[PC, PS3, X360] Second Saints Row IV dev diary talks about the game world

[PC, PS3, X360] Second Saints Row IV dev diary talks about the game world

Saints Row IV is getting closer and closer with every day; continuing with promotion the Saints Row YouTube channel has uploaded their second developer diary.

This new video talks about the game world and the possibilities that the development team is tapping into with the game's setting. It also features a brief snippet of the infamous anal probe weapon as well, if you are interested in seeing that again.

You can also check out the first developer diary right here.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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Wii Fit U Direct Brings News about Wii Fit U for Free and Wii Sports in HD Online!

This morning, Nintendo surprised us with a Nintendo Direct focused mostly on Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Check out the video and press release for more details, but here are the big points:

Wii Fit U will be a free download from the eShop, starting November 1. Keep the complete version by getting a Fit Meter from the store at $19.99. All you need is an existing Wii Balance Board.Wii Sports are getting an HD and online multiplayer update. Each sport will be available individually via the eShop starting November 7 with Bowling and Tennis. You are able to get free demos, day passes to all sports, and permanent access to each sport.Wii Street U received an update today, which allows for Balance Board input.

It looks like it might be time to find your Wii Balance Board, dust it off, and begin stretching, because Nintendo wants us to get moving! Apparently, Wii would like to play again.

—————

PRESS RELEASE

NINTENDO GIVES CONSUMERS A CHANCE TO GET FIT FOR FREE WITH WII FIT U

Wii Sports Club Delivers a New Wii Sports Experience on Wii U

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 18, 2013 – Nintendo is offering Wii U owners a chance to download a full version of Wii Fit U for free. Starting Nov. 1, Wii U owners can download a complete version of the game and get a head start on their New Year’s fitness goals by trying out all the activities found in the game for a full month – at no cost. All users need is a Wii Balance Board and a Wii U system with a broadband Internet connection. Consumers can keep their trial copies of Wii Fit Uat no additional cost by simply purchasing and syncing a Fit Meter to the game. Nintendo announced the special offer along with a number of items related to active gaming during a Nintendo Direct video. To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.

“Wii Fit U is all about ‘fun fitness’ for everyone in the family,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president and COO. “With this special offer, Nintendo is making it easier than ever for families to get active and stay active, making now the perfect time to upgrade to Wii U. This is another example of the kind of value and variety that only Nintendo can offer.”

The full Wii Fit U software will be downloadable from the Nintendo eShop between Nov. 1, 2013, and Jan. 31, 2014, and will work for a month from the day it is first played. During the trial period, users can stay active with 77 different activities, including 19 new training activities, many of which take advantage of the Wii U GamePad controller. Users who want to continue using Wii Fit U beyond the trial period can purchase a Fit Meter accessory and sync it to their Wii Fit U software at any time. This will allow them to continue playing Wii Fit U forever. The Fit Meter will be available Nov. 1 in black/silver at a suggested retail price of $19.99.

The Fit Meter accessory is much more than a pedometer – it’s an activity meter that tracks a wide range of everyday activity. It records not only the number of steps a user has taken, but it also takes into account the intensity of those steps – for example, was the user running or walking? The Fit Meter also measures altitude, so wearers get credit for climbing stairs or walking uphill. All of these data points combined provide users with an accurate overview of their day’s activity, including a detailed calculation of the number of calories they burned. This data can then be transferred wirelessly toWii Fit U via the Wii U GamePad with just a touch of a button. The Fit Meter transforms users’ everyday lives into workouts, encouraging them to get active and stay active.

Wii Fit U features all of the strength training, yoga and fun fitness games that have made the Wii Fit series so popular. Plus, there are new games that combine the Wii Balance Board and Wii U GamePad, including new dance routines such as hip-hop and salsa that work out various parts of the body through simple dance moves. The game also gives players more ways to create their own custom workout routines. Users can also create or join a Miiverse Gym Community to share tips and support with other Wii Fit U users who have similar goals. Or people can create closed communities made up exclusively of their friends. The communities will help people stay motivated by giving them a venue to discuss their fitness progress with others.

For those who choose not to participate in this special offer, Wii Fit Ulaunches both as a packaged game on Dec. 13, 2013, and as a full game download in the Nintendo eShop on Feb. 1, 2014.

Some other announcements today included:

Wii Sports Club

The five beloved sports from the original Wii Sports – bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing and golf – are making a dramatic and competitive return on Wii U. The games are being released individually as downloads in the Nintendo eShop featuring HD graphics, enhanced controls via Wii MotionPlus technology, as well as a much-requested online multiplayer versus mode, so users with broadband Internet access can face off against competitors online. And that’s where the “Club” part of Wii Sports Club comes into play. Players will be registered to state or regional clubs and will be able to chat with one another via Miiverse during matches. People will be able to play casually against members of their own club, or take on members of rival clubs to increase their club rankings.

Tennis and Bowling will be the first two sports available in the Nintendo eShop on Nov. 7, with Boxing, Baseball and Golf scheduled to launch in the months ahead. Wii U owners who download Wii Sports Club will get a trial pass that will let them play any available games for a 24-hour period from when the Wii Sports Club game is started. Once the trial period ends, players can purchase a Day Pass for $1.99 in the Nintendo eShop to play all available sports for a 24-hour period, or can buy permanent access to individual sports for $9.99 each.

Wii Street U Powered by Google

An update to Wii Street U Powered by Google is now available that incorporates the Wii Balance Board. People can walk the streets of familiar or exotic locales simply by taking steps on the Wii Balance Board, as the TV displays a streetscape from Google Maps. The Wii Street U Powered by Google application is currently available as a free download in the Nintendo eShop until Oct. 31.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.1 billion video games and more than 655 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

[PR Email from Nintendo of America]

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Activision bullish about Skylanders in face of Disney Infinity

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jun 13th 2013 3:00PM

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, says the company isn't changing its sales projections on the Skylanders franchise, or this fall's Skylanders: Swap Force, in the face of Disney Infinity.

"We're still bullish on our projections. We feel like it was only a matter of time, given the scale of the success of Skylanders, that other competitors entered the genre. That's to be expected," said Hirshberg.

"I get this question a lot on Call of Duty. We have tough competition every year. We have tough competition in every category we play in, it's a part of the business. We try not to focus on it. We try to focus on making the best games we can and exceeding the expectations of our fans and bottling magic."

Skylanders has surpassed $1 billion in lifetime sales since launching in 2011. Disney Infinity will launch this August.

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[Wii U] Nintendo panel explains about developing for the Wii U

[Wii U] Nintendo panel explains about developing for the Wii U

Nintendo held a panel at the recent Unite Nordic 2013 conference in which they talk about developing for their newest console. If you are interested in checking out the presentation (which runs for 30+ minutes) then you are in luck! The entire panel was uploaded to YouTube, so just hit 'play' and go nuts.
The video follows up Nintendo's announcement earlier this year that they'd be working with Unity to create a Wii U-specific version of the popular Unity engine.

Thanks Siliconera.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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[E3'13, Wii U] Hideki Kamiya tweets about Bayonetta 2 and Nintendo's E3 Direct stream

[E3'13, Wii U] Hideki Kamiya tweets about Bayonetta 2 and Nintendo's E3 Direct stream

UPDATE: Well, looks like it might be a good time to cool our jets about this. Doing some digging, particularly over at NeoGAF, has revealed that this tweet may be somewhat more vague than originally assumed. The response he offered to a fan about Bayonetta 2 was also offered verbatim concerning the odds of seeing REmake 2 next week.

So either Kamiya is trolling us or Nintendo fans can look forward to both Bayonetta 2 and REmake 2.

We'll know in just over a week.

ORIGINAL STORY: Gosh, Platinum Games and Nintendo sure have been quiet about Bayonetta 2, haven't they? In fact, we last heard about it in detail in January.

Don't worry. That's going to change next week! Polygon reports that the series creator, Hideki Kamiya, confirmed on Twitter that the highly anticipated Wii U exclusive sequel will make an appearance in next week's E3 Nintendo Direct stream.

It is unknown how much will be shown, but Bayonetta 2 joins Nintendo's solid E3 line-up already consisting of a new 3D Mario, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros..

Who's ready to see more Bayonetta 2?

Written by: Kyran Morrison

(This post was last modified: 06-03-2013 09:53 AM by LemonManX.)

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What we know about the next PlayStation and Xbox

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[Wii U] What to do about Wii U?

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Launching a new console is hardly an exact science. There has been a long history of shaky console launches for a myriad of reasons - poor marketing, lackluster launch lineups, faulty hardware, prohibitive launch prices, underwhelming usage of new technology, or all of the above. Recent history has provided us with two prime examples: In early 2011, Nintendo unleashed the 3DS to strong launch sales that soon plummeted to alarming levels in the following months. A hefty $250 price tag combined with a barren library of software prompted the familiar “Nintendoomed” cries from cynical onlookers. About a year later, Sony failed to learn from Nintendo’s mistakes when they launched their own new handheld in the Vita, enduring the same sluggish sales following launch thanks to its own lack of compelling games and pricey entry level. It’s interesting, however, that in the time since their respective post-launch letdowns the two handhelds have gone in complete opposite directions: The 3DS has exploded to the tune of 30 million units sold in just two years thanks to a steady stream of impressive game releases along with a price drop and a worthy hardware redesign. Meanwhile, the Vita continues to sell at a snail’s pace with fewer than 5 million units sold in its first year-and-a-bit as gamers point to a lack of must-have titles and pricey memory cards as justification for keeping the money in their wallets. This fact alone should serve as a warning to those who like to jump to wild conclusions in the first few months following a console's launch.

It feels like déjà vu all over again in the early months of 2013 though following the launch of Nintendo’s first HD console, the Wii U. Nintendo promised that they wouldn’t make the same mistakes at launch with the Wii U as it did with the 3DS, and many of us believed them. Oops. The console saw solid launch sales as it closed out 2012 with around 3 million units sold worldwide by New Year’s, but the time since has seen Wii U sales slow to a crawl, once again making Nintendo the target of much criticism and leaving some to wonder if the company is longed to continue competing in the home console business. About this time a year ago, I wrote an article pleading patience on behalf of the Vita as it drew widespread criticism while it struggled through its own post-launch problems. Things haven’t improved much (if any) for Sony’s ailing handheld since then, so perhaps my attempt to be the voice of calm and reason on behalf of the Wii U will fall on deaf ears, but five months into the console’s lifespan is hardly enough time to justify such panic. That being said, Nintendo has their work cut out for them if they are to turn the Wii U’s fortunes around.

NSMBU was not the system-seller Nintendo thought it would be.
The first question that needs to be asked is: how did this happen (again)? Most will point to the underwhelming software library currently available. There are polarizing views on the Wii U’s lineup of launch software. For some - primarily those who never owned a PS3 or Xbox 360 - the launch library provided an almost overwhelming abundance of quality titles to indulge in with the likes of Darksiders II, Mass Effect 3, Ninja Gaiden 3, Assassin’s Creed III, Scribblenauts Unlimited, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and Batman: Arkham City complemented by exclusives Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, and ZombiU to keep them busy for many months. For many others who had played most of these titles on other platforms months earlier, the launch library seemed far less enticing as the few console exclusives seemed to lack the “must-have” quality to motivate them to drop $400 or more of their hard-earned cash on a Wii U. The months following launch have done little to alter that perception either. Flagship “launch window” titles Pikmin 3, Rayman Legends, and The Wonderful 101 have all been delayed until late summer or even later, leaving only a small handful of titles like Lego City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted U to carry the load until the cavalry arrives later in the year, however it’s already clear that these games do not have the clout to significantly boost hardware sales on their own. Even the staunchest Nintendo supporter will admit that this leaves few reasons for prospective buyers to take the plunge at this point in time.
"Launch window" my ass.
The cavalry is coming though. In January, a much-needed Nintendo Direct presentation offered some reassurance by confirming that in addition to the three titles mentioned earlier, Wii U owners have a new 3D Super Mario, Mario Kart Wii U, Super Smash Bros. 4, a new Legend of Zelda, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, Monolith Soft’s X, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Bayonetta 2, and Yarn Yoshi to look forward to in terms of exclusives, though it’s unclear how far away many of these titles are from releasing. A smattering of third-party support is being sprinkled in as well, with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Watch Dogs, and Resident Evil: Revelations also on the way. We also expect that Nintendo has a few other aces up their sleeves (not the least of which is Retro Studios’ mystery project), hopefully some of which will be unveiled at E3 in less than two months. Is it too late though? With Sony and Microsoft set to finish unveiling their own next-gen consoles at E3 leading up to a late-2013 launch, Nintendo seems to have squandered its one-year opportunity to gain an advantage over its competitors by convincing fence-sitters to make an impulse buy. I have no doubt that games like Mario, Mario Kart, Smash Bros., and Zelda will do wonders in improving Wii U sales exponentially (as they did for the 3DS), however with hype surrounding the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Next continuing to grow and the Wii U mired in negativity for the time being and foreseeable future, Nintendo will have to work hard to convince gamers that the Wii U is the console to put their money on this year.
Rest assured Nintendo's big franchises will come, and they will move a lot of hardware. Just hurry up.
Beyond Nintendo’s own inability to sufficiently supply their new console with software early in its lifespan, another major concern is the lack of third-party support. While it’s nothing new for Nintendo consoles to get snubbed on major third-party releases, Nintendo made it clear prior to the Wii U’s launch that there was a concerted effort to make the hardware developer-friendly so that it would be easy to port games from other platforms. The fruits of that labor seemed bountiful at launch, but since then the Wii U has become something of a black sheep among consoles. There were plenty of multiplatform candidates early this year to fill in the void of software on the Wii U – Crysis 3 (which was up and running on Wii U but never released), Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3, BioShock Infinite, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – however disappointingly none of their respective developers deemed it worth the effort. That might be somewhat understandable considering the Wii U’s relatively small user base, however it appears few are willing to take the chance even as we transition into the next generation of hardware (with the exception of Ubisoft). Battlefield 4 is coming out on literally every console except the Wii U, while Grand Theft Auto V, Dark Souls 2, Metro: Last Light, The Witcher 3, Lost Planet 3, Remember Me, Destiny, and Thief 4 are just a few of the other upcoming blockbusters that will be giving Wii U the cold shoulder for various reasons. Some companies like Take-Two have already made it fairly clear that they are not interested in bringing their games to Wii U, meanwhile Nintendo and Electronic Arts appear to be clashing in some sort of behind-the-scenes feud at the moment. The relationship with other major publishers is uncertain at best for the time being. The success of Nintendo consoles have always been weighed primarily on the strength of its first-party exclusives and the Wii U will be no different. Still, it would be ignorant to shrug off the lack of third-party support as insignificant, and in this department we can only hope that faith in the Wii U from third parties grows with its user base and Nintendo continues to lobby on behalf of its new console to grab some more exciting third-party experiences.
Direct your love letters to Ubisoft, Wii U owners.
So how does Nintendo right the ship at this point? Many will be quick to suggest a price drop as the answer; however the cost is probably not an issue for most gamers if the games are there and with Nintendo apparently losing money on each console, this seems like an unlikely option for the foreseeable future. The first step begins with E3, where we can only hope and pray that Nintendo has learned from last year’s debacle that was more a week-long Nintendo Land demo than a proper showcase of a new console. The fact that the company has been unleashing a landslide of exciting 3DS announcements over the last couple of months would lead us to believe that E3 will be a very Wii U-centric event for the Big N, at least that’s what we’re hoping. Showing off all the aforementioned titles along with a surprise or two and hopefully some additional third party support would go a long way in restoring confidence in the Wii U. From there, a proper marketing strategy (seriously, many people still have no idea what a Wii U is) leading into a blockbuster-laden second half that will begin with Pikmin 3 and continue with a steady stream of software into next year will effectively erase any memory of this depressing post-launch drought, regardless of what Sony and Microsoft do.

It was a longshot from the start for the Wii U to replicate the incredible success of its predecessor (at least in terms of sales), however that doesn’t mean it can’t still be a great success. That hasn’t changed because of a shaky first five months, despite what Nintendo critics and industry “analysts” might have you believe. Of course we would have preferred that the Wii U would have started stronger out of the gate and hopefully Nintendo has learned the error of its ways, but the life of a console is very much a marathon rather than a sprint. If you doubt that, revisit the same debate that occurred repeatedly in the months following the 3DS launch and compare it to where that console is now. I have little doubt that the Wii U, as with every Nintendo console, has many incredible experiences in store for us. That, rather than just sales, should be the mark of what defines a console’s greatness, but hopefully for Nintendo's sake and the sake of the entire industry the two will go hand in hand. Let’s wait and see at least.

Written by: Mike Glubish

(This post was last modified: 04-21-2013 09:42 PM by GlueGun18.)

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Why I am cautiously optimistic about the Wii U

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Why I am cautiously optimistic about the Wii U

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Wreck-It Ralph game about the movie about games coming only to Nintendo systems

by Jessica Conditt on Jun 25th 2012 4:00PM

Wreck-It Ralph, an animated film coming November 2 from Disney, features classic characters sure to induce nostalgia in bomb-like proportions for its 20-55 demographic -- which is why it's strange that the game based on the movie based on video games will come only to Nintendo's Wii, 3DS and DS.

With the film, Disney is focused on introducing a younger audience to arcade-style side-scrollers, and it seems Activision is keeping that trend with a launch on the market's most "family-friendly" set of platforms.

"Wreck-It Ralph, as a brand entity, is perfectly suited for video game stardom," Activision Executive Vice President David Oxford says. "With the fantastic characters and creative atmosphere envisioned by Walt Disney Animation Studios, we know fans are going to love seeing their newfound favorite characters embark on an all-new side-scrolling adventure."

The game will have players switch between Ralph and Fix-It Felix to defeat the Cy-Bugs, with a story campaign and two-player co-op for the Wii.

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Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two's debut trailer is all about togetherness

by Ben Gilbert on Mar 23rd 2012 10:30AM

Wait, there's a second Epic Mickey game? It's got colors! And a second dude (Oswald)! And ... did we mention colors? Go grab a friend and watch this together.

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[Wii U] Epic VP Mark Rein Excited About Wii U

[Wii U] Epic VP Mark Rein Excited About Wii U

Epic Games' Vice President Mark Rein had a few kind words to share regarding the Wii U in a recent interview with Eurogamer, sure to inflame the anticipation as we impatiently await the inevitable explosion of news and announcements to come from E3 in June.

"I like the Wii U. I think E3 will be a big eye-opener for people," said Rein. "I played Batman: Arkham City on the Wii U and they are doing some really cool stuff with the controller. Do you remember the Zelda demo they had on it? Would you not buy a Wii U just to play that? Of course you would. That's what Nintendo is all about. Their hardware is the software delivery service for their great content. That Zelda demo was gorgeous and we can do even more than that with Unreal Engine 3. I think it will do great."

While some in the industry have expressed concern about how successful the console will be at retail, Rein has fewer reservations: "It's a great brand that a lot of parents really trust and they're probably ready to buy their kids an HD Wii that does that much more than just being an HD Wii. I'd love it if they'd done it last year, but I'm excited for them to do it this year. I'd be shocked if it doesn't do well. Did you play that Battle Mii game? Two players would play with a Wii Remote and Nunchuk and one would play with the Wii U controller? I would buy a Wii U to play that game in a heartbeat. And I hope people make those kind of games with our technology. I think we've yet to really see what the Wii U can do and I think at E3 this year they're going to shock us."

So does such high praise mean Epic, a company that has never released a game on a Nintendo console, has something in the cards for the Wii U?

"If I had 10 development teams I'd make a game for every single platform and make that the special game for that platform," replied Rein. "If you're the special game on that platform you do really, really well. Gears was one of the special ones on Xbox 360. Infinity Blade is a special game on the iPhone and iPad. Shadow Complex was a special game on Xbox Live Arcade. But we don't have 10 development teams so it's just a matter of picking and choosing what we do and doing the best thing we can for the idea that we have."

Well that certainly is a non-committal answer, but for the time-being the popular Gears of War developer is at work on iOS title Infinity Blade: Dungeons and new IP Fortnite for unconfirmed platforms.

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RE: [Wii U] Epic VP Mark Rein Excited About Wii U
hmmm they have improved gratly on grafics and im back! its been a year since i was last online [DA]sniper black ops fc 520090772816

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THQ denies rumors about cancellation of its 2014 lineup

by JC Fletcher on Jan 16th 2012 12:15AM

Yesterday, a series of tweets by IGDA Mobile SIG chair Kevin Dent alleged that THQ was in financial trouble, and that it was canceling its 2014 game lineup (most notably Warhammer 40k: Dark Millenium Online) and shopping itself out to potential buyers.

This evening, THQ's Australian PR department issued a statement to the contrary, as posted by VG247. "THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO," THQ said. According to the statement, the only reduction to THQ's lineup has been to move focus away from the "kids' boxed games sector" following poor performance of the most recent version of the uDraw. " Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business," the statement said. "We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry."

Note that THQ said it "has not made any decisions" about Warhammer 40k: DMO -- that's hardly a statement of unwavering support. Regardless, the statement is clear about the rest of the 2014 lineup.

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Today only: 40% off just about everything on Origin

by Richard Mitchell on Dec 12th 2011 2:00PM

EA has a pretty massive sale going on over at the Origin store. Nearly everything has been marked down by 40 percent, including Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2 and most of the EA-published titles currently available on consoles or PC. The offer is only good today, so get cracking and stuff some stockings.

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Gamestop's Black Friday deals are about what you'd expect, still bonkers

by Jordan Mallory on Nov 12th 2011 10:30PM

Black Friday is already looking pretty crazy this year, and Gamestop won't be doing anything to reduce the amount of consumerist insanity permeating the American consciousness. If anything, the fact that its sales flier proudly boasts that limited edition Zelda 3DS on its front cover indicates a clear and unmistakable aim to misbehave, in a metaphorical, capitalist sense.

We'll save you the headache of an unwieldy bulleted list by telling you that the long and short of the sale is widely similar to other retail offerings: Discounted 360s and PS3s ($149 and $199 respectively), recent titles discounted by $10 to $30, etc. Check out the 12 page flier for complete details, and when you're tempted by these impressive discounts, remember how small and innavigable the average Gamestop is on a normal day, let alone on the busiest shopping day of the year.

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Future making hard choices about US publications

by Alexander Sliwinski on Sep 29th 2011 9:30PM

A note to investors from publishing giant Future portends dark happenings for the company's US arm. The UK-based publisher has found continued operations in the US "significantly more challenging," due to a smaller scale operation and the business model for magazines in the States. In July, Future announced it was moving its Future US into a primarily digital business (i.e. non tree-based magazines), but things have apparently escalated.

"With trading conditions in the U.S. reflecting ongoing weakness and decreasing visibility at newsstand, and an acceleration in the year-on-year growth rate in digital revenues, the Board is now considering a wider range of strategic options in respect of its U.S. operations," the note reads.

Future US's magazine business currently includes all three official console magazines, along with PC Gamer and Best Buy's @Gamer. The question now revolves around whether the "wider range of strategic options" includes the publisher cutting its losses in the magazine space or moving to sell off the division. Future plans to share more details at the end of its fiscal year November 24.

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Just Dance Kids 2 shakes it all about this October

by JC Fletcher on Aug 22nd 2011 4:00PM

This October, Ubisoft will release Hokey Pokey: The Game for Kinect, PlayStation Move and Wii. Well, officially it'll be called Just Dance Kids 2, but make no mistake: this is an interactive Hokey Pokey simulation, in which motion sensing technology will judge whether you've properly internalized what it's all about.

To pad out the high-tech Hokey Pokey, Ubisoft also including Kidz Bop-style covers of pop hits like "Love Me," "Whip My Hair," "Just The Way You Are," TV and movie songs, and other children's standards. The announcement makes a point to mention the inclusion of "the YouTube hit song, 'I Am A Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song).'" We'd never heard of it, but now we have, and we're sorry to be the ones to do this to you.

And on the subject of inflicting things on you, how about that Comic Sans UI? How about those South Park fruit icons?

UBISOFT® TO RELEASE JUST DANCE® KIDS 2 IN NORTH AMERICA IN OCTOBER

The #1 Dance Game for Kids and Families is Back; Now Available on All Motion Platforms

SAN FRANCISCO – August 22, 2011 – Today, Ubisoft® announced that Just Dance® Kids 2 will be available for the first time for Kinect™ for Xbox 360® and the PlayStation®Move for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and will return to the Wii™ system from Nintendo. Developed by Land Ho!, Just Dance Kids 2 will feature more than 40 new songs, including today's hottest hits, such as "Love Me," "Whip My Hair," "Just The Way You Are," and popular songs from kids' favorite TV shows and movies. In addition, the game includes mixes of classic kids songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "The Hokey Pokey" in several languages. Just Dance Kids 2 also contains all-new features exclusive to each platform and will be released in North America on October 25, 2011.

"Just Dance Kids 2 provides families and kids of all ages with exciting new features building upon those elements that first made the game a success," said Tony Key, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Ubisoft North America. "For the first time, Just Dance Kids 2 will be available on all three motion control platforms, making it a must-have family title. The game will get kids active and moving while bringing the entire family together, laughing and dancing in their living rooms."

Created with kids and families in mind, the game boasts colorful and lively graphics, super fun dance moves and easy-to-follow kid-friendly gameplay. The choreography will have players dancing to covers of such hits as "Burnin' Up," "Barbara Ann," "Shake Your Groove Thing," and the YouTube hit song, "I Am A Gummy Bear (The Gummy Bear Song)."

Just Dance Kids 2 takes full advantage of each motion control platform, providing each with a unique feature and experience for the player. The Kinect for Xbox 360 version of Just Dance Kids 2 will allow kids to play without using a controller, star in their own music videos, and create and save their own dance routines to challenge friends and family members. With the PlayStation Move, kids have the ability to capture their cool dance moves with the PlayStation®Eye, which snaps photos of players while dancing. In addition, kids can select their favorite song medleys. The Wii version of Just Dance Kids 2 features a brand-new multiplayer mode called Balloon Pop, which lets kids shake their Wii Remote™ controllers to earn more points and have more fun while dancing. All three platforms feature a brand-new game feature called Nonstop Shuffle, where players can play the game for designated periods of time of 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes without having to push any buttons or navigate through menus for non-stop play.

For the latest information on Just Dance Kids 2, please follow the game on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/justdancegame

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[Wii] Bill Trinen drops some info about Skyward Sword

[Wii] Bill Trinen drops some info about Skyward Sword
Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen appeared in an interview with Gamespot recently where he dropped some more information on the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
He talks about how you'll be able to upgrade your shield by combining rupees with artifacts that enemies will drop when they are defeated. He also reveals that Link will be able to upgrade his other items as he progresses through his adventure.

Be sure to check out the full video.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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WRUP: Sooo, about that PSN

by Alexander Sliwinski on Apr 29th 2011 11:15PM

Some of you out there have been at work all week or busy with school, so let's get you caught up on the PSN outage situation.

What's everyone playing ('cause we know what you aren't)?
Alexander Sliwinski (@XanderSliwinski): League of Legends is likely on the agenda. I wouldn't mind playing some Mortal Kombat after getting a taste last night. It's actually really good.Ben Gilbert (@BigBossBgilbert): With the initial run of Portal 2 down, I'm gonna head back in for some Cheevos and co-op. Also, my torrid affair with Picross 3D continues and I don't see it ending anytime soon. I am now carrying a DS Lite with me everywhere for a single game. This must stop.Christopher Grant (@ChrisGrant): I've made it to Act 3 in Dragon Age 2, which I hope to wrap up by the end of the weekend. Then it's either Back to the Future Episode 2, which I thankfully downloaded from PSN before it was taken out back and shot, or Metro 2033, which I've been meaning to play since it came out over a year ago!David Hinkle (@DaveHinkle): I'm at the end of Portal 2, so I definitely want to finish that, but I have a feeling most of my weekend will be spent lying on the couch, watching Hulu Plus and trying not to feel like death (see: I'm sick).Griffin McElroy (@griffinmcelroy): I've wanted to play Final Fantasy VII for a week now. Unfortunately, I deleted it from my PS3 and PSP to save room, and can't redownload it because the PSN is down. So, instead: Board games!James Ransom-Wiley: Gonna be out and about this weekend, with that new Dungeon Raid update in my pocket!JC Fletcher (@jcfletcher): Going to continue my escape from a trap-filled ship in 999 (this nine hours has felt like weeks!) I'll probably try to start up Castle Crashers on PS3 two or three more times before remembering that it won't work.Justin McElroy (@JustinMcElroy): I'm just gonna play "Stare at my FedEx man and WILL him to bring me LA Noire." It's a dangerous game, and everyone loses.Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK): One of the benefits of planning my gaming weekends well in advance is that I've got plenty of time set aside for the stuff I've been dying to play. This week, I'll be catching up on MAG, some Warhawk, SOCOM: Confrontation and a few rounds of Heavy Rain multiplayer.Mike Schramm (@MikeSchramm): I'm doing the tourist act around LA with my brother this weekend, but that probably won't keep me from scratching the World of Warcraft itch that flared up again lately. Level 85 or bust, and then probably a Worgen of some kind.Randy Nelson (@DangerPenguin): I'm taking a brief respite from reviewing games to spend time with Portal 2 and a game I recently reviewed, Mortal Kombat. I've played the latter to death (fatality!) but just can't seem to get enough.Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Portal 2. Mortal Kombat. Maybe Clash of Heroes. League of Legends if there's time.

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Our Exclusive Interview with MonkeyPaw Games about BurgerTime HD

One of the game I remember most from my early childhood is BurgerTime. In fact, I remember first playing not in the arcade, but on one of the old-school handhelds. My relatives mentioned how they played it all the time, and it was not too long before I became just as attached as them. Even though the game’s premise and mechanics were simple, it was almost addicting.

Similar to titles like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., BurgerTime was based on a one screen grid. The basic idea places you, as Peter Pepper, in a burger factory. You must create burgers while walking over the different parts (buns, meat, lettuce, cheese). All the while, you also must avoid the enemies, which include hot dogs, pickles, and eggs. After you complete a level, you begin again.

MonkeyPaw Games has taken the classic game of BurgerTime and created a modern remix that will soon hit the WiiWare service (along with XBLA and PSN). BurgerTime HD includes new enemies, boss battles, and multiplayer. All of this takes place in a new cylindrical playing field.

We recently had the privilege of interviewing John Greiner, the President of MonkeyPaw Games. He spoke with us about this upcoming title along with his history with BurgerTime, Hudson Games, and future plans for Nintendo systems. Below is a portion of our interview.

NintendoFuse: What made you want to work in the gaming industry instead of just playing them?

John Greiner: I went to school and graduated with a BA in general education. I chose to travel the world, but only made it to Asia. I met the president of HudsonSoft, and he hired me to work on the TurboGrafx. It had already been successfully launched in Japan, but the US side was a completely different cookie. That shoved me right in front of a lot of gaming companies. I just got lucky and ended up in the industry by chance.

NF: What were some of your prior game projects?

JG: Basically, I was touching every single title that was coming out for the TurboGrafx16. The very first day I worked, I remember doing a voice recording for a game called Gundam. One of the next games was Ys Book 1 & 2. Any game that came out of Hudson that was bound for the US or Europe, I basically had somewhat of a hand in. Everything that had to be done on a foreign perspective kind of fell into my lap.

NF: Why did you choose to remake BurgerTime?

JG: BurgerTime, for us, was an obvious choice. It was our number one mobile title at Hudson. I was really shocked. It did better than Bonk and Bomberman by a magnitude. So, one of the first things I did, when we started MonkeyPaw was to go after that license, because I knew the game was pulling in that many users as it was. We already had the relationship, which made it easier to secure the license. The game started development at the beginning of 2010, and we are coming to fruition now.

NF: What types of changes to BurgerTime have you made in the remake?

JG: The game is simple, yet very addictive. The problem is that it is a 30-year old game. We think that keeping a game the way it is and just redoing the graphics is not enough. Users would like to see the old classics and play the hook again, but they do not want to see that in 1980 graphics or presentation. They want to see it in something that is about today’s hardware. The actual playing field of the game had one screen, so we decided to put it on a rotating cylinder in order to create a 3D image for the game. It allows you to see through the cylinder to see what is going on behind the cylinder. In multiplayer, this helps to see what other players are doing. You can also see the baddies coming around the corner. You can kind of get more of a three-dimensional view and also grasp of the game by inserting this new concept. We wanted to leave the mechanic and AI alone; we just expanded the playing field. The best thing that I think we have done is make it multiplayer. That makes it so much more fun to play in a competitive atmosphere.

NF: Could you elaborate on the multiplayer?

JG: We are limited on the Wii side. There is only local multiplayer on the Wii, but the other versions (PSN/XBLA) will have online. That is just the constraint of the hardware.

NF: Are there any other differences between the WiiWare version and the others?

JG: Yeah, less levels, basically. We couldn’t fit as much on. A few less boss characaters, which is a new feature. We tried to keep as much as we could, but everybody knows that is not really possible. You can only put so much. Compared to other examples, I feel like we have a lot on there.

NF: Are there any new features you are particularly excited about?

JG: I think this rotational axis gives this game a new life. It is no longer just a puzzle game. It really has this much bigger platform aspect. We need to satisfy the core, but we have to be aware that there are a number of people who have never even heard of BurgerTime. So, for those users, we want to make the game much more accessible. We included things like a rocket that you need to climb certain levels. We have added more baddies and boss characters too. It is about complexity today; you have to keep the attention span going for a much longer time.

NF: Can you explain the DLC for BurgerTime HD?

JG: The DLC is not huge, because we did not design the game around it, which a lot of guys are doing these days. We are putting out the game, and of course we will have things like extra levels and some different characters, but it is not going to be a driver. It will be supplemental for people who want to delve deeper and play the game longer.

NF: Will DLC be available for all platforms, including WiiWare?

JG: There will be some for every platform, but they will be different. Levels and characters are things we can do accross all platforms.

We would like to thank Mr. Greiner for taking some time to speak with us about BurgerTime, his history in the gaming industry, and the future of MonkeyPaw Games. Be sure to check out the full interview in our downloadable podcast. BurgerTime HD will be released in Summer 2011, so please stay tuned to NintendoFuse for further development about BurgerTime HD.

Ray Almeda, of MonkeyPaw, also stated that “If any BurgerTime fans, MonkeyPaw Games fans, or hardcore gamers out there have suggestions on what retro titles they would like revisited, you can follow MonkeyPaw Games on Twitter (@MonkeyPawGames) or LIKE Facebook.com/monkeypawgames.”

(Below is the BurgerTime HD announcement trailer, with footage from the PSN version of the game.)

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