Thanks to Jake for the tip!
This information comes from Satoru Iwata…
“The new ‘Rhythm Paradise’ game we showed you in our Financial Results Briefing in January will be available this summer. I tried out a near-final version of the game, and felt that this ‘Rhythm Paradise,’ playable with a TV monitor, never loses the uniqueness of the original ‘Rhythm Paradise.’ In contrast to ‘Wii Remote Plus Variety’ I introduced before, this game is intentionally designed to be played only with buttons. We have sharpened such different attraction of both titles that we believe that you can have a totally different kind of fun.”
Button-only gameplay is perfectly fine with me! There are many cases in which motion controls aren’t necessary, and I believe Rhythm Heaven Wii is one such example. Now, let’s hope Nintendo announces the game for overseas territories…
Just like all of the other rumors we’ve posted thus far, the points below are not confirmed. We’ll have to wait until E3 before Nintendo shares substantial information about the console. For now, though, you can check out the latest Project Cafe rumors from 1UP’s Sam Kennedy.
– Nintendo looking to create the first social game console
– No Friend Codes
– Console will be designed around the concept of connecting, sharing, gaming with others
– Think of the above as if you are in a cafe
– Nintendo hoping to stream video of games being played to other people’s consoles so friends can see what each other are up to
– Might be able to join another friend’s game seamlessly
This information comes from Satoru Iwata…
“…Furthermore, an already announced new title from the ‘Kirby’ franchise, ‘Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword’ and ‘JUST DANCE 2,’ which will be localized by Nintendo for the Japanese market, and the other new titles currently unannounced will be ready to be launched within this year. Before the launch of the Wii successor, we will be aiming at creating other excitement for Wii in Japan, which has a large installed base of Wii hardware.”
We’ll definitely get a few new Wii game announcements at E3. Project Cafe is still far off on the horizon, and there are only so many games that Nintendo can localize for North America/Europe… Japan needs some titles, too, of course!
This information comes from Nintendo’s Financial Results Briefing…
“However, for the system update, we need to have consumers voluntarily go online with their Nintendo 3DS. We are planning to do some promotional activities in order to urge them to do so. More specifically, we will give a free download of ‘ExciteBike’ as one of the ‘3D Classics’ series during a certain period of time after the beginning of the system update. We would like to announce this widely and have as many people as possible update their hardware and start using Nintendo eShop. Concerning the Virtual Console software, we will begin with GameBoy and GameBoy Color software, and continue with this until we gradually realize the Virtual Console software for the other platforms.”
It isn’t clear if the Excitebike download is Japan-specific or if North America and Europe will also offer the game for free. I have a feeling that this will be a global promotion, but for now we’ll have to wait for a confirmation from Nintendo’s other departments.
This information comes from Nintendo’s Financial Results Briefing…
– Called Wii Remote Plus Variety in Japan
– Comes with one Wii Remote Plus
– Sold at a special value price
– 12 games
– Works only with Wii Remote Plus
– Several video game developing companies Nintendo has worked with competitively created the games for this title
– Unique development process
– Nintendo collected good ideas that use the Wii Remote Plus from developing companies
– Then asked a developing company to complete a promising prototype game that had been created in-house during the experimental stage
– Nintendo’s in-house dev team helped with some development
– Nintendo will disclose the development process of each game in the future
– Releasing this July in Japan
Project Cafe will in fact be released next year, but the console won’t launch until April at the earliest. As a result, Nintendo will have to deliver content for the Wii for at least one more year. And that’s exactly what the Big N plans to do. Satoru Iwata has promised that Nintendo isn’t giving up on the Wii just yet, and, as we noted earlier in the day, will ship significant software every month until the end of the year.
“We have not released any new Nintendo software titles for Wii, except for ‘The Last Story’ (Japanese Title) in January, partly because we have focused on the launch of Nintendo 3DS since the beginning of this year. Therefore, some in Japan seem to have the misunderstanding that Nintendo has given up making efforts on Wii. We are actually ready to release new Wii software titles every month from May to the end of this year. Today I’d like to tell you about our definite plan for this summer.”
These titles include: Pandora’s Tower on May 26, GoldenEye 007 in June, and Wii Play: Motion in July. Rhythm Paradise, Inazuma Eleven Strikers, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Just Dance 2, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and a new Kirby title will also be released before the end of the year.
Individual formats
– 1 PORTAL 2 XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 2 MORTAL KOMBAT PS3 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
– 3 MORTAL KOMBAT XB360 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
– 4 PORTAL 2 PS3 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
1 5 ZUMBA FITNESS WII 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
– 6 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS PS3 ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
– 7 OPERATION FLASHPOINT: RED RIVER XB360 CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
10 8 WII FIT PLUS WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
26 9 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS XB360 ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
3 10 POKEMON BLACK VERSION DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
4 11 POKEMON WHITE VERSION DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
27 12 WII SPORTS RESORT WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
9 13 JUST DANCE 2 WII UBISOFT UBISOFT
8 14 FIFA 11 XB360 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
2 15 CRYSIS 2 XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
16 16 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS XB360 LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
– 17 PORTAL 2 PC EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
5 18 HOMEFRONT XB360 THQ THQ
25 19 FIFA 11 PS3 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
13 20 CRYSIS 2 PS3 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 21 OPERATION FLASHPOINT: RED RIVER PS3 CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
15 22 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
7 23 WII PARTY WII NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 24 SOCOM: SPECIAL FORCES PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
– 25 CARNIVAL GAMES: IN ACTION! XB360 2KPLAY TAKE 2
12 26 ART ACADEMY DS NINTENDO NINTENDO
17 27 HOMEFRONT PS3 THQ THQ
30 28 WWE ALL STARS XB360 THQ THQ
19 29 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS DS LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
32 30 KINECT SPORTS XB360 MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
14 31 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS WII LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
– 32 WWE ALL STARS PS3 THQ THQ
20 33 MOTORSTORM: APOCALYPSE PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
23 34 KILLZONE 3 PS3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
18 35 BULLETSTORM XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
11 36 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 12: THE MASTERS PS3 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
6 37 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 12: THE MASTERS XB360 EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
21 38 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE XB360 UBISOFT UBISOFT
38 39 DRAGON AGE II XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
24 40 SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED XB360 EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
All formats
1 PORTAL 2 VALVE EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
– 2 MORTAL KOMBAT NETHERREALM STUDIOS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
9 3 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS TREYARCH ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
1 4 ZUMBA FITNESS PIPEWORKS 505 GAMES 505 GAMES
2 5 LEGO STAR WARS III: THE CLONE WARS TRAVELLER’S TALES LUCASARTS LUCASARTS
– 6 OPERATION FLASHPOINT: RED RIVER CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
4 7 FIFA 11 EA CANADA EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
3 8 CRYSIS 2 CRYTEK EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
20 9 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
6 10 HOMEFRONT KAOS STUDIOS THQ THQ
7 11 POKEMON BLACK VERSION GAME FREAK NINTENDO NINTENDO
8 12 POKEMON WHITE VERSION GAME FREAK NINTENDO NINTENDO
12 13 WWE ALL STARS THQ SAN DIEGO THQ THQ
29 14 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO
19 15 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT (FRANCE) UBISOFT UBISOFT
5 16 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 12: THE MASTERS TIBURON ENTERTAINMENT EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 17 DRAGON AGE II BIOWARE EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
15 18 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE UBISOFT (MONTREAL) UBISOFT UBISOFT
10 19 SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED SLIGHTLY MAD STUDIOS EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
14 20 ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT (MONTREAL) UBISOFT UBISOFT
36 21 FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION EA CANADA EA SPORTS ELECTRONIC ARTS
11 22 LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4 TRAVELLER’S TALES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
13 23 RED DEAD REDEMPTION ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO ROCKSTAR TAKE 2
16 24 BULLETSTORM EPIC GAMES/PEOPLE CAN FLY EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
22 25 THE SIMS 3 THE SIMS STUDIO EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
24 26 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 MEDIA MOLECULE SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
17 27 WII PARTY ND CUBE NINTENDO NINTENDO
– 28 SOCOM: SPECIAL FORCES ZIPPER INTERACTIVE SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
– 29 CARNIVAL GAMES: IN ACTION! CAT DADDY 2KPLAY TAKE 2
23 30 ART ACADEMY HEADSTRONG GAMES NINTENDO NINTENDO
33 31 KINECT SPORTS RARE MICROSOFT MICROSOFT
31 32 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011 YUKE’S THQ THQ
21 33 TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 EDEN STUDIOS ATARI NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
25 34 MOTORSTORM: APOCALYPSE EVOLUTION STUDIOS SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
27 35 KILLZONE 3 GUERRILLA GAMES SONY COMPUTER ENT. SONY COMPUTER ENT.
– 36 F1 2010 CODEMASTERS BIRMINGHAM CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS
37 37 TOY STORY 3 N-SPACE DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
38 38 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 INFINITY WARD ACTIVISION ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
– 39 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE INFINITY WARD XBOX 360 CLASSICS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
– 40 THE SIMS: MEDIEVAL THE SIMS STUDIO EA GAMES ELECTRONIC ARTS
