Scaleform Announces Middleware for Wii

Scaleform has just announced that it’ll bring it’s Scaleform GFx middleware over to the Nintendo Wii which will benefit the console through media performance changes.

The technology in Scaleform GFx allows for high performance media since the middleware is compatible with other visual-tools such as Adobe Flash. By taking vector shapes and tessellating the data into triangles, the result will enable fast hardware accelerated rendering.

“We made sure the Scaleform GFx architecture works well with existing game engines on Wii, as well as new ones, said Brendan Iribe, president and CEO of Scaleform.

“Moreover, Scaleform GFx delivers a range of cursor features designed to take advantage of the Wii Remote’s enormous potential. With Scaleform GFx, developers can have the best of both worlds: artist-based data-driven content and hardware-accelerated scalable graphics.”

Source: wiids.co.uk

Mario and Sonic at the Olympics Game Details

Sega today revealed details of the upcoming game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the DS and Wii. The game is set to include 20 Olympic events (detailed below) played in different arenas.

As we posted the story a few days ago, the game will include 16 characters, 8 from the world of Mario and 8 from the world of Sonic. The Wii controls are created specifically to replicate the actions that offer the best results for each event which include:

Fencing – Individual epée
Archery
Shooting – Skeet
Gymnastics - Trampoline
Gymnastics - Vault
Field - High Jump
Field - Pole Vault
Field - Long Jump
Field - Triple Jump
Field – Javelin Throw
Field - Hammer Throw
Rowing – Single Sculls
Table Tennis - Singles
Aquatics – 100m Freestyle
Aquatics – 4×100m Freestyle
Track – 110m and 400m Hurdles
Track – 4×100m Relay
Track –100m and 400m

The controls are simple swinging the Wii Remote to execute a Hammer Thow and replicating swimming strokes using both controllers.

With four playing styles to choose from, players can decide their strategy: all-around, technical, speed, and power similar to what we saw in Mario Strikers - for example: Mario and Amy (All-around), Peach and Tails (Technical), Sonic and Yoshi (Speed), and Knuckles and Bowser (Power).

Players will be able to choose and try out, in both single and multiplayer mode, each event individually with Single Match mode (where players can choose their event and play until they score top marks). They can also compete for the highest overall score in a series of events in Circuit mode (where players can either create their own circuit by choosing the individual events, choose a pre-determined circuit, or randomly generate a circuit).

If you still want more there’s the single-player Mission mode where you can earn top marks on challenges. Additionally, gamers can learn about the history of the Olympic Games through trivia, quizzes, and mini-games and unlock all-new facts and figures from past Olympic Games in the Gallery - not sure we’ll be spending too much time on that.

Source: wiinintendo.net

Ghost Squad

Wii Zapper Package

The Force Unleashed - Finally, what the Wii was REALLY made for!!

LucasArts has revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will come to Wii next spring and you will be able to wield the Wii Remote as a Lightsaber. Now that’s what we’re talking about.

You can wield the Wii Remote as a lightsaber while using the Nunchuk controller to torment others with Force powers(what I wanted from the begging).

The game’s story is set during the era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope.

The Wii version, in development by Krome Studios, will also feature an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head-to-head with their friends. Whether this si online remains to be seen, but we doubt it.

“Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console’s motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life,” said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. “We’ve worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force.”

Source: wiinintendo.net

Wii outsells PS3 by 3 to 1

The Nintendo Wii is proving three times as popular as PS3 in Japan - but the latest Enterbrain figures show the gap could be starting to narrow.

Bloomberg reports that in the four weeks ending August 26 Nintendo sold 245,653 Wii units. That means they've shifted more than 3.4 million in the region so far.

The figure for PS3 stood at 81,541 units, pushing lifetime sales past the 1.1 million mark. Just 11,288 Xbox 360 consoles were sold, with lifetime sales now at 442,290.

Wii outsold PS3 by 3 to 1 during August, but the ratio was 4 to 1 the previous month and 6 to 1 in May and June.

Between July and August Wii sales fell by 38 per cent, while Xbox 360 was down 37 per cent. The number of PlayStation 3 units sold dropped by 11 per cent.

Source: eurogamer.net

NIGHTS: Journey of Dreams trailer