Wii: Hold on Tight, Best Non-Superbowl Commercial

Gizmodo: "Here is an extremely well-done Wii video, that you might take for an official Nintendo commercial until the, say, last 3 seconds. I caught up with the creator from Super 78 (a professional CGI movie company) and this is what he had to say about the clip:

I really love the Wii and I had been reading these stories about Wii controllers flying out of peoples hands. We had some down time at the office so I got together with one of the animators and I sketched out a storyboard of the spot. In the board the controller is this high energy maniac and the nun-chuck just wants to get away. So our most talented animator Michael Smith created this fun spot there is a lot of character...This was done by us, Super 78, using our own resources, no agency was involved, no money changed hands. I am hoping that you could post it so we can see if it catches fire."

Voice controlled 360 is reality

Xboxic: "Picture the scene; you are lying on your bed with a beautiful girl in your arms, and you feel some music would be appropriate. How annoying it is then that you have to move, pick up your 360 handset and flick to the required music. It seems One Voice Technologies have gotten into a similar situation, and have come up with the perfect solution: shout at your 360 instead.

This sounds almost too good to be true. But I’m pleased to tell you it is true, and something that, if pulled off well, could be really effective and a must buy for anyone who hates leaving the sofa.

“Imagine walking into your entertainment room and simply saying, for example; Xbox Play U2 or Xbox Play American Idol, and your Xbox immediately starts playing that content,” said Dean Weber, president and CEO at One Voice Technologies. “With our technology you can control both the main Windows Vista computer along with controlling up to five Xbox 360 game consoles using voice commands. We allow the user to uniquely name each Xbox 360 in their home; for instance one might be named Family Room while another named Game Room. This allows the user to say - Family Room Play U2 or Game Room Play CSI Miami. This creates the ultimate digital home experience combining the power of today’s PC’s running Windows Vista with the flexibility"

Lost Planet cost $40 million

Xboxic: "If you bought Lost Planet, did you get the most out of your money? Capcom sure hope so, after it was revealed that the game, by the time the marketing campaign has come to a close, cost a whopping $40 million in total. That’s almost blockbuster.

Divided up, the game cost $20 million for the development, and $20 million for the (admittedly awful) advertising campaign. Perhaps, if they had shown some proper in-game footage rather than pre-rendered video, it may have cost a little less to advertise the game.

As for the development, the two Xbox Live demos were a big toll, since the first demo released during E3 was very advanced, considering the studio hadn’t been developing the game for very long. This demo proved to be very polished demo and influenced people a lot. Couple that with the multiplayer demo released not long before Christmas, which required a lot of effort server-side, and you can slowly imagine the bills running up.

You can see why then that more and more developers and publishers are choosing to go multi-platform with their games. With costs like this, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will all soon need to offer mega-bucks to keep a game exclusive, because as it stands now, it just isn’t a viable option to hit one console and pray it sells."

Rumor: New maps headed for R6: Vegas

Xbox 360 Fanboy: "The latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine apparently spills the beans on new Rainbow Six: Vegas content. The content supposedly contains ten new maps and two new multiplayer modes for 800 MS points. One of the new game types, Assassination, requires players to protect their player controlled VIP and attempt to assassinate the opposing team's VIP. Conquest asks players to maintain control over certain sections of the map, similar to King of the Hill and Territories game types in other games. The content is scheduled to arrive in March. "

Splinter Cell Double Agent getting the females

Xbox 360 Fanboy: "Fans and community members of the Splinter Cell series have been worried for a while about the upcoming content for Splinter Cell Double Agent. There has been a nasty rumor floating around that only the PS3 version of the game will include female multiplayer skins. Bummer right? But fret not, because that evil rumor has been debunked! On the Ubisoft forums Rhoulette, Ubisoft community manager, confirmed that the new female skins will indeed be available on the Xbox 360 version too. It'll come in the form of downloadable content, but they'll be available none the less. So stop worrying about the female skins and get back to playing, you know, the reason you bought the game."

2K Sports Brings Signature Style to MLB 2K7

2K Sports Brings Signature Style to MLB 2K7 - Xbox: "NEW YORK -- 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today new standard-setting features for Major League Baseball®2K7. Major League Baseball 2K7, the only MLB® simulation video game on every major platform, features next generation graphics, authentically detailed ballparks and Signature Style player animations, delivering the most authentic and electrifying Big League video game experience ever created.

With Signature Style, 2K Sports has added over 150 unique player animations to Major League Baseball 2K7. Gamers will instantly recognize the unique pitching styles, batting rituals, and characteristic movements of their favorite MLB® players. Additionally, great attention to detail has been given to replicate the exact look of how each player wears his uniform and accessories, accurately giving each player their signature look.

“The attention to detail to all MLB players in Major League Baseball 2K7 is simply astounding,” said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “With the power of the next generation systems, we’re making big steps in delivering not only the exact look of each MLB player, but also how they act in the batter’s box, how pitchers deliver from the stretch, and the ritualistic movements of par"

WizKids announces Halo ActionClix CMG

WizKids announces Halo ActionClix CMG - Xbox: "WizKids announced today its agreement with Bungie Studios and Microsoft to develop a new collectable miniatures game (CMG) called Halo ActionClix.

The first set will feature more than 80 unique miniature figures from the Halo universe, including some from Halo 3.

Figures will be sold in randomized Booster Packs. The vehicles and a Starter Game will be sold in a diorama display format.

The company plans to unveil a vehicle pack at San Diego Comic-Con, where a special pre-release figure will also be available.

Above is a picture of an unpainted prototype:"

Jack Thompson Faces Florida Supreme Court Disciplinary Hearing

GamePolitics.com: "GamePolitics has learned that controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson faces a disciplinary hearing before a referee appointed by the Florida Supreme Court.

The pending judicial review follows a recent recommendation by the Florida Bar that five counts of professional misconduct against Thompson should proceed to the state’s high court for action. If the charges are eventually upheld, Thompson could face disciplinary action up to and including disbarment."