E3 2009 was all about motion control, and got our first glimpses of both Project Natal and what is now known as the PlayStation Move. Both used different types of technologies, so naturally they stirred up curiosity as to which tech would be better. Is a camera-only system for the 360 adequate? What if the Wii was camera-only? What if the Wii used its remote in conjunction with a camera, a la Move?

Dr. Richard Marks, an R&D manager at Sony, has commented on why Sony decided to go ahead with Move as is rather than pursue a more Natal-like system.

“We tried a lot of different 3D cameras. I love the 3D camera technology; personally, I like the technology part of it. We worked closely with our game teams at what it would enable, and it enabled making the things we already did with EyeToy more robust, but it didn’t really enable as many new experiences as what we were hoping it would enable, so it made the things we were already able to do a little bit more robust — which is good — but it adds a lot of cost and it didn’t enable some of the other experiences we wanted to achieve.”

Only time will tell how well each system turns out to be, and the software will be an extremely significant variable in both cases. We’ll all get a chance to try the technologies out at this E3, so you’ll simply just have to wait a little longer.

1UP.com

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Being a Nintendo fan is like being a LOST fan. No matter what, there are always going to be endless questions and not enough answers to satisfy us. Kotaku’s Brian Crecente had an opportunity to pick the brain of Nintendo of America’s COO Reggie Fils-Aime about a few popular items for discussion between the Wii and DS.

As of late, one of the most talked about discussions regarding the Wii is of course, its lifespan (and that pesky Wii HD rumor we all want confirmed). Just how much longer can the Wii go on? According to Fils-Aime, you’ll be waiting a while for a successor, claiming the Wii has a “very long, very vibrant life in front of it.”

In regards to competing motion controllers coming later this year from Sony and Microsoft, Fils-Aime wasn’t too worried either. He sees the competition from Sony, as, well, not very competitive.

It’s certainly me too or Wii too, as I like to say. There is nothing that they showed that is surprising. There is nothing that they showed that is innovative and in the end it will come down to how much fun the software is. How entertaining the experience is and I’ve yet to see anything that highlights this as an entertaining experience.

Fils-Aime also talked about their upcoming peripheral, the Wii Vitality Sensor, a small device that once placed around your finger, will detect your feelings and emotions based on heart rate. The device set to launch later this year, will be demoed in full at E3.

The first thing we need to do is to show our vision of how the Vitality Sensor can be used for a new and unique experience and we recognize we haven’t done that yet. We’ve talked about the concept. We’ve shown some people video. So our focus is to bring to life how you could utilize the Vitality Sensor and our goal is to do that sometime around E3.

Nintendo late last year implemented a brand new way to game by introducing the Super Guide in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This device basically steps in to show a gamer in trouble how to successfully advance. Fils-Aime thinks this technology will help bridge the gap between casual and core gamer in future titles.

Because it provides a safe way for a consumer to try a new genre, a new game… it will continue be an offering. It may not be in every game but it will certainly be in key games, key genres where we are trying to move this massive 27 million person install base to try something we think is important for them to try.

Lastly, after the announcement that Netflix will offer their Instant Streaming service on Wii later this year, rumors circulated that the Netflix service would be coming to DS as well.

We’ve already shown an ability to transmit content from the Wiii to your DS. We do it with Wii No Ma service [in Japan]. We can transfer game demos from the Wii to the DS too, so the technology is absolutely possible.

Despite the technology available, Fils-Aime admits that no solid talks have been made between the two companies. It’s great to hear a bit from the head honcho of Nintendo’s American division speak honestly about the upcoming new developments planned for both Wii and DS consoles. It seems E3 this year will likely please both the casual and the core.

Kotaku

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Namco’s Garters and Ghouls has been available on the iPhone for a while now, but today they’re pushing an update to allow for a new control scheme. The existing control scheme is rather simple – players use both thumbs to control ‘virtual analog sticks,’ one moving their player and the other controlling their weapon. But now, players using an iPhone 3GS can use the digital compass that is part of the phone’s inbuilt GPS as an additional means of control. The player’s rotation controls a radar view alerting them of nearby powerups. It sounds fascinating, a level of immersion somewhere between the motion control of Wii and a true augmented reality experience. Those who already own the game can get the update for free, otherwise it’ll run you a cool $5 in the app store.

Garters and Ghouls, iTunes Store link

3 December 2009

FIRST GAME TO USE THE iPHONE 3GS DIGITAL COMPASS ON APPLE’S APP STORE TODAY

Update for Namco’s first adventure game for the iPhone and iPod touch integrates 3GS hardware feature into Garters and Ghouls’ gameplay

London, UK – 3 December 2009 – Namco Networks, the world-class video game publisher known for best-selling franchises like PAC-MAN™, Ace Combat™ and Brain Exercise™ with Dr. Kawashima, today made Garters & Ghouls the first game to utilise the digital compass on the iPhone 3GS with the launch of its Version 1.1 update.

The game, with is also compatible with other iPhone and iPod touch models, takes place in 19th century Washington D.C. where the player takes control of Marie Dupois, a young debutante brought back to life. Her mission is to destroy the forces of evil haunting the American capital by using the resources of a millennium old secret society.

The player is thrust into 25 action-packed levels in an Adventure Mode featuring hundreds of monsters, numerous weapons and character upgrades. The Survival Mode allows for infinite replayability by randomly generating levels during each new game.

The special new feature for iPhone 3GS players uses the hardware’s GPS digital compass to help locate rare power ups. By physically turning and moving with the handset whilst playing the game, the digital compass acts as a radar to help find super weapons and special powers, that would otherwise be extremely difficult to find. This feature is built into the game available for download from today from Apple’s App Store, and players who already own the game can download the update direct to their handset free of charge.

As well as this brand new feature, Garters & Ghouls fully harnesses the hardware potential offered by the iPhone and iPod touch: it is possible to customise the soundtrack and play any title from the device’s library, as well as send high scores and share them with the Facebook community.

“Garters & Ghouls will undoubtedly be the first of many games that tap into this particular feature,” said Jonathan Kromrey, General Manager, Apple Games at Namco Networks. “It’s fantastic yet logical step for mobile gaming to begin blurring the boundaries of where a game world ends and the real world begins.”

Discover the official website: www.gartersandghouls.com

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In late 2006, Nintendo debuted the Wii, introducing the novelty of motion control into the homes of millions of game players around the world. In early 2010, a little over three years later, we will see the debut of Sony’s motion controller, followed by Microsoft’s Project Natal at a distant date yet to be announced. Now, its fairly obvious these efforts to incorporate motion control are in light of the Wii Remote’s success. But do they rob Nintendo of a key selling point? When asked, Miyamoto told UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine:

“Well, I should say that it could be taken as a compliment if others are following suit, by saying Nintendo was right in choosing a certain direction. But if you ask me if that is going to be good for the entire business, I really don’t know. If everyone else is going to do exactly the same thing, unfortunately in this entertainment business that means less uniqueness, and uniqueness is what Nintendo has tried to realize. We don’t look to the future in one direction only. When you say that one element of our uniqueness might have been lost, you don’t really have to be concerned about that, because Nintendo always tries to find something new. I hope you are looking forward to our challenge to discover this new uniqueness!”

In other words, as always, Nintendo is generally unconcerned with clones, because they’re always striving for innovation anyway. Which is great news for Nintendo fans! Its that same ambitious drive that brought us Mario and motion control, Donkey Kong and the DS. I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next.

ONM
via GoNintendo

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How did I miss that Resident Evil 5 has new upcoming DLC? I guess in the sea of news items I read every day, that one slipped past my radar. No time like the present!

As previously revealed, the content package, entitled Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, features support for Playstation 3′s motion control and a flashback sequence entitled Lost In Nightmares (pictured above). It will also have new take on Mercenaries Mode called “The Mercenaries Reunion” which allows users to play as 8 new, previously unplayable characters. Also included are new costumes and an unspecified additional chapter.

The content will be available on a single disc with the full game version of RE5 plus DLC, or as downloadable items for PS3 or XBOX 360. No word on pricing for the West, yet, but so far the Japanese prices look pretty cheap.

One last interesting thing of note: the release date is listed as February 18. And as mentioned, the package will offer support for PS3′s motion control system to be released Spring 2010. Are they merely anticipating, or can we expect a release around that date? Only time, or another media leak, will tell.

AndriaSang
via Joystiq

Update: Capcom has officially announced the RE5 disc DLC content as Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. While previously it was unknown if XBOX 360 users would have a chance to own a disc version of the game, (as PS3 users can also buy the Blu-ray version instead of downloading) it has been added that the XBOX 360 can purchase a DVD, which contains a “token for downloading”. The release date for the discs have also been updated to March 9, 2010, almost a full month after the date previously leaked. The content can be purchased in packs at earlier dates, with the Lost In Nightmares episode and the first costume pack available 2/17 on XBOX 360 and 2/18 on PS3. Expect the second chapter (currently untitled) and costume pack 2 to hit 3/3 on XBOX 360 and 3/4 on PS3.

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