Nintendo Revolution -> Wii

[tsurumaru]

Originally Posted by Itachikun

Actually, I'm not surprised that Nintendo actually called it that... Looking back at all their consoles, you could see some resemblance. Revolution doesn't seem to quite fit with Nintendo's image, becuase that would show that they have a mature name. But Nintendo has always been about bringing out our inner child with games.

This is one reason why of all the consoles since the SNES, Nintendo's have been the least appealing to me (the other reason being the IP's being aimed at younger audiences). Most of us original gamers who were brought up on the classics are now a lot older. I understand Nintendo's wish to appeal to the younger generations to ensure they have a continuing userbase (as my generation will obviously not be around for ever) but to do so by alienating your more mature audience doesn't seem to me to be the right approach. Xbox, Playstation, Gamecube, these are all fine names. I'm not suggeting they should have called it the Nintendo RageBox, or AxemurdererXS, but "wii" seems to be dissociated from anything except crude biological functions.
I would have preferred had they wanted a more obscure name that they had gone back to an Acronym, I don't know something like E.G.S (Evolutionary Gaming System).
I'm not suggesting it should have been that name exactly, (its just the first thing that came into my head), that desicion I would leave up to the creative team.

Thinking about it though perhaps they would have come up with:

Super High Intensity Tool (for) Entertainment.

[Ending]

Wii or Rev, it makes no difference. If N still continues to produce, and attract, uninteresting games it will hardly appeal to my age-group.

[Mr. DJ]

Originally Posted by Animizzle

Seriously who cares? The name of this console has absolutely no influence on us consumers. The machine is what counts. Not it's name. Getting worked up about something as trivial as this is a complete waste of time.

so you speak for the entire gaming community I see >.> some people care about the name as much as the hardware.

[Flo]

I'm not gonna call the Rev "wii".

I'll call it "WRiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"!!!!!!!

[dan88]

Originally Posted by Animizzle

Seriously who cares? The name of this console has absolutely no influence on us consumers. The machine is what counts. Not it's name. Getting worked up about something as trivial as this is a complete waste of time.

The actual machine is not the most important consideration. I just think back to the Atari130/Commodore64 -> AtariST/Amiga -> Mac/PC battles.

I can see the name putting off a lot of casual users which will result in less sales and thus less games will be released for it and the console will slowly die.

People might have to consider joining the masses who will now be getting a PS3 - at least there will be lots of games.


The Games: Details on every Wii game known to man
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager....=4&cId=3149198
Anything here to get excited about?

[Benoit]

On the one hand, I don't think it's such a good name, but on the other hand, I find myself saying "whee!" because it sounds like that and the name seems fun that way.

[Homeschooler_Jenni]

I heart Nintendo. I grew up playing it. Good times.

[Animizzle]

Originally Posted by DjTrizz

so you speak for the entire gaming community I see >.> some people care about the name as much as the hardware.

I'll be brief on this. Indeed, I cannot speak for the entire gaming community. I can speak for common sense though. Caring about the name of a console as much as about the hardware is downright retarded.

Originally Posted by dan88

I can see the name putting off a lot of casual users which will result in less sales and thus less games will be released for it and the console will slowly die.

People might have to consider joining the masses who will now be getting a PS3 - at least there will be lots of games.

I expected this reply. Who knows, im sure it holds some truth. However, if the machine is decent, the games are good and the new controller turns out to be indeed a 'revolution' I doubt people will not buy it because of a 'silly name'.
It simply doesn't compute.

Maybe someone with a reasonable knowledge about marketing or customer research could shed some light on what would be most likely to happen. In the meantime I'll go with my gut: in this line of products, a crappy name shouldn't be a turnoff.

[Orchunter226]

Originally Posted by dan88

The Games: Details on every Wii game known to man
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager....=4&cId=3149198
Anything here to get excited about?

Am I not the only one who thinks some of those games look really fun and cool? I'm sick of games that are just shoot 'em ups or basic adventure games. Quite a few of those games peak my interest.

[Sister Princess]

Originally Posted by Animizzle

Seriously who cares? The name of this console has absolutely no influence on us consumers. The machine is what counts. Not it's name. Getting worked up about something as trivial as this is a complete waste of time.

If "names" mean nothing then why we don't see these kind of company names?

- Fucking good technologies
- Shit tech
- Tsundere productions
- Absolute Territory software
- OMG company

BTW, I know a clothing company called FCUK (which sell clothing for teenagers) are able to breakthrough because the name is sound similar to the swear word. It got concerned by parents. Yet, that company able to keep the business.

[Angelic Cross]

Joystiq created three questions to gauge reactions of friends, family, and strangers to the name Wii.

See the article here.

Anyone else want to try this tiny survey out?

[Urzu 7]

Okay, okay, the new name isn't all that hot (a name change is welcome, but if they don't, so be it ), but more good news has emerged on the new Nintendo system, the Nintendo Wii.

The dust is starting to settle on the new name, I think many will get used to it by E3. In any case, it seems more and more, with the positive acclaim from developers and more announcements of new titles for the system, it seems that Nintendo is going to get good support for this system.

First up, Kojima Productions for Nintendo Wii? Things seems like it in this article...read on to find out more details...

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/s...ic_id=24568676

The official story: "No comment on the postcard."--Konami rep.

What we heard: Late last year, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima sat down with Famitsu, Japan's leading game magazine. In it, he revealed he was developing an upcoming title for the Nintendo Revolution. He explained to the publication that he wanted the game to be drastically different from the stealth-action series which made him famous. He also hinted that he might be targeting female gamers specifically.

While it caused a bit of a stir at the time, Kojima's Revolution revelation faded into the background, thanks to a drought of new information about the project. But that will likely end in two weeks, if the hints on the Konami E3 press conference invitation are to be taken at face value.

The invitation, which arrived in GameSpot editors' mailboxes today, had a grey front with the Kojima Productions logo in the background. In the foreground are six words in all-caps: "RETURN," "REARM," "REGALE," "REBIRTH," "RESPECT," "REFINE." In each of the words, the letters "RE" were conspicuously offset in red. On the back, and even less subtle hint was dropped. "The REVOLT begins, Tuesday, May 9. It's the battle for E3," reads the card before giving the details of the event.

Plainly, Konami is hinting that there will be a major announcement at its press conference that has to do with something starting in "Re." But while the Revolution references may have been fine last week, this week everything changed when Nintendo revealed its console's new name, "Wii." Why would Konami send out a teaser postcard for a Revolution game when they knew a name change was in the works?

The answer is on the postcard, which bears a postmark of Wednesday, April 26--one day before the Wii name was revealed. Given that it was sent before the Wii announcement--which many diehard Nintendans are now claiming is a massive hoax--Konami must've stuck with the Revolution name just to not blow Nintendo's cover. That and it would be wii-ly hard to make a cool-sounding teaser with the console's new moniker. (Painful, we know.)

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus--expect official confirmation at E3.

Next up: Super Monkey Ball:Banana Blitz

http://www.sega.com/e3/2006/announce...m=pr_20060426a

1up.com interview:

1UP: What can you tell us about how the game's control system will differ from past Monkey Ball games, thanks to the Revolution controller?

Toshihiro Nagoshi: The operation itself is the same when controlling the game. Once you get your hands on the game you'll realize how natural it feels...instead of tilting the controller lever, players will be tilting the controller itself to tilt the game board. I'm sure you will realize how perfectly this operation matches the game.

1UP: Were there other control schemes you tested for the new game that you decided not to use?

TN: There were many, but this is a secret. I'm sorry, but I can't disclose schemes which were not successful.

1UP: How challenging has it been on the development side to adapt an existing game like Monkey Ball to the Revolution's controller?

TN: It was easy for me to imagine how it would feel playing with the Revolution controller. So I tried it right away, and the result was just as I expected. I think I was able to create the perfect operational feeling smoothly.

1UP: Given that this is a next-generation game, does it take a much larger staff to make the game than it has with previous Monkey Ball games?

TN: No, not at all. Really.

1UP: Are you using a new graphics engine for the game, or is it based on the previous games?

TN: It's a customized version based on the previous engine. We've been able to exploit it in ways that I'm sure will make players happy.

1UP: Why do you think Revolution is a good home for the Monkey Ball series?

TN: It is because the operational feeling matches the gaming system directly. It almost feels like the Revolution was created for Monkey Ball to be played on.

1UP: What kinds of mini-games can we expect to see in the game? How are you planning to use the Revolution controller in unique ways for these mini-games?

TN: Of all the series, this title contains the largest number of unique mini-games ever. Of course, the controller system has been changed a lot and gameplay experiences which we weren't able to accomplish in the previous games can be experienced in this title.

1UP: Have you given any thought to letting players control the older GameCube Monkey Ball titles on the Revolution using the new Revolution control scheme?

TN: We have no plans for that, but if there are many demands from the users, it might be an interesting feature to think of. And I'm sure it will be a perfect match.

Nintendo Wii to be able to play Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx games:

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/698/698059p3.html

IGN: The Virtual Console is going to be home to hundreds of classic games, from the sound of it. But can we expect original games for it, too?

Beth: Yeah, and actually Mr. Iwata touched upon that briefly today - the system being a platform for developers to try out new content. So, certainly. We've been focused pretty heavily on the classic content and now bringing SEGA Genesis and TurboGrafx games, but it certainly will be a forum for bringing some new content.

In another article, they said they want to have near 1,000 Genesis titles made available from the system, and hundreds of TG-16 games. Think of that. Classic Sonic games, Phantasy Star II-IV, Shinobi, tons of treasure games, and on the TG-16 side of things, many gems; many of which most of us never played, such as Book of Ys I and II, Bonk, tons of 2D shoot 'em ups, and perhaps best of all:

Castlevania:Rondo of Blood. This is the Castlevania game that preceeded Symphony of the Night. In it, you play Ritcher Belmont's quest, whose ending starts off SOTN. This is the last traditional Castlevania game before they started adopting the SOTN level structure design and SOTN gameplay mechanics. A lot of Castlevania fans consider this one and SOTN to be the best in the series.

[Urzu 7]

More news...


Japanese gamers and software companies are showing good interest in new Nintendo system...

In the latest Famitsu poll, both gamers and software makers polled were polled on which console interest them the most, and for both categories chose Wii. Playstation 3 was approximately one point lower for gamers on the poll, however, 47.4% of the devs voted for Wii as opposed to 36.8% for PS3.

Famitsu polled gamers and software makers about their interest at E3. Both parties were most interested in Nintendo's new hardware. 47.4% of software makers and 45.3% of gamers expressed interest in Revolution. This topped PlayStation 3, which got 36.8% of the developer vote and 44.8% of the gamer vote. The remaining 15.8% of developers didn't respond to the question. For users, 4.4% selected Xbox 360 with 5.5% selecting "other hardware." The magazine did not reveal the number of participants in the survey.

Madden for Wii. To be launch game, will have wifi play, 480p resolution, 16x9, and run at 60 fps.

Good read, btw. Talks about using new controller to make a football game like none before it, and shows that EA, one of the biggest in the industry (if not the biggest) is giving serious support to the system (you'll see this indicated by EA dev teams formed together into units that will work exclusively for the Wii).

IGN Wii: Fantastic Madden news. We're excited. Now, what is the official name of the game?

John Schappert: To be determined. We all just learned the official name of the Revolution. You know, it's funny, but I think we're still in the process of naming the game.

IGN Wii: Yeah, Wii is certainly a unique console name.

John Schappert: You know, what else would we expect from Nintendo? I mean, it's different. You expect them to do the unexpected. Sure enough, they surprise us with a unique controller and they surprise us with a unique name. They're just a different company and they do certainly breed innovation there.

IGN Wii: Exactly. We're honestly very, very excited about the console and its showing at E3 2006.

John Schappert: Are you? Are you a Nintendo fanboy?

IGN Wii: Yes, indeed.

John Schappert: I'm a Nintendo fanboy, too.

IGN Wii: Fantastic. Well, tell us about the team creating the Wii version of Madden. Also, why isn't traditional developer Tiburon handling the project?

John Schappert: The approach we took was this. When we saw Wii for the first time, it was so different and so unique that we thought about how best to handle that. When we first saw the console and saw how unique the pointing device was, we thought about how best to approach the machine. We wanted a team dedicated just to maximizing the u uniqueness and the innovation of the machine and we wanted it to focus just on making Wii software.

The cool thing is, we looked at the franchises we have and the ideas we have for making games and we started focusing on what was unique about the machine, which is the controller, and how these games - specifically Madden - could be revolutionary and stand out. It's great to have one center of excellence, if you will, to make these games. All of the great ideas and learning they get from one game automatically cascades to the other game. All the focus group testing we're getting and the gesture code work we're doing on Madden right now, and the interpretation code - all of that stuff benefits every one of our Wii titles.

IGN Wii: Now when you talk about the Wii team, are you referring to a group of teams at EA Canada?

John Schappert: It's correct to call it a group of teams. Normally, when you think of a franchise at EA, it's a group of teams that work on different platforms, if you will. What's different about this group is that it's a group of teams - collectively a larger group - that works on a single platform, which is Wii. They're working on very disparate titles - Madden being one and there are some others in development - that are, you know, aligned because of the console that they are on.

IGN Wii: How big is this group?

John Schappert: Well, we're really not talking numbers, but it's a good sized group.

IGN Wii: So it's already working on multiple Wii projects?

John Schappert: Yes.

IGN: What'll you have at E3 2006?

John Schappert: Oh, we're showing Madden for Wii. We're pioneering with that because it's always best to have a flagship title and Madden is our flagship title. You know, working through the intricacies of learning the control and everything. So it was appropriate that this be the first title we show as well.

IGN: When did EA get Wii development hardware and how long have you been working on Madden for the system?

John Schappert: We don't talk specifics on when we receive hardware, but I can say that we've been working with the controller… Nintendo announced that controller last year, didn't it?

IGN Wii: Yes.

John Schappert: We've been working with the controller since last year [laughs].

IGN Wii: Okay, sounds great. Let's get into the guts of the game. How will Madden on Wii be different from the other versions for separate platforms?


John Schappert: Well first, it's a separate code base altogether. The great thing is that we have a long-standing heritage of excellent Madden games. We've got great Madden code that plays a great game of football and has a lot of depth. So we can take from that and make sure we're not spending our time saying, "Hey, let's make sure defense is great." We've got a lot to rely on. So our focus has been, how do we make this unique for Wii? How is this game going to be seen as innovative and, if you will, a Wii original? That's what we focused on.
When you first play it, it's completely different. When you go to hike the ball, for instance, as opposed to pressing a button you simply jerk the controller up. Boom, you snap the ball. When you want to pass the ball, you gesture a throwing motion while holding the button down to the intended receiver. When you want to stiff-arm left or right, you juke with the nunchuck controller literally. When you want to kick, you gesture the kick motion.

It's not like we said, "Oh, here's a different controller, how can we kind of finagle Madden on it?" It was, "Hey, here's a completely unique controller that we've never seen before. What's the best way to play Madden on this machine?"

IGN Wii: So you're using the free-hand style pointer. How are you using the nunchuck unit?

John Schappert: Well, it controls how you move your player.

IGN Wii: Does you use the trigger buttons on the nunchuck unit?

John Schappert: You know, the buttons are all still being mapped out. It does use the trigger buttons right now. I don't know how much we'll have locked in for you at E3 because we are still working on the final button layout, but it does use the trigger buttons, and it does use the accelerometer in the nunchuck unit as well for juking.

IGN Wii: Perfect. Could you just for clarification purposes give us an idea of how a typical play might work using the controllers?

John Schappert: So, you take the controller, jerk it up to snap. Quarterback now has the ball. Your passing icons are now up. Take the wand controller and you'll see that the four directions on its D-Pad represent four of your receivers; the A button is your fifth receiver. Point to one of those receivers that you want to receive the ball and with your hand gesture a throwing motion to pass. Now, the harder you throw, the more that's going to be a bullet pass. The softer and the more you lob a throw, the more that it's going to be a lob. When you receive the ball, you run with the analog stick on the nunchuck and if you want to juke, you use the nunchuck to gesture it. And if you want to stiff-arm, you use the wand.

IGN Wii: Are you going to be using any force-feedback when you're throwing the ball or when you're getting hit, or anything like that?

John Schappert: Yes, we are. I think it's a little early to talk about how. Right now, these are the core mechanics that we've been working on getting them right. And I think you'll see further refinement there, but I think we're pretty happy with how Madden will be experienced on Wii.

IGN Wii: Some of the Wii games we've seen can be overly sensitive. Do you, as a developer, have the option to set sensitivity? For instance, can you set sensitivity so that players need to make wide, arching gestures to effect on-screen movements? And alternatively, can you set everything so that minimal movement is needed to play titles?

John Schappert: You know, that's up to the programmers. What you're speaking to directly is all of the iteration time that will make Wii games great. That's what we've been spending time on. We've had these motions in the game since early January. You'd pick it up and it wasn't always as receptive as it should be because our algorithms for interpreting the gestures weren't always right. You'd go to juke right and it'd juke left sometimes. That's the stuff that sounds intuitive when I tell you how to play it. It's actually really hard to get that stuff working right. When I picked it up and I throw the ball, it has to interpret that I'm throwing the ball correctly and it may have to interpret that I throw it differently from the way you throw it. That kind of stuff sounds easy, but it's a lot of work to make sure you get it perfect. That's what we've been working on and that's what we're proud of. I think at E3, hopefully, you'll pick it up and you'll say, "Hey, that's pretty cool - it did what I thought it would." Which means that there's a lot of work under the hood to make it do that.

IGN Wii: Are there any instances in the game where you'll need to turn the free-hand style controller on its side? We've heard of other titles doing this.

John Schappert: Right now, we don't have anything like that in the game. Right now we're using it as Nintendo has shown it in all of their demos. Like a wand and a nunchuck, if you will.

IGN Wii: The Wii's controller lends itself to the ability to design and literally draw your own plays in Madden's playbook. Will the title feature this potentially awesome option?

John Schappert: You know, there is a lot of stuff that we're not yet unveiling. I think you're going to get a great glimpse of how Madden is going to play on Wii at E3 2006. But there is so much, like you're alluding to, that we can do with this wand - stuff that wouldn't be easy to do without the controller. All that stuff is right there and we're looking at it and saying, "What can we get done? What's going to be great and let's make sure everything we do will be great." We've got a lot of stuff that we're chewing on and we're not really telling everyone what we're doing just yet, but there are a lot of good ideas and that's certainly one of them.

IGN Wii: Obviously, Wii is not going to have the graphic horsepower of competing next generation consoles. Some developers have called it a "GameCube 1.5" Would you agree with that estimate and how are you maximizing on the graphic capabilities of the machine?


John Schappert: I don't think I would agree with the GameCube 1.5 estimate. I would say that I think the Wii should be evaluated by itself. I think it's a unique device and I think what makes it unique is the controller. As for graphics, we'll be showing Madden in 480p and 16x9 widescreen mode running at 60 frames per second. I think it looks great. I think it looks really good. It's also kind of hard for me to judge any of these machines before they're final. We get updates to all kinds of hardware quite often as the stuff is being revved and it's always getting better. I can tell you that we had a couple of guys from Tiburon come by and they hadn't gotten hands-on with the controller, aside from some demos. They thought Madden for Wii looked stunning and played great. So my answer is that it's a unique system and we're going to maximize our power for it. I think the games are going to look really good.
IGN Wii: You mentioned that Madden runs in progressive-scan and widescreen modes. Is this something you've been encouraged to do by Nintendo or are these visual options you have pursued on your own?

John Schappert: I won't say that Nintendo so much encourages us. Any help we ask for it certainly gives us. That's just something we're doing. It'll still play in 4x3, if you've got a 4x3 television running 480i. But we think 480p and 16x9 will give it the best showing - to see it in widescreen so you can see your five receivers and to see it in 480p.

IGN Wii: When you talk about the engine for Madden Wii, was it developed specifically for Nintendo's system or is it going to be a port of another engine from, say, the Xbox version, with added functionality?

John Schappert: The port word scares me because that's what I'm trying to avoid at all costs. So we're not trying to do is just take a game and getting running on Wii and then just ship it. At the same, what I don't want to do is having us re-inventing football artificial intelligence. We have great AI. We've got brilliant engineers in Florida that continue to refine football AI and physics, so we will continue to harvest that, as we should. The team's focus in this case is, "How are we making this game, which is football, unique for Wii?" That's what all of the focus is on. You alluded to unique features that could be part of the Wii version and there's already unique control. So that's what this team is doing.

No, I don't consider it a port. Publishers who take the port strategy - the "Hey, here's a game. Get it compiling there. Figure out a way to get the controller working." - I don't think people are going to be happy with the results. I can tell you that you can probably get quick results doing that, but to truly make a native Wii game that uses the wand effectively takes an awful lot of time and planning. You know what? You kind of have to rip the games apart and re-do them from a control standpoint, if you will, to make that happen.

IGN Wii: Do you have an online mode planned for the Wii version of Madden?

John Schappert: You know, we've got lots of great online experience and Wii has Wi-Fi built in, so we are certainly planning for online.

IGN Wii: Is this going to be a Wii launch title later this year?

John Schappert: That is our goal.

IGN Wii: Oh, outstanding. We're really glad to hear that. Madden will make an amazing launch game. Now, let's switch focus a little it and speak a bit more broadly about EA's Wii plans. What do you think about the potential of the console to handle first-person shooters and action games?

John Schappert: I think those are some interesting, interesting questions, aren't they? Our approach when looking at the games we want to make for Wii is, first and foremost, will it make a great game on that platform? Taking into account the controller and how unique it is. Interesting enough, I think some games could be perfect for Wii and might offer the best control of any platform. That's the filter we're using and I think it's certainly got some interesting applications for a first-person shooter. That seems like a very nice path to follow.

IGN Wii: EA's got some big first-person shooter franchises.

John Schappert: Yeah, we do, and we're certainly looking at that. But what you're going to find is that the games we're going to make for it we want to make native for Wii. We want people to say, "Hey, maybe I've played a football game before, but this feels like a Wii original."

IGN Wii: Any final words for Wii fans looking forward to E3?

John Schappert: I hope people are happy with what they see at E3 and I'm hope that when you see our game it becomes one of the must-have pieces of software when you have the Wii this fall.

Next up, an original title from the producer of Drum Mania and Guitar Freaks:

April 26, 2006 - Japan's Weekly Famitsu was promising a big Revolution scoop this week, and this appears to be it. The magazine is home to first details on Konami's first Revolution game, the all original Elebits. Shingo Mukaitouge, known for his work on the Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania series, is serving as producer.

The magazine was able to reveal only a few specifics on the new title. In Elebits, players move around a game world, attempting to find and collect Elebit creatures. Elebits are small and cute like Pikmin, but they actually serve as the energy source that makes the game's world move. The "Ele" in the name appears to stand for Electricity, with the "Bits" reflecting that the characters are tiny.
As you find Elebits, the game world will slowly evolve. The game will offer a feel of "hunting," suggesting that perhaps the Elebits won't just be sitting around waiting to get caught.

Specifics, including genre and gameplay systems, will have to wait until a future update, although Mukaitouge was able to add a few more details in an interview with the magazine.

The Elebits game design stems from three concepts, Mukaitouge revealed: letting the player feel like they're actually touching the inside of the screen; finding stuff by moving things; and Konami's creation of a new character, the Elebits themselves.

The first two areas are of particular interest due to their dependence on the Revolution's controller. Konami wanted to be sure and create something that could not be replicated on an existing controller. While not going into specifics on how exactly players will use the controller, Mukaitouge suggested the image of real time movements of on-screen objects based on movements of the controller.

With the cute Elebit characters, Elebits may seem like it targets casual users. The game will include some stages that can be played in under 10 minutes, but core gamers will also find lots of secret content. Network functionality is also being considered, although this is an area that will get Konami's attention only once the single player experience has been fully developed.

[Maceart]

Damn, no news about Mario256, Nights2 and Fire Emblem Revolution?
But these are great news. "No third party support" my ass.

[Urzu 7]

Also, it would interest you to know these few things:


There is an exclusive Tony Hawk being made for Wii, scheduled for launch.

Spiderman 3 is scheduled for PS3, Wii, and X360. However, the Wii version will be built from the groud up for the Wii console and fully make use of the controller. Scheduled for launch.



For Marvel fans...Marvel action RPG

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703618p1.html

April 27, 2006 - By the hoary hosts of Hoggath! Today Activison announced its plans for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Developed by Raven Software and C.B. Cebulski the action/role-playing game will feature the largest roster of comic book characters ever stuffed into one video game.

Of the more than 140 Marvel characters over 20 will be playable. Players can take on the great power and great responsibility over comic book favorites such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America.

"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance delivers a new twist on action/RPGs where players' actions and choices ultimately determine what happens to the Marvel universe," states Will Kassoy of Activision. "This coupled with the game's enormous character roster will deliver an action-packed experience that comic book fans have been waiting for."

Ultimate Alliance will allow players to create their own team name, icon and vehicle, and well as establish their team reputation as they play through their choice of multiple missions. Tweakable character leveling will give gamers the choice to focus on individual heroes or team-wide upgrades. With avengers assembled battle Marvel super baddies through multiple environments with all manner of combat moves and super hero powers.

Multiplayer modes will let players join friends and fight evil do-ers on and off line in co-op modes. An in-game stat tracking mode will allow you to see how you rate against others.

Also, you should no that there are no announcements about 1st party software yet because Nintendo is keeping it under wraps until E3. Most devs are keeping Wii titles under wraps until then, too.

Also, check the edit I made above, about Famitsu poll. ^_^

[Animizzle]

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

If "names" mean nothing then why we don't see these kind of company names?

- Fucking good technologies
- Shit tech
- Tsundere productions
- Absolute Territory software
- OMG company

. Useless examples. 'Wii' is completely different from Fucking or Shit tech. Secondly this isn't about a company name. It's about a product.
Anyway, had you read my second post you would have seen that I specifically mentioned in this line of products.

I'll go with my gut: in this line of products, a crappy name shouldn't be a turnoff.

BTW, I know a clothing company called FCUK (which sell clothing for teenagers) are able to breakthrough because the name is sound similar to the swear word. It got concerned by parents. Yet, that company able to keep the business.

So..your point is that the Wii could do well despite it's silly name? I agree.

[Solace]

It reminds me of the old Shakespeare quote, is a rose still a rose if called by any other name? The obvious answer is it doesn't really matter what it's called, the more important thing is what it is. I have no doubt that this system will be home to some great games, and some fun, innovative new game play ideas. But, that also doesn't stop me from thinking this name is laughable, silly, and downright pointless.

Nintendo doesn't need a new buzzword name right now. We know the system is going to be different, they've been hammering that point home for years now. We know they have no intentions of directly competing with Xbox or Playstation. But, this name serves no practical purpose. For one, Nintendo now has the massive marketing hurdle of justifying the name to the public. It doesn't describe anything that players are familiar with. Using a twist on the word "we" for all sorts of marketing catchphrases actually makes the system less casual friendly. In most markets, brand names are very important, and if Nintendo can't convince people that something named Wii is a must have item, it is doomed to failure from the start.

I really think they should have just kept the naming simple, if a bit conventional. Since this system is really going to be a family entertainment system, playing games of all types that everyone in the family can have the chance to enjoy, they should have gone back to thier roots and used a version of the Nintendo Entertainment System name. To me, NES and SNES were not only easy to say, but showed a link in the family of systems, reinforced the Nintendo name and had games that were able to be enjoyed across a broader spectrum of players than the playstation generation and so on.

Xbox and Playstation might be stupid names, but they are much more marketable than Wii because they are indentifiable with the market they are trying to reach, people who want to play games. Revolution might not have been the right name for everyone, but Wii is the wrong name for everyone.

I'll still most likely buy one, but it's because I have always enjoyed Nintendo games. PS3 just seems too costly atm, and I've never really liked Xbox's game selection. E3 should really clear some things up, so perhaps my opinion on all of this will change...but for now, I have my doubts.

[Shift_]

from: http://www.snarkhunting.com/

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Nintendo just announced that the name of their newest box, code named “Revolution”, will be Wii. And we think it is brilliant. Via CNN (just ‘cause they need the link):

Nintendo officially ditched its long-used codename for its next generation machine Thursday, revealing Wii as the final name for the product. Pronounced like “we” (or “whee,” I suppose), the name is meant to emphasize that “this console is for everyone,” Nintendo said in a flash video which introduced the name change…

…The unusual spelling is meant to symbolize both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play…

…The core gaming community is already making its opinion known – and it’s a resounding thumbs down.

“Here, I’ll do it: Worst console name ever,” wrote Chris Remo, an editor at Shacknews.com, whose sentiments were immediately echoed by dozens of users. Forum members on Gamespot.com, IGN.com and other gaming sites expressed similar thoughts…

…By letting the gaming community vent now about the name, they will be less distracted as launch titles for the system are announced and initial reports about what it’s like to play the games begin to come in.

Wii has got to be the most savvy name announcement we have seen in many years, and it could be the most viral name announcement since Yahoo! Sure, the buzz is a all negative (News, Blogosphere) but that’s part of the beauty.

Because we don’t believe that Wii is the real name. We think Nintendo is setting you all up to be Punk’d at E3, generating a massive amount of positive buzz when the scam and the real new name are announced.

Crazy? Here is the first clue, “By letting the gaming community vent now about the name, they will be less distracted as launch titles for the system are announced and initial reports about what it’s like to play the games begin to come in.” Allowing your audience time to vent is not SOP in a name announcement, and also telegraphs that Nintendo knows what a stinker this name would be. Second, it’s not possible to engineer a worse name for this product.

Third, and this is a big one, there are no trademarks registered by Nintendo nor by any dummy corp in the U.S or over there for Wii. This is unprecedented for Nintendo and it is not possible that this is an oversight. If Wii were the name, they would have registered it. In fact, no new trademarks have been registered by Nintendo at all. This leads us to conclude that Nintendo has in fact registered the real name under a dummy corp, which is SOP when trying to keep a name a secret prior to launch.

Given that their video game audience is the same demographic as Punk’d, this whole campaign is perversely elegant. Except of course for failing to make the illusion complete by registering a TM for Wii.

Keep in mind, this whole PR campaign cost zero dollars. And yet, some “naming experts” just don’t seem to get it.
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[Sety]

http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1467976

Very good article at the moment about the announcement.

[Itachikun]

Please use the spoiler tag for long quotes....

It's irritating enough to scroll down all of that...
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White Widow Seeds