This week is heavy on the Wii. We've got publishers and first party devs all looking to pack more games for the Wii. There's Bethesda and their big plan, XSEED and their Ju-on game, some from Capcom, and even a dead rumor rises from the grave to come to the Wii. To cut a long story short, the Nintendo Wii is gonna get swarmed by new games in 2009. There's some good news for the DS and the homebrew side too, so be sure to read up on the recap, brought to you by the Nintendo Weekend Warrior.

Here's a cool fact about Smart Bomb Interactive's brand new Snoopy game, Snoopy WWI Flying Ace, it owes more to McGuyver, The A-Team and the Lego series than it does to Warhawk. Could this hint at some sort of vehicle or weapon creation and customisation aspect to the game? Are there plans for DLC? Who would win in a knock down, drag out fight to the finish between Snoopy and Lucy?

Find out after the jump!

Those who are following the Manhunt 2 news probably know by now that, despite the fact that the controversial game (by Rockstar Studios for the Wii) will be released in the US (albeit after a cut or two), UK's BBFC is still standing by its decision to ban the game.

But why? Considering that one of the Wii's selling points is adding more depth to the gaming experience by letting gamers simulate actual movements in game using the Wiimote, some gamers think that being able to act out violent blows more realistically using the Wii remote's motion sensor is the reason behind BBFC's insistence to ban the controversial title.

When asked about this theory, BBFC has denied banning the game due to its motion-sensing capabilities. Said BBFC's senior examiner Gianni Zamo:

Under certain circumstances and in certain contexts it is possible that motion-sensing devices might have an effect on category decisions. It is not a prime consideration for at the moment and has not affected any Wii games we have passed so far.

Zamo also said that Rockstar Studios' Manhunt 2 wasn't singled out for prompting gamers to perform realistic motions when carrying out acts of torture, the PSP and PS2 versions of the game are in fact banned in the UK as well. "Indeed, motion-sensing devices are nothing new," Zamo remarked.

Just about a year ago, we reported about Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata's intention to market the Wii and the DS to mothers, the elderly, and to young women, saying that "It's a challenge, like trying to sell cosmetics to men."  Well what do you know, Nintendo managed to fulfill that promise, just a little more than a year after they made the announcement.

Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter said that Nintendo's new diverse games such as Wii Sports helped the motion sensor-driven console to capture the new gaming market, and leaving its rivals Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox chasing in its wake. "It really is fun," said Pachter about Wii Sports. "Anyone can do it."

Avid Wii gamers (and there's a lot of them) constantly hold Wii parties, and even recruited the help of party planning online service Evite in starting up even more Wii parties from birthdays to family reunions.

Nintendo's handheld, the DS, is also basking in its own share of success. Games such as Brain Age were targeted towards senior citizens, while Nintendogs became a main staple of DS-toting pre-teen girls.

Even Pachter's wife is addicted to Nintendo's pet dog simulation. According to the analyst:

I know before the girls got Nintendogs, my wife had never played a video game in her life and she was completely opposed on moral and educational grounds to my kids even picking up a DS. Now she thinks it is the cutest thing she has ever seen.

With that kind of success in their hands, the idea of Nintendo being able to sell cosmetics to men doesn't sound as impossible as before.

We all love Nintendo Wii for its fresh take on gaming, using motion sensors, and melting the fat off of millions of fast food-weaned gaming kids. Perhaps you should know who to thank for it.

The Wii's motion sensing feature is all thanks to these shirt-button sized sensors, called accelerometers, supplied by ST Microelectronics, whose MEMS (microelectromechanical systems - the technology of motion detection) division is headed by Benedetto Vigna, the Italian physicist who developed the sensor.

The former University of California at Berkeley co-ed has made motion-detector chips for the mass market, such as motion sensors for car airbags, laptops, and washing machines before he got to know Nintendo and "married" the game maker's vision. Facts: your laptop has a motion sensor, to warn you to put it in a safer place to keep it from falling, and so does your washing machine - to warn you of an unbalanced washload.

Vigna says that in the near future, he plans on making his sensors smaller, cheaper, and even tougher, and to fit it into all sorts of places, such as in shoes and in textile products. Such sensors, he thinks, would be very useful in medical monitoring. He also wants to develop a small motion sensor in cameras to help stabilize their position when taking photos. This would yet be the smallest compass: a magnetic sensor in cameras to stabilize images and warn the photographer of their position when a GPS (global positioning system) signal cannot be had.

With all of Vigna's plans, it's easy to imagine a better future with motion detectors, and not just for games

For those familiar with the series Legend of the Dragon by BKN, here's a treat for you. It's bit too late for the Chinese new year but hey, here's some new info about the Legend of the Dragon.

For the unfamiliar, the story starts with Ang and Ling Leung who happens to be twins. Ang gets chosen to be the Golden Dragon and Ling - in her disappointment, joins the forces of Woo Yin. Storyline centers on the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. In game, they have each have a temple and a temple guardian who turns into the zodiac they represent with the skills to match.

Legend of the Dragon from The Game Factory will feature 18 playable characters (each transforming into a temple guardian), three wireless multiplayer modes, four single player modes (quest being one), 18 battle arenas (completely destructible) and a responsive weather dynamic environment system. Also unique to this fighting game is a unique special moves system. Unlockable content includes a complete episode from the TV series' first season.

There's also the real time spell casting system, transformations, team and tag battles, total of eight game modes, WiFi multiplayer (for the PSP), and motion sensor controls (for the Wii). Ready to thwart the Zodiac Master's evil plans? Legend of the Dragon is set for release around March. While we wait, here's a load of screens.

This is why open-source rules. Collaborating with Ian Rickard, Hiroaki has been able to further tweak DarwiinRemote to do a little bit more this time around, and it's interesting to see how far this new Wii-Mac mod project will go.

DarwiinRemote is a Mac application that lets you use the Wiimote on the Mac for specific programs. While the current set of things you can do with it is limited, making it a rather nifty toy or virtual mouse, it does show the potential for further use in everything from games to presentations.

For instance, imagine doing a slideshow on Mac using your Wiimote to direct the flow of your presentation. You can keep your presentation fluid without prompting someone to move to the next segment of your show or having to go back to the mouse every few minutes after stating your point. That's the kind of cool future we can envision from DarwiinRemote. It might not be immediate, but we're sure that Hiroaki, Rickard, and other members of the open source development community will make it happen.

In related news, Hiroaki's thinking of expanding the code for others to use:

I plan to divide Wii Remote Framework from DarwiinRemote.app. By using the framework, you might be able to use Wii Remote in your projects easily. It will include some additional functions such as various analyzing method like gesture recognition.

If PC users want to see a combination of DarwiinRemote and WiinRemote in the future, then this would be the best way to see the project expanding beyond its original scope into becoming something everyone can use for just about anything they feel like doing on their computers. Enjoy the download, and give the two guys some props for what they're doing, alright?

Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.3]
Download: [DarwiinRemote v0.3 (sources)]

If you want to see the changes in v0.3, click on "Full Article".

Motion-sensing technology for all gaming systems might be possible as a wireless motion sensor system – codenamed Fusion – is now in development. This means that Wiimote-like controllers/peripherals will be accessible to all you [insert console here]-fanboys out there.

Fusion is being developed by the people responsible for the Gametrak controller, In2Games, and is set to be available around the third quarter of 2007. The developers claim that what sets their system apart from existing controllers is its extended capabilities. For example, if you apply the technology to a peripheral for a Tennis game it can not only track the player's swings and motions, but also where they are on court, the angle of the "racket" as it hits the ball, and the precise arc of the swing.

What's really interesting about this plug-and-play system is that it's capable of emulating any other motion-based controller. This will allow games designed specifically for the Wii to be brought to any other format. Wii-style games on the Xbox 360? On the PS3? A nice thought isn't it?

The developers claim that the Fusion system does not rely upon the gamer pointing a controller at the screen, and that their system does not restrict the gamer to limited movements. They say that it combines patent-pending ultrasonic and RF technologies with 3-axis accelerometers to record the precise absolute position and orientation in 3D space of almost any wireless accessory. Be that accessory be a golf club, a baseball bat, a tennis racket, or a bowling ball.

Michael French, editor of Develop Magazine had this to say about the Fusion prototype that he's seen: "This kind of technology could level the playing field and have a serious impact on the direction of the next generation console market."

So what Wiimote intensive game would you like to see go cross-platform?

Tagged as the Excite Truck's sole closest competition, Ubisoft's Monster 4x4 World Circuit will also let players get behind the wheel of big-wheeled, no, monster trucks as you rev through stunt tracks located in different parts of the world. The Ubi racer will likewise let you use a steering wheel attachment developed also by Ubisoft, where you place the Wiimote inside it and then manipulate it as you would an ordinary steering wheel.

One of the problems with the whole steering wheel attachment in Monster 4x4 World Circuit is the same as the one encountered with Excite Truck: the wheel movements tend to be too sensitive so it's hard to make precise turns and shifts. To perform tricks, quickly loop the controller (like a flip) and it'll also give you the needed turbo boost for when you land. To use your boost, jab the controller forward in a quick manner. According to 1up, they had difficulties pulling off tricks and stunts because there were times when the motion sensor didn't pick up on the Wiimote's movements.

As for gameplay modes, you have the single and multiplayer modes with a bunch of mini-games that'll be fun to play with your friends. The guys at 1up tried out the soccer mini-game where up to four cars can drive around, pushing a giant soccer ball into giant goals. The experience however was not that great as it proved to be difficult to make direct contact with the giant soccer ball, much less to actually move it towards the goal.

Other than that, the preview doesn't cover much else, so stay tuned and keep checking back with us for more updates as we'll definitely keep you posted for more game developments. Monster 4x4 World Circuit is scheduled for release November 17th.

Red Steel, according to Ubisoft, is the only original first-person game built from the ground up for the Wii. The company promised gamers Red Steel will give them a unique immersive gunplay and swordplay actions in a contemporary Japanese setting.  Unfortunately, the E3 2006 demo of Red Steel earned mixed reviews particularly the sword-fight controls which test drivers said required quite a bit of improvement. Ubisoft apparently listens to feedback because the company did something about it. 

The mostly quoted statements from Ubisoft regarding the Red Steel improvement are:

“Not only did the remote replicate our actual sword-slashes, but the recenty unveiled motion sensor in the nunchuck could be thrust foreward for parry attacks”

and,

“As promised, timing and observation was key to winning the sword-fights and felt just like the mock-saber duels nearly everyone had as kids, so anyone who has dreamed of being a samuri will pick it right up”

 
So there you go. Proof that constructive criticism can have a postive effect. I personally can't wait to try my Hiten Mitsurugi slashes come its release.