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    Obama family appoints Wii to (TV) cabinet

    January 9, 2009 - 11:53am


    This is one of those stories that pretty much can't be passed up, although it's not actually that surprising. Given the sales numbers for the Wii, we basically expect to find one in the home of everyone who can safely afford one -- especially when children are present. Turns out that the Obama family is among the bajillion households to join in on the waggling. The president-elect used his newly-earned position of power to secure the elusive console for his daughters as a Christmas present, and he has since taken up Wii Sports as well. His bowling performance apparently eclipses his famously awkward real-life bowling during the campaign.[Via Joystiq]

    Dead Rising: Look at Stuff Till You Drop [update]

    January 9, 2009 - 10:56am


    Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop may not feature the epic hordes of zombies found in its predecessor, but Capcom has delivered one shambling mass -- of media. If it enhances your appreciation of the Wii adaptation, you can imagine each of the thirty-nine screenshots featured in the latest release dragging its way out of our gallery, moaning eerily for your clicks. After the break (on account of the gore and all), we have one brand-new trailer, and one very welcome repeat performance. The new trailer shows one of the trademarks of the game: using random junk around the mall as weaponry. The not-so-new trailer? The GaGaGa SP theme song video with subtitles![Update: the "new" trailer turned out to be a repeat as well. Very sorry about that, but the GaGaGa SP video is still as fun as ever, at least!]

    Gameloft and Mattel team up to bring Uno to WiiWare

    January 9, 2009 - 9:59am

    Why not, right? That's what Gameloft is saying, as they're set to bring the popular Mattel card game to WiiWare. Sadly, we've got no date to go on as of right now, but it can't take too long to pump this out now, can it? Also, the press release mentions that this is merely the first collaboration between Mattel and Gameloft, so there's a chance we could see other Mattel licenses make their way to Wii. A WiiWare version of KerPlunk? That's what we're talking about![Via Joystiq]

    CES 2009: No Rock Band 3 this year

    January 8, 2009 - 9:06pm

    Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos has revealed that the developer won't be releasing a third Rock Band game in 2009, Lego or otherwise. Speaking at a CES conference, Rigopulos said Harmonix has deliberately opted to "break out of the annual release cycle," as sticking rigidly to such a schedule "places limits on the choices you can make as a developer."Though he didn't mention it, we also suspect the mysterious Beatles game is a factor in Harmonix's decision to put Rock Band 3 on ice. If Activision can follow this example and resist releasing a new Guitar Hero game this calendar year, 2009 could be those rarest of things: a year where we don't end up having to buy another bunch of plastic instruments. Our closets are already sighing with relief at the thought.

    CES 2009: ezGear showcases 'most advanced music game controller'

    January 8, 2009 - 8:11pm


    Even though it has been thoroughly thrashed with the ugly stick, ezGear's "You Rock Guitar" is actually a nifty bit of kit. Labeled "the world's most advanced video game and music controller" by its maker, the guitar is compatible with all current music games on the Wii, and swaps out the traditional strum bar and colored fretboard buttons for real strings and a multi-touch pad respectively (despite how it looks, there are no strings on the fretboard).There's a bunch of non-Wii functionality in the You Rock. It can hook up to your PC or Mac (where it works with programs such as Garage Band, Sonar, and Finale), and can additonally link to your iPod, iPhone, or MP3 player, allowing you to "jam along" with your favorite Showaddywaddy tracks (yes, we know). You can even connect it to a guitar amp or mixer!Alas, the peripheral's many functions mean it will launch in Q2 or Q3 with a price tag of $149.99. If you think you could get some use out of this besides playing on the Wii, that might make this worth it. While you wait, make the jump for the cheesiest trailer we've seen in forever.

    Report finds British families game together, Wii very popular

    January 8, 2009 - 7:16pm


    A recent report conducted in Britain by research firm Deloitte says that the average Brit spends about 6.6 hours a week playing video games. As part of that report, Deloitte also found that a quarter of the individuals who were polled owned a Wii, with another quarter stating that they intend to own one in 2009. It's no surprise, if you've been keeping up with sales figures.Another aspect of the report that is quite interesting is the perception of gaming overall. Apparently, video games are considered part of "family time" over there for those between the ages of 26 and 42. It warms our heart to think of all the families getting along splendidly, enjoying gaming together. How many of you enjoy gaming with your family? What games do you all play together? Is gaming your main hobby?[Via Joystiq]

    Job seekers nab Wii from retirement home

    January 8, 2009 - 6:19pm

    You can't get much lower than this. A retirement home in Ottawa, Ohio, was recently robbed for its Wii. Two women walked into the retirement home, seeking job applications, but ended up leaving with more than a job. They nabbed the home's Wii console. As one might imagine, the folks at the home enjoy playing Wii Sports, particularly the Bowling and Baseball games. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. Several of the home's inhabitants were able to identify the two women, and police were able to track them down and recover the Wii. See also: Children's home robbed, local businessman replaces stolen Wii

    jOG, for the laziest gamers

    January 8, 2009 - 5:25pm

    If you want to, you can really get into a Wii game. Sure, it's possible to play most of 'em from the deepest recess of the sofa (even Wii Fit, if you want to cheat, you cheater), but alternately, if you feel like running back and forth in an aggressive game of Wii Sports tennis, or jogging until your legs fall off with Wii Fit, you can. But you've got to have the proper motivation first. For some, that's as simple as finding joy in bouncing around aimlessly ... and for others, that motivation lies in being forced to respond like a trained monkey run about in order to get your controller to respond.It's a neat idea in theory, and one we've seen before, but the execution of this one may be somewhat lacking. How are you expected to do any precise aiming, or, hell, accomplish anything at all while jogging in place? Worse, you probably have to jog with authority just to get everything to register. They'll probably sell oodles of 'em, regardless.

    CES 2009: Nyko's Wiimote imitator is lawsuit-proof

    January 8, 2009 - 4:28pm

    It's genius, really -- Nintendo sued Nyko for making the Kama Wireless Nunchuck too similar in design to Nintendo's own. But there is no way Nintendo would ever even suggest that Nyko's "Wand" looks at all like the Wiimote, out of respect for the Wiimote. Nyko has replaced the clean lines and muted color scheme of the Wiimote with an odd-shaped body, weird, jagged D-pad, and brightly-colored, square buttons. In addition to the garishness feature, the Wand has one rather cool ability: when connected to compatible extensions, Wiimote functions can be transferred to the extension. For example, their pistol grip for the Wand rumbles and has a real B button on the trigger, rather than a mechanical lever that pushes the Wiimote's B button -- not to mention that there's an A button on the back.They also introduced the Charge Station EX, a revision of the popular Charge Station that adds battery level indicators, and a Kama Charge Kit that includes a rechargeable Kama Wireless Nunchuck and a rechargeable battery pack for the Wiimote. Pictures of all of these new accessories are in our gallery! All are expected to be in US stores this April.

    High Voltage talks hardcore gaming on the Wii

    January 8, 2009 - 3:36pm

    Click for more screens
    If you've been following the Wii scene for any length of time, then you know there's a perception that the console has little to offer the hardcore gamer. High Voltage is looking to change that with their upcoming FPS, The Conduit. High Voltage's CEO, Kerry Ganofsky, and The Conduit's lead designer, Rob Nicholls recently spoke with MTV Multiplayer about the game and their goals for it when it releases this year.Aside from explaining why The Conduit is a "gamer's game," the duo also talk on the game's appeal to the casual crowd, as well as the titles they drew inspiration from. It's an interesting read, so check out the interview right here.