Thanks,

~Scoutsavoy

While our sources are reluctant to be too specific about “Wii HD,” they have been able to divulge some (albeit predictable) generalizations. High definition visuals are assured, as is a greater emphasis on digitally distributed and backwardly compatible content, indicating that the new system will feature some form of local storage medium such as a hard drive or large flash memory solution. It has also been indicated that Nintendo’s emphasis is again on what the consumer will hold in their hands and interact with, rather than the “console” itself.
Nintendo has proven it can be extremely successful by leveraging processor technology that is not on the bleeding edge, and be more profitable and more innovative as a result. In a 2006 interview with Business Week, Nintendo visionary Shigeru Miyamoto stated, “The consensus [at Nintendo] was that power isn’t everything for a console. Too many powerful consoles can’t coexist. It’s like having only ferocious dinosaurs. They might fight and hasten their own extinction.” Based on our conversations about “Wii HD” this attitude would seem to still prevail.

But why should you believe this? Everything stated so far could easily have been the result of educated guesswork or speculation. While a Nintendo representative provided the expected response that, “Nintendo does not comment on speculation or rumor,” there is additional evidence, outside this commentary, to suggest that something is going on.
 

Based on figures from Nintendo’s annual financial reports, the company is currently spending more than ten times as much on research and development as it was five years ago, and since the Wii was launched in 2006, R&D spending has more than tripled. While this could be attributed to any number of additional projects, the level of spending suggests that a large project is in the works. In 2003, Nintendo declared that $34 million was spent on R&D. This figure steadily climbed to $103 million in 2006 (the year that the Wii launched) and the following year bumped dramatically to $370 million. When asked to explain the escalated spending, Nintendo representatives were unable to provide comment.

The current Wii hardware is based upon processors and graphics technology supplied by IBM and AMD. These two companies have a joint development agreement together, which is described by AMD as being focused “on delivering a range of integrated platforms to serve key markets, including … gaming and media computing.”
The joint development agreement between IBM and AMD expires on December 31, 2011 but “may be extended further by the mutual agreement of the parties.” This suggests that Nintendo will be leveraging research and development from the partnership in time to ensure that it’s new hardware will be compatible with the Wii’s current “Hollywood” and “Broadway” processors. As Microsoft learned in the transition from Xbox to Xbox 360, switching hardware vendors can make running older games on a new system a much more difficult proposition.

The dramatic bump in spending at Nintendo may also be reflective of Nintendo’s work on a rumored new DS, said to feature a camera and music player. Iterating on the DS in 2009 would certainly shake up the market, though given the incredible monthly sales of the device it hardly needs reinvigorating for the time being. When the Nintendo DS was launched in 2004, the worldwide installed base of the Game Boy Advance was 53 million (on top of the Game Boy’s incredibly huge 118 million.) So far, 80 million Nintendo DS units have been sold worldwide, and demand shows no sign of slowing.

It is unlikely that any official acknowledgement of Nintendo’s new hardware will come until at least 2009, however company president Satoru Iwata will be delivering his annual fall presentation this Wednesday.

UPDATE: Nintendo has now announced it’s brand new NIntendo DSi, which features a 3 megapixel camera. We have more news about it here.

HERE IS A SNEAK PEAK STRAIGHT FROM NOGC!!

AWSOMENESS!!! “I know whats going on my chrimstmas list that year ,lol”

The Wii is now leading this generation of home consoles by quite a margin, despite being released a year later than the Xbox 360. And while sales of the Xbox 360 have gone up and down more often than Russell Brand’s crotch, the Wii has consistently done well every month, with peaks at the time of big new releases. The PS3, meanwhile, hasn’t really even got started.

But how long can this Wii bandwagon roll on for? Surely there will come a time when every casual intrigued enough by the system to be tempted to buy one has done just that? Maybe not, because Nintendo keeps adding reasons for casuals to be tempted.”

~Scoutsavoy~!

The game begins with an animated intro sequence that really raises the bar for Wii cut-scenes, courtesy of the Production I.G studio, also responsible for the cut-scenes in Namco’s Tales RPGs and Level-5′s Professor Layton games. The animation is incredibly crisp – we almost thought we were looking at a 720p image before remembering that such things aren’t possible with the Wii hardware. Even so, at 480p The Shake Dimension looks gorgeous throughout. The animation from the cut-scenes also manages to worm its way into the playable action, with Wario and all other characters animated like Studio Ghibli excerpts in-game. This gives the graphical style a surprising amount of character and, set against lush backdrops and vivid foreground details, the action still runs at a flawless 60fps. Some of the animated flourishes are obviously unnecessary, such as Wario’s brief gymnastics-style ‘finishing pose’ when he lands after looping off a bar, but these things make us smile. Granted, this is “just” a 2D platformer, but it’s even prettier than Super Paper Mario, which is saying something.

The main gameplay conceit is found in the game’s title, with shakes of the Wii Remote working wonders when used at the right time. For example, you can pick up a bag of money and then shake the Remote to send coins flying across the screen, free for Wario to collect. Elsewhere, shaking the Remote can cause environmental shifts that make obstructive blocks crumble and hidden passages appear. A quick shake can also have an effect similar to that of the POW block from Super Mario games, demobilising all on-screen enemies in an instant. Fortunately, this shaking system isn’t over-used – you’ll only need to use it when other methods are inadequate – although it can pay (literally, when there’s treasure to be found) to experiment from time to time.

Thankfully, the Remote-shake trick isn’t the limit of Wario Land: The Shake Dimension’s clever gameplay ideas. As is common in Wario platformers, each level has multiple objectives that are rewarded with stars. You can ‘clear’ a stage just by getting to the end (which is actually the beginning – more on that in a minute), but to really complete it you might need to collect a minimum number of coins, finish the stage in a certain amount of time and perform a particular task without losing any energy. Each world’s early stages pack three such objectives; later levels offer anywhere up to ten stars to be earned. There are also a few secret items hidden in each stage, often including secret maps that are essential for finding lost levels. The Shake Dimension’s level design is mazy but never disorientating, and because of the amount of hidden stuff to be found it pays to explore every corner. Eventually, though, you’ll get to what appears to be the ‘end’ of a level and there you’ll meet a little birdie carrying an arrow sign, who helpfully guides you back along a path through the level to your starting point. That’s the end… Got it?

In terms of control style, The Shake Dimension demands that you hold the Remote horizontally, like a NES or SNES pad, and because of the Remote-shaking features there’s no facility for using a Classic Controller or GameCube pad here. That put us off a little at first, because we’re not perfectly comfortable with holding the Remote like this for long periods of time (we blame our giant freak hands), but at least the d-pad corresponds precisely to Wario’s movement. We think Wario could do with a bit more ‘slip’ to his running style (think Mario’s movement in Super Mario World), as he never really builds up any inertia in The Shake Dimension. Still, to compensate for his slowish pace, there are special speed-boost blocks called Dash Pipes dotted around each level: when Wario climbs inside these blocks, by standing atop them and tapping down on the d-pad, he gets propelled out at a speed approaching that of Mega Drive-era Sonic the Hedgehog. And the animation is well up to the task, drawing this hefty sprinter with his paunch dragged back by the apparent G-force he’s experiencing. (You can find another Sonic connection in The Shake Dimension’s stage clear screens, by the way, which are clearly influenced by Sonic 1′s zigzagged-edge level-clear templates…)

The Remote is also used as a tilt-style controller in some of the game’s scenarios. For instance, Wario finds a unicycle in some early levels, which is essential for making progress and reaching out-of-the-way areas. To ride the unicycle, you have to jump into its hull and then tilt the Remote left or right. It’s a bit like a 21st century Unirally, and the bounce in the tyre is conveyed perfectly to ensure that it’s fun to control. Similar setups are used to good effect in a scrolling shoot ‘em up submarine level, but here the d-pad is used to move the sub left or right while the tilting motion directs the ship’s nose and also guides your missile shots. The unicycle theme is later revisited and built on to produce one of the game’s best boss battles, too, as Wario rides a special rocket-powered unicycle in a high-speed pursuit of a car-and-driver boss combo with more tricks than Inspector Gadget and his legendary Gadgetmobile.

The game-world here is broken up into maps of lands, with maps sold at an in-game shop for gradually increasing coin quantities – the map which reveals world one costs 50,000 coins, the map to world two costs 100,000, and so on. Items including bonus materials, such as the opening movie (for repeated viewing) and soundtrack selections (for listening to in the game’s Audio Room) can also be bought at the shop. This isn’t as big a game as classics such as Super Mario World, but if you’re as greedy a gamer as Wario is a game-star, The Shake Dimension would seem to have you covered with its collection schemes that encourage you to explore the game with the goal of finding every last coin, star and item. We’re looking forward to spending even more time with this tasty slice of 2D platforming pie when Nintendo dishes it out in Australia at the end of September.

Tier 1: “Getting the Band Together” (Nipmuc High School)

* “All the Young Dudes” by Mott the Hoople (cover)
* “Draw the Line” by Aerosmith
* “Dream Police” by Cheap Trick
* “Make It” by Aerosmith (re-recorded)
* “Uncle Salty” by Aerosmith

Tier 2: “First Taste of Success” (Max’s Kansas City)

* “All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks (cover)
* “I Hate Myself for Loving You” by Joan Jett
* “Movin’ Out” by Aerosmith (re-recorded)
* “No Surprize” by Aerosmith
* “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith

Tier 3: “The Triumphant Return” (The Orpheum)

* “Complete Control” by The Clash
* “Livin’ on the Edge” by Aerosmith
* “Love in an Elevator” by Aerosmith
* “Personality Crisis” by New York Dolls (cover)
* “Rag Doll” by Aerosmith

Tier 4: “International Superstars” (Moscow)

* “Bright Light Fright” by Aerosmith
* “King of Rock” by Run-D.M.C.
* “Nobody’s Fault” by Aerosmith
* “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult
* “Walk This Way” by Run-D.M.C. featuring Aerosmith

Tier 5: “The Great American Band” (Half Time Show)

* “Always on the Run” by Lenny Kravitz
* “Back in the Saddle” by Aerosmith
* “Beyond Beautiful” by Aerosmith
* “Dream On” by Aerosmith (re-recorded)
* “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes (cover)

Tier 6: “Rock N Roll Legends” (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

* “Cat Scratch Fever” by Ted Nugent
* “Mama Kin” by Aerosmith (re-recorded)
* “Sex Type Thing” by Stone Temple Pilots
* “Toys In The Attic” by Aerosmith
* “Train Kept A Rollin” by Aerosmith
* “Guitar Battle vs Joe Perry” by Joe Perry

Bonus Songs (The Vault)

* “Combination” by Aerosmith
* “Kings and Queens” by Aerosmith
* “Let The Music Do The Talking” by Aerosmith
* “Mercy” by Joe Perry
* “Pandora’s Box” by Aerosmith
* “Pink” by Aerosmith
* “Rats In The Cellar” by Aerosmith
* “Shakin’ My Cage” by Joe Perry
* “Talk Talkin” by Joe Perry
* “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata realizes that Nintendo fans are disappointed. In a recent interview with SpiegelOnline, Iwata was nothing short of humble when discussing Nintendo’s failure to capture the hardcore gamer at E3 this year. When prompted to respond to the sentiment of disappointment from gamers, Iwata explained that the reason Nintendo was not able to cater to the hardcore crowd was because of release schedules.

We wanted to show what we are this year and [in] early 2009 on the market. We have [never neglected] hardcore gamers, and there are still teams in such games. It just takes longer [to develop] these games; they finish in two to three years. We could not bring any [hardcore games] in the beginning of 2009, so we couldn’t show any at E3.

If Iwata’s previous statements about upcoming hardcore games mean anything, this implies that Mario, Zelda, or even Pikmin will appear eventually, just not before early 2009. All of this was prefaced by Iwata saying that the Wii’s success was built on the premise of lowering “the hurdle” of games to bring along a new following. Certainly, while it may be exciting to get our hands on one of those hallmark first-party Nintendo titles like Mario or Zelda, I think I’ll pass on the new standard that is WiiMusic. Hopefully Mr. Iwata doesn’t think that the majority of us would like to watch Link walk through a dungeon as we mindlessly hit “A” to simulate discovery.