Thanks to Ross M for the news tip!

This information comes from Denise Kaigler, NOA’s vice president of corporate affairs…

“When Wii launched back in 2006, the household saturation of HDTVs was much lower than it is now. Nintendo didn’t include HD capability back then because that would have been a cost that everyone had to pay, whether or not they had an HDTV. There’s something not very fair about that. As Mr. Iwata has said a number of times, we have no current plans to launch an HD version of Wii, but HD is one of the things we’re keeping in mind for the future.

I think questions and concerns like these might be unique to the medium of video games. No one rates books by the design on their covers. And no one would suggest the most engrossing movie is the one with the most special effects. Certainly these elements can draw your eye, but in the end we judge a book or a movie on the way it makes us feel, whether we’re laughing, shedding a tear or shouting with excitement when the bad guy gets what’s coming to him.

No matter what new technologies are developed or how video games look, in the end gamers will decide if it’s a good title based on the experience. Ultimately, pretty pictures don’t matter. It’s all about the game play. Just think of the pixels of the original Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros. Those games hold up years later, and no one would say they’re on the cutting edge of graphics. Even modern games like Super Mario Galaxy and Punch-Out!! play so well that you’re not thinking about TV specs or cables – you’re just having fun playing a game. And that’s the way it should be. That’s one of the reasons Wii Sports and Wii Fit are among the most influential games of this console generation: They deliver fun experiences that go well beyond the way the games look. For the most part when gamers look back and recall their game play-experiences, they remember the new interfaces and the fun they had playing with other people, not the graphics or the type of TV they played on. It’s always about play, not pixels and polygons.”

Source

All of these videos except the last one have no sound, but it’s still worth watching the footage!

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NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today revealed that Panda, from the Tekken® series, will make a cameo in We Cheer™2 for Wii™. Panda will appear in the game’s Workout Mode, a training option that gets players moving to the beat as they land cheer moves to earn in-game Calorie Points. More points are earned as players successfully hit the right moves while an on-screen graphic indicates what part of the body is being worked. A new set of assets is now available which includes screenshots and a gameplay video of Panda working hard to get into top fighting form so she’s ready for her next battle in the newly released TEKKEN 6.

We Cheer 2 brings the upbeat fun of cheerleading into the home with its entertaining adaptation of the challenge and spirit of the competitive sport. Utilizing the Wii Remotes™ as virtual pom-poms, players follow on-screen prompts for choreographed routines that utilize a full range of arm and body movements. We Cheer 2 is the only cheerleading video game to offer a hit soundtrack of licensed music and features a brand new lineup of 30 rockin’ songs that will get players energized and ready to cheer. Players will also have access to limitless customization for both their character and their entire squad with an increased range of options for creating characters from head to toe.

Gaming innovation celebrated at record breaking Golden Joystick Awards

Boom for event as gamers cast 1.2m votes and name Fallout 3 their ultimate game

1500 HRS October 30th 2009 – The video games industry was recognized as the fastest-growing entertainment medium and the UK was acknowledged as a centre of creative excellence today as the winners of the world’s most popular video game awards show, the 27th annual Golden Joystick Awards were announced in London.

Fallout 3 was crowned “Ultimate Game of the Year”, whilst Call of Duty continued its annual winning streak with a hat-trick of accolades.

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This information comes from Nintendo’s Supplementary Information about Earnings Release…

Source 1, Source 2

Nintendo Wii

North America:
1. Wii Sports Resort — 2 Wii MotionPlus Bundle (Nintendo)
2. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
3. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Nintendo)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
5. The Biggest Loser (THQ)

Japan:
1. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
2. Super Robot Taisen Neo (Banpresto)
3. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Nintendo)
4. Tsumi to Batsu: Uchuu no Koukeisha (Nintendo)
5. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)

UK:
1. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
2. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Nintendo)
3. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)
5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Sega)

Nintendo DS

North America:
1. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (Nintendo)
2. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)
3. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (Square Enix)
4. Scribblenauts (Warner Bros.)
5. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)

Japan:
1. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (Square Enix)
2. Pocket Monsters: Soul Silver (Nintendo)
3. Love Plus (Konami)
4. Pocket Monsters: Heart Gold (Nintendo)
5. Tomodachi Collection (Nintendo)

UK:
1. Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (Nintendo)
2. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
3. UP (THQ)
4. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (Disney)
5. Rhythm Paradise (Nintendo)

Source

Virtual Console:
-Zombies (LucasArts, SNES)

WiiWare:
-Ghost Mansion Party (1000 points, Gameloft)
-LIT (800 points, WayForward)

DSiWare:
-A Little Bit of… All Time Classics: Card Classics (500 points, Nintendo)
-Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ (800 points, Gammick Entertainment)

Source