The graph depicted above is showing the total sales for the original Super Smash Bros. and it’s sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee; while, on the other hand, Brawl’s portion of the graph is referring only to its sales in March. Super Smash Bros. Brawl managed to completely outsell the life-to-date sales of the first Smash game, and took a chunk (70%) of Melee’s total sales as well.
At this rate, it’s extremely possible – actually probable – that Brawl will be the best selling game on the Wii.
In IGN’s weekly Nintendo Voice Chat podcast, Matt Casamassina and Mark Bozon discussed a slew of interesting details about The Conduit. First and foremost, Matt noted that High Voltage Software was contacted by numerous publishers after IGN showed off The Conduit. Moreover, promising news was presented about the game and the company in general. The first footage of The Conduit in action will be available in the “near future” (as early as in the next two weeks) and the title will provide gamers will a slew of control options. High Voltage also has two other surprising projects in the pipeline and both of the unannounced games seemed to impress Casamassina and Bozon. High Voltage software may not have developed the most fantastic of titles in the past, but The Conduit – and perhaps the other two titles in development – may be the game that some hardcore gamers have begged for.
It was only a few weeks ago that a new Castlevania title was rumored (and later confirmed) to be releasing on the Nintendo DS. Well, folks, it seems as though another Castlevania game has appeared, and similarly to last time, no one knows anything about it. The only detail that has been discovered is the name of the new installment in the series. Apparently, this new Castlevania title will be called Castlevania Judgement. Perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part, but there’s a chance that this game may show up on the Wii. After all, the series has, essentially, conquered the DS – Is it possible that the developers of Castlevania may be finally ready to jump on the Wii bandwagon?
Rock Band appeared on the video game scene with much success. Because of this, it seems that Activision will be forced to keep up with the new competition by adopting a different approach. Instead of focusing on guitars only, vocals and other instruments will be added to the mix for future Guitar Hero games.
“It’s not just about guitars. We’ll include a lot of other instruments, vocals. It will help us expand internationally. It’s the first game we’ve had in which we can use local content and local bands.” – Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO
According to The Financial Times, the Nintendo Wii has become the sales leader of its generation. In fact, the system is so popular that even now it can be hard trying to purchase one. Yet, such success still doesn’t change the fact that it is lagging behind in software that pushes the system’s hardware capabilities, especially in terms of its graphics and overall gaming technology.
High Voltage Software, a prominent video game developer, strives to change this trend by creating Nintendo Wii games that look like Xbox 360 or PS3 titles. It is one of the few developers able to accomplish such a feat, since others tend to concentrate more on the system’s unique style of gameplay.
“We think it’s a real shame that publishers and developers aren’t taking advantage of the technical possibilities of the Wii platform. Most Wii games don’t even look as good as the later day PS2 titles and that’s a real slap in the face to consumers. We believe that third-party developers need to step up to the plate and deliver. The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We’re hoping to raise a new bar.” Noted Kerry Ganofsky, company CEO, in a recent IGN exclusive.
– Mario Kart DS (NDS, Nintendo): 2,935,577 units sold
Release: 12/08/05
– Wii Sports (Wii, Nintendo): 2,853,740 units sold
Release: 12/02/06
– New Super Mario Bros. (NDS, Nintendo): 5,136,819 units sold
Release: 05/25/06
– Animal Crossing: Wild World (NDS, Nintendo): 4,630,850 units sold
Release: 11/23/05
NES – River City Ransom
Sega Genesis – Phantasy Star III Generations of Doom
Helping out your friends is often as easy as a ride to the airport or a kind word of advice. But when they fall victim to dastardly kidnappers, things get a little more complicated. Step up and find out what it takes to rescue your imperiled pals in the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel. Both of these classic titles feature distinctive rescue-driven storylines and villain-busting action to help bring out your inner hero. Isn’t that what friends are for?
Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
“Anything which makes it easier for new developers to enter the market is a great thing. We’re certainly going to take a serious look at WiiWare, especially as a stepping stone to Wii development.” – Vincent Dehaut of Studio Archcraft
Studio Archcraft plans on releasing Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled in the second quarter of 2008 for the DS and Project Exile 2 is being considered for the future.
In an interview, Mike Capps (President of Epic Games) had this to say about the Wii:
“It’s a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they’re like, “Oh my God that’s so cool, I’m gonna go buy it.” So you stop playing it after two months, but they buy it and they stop playing it after two months but they’ve showed it to someone else who then go out and buy it and so on. Everyone I know bought one and nobody turns it on. Obviously there’s a class of people who really love it and enjoy it and are getting into the games but I’m still waiting for that one game that makes me play it. Who knows, maybe Wii Fit will be it.”
Also during the interview, Capps insisted that Epic Games will never create a title for the Wii. He insisted, “no, we go forward, not back. It makes more sense for us to invest in the next-generation tech.”
It’s impossible to say that the technology of the Wii can match that of the 360, but the approach to video games has moved forward because of the system. I strongly believe that the Wii has impacted the industry, and there would be no possible way to progress if developers and publishers relied only on horsepower and graphics cards. Gaming needs other things, too, such as creativity and a fresh approach.
Best Buy
Imagine: Babyz (DS) – $19.99
Petz: Wild Animals: Dolphinz (DS) – $19.99
Circuit City
Pokemon: Diamond (DS) – $24.99
Pokemon: Pearl (DS) – $24.99
Pokemon: Emerald (GBA) – $14.99
High School Musical (DS) – $19.99
Ben 10 (DS) – $19.99
