blood, defeated enemies revert back to their adorable animal form and flee to greener pastures.

NCsoft Q2 profits soar 451% with Aion

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game business can be a risky one, but NCsoft appears to have scored a hit with its latest entrant into the genre, Aion: Tower of Eternity. Following on from the game's launch in Asia late last year, the South Korean publisher saw revenues spike 51 percent to KRW133.4 billion ($107.9 million) during its January-March quarter. Profit rocketed skyward 315 percent to KRW33.5 billion ($27 million).

NCsoft has reprised those gains during its April-June financial period. Reporting on its second-quarter results, NCsoft has said that sales grew to KRW138 billion ($111.6 million) during the three-month period, a 70 percent year-over-year rise. Net income continued its steep climb as well, jumping 451 percent during the quarter to KRW33.7 billion ($27 million).

Aion is expected to launch in North America on September 22, with the European rollout due September 25. But even with just the Asian market, the game was already NCsoft's top contributor during the quarter, amounting to 34 percent of all sales. Lineage 2 fell in behind Aion with 31 percent of revenues, and was trailed by Lineage (23 percent), City of Heroes/Villains' (6 percent), and Guild Wars (4 percent).

When Aion does debut in the West next month, it will do so under new management. Earlier this week, NCsoft West announced that president of product development, ArenaNet cofounder, and Guild Wars co-creator Jeff Strain had departed the company. NCsoft West also said that publishing president David Reid had also left the company, though it noted the two departures were unrelated.

Rock Band bangs out Metal Track Pack

October 13 may just be the hardest rocking day in gaming history. Already pegged as the launch date for Double Fine Productions' metal-mad action game Brutal Legend, the day will also see the launch of another hard n' heavy headbanger from Harmonix.

The developer today announced the Rock Band Metal Track Pack will see retail release October 13 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Wii. The pack will sell for $29.99, and gamers will be able to play the songs directly from the stand-alone disc, with PS3 and Xbox 360 owners also able to download the tracks to their hard drives for inclusion in Rock Band or Rock Band 2.

As with previous retail Rock Band releases, the Metal Track Pack compiles an assortment of previously available downloadable songs along with a handful of selections that aren't yet in the game's online store. This collection's six temporary exclusives include Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog," Motörhead's "Killed by Death," Blue Öyster Cult's "Transmaniacon MC," Hawkwind's "Master of The Universe," I Mother Earth's "Levitate," and Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade."

The full list of tracks follows below.

Band--Song (* denotes a song temporarily exclusive to the track pack)

All That Remains--"Two Weeks"
At the Gates--"Blinded By Fear"
Black Tide--"ShockWave"
Blue Öyster Cult--"Transmaniacon MC"*
Bullet For My Valentine--"Waking the Demon"
Children of Bodom--"Are You Dead Yet"
Evile--"Thrasher"
Godsmack--"I Stand Alone"
The Haunted--"D.O.A."
Hawkwind--"Master of The Universe"*
I Mother Earth--"Levitate"*
In This Moment--"Forever"
Judas Priest--"Screaming for Vengeance"
Lacuna Coil--"Closer"
Lamb of God--"Laid to Rest"
Motörhead--"Killed by Death"*
Nazareth--"Hair of the Dog"*
Queens of the Stone Age--"3's & 7's"
Rage Against The Machine--"Bulls On Parade"*
Yngwie Malmsteen--"Red Devil"

PS3 Slim = Sony's big GamesCom reveal?

What we heard: Next week, the first GamesCom will kick off in Cologne, Germany. The successor to the Leipzig Games Convention, which drew more than 200,000 attendees last year, will be Europe's biggest gaming event by far. And now, judging by the increasing percolation of speculation, it will likely have global importance as well.

As anticipation grows that Microsoft will reveal a $100 price drop for the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite at its GamesCom conference on August 19, Sony Computer Entertainment has pulled back the curtain slightly on its own Cologne plans. Reports out of the UK have Sony confirming that one of the items on the docket will be the European launch of the PS3 video store. However, given that the announcement of the video store's North American launch took only a few minutes at Sony's 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo presentation, that leaves the company with plenty of time for other announcements.

What else will Sony unveil? One publication claims to have the answer. The Web site of Hong Kong-based magazine GameWave declares that the long-rumored PS3 Slim will be the centerpiece of Sony's event. Though the magazine echoes reports that the console will be cheaper and thinner than the current model, its claims are undermined somewhat by the fact that its cover shows a fan-created concept image of the console (bottom). The design is markedly different from the images purportedly leaked from a Taiwanese factory in May (top), which were important enough to warrant legal threats from a mysterious law firm.

Adding to the increasing PS3 Slim speculation are rumblings from European retailers. Furthermore, following reports that Sony is ramping up PS3 hardware orders after cutting manufacturing costs by 70 percent, British industry magazine MCV claims that stocks of the console have dried up in the island nation. It quoted an "anonymous spokesperson for one of the UK's largest national retailers" as saying, "We've been told not to expect any further [PS3] hardware deliveries until September."

The official story: "Sony does not comment on rumor or speculation" - Sony rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus, according to Wedbush Morgan Securities' oft-quoted game-industry analyst Michael Pachter. "All of the rumors floating around suggest that a PS3 price cut and introduction of the PS3 Slim is going to happen by the end of the month, and GamesCom is the only significant event between now and then," he told Industrygamers.

"We have seen reports out of China about increased PS3 component orders, have seen pictures that look real of the PS3 Slim, and have seen recent reports of declining PS3 stock in Japan and Europe, with comments from retail that they have been told not to expect new supplies of PS3s until the end of August or early September. All of that points to the possibility of an announcement at GamesCom."

GRIN officially closes

The past year was a prodigious one for Swedish developer GRIN. Last August, the developer's downloadable NES remake Bionic Commando Rearmed debuted on the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. That kicked off a 12-month run that also saw the studio produce Wanted: Weapons of Fate, Terminator Salvation, and 3D action series reboot Bionic Commando.

Unfortunately, those titles--mostly met with lukewarm reactions from critics and consumers--will go down as the company's last. Following up on yesterday's reports of mass layoffs at the studio, GRIN's official site carries word of the company's closure.

"It is with a heavy heart we announce today that GRIN has been forced to close its doors," reads the statement, credited to cofounders Bo Andersson and Ulf Andersson. "This as too many publishers have been delaying their payments, causing an unbearable cash flow situation. After 12 years of hard work, employing hundreds of wonderfully talented men and women, it is over."

The statement doesn't specify which publishers' payment procrastination necessitated the closure. In the last year, GRIN has publicly worked with Capcom, Equity Games, Evolved Games, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

GRIN's farewell doesn't make it clear what type of project the studio was working on, although it does reference, "our unreleased masterpiece that we weren't allowed to finish." Earlier this decade, the developer worked on a gladiatorial combat game for the original Xbox called Vultures, but that title was canceled before release. The company also worked on the PC ports of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and its sequel for Ubisoft.

GRIN may be gone, but some of its developers are already hard at work at a new venture. Terminator Salvation lead programmer Peter Bjorklund has brought together nearly two dozen other members of the game's development team and founded Outbreak Studios in Goteborg, Sweden. The studio doesn't have any announced projects yet, but its Web site suggests an emphasis on digital distribution.

"Our mission is to develop titles for Xbox 360 (XBLA), PS3 (PlayStation Store), Games for Windows Live, PSP Go and iPhone. We also deliver online components for AAA titles, both existing or upcoming," the site says.

Microsoft job listing shows 'Live Anywhere' still alive

At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates made a surprise appearance at his company's press briefing. He was there to talk about an ambitious concept called Live Anywhere, which would extend the Xbox Live social gaming network to PCs and Windows Mobile platforms.

Though Games for Windows Live launched the following year after the release of the often-criticized Windows Vista operating system, little has been heard about the Live Anywhere concept. This week, though, a job listing for a "Live Community Director" surfaced that shows that Microsoft is still planning to extended the Live network to mobile devices--and beyond.

"The Live Engagement Team is looking for a Live Community Director to manage its Live community strategy and execution across a range of properties, from Xbox Live to Windows Mobile," reads the listing. "This senior position will play a vital role in the community space as the Live Engagement team builds and program’s Microsoft’s next-generation, Live-enabled casual and social gaming platform across the Web, the console, mobile and beyond."

Live's first true extension beyond PCs and Xboxes arrives later this year, when video downloads for Microsoft's Zune media player will be added to Xbox Live. Despite the prospect being raised at the 2008 Game Developers Conference, currently no games can be transferred from the 360 to the Zune, as Sony's PlayStation 3 can to the PSP with certain titles. However, last month Microsoft corporate vice president Shane Kim said that his company plans to get into handheld gaming...eventually.

Beatles Rock Band tunes up Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper

With The Beatles: Rock Band set to launch September 9, the game is just about ready for a mainstream media blitz. The inevitable flood of coverage kicked off in earnest today with an in-depth feature in The New York Times.

The feature primarily delves into the genesis of the game and how Harmonix is progressing under the strict oversight of the Fab Four's surviving members and widows. However, the Times also brought to light some news of the developer's downloadable content plans.

Previously, Harmonix had only confirmed that The Beatles' legendary Abbey Road would be released as a downloadable add-on to the game. According to The Times, the band's classics Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would round out the first three full-album offerings.

The article also goes into some detail about some of the changes made to the Rock Band formula in order to satisfy Beatles license-holder Apple Corps. For one thing, failing a song will no longer result in the player's character (in this game's case, The Beatles) being booed off stage. Poor performance will instead just bring up a failure screen. Additionally, the improvisational drum fill and big finish sections of previous Rock Band games have been done away with in order to faithfully re-create the songs as approved by Apple Corps.

When the game launches September 9, it will include 45 songs on the disc, from early tracks like "Twist and Shout" to Let It Be highlights like "Dig a Pony." Xbox 360 owners will be able to purchase "All You Need Is Love" on day one, with proceeds going to the Doctors Without Borders charity.

Tor Books forging Halo short-story comp

Halo fans looking for a way to sate their thirst for the sci-fi series will have something to tide them over between next month's launch of Halo 3: ODST and next year's release of Halo: Reach. Veteran publishing house Tor Books today announced that it will publish two books set in the war-torn universe created by Bungie Studios.

The first book, Halo: Evolutions, will go on sale this November. Rather than a full-fledged novel, the book will feature several short stories inspired by the series from three authors, two of which have penned Halo novels before: Tobias Buckell (Halo: The Cole Protocol) and Eric Nylund (Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: First Strike, and Halo: Ghosts of Onyx). Nylund who also co-wrote the storyline for Epic Games franchise-establishing shooter Gears of War, GameSpot's 2006 Game of the Year. A third author, bestselling writer Karen Traviss (Legacy of the Force: Revelation), will also contribute.

In addition to Halo: Evolutions, Tor Books has commissioned a trilogy of new Halo novels from Greg Bear, author of such acclaimed books as Blood Music and The Forge of God. The first installment will arrive in 2010, presumably right around the time the Halo: Reach beta, keys for which are packed in with Halo 3: ODST, goes live.

De La Hoya punching up Fight Night Round 4 DLC

As initially reported on the GameSpot Sports Blog, Electronic Arts has announced a new DLC boxer pack for Fight Night Round 4. Available in late August for Xbox 360 and PS3, the pack will run 800 Microsoft points and $9.99 respectively, and will include three new boxers: Oscar De La Hoya, Vitali Klitschko, his brother Vladimir Klitschko, as well as alternate versions of George Foreman and James Toney.

Image 1

The paid DLC is in addition to the free update due in August that will add additional gear into the game, as well as the long-awaited button patch that will allow players to use buttons to throw punches in the game. In early September, an updated demo of Fight Night Round 4 will be released, this time featuring Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in a 12-round match featuring button controls.

High Voltage licenses Ghostbusters tech

Although it has been developing games for more than 16 years, High Voltage Software gained its highest profile as the developer of The Conduit, a traditional first-person shooter for Nintendo's decidedly non-traditional Wii system. The game made headlines with its risky traditional first-person shooter approach to Nintendo's decidedly non-traditional Wii, which enjoyed only limited success.

High Voltage developed its own Wii-specific Quantum 3 engine for The Conduit, and is continuing to support the platform with upcoming action games like The Grinder and Gladiator A.D. However, the studio hasn't forgotten about the rest of the industry, as today it announced its acquisition of a lifetime license to use Terminal Reality's Infernal Engine for its "next-generation development."

The multiplatform Infernal Engine is best known as the technology powering Terminal Reality's recently released Ghostbusters: The Video Game (pictured). It is also being incorporated into Namco Bandai's upcoming Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked for the Wii and Piranha Games' fishing and hunting titles, The Strike and The Hunt.

LOTR: Aragorn's Quest delayed to spring 2010

In May, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment consolidated its hold on The Lord of the Rings license, picking up the rights to make games off of the books and films set in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy universe. However, instead of the adult-oriented fiction of Tolkien's fantasy universe, WBIE opted to target its first game at the kid-friendly audience, announcing The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest for the Wii, DS, PlayStation 2, and PSP.

Today, WBIE provided an updated release window for the game, saying Aragorn's Quest is now expected to ship in spring 2010. Previously, the game had been expected to ship this fall. The Wii edition of the game is in development at Headstrong Games, whose previous credits include House of the Dead: Overkill. The remaining installments are in development at TT Fusion, the handheld arm of Lego Star Wars developer Traveller's Tales Games.

As detailed in GameSpot's first look at the game during the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Aragorn's Quest is a third-person action game with a stylized, cartoony aesthetic. The game sees players reliving the War of the Rings through Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's companion and current mayor of the Shire. Players will assume control of Aragorn across 13 scenes pulled from the books.

Aragorn's Quest also supports drop-in/drop-out co-op play for up to two, where the second player gains control of the supreme sorcerer Gandalf.

PlayStation.com gets enhanced PS3 trophy room

Over a year after the PlayStation 3 trophy system's bumpy introduction, Sony has announced the system will be fully integrated into the official PlayStation.com Web site. Soon, players will be able to view their trophy data in detail and compare said detail with other trophies earned in a particular game. The site will also list information on unlocked trophies for each game played.

In addition to game details, players will be able to instantly compare their achievements with everyone on their friends list via PlayStation.com. As explained in the video below, the update will also add trophy data to the PSN portable ID (pictured), which can be embedded into signatures and Web sites other than PlayStation.com.



Sony, Nintendo, Apple sued over wireless tech

The Big Three console manufacturers are regularly fending off patent dispute litigation, to varying degrees of success. As spotted by Patent Arcade, Sony Computer Entertainment and Nintendo, along with iPhone creator Apple, were served with a new patent-dispute complaint last week in the Western District Court of Texas that deals with the way the three companies handle wireless communication channels.

The complaint was filed by Bandspeed Inc., which describes itself as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management," and stems from two patents the company filed in September 2001. The first patent, which was issued in April 2006, details a way in which a device selects a wireless channel to communicate through based on performance. The second patent, issued August 4, 2009, concerns managing said communications channels, also based on performance.

Bandspeed contends that Sony, Nintendo, and Apple violate both of these patents with their respective PlayStation 3, Wii, and iPhone 3G products. The wireless communications company seeks damages as determined by the court, as well as a permanent injunction preventing the three companies from continuing to violate Bandspeed's patents.

Wii Remote charger recalled

Metaphorically, the Wii has been the hottest console in the game industry for years. Now, though, a third-party peripheral for the game is being recalled for generating dangerous amounts of actual heat.

Some 220,000 battery charger accessories for the Wii were recalled this week by distributor Griffin International. The battery packs have a problem with overheating, which poses a fire hazard and can burn users. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Griffin received six reports of overheating problems related to the product, with two people suffering minor burns on their hands.

The $50 4-Dock Battery Recharge Stations have been sold since January 2008 under the React brand name at Best Buy stores and under the Psyclone Essentials label at Target, Toys 'R' Us, and Amazon.com.

"We have chosen to voluntarily recall the Psyclone and React Wii 4-Dock Recharge Station products upon learning of extremely isolated cases of the battery overheating, causing the batteries in the unit to short circuit," Psyclone said on its Web site. "Even though the number of cases is very small, we are committed to ensuring our customers are completely satisfied with our products."

The Psyclone page contradicts the USCPSC notice of the recall, saying the company is aware of only four units having problems, with no injuries reported. Griffin advises consumers to stop using the recharge stations immediately and contact the company at 888-344-4702 or e-mail productsafety@psyclonegamer.com to return the product for a free replacement.