Taiwan may be hosting one of the premier manufacturing companies behind the many parts of the Nintendo Wii, but lately it hasn't been given love by Nintendo itself. But by the second quarter of 2008, that will no longer be the case. Nintendo's subsidiary in Taiwan, Nintendo Phuten, has delegated distribution rights to two lucky companies: Hakuya and Weblink. More details at the full story.

Slipping back to our business suits, we've gotten word that U.S. market research firm Parks Associates has discovered that online gaming still outweighs video streaming or social networking over the Internet. The report entitled "Casual Gaming Market Update" claimed that at least 34% of adult Internet users play online games on a weekly basis. Games they play include casual games, confirming the rise in popularity of the casual gaming sector.

 

In contrast, 29% of those surveyed watch short online videos, and a smaller 19% visit social networking sites at least once a week. Additionally, online gaming is also experiencing a major surge in the North American region. Parks Associates observed a 79% year-on-year rise in online gamers, compared to the 46% climb of social networking users.

Still, video streaming users are ascending at a steep 123%, and the online gaming sector would do well to challenge that rate in the following years. The online gaming sector is becoming a ripe source of income, and Parks Associates still recommends the tried-and-tested Western business models for the region.

In the Eastern front, the online gaming sector is becoming a blossoming playground for the Asian gaming industry, as Taiwan, Korea, and China have experienced phenomenally market booms in the previous year. Market predictions are also off-the-roof for the Far East, and it may have already grown leaps and bounds in the first half of 2007.

Because people WoW and click Flash more than they Facebook or Youtube, we'll be monitoring for more developments as they come clicking by.

Despite already selling more than 10 million units globally, the demand for Nintendo's shiny white console Wii is still insatiable. We realize that some of you are still having a hard time scouting for the console itself or the motion-sensing controllers in retail stores because the supply just won't keep up with the demand.

Nintendo, time and again, has given word that it will ramp up its production for the console. However, it seems that it's not going to happen anytime within this year. According to a report from online site DigiTimes, Taiwan-based chip makers lament that the supply for different components like IC chips and PCBs are still tight as of now.

"With the delay of its plans, any easing of the Wii shortages in the worldwide market is unlikely to be seen in the second half of 2007", said one unnamed chip manufacturer. We do hope they sort out this problem sooner than later because the Nintendo's success is also generating money for other businesses worldwide.

The man who's about taking names, kicking ass, and making games sat down in an exclusive interview with GamePro to receive major feedback of the Nintendo Wii's continuing success in - and apparently even outside - the gaming industry. When asked on three most pressing issues, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime appeared to sit back comfortably into the ol' Reggie as we all knew him.

 

Perhaps the biggest issue is how many Nintendo fans, which include the core gamers, suddenly feel left behind, despite the DS and Wii breaking sales milestones every quarter of a fiscal year. With so many casual, mini-game and non-gamer appealing titles being shoveled, hardcore gamers felt as if they were shot in the back by the Japanese gaming giant.

Games that cater to the core are apparently taking too long, and there are very few and far between in terms of caliber and gameplay level being delivered in the third-party development front. Fils-Aime took the opportunity to re-assure hardcore gamers that they aren't being ignored, stating:

From that standpoint we embrace these new customers the same way we embrace the Core. That's why it was so important to bring out Metroid Prime 3 in its perfect state; that's why it's so important to launch Smash Bros. this year; that's why it's so important to bring Mario Kart for Wii out early next year. These titles for the Core are very, very important for us.

And while concern that the mini-games, brain-twisters and even the newly announced Wii Fit is becoming Nintendo's new sweetheart has settled in lately, Fils-Aime admitted that it was something they had to do - something they had to prove once and for all. It's a classic Blue Ocean opportunity. Nintendo had the opportunity, saw it, and knew they had to take it. He said:

This is something Nintendo takes very seriously. In our view we need to lead the industry in certain areas to show what can be. Wii Sports was very important to us. That's why we packed it in with every piece of hardware to show just how intuitive using the Wii Remote could be. Wii Fit is a way to just expand the mind and have people thinking about an input device in a whole new way. Brain Age and Brain Age 2 again were very important this way for DS. So I think at times the Core gamers mistake our passion for constantly pushing out the envelope for fear that we'll leave them behind. We'll never do that.

More on how the Wii's will be more than just "first person shooters" and how the the shortage is no longer a supply issue at the full article after the jump!

Taipei officials are on red alert. The Customs Office is currently investigating some Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 discs totalling 1,865 in number, and the board is trying to verify whether they are pirated copies.

Especially after last month's crackdown, where the Taipei Customs Office had to call in a Nintendo representative to verify a batch of pirated Wii discs, it isn't surprising that the officials are stricter now.

This time around, the confiscated batch is said to amount to as much as US$ 80,000 if sold on the market. Wow. You could buy, like, a lot of Wii with that. But moving on...

Some would say that piracy is getting out of control in Southeast Asia, but it's good to hear that the Taipei officials are doing their part to snuff it out in their region. Like last month's case, those involved in the actual production or smuggling of pirated discs would be prosecuted under violation of the Copyright Laws.

What's interesting to note here is that the Nintendo Wii console itself hasn't even been officially launched in Taiwan yet. An estimated number of about 200,000 consoles have been distributed though, but that's via import and Nintendo certification. With current duty-free laws in Taiwan, people flying into the country are only allowed to bring with them a maximum of two Nintendo Wii discs. Surely, bringing in 1,865 discs is stretching the "two disc duty-free" rule too much, is it not?

And Nintendo's supply efforts continue unabated today, as news coming in from the Eastern hemisphere places both Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd. and Wistron Corp as potential new suppliers of outsourced components for the Nintendo Wii.

 

Steadily outselling any next-gen console yet drastically short of supply, the Wii is now reinforced with hardware aid from one of Asia's major hardware manufacturing countries, Taiwan. With the infrastructure, resources and experience in place for dedicated hardware supply, there's hope that Nintendo could raise their monthly output further to achieve their Q4 goal by late December.

Wistron will soon be joining the likes of Foxconn Technology - a regionally well-known motherboard manufacturer - of the Hon Hai Group to assemble Wii machines, while SunPlus Technologies will continue to share supplies of controller chips for the Wii, together with pre-market supplier PixArt Imaging, Inc.

The first generation of the Nintendo Wii console will be those tendered with the original PixArt controller chip, while SunPlus, together with other potential suppliers, will provide an after-market supply of replacement controller chips which will be prevalent in the reportedly "updated" version of the console. The first batch of these replacement chips are expected to ship this quarter, and local industry analysts point out that the shipment may win SunPlus original manufacturing orders for the Nintendo Wii.

Lite-On was reportedly close to the heels of the two companies, planning to enter Nintendo's orders for power supplies for the new batch of game consoles. If successful, the company well known for their optical drive manufacturing portfolio will diversify Nintendo's options for the console's power supplies, a product line once controlled solely by PS2 and Xbox 360 power supply manufacturer Delta Electronics.

 

According to certain market sources in Taiwan, Taiwanese business wireless solutions mogul Gemtek Technology is expected to be shipping more WLAN routers with the Nintendo Wii brand. There are estimates that the WLAN router volume shipping would reach 50,000 units by the second half of 2007.

Already having provided two million units of WLAN modules for the Nintendo Wii, Gemtek has been eyed to have stepped up their shipping to 100,000 units of WLAN modules recently. The company shipped 1.2 million units in contrast back in 2006. Gemtek apparently did not confirm nor deny the report, refusing to make any comment on the grounds of client confidentiality.

Business analysts in the market and in the region expect the Gemtek Technology to post total revenues of around NT$ 4.5 billion to NT$ 4.7 billion (US$ 136.26 million to US$ 142.316 million) by the second quarter of fiscal year 2007. Analysts point out that if all goes to plan, it should bring up the company's revenues up to NT$ 9 billion (US$ 272.52 million) by the first half of the year.

Thanks to DigiTimes for the heads up!

This is probably borderline gaming news to you folks out there, but anything attached to STAR Sports Asia's Drinie Aguilar is way too good to pass up by our standards. "GAME" is a thirty-minute dive into the world of gaming, from consoles to computers and handhelds, and thanks to Electronic Arts and ESPN's STAR Sports, this show is specially catered to the Asian and Pacific Rim regions.

You've probably already caught a few previews of the show on STAR Sports Asia, as it has already debuted since April 18, 2007. But as announced in the official press release, ESPN has also expanded its reach to as far as STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Taiwan and ESPN for the Pacific Rim (yes, that means you Aussies and Kiwis).

Starring the sassy and equally bubbly Drinie Aguilar of STAR Sports' fame, "GAME" will be tackling the latest and hottest news and trends in the world of gaming, including extensive game reviews, news event reports from all over the world and sneak-peek previews of incoming titles for your favorite gaming platform.

But tagging along with the entire theme of the sports channel, the show will also bring in the world of sports and the world of gaming together, sporting the most popular and famous athletes and their take on gaming. Always wanted to know what games your favorite star player is currently sweating over? Aguilar will let you in on the secret.

    

Also some of the biggest events in sports history will be simulated by Electronic Arts' own EA Sports titles in order to give a rough rundown of what could happen at the night of the big game. Jon Niermann, President of EA Asia Publishing, said, "We are very enthused about the launch of this new program. We are delighted to be able to extend our partnership with EA into new markets after our successful collaboration in the US."

Electronic Arts seems to be reaching out to a larger part of the gaming community, by touting its line up of EA Sports titles to the Asia and Pacific region. If you're from one of the seven Pan-Asian regions STAR Sports and ESPN is currently broadcasting to, be sure to catch Drinie Aguilar and her showcase of gaming in your sports channel.

It's been a while since the last Cyclowiz update, but we're pleased to hear about the latest information Team Cyclops has on the Cyclowiz modchip. According to their news, the latest drive revisions of the Wii are "100% compatible" with their modchip.

Here's what they had to say about this little development:

First of all, we received two new Wii consoles for testing, one from Japan and one from Hong Kong. Both have the new drive revision that was spotted in Taiwan last week. Guess what, while the drive PCB is different, CycloWiz has been tested and is 100% compatible with the new boards! Not only is it working as usual, but it is possible to install it using quick-solder method, as the alignment of the points didn't change. (emphasis theirs)

In addition to this, they also have a new upgrade ready for people to try out. There's now an upgrade 3.0B that is compatible with D2B chipsets. According to Team Cyclops though, you won't need to run it if you already have 3.0 on your modded Wii.

In a bid to block the recent upsurge of Wii modchips, Nintendo has changed the circuit layout of its next gen Wii videogame console. This according to DigiTimes.

Retail channels in Taiwan, however, warned that new modchips for the altered consoles may become available in less than a month. This is a logical conclusion as earlier attempts by pretty much every console maker to revise their consoles' circuitry have resulted in newer generation modchips built specifically for the revised consoles.

According to DigiTimes, some Wii modders in Taiwan think that Nintendo could use ball grid array IC packaging in order to extend the time spent developing new modchips. DigiTimes' source noted that the longer waiting time could "reduce the willingness of some users to modify the consoles."