Harmonix: Your Guitar Hero III guitar will work with Rock Band 2

With the release of Rock Band 2 for the Wii approaching, a flood of information about the game is finally making its way to the eyes and ears of would-be rockers. Yesterday, we heard about all of the awesome DLC we'll have access to and now we've got something for those of you who picked up Guitar Hero III for the Wii.

Posting on the Harmonix boards, one of the developers confirmed that the guitar used in Guitar Hero III for the Wii will be fully compatible with Rock Band 2. So, for those of you who prefer rocking out with a wireless plastic axe, as opposed to the one that comes with the full Rock Band bundle, you're in luck.

No word has been said about Guitar Hero World Tour's guitar and Rock Band 2, but seeing as how Harmonix wants to "encourage the interoperability of instruments between platforms," we're thinking it just might be.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy

Wii Warm Up: Plugging it in

After seeing Taiko No Tatsujin Wii yesterday, we definitely think the drum looks pretty sweet ... but we also noticed something mildly annoying: it plugs into the Wii remote, like so many other things. Now, look, we're not saying this feature is in any way a gamebreaker -- it's just one of those features that begs the question of whether or not there would have been a better way. Of course, we are completely picky bastards, so perhaps this is something you don't even think about. Or is it?

Source nintendo wii fanboy

Screw you, Rock Band: Taiko no Tatsujin's wireless drum

In the midst of the seemingly-endless avalanche of Nintendo news in the latter half of this week, the tiniest of precious jewels appeared. Is it as important as Club Nintendo in the U.S. or new games? No, but it's damned neat, and it's the Taiko no Tatsujin Wii bundle. The game, which is slated for Japan on December 12, will be bundled with a wireless drum. Now that's a big ol' Wii accessory we could really get behind. The bundle retails for ¥7,980 ($75), and additional drums can be purchased for ¥3,990 ($38).

Here's why this news isn't even cooler: we'll probably never see it, unless you want to go to the trouble of importing everything necessary to bang your drum in your living room. Rats!
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.

Details on Guitar Hero: World Tour pricing

Earlier today,we told you about a Guitar Hero: World Tour deluxe bundle. Some mistook that as a price for the whole entire band kit. On top of that, confusion surrounding the price for the bundle still gathered, enough so that Activision Blizzard had to clarify the issue. Pricing for the game's bundles is as follows:

* $190 for the full band kit
* $110 for the bundle we posted about earlier
* $100 for the guitar/game bundle
Source nintendo wii fanboy.

MeWe reveals new Quad Charger for your Wiimotes

Those of you looking for a rechargeable solution to your Wiimote's power needs, manufacturer MeWe has just come up with a new device: the Quad Charger. As you can see above, it includes LEDs to let you know the power status of your recharging Wiimotes, as well as the capacity to charge four simultaneously. And, of course, it comes with four rechargeable packs (Ni-MH).

The MeWe Quad Charger is currently available and costs $49.95.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.

Thrustmaster thrusts Wii Glow Saber, Dual Trigger Gun accessories in our direction

It's admittedly difficult to take a company named Thrustmaster seriously (especially on casual Friday), but given that it has recently pumped out what are likely the two best Wiimote accessories of all time, we'll give it a pass this go 'round. Speaking of, we'd like to point out that these two have been around the block a time or two, but that doesn't make the red and blue dueling Glow Sabers (each packing 17 LEDs, mind you) and the Dual Trigger Gun (complete with Nunchuck holster!) any less gnarly. The Glow Saber 2-pack is available right about now for $34.99, while the Dual Trigger Gun (shown after the break) should land in short order for $17.99.
Source Engadget.

Thrustmaster Dual Trigger Gun NW Hands-On

Thrustmaster's latest attempt at conquering the Zapper product type, the Dual Trigger Gun NW, has taken the idea and built upon it slightly by adding an optional Nunchuk holder attachment for improved ergonomics and enhanced efficiency. Instead of having to hold the Nunchuk out to the side and lose a significant amount of steadiness to the gun itself, the Nunchuk attachment mounts to the left of the gun like an additional handle. The biggest marketing point of the Dual Trigger Gun NW is simply that—its dual trigger. Built into the handle of the gun is a rectangular trigger that serves as an alternative to using the main trigger. Ultimately, however, the rectangular trigger is more responsive than the main trigger, which often becomes stuck and fails to fire at all.

When we tried it with the awesomely bad Wii-shooter Target Terror, the Dual Trigger Gun NW would have only been more ineffective if we had the TV turned off. AIMing with the device was simple, however, both of the shooting mechanisms required a sizable amount of applied force to get even the slowest sprays of fire. For a gun whose sole marketability is based on added speed and ergonomics, Thrustmaster's Dual Trigger Gun NW fails by all measurable standards.
Source IGN

Samba de Amigo - more maracas shell pics

Sega has just unveiled, at le Festival du Jeu video in Paris, the final version of the red maracas that will be used for Samba de Amigo Wii for the Wii, released today in Europe. Sega has confirmed to Gamekyo that a special bundle 'Samba de Amigo Wii + 4 maracas' will be available in about one month from now.
Source gamekyo.

de Blob dev not down with MotionPlus

ick Hager, producer on de Blob, isn't too jazzed at the idea of MotionPlus. It's not that he doesn't like the tech, he just has a problem seeing the majority of people that enjoy Wii on a regular basis want to play with the new peripheral.

"While it's definitely intellectually stimulating from a development perspective to play with those ideas - and I think it does appeal to a set of gamers out there - I think the majority of people that play on the Wii want something very simple that they can just immediately get their heads around," Hagger said. Does he mean the casual crowd that bought Wii Fit and played it once? Is he talking about the people that nabbed the system only for Wii Sports?
Source Nintendo wii fanboy

Is 1:1 movement really that much of a leap for the casual crowd that are looking for a simple experience? We'd think not, because it's basically the same deal: moving the Wiimote to afftect things in-game. That's what got most into the console in the first place, so if the tech works a bit better, how is it deterring the extremely casual crowd away from the system?

Gyration Is Back With... Another Air Mouse...

Remember Gyration's range of 'air mice'? They didn't do too well in the UK and the company seems to have adopted an almost shameful silence over the last couple of years.

With no mention towards its previous foray in this area it seems to be trying again, and in the hope that we forgot why we didn't buy them a few years ago has released a new Air Mouse device to the UK market.

In case you don't know, Gyration devices typically adopted a Wii-style system by using in-air motion tracking to control a mouse cursor on screen.

They're designed primarily for business professionals to help them conduct presentations from afar but have a reasonable claim for offering a bit more control in the home media market, much like yesterday's rather more straightforward remote control.

However with Gyration's device you can use flicks of the wrist to invoke certain commands and it uses RF technology which means it'll work up to 100 feet away and through walls (why do we need to know that?).

The Air Mouse with Motionsense is available from October for a recommended retail price of £69.99, and you can find out more from the link below.
gyration
Source gizmodo.

Nyko Wing hands-on: we still suck at Mega Man

We just never got the hang of that little blue robotic man, with his arm-blaster and his wall jumping and his awesome friends, and the Nyko Wing helped none at all: we managed to kill they guy about five seconds after picking up the controller. Still, it's a nice little chunk of plastic. It's much more natural in the hand than that funky Classic Controller, and seems rather high-quality for a Nyko product, but the d-pad is too mushy for our taste, and the whole assembly seems a tad too light. Either way, we're sticking with Mario.
Source engadget.

New charger sends power to batteries through Wii Remote jackets

Teknocreations has unveiled their InCharge battery pack and charge stand for Wiimotes. The new stand uses a set of lithium polymer batteries, which, according to the press release, are half as heavy as other rechargeables and work over hundreds of charges. Each charge provides 25 hours of gameplay. The stand can charge two Wiimotes side-by-side.

But all of that is just a leadup to the real magic trick that separates this thing from other chargers: it charges without any metal contacts, and will charge a battery through a silicone cover. If you actually use your Wii Remote Jackets, you can leave them on when you dock your Wiimotes to charge. That is really, really cool. No word on whether or not this charger will melt your controllers.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy

Activision giving away free guitar with World Tour preorders

Even though we regard Activision as greedy for its approach to downloadable content and subscription models, we have to confess we're impressed by Guitar Hero World Tour's preorder gift of a totally free guitar.

The company just announced the scheme, but don't get too excited, because there are a couple of disclaimers to this. One: as far as we can tell, this is currently a UK-only offer (one that includes all online and high street retailers). Two: you do have to buy the full band set, which is currently going for around £150 at most online stores; still, this does allow you to have a bass player in your band from the get-go. Here, Activision, have some props from us.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.

ITC to probe Wii patent violation claims

A US manufacturer’s recent claim that four of its patents for on-screen navigation and control technology have been infringed by the Wii are to be formally investigated by a US trade body.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to investigate Hillcrest Laboratories’ allegations – made in a recently filed lawsuit - that Nintendo has violated three patents Hillcrest owns relating to a “handheld three-dimensional pointing device” and a fourth for a “navigation interface display system that graphically organises content for display on television”.

The ITC said that the complaint alleges “violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930” and that it relates to “certain videogame machines and related three-dimensional pointing devices”.

Initially, the ITC's Chief Administrative Law Judge will assign the case to one of the ITC's five administrative law judges, who will hold an evidentiary hearing.

The selected judge will then make an initial decision over whether there is a violation of section 337, after which the ITC will make a final decision over the lawsuit’s merits.

Hillcrest’s hoping for an exclusion order and a cease and desist order, which if successful could see the Wii and/or the Remote and Nunchuck controllers banned from sale in the US and from being imported into the country.

Getting the ITC in on the act is a commonplace tactic used by US companies who allege that a foreign company has riden roughshod over their intellectual property rights. It's often seen as a quicker way of getting a result than waiting for the case to come to a conclusion in the courts.

Charlie Scibetta, a spokesman for Nintendo of America, has already claimed that none of the videogame pioneer's products infringe Hillcrest Laboratories’ patents. Nintendo plans to “vigorously defend” its position, he said

Let the fight begin...

Source The register.

Nintendo facing lawsuit over Wii - again

A lawsuit has been filed against Nintendo by a US-based firm, which claims that the Wii tramples over four patents for on-screen navigation and control technology.

Hillcrest Labs owns three patents relating to a “handheld three-dimensional pointing device” and another for a “navigation interface display system that graphically organises content for display on television”.

Exactly how Nintendo is supposed to have ridden roughshod over Hillcrest’s patents isn't yet clear, but it's believed the lawsuit is likely to focus on the console’s Remote and Nunchuck units, rather than the Classic Controller - which has already been the subject of a patent infringement action brought against Nintendo.

Hillcrest’s patents are believed to relate to its HoME and Freespace technologies. HoME enables consumer electronics manufacturers to create interactive digital media products for, say, TVs. Applications made with HoME are used in conjunction with Freespace, which allows devices like remote controls and PC mice to be turned into three-dimensional motion-sensitive pointers.

Nintendo hasn’t said anything publically about Hillcrest’s lawsuit yet, but this isn’t the first time the Wii has faced legal problems.

Last month, a US judge rejected Nintendo's attempt to avoid a $21m pay-out awarded against it over the design of its Wii Classic Controller.

In 2006, Nintendo found itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit alleging that the Wii’s Remote ripped off another patent owned by US firm Interlink Electronics for a “trigger-operated electronic device”. That case is thought to be ongoing.
SourceThe Register.

Wii want what you have

The motion controller is an integral part of the Nintendo Wii’s point of difference. Now PS3 and Xbox 360 are looking to change that.

When it comes to next-generation gaming, each of the three contenders has its own unique way to pitch their respective consoles. Sony can push the superior graphics potential and storage capacity of the PS3, Microsoft can highlight the Xbox 360s impressive selection of games and accessories, while Nintendo has the family-friendly Wii that revolves around motion control gaming. Now it looks as though Sony and Microsoft are looking to dull down Nintendo’s point of difference.

In2Games has released the first image of its proposed upcoming and familiar looking motion controller for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The Wii Nunchuk Xbox 360 and PS3 motion controller claims to operate through "proprietary and cutting-edge patent-pending ultrasonic technology". It will be interesting to see if this “patent-pending” product can get approval considering how similar in design and concept it is to the clever Wii controller.

If this product is approved however, PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers have no need to rush out just yet to buy one so they can play the latest in next-gen games with motion control. The only game that is supported currently is the (surprise, surprise) In2Games title Squeeballs.

If this patent is approved on the In2Games remote, it would be great to see some PS3 and Xbox 360 titles provide support for the motion controller. The Force Unleashed anyone?
Source gadgetzone.

Peter Moore: Iwata brought out the Wii controller and we said, “What the hell is that?”

Videogaming247 writes.
More completely frankness from the Moore. This time, he’s admitted that he and Robbie Bach were baffled by Wii’s controller, but knew Nintendo would come back despite the GameCube’s death.

“I was in Tokyo when Iwata-san brought the controller out and said, ‘here it is!’ and we were all going, ‘what the hell is that?”. I was with Robbie and I remember going ‘I don’t know… it’s different’. But we knew that they were too good a company to lose twice in a row,” he said.

“But even then it was all about Sony, it was not about Nintendo, because they were so down and out – it’s very difficult to think now, it was four years ago. You just couldn’t picture that four or five years ago. GameCube was just… dying. The Revolution as it was called, we knew it couldn’t be anything powerful. It was in the days when Sony and ourselves were saying it’s all about hi-def, it’s all about 5.1 sound, it’s all about 1080i, and they said it’s about a GameCube 1.5 and you’re going to wave this stick around and have a lot of fun.”

This was featured in the forth part of the guardian interview.

Samba maracas are unofficial, which probably means no bundle

Samba de Amigo ships out next week and we're still scrambling over the maracas situation. We once thought that a retailer's mocked-up bundle box was proof that a maracas peripheral would be bundled with the game, but that image was taken down and, in fact, Sega denied that a peripheral would be produced. And then that statement was seemingly excised from the original source. And then actual pictures appeared of some Wii maracas, along with standalone retail listings. It's been a bit confusing.

It would appear that you'll be paying an extra $14.99 for the first set of maracas and not the second, because looking at the box, it is quite clear that these Wii maracas are not official Sega products. Gamestop lists them as being produced by Cokem International. That, and the fact that no retailer mentions a bundle (and the fact that Sega said they weren't making any) makes it very likely that you'll get a disc with Samba and nothing else.

The good news is that it's basically just a bulb with a Wiimote-shaped slot (and hopefully some rattly stuff inside), and so it doesn't really matter who makes the thing.
Source Nintendo Wii Fanboy

PS3 and Xbox to get Wii-style Nunchuck

In2Games today unveiled Gametrak Freedom, a handheld “ultrasonic 3D motion sensing” controller that enables gamers to play motion-capture games on either console. The controller looks like the Wii’s Nunchuck, but sports four PS3-style buttons and what looks like a microphone cover on the tip.

The system comprises a base unit, which attaches to either console through a spare USB port, and the Gametrak Freedom controller itself. The base unit’s comprised of two sensor bars, which can either be attached to the TV or mounted on included stands.

Gametrak Freedom communicates with the base unit through unmentioned “ultrasonic and RF technologies”, tracking the gamer’s movements with a three-axis accelerometer.

Squeeballs, a bizarre game akin to Wii Sports, is the only title to have announced as compatible with the controller so far.

The Gametrak Freedom controller is expected to launch at some point next year.
Source The Register

Guitar Hero World Tour - Wiimote required for drums, Battle of the Bands may cost extra?

GoNintendo has posted up details for Guitar Hero World tour:

NEW FEATURES for Wii

• Mii Freestyle - Use your Mii to rock out in the Wii exclusive Freestyle mode. Create Blues, Rock or Metal masterpieces by yourself, or join with friends to jam freely together on guitar controllers and drum kit controller!
• Downloadable Content - Download new tracks through the in-game Music Store. You’ll never run out of songs to play!

All NEW Instruments

State of the art WIRELESS guitar controller with the new neck slider and authentic drum kit controller, with wired microphone deliver the most authentic band experience.

Innovative Music Studio*

Compose, record, edit, and share your own music online. Download and play community-created content for free!

Battle of the Bands Mode*

Rock out solo, with a band or kick it up with 4 vs. 4 Battle of the Bands play.

Create-a-Rocker

Create your own rocker, choose from your favorite Guitar Hero® icons or take the stage as the biggest rock stars around.

The Rock and Roll Experience

Enjoy a massive soundtrack, all master tracks, and no covers!

Drum Kit Controller (NOT included)

• Wireless!
• 5 pressure sensitive drum pads including a high-hat and cymbal
• Non-slip moveable kick pedal
• One-piece collapsible adjustable stand
• Expandable setup via MIDI hookup
• Authentic wood drum sticks

Guitar Controller (NOT included)

• All-New touch sensitive neck slider for nailing intense solos
• Increased accuracy with more responsive, dual-color fret buttons
• Jam effortlessly with an elongated strum bar and dedicated star-power button
• Improved battery life with built-in auto sleep mode.
• Wireless and removable faceplates

Microphone (NOT included)

• High performance, high clarity, wired microphone
• Reliable and durable design
• Includes 15 foot USB cable

Gameplay Modes:

• Players 1-4 (online multiplayer 2-8)
• Co-op 2-4 (online co-op 2-4)
• 1-2 Guitar Controllers*, Drum Kit Controller and Microphone
• Content download

*Guitar Hero® World Tour Game is compatible with Guitar Hero® guitar controllers for Wii™. Wii Remote™ required for guitar and drum peripherals. Sold separately. Some features may be limited in the Wii™ Guitar Hero World Tour games. Battle of the Bands only available in online play; it may require an additional subscription.