Official Nintendo Wii backup disc left in repair console?

Word has been flying around the internet about a disc someone found in there Wii when it was returned after being repaired. The disc is supposedly used to backup data from the Wii and access the Bios.

So far all that has been released are images of the disc. And pictures of the supposed disc running on the Wii.

The actual disc ISO has yet to be released. Due to WiiDev keeping it to themselves for the time being.

Turok Patch Removes Controversial Team-Kill Feature on Microsoft XBox 360 and PlayStation 3

The controversial feature in the upcoming Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game Turok that rewards players for killing their teammates will be removed with a patch, says publisher Touchstone.

While Turok will ship with the "Grab Bag" achievement intact, the patch will be available online on February 5, the day the game hits store shelves.

The "Grab Bag" achievement was to reward players for killing "at least 1 creature, 1 enemy, 1 teammate, and yourself" in a single online match of the first-person shooter.

After the patch, the achievement will only require you to kill a creature, and enemy, and yourself -- not a teammate.
When the achievement list for the game was unveiled in November, would-be buyers were understandably upset that the developers were actually going to reward the sort of anti-social behavior that already plagues Xbox Live.

Computer And Video Games called it the "worst multiplayer achievement in the history of games."

After the controversy started up, the game's developers at Vancouver-based Propaganda Games said that they would look into releasing a patch after Turok launches "if it does become an issue."

Seems as if they decided instead to get right out in front of it. Since "Grab Bag" only affects the game's online mode, players will likely be forced to download the patch before they can play Turok online.

While the PlayStation 3 does not have a system-wide "Achievements" feature as does the Xbox 360, the PS3 version of Turok features the same list of rewards, called "accomplishments."

The PlayStation 3 patch will also add support for rumble controllers like the upcoming Dual Shock 3 and for 1080i television displays.

Source: WIRED

Nintendo Miis help Nintendo Wiis get back home

Police in Wales are hoping that 16 Miis found on a stolen Wii might be able to help them identify the console's rightful owners.
The man accused of stealing the Wii was arrested earlier this month, but police are no closer to discovering from whom the console was stolen.

Authorities are anxious to return the Wii, which they believe was probably a Christmas present.

To that end, they have released the unit's ID (7901 7431 3732 8898) as well as the names of several of the Miis (Seb, Pheebes, Nicks, Ellie and Evie) in the hopes that the rightful owners will come forward and be reunited with their purloined Wii.

Anyone with pertinent information about the identity of the Wii's owners is encouraged to contact the Kirklees CID.

From Wired

Smash Bros Update Masterpieces Virtual Console Demos on Nintendo Wii

Several memorable characters compete for brawl supremacy—that’s Super Smash Brothers Brawl in a nutshell.

But what about the past fights for each of those characters? What were they like?

It may sound impossible, but you can experience those battles in Brawl as well!

That’s right, for the first time ever, you can play trial versions of these games by the miracle of Virtual Console!

That’s what Masterpieces is! Here you can relive the greatest battles of the biggest star characters through demo versions of their games.

Here are some of the titles you can expect to see available in Brawl. Crazy, isn’t it?!

From: WiiNintendo

Nintendo to release a new Nintendo DS Lite available in Black and Blue to add to your Nintendo DS Lite collection

This cobalt blue and black Nintendo DS Lite will be available soon.

Following soon after the latest Nintendo DS colour changes.

No official release date for this stunning Nintendo DS Lite but the price should be $130.

Could be a great new addition to your Nintendo DS Lite collection

Live Nintendo Mario Kart DS matches on Korean TV show

The televised Guitar Hero match was just a glimpse into the diversity of video game shows I'm watching in Korea. (Yes, there are more than the Starcraft league.) Champ, a station that usually broadcasts cartoons like YuYu Hakusho, has a program called Run & Run Mario Kart DS. The half an hour long show interviews six young contestants and then shows them racing wirelessly. This is the first I’ve heard about a competitive Mario Kart league in Korea, but it’s clear some players are taking Mario Kart DS very seriously.

Run & Run Mario Kart DS is also an indicator of how popular the Nintendo DS is in Korea. The system has been around for barely a year and Mario Kart DS came out on April 5, 2007. In this relatively short amount of time the DS blossomed enough for a production company to green light a television show centered competitive Mario Kart racing.

More from: Siliconera

Multiplay team up with Packard Bell to bring iPower Games to i33

Multiplay, organisers of the largest UK gaming events, have announced that Packard Bell will be bringing the iPower games to their i33 gaming festival taking place 21st – 24th March in Newbury, UK.

The 2007 iPower games featured at Multiplay’s previous Easter event, i30 in April last year.

The tournament is based around the high-spec iPower range of PCs produced by Packard Bell specifically for gaming. The competition is split into two disciplines – Real Time Strategy and First Person Shooter. Teams will compete over multiple games of their chosen discipline.

The winning FPS team will join with the winning RTS team to make the UK team who will travel to Paris in the summer to represent Britain in the grand final.

“It’s exciting to see such an innovative tournament format returning for another year” said Craig Fletcher, Managing Director of Multiplay, “Packard Bell did a great job last year and we’re looking forward to working with them once again. There is no better platform to launch a tournament like this than at i33 – it’s the UK’s biggest LAN party and all eyes are on Newbury for that one weekend.”

There are qualifiers both online and at i33 itself, with qualifying online bringing the added benefit of free entry to i33 for the successful teams. It also provides a second chance to qualify - should a team be knocked out online, they can re-enter via the event qualifiers.

For those who want to come to play but cannot bring a PC, Multiplay and Packard Bell have teamed up to provide “Turn Up and Play” machines for the iPower games. TUP tickets allow gamers to turn up and use provided machines for their tournament matches, without having to bring their own.

With a whole host of other social activities and thousands of gamers in one place, i33 is set to break Multiplay’s own record for the largest UK LAN party.

To find out more about i33 and the Packard Bell iPower games 2008 go to http://i33.multiplay.co.uk/tournaments/ipower/

Multiplay launch new site in Amsterdam

Multiplay, Europe’s largest gameserver provider, have announced their expansion to mainland Europe is now completed by bringing online a second point of presence in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Multiplay have extended their own network to Amsterdam, providing a lag-free highway back to their London based data centre where most of their gameservers are based.

“It’s a giant step forward for us” said Steven Hartland, Technical Director “we’ve wanted a physical presence in Europe for some time now. Our new site is packed with top of the range hardware and a lightning fast network. We have had major ISPs from all over Europe wanting to peer with us, which has been very encouraging. The more providers we peer with, the more gamers we can offer our fantastic connection to.”

New customers can now choose their location – London or Amsterdam – and have their server activated immediately, thanks to the new “instant setup” feature of Multiplay’s service. Clanservers are automatically created and enabled, giving the consumer a much smoother experience.

“We have always had good relations with many clans across Europe”, said Craig Fletcher, Managing Director “but the connectivity issue has been the concern for many of our overseas customers. With our new site this will all be a thing of the past. Extending our current network to Amsterdam also means that gamers in the UK will have a greatly improved experience on European servers, and vice versa. This is especially true for those on our gaming broadband service.”

Multiplay also offer gaming broadband in the UK which effectively plugs gamers straight into their network. Multiplay DSL customers can expect some of the lowest ping times to both the UK and Amsterdam servers.

To find out more about Multiplay’s gameservers and their new sites, visit them at http://clanservers.multiplay.co.uk

Sci-Fi Lasers And Medieval Swords Clash In Thrilling Action And Adventure download

Hard To Be A God, the new role play game from Ascaron to be released in April, uniquely combines the science fiction and medieval fantasy genres with a mix of ‘hack & slash’ and RPG gameplay. Be prepared for horseback jousting and sword fighting in an ancient time, as a secret agent from the distant future.

How it all began…

The planets of Earth and Arkanar were once very similar, maintaining a peaceful and friendly existence for centuries. After a terrible war between the planets, the two became distant and secluded.

Earth prospered and grew, mastering advanced technologies. Arkanar became stagnated, barely evolving, remaining rooted in a medieval society; a planet of mystery. Intrigued by the situation of their former patriots the Empire decided to send in a secret agent from Earth…

Hard To Be A God

You are the secret agent; at your disposal is a vast array of weaponry and knowledge, from the medieval sword to the most technologically advanced laser cannon. Use your weapons wisely as you discover the secrets surrounding the mysterious planet of Arkanar, revealing why it has remained a medieval society for so long.

Try your luck at survival by visiting www.hardtobeagod.com to download the demo.

"Imperium Romanum": The Official Website launched!

Today, Kalypso Media Group is pleased to announce the launch of the official website of the upcoming strategy highlight “Imperium Romanum”.

March over to http://www.imperium-game.com or http://www.imperium-game.de to learn more about the city-building game, to see a variety of screenshots, the trailer of the game and to join the discussion forum.

Keep up to date in the future with downloads such as new ingame videos, interviews with the developers and, of course, comprehensive demo versions which will also be available on the site in the lead up to the release.

Take the future of an empire into your hands in "Imperium Romanum", as the game sees the player take the role of a governor of a Roman province and strive to build a well organised, prosperous and commanding settlement. Set in the time-honoured Roman Empire players will marvel at the incredible attention to detail, as they construct fortifications, build towers, gates and bridges, and pay for them with the new currency which has been implemented into the game for a challenging, enjoyable, and authentic quest to rule the World.

"Imperium Romanum" is already considered to be one of the top PC-strategy games of 2008 and will be published on the 22nd February at a price of £29,99 in the UK and for €39,99 in German speaking territories.