From Gamecube 2 to Revolution to Wii. Catch up on the Wii's rumors and developments since February 2004 in Part 1 of this Wii report at Gameworld Network (GWN).
With lots of patience, dedication and skill, you can reproduce the polygon Link (pictured below) from the Nintendo 64 game "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." Check out the printable template here, composed of 67 individual pieces.
A demo of Saints Row is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo is about 900 megs and is available in all regions except Germany and Mexico. The full game is scheduled for release on August 29, 2006 on the Xbox 360 from publisher THQ. Read more about Saints Row at the official web site.
Watch Rico pull off land (and air) stunts in this video of the upcoming game, Just Cause. Game publisher Eidos is releasing the free roaming game, centered around latino field op Rico Rodriguez.
From Eidos: "Paradise is in turmoil, and a corrupt government stockpiling weapons of mass destruction could mean the end of world peace. The time has come for revolution, though the task at hand is not for the feint of heart. Enter Rico Rodriguez, Latin field operative and specialist in regime change, who can not only single handedly ignite revolution in the upcoming free-roaming action game Just Cause, but do it with style."
Check out more on Just Cause, coming to the Xbox 360, PC, PS2 and Xbox consoles from Swedish developer Avalanche Studios.
Here's the response from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) regarding Sunday's news on the E3Expo:
From ESA:
"To better address the needs of today’s global computer and video game industry, the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3Expo) is evolving into a more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today.
“The world of interactive entertainment has changed since E3Expo was created 12 years ago. At that time we were focused on establishing the industry and securing orders for the holiday season,” said Douglas Lowenstein, President of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers and the owner of E3Expo. “Over the years, it has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences.”
The new E3Expo will take shape over the next several months. As currently envisioned, it will still take place in Los Angeles, described by ESA as a “great and supportive partner helping to build E3.” It will focus on press events and small meetings with media, retail, development, and other key sectors. While there will be opportunities for game demonstrations, E3Expo 2007 will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years.
“E3Expo remains an important event for the industry and we want to keep that sense of excitement and interest, ensuring that the human and financial resources crucial to its success can be deployed productively to create an exciting new format to meet the needs of the industry. The new event ensures that there will be an effective and more efficient way for companies to get information to media, consumers, and others,” said Lowenstein.
Additionally, the evolution of the video game industry into a vibrant and expanding global market has led to the creation of major events in different regions, such as the Games Convention in Leipzig, the Tokyo Game Show, and company-specific events held by Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and others around the world. As a result, Lowenstein said, “It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry ‘mega-show’. By refocusing on a highly-targeted event, we think we can do a better job serving our members and the industry as a whole, and our members are energized about creating this new E3.”
Additional details about the new E3Expo event will be forthcoming in the next few months."
Gaming site MaxConsole has received detailed Wii specs, apparently leaked from a Wii developer. Details on the hardware, optical disc drive, optional wired LAN adapter (Wii provides wireless network access out of the box), internal 512MB flash memory, port details, additional peripherals useable in Wii games (DK Bongos) and three power status modes (on, off and unplugged) are some of the details covered.
Read the full details here.
Nintendo has announced the tour dates of its upcoming "Fusion" Tour and gives word of a "sneak peek" of its Wii console.
From Nintendo: "The Nintendo Fusion Tour promises to be one of the hottest tickets of the year. The cross-country tour, produced by Live Nation, will be headlined by Hawthorne Heights and will include up-and-comers like Relient K, Emery, Plain White T's and The Sleeping. In addition, each location will showcase the best new and upcoming Nintendo games, including a sneak peek at Nintendo's amazing Wii console."
Three more tracks were found in the upcoming PS2 Guitar Hero II game while on show in Australia:
Stone Temple Pilots' "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart"
Anthrax's "Madhouse"
Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil"
Previous Guitar Hero II tracks include (in no particular order):
Reverend Horton Heat's "Psychobilly Freakout"
KISS' "Strutter"
Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"
Butthole Surfers' "Who Was in My Room Last Night?"
Van Halen's "You Really Got Me"
Rush's "YYZ"
Primus' "John the Fisherman"
Drist's "Arterial Black"
The yearly Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), run by The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) since the mid-1990s, may forever be changed (or cancelled).
A report released on Next-Gen.Biz says that "the E3 Industry event, in its present form, has been cancelled for next year and the foreseeable future." Read more at Next-Gen.biz here.
Larger exhibitors felt they were not getting the return on news coverage for their mega E3 booths, causing a joint pull out. Word from the ESA is expected in the next day or two. Keep in mind the key words "its present form." Judging from the last show, this could be a good thing because it is very difficult to give games any worthy play with all the ruckus going on.
