It's official - Wii use can cause weight loss

Video gamers who'd rather battle virtual villains than fight the flab can take heart. Use of the new Nintendo Wii can lead to weight loss.

After six weeks and 21 hours of total game play on Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s new game console, Philadelphia resident Mickey DeLorenzo is nine pounds (4 kgs) lighter and making a splash with his new svelte self.




"I'm on my 15 minutes here," he joked, referring to the famous Andy Warhol quote about 15 minutes of fame, in a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday.

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DeLorenzo, 25, came up with the idea for his experiment after he and his fiancée ended up breathless and glistening with sweat after virtually pummeling each other in the "Wii Sports" boxing game.

"On the fly, as I was typing my blog posts, I set up a daily regimen and went at it 100 percent," said DeLorenzo, who tipped the scales at 181 pounds -- where he's been for the last couple years -- when he started the experiment on December 3.

He ate as usual and didn't deprive himself during the holidays. The only thing that changed was the addition of daily, 30-minute sessions of Wii tennis, bowling, boxing or baseball.

PS3 is harder to cost reduce

But Japanese retailers reportedly slash price

SCEA boss Jack Tretton has warned that it will be hard to cut the cost of PS3 as the machine is so expensive to make - but according to reports, some Japanese retailers have already slashed 20% the RRP.

When asked in an interview with US magazine Game Informer whether PS3 price cuts be "as soon or as drastic" as they were for PS2 Tretton replied, "No... There's a heck of a lot more under the hood and it costs us more money to make it."




But although he conceded it will be "a lot more difficult to cost reduce" PS3, Tretton said that consumers will still be willing to pay the asking price.

"I think the consumers that get their hands on a PlayStation 3 clearly see the value and not only want to buy one for $599, in some instances they're willing to pay ridiculous prices to buy one on eBay," he concluded.

However, reports suggest that demand for the hardware is already slowing in Japan. According to Media Create figures the PS3 suffered its worst sales week so far earlier this month, and now there are claims that some retailers are drastically cutting the price of PlayStation 3.

As reported on Akibablog.net and partially translated by Kotaku, some shops are said to be reducing the price for the 20GB model from YEN 49,980 (EUR 315) to YEN 39,980 (EUR 253) - a drop of 20 per cent.

But market watchers PS3 wasn't the only console to experience a post-Christmas sales slump - Media Create's figures revealed that the numbers for Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 were also down during the same period.

Companies warned of Chinese outsourcing pitfalls

A new report from Pearl Research has highlighted pitfalls in Chinese outsourcing, as the region's videogame market is set to exceed US $1.3 billion (EUR 1bn) in 2008.

Outsourcing and development in the region will continue to grow, but the report warns that costs are not as cheap as some companies believe, with travel, training and project management eroding savings made in areas such as low labour costs.

Other challenges presented by outsourcing development in the region include concerns over product quality, protection of intellectual property and competition for skilled employees.

However, Pearl Research notes that as as the market matures, so will the long-term quality of output.

The report also notes that online casual gaming will make up 30 per cent of the Chinese games market in 2008, while the most popular Chinese MMORPGs can generate US $80 million (EUR 61.6m) annually.

Miyamoto to speak at Game Developers Conference

First keynote since 1999 from Nintendo's senior MD

Shigeru Miyamoto, the acclaimed game developer behind titles such as Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda, will keynote the Game Developers Conference 2007.

In his first keynote since 1999, the developer will reveal the creative process behind his work on highly-regarded software as well as his thoughts on new Nintendo hardware, in a session entitled, 'A Creative Vision'.



"The Game Developers Conference is a place for developers to learn from one another, and I think it is safe to say that every member of the community has at one time or another fantasised about having Shigeru Miyamoto as a mentor and teacher," said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC.

"By guiding us through his creative vision with a keynote at this year's GDC, Miyamoto is allowing all attendees this incomparable privilege."

The Game Developers Conference tales place March 5 - 9 in San Francisco. Discount for early registration for the event closes January 31.

Miyamoto's keynote will take place at the GDC on Thursday March 8, in the Moscone Centre.

European DS sales top 10million

Nintendo's handheld breaks more records

Nintendo of Europe has announced that 10 million DS units have now been sold across the continent, making it the fastest and best-selling handheld in history.

The DS launched here in March 2005, and was followed by the redesigned DS Lite in June last year. It was one of the most popular products for European consumers at Christmas, with 1.7 million units sold during December alone.



"This landmark figure of 10 million Nintendo DS gamers cements the console's position as undisputed leader of the handheld market, bringing gaming to a whole new audience - something that was unimaginable a few years ago," said European marketing director Laurent Fischer.

"The DS is now helping to shape the whole market with sales of the Nintendo DS console and games being the main drivers behind recent market growth all across Europe."

The original DS is priced at EUR 130 / £89, while the DS Lite retails for EUR 150 / £99. Forthcoming titles for the handheld include Mario Slam Basketball, Star Fox Command and Final Fantasy III.

EA predicts software price cut

Ryan Jones, general manager of Electronic Arts Australia, has said that he believes the console cycle transition phase is now at an end - and that game prices are set to fall as a result.

Jones said, "I think it's safe to say that we're just about done with transition.

"Retail will show strong growth with the investment of GAME into the market, and it bodes well for the future having two strong specialists in the market as they tend to hold pricing and discount less to drive sales," he continued.




"On that point though, we do see next-gen pricing drifting down to AU $99 [EUR 60] by the end of the calendar year for all premium new releases." At present, full price Xbox 360 games retail for AU $120 (EUR 73) in Australia - the same price PS3 titles are expected to cost when the console launches there. Wii games sell for AU $100.

"We've had very successful next-gen launches in 360 and Wii, and with PS3 launching in March its initial success has become less significant," Jones said.

"Longer term it's hard to say who will win the console war out of the three hardware platforms but three strong platforms is certainly better than one strong, one average and one failure.

According to Jones the Nintendo DS is still enjoying strong growth, which he believes will make the handheld "a strong bet" for third-party publishers.

"We might see Nintendo's dominance on their own platforms challenged for the first time," he added.

"The challenges will be maximising the retail opportunities with so many different platforms in the market and limited growth in retail real estate in the medium term."

Rumor: Mario Galaxy Pushed Back Metroid Coming in April

The word around Nintendo is that promises of Mario Galaxy in the spring are not going to be kept. Although, the New Metroid for Wii will be coming sometime between April and June. He also told me that Metroid will be the first Wii game to be playable over the internet. When. The lack of Wi-Fi games so far has been due to developers not making use of it.

Wii laptop in action

Wii laptop created by Ben Heckendorn



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Playstation 3 Capacity

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Google Plays Video Games

It appears that Google will be buying AdScape Media which delivers ads so that they can be viewed within video games. Google has already announced plans for brokering ads into newspapers and radio using the targeting capacity it has developed for search engine text advertising.



Google's moves into video games and other media could be viewed as a plan to fashion a larger footprint in the media buying market. But, its is also probably an unspoken acknowledgment that the Internet text advertising business is not longer growing as fast as it was a year ago.

Google's expansion may actually be masking a contraction.

PS3 unsold all over the USA

Over Christmas and New Year anecdotal reports from North America suggesting that the PS3 is languishing unsold on shelves across the continent.



This, at least, should extinguish some of the doubts about the European launch date - after all, those reports were largely based on the assumption that Sony wouldn't be able to divert enough stock from the USA to satisfy a decent European launch by March.

This medicine is more bitter than the ailment it cures, and uncertainty over the prospects for PS3 is unsurprisingly high as a result.

More FREE mobile gamez

Greystripe Signs Six New Mobile Game Publishers to its AdWRAP Advertising Network
Distributing Free Games to Consumers through AdWRAP and GameJump.com

AdWRAP network, offer 400 free games

Greystripe has started the New Year off to a fast start, welcoming six new publishers and tons of new games to its growing portfolio of free, ad-supported mobile games available to consumers worldwide through GameJump.com and the AdWRAP Catalog Program partners.

“We are excited to distribute our games through GameJump and its partner portals such as myGamma,” said Jacob Møller, founder and CEO of Kiloo. “We believe in the model of ad-supported mobile games, which Greystripe is proving out via its developer-less integration and worldwide distribution.”



Publishers Kiloo, Mobility Zone, JavArt, LunaGames, Soul Biz Entertainment and Cheeky have signed deals to distribute their titles through Greystripe’s ad-supported mobile games portal and Greystripe’s catalog distribution program. These new partnerships help bring consumers a selection of over 400 games, all completely free and accessible through GameJump.com, the GameJump WAP portal (gjmp.tw), casual gaming site ProGamesNetwork.com, and the BuzzCity mobile social network myGamma.com. The new games include:

• 27 games from Kiloo, including the Hugo™ series: Hugo Black Diamond Fever, Hugo Follow the Monkey, Hugo Ice Cave, Hugo and Fernando, Hugo Cannon Cruise, Hugo Earthquake, Hugo Evil Mirror, and Hugo Goes Fishing
• 28 games from Mobility Zone, including Tomb Raider Slots, Supermoto Extreme, 2006 World Soccer, Mars Mission, Pyramid Ryder, and Euroleague Basketball JavArt’s Squeegeex, Crazy 4 Monkey, and Pinocchio
• LunaGames’ Jumbo’s SuDoKu, 3D Golf xPro, and Air Traffic Controller Classic
• Soul Biz Entertainment’s 360 Speed and Flower Combo
• Cheeky’s Blobbit Dash and Grid Runner



The popularity of Greystripe’s ad-supported mobile games portal is attracting many of the highest quality publishers and creating a tipping point effect in the mobile games industry. With more than 2 million game downloads to date, Greystripe’s network offers a successful new way for publishers to generate revenue and distribute games worldwide. The success of Greystripe’s network has quickly proven the ad-supported games distribution model to be highly viral, benefiting consumers, publishers, and advertisers alike.

“Our goal at Greystripe is to help our publisher partners increase distribution of their mobile games,” said Michael Chang, CEO of Greystripe. “Through AdWRAP Catalog partnerships with casual gaming sites and mobile communities, Greystripe is able to provide the widest possible distribution on the Internet and the mobile web.”

3 New Lumines Live! Downloads Next Week

Only on Xbox Live Arcade - Special Prices

Good things come in threes, and next week’s Arcade Wednesday release is no exception to that rule. Three new packages of Lumines Live! content will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360™ beginning Wednesday, 24th January at 09.00 GMT. Two of the add-on packs will be available at special promotional prices, and one of them will be free to Xbox Box Live Gold Members for a limited time!

In case you’ve been living under a rock, “Lumines Live!” combines puzzles, music and video entertainment to create an addictively-fun gameplay experience that looks and sounds as good as it plays. Play several different single player modes, battle friends online over Xbox Live, create your own skins playlist in the all-new Skin Edit Mode, and experience new ways to play via exclusive downloadable content to enhance and extend the gameplay experience.

Here’s what will be available to download for Lumines Live!:

Heavenly Star Skin
Cost: For a limited time only, free for Xbox Live Gold members from 24th January – 21st February, 2007.
(Price after 21st February 2007: 150 MS Points)
Performed by a new group called Genki Rockets and produced by Q Entertainment’s own Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the song's catchy and uplifting tune combined with equally striking video has caught the attention of many gamers and was recently nominated Best Song at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. Gamers can enjoy the music video in stunning HD and 5.1 surround sound as they play their way through the falling blocks.



VS CPU Pack
Cost: For a limited time only, 100 MS Points starting 24th January – 21st February 2007. (Price after 21st February 2007: 300 MS Points)
Show off your skills by challenging the CPU. This new game pack also includes a stylish skin and character designs that match the theme of each of the stages. A special bonus skin is waiting for you at the very end of the challenge.



Puzzle/Mission Pack
Cost: For a limited time only, 100 MS Points starting 24th January – 21st February 2007. (Price after 21st February 2007: 300 MS Points)
“Lumines Live!” is not just about dropping blocks. In Puzzle Mode, you must try to create a certain shape by using the blocks. In Mission Mode, you will be given a mission to clear all blocks within a specified amount of moves. With an additional 90 puzzles to solve and 40 missions to clear, you won’t want to miss this Pack. (The first 10 puzzles and missions are included in the Standard Edition; by purchasing the Pack, the total number is 100 puzzles and 50 missions)

Battlefield 2142 - Booster pack

Battlefield 2142: Northern strike booster pack brings futuristic close-quarter combat to PCs in March 2007

All-New Maps, Vehicles, Unlocks and more for Battlefield 2142

Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike drops gamers deep into a desperate conflict for control of Earth’s last scraps of inhabitable land following the onset of a cataclysmic new ice age. The Pan-Asian Coalition (PAC) has secretly moved into mainland Europe, using abandoned urban areas to establish new strongholds in a last-ditch push for superiority. The European Union must quickly mobilize north to dislodge PAC forces from a series of urban strongholds and regain the upper hand.



Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike features three new maps, including the infamous WWII battle scene at the Bridge at Remagen, an Alpine Titan docking harbour in Port Bavaria and a claustrophobic showdown in the Liberation of Leipzig. The booster pack also features new vehicles including the EU’s heavily armed IFV Goliath and the PAC’s hovering light IFV Hachimoto in addition to new unlocks, new badges and ribbons, new gameplay and more.
“Our number one goal with Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike was to give fans more of the close-quarters combat, increased persistence and new toys they’ve been asking for,” said Kristoffer Bergqvist, the booster pack’s producer. “We’ve also added gameplay enhancements including two brand new vehicle types in an asymmetrical set-up. Furthermore, we’re introducing the Titan game mode available into an urban setting and will debut the intensified Conquest Assault Lines game mode.”

*Requires full version of Battlefield 2142 to play.

If you want to play online, get an Xbox

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has declared that the strategy for Xbox 360 is "working perfectly", questioning Sony and Nintendo's next-gen console offerings.

Gates observed that the original Xbox was "20 per cent better" than its rivals.

However, he continued, "It didn't matter. We were a year late, didn't have the best games. We had this bigger box. We did have online. We didn't switch positions on that."

But as for the strategy for Xbox 360, "It's working perfectly. We wanted to be the guy with the small box that costs less. We wanted to have the most games. We wanted to play to our software strength, and tools and online.



"We wanted to swap positions with Sony. We wanted to not be a year late, not be a big box, not be a more expensive box. How are we doing on that?"

According to Gates, Nintendo "clearly did some things right" in the past - such as building a close relationship with UK studio Rare. ("In my household, everybody plays Viva Piñata," Gates revealed.)

But he questioned Nintendo's strategy for the Wii, saying, "Look at the resolution you get with a controlled experience like that. Say to yourself, how in terms of using a game for a long period of time, what kind of accuracy and capability do you want?

"Look at the classic Nintendo positioning. Look at the graphics. Look at Nintendo's execution in terms of online capability... If you want to play online, get an Xbox. We're not standing still.

"Look at what you saw today connecting up the world to the Windows PC. Do you expect Nintendo to rev up a team to create cross-device gaming and tool kits to develop those things? Not very likely."

Gates also criticised Sony and the way the PlayStation 3's processors have been developed. "They were going to have the Cell be the video processor. But they didn't know what they were doing... They turned to Nvidia at the last minute, but Nvidia can't do embedded DRAM.

"Go look at the bandwidth problems... They took their year and burned it by not having a decent CPU strategy and then turning to Nvidia at the last minute. It's a very unusual thing. Those processors are isolated from each other."

Gates went on to say that he doesn't believe any of the first batch of PS3 games will look better than Halo 3, and questioned whether the option to create games at 1080p gives Sony's console a great advantage, stating, "Go ask the game developers."

A round-up of all of the latest Gamez news

THQ has signed an agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to create a series of games, with the deal lasting until 2011. The publisher has the rights to produce games for all consoles, PC and handheld systems.

Lego Star Wars developer TT Games and publisher Eidos will release Bionicle Heroes for the Wii this Easter. The title is the first Lego Bionicle release for Nintendo's new home console.

Capcom has revealed the recently released Lost Planet: Extreme Condition has shipped one million units worldwide. The Xbox 360 title is the second to reach the target, following Dead Rising's success earlier in the year.

Ubisoft plans to target the younger gaming market with the release of Cosmic Family on the Wii. The point and click interactive adventure is due for release mid-2007.




Two titles from Koei will miss the launch of the PlayStation 3 in Europe. Bladestorm and Fatal Inertia are now scheduled for release this summer.

Namco Bandai will be bringing the DS title QuickSpot to North America. The game is due for release in the spring, and is an updated take on 'spot the difference' puzzles, utilising the DS touch screen and multiplayer features.

The publisher has also lined up Tamagotchi Party On! for the Wii, also due for release in the spring.

Atari will release War Front: Turning Point in the UK this March. The game is an alternative reality RTS for the PC, from developer 10tacle Studios.

Electronic Arts is to release a new line of story driven games in The Sims franchise. The first, The Sims Life Stories is due this spring, with Pet Stories and Castaway Stories due by the end of the year.

Nintendo DS title Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is due for release across Europe on March 9.

Post-Christmas blues as next-gen consoles suffer drop in sales

Next-generation consoles have suffered a slow week of sales in Japan, with the PlayStation 3 recording its worst figures since release.

The PS3 sold 25,531 units for the week ending January 14.

Nintendo Wii sales were estimated at 93,708 units, the second worst week since it sold just over 85,000 units immediately after launch.



The news wasn't impressive for Microsoft either, with the Xbox 360 managing just over 9,000 units sold in the same period.

Sony recently announced it has shipped over a million units of the PS3 to Japanese retailers.

Looking at sales data for software, Wii Sports is the number one title in the region, selling over 61,000 units. Resistance: Fall of Man is the highest ranking PS3 title in the charts at number 40, while there are no Xbox 360 games in the top fifty at all.

HMV is PS3 launch partner

Sony is due to announce full details of the European PS3 launch and price point next week - that the 60GB model will hit the shops on March 23, priced at £425.

HMV will be Sony's official launch partner, with a special midnight event set to take place at their Oxford Street store.

HMV are currently discussing a range of possible options. I can't say right now whether this will include an official launch event, as such, but it's certainly the case that more and more publishers and games companies are approaching HMV following the success of a number of major launches over the last few years."



Most recently, HMV hosted the launch event for World of Warcraft expansion pack The Burning Crusade, which took place on Monday night. According to Ellis, "The midnight launch attracted a staggering 1500 fans, making it by far the biggest event of its kind ever staged by our Oxford Circus store."

HMV was also Nintendo's official partner for the launch of the Wii in December, and was previously chosen by Sony as its partner for the PSP launch in September 2005.

WoW Burning Crusade First lvl 70

Video on the first lvl 70: Gawell (Mage, Millenium on Archimonde EuFr)



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Sega Rally (PC PS3 X360)

First three screenshots...