Fatal Frame IV is apparently going to be released for the Nintendo Wii sometime in the near future. The Fatal Frame series is based around Japanese myths surrounding ghosts and tainted spirits. The game also has extensive roots in Japan mythology and settings as the games have always been in Japan, usually placing the main characters in abandoned mansions or town.

It’s still a little surprising to see Fatal Frame to be released on the Wii since the series was originally made for the PlayStation 2. The game is apparently a joint effort between Tecmo, Grasshopper Manufacture, Inc (Suda51), and Nintendo. It was also revealed that the game will be published under the Nintendo banner, does that mean that Nintendo now owns the rights to Fatal Frame? Who knows at this point, I can’t wait to hear more information about this game at E3, hit the jump to see some new character information.

(more…)

The idea has been bandied about, dissected, contested and now it appears as though it will finally come to fruition: the DS, that plucky little multicolored portable, is set to overtake the PS2 in Japan sometime in early 2008.

For some, this milestone was a given, especially in light of the portable’s insane sales numbers thoughout late 2006 and all of 2007. According to an article at GameIndustry.biz, the hard facts are thus:

For the week ending December 2 the DS sold 124,627 units, up from 116,694 the previous week, while the Wii shifted 74,764, up from 54,362 in the week before. That brings the lifetime sales figure for the handheld console to 20,284,183 - at which rate it will overtake the PlayStation 2’s lifetime figure in the middle of January next year.

During this period, the two Nintendo consoles were the only ones to see an increase in the number of units sold.

Full Japanese hardware list below… (more…)

Infendo writer Derek has a chip on his shoulder this evening in this open letter to Sierra. The subject? Ghostbusters, what else?

You think I’m lying, but the swollen red hand-print across my face says otherwise. I’m also having a hard time chewing with that side of my mouth now, so my food is only being half-processed before I swallow, which I’m sure will cause a whole new slate of problems. (more…)

I both loved and hated the original Rygar. I played it on a friends’ NES a lot, and we usually ended up screaming at the TV because, as any gamer knows, cussing out a television actually affects gameplay and allows you to beat final bosses. It was also pretty enjoyable nevertheless.

And now there’s a “new” Rygar coming to Wii. I use quotes because it’s actually the 2002 Playstation 2 game with tacked on Wii controls. Or so I thought until today. 1up — yup, that 1up — has a preview up today that fleshes out a bit what Tecmo has planned for this remake. Yes, I said remake, as in the Wii Trauma Center kind of remake, because there are some fundamental changes to the game that are worth a mention. (more…)

Malstrom is at it again. Today he’s delivered us a series of new (and lengthy!) articles about gaming, Nintendo and the future of the industry as a whole. I think with the outrageous success currently being enjoyed by the Wii and its software (you know, the software that ignoramuses say doesn’t exist yet) this is an especially timely delivery.

On a personal note, the reason I enjoy these columns is two-fold. First, the style is unique. There are no other writers out there today in the gaming industry that can hold a candle to the style that Malstrom brings in his articles. They tell a story, create characters and include real life quotes from industry movers and shakers, and advance the conversation instead of miring it in stagnation. Kind of like the Wii and DS.

Secondly, they use words from the analysts and industry players themselves. Oftentimes Malstrom simply sits back and lets some of these clowns set the stage for him. In this light, the columns cannot be dismissed as fanboyism or marketing because they employ something rarely seen in the putrid, vitriolic message boards and forums of today: facts. For those reasons alone, these are a welcome addition to Infendo. I haven’t seen these columns outside of Infendo (aside from at the now-retired Wiikly.com), so for that I thank Mal for the pro bono contribution. I think I speak for Blake, David and the rest of Infendo when I say thanks a million for these articles. But I digress, as usual.

On that note, here’s one of Malstrom’s latest, A Rising Continent.

– Jack (more…)

Earlier today the ESRB gave Rockstar’s controversial Manhunt 2 a “M“ for mature. This announcement follows the debated July rating of AO. It is unclear at this time if Rockstar has toned the game down from it’s extremely violent state, or if the publics complaining caused the ESRB to give Manhunt 2 a second look. Either way, both Nintendo and Sony will now allow the title to be published for their respected consoles. Here is what Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar games, had to say about today’s announcement.

“Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we’re glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience. We love the horror genre. Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience. We think horror fans will love it.”

Manhunt 2 ships to the PS2, PSP, and Wii October 31^st. The title contains the following content: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content and Use of Drugs.

UPDATE: Apparently Rockstar Games did edit violence in Manhunt 2, but how much editing is still unknown.

EA is apparently throwing us all a curve this morning, given the fact that executives only recently divided up the company and created a dedicated “casual games” division.

GamePro reports…

Several sources are reporting that an Electronic Arts representative has confirmed that its Xbox 360 games take priority over other systems as multi-platform titles near completion.

The representative allegedly added that EA regularly shifts its workforce to concentrate on getting Xbox 360 versions shipped first due to the consoles larger user base when compared to the PS3 and Wii.

Bwah?! It’s not biased in the least to say that EA is brain dead if they think they can ignore all the Wii owners out there today. It’s a number that will soon be more than the purported “larger user base” of the Xbox 360. For all intents and purposes the number is essentially equal already.

Part of me thinks this was lost in translation. What I think EA really said is it will continue to focus on Xbox 360 first, and PS3 second — for a variety of money-related reasons.

Makes me wonder if GamePro’s “several sources” were in fact Xbox fanboys on the Major Nelson official forums.

Since I’ve been home from school, my Mother has given me the assignment to buy her a Wii, should I find one at a local store. While checking Fry’s for the elusive system I was confused when I saw two rows of both the classic controller, and the wiimote, each with different packaging. Upon closer inspection I discovered that the smaller boxed packages were Japanese imports, being sold for the same price as their US counterparts. (more…)

Ok, so that headline is a tad misleading. I’ll come out and say that right away. But you have to forgive me for the slight deception, because Nintendo is selling more than 100,000 DS units per week and the Wii is now the prime minister. Ok, it’s not, but wouldn’t that be just the cutest little thing ever?

On a more serious and sane note, the Wii did sell 69,748 units, bringing the year-to-date total to over 1.6 million units.

Here are the full sales figures for the week ending June 3:

DSL: 123,140
Wii: 69,748
PSP: 26,358
PS2: 11,814
PS3: 8,998
Xbox 360: 2,219
GBM: 310
GBASP: 247
GC: 226
DS: 71
GBA: 16

And there is absolutely no truth whatsoever to the rumor I’m starting now that Japanese retailers are offering a free PS3 with every PS2 sold. None at all.

I’ll just come right out and say it: another reason (besides dizzying sales) the DS might be the next PS2 is because the dual screen portable has a lot of crappy games. And by a lot, I mean… well, a lot. Just peep any release schedule and you’ll see a slew of stinkers just like the PS2 before it. That’s not a bad thing, that’s just what happens when hardware sells like crazy; software publishers jump on it like salt on a peanut. Regardless, anyone in the room think the DS can actually outsell the 115 million strong PS2?

To steal a term coined by Kotaku, I put together the above charticle juxtaposing the first six month console sales of Wii, 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. First, the Wii has sold better than the mighty PS2 after the first six months. Amazingly, both the PS3 and 360 sold worse than the GameCube for the same period (!). Cumulative first six month totals in units sold are as follows: (more…)