During their E3 2012 conference, Nintendo announced that their upcoming Wii U console will feature support for multiple streaming services. They confirmed that the Wii U will implement the following video streaming services; Hulu, Netflix, Amazon on Demand and Youtube.
Nintendo plan to implement these services upon launch of the console. As you may or may not know Nintendo have already provided Netflix streaming to North American Wii owners to great success, so it’s only logical that they would bring it over or their next console.
What do you think of the Wii U featuring multiple streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon on Demand and Youtube? Let us know in the comments section below.
Having just learned about Karoke Joysound a few weeks ago, I was surprised to be able to demo the game today at E3 2012. Fellow editor Travis Bruno and I sang along to All Star by Smash Mouth, which is one of 37 songs that will be available on the disc when it launches this autumn.
The unique feature of this game is its streaming library. There will be over 1,000 songs online that can be played, if your willing to pay a subscription fee. New songs will also be monthly to the Netflix-style subscription service. For access to the music in a 24 hour time period, the price is 500 Wii Points, while a 3 day ticket costs 1,000 points, and a 30 day ticket is 1,000 Wii points.
You can customize an avatar to do background dancing, or play without one; its up to you. While single player gameplay is available, the multiplayer functionality is the most exciting part of this game, as it should be for a karaoke game. 8 people will be able to play 4 microphones. These microphones can apparently distinguish between two separate people, so that 2 people can use one microphone, simultaneously.
Gameplay is pretty standard for a karaoke game. You’ll sing along, trying to match the onscreen keys and timing, while being scored on accuracy. Of course, you can also customize how fast the song will play, and what key the song should be played in, thus allowing you to customize the gameplay to fit your vocal talents.
Graphically, the game looks about as blurry as any other Wii game. Nevertheless, the game played fairly well and I thought it recognized my singing pretty well, considering how badly I butchered every note.
All in all, Karaoke Joysound appears to be a fairly standard karaoke game. Other than an interesting subscription music service, this game is not too much different than other Nintendo Wii music games.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is coming to mobile devices as well as consoles, just like many previous NFS games. At E3 2012, I got a chance to take the Alpha iPhone version of the game out for a test run. The mobile versions of the game are being developed by a separate EA studio.
First off, this game looks fantastic. One of the first things that was pointed out to me was that the spoiler on the Porsche I was driving was literally animating like a real one would. In addition, the damage models were absolutely incredible, especially considering that this is a mobile game. Admittedly, I was playing the game on a 40″ HDTV through an output cable, but I was nevertheless impressed by how good this game looked.
Gameplay in Most Wanted feels like it is probably very similar to the console versions. The Producer of the game, Michael de Graff, said that his team has been working very closely with Criterion and this was evident as I raced the through the city. I raced against 5 other AI cars, who were quite clever in their tactics to destroy me.
In addition, there were quite a few police following my car, trying to get me to stop. Luckily, I was able to make them wreck in spectacular fashion, very similar to a Burnout game.
The controls are very simple. Steering is very accurate, even-though I was using the gyroscope functions. I had some trouble with over-correcting, but all in all, I was quite impressed with the accuracy of the controls.
Of course, Most Wanted will be able to interface with your friends. Multiplayer and leaderboard options were confirmed to be in the game. However, it is unclear whether you’ll need to use an EA network for accessing friends, or whether you can use Facebook and other social networks in the game. When I asked whether Autolog would be in the game, the response was that “they are still working on it.” However, Hot Pursuit on mobile devices has had Autolog functions for quite some time now, so it is reasonable to conclude that Most Wanted will also have this feature.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted on mobile devices has been in development since last year and the production quality was evident in the demo I played. I really hope you’ll be able use Autolog in the game, and I hope there is someway to interface with the console versions of the game, but if not, this is still a great racing game that is on par with its PS3 and Xbox 360 console cousins, albeit in a much smaller package.
Star Trek’s upcoming video game has been common knowledge for quite some time, but Paramount and Namco Bandai are finally ready to reveal more for the upcoming blockbuster, as new enemies for the game were revealed during E3. The very lizard-like foes known in the Star Trek Universe as “The Gorn” will be a dastardly opponent with the game. Remember the ones with the zippers? The Gorn all sport venom that can poison, cause hallucinations, and even kill. There are also varied classes for the race, from the smaller infantry Gorn Rushers, to the larger Gorn Warriors and the massive Gorn Brutes, which will all pose a serious threat in the main game.
“The Gorn are among the most iconic villians in the Star Trek universe and their role in this game certainly lives up to that persona,” said Brian Miller, Senior Vice President at Paramount Pictures and Lead Game Producer. “Kirk and Spock find themselves in an incredibly challenging amount of mayhem as they confront the Gorn throughout the game.”
More than just lizard-skinned foes, the Gorn are a blood-thirsty race determined to conquer the galaxy. A true military dictatorship, the Gorn are made up of billions of self-sacrificing warriors across thousands of colonies, each focused on the conquest of alien races. By utilizing their chaos-causing infectious venom, the Gorn seed mayhem and destruction as they destroy populations and deplete planets of their resources.
“Great villains give our favorite characters a chance to become heroes in the process of attempting to eliminate a powerful threat, and Star Trek fans have been eagerly anticipating the moment when the antagonists of the game would be revealed,” said Carlson Choi, VP of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “This is one of those moments and we couldn’t be more excited to give gamers a glimpse at the challenges that lie ahead for Kirk and Spock.”
This title is being torn right out of the 2009 flick’s lore, and will feature Kirk and Spock working together in a massive co-op adventure, across plenty of unexplored planets and enemy battleships. Yes, co-op is a strong word for Star Trek, as it was built around that kind of experience, and it looks like a damn fine game because of those gameplay stylings. Expect more coverage to come, and Star Trek the game to be out in 2013.
We knew Majesco would be showing off NBA Baller Beats for the Kinect at this year’s E3, but we didn’t know how exactly the game would actually work. I myself was surprised when the game touted that players will have to use a basketball in their living room, as the concept alone sounds ludicrous. Well, the game’s reveal told all today, and oddly enough, I’m liking what I am seeing so far.
NBA Baller Beats is all about using a basketball and dribbling and moving it to the beat of each song that is played. Yep, think guitar hero, add in a ball and toss out that plastic guitar, and you have this interesting and truly unique blend that is sure to capture the interest of all fans of the sport.
While the concept is worth a lot of mention, the soundtrack is also quite awesome and jam-packed full of talent that should be fantastic to practice your court skills with.
Here is a bit more information, as well as an early track reveal for NBA Baller Beats:
NBA Baller Beats challenges players using a real basketball to master ball-handling skills by dribbling and performing moves to the beats of an eclectic soundtrack. Train alongside your favorite NBA franchise unlocking songs, difficulty levels, environment accessories, and over 100 posters and Panini’s 2012 NBA HOOPS trading cards that showcase NBA players’ greatest moves. The music is your guide as the Kinect motion sensor captures every movement of both player and ball to create an entirely new basketball gaming experience. Master crossovers, pump fakes, behind-the-back, around-the-world and more as you bounce the ball to the beat of 30 licensed tracks that span across decades and genres including hip-hop, rock and old school classics. Today Majesco Entertainment officially announced 15 of the 30 songs featured in-game.
Confirmed NBA Baller Beats In-Game Tracks (15 of 30):
“Amazing” – Kanye West*
“Another One Bites the Dust” – Queen*
“Bangarang” – Skrillex
“Blue Sky” – Common*
“Bust A Move” – Young MC
“Chillin” – Wale ft. Lady Gaga
“C’Mon Catch ‘Em By Surprise” – Tiesto vs. Diplo ft. Busta Rhymes*
“It’s Tricky” – Run DMC*
“Let It (Edit Remix)” – Machine Drum ft. Melo X
“New Fang” – Them Crooked Vultures*
“Obstacle 1” – Interpol
“Party Rock Anthem” – LMFAO*
“Slam” – Onyx*
“Stylo” – Gorillaz*
“Tightrope” – Janelle Monae*
NBA Baller Beats will also come packaged with a Spalding Ball from the get-go, and feature your standard $59.99 price tag when it launches for the Kinect. There are 30 songs in all, with 20 different maneuvers mixed into the main game. GameStop is also taking pre-orders now as the game hits shelves in September, and anyone who does so will receive a free assorted 3-pack of NBA Fathead 5×7 Tradeables featuring top NBA players, while supplies last.
Looking good, right? Well, I know that some are going to mention the carpet issue and how some homes just are not made for sport of basketball…as vases can be broken and mothers of Brady children can get mad quickly. I don’t imagine that fans of basketball will mind though, as I can easily see thing being a centerpiece at practice sessions on the court, and being heavily used by families that tune in to every game. There is a market for this game is my point, and NBA Baller Beats looks to be one title that is out to pull away from the crowd and take a risk. Yes folks, this type of thinking is what the Kinect is all about. Check out the official trailer below for yourself, and stay tuned as we have even more Majesco E3 reveals on the way.
7 Million. That is how many copies the Zumba Fitness franchise has sold worldwide. Are you surprised to hear that a brand new game has been announced? Well, don’t be, as Zumba Fitness Core has just been announced (as promised) as one of Majesco’s offerings from E3. Now, things are about what you’d expect from the name that has dominated musical fitness on consoles, but fans of the series can look forward to more music, more dance styles, and more of just about everything else all around.
Here is the first batch of info straight from Majesco along with some words from Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton and Zumba Fitness’ Chief Marketing Officer, Jeffrey Perlman.
“We have realized tremendous success with our Zumba Fitness franchise that now ranks as the #2 best-selling fitness game franchise of all time, second only to the Wii Fit™ series that pioneered the category,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “We know from research that the #1 area women want to transform is their abs and Zumba Fitness Core is the first and only video game to implement this consumer-driven feature. The ‘core’ focus is in addition to content fans have asked for: more licensed tracks, new dance styles and additional fitness features designed to maximize your total body, at home workout.”
“The same way Zumba Fitness revolutionized the negative stigmas of fitness from the ‘no pain, no gain’ notion to the ‘no pain, ALL gain’ position, Zumba® Fitness is revolutionizing the idea of ab workouts,” said Jeffrey Perlman, Chief Marketing Officer, Zumba Fitness. “The days of crunches are over. Zumba Fitness Core takes a new approach. Participants are standing up, rocking out to amazing music and getting the most effective ab sculpting workout in the market. It is the only party around where you don’t have to bring a six pack, but you may just walk out with one.”
Rock your core and dance your way to toned, sexy abs with Zumba® Fitness Core, featuring 40 new songs and routines, more than 30 international dance styles from around the world and hot new choreography that’s designed to sculpt stronger abs through an exhilarating full body workout. Lose yourself in the music as celebrity Zumba® instructors guide you through choreography set to contagious new Zumba® fitness originals and a broader mix of smash hits from hot artists including Enrique Iglesias and Don Omar (full soundtrack to be announced at a future date).
In addition, Zumba Fitness Core offers even more new and returning features:
Shake it to fresh new dance styles like Brazilian Funk, Polynesian, Celtic Bluegrass, Jive, Jazz, African and Disco that complement Salsa, Cumbia, Bollywood and Reggaeton to deliver over 30 rhythms, more than any other dance or fitness game;
Keep your fitness regimen on track with new personal and community goals plus nutrition and wellness tips;
Experience exotic new venues like Tiki Beach, a Venetian Ballroom and Waterfall Resort;
Learn the basic steps with expanded tutorials that now include Bollywood and Samba styles along with Salsa, Reggaeton, Merengue and Cumbia;
Dance with new celebrity instructors Loretta Bates and Nicholas Logrea who join returning Zumba superstars Beto, Gina Grant, Tanya Beardsley and Kass Martin;
Work out with a friend on Kinect for Xbox 360 or throw a dance party in your living room with up to 3 friends on Wii;
Dance hands-free on Kinect for Xbox 360 and Wii with the included Zumba Fitness belt that lets you holster your Wii Remote.
Zumba Fitness Core will be out this October for the Xbox 360 Kinect and Nintendo Wii. For now, check out the first few screenshots and official boxart down below for a much better glimpse inside what the latest Zumba will have to offer.
Majesco have come a long way in the past few years, and today it was revealed that the company is getting a facelift with a mass-market rebrand and a new logo to represent a shift of “strategic focus”. As you can see above, the logo looks nice, and you can see even more changes at the shiny new website for the company, www.majescoent.com.
So what does this new logo and all-around change in focus mean?
We have been extremely successful creating engaging, casual games for the mass market and that focus will continue to drive our product decisions in this evolving marketplace,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “From our console and digital titles to our social and mobile initiatives, we are plotting a course for significant growth and our new look better represents what we stand for and our vision for the future.”
Evoking whimsical energy and movement, the new logo embodies Majesco Entertainment’s focus on fun, casual experiences, social engagement and innovative, yet approachable gameplay. Majesco Entertainment has realized tremendous success with titles that deliver these experiences, including its best-selling Zumba Fitness video game franchise that has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, its award-winning Cooking Mama video game franchise that has sold 13 million copies worldwide and the recent fan-favorite Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. The new look also encompasses the essence behind highly-anticipated upcoming releases including NBA Baller Beats, the first-of-its kind participative basketball game that gets players on their feet performing real skills with a real ball.
“It’s important for our brand to reflect what people can expect from our company and our video game titles – high-quality, fun, and progressive entertainment experiences,” said Christina Glorioso, Chief Marketing Officer, Majesco Entertainment.
And there you have it, a fresh way to start out this gaming year, with a whole new perspective. Expect to see quite a few fresh ideas from the publisher, as the very unique NBA Baller Beats is sure to be one first of many for Majesco Entertainment.
Fresh off a private Square-Enix demonstration at E3 2012 is this trailer that is titled ‘Agni’s Philosophy’, subtitled as a ‘real time’ Final Fantasy tech demo. This trailer essentially showcases a new game engine currently being developed at Square-Enix, and is being developed in order to be used in the upcoming eighth generation of consoles.The trailer demonstrates some rather impressive real time graphics, resembling the computer generated cut scenes of recent Final Fantasy titles. The engine is being codenamed ‘Philosophy’ at this stage.
What’s really interesting here is the content of the trailer, it tells a brief story about this religious cult, and features armed soldiers and a female protagonist of sorts. The trailer suggests that this is some form of concept for a Final Fantasy game, could this end up becoming Final Fantasy XV?
Nintendo have revealed in their developers roundtable that two of the mini-games available in the recently announced Nintendo Land game for the Wii U, will be based upon F-Zero and Metroid.
Nintendo were sure to keep a lot details close to their chest on these mini-games, but did mention that both games would revolve around Mii’s partaking in mini-games tailored to the style of F-Zero and Metroid.
So far there is very little else revealed, besides the intriguing graphic, which you can see above, that displays all the game’s mini-game icons. What do you think of an F-Zero and Metroid mini-game in Nintendo Land? Can you figure out what the other icons are? Let us know in the comments section below.
Square Enix and United Front Games’ upcoming open world action game Sleeping Dogs has received a brand new E3 trailer. After undergoing a lengthy and turbulent development period (which saw the game cancelled by Activision and later picked up Square Enix) Sleeping Dogs is nearly upon us and it’s looking pretty damn good.
Shown off at E3 2012, Sleeping Dogs shows us what happens when you go deep undercover in one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations: the Triads. Set in Hong Kong, you play as undercover cop Wei Shen as he attempts to take down the Triads from the inside.
The game throws players an interesting conundrum where players will have to risk it all to balance their loyalty with both the police and the Triads. A bunch of new screens of the game have also been released, to accompany the game’s new E3 trailer.
Sleeping Dogs is set to be released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC on August 14 in North America and August 16 in Australia.
