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Today, Nintendo announced this year’s Nintendo World event, which will take place on 3rd November in Nagoya and 12th November in Osaka. Nintendo World will give fans exclusive previews of the latest games for the DS and Wii.
Via Gamespot
The first advert for Nintendo’s new Wii console was aired in Japan yesterday. Luckily, someone recorded it and stuck it up on YouTube. Here we go…
Translation:
What is this?
A new remote control.
A Nintendo Wii remote control.
Everyone’s favourite (well, mine) next generation console launches in Japan on 2nd December. Unlike the rest of the world, Japan won’t be getting Wii Sports free with the system. Here’s the list:
Trauma Centre NEO (Atlus)
Crayon Shin-Chan: Saikyou Kazoku Kasukabe King Wii (Banpresto)
Elebits (Konami)
Ennichi no Tatsujin (Bandai Namco)
Hajimete no Wii: Your First Step To Wii (Nintendo)
Kororinpa (Hudson)
Machikuru Domino (Success)
Necro-Nesia (Spike)
WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo)
Red Steel (Ubisoft)
SD Gundam Revolution (Bandai Namco)
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega)
Super Swing Golf Pangya (Tecmo)
Tamagotchi no Pika Pika Daito-ryo-! (Bandai Namco)
Wii Sports (Nintendo)
Wing Island (Hudson)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
Via Cubed 3
Much attention was focused on Sony’s Playstation 3 at the Tokyo Game Show this week. However, Sony Japan hasn’t been neglecting their portable console, and has announced that there will be some new colours on the way shortly for the PSP. A pink PSP is available in Europe in October, but now Japan will get this colour alongside silver ones very shortly too. Coloured PSPs on display at the Tokyo Game Show were blue, red and camouflage, but these were announced as strictly prototype models.
Via Gamespot
Sony Japan surprised visitors at the Tokyo Game Show today, by announcing that they’ll be selling the Playstation 3 for less than originally planned. The cheaper 20GB model was originally meant to be 62,790 yen ($340/£284), but will now be 49,980 yen ($430/£226). Sony president Ken Kutaragi explained, “If people keep saying it’s expensive, we may not be able to create the dream that PS3 is aiming for.” Kutaragi made his announcement in a bid to appeal to holiday season shoppers. The Playstation 3 is released 11th November in Japan, and 17th November in the United States, but with the Nindendo Wii due before Christmas too, the battle is on!
Source: Japan Today
Sony is to launch an online “gaming fee framework” for the Playstation 3 next year. The framework will mean that customers will have to purchase individual items and features to use in games. The first game to use this system will be Sony’s own Gran Turismo HD, where the user will be able to purchase a car for up to 100 yen ($0.85/£0.45) and a course for up to 500 yen ($4.28/£2.25). Sony will then periodically add limited edition cars and new courses in order to make more money. Oh well!
Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
The 2nd annual New York-Tokyo music festival takes place this year on 30th September in Central Park. Performers from Japan include Hifana, Mighty Crown and Samurai Jazz artists PE’Z. “Music - Games - Anime” events are given equal status on the poster, but the site seems light on details. Expect a talk by someone who watched half of Akira at a friend’s house once.
Visit the festival’s official site.
Today, a Nintendo official announced the price and date that the new Nintendo Wii console will appear in Japanese shops. Have you got your diary out? Priced at 25,000 yen ($213/£113), it will be released on 2nd December. This price is less than half of its Sony rival, the Playstation 3, which is due for release 11th November. Nintendo also say that they aim to ship 6 million units before March 2007. So if you’re not into video games, the holiday season could be a lonesome one, as the couch is now reserved by your partner or children!
Also, wii.com, the official Nintendo Wii site, has launched.
Source: Mainichi
Nintendo has announced details of their new Voice Over IP headset. The headset (pictured) will be used to chat over a Wi-Fi Internet connection to opponents during such games as Metroid Prime: Hunters, and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.
The headset will be available in Japan on 14th September and will retail at 1200 yen ($10/£5.50).
Source: Famitsu
An upcoming release for the Nintendo Wii console, Sengoku Musou Wave, will be unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show this year, which is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary. Nintendo were not expected to make an appearance at the show as they normally never do, but are presumed to keep a low profile instead. The title is still under development, but will no doubt arouse excitement for the new console, expected for release later this year. Sony has promised to have 27 games on display for the forthcoming Playstation 3. Some of these titles include Fatal Inertia, Bladestorm, Ni-oh and Mahjong Contest IV. The Tokyo Game Show begins 22nd September in Chiba, Tokyo, and a large crowd is expected this year, especially since these new consoles are due for release very soon.
Bandai, creators of the Tamagotchi virtual pet that sold 40 million, have launched a new product aimed at relieving stressed office workers. Ants Life Studio, shows digital ants on a handheld screen hard at work. They build and destroy nests, find caterpillars to feed their queen ant; all while they avoid being killed by spiders. Bandai say the game can sit on an office desk, taking pressure off that person’s own work as they observe. The game is interactive, yet not much assistance is needed by busy office workers except warding off those hungry spiders! 100 different nests can be built, so there’s plenty to monitor. The toy is 15cm/6″, priced 7980 yen ($69/£37) and will be available to buy mid-November.
Source: Yahoo News
It’s the 10th anniversary of Pokemon this year, and what better way to celebrate it than a concert featuring music from the series of games. Club Nintendo will distribute tickets for the concert by lottery to members who register any Pokemon game by 25th September. Japan only entries I’m afraid!
Via Japanmanship
A week prior to the Playstation 3 being released in Japan, Microsoft has plans to release a cheaper version of their Xbox 360. The hard-disk drive and headset won’t be part of this console, resulting in the cheaper price of 29,800 yen ($255/£137), which is half the price of the Playstation 3. The release date is 2nd November, but Microsoft will continue to sell the Xbox 360 full version with the 20GB hard-drive, wireless controller and remote control. With Nintendo’s release of the Wii before the end of the year, the games console competition is going to be an interesting one!
The Tokyo Game Show runs from the 22nd-24th of this month, and is held at the Mekuhari Messe exhibition complex in Chiba-city. For those of you who can’t attend but really wish you were here, use this floor plan to imagine yourself walking around, talking to people, seeing all the great new products etc. You’ll have a great time.
To celebrate the release of Mogitate Tingle no Barairo Rupee Land, one enthusiastic member of staff from a video game store in Akihabara decided to dress exactly like Legend of Zelda spin-off character Tingle. The game was released on Saturday for Nintendo DS.
Story and photo via Jean Snow.
