EEG News

Wiiskey Tango Foxtrot

Sick for one day and Nintendo goes and releases the official name of their next console.

And it’s a dozey.

The console, formally codenamed Revolution, has been renamed Wii.

Yes, Wii. As in "we."

Internet gaming communities have exploded with a lot of hate and a little bit of love for Wii. And Nintendo seemed to be prepared for it.

The name is stupid, yes, and Nintendo certainly isn’t doing themselves any favors by naming their next console Wii, but we’ll get used to it. Together.

After all, it was a bitter pill to swallow when Microsoft further evoked images of Dew chugging eXreme Sk8rZ by adding a “360” after the already lame moniker “Xbox.”

Certainly, Nintendo’s decision to release the name before E3 was smart. The last time Nintendo dropped a bomb on its audiences at E3 was with the cell-shaded Zelda, Wind Waker. The footage was met with shock and disbelief rather than the expected applause and cheers. The big N bowing the name now gives people a chance to get used to it.

So let’s do it together.  Wii.

Wii.

Okay, so maybe I need more time.

The news also puts Nintendo in the E3 spotlight. For better or worse, people are talking about Wii. (Oh god, it just sounds so wrong.) There's no such thing as bad press, after all. Sony is going to have to jump through some flaming hoops to steal Nintendo’s momentum now.

Microsoft To Buy Massive

Microsoft plans to buy in-game advertising company Massive Inc.

The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), is valued between $200 million to $400 million. Microsoft plans on officially bowing the deal next week. Massive’s current clients include Coca-Cola and Honda.

Massive's business model involves placing dynamic ads in video games such as on billboards or soda machines that can be updated via internet.

It remains to be seen whether videogame ads can help Microsoft's broader advertising goals. The videogame-ad market is growing and has garnered much interest among advertisers and game publishers. For now, though, it's small. Advertisers spent about $56 million on advertisements in videogames last year, up from $34 million the prior year. But a recent report by the Boston research firm Yankee Group predicts the in-game advertising market will reach more than $700 million by 2010. Yankee Group also predicts the number of games with advertising in them will double by the end of this year to more than 200.

Let’s just hope developers keep advertisements reasonable. When they start to put soda machines in medieval role playing games for the slamming ye olde Mountaine Dewe, it will be a sad day indeed.

New Revolution Controller Info

This person keeps their house rather tidy.

Advance Media Network reports rumors that the Nintendo Revolution controller will have an accelerometer have been confirmed by a “developer incredibly close to Nintendo.”

The accelerometer supposedly will be build into the “nunchaku” controller peripheral (pictured in the left hand), and would sense when it is tilted in different directions. The tech was previously featured in the Gameboy Advance game, Wario Ware Twisted.

Nintendo and those who work with the company are notoriously tight-lipped about their products, so break out the salt shaker – even though it sounds like reasonable speculation. E3 is about two weeks away, so it won’t be long before all is revealed.

'Silent Hill' Takes 'Scary' Crown

“Silent Hill” won the weekend boxoffice fisticuffs match with “Scary Movie 4,” grabbing the top spot with a $20.2 million bow.

Despite the cold reception from critics (RottenTomatoes.com currently has “Silent” listed at 24 percent), Sony TriStar’s treatment of the first game in the popular survival horror series averaged $6,904 on 2,926 screens.

Pic scored high sales with teens, with 67% of the audience under 25 years old – and surprisingly, only 55% male.

The critical reaction certainly isn’t what many vidgame fans hoped for in the first game-to-movie translation in recent memory that actually tries to stick to the source material somewhat (and doesn’t rely on camp. I’m looking at you “Mortal Kombat”). However, the box office numbers seem to indicate there will be another Silent Hill movie in the future.

PS2 Price Drop

Sony announced a price drop on the PS2 today…but it’s only $20 less, so don’t get too excited.

The price, lowered from $149 to $129 will be effective immedietly. It may not be a big discount, but hey, it’s better than a punch in the mouth.

Winstron Ramps-Up 360 Production

The 360s are coming!

After being an endangered species on retail market shelves for five months, Xbox 360 production is finally getting a kick in the pants.

Taiwanese electronics manufacturing firm Winstron Corp has announced it will step-up its production of the console to one million units a month by the end of the year.

The firm will also be expanding its Xbox 360 manufacturing facility in China.

Having more 360s on retail shelves will doubtlessly play a role in the console wars when the PS3 is released world-wide – likely facing the same shortage Microsoft experienced with its own console.

Apocalypse Watch: Paris Hilton Video Games Announced

Fans of vapid socialite Paris Hilton will soon be able to live out their fantasies of being a trampy attention-craving heiress right on their cellular phone.

European mobile vidgame developer and publisher Gameloft has announced a multi-game agreement with Paris Hilton Entertainment Inc. The company plans on releasing several Hilton-themed games under the licensing agreement over the upcoming years.

“I’m excited to collaborate with Gameloft to bring the Paris Hilton brand and the glamour of young Hollywood to the cell phones of all my fans around the world,” said Hilton in the press release. “My phone has become an all in one entertainment device and mobile games are an integral part of that. Mobile gaming is really hot right now and I’m excited to be part of this project.”

Wow, who would have thought Hilton suddenly has the vocabulary and aptitude of a PR copy writer when she talks about the mobile communication market?

Superman Speaks for Himself

Clark Kent (pictured without glasses)

The cast of “Superman Returns” has signed on to voice the characters of the obligatory vidgame version of the film. Variety has the scoop, of course.

Superman Returns the game (and hopefully that little bon mot isn’t an omen of what the audience will do with the game) will feature the voices of Brandon Routh (Supes), Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane), Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor), Parker Posey (Kitty Kowalski), and Sam Huntington (Jimmy Olsen). Routh will also be providing his likeness rights as the vidgame’s Superman.

Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will release the game alongside the film this summer.

'Pirates' Set Sail Online

Disney is advocating online piracy. But it’s the “arr matey” kind. Gamersreport is – er – reporting that the MMORPG genre is going to a little more crowded with Disney Online unveiling a "Pirates of the Caribbean" game at this year’s E3 expo.

Capturing the high seas and swashbuckling adventures found in both “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and the upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” players embark on quests for adventure and treasure in an effort to become the Caribbean’s most legendary pirate. Featuring hundreds of customization options, players create and customize their own pirate, form a crew, and set sail on the high seas. Along the way they learn skills and tactics from the notorious Jack Sparrow, helping them forge alliances, hunt for buried treasure, battle evil undead forces and face off against known enemies from the movie franchise.

The game is being developed by Disney’s VR Studio, makers of Toontown Online. The game will face a lot of competition in the MMORPG genre, not just butting heads with genre toppers such as World of Warcraft, but another upcoming pirate MMORPG as well. You can check out the official Pirates of the Caribbean game site here.

Paramount Pairs With Xbox Live

Microsoft and Paramount have entered a pact to make the studio’s movie content available on Xbox Live.

Those straining at the bit to download free content from "Mission: Impossible III" and "Nacho Libre" will be able to do so today (and perhaps should seek therapy, but hey, I’m no movie critic).

Content set for release includes movie trailers and graphic theme packs for Xbox Live. The deal will also launch a “Game with Fame” contest where participants can enter to play a online against celebrities from Par's current movies including "Nacho Libre’s" Jack Black.