Miyamoto Discusses Metroid on Wii U

We all want to see one Nintendo franchise or another come to Wii U. Some of us eagerly anticipate the next Zelda, or want to see a true 3D Mario along the lines of Mario Galaxy. Yet if there's one person whose opinion matters more than all others, it's Shigeru Miyamoto's.

As the co-manager of Nintendo's internal development teams and one of the most senior executives at the company, the legendary designer surely has a bit more influence than just about anyone else in the world. When I recently chatted with Miyamoto, I asked him what he would want to see on Wii U.

With the caveat that he's not necessarily talking about games in active development, and that the process of evaluating which characters and games are appropriate for a system or mechanic is always ongoing, Miyamoto indicated two franchises have his attention. The first? Metroid.

"With Metroid it's very easy to imagine some interesting implementation for Wii U," Miyamoto mentioned. "I think that having another screen with the gyro built in really gives you a lot of interesting opportunities for development, and we can bring a lot of our games to life in a completely unique way with that."

"I feel like the possibilities of the GamePad for Metroid could be really fantastic," Miyamoto told me at a different point in our conversation. "There's certainly a lot that you could do there for that game."

Yet the one that Miyamoto really wants to see? The Nintendo executive didn't give any details, but noted that "personally" the franchise he wants most on Wii U is Star Fox. Here's hoping one day Miyamoto's wish - alongside millions of Nintendo fans - is realized on the HD system.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com, and the leader of the network's Nintendo team. He also covers all things Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil, WWE and much, much more. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN, if you dare.

Source : ign[dot]com

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Preview

I think most gamers were surprised that Mario and Sonic's first major interaction was destined to take place in an Olympic brand title, yet it seems the colorful take on the classic events was worthy of a sequel. So now we have Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, which should prove to be another thrill geared toward the younger crowd. We went to an exclusive event showing off the new title and saw how the game has evolved since its last inception. The main focus is on the new party mode, a four-player romp through a Mario Party series of events--rampaging through the gameboard streets of London and collecting stars stickers, for example. All of the characters from the original return; in other words, there are no new characters. Given the wealth of options from the first game, it will be hard for fans not to find a favorite in the roster. 

One exclusive event we got to see behind closed doors was the new Rhythmic Ribbon event. In it, Princess Peach took to the athletic mat for what resembled a simplified version of Elite Beat Agents, with the player performing various moves with the Wiimote as the shrinking target circles demanded. While it was entertaining to watch a middle-aged Japanese game developer show off his twirling skills, I was disturbed to see Princess Peach in such a high-cut leotard. More exciting were the dream events, designed to involve all four players without the use of split-screen. First was a break-neck obstacle course, with Mario and friends dodging buses and traffic signs. Another was a simple race through the streets of London, with characters gobbling up coins like Pac-Man. And then finally, we watched a giant scripted chase sequence, with all the players working to maneuver a cart around obstacles and away from enemies to keep a cache of Yoshi eggs intact. 

Again, this is obviously a game made for a younger audience, but there's a lot to like. All the familiar characters are perfectly rendered. With events like the Ribbon and Equestrian events, there's definitely a nod to bringing in some young female gamers, too. Overall, Mario & Sonic at the London 2013 Olympic Games looks like a great party game for the Wii crowd.

Source : gamezone[dot]com

What We Want From Mario on Wii U

Nintendo and Mario go way back. In fact, everyone’s favorite plumber has a long history of defining whatever console he and his “special” mushrooms grace. It all started way back with Super Mario Bros. for NES, but held true for Nintendo’s subsequent console endeavors as well. Super Mario World for SNES. Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64. Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube. Super Mario Galaxy for Wii. Nintendo’s console history is littered with Mario being super, so it’s no surprise Wii U is set to continue this trend.

Problem is, we couldn’t care less.

This might sound crazy considering how incredible and ground-breaking Mario’s other console adventures have proven, but Nintendo sort of dashed our dreams of an HD Mushroom Kingdom with the confirmation that Mario’s first Wii U venture, set to be shown off at this year’s E3, would be based on the New Super Mario Bros. Mii demo from last year’s show. To be fair, what we played at E3 2011 was simply an early tech demo, one that showed off a handful of New Super Mario-esque levels and let up to four people play as either Mario or Mii characters. But the thought of a full game based on this experience just doesn’t sound good enough. It’s just too easy, too safe, and not at all what we’ve come to expect from Mario’s console debuts.

It’s completely possible Super Mario Bros. Mii (or whatever the game’s final name turns out to be) will exceed our expectations. The actual game might have plenty of new features and hidden secrets to help it stand out. But regardless, as much as we adore side-scrolling Mario platformers, it’s just not what we want for Mario’s Wii U debut. What we want? Well, since you asked…

Wii U Magic

The Wii U’s launch is a huge step for Nintendo. Not only is it the company's first foray into the realm of HD graphics, it also marks the launch of a completely new controller, and thereby a new way of playing and thinking about games. Again, if anyone is in a position to show off what this new system and its tablet controller are capable of, it’s Mario.

While graphics aren’t everything, and are definitely far less important than good gameplay, it makes little sense to squander the world’s first peek at a high definition Mushroom Kingdom. The problem with New Super Mario Bros. Mii is that it doesn’t really matter whether it’s in HD or not - that franchise has looked as good as it ever needed to since the original’s DS debut six years ago. What we want is a dazzling world full of all the magical Mario staples we’ve come to know and love. Show us that graphics don’t need to be realistic to be gorgeous. Show us how the Big N does HD, and leave us salivating over the prospect of seeing other Nintendo franchises in such detail (Zelda, anyone?).

Graphics aren't everything, but it's cool when they're shiny.

The ideal Mario game on Wii U should also make good use of the tablet controller. Just like Mario Galaxy showed us that motion controls could be successfully implemented in a sprawling platformer (who knew?), Mario on Wii U needs to do the same for tablet gaming. In short, Nintendo needs to show the world why it needs this system immediately. We need to understand all the new gameplay applications this new hardware and its controller have to offer.

Huge Scope

Better hardware has more advantages than just shiny graphics - it also allows game developers to create a much grander scope in their games than was previously possible. Just like how Super Mario 64 felt huge and all-encompassing when it first came out (heck, it still feels like that in many ways), Mario for Wii U needs to have a scope like no other Mario game before it.

What does this mean, exactly? It means a large assortment of varied worlds to explore, full of stars to collect and secrets to unearth. We don’t want to see the same snow, desert and water levels that have become the norm - we want them included, but alone they’re not enough. Mario 64 had levels on slides, a level where you were either shrunken down or blown up, and even one inside a clock. We don’t think it’s asking too much to expect the same imaginative and inspired world designs in Mario’s Wii U debut. Sure, this is possible to achieve in a side-scroller (look at Super Mario Bros. 3, for crying out loud), but it would be mind-bendingly incredible if it was successfully executed in a full, three dimensional, HD platformer.

Please, Nintendo. PLEASE let us return to the castle!

And while we’re at it, bring back the damn castle. Add a few extra wings and as many painting as you can manage. It’s been too long since we’ve jumped through a painting and into a world beyond our wildest dreams.

No Miis, Please

We like Miis. We love them, even. In fact, we’ve spent more time than we care to admit making Miis that resemble Bruce Wayne or the various Beatles. (Editor’s Note: Okay, so maybe that last one just applies to me. -Audrey) But seriously, enough is enough. We’re fine with Miis showing up in sports games. We’re fine with them living in our 3DS’s. We’re even fine with Miis being used as avatars in Mario games. But they do belong in the Mushroom Kingdom. It makes absolutely no sense to shove them in and call it a day.

Just say no to Miis in Mario.

In truth, this one is more of a personal preference than anything else. It’s definitely not anything that could make or break a Mario Wii U game, but Miis feel so tacked on and out of place in the Mushroom Kingdom we thought it was worth mentioning. Also, something about seeing a Mii jumping on a Goomba is just... wrong.

Mario’s Future

For all the flack the Mario franchise gets for iterating, most Mario games actually bring a lot of "new" to the table. Take New Super Mario Bros. Wii, for example. A lot of people dismiss the game as a clone of its predecessor, but that's a mistake. It brought some truly innovative updates to the concept of multiplayer platforming and absolutely set the standard for all future examples (we’re looking at you Rayman Origins and Kirby’s Return to Dreamland). Likewise, just compare Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario World, or Mario 64 to Mario Sunshine or Mario Galaxy. They’re all quite distinct, even if many of them share common mechanics and themes (and even if Peach is always the reason behind all the madness).

We expect to see Mario's legacy of innovation continued in his future games, and especially in his console debuts. It’s why the franchise is so memorable, and part of why it’s so very, very successful. Don’t cheapen the plumber's name with an HD debut not befitting his revolutionary history. Mario deserves better. Wii U deserves better. And gamers deserve better.

What do want from Mario's Wii U debut? And are you perturbed by the idea of Miis in the Mushroom Kingdom, or is it just us? Let us know in the comments below!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/19/what-we-want-from-mario-on-wii-u

Master Chief, Shepard, 007, Others Go Head-To-Head In Art Of The Instakill Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

There are two important lessons to be learned from CorridorDigital's new mash-up short (via Destructoid): mash-ups are sweet and Nintendo's Mario continues to be the reigning king in all "who's the best?" video game debates. Don't agree? That's fine. Just stand over there. Away from me. I don't want to get any blood or entrails on me when a blue shells squashes you.

Great work on "Art of the Instakill" here from CorridorDigital, the same folks who brought you Repair Tool Hero and a special effects-fueled "Fus Ro Dah" vid. This one rules them all though. I can't think of any better way to kick off the week than with two minutes of senseless, cross-franchise violence.



Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723732/master-chief-shepard-007-others-go-head-to-head-in-art-of-the-instakill/

Mario & Sonic hurdle 3.28 million

Mario's latest trip to the Olympics was popular with gamers. As part of Sega Sammy's latest financial report, the company revealed Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games has sold 3.28 million copies between the Wii and 3DS versions.

Mario's Olympic outing was a bright spot on Sega Sammy's earnings report.

Other million-sellers on Sega's resume were Sonic Generations at 1.85 million and Virtua Tennis 4, which sold 1.04 million copies. Other titles called out by Sega were Football Manager 2012, which sold 710,000 copies, and Yakuza: Dead Souls, which moved 550,000 units.

The most lucrative platform for Sega software sales during the year was the Wii, which accounted for sales of 3.05 million titles. This is compared to 2.45 million for the PlayStation 3, 1.79 million on 3DS, 1.54 million on Microsoft's Xbox 360, and 1.1 million on PSP.

As for Sega Sammy's actual earnings, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, the firm's Consumer Business (which houses its game division) posted revenues of ¥85.6 billion ($1.1 billion), down 3.6 percent from the year prior. The Consumer Business division posted operating losses of ¥15.1 billion ($189 million) for the year, a marked decrease from an operating income of ¥1.9 billion ($24 million) recorded a year ago.

In total, Sega Sammy recorded revenues of ¥395.5 billion ($4.96 billion) for the year, down 3.6 year-on-year. Profits came in at ¥21.8 billion ($272.7 million), down a significant 47.4 percent from the ¥41.5 billion ($519.1 billion) tallied a year ago this time.

Looking to its current fiscal year, Sega Sammy is predicting net sales to surge 18.8 percent year-on-year to ¥470 billion ($5.88 billion), with net income ballooning some 83.3 percent to ¥40 billion ($500.37 million) for the year ending March 31, 2013.




Source : http://gamespot.com/news/mario-and-sonic-hurdle-328-million-6376264