Nintendo Lays Out PAX Showing

As many of you already know, the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is coming up September 3rd - 5th in Seattle, WA and Nintendo is gearing up for the show by releasing a list of titles that will be playable during the expo.

The majority of the games to be shown by Nintendo were recently on display at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, but PAX marks the first time these titles will be available for play by consumers. There will also be a brand new WiiWare title called Fluidity on display as well.

Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, GoldenEye 007, and NBA Jam highlight the selection of Wii titles available for play, although this curiously omits the much-anticipated DS RPG Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, not to mention Nintendo's brand new 3DS handheld system.

3DS Unlikely to Feature Achievements System

After the 3DS's big reveal at E3 this year, a series of videos hit the 'net showing various developers and publishers talking about how exciting the machine was for them. One such video featured EA's Ryan Stradling, who spoke about the 3DS's online features including the potential for an Xbox 360-style Achievements system. Now German website PlanetDS.de has broken the news that such a feature is unlikely.

Nintendo's Harald Ebert told the site during Gamescom that the console will likely not have a global Achievement system, though no other information was forthcoming. Ebert also confirmed again that the machine's visual styling is still to be decided and could change between now and launch, with Capcom recently stating that the final D-Pad will be different.

Would you be pleased or disappointed if the 3DS launched without Achievements?

Only 3DS able to handle Super Street Fighter IV

If you’re waiting for Super Street Fighter IV for the PSP or the DS, looks like you might be waiting a while.

Capcom has revealed that due to the spec needed for Super Street Fighter IV, current handheld portable systems such as the DS or PSP wouldn’t be able to do the game justice, so the game will only be released for the 3DS.

The new 3DS’s wireless capabilities also influenced the decision, as one of the game’s most important features is said to be communicating with other players in multiplayer matches online.

However, Capcom producer Yashinori Ono stated that 3D would not be a main staple of Super Street Fighter IV’s gameplay, although it could be used for some of the game’s visual effects.

Other snippets of information include the fact that the gameplay will be the same as Super Street Fighter IV for PlayStation 3 and Xbox360 (with only a few control changes to suit the 3DS), and that it won’t be dumbed down for a younger audience.

It’s doubtful that Super Street Fighter IV will make it out for the release of the 3DS, but Ono said that he would like to see it appear on the shelves shortly after its release into the arcade.

New GoldenEye 007 character models revealed

Slowly, Activision is giving us eager fans new details about what to expect from their upcoming GoldenEye 007 reboot on Wii. While the N64 title featured many of the original film’s actors in the game, this new version will not. Bond is now Daniel Craig, and (at least) the voice of M will be played by Judi Dench. All the returning characters are going to look a bit different.

To acclimate ourselves to the change, Activision has given us a peak at a few of the new character models. As you can tell, some characters like Natalya Simonova look similar to the original actress, while Xenia Onatopp looks completely different. Many more characters images are to be unlocked soon.

New Nintendo Wii 2 Launching in 2011?

While the next-generation Nintendo Wii won't be featuring 3D visuals, it will offer high definition gaming - at least, according to rumours.

Originally circulating at the tail end of last year - as can be seen on sites such as Neowin - claims that the successor to the Wii would feature HD support were pervasive but unproven, but a small gaming news site has received what it claims is categorical proof.

GirlGamersSuck quotes "a bashful but reliable source" at Nintendo as confirming that not only will the Wii 2 feature support for full HD 1080p gaming - a feature present in the current-generation Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, but missing from the Wii - but will also come equipped with a Blu-ray drive for high-definition video playback.

The inclusion of Blu-ray playback is an interesting departure for Nintendo: while the current Wii has a DVD drive, it cannot play DVD videos without modification - again, the only current-generation console not to feature this capability.

If true, however, the use of a Blu-ray drive does make sense: high-definition gaming requires assets such as video and textures that take up more space, making DVDs impractical, while the use of expensive Blu-ray discs makes piracy - a big problem for the Wii - far more difficult.

So far Nintendo hasn't confirmed the rumours, but with a launch expected some time in 2011 we could be seeing the company's first foray into the high-definition world.

GoldenEye 007 Wii gets a limited edition controller

Activision and Nintendo today announced that to celebrate the release of GoldenEye 007 on the Wii, they would be releasing a Classic Edition Hardware Bundle, containing the game (of course), along with a version of the Wii's Classic Controller Pro - in gold, to pay homage to the famous golden gun.

Using a Classic Controller isn't the only control method open to people in GoldenEye 007 - the Wii Remote, Nunchuck and Zapper peripheral can also all be used for controlling Mr. Bond through all manner of spy related activities, if you either don't already have a classic controller, or don't want to pay the extra for the special edition. Even if it does look very nice...

The differences between the original Classic Controller and the Classic Controller Pro are very slight - the L, Lz, R and Rz (the buttons on the back) were moved from being horizontally next to each other, to being behind one another, and the wire now comes out of the top rather than the bottom. The controller grip handle things are new to the Classic Controller Pro too, making it feel more like a traditional controller (it looks a lot like the Gamecube's original control pad).

GoldenEye 007 is a remake of a classic N64 game, considered by many to be one of the finest first person shooters of all time. Based on the film of the same name, this time with Daniel Craig taking over the role of James Bond, you must outwit, outmanoeuvre and overtake an arms syndicate that threatens the world, across a number of levels inspired, or taken directly from the film - including that iconic part on the Dam, and the bit where you get to drive a tank through St. Petersburg.

And although spies usually work alone, in GoldenEye 007, you won't have to lead a lonely life, thanks to the split-screen multiplayer mode, which lets up to four player cram onto a sofa, and juke it out as a variety of classic Bond characters in split-screen - or, you can take on up to seven others online, and collect experience points to unlock awards.

GoldenEye 007 is expected to hit shelves this November, on the Wii and DS. And no, Mr. Bond - we expect you to wait patiently until the game's released!

Call of Duty: Black Ops - Multiplayer Teaser

Official Multiplayer Teaser Trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Black Ops Launch To Be Activision's Biggest

The launch for Call of Duty: Black Ops is going to be huge.

Really huge.

During Activision's Q2 fiscal earnings call this afternoon, the publisher continuously emphasized how much bigger the marketing budget for this year's title will be compared to last, and highlighted the fact pre-sales continue to outpace Modern Warfare 2 from last year.

"This year's Black Ops will release on more platforms than ever before, and continues to pace ahead of last year's record setting Modern Warfare 2 in terms of per-sales and consumer awareness metrics," said Activision COO Thomas Tippl.

"The game continues to gain momentum, and based on the traction we have already established with our partners around the world, we expect Black Ops will yet again drive Call of Duty to be the entertainment event of the year."

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick also said on the call the publisher is backing Black Ops' launch with its biggest financial investment in the company's 31 year history, adding this year's title isn't just for hardcore gamers.

"This is, across the board, the biggest investment that we've ever made in the launch of a title," Kotick said. "The market opportunity is bigger than it's ever been, the install base of hardware is bigger than it's ever been, and the product has incredibly broad appeal, but it also has a whole host of functions that will be unique to the core consumer."

Kotick also said Black Ops' competition this holiday isn't just other shooters from major publishers, such as Medal of Honor or Halo: Reach, and that Activision hopes the title reaches new audiences.

"There's a lot of competition, not just from games, but from a whole host of other things you can do with your leisure time, and this is something we think has the potential to break through and appeal to a much broader consumer base than ever before," he added.

Call of Duty: Black Ops launches in North America on November 9.

Are Nintendo Preparing A Wii 1.5?

According to Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, Nintendo could release a Wii 1.5 before they release the Wii 2.

Talking to GamesIndustry, Harding-Rolls said…

“We expect the Wii to have a shorter lifecycle than the high definition consoles. We’re actually pitching it for an end of 2012 Japan release and the rest of world in 2013. Our forecast actually incorporates the idea that there will be an upgraded version of the Wii available. There is potentially significant movement to come from Wii pricing in the future. If you look at the handheld strategy they’ve got the DSi and the 3DS, so I think they’ve got room to have to this iterative version before a 2012 or 2013 release.”

I know that Nintendo are famous for constantly tweaking their handheld consoles throughout their life-span’s but I just can’t see Nintendo releasing a revamped Wii with HD tacked on.