Game Design Workshop is a new feature where we work through the fictional design of an overlooked genre of game. This is not an actual game in development, but more a pitch for a game we can’t believe no one has made yet.
The pitch
Where are the cheerleading games? Other than one scheduled for the Wii and a few others that have appeared as shovelware, where are these titles? It may sound like a silly premise for a game, but consider it for a moment more.
What does the diminutive Wii need more than anything? Not so fast with talk of a hard drive! No, what it really needs is its own personal seven inch screen. That way you can feel even more like a giant while playing it!
Chinavision has head your cries and delivered just such a product. The seven inch monitor is similar to those that have been released in the past for the PS2 and Xbox. It conveniently (at least in pictures) attaches to the system, features stereo speakers, auxiliary AV connectors, and 480×234 resolution.
Johnny Lee is a nerd’s nerd. He wasn’t simply satisfied with owning the hard to find Wii. No, Mr. Lee wanted to make a cool little gaming system even cooler. And he succeeded. That’s a nerd’s nerd.
Specifically, Mr. Lee is behind the famous tech demo using a pair of glasses to make the Wii present actual 3D images using head tracking software. In turn, this technique will now be used in Electronic Arts Boom Blox title. Not too shabby Mr. Lee, but he wasn’t done there. A new tech demo shows off using the Wii as a virtual whiteboard, a use that Lee notes could save schools thousands of dollars. Again, not too shabby.
GameStop, that bastion of used-game goodness, recently revealed some fairly expected news for gamers. In an investor conference call, GameStop executives revealed that Wii shortages will likely last the next six months, while both the Xbox 360 and PS3 look headed for $50 price drops.
Executives stressed that the price cuts were not official but simply their speculation. They also happened to speculate about a $30 price cut on the PS2. None of this is too surprising, as people have been expecting such a cut on the PS2 for nearly a year now. The Xbox 360 and PS3 price cuts would go a long way toward getting both closer to a mass market price of $200-250. (more…)
If you’re a Wii owner, you may feel like you’re often an after thought to most third party developers. Not so for Electronic Arts, who has announced they currently have eight titles from their EA Sports franchises slated for the Wii. Eight EA Sports titles? Is it a blessing or a curse? (more…)
If you’re going to design a cartoon racing game, it should be required by law that one level takes place on a roller coaster track. Really, is there anywhere you’d rather race? Perhaps the bottom of the ocean. This image of Mario Kart Wii showcases what appears to be a roller coaster inspired mine cart level for Nintendo’s new flagship racer. Is it the spark of originality that Mario Kart needs to keep from getting stale? Click on the image for a full sized version.
First some Wiis can’t read the discs and now this? What else can Brawl fans hope for?
According to some, it’s impossible to get online and play a match during the evening. It seems people are getting disconnected and are receiving endless error messages. Well hopefully Nintendo remedies this problem soon. Maybe next time they’ll take the time to fully test a product. If nothing else, just keep trying to get online.
This new gameplay video of Mario Kart Wii does a couple of things. First, it shows off many of the new tracks in the game. They look beautiful, and while the Wii may not be the graphical powerhouse that the PS3 and Xbox 360 are, it more than holds its own with this title. Second, it showcases the new trick system and motorcycles. Both look, well, interesting. Neither is exactly sellable from this video alone, but at least they don’t look broke, either.
You’re not alone. In fact, Nintendo has set up a special support page for people with this problem. This has, no doubt, angered many Super Smash Bros. fans who have waited for the game after delays set back the release date, only to find out their Wii won’t even play it.
Since the game is a dual layered DVD with a lot of memory stored on it, some Wii’s are having trouble reading the disc. According to Nintendo, “A very small percentage of Wii consoles may have trouble consistently reading data off this large capacity disc if there is some contamination on the lens of the disc drive. Nintendo has specialized cleaning equipment that can resolve this problem.” (more…)
Want to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl online, but have no friends? Not really the sociable type to go out and make friends? Well, the Internet has a solution for your anti-social behavior, again!
MapWii is a neat little Google Maps mashup site that plots Wii owners around the world. The neat part is that you can sort by games they own and players can enter their Wii friend codes. Sure, it isn’t quite as elegant as Xbox Live, but it’s better than nothing. (more…)
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