Play Mario Kart Win the Race and drive home with a new real Mario Kart VW Beetle Convertible. It’s the same old PR crap blah blah blah! I am sorry just bitter I don’t live in the UK.Â
To celebrate the launch of Mario Kart Wii, Nintendo and GAME are challenging the nation to take part in the Mario Kart Grand Wii, a tournament set to find the country’s best Mario Kart driver. Keen drivers will be first off the grid, trialing the new game before it goes on sale anywhere in the world and could win themselves their own Mario Kart VW Beetle Convertible.
Thirty GAME stores across the UK will be opening their doors to fans old and new of one of the world’s best loved racing games from Saturday 5th April. Heats will be taking place at each of the specially selected GAME stores throughout the day and the finalist from each location will go forward to race for a chance to win a Mario Kart Wii inspired VW Beetle Convertible.
Prizes up for grabs at GAME stores include copies of the game and £250 of ‘Experience Vouchers’ for activities including Karting, Paintballing, Quad Biking and other action packed family adventures. In addition, each GAME store will feature its own prize draw with the winner receiving a Mario Kart Gift Card worth £50 to spend in-store! The ‘Grand Wii’ final will take place at an exclusive racing day event at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, Surrey on the 12th April which will see a winner cross the finish line and claim their prize.
You may think you’ve been racing as the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest for a long time, but now there’s a new racer in town: Your Mii! Put your Mii behind the wheel and take on all comers! For those who want to get into the game even more, Mario Kart Wii comes packed with the Wii Wheel. Shaped like a steering wheel, you place the Wii Remote inside the Wii Wheel’s casing and get ready to ride! In addition to the Wii Remote, you can also use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in combo, or use a GameCube Controller to take those tight turns and challenges Mario Kart Wii throws at you.
Those looking for world ranking domination can take on up to 11 players simultaneously worldwide using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service which will offer them the chance to race other players across the globe in a nail-biting contest of speed and skill! Prefer to keep the rivalry a little closer to home? Try the Multiplayer Mode, in which up to four people will be able to challenge each other in the comfort of their own living room, bringing the on screen excitement into a whole new dimension.
MARIO KART GRAND Wii EVENT DETAILS:
WHEN: Saturday 5th April 2008
WHERE: GAME Stores at the following locations:
MANCHESTER Unit 59 Arndale Centre
TRAFFORD 124 Peel Centre Trafford Centre
BOURNEMOUTH Unit 4, Avenue Centre Commercial Road
PORSTMOUTH 226 Commercial Road Portsmouth
STEVENAGE Unit 4A The Forum
MERRYHILL Unit 87, Lower Mall Merryhill Shopping Centre
READING Unit 18 Oracle Shopping Centre
BASINGSTOKE Unit 15 Festival Place
BRAEHEAD Unit 57 Braehead Shopping Centre Kings Inch Rd
GLASGOW 146 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow
MILTON KEYNES 15 Crown Walk Milton Keynes
NOTTINGHAM Unit 308A Victoria Centre
LEEDS 50-52 Albion Street Leeds
LUTON 142-144 Arndale Centre Luton
CHELTENHAM Unit A 100/104 High Street
CRIBBS CAUSEWAY Unit LR53 Cribbs Causeway
CARDIFF 92 Queen Street Cardiff
NEWCASTLE FENWICKS (GAME CONCESSION) 39 Northumberland Street Newcastle
GATESHEAD
METRO CENTRE 17 Red Pathway Metro Centre
BLACKBURN 10-12 Market Way Blackburn
WIGAN 27 Standish Gate Wigan
HANLEY 214-215 The Potteries Hanley
LONDON HAMLEYS 188-196 Regent Street London
LONDON 100 Oxford Street London
THURROCK Unit 106 Lakeside Shopping Centre
ROMFORD Unit 15 Liberty 2 Centre
TAUNTON 45-46 Fore Street Taunton
EDINBURGH 127 Princes Street Edinburgh
DUNDEE 51 Murraygate Dundee
KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES 3rd Floor The Bentalls Center
Mario Kart Wii launches in the UK on the 11th April at the estimated retail price of £35.
Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
KING’S KNIGHTâ„¢ (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave fighters to save her. Through five thrilling, fast-action stages, our gallant heroes-a knight, a wizard, a monster and a thief-will take on an army of incredible enemies. You must help them reach their goal, as you are now part of the team that will fight to free the princess from her imprisonment. Keep your wits about you, plan your strategy and set off on an exciting adventure.
POWERBALLâ„¢ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Eight different teams representing various nations are vying to become the POWERBALL champions, and you control one of the eight in your quest for the championship. A hybrid of games like rugby and football, POWERBALL is played on a 100-yard field. Try to score by either carrying the ball into your opponent’s end zone or kicking it into your opponent’s net for points. This one- or two-player game offers both exhibition and league play. Jump into a game of POWERBALL and try a brand new sport.
Anyone I know that has played the Wii has found it be an incredible piece of gaming hardware, but it turns out the Wii remote is capable of even more than we thought. Johnny Chung Lee, a graduate assistant in the human-computer interaction department at Carnegie Mellon University, has adapted the Wii remote to serve as a digital whiteboard and a head tracking for VR displays.
Hopefully Nintendo will figure out a way to use this in a game.
Update: I talked with Lee about his applications of the Wii remote, and he said the whiteboard and head tracking headset were “relatively old research concepts.”
“I basically just looked at those ideas and then mixed that technology with the Wii remote,” Lee said.
Lee, who said he plays “a fair amount of games,” said a great variety of games could benefit from the headset.
“The nice thing about the head tracking is that it provides you with a concept called motion paralax,” he said. “So any game that uses space could be retrofit to use head tracking: 3D games, and even 2D games or tabletop games.”
Lee also said he has gotten e-mails from hundreds of educators from around the world who have used his whiteboard software, and the head tracking headset could also have military and medical applications.
Lee said he hopes games are made using this technology, but developing hardware such as this is a “pretty big risk.”
“It will sort of have to be up to a marketing department to say if it’s safe enough to make a game like this,” Lee said, “but hopefully that’ll happen.”
A new feature of the Wii Shop channel beginning this week is the ability to send a friend a Virtual Console title as a gift–just in time for the holidays. There is a catch, though; gift giving will require you to start learning and trading those 16-digit friend codes.
Ghosts’n Goblins (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Animated Violence, 500 Wii Points): Ghosts’n Goblins was a popular arcade game before it made the leap to the NES in 1986. Like later games in the series, Ghosts’n Goblins presents quite a challenge to players brave enough to take on the role of Arthur and delve into the realm of demons and monsters to rescue the kidnapped princess. Choose your weapons wisely and take advantage of their strengths to deal with the situation at hand. Pass through the six gates that stand between you and Astaroth, and teach him a lesson in chivalry he’ll never forget. Demonstrating a high level of technical prowess for a game of its era, Ghosts’n Goblins presents a unique and unforgettable universe. The stage for adventure is set. Are you up to the test?
BASEBALL STARS 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of BASEBALL STARS 2. You’ll find everything you’d expect in a classic game of baseball, but with an arcade feel and intense action that distinguish it from the pack. Pick one of six unique teams from cities around the world, then get ready for nine innings of excitement, whether you’re taking on the computer in a 15-game tournament or squaring off against a friend. There are two modes of game play, so even the most inexperienced player can compete at the major-league level (with a little computer-aided fielding). Watch as the game develops through split-screen views and close-up shots worthy of any highlight film, and see if you can catch the numerous over-the-top animations of the large and detailed player models. Think you have what it takes to win the pennant?
The Wii’s Virtual Console has sold 7.8 million downloads so far, totaling 3.5 billion yen, which is about $33 million, according to a post by IGN quoting Nintendo executive Shinji Hatano. With 175 games available, according to that most trusted of sources Wikipedia, that comes out to about $188,500 per game and about 44,500 downloads per game.
Apparently, Nintendo doesn’t know whether that’s good or not.
“We’re currently unsure if this is a lot or low,” Hatano said. “They’re not bad figures.”
The costs for maintaining the Virtual Console service can’t be very high, so I would guess that they’re at least making a tidy amount. Then again, when you’ve sold over 1 million consoles and grossed $172 million in one week, $33 million in about a year can’t be terribly exciting.
Nintendo had it’s biggest week ever, selling 653,000 DS Lites, the all-time high for any console from the company, and 350,000 Wiis, second only to the week of launch.
My response is what did you expect? Of course it’s going to be more than they have ever sold for previous consoles. Video games, especially consoles, have only exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry since then, so it’s not like there’s a smaller pool of people to buy the things.
It’s like when movie companies break opening weekend records. Movies break these records because it costs twice as much to go to the movies as it did even 10 years ago, let alone the 50 years since some of the greatest movies have been released. In a similar, though admittedly slightly different way, video games are going to continuously break these records because they’re only going to get more popular. Of course, when they reach a certain point of saturation the record-breakings will come slower, but they will still happen for the same reason.
What’s more interesting are the relative records. What precentage of the population that plays video games bought a DS in this one week? If it’s more than the percentage of gamers that bought a NES when it was 3 years from it’s U.S. launch, then that’s something impressive and would certainly make me say it had broken some records.
Nintendo of America has set a new sales record by selling more products during the Thanksgiving week than at any other time in the company’s history.
During the period November 18 to November 24, over 653,000 DS units were sold, smashing the previous record of 600,000 Game Boy Advance consoles sold in 2005.
A further 350,000 Wii home systems were also snapped up by Christmas shoppers, along with “millions of games and accessories”. Here is the full release:
In the first week of the 2007 holiday shopping season, Nintendo of America has sold more Nintendo products than at any other time in its history. This includes more than 653,000 Nintendo DSâ„¢ portable video game systems, 350,000 Wiiâ„¢ home systems and millions of games and accessories throughout the United States - and the season is just getting started.
Nintendo DS set a new all-time sales record for Thanksgiving week, eclipsing the previous mark of 600,000 Game Boy® Advance systems sold during the same period in the United States in 2005. Nintendo DS remains on track to be the top-selling video game system of 2007.
Nintendo’s 350,000 Wii systems represent the highest one-week U.S. sales total outside of its launch week one year ago. Wii has been dubbed the must-have gift of the 2007 holiday season and has been placed at the top of numerous gift lists. Nintendo has repeatedly increased its shipments and its fiscal-year sales forecast for Wii in an attempt to meet soaring demand. Wii reached 5 million sold in the United States faster than any video game system in history, after only 12 months of availability there.
Both Wii and Nintendo DS have continued their yearlong momentum into the holidays without altering their prices. And both remain attractive values for shoppers: Wii has an MSRP of $249.99, while Nintendo DS has an MSRP of $129.99.
“As shoppers look for ways to maximize their limited holiday spending money, they turn to gifts that can be used by the entire family,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Wii and Nintendo DS offer something for every member of the family. They’re the most fun video game experiences at the most affordable price.”
With higher gas prices and fuel costs, and the lukewarm expectations for the 2007 holiday shopping season, Wii and Nintendo DS might be just what Santa ordered: Thirty-five percent of consumers said they plan to spend less than they did last year, according to a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. for the Consumer Federation of America and the Credit Union National Association. Similarly, a USA Today/Gallup Poll showed that 25 percent of Americans expect to spend less on gifts this year than they did in 2006.
Note that the internal Nintendo of America numbers referenced in this release represent sales from Sunday, Nov. 18, through Saturday, Nov. 24.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
Greenpeace has given Nintendo a zero out of 10, the lowest score the organization has ever given, in it’s recent quarterly survey of top consumer electronics manufacturers. Microsoft also got a failing grade, placing 16th out of 18, while Sony whomped the competition, placing 3rd.
Greenpeace gave Nintendo a zero for not giving consumers various toxicity information and using certain materials.
Nintendo offered consumers no information on the use of harmful chemicals in its consoles, including offering no list of banned or restricted substances. The company also had no policy regarding the use of vinyl plastic (PVC) or brominated flame retardants and scored zero in four categories related to recycling, Greenpeace said.
Microsoft failed because it doesn’t plan to eliminate toxic chemicals from it’s products until 2011. Sony ranked third with its PVC-free products and improved reporting of recycling.
This is the first issue Greenpeace has included video game console and T.V. manufacturers in it’s survey. The highest scorers were mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson and electronics manufacturer Samsun, who both scored 7.7.
Let’s hope you all survived the long and food filled holiday weekend. Can’t get off the couch after eating leftover turkey for 3 days, do a little shopping from the comfort of your couch.
Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
DOUBLE DRIBBLE™ (NES®, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points):
DOUBLE DRIBBLE, the first 5-on-5, full-court home basketball game, is pure hoops action at its finest. While still a surprisingly accurate basketball game for its time, the frantic action keeps you on your toes as your players run from one end of the court to the other. Choose from a handful of teams and multiple levels of difficulty as you take on the computer alone or challenge a friend and see who has the better skills. Take the ball and sink shots from locations all over the court, or get in your opponent’s face and do your best to block the shot. Better yet, drive the lane and rock the rim to see one of the game’s trademark slam-dunk cut scenes. He shoots, he scores!
Vegas Stakes™ (Super NES®, 1-4 players, rated E for Everyone – Simulated Gambling, 800 Wii Points):
Feel like taking a road trip to Las Vegas? Let your inner high roller go wild as you try your luck at five different games-blackjack, slots, poker, craps and roulette. Start with only $1,000 in your pocket and play your way through five casinos, each with a different theme and varying limits. But no one wants to gamble alone, right? Not a problem, as you’ll be able to choose one of four friends to tag along and offer advice when you need it. Further enhancing the experience is the fact that you’ll be presented with a slew of interactions with random casino patrons. Best be careful, though-your choices in these situations could either get you closer to the millions of dollars you’re after or cost you a pile of that hard-earned cash. Roll the dice, spin the wheel, hit or stand-do whatever it takes to stake your claim in Vegas and beat the house!
Ecco Jr.â„¢ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points):
The aquatic adventures of Ecco come to life for a younger generation of gamers. Perfect for kids, Ecco Jr. finds our young hero heading out to sea with a variety of tasks he must perform in order to get there. Along with his friends Tara the baby orca and Kitnee the young Atlantic dolphin, Ecco Jr. will interact with sea lions, sea horses and other aquatic life as he makes his journey to the Big Blue. Introduce your kids to the classic series of Ecco the Dolphin titles by downloading Ecco Jr. today.
Yesterday Nintendo revealed that Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii sold over 500,000 units in its first week of sale in the US.
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 20, 2007 - Could Super Mario Galaxyâ„¢ be the best video game of all time?
If you ask critics and consumers, the answer is a resounding yes. Reviewers for video game and mainstream media alike are responding with high marks to the boundless sense of wonder and fun the game brings to both experienced and novice players.
Independent review-tracking site GameRankings.com now lists Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo’s Wiiâ„¢ system as the best-reviewed game of all time, and another review-tracking site, Metacritic.com, lists Super Mario Galaxy as having “Universal Acclaim,” with a score of 98 out of 100.
More on what reviewers are saying:
GameSpot.com: Super Mario Galaxy “has tons of appeal for both the less experienced player and the longtime gamer. … If ever there were a must-own Wii game, Super Mario Galaxy is it.”
Yahoo!: “… you’d be hard pressed to find (a game) as genuinely enjoyable as Mario’s latest. If you own a Wii, you should own this, too.”
1UP.com - “Galaxy proves that Mario matters just as much today as he did 25 years ago, and that makes him one of a kind in this medium. But don’t play Galaxy simply because Mario is the timeless godfather of gaming. No, play Galaxy because it’s fantastic.”
“Super Mario Galaxy had the strongest one-week debut of any Wii game to date and has also become the best-selling Mario title ever in its first week, with U.S. sales of more than 500,000, based on internal sales figures,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “It makes an easy gift choice as the holiday shopping season kicks off.”
Consumers can try Super Mario Galaxy before they buy it at one of 25 malls across the country during Nintendo’s Mall Experience, showcasing all the best video games for the holidays. Nintendo’s Mall Experience runs through Jan. 8. To find a mall near you, visit http://wii.nintendo.com/malltour_07.jsp.
For more information about Super Mario Galaxy, please visit www.SuperMarioGalaxy.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
Well This is not the place to find them. But If you Think you can do a better job of posting or reporting on news stories? Prove it. OLGn is searching for talented writers to assist in the site’s daily news writing duties.
We are looking for smart, capable freelance news writers to lend a hand [...]
In case you haven’t heard, the word on the street is that Jeff Gerstmann, long time reviewer and current editorial director for Gamespot, has been fired for giving Kane and Lynch a mediocre, though very negatively worded, score. According to the rumor mill, Eidos got pissed and threatened to withdraw the huge amount of advertising [...]
Video Game Chartz has released the hardware sales chart for America for the week ending Nov. 10, and once again Nintendo’s Wii is first and Sony has come in last.
The Wii came in first for the week at 192, 482, followed by the Xbox 360 at 173,895 and the DS at 142,299. Sony’s PSP [...]
KING’S KNIGHTâ„¢ (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave fighters to save her. Through five thrilling, fast-action stages, our gallant heroes-a knight, a wizard, a monster and a thief-will take on an army of incredible enemies. You must help them reach their goal, as you are now part of the team that will fight to free the princess from her imprisonment. Keep your wits about you, plan your strategy and set off on an exciting adventure.
POWERBALLâ„¢ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Eight different teams representing various nations are vying to become the POWERBALL champions, and you control one of the eight in your quest for the championship. A hybrid of games like rugby and football, POWERBALL is played on a 100-yard field. Try to score by either carrying the ball into your opponent’s end zone or kicking it into your opponent’s net for points. This one- or two-player game offers both exhibition and league play. Jump into a game of POWERBALL and try a brand new sport.
