Just days after the confirmation regarding its launch titles, THQ is at again - this time with a 30-seconder commercial. Though the third party publisher still failed to mention about the retail price for each, they have always maintained that their popular titles are and have always been, in sync with Nintendo's campaign for fun gaming experiences.

The commercial shows the four titles (Disney Pixar's Cars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab and Barnyard) being played and enjoyed by kids. By the way all of them were rated E to E 10 by the ESRB. It seems that Nintendo is really bringing out all its marketing firepower now, from the big guns down to the the small ad campaigns.

Download: [THQ Wii Game Footage]

THQ has just confirmed four launch titles for Wii: Disney Pixar's Cars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, and a film-to-game title to put the icing on the cake, Barnyard.

Unfortunately, THQ did not comment on the retail price of any of the four games but THQ vice president for worldwide marketing Kelly Flock said, "As the number-one third-party publisher of software across all Nintendo gaming systems, THQ's library of popular mass-market brands aligns perfectly with Nintendo's strategy of creating fun and accessible experiences for the new Wii system."

Wii's launch line-up is looking pretty strong at the moment with titles such as Splinter Cell: Double Agent coming to the Wii. As long as your Wii doesn't crash, you'll have fun time playing all these games!

Our favorite porous character from Bikini Bottom is back thanks to these screenshots of the game Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Crab. You were probably amused by our coverage of the game, specifically that article where a little audience participation is needed, but this time, we'll let the screenshots take care of the "amusing the reader" part.

Of course, any Spongebob affair should have room for his ever-clueless sidekick, Patrick. And when they're together, they'll need someone to bug and that's where Squidward enters the picture. So that you know, there will be nine unique levels with an entirely different gameplay for each stage. With that, we'll let the screenshots do their job now. We hope they win you over.

More screens after the jump!

Parties make life for journalists and marketing people a whole lot better. First, they allow these guys to get some really good (free) food, the scribes are treated like royalty and the marketing people can gab and get new contacts for their next sale. It's a win-win situation. So here's THQ's Loaded 2006 event at Sydney, Australia.

THQ showed their lineup for the remaining months of 2006. Capcom and Sega were also there by the way. Unfortunately, there was no representative from Sony.

Will the real game consoles please stand up? The hosts were gracious enough to bring a PS3, although journalists suspect that the contraption covered by a white sheet wasn't the real thing but was a dev kit. What surprised them more was the controller. It seemed light and easy to carry, although it might change on D-Day. They played Virtua Tennis 3 on the PS3 dev kit for a while. As for the Wii, they only brought a shell and some sample controllers. They seemed smaller than expected. Release date for Australia will be within the year.

• Destroy All Humans was a huge success. Hence, the sequel Destroy All Humans 2. For the moment, the game looked almost like its older brother. There's open world gameplay in the newest version. According to most journalists who attended, the PS version looked way better than the Xbox's.
• Dead Rising is a game that many people have been waiting for. What is it with zombies and games; they seem to be made for each other? The journalists were attracted to the demo like zombies in a mall. Wait, that's the premise of the game, heheh. What's cool about it is that you can use almost anything in the mall to inflict pain on these poor denizens of the dark. Golf balls to the skull obviously kills them.
• Lost Planet was just the same demo they showed during E3. However, it still looked as magnificent as before. The game will be out by January.
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, is an FPS long over due. It was started in 2001 and has been delayed for various reasons. Let's hope that at least the demo of this Ukrainian game gets out before the end of the year. According to observers, the open ended game is something to look forward to.
• WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 hasn't changed its already great gameplay (we reported on before on its PS3, PSP, and Xbox 360 versions) . Although they did manage to add something new: expanded general manager mode, updated rosters, and online play.
  
• Sonic Rivals. Most were impressed with the speed of the game. It felt old school to them, but the graphics were a blast.
• Sonic the Hedgehog. This game for the Xbox 360 looked quite good, although it had some frame rate and oversensitive control problems.
• Avatar. A nickelodeon game going for the Wii. Looked more like a hack and slash game. They were hoping that it would improve as it nears completion.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab. They found it thoroughly enjoyable although confusing at some levels. Probably, because it was still incomplete?

Whenever a new game is announced for the Wii, one of the most frequently asked questions that is inevitably heard all around the gaming community is, "How will it utilize the Wii controller?" Well, THQ is just about to answer that very question - for some of their Wii titles, at least.

What follows is a rundown of how controls will be handled in THQ's upcoming Wii games Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Disney’s Pixar Cars, and Barnyard. Read on, guys.


SpongeBob Squarepants
• SpongeBob fans will get to fly using the Wii controller as it becomes an aircraft’s control stick in unique, fast-paced flying sections.
• Players will experience racing as they grip the Wii controller like a steering wheel for a whole new and intuitive virtual driving experience.
• Rampage through Bikini Bottom as a 50 foot Plankton using the Wii’s unique accelerometers by sweeping, swiping and shaking the controller to punch, stomp and roar through a path of destruction.

Avatar
• Melee attacks using the Wii’s controller in sweeping gestures allow players to create combo-moves.
• Players perform Bending moves by moving the Wii controller left, right, up or down.
• Focus Moves allow players to draw symbols, using the Wii controller, from the "Avatar world" in a time based series in order to generate special moves.
• Players can use the Wii Nunchuk to control the game camera with tilting action.

Cars
• Players will race rotating the Wii controller like a steering wheel.
• Control jumps with the Wii controller.
• Enhanced mini games will use the unique control features including tilt mechanics in Tractor Tipping and motion mechanics for the Pit Stop.

Barnyard
• Swing the Wii remote like a club to tee off for a game of golf.
• Simulate a pool stick with the Wii remote in a game of Barnyard Billiards.
• Swing and strike with the controller to whack weasels in the Whack-a-Rac game.
• Utilize the Wii controller like a steering wheel to take the farmer’s truck on a joy ride.

OK, maybe not all of our readers here will be playing the above titles since they're geared more towards little kids, but we think it's an interesting insight into how game developers are using the new control options provided by the Wii controller.

If you feel like dropping a comment, don't hesitate to do so.

The Leipzig Games Convention (LGC) is here! The Developer Conference opens today, August 21, with a record-breaking participation of more than 600 visitors. The LGC starts August 21 if you're a game developer, August 23 if you're a VIP or with the media, and August 24 if you're one of us, the unwashed masses. The LGC exhibitions end August 27, so start hiking now.

What does video game publisher THQ have for their line-up for the LGC? We took THQ's (very long) press release and squeezed it for the goodies. Here's the short version for your reading pleasure:

Saints Row
For the Xbox 360 is this third-person open-world action/driving hybrid developed by THQ's Volition, Inc. You're a gang member with the 3rd Street Saints and you have to go up the gang ranks and eventually take over the city Stilwater. The game features character customization options and supports multiplayer mode through Xbox Live. Official release: Aug. 29 for North America; Sept. 1 for Europe.

Frontlines: Fuel of War
For the Xbox 360 and also for PS3 and Windows PC is this open-world infantry and vehicle first person shooter from THQ's Kaos Studios. In the near future, a global war for oil is being waged between the Western Coalition (US/NATO) and the Red Star Alliance (Russia/China). You'll play both sides of the battle. Official release: 2007.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
For the PSP, Xbox 360, and PS2 is this 8th release in the THQ and JAKKS Pacific franchise. It features an analog control grappling system, new movesets, and an interactive fighting area within the crowd. There are updated rosters for Raw and SmackDown and an expanded General Manager Mode and online multiplayer game play with voice chat support. Official release: 2006 holiday season.

Disney-Pixar Cars
You race. Based on the movie. Official release: fall 2006 for Xbox 360 and Wii; all throughout this summer for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, PSP, DS, Windows PC, and Mac.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Bikini Bottom. Enough said. Official release: fall of 2006 for Wii, PS2, DS, GameCube, GBA, and Windows PC.

Monster House
Based on the movie. Official release: all throughout this summer for DS, PS2, GameCube, GBA.

Bratz: Forever Diamondz
Search of the country's hottest fashion designer. Official release: fall of 2006 for DS, PS2, GameCube, and GBA.

Barnyard
Based on the upcoming film. Official release: fall of 2006 for Wii, PS2, GameCube, GBA, and Windows PC.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
Do your kung fu and explore the four Avatar nations. Official release: fall of 2006 for Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, GameCube, Xbox, GBA, and Windows PC.

The versatility of the Nintendo Wii Controller (a.k.a. Wiimote) was put to the test, Tuesday, by games publisher THQ in the basement of confectionery Dylan's Candy Bar of Manhattan's fancy Upper East Side.

With a by-invitation-only affair, the company allowed select journalists and kids to try out the work-in-progress versions of Wii games based on Disney's Carsmovie and Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender,Barnyard, and Spongebob Squarepants franchises.

Many of the maneuvers seen in other companies' previewed Wii software were also exhibited in the THQ games. A punch in a rampage mode of Spongebob results from a jostle of the Wii remote, while a quick downward swipe makes your character stomp on the ground. Then, turning the device like a steering wheel - with the Wiimote held sideways by its shorter ends - controls the Cars racing game. "One minute you're using the [Wii remote] rampaging and hitting buildings, and the other you're holding it like a joystick in a jet fighter," says Ali Bouda, brand manager for kids' games at THQ, as he surveyed the players in the room.

Meanwhile, these rules have been found to be malleable enough to a certain degree. For example, in the Cars game, holding the remote like you would the horizontal steering wheel of a city bus, rather than like the vertical wheel of a regular car, may work. However, a quick test revealed that the game only reads a twist on the vertical plane. Flipping the remote upside down and then steering would work as well, but again, only on that vertical plane, like the movement of the hands on a clock.

THQ representatives at the event said they did not advocate these alternate ways of playing Wii games. Rather, they merely offered instructions for the standard approach and even gave sufficient warning against attempts to play the games the wrong way, like trying to steer Cars with one hand: "You can't do it. You do need to hold it like a steering wheel."

What this activity has shown is that games can possibly break the rules concerning use of the Nintendo Wii controller. Now, whether or not these alternative ways of playing will prove to be enriching or devastating to the system will be determined when Wii is launched this fall.

Through all the announcements that have been made, a compilation of what should be launch titles for the Wii has been made! Surprisingly, Ubisoft has more titles than even Nintendo! Check it out:

Title	Publisher
Avatar: The Last Airbender	THQ
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII	Ubisoft
Blitz: The League	Midway
Call of Duty 3	Activision
Cars	THQ
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2	Atari
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors	Square Enix
Elebits	Konami
Excite Truck	Nintendo
Far Cry	Ubisoft
GT Pro Series	Ubisoft
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers	Square Enix
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	Nintendo
Madden NFL 07	EA
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance	Activision
Metal Slug Anthology	SNK
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption	Nintendo
Monster 4x4 World Circuit	Ubisoft
Need for Speed: Carbon	EA
Open Season	Ubisoft
Rayman Raving Rabbids	Ubisoft
Red Steel	Ubisoft
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab	THQ
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz	Sega
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam	Activision
Trauma Center: Second Opinion	Atlus
Wii Sports	Nintendo

Of course, some of these games may see delays. Also, it's not known whether this will be "Launch Day" or "Launch Window" but the Wii launch should be much more spectacular than the N64 and GCN! Although now we run the risk of having too much to play in too short a time. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the same day... Nintendo, how could you? Click any of the links on the above games for our coverage.

A little reader participation if you know the catchy song and the background voices of the kids responding to the Captain, as you can sum up this article on Wii gameplay for Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab with almost as many words. Heaven help us all...

Are you ready, readers?

*Aye, aye, Captain!*

Oh! Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

*Spongebob Squarepants!*

Absorbent and Yellow and Porous, on Wii!

*Spongebob Squarepants!*

If Wii-moted gameplay is all that you wish...

*Spongebob Squarepants!*

Here's two youtube videos, embedded like fish!

*Spongebob Squarepants!*

Ready?! Everyone now! Spongebob Squarepants! Spongebob Squarepants!



Spongebob Squarepants! Spongebob Squarepants!




SPONGE-BOB! SQUARE-PAAAAAAAAANTS!

Walmart, everyone's favorite store, has listed a release date for a Wii title. This title, is none other than the notorious SpongeBob: Creature from Krusty Krab. This is one of the only Wii games that I plan not to buy or look forward to, but it is the first Wii title that Walmart had listed with a release date. This release date comes right before Nintendo's favorite release month (November) with it being on October 2nd of this year. Now, without looking at the source (Walmart), I would guess that this is not the Wii (console) release date. This is a pure rumor at this time, much like some of the Wii functions are still a mystery. The game can easily be released on that day if the publishers choose to, and the console can be released a month later. So, will you take this as just a game release date or a hint at when the Wii will be released? I love rumors, but I also hate it when those good rumors turn out as false, so don't hold your breath!