Conduit 2 Confirmed For Wii

The cover of the May issue of Nintendo Power reveals a sequel to the famed first-person shooter, The Conduit, is in development for the Wii.

While we are yet to receive a copy to confirm exact details, it appears SEGA will again be publishing the title. Conduit 2 is also said to feature a 4-player split screen competitive mode.

The first title sold modestly, shipping 150,000 units worldwide during its launch week. High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky told us in February the game has gone on to sell over 350,000 copies since then.

High Voltage Software is also working on another title, The Grinder, a multiplatform game due out late next year. The Grinder was originally a Wii exclusive title before it was revealed it would also be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Nintendo to launch 3D game console

Nintendo has unveiled plans to launch a handheld 3D video game console that does not require special glasses, seeking to harness surging interest in images that appear to jump out of the screen.

The Japanese electronics giant, which competes with Sony and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar video game industry, said the new machine, tentatively called the Nintendo 3DS, would be introduced some time by March next year.

The device will succeed Nintendo's DS series - the best-selling portable video game console ever with sales of more than 125 million units since its launch in 2004 - and will be compatible with DS games, the company said.

The announcement comes as handheld game consoles face growing competition from games available on mobile telephones such as Apple's iPhone.

Nintendo, the maker of the hit Wii games console, did not say how much the 3Ds would cost, promising more details in June at the annual E3 videogame convention in Los Angeles.

Consumer electronics makers are battling for a share of the market for 3D televisions and other gadgets, aiming to ride a new wave of interest in the technology thanks to recent movies such as sci-fi blockbuster Avatar.

Sony is also aiming to make its PlayStation 3 compatible with 3D games but, unlike Nintendo's planned device, users are expected to have to buy a new television and special glasses to enjoy 3D images.

Many experts think consumers are unlikely to rush to buy the premium-priced 3D TVs due to the need for special glasses and because many people have already upgraded to high-definition sets in recent years.

Nintendo is striving to reverse a decline in sales of the DS as well as the Wii home console, which has easily outsold the PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 since its launch in 2006 but has struggled recently due to a lack of new games.

Modern Urban Combat Coming to the Wii June 2010

O Games announces Marines: Modern Urban Combat the new squad based shooter, exclusively for the Wii, out June 2010.

Become a Marine in this compelling and realistic squad based military shooter, using the tactics and tools of the real US Marine Corps. Lead your squad through the deadly streets of Beirut and command them to their posts using the intuitive Wii Remote controls.

Play in co-operative multiplayer mode where a second player can join in as the rifleman and help player one in completing the missions.

Marines: Modern Urban Combat allows players to play as a Marine, using their real life tactics to lead a squad to win the war.

Marines: Modern Urban Combat is out for the Wii June 2010.

Will it be a rival for Call of duty reflex Wii?

Zelda Wii Vitality Sensor?

The Nintendo Wii isn't exactly short of peripheral hardware. While the Balance Board and MotionPlus are relatively self-explanatory and their uses pretty easy to comprehend, the Vitality Sensor has left a question mark over gamers' heads. Since its flagship game was announced last summer, things have gone quiet again.

That is until now, when Shigeru Miyamoto became the latest game developer to hint at the possibility of Vitality Sensor support for one of their upcoming games. Prior to receiving his Academy Fellowship award last Friday, Miyamoto spoke to games™, and offered the possibility that the new Legend of Zelda for the Wii could very well utilise the accessory.

"Whenever we are going to use any new device it is possible to expand the appeal to those who are new to the videogaming world. At the same time, however, it is also fun to think of ways in which we might apply that new technology to exisiting [sic] forms of gameplay – just like the way we are working on the new Legend Of Zelda together with Wii Motion Plus... So maybe you might like to ask me to incorporate the Vitality Sensor into Zelda so that as you become more scared, the enemies become even tougher."

With scepticism regarding the sensor device's ability to improve one's gaming experience, the Wii Vitality Sensor is going to have a lot to prove. It has to be a product that allows developers to come up with compelling uses for it in their games. Suda51 has already stated that he has ideas for using the device. What those ideas are he didn't reveal, but one thing's for sure; quirky applications are all well and good but if games don't offer compelling uses of the device, it will obviously fail. Although Miyamoto hasn't specifically confirmed that the new Zelda will use it, it's a step in the right direction for the sensor.

Metroid Other M Preview

Localisation manager for Team Ninja's take on the Metroid universe discussed the forthcoming Wii game at Nintendo's media summit.

Nate Bihildorf discusses some of the mechanics behind the new style, with Samus switching from classic side scrolling view to a more modern first person perspective to uncover more about her environment. He also goes into some basic plot and timeline details, certainly a treat for Metroid fans.