Xbox was the first out of the online network gate with Xbox Live in 2002. Sony got into the swing of things four years later with PSN (though the paid subscription arm of their service, PSN Plus, just launched in 2010). At long last, Nintendo has decided to step up to the plate with the “Nintendo Network.”

Nintendo has been halfheartedly offering multiplayer capabilities for Wii and DS (and now 3DS) for a while now via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, but most of the features that fans of Xbox Live and PSN know and love have been left by the wayside. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in a quarterly financial briefing on Friday said that he’s aware that WFC has always been “focused upon specific functionalities and concepts” instead of offering the wide range of features that online gamers want, such as player accounts/profiles, multiple players on a single device, and achievements.

Nintendo’s efforts here seem largely tied to the launch of the new Wii U console, though Wii and 3DS users will also be able to take advantage of its services. Iwata says that his company intends to use Nintento Network tie together its disparate online offerings into a single, unified service, including downloadable games and DLC, gamer competitions, and of course multiplayer gaming. He made this jab at the glut of DLC plaguing the industry these days:

Nintendo, as a software maker, does not plan to deploy businesses where our consumers cannot know in advance which item will appear as the result of their payment and they have to repeat the payments and, before they know it, they end up spending a huge amount of money in order to obtain the items they originally wanted to purchase.

His comments aren’t unwelcome. Having to download additional content in order to finish a game or play it the way you want to play it rates on the annoyance scale right up there with the Red Ring of Death.

But is anybody else struck by the hypocrisy in what he’s saying here? Replace the word “software” from his statement with “hardware,” and you get an exact description of how Nintendo handled its last few console launches. Most early Wii owners “originally wanted to purchase” a motion controlling console that offered precise motion tracking, but we didn’t get that until the add-on “Wii Motion Plus” controllers came along a few years later, requiring an additional purchase. Most 3DS buyers wanted to buy a handheld device that offered all of the controls we needed right there in the device, but less than a year after its launch, the “Extended Slide Pad” was released to add the second thumbstick that Nintendo suddenly realized should have been there all along.

Iwata didn’t provide a launch date for the Nintento Network, but it’s safe to assume it will launch alongside the Wii U as one of its key selling points.

Because I love you, dear reader. That’s why I scoured through all of the Black Friday ads to compile this list of the best deals for scoring quality gaming hardware at deep discounts. ‘Cause if you’re going out on Thanksgiving night to wait in line in the cold, darn it you should know if it’s worth it!

Smart buyers are also advised to remember that Amazon is offering round-the-clock deals on video games (as well as all sorts of other products), but they have no pre-published list.

$100 Kinect Bundle

Toys ‘R Us, Walmart
If your must-have Christmas gift is Microsoft’s Kinect sensor, you won’t find a better deal than this $100 bundle, which includes the sensor, a disc copy of Kinect Adventures, and download vouchers for both Fruit Ninja Kinect and Gunstringer. That’s the hardware plus three games for considerably less than the sensor alone usually costs ($150). If you’re only going to Best Buy and don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Walmart or Toys ‘R’ Us too, you can get just a Kinect sensor there for $100. But when you can get that plus three games, isn’t it worth the extra trip?

$200 160GB PlayStation 3 Bundle

Best Buy, GameStop, Radio Shack, Sears, Target, Walmart
The good news is that if you’re in the market for a great PS3 deal, you won’t have any trouble finding one — it’s the exact same bundle and price you’ll find at all of the retailers listed above. And every one offers the same bundle of the system, a DualShock 3 controller, and both LittleBigPlanet 2 and Ratchet & Clank 4.

$140 4GB Xbox 360

Target
You won’t find a better price on a basic Xbox 360 console anywhere this year than Target’s bargain basement price of $140. Of course, for that price, you’re not getting any extras; it’s just the console and one controller. (GameStop has the exact same deal, but Target’s beats it by $10.) If you want a basic Kinect starter kit, you can get a 4GB console, Kinect, and Kinect Adventures for $200 from Walmart. If Kinect isn’t your thing but you’re interested in multiplayer gaming, try Walmart‘s other $200 bundle that includes Gears of War 3, a 3-month Xbox Live Gold membership, and a $50 Walmart gift card.

$100 Wii

Walmart, Sam’s Club
Only at Walmart (and its wholesale big brother) can you get this limited edition blue Wii console for just $100. It comes with the console, one Wii Remote, and one Nunchuck controller. No games are included, but at that price, you should be able to afford a game or two to go with it.

$180 Nintendo 3DS Bundle

Best Buy, Target
Options are very limited for buyers looking to score a discounted 3DS this Black Friday. This $180 bundle is pretty much the only deal in town. Target offers it with a bundled copy of Super Mario 3D Land, while Best Buy is giving you your choice of Mario or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

[Image credit.]

The 3-minute animation that opens The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has leaked, and you can watch the whole thing right here. It’s a beautiful, watercolor-on-parchment style animation, though the English translation of this Japanese version is typically broken — and kinda cute.

Skyward Sword drops on November 20th in America for Nintendo Wii, while Europeans get it on the 18th. The story, a prequel to Ocarina of Time, finds Link a native of the floating islands of Skyloft, where he grew up with childhood friend Zelda (who’s not a princess this time out). One day young Link discovers the Skyward Sword, which takes him to a second land beneath Skyloft that’s ruled by the Demon Lord Ghirahim. Using the sword, Link travels back and forth between the two lands, to solve the mystery of why the two worlds were separated. Per usual, Zelda will also disappear, forcing Link to have to find and save her.

You know, again. For something like the 15th time, in fact.

Expect a significantly more refined Wii Remote control scheme than what was used in Twilight Princess.

Now that Nintendo has announced its intentions to jump the generational gap with the forthcoming Wii U, chatter around the industry inevitably must turn to its two chief rivals, and when they might answer Nintendo’s challenge with brand new hardware of their own.

Five years is generally considered the standard life cycle for a video game console. Nintendo’s Wii turns 5 this November, and its successor has already been announced for launch sometime next year. But what of Microsoft and Sony?

The Xbox 360 is the oldest of the bunch, coming up on its 6th birthday this holiday season, while the PlayStation 3 (like the Wii) will turn 5 around the same time. This means that when Nintendo’s Wii launches, it’s very likely that the Xbox 360 will be nearly 7 years old.

The Xbox 360 S

Microsoft certainly gained a tremendous amount of momentum by coming out of the gate with the Xbox 360 a full year before its rivals. Nintendo had the “new, wow!” factor on its side with the Wii’s motion controls, so being a year late didn’t hurt them. But Sony has continually felt like it’s playing catch up with the Xbox during this generation. (They were the last console to add Netflix, for example, and only created their own top-tier online service, PlayStation Plus, after witnessing Microsoft’s staggering success with Xbox Live.)

Microsoft has made nearly an annual tradition out of overhauling the Xbox’s “dashboard” user interface (with yet another on its way), while Sony still uses the same setup that they’ve had since the PS3 launched. Xbox has also done a solid job of consistently adding new features to their Xbox Live service, such as Netflix, ESPN, Last.fm, and they were the first console to integrate Facebook and Twitter. And they’re still adding new stuff all the time; at E3, they just announced plans to integrate live TV into Xbox Live’s many media offerings. Sony is doing better about adding new features, and is making a very strong case for 3D gaming of late, but still has a ways to go to catch up with Microsoft.

Microsoft and Sony have both refreshed their legacy hardware by upgrading their current hardware. The Xbox 360 S and PS3 Slim consoles trimmed down the machines’ casings while refining their innards — without really changing anything about the core experience — and lowering the price tags. And both companies have manufactured and marketed motion controllers with Kinect and Move, respectively. They represent two drastically different approaches to motion control, but both were birthed in response to Nintendo’s incredible success with the Wii.

The PS3 Slim

So what happens now? Does the next-generation console race begin again, thanks to Nintendo’s announcement of the Wii U? Will Microsoft and Sony jump on the bandwagon and trot out their next big home consoles?

One recent report suggested that Microsoft is eying 2015 as a target launch window for its next major console release, though this report seemed to be comprised mostly of speculation. Yet it seems probable, does it not, that Microsoft is in no hurry. Thanks to Kinect and its constantly-improving slate of features, MS believes the Xbox 360 still has plenty of life left in it. And most gamers agree that graphically speaking, Xbox 360 games still look great. But how long will it be before its processing power simply can’t keep up with the times? The “you are the controller” functionality of Kinect is getting such a huge focus from MS nowadays that that technology will undoubtedly be a core part of the next Xbox, whenever that comes. So hey, “2015″ is as good a guess as any.

Sony chief Jack Tretton says that the PlayStation 3 is “just hitting its stride,” and I think he’s right. Despite the PlayStation Network debacle, it finally feels like the PS3 is reaching its full potential. Tretton also says that he doesn’t expect there to be a PlayStation 4 “for quite some time.” So I’d say we’re probably 4 to 5 years off, at least, for the next PlayStation as well.

Tretton makes a particularly shrewd observation in that same interview, when he notes that the horsepower capabilities of Nintendo’s new console were used as Sony’s benchmark back in 2006, when the PlayStation 3 was released. He posits that the Wii U is Nintendo finally arriving to the party, not jumping ahead to the next step. Tretton suggests that Sony (and by proxy, Microsoft), has nothing to prove against Nintendo (except, you know, the Wii’s staggering sales numbers).

So what do you think the future holds? Is Nintendo playing catch up, or will it set a new benchmark for Sony and Microsoft to meet? My gut says that Nintendo is scrambling now that the Wii’s last-gen hardware is finally cracking at the seams. But the Wii also taught us that no one should ever underestimate Nintendo.

E3 isn’t even halfway over yet, but many are saying that Nintendo has already stolen the show with the announcement of its next home console, dubbed “Wii U.” (I wouldn’t have thought it possible for Nintendo to come up with an even worse name than “Wii.”) Yes, it’s a successor to the Wii, using the same basic aesthetic and overall thematic elements, so Miis aren’t going away anytime soon. And yes, it incorporates motion control.

But the big innovation is the controller: a large device with a built-in 6-inch touchscreen right in the center. Here’s our exhaustive report, including Wii U’s graphics capabilities and how that new controller will change pretty much everything about how you game.

Nintendo’s press events always get lots of buzz, but for the life of me, I don’t know why people enjoy them so much. They’re dull, tedious affairs, where even the people on stage who speak English as their native language do so in a slow, monotone way (Reggie, I’m lookin’ at you). It’s speech after speech after speech, most of them along the lines of “we are so awesome, and here’s why,” all of them boring, with a few interesting game videos sprinkled in here and there. Maybe it’s a cultural difference between America and Japan, but Nintendo’s press events put me to sleep every time. My kindergarten graduation held more excitement.

There, my rant for this year’s E3. Now let’s look at the Wii U.

I remember when the Wii was first introduced, Nintendo explained that the inspiration for the Wii Remote came from the stylus used with the DS, and trying to translate that functionality to the television. By the same token, I believe that the inspiration for the Wii U controller came from the DS’ lower screen — the touchscreen that can do everything from provide a second view of the action to add new and different kinds of control over what’s happening in the game.

And there can be no doubt that Apple has had a humongous impact on the game industry. Both Sony, with its new PS Vita, and now Nintendo, with its Wii U, are incorporating iPhone/iPad-like functionality into their devices. Of course, many hardcore gamers will just be happy that Nintendo is finally embracing HD gaming. Let’s take a look at all the specs of the Wii U:

The controller — which was the focus of Nintendo’s coverage at its debut; the home station console wasn’t even mentioned — is 1.8″ tall x 6.8″ wide x 10.5″ long. It features a 6.2″ touchscreen, with a 16:9 ratio. The buttons are pretty much the same ones from both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck, except with 2 analog circle pads instead of one. Under the hood, there’s a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer, rumble, a front-facing camera, microphone, stereo speakers, sensor strip (for motion control), and a stylus. The Wii U will also support up to four Wii Remote controllers, connected at the same time as the Wii U controller. All other Wii controllers are supported as well, such as the Balance Board.

As for the console itself, which looks like a rounded-off Wii, it supports all the way up to full 1080p resolution (finally!), and even uses an HDMI cable, though you could also use S-video or composite cords. Saved games will be handled very much like the Wii, with internal flash memory and expansion options via SD card. Interestingly, Wii U’s specs also mention support for an optional “external USB hard disk drive.” Games will come as a higher-density version of the CDs that the Wii uses, though it’s backwards compatible with Wii CDs and games, too. The console has four USB 2.0 slots, and runs on an IBM Power-based multi-core microprocessor.

At the E3 event, Iwata-san stressed that the controller, despite appearances, will not work as a solo handheld gaming device. You can continue playing your game on the controller even after the TV has been turned off or switched to something else, but all game data comes wirelessly from the console.

In addition to games, there will be video chat capability built in (a la Apple’s FaceTime), and the stylus will (among other things) let you draw on the touchscreen (sorry uDraw Tablet — sucks to be you). You’ll also be able to surf the Net, using the touchscreen to control what you surf on your TV.

The 1080p resolution support means that Nintendo can finally get back into the hardcore games business. Developers no longer have to create separate, lower-res versions of triple-A titles. (Be gone, minigames!) At least from a graphics perspective, anyway. The touchscreen controller will no doubt have a major impact on how Wii U’s games are played.

While we know Wii U will support both one Wii U controller and up to 4 Wii Remotes at one time, it’s not entirely clear how a more traditional multiplayer or co-op will work with the Wii U controller. Can one Wii U support more than one touchscreen controller at a time? How would that work, and what would it look like?

As for games, it’s still very early in the console’s development — it’s not scheduled for release until sometime next year –the following Wii U titles have been announced:

• Aliens: Colonial Marines
• an Assassin’s Creed game (possibly an entirely new entry custom-made for Wii U)
• Batman: Arkham City
• Darksiders II
• Dirt
• FIFA Soccer 2012
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• LEGO City Stories
• Madden NFL 2012
• Metro: Last Light
• a Need for Speed game
• Ninja Gaiden III: Mirror’s Edge
• a Pikmin game
• a Raving Rabbids game
• Super Smash Brothers Wii U
• a Tekken game
• a The Sims game
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online

At E3, Nintendo is running a number of tech demos that show off what the Wii U can do, any of which could become games. The demos include “New Super Mario Bros. Mii” (a Mario title that allows your Mii to play alongside Mario & Luigi), “Chase Mii,” and a Zelda demo.

Enjoy the screens below for some looks at more Nintendo games that are on the way for both Wii and 3DS.

E3 is just two weeks away! Can you believe it?

What delicious (and what vaporware) delights will E3 2011 bring to gamers? What surprises do Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have in store for their pre-E3 media extravaganzas? What games will walk away from the week with the heaviest buzz? It’s impossible to predict what secrets all the major companies have up their sleeves, but here’s n early look at what we have to look forward to.

Microsoft

Spike is broadcasting the big Xbox event live (and commercial free!) on Monday, June 6th, at 9:30 AM Pacific. It’s expected to last 90 minutes. “Xbox 360: The Future Revealed” is the title of their event, which is a bold claim for a company that’s not expected to reveal any new gaming hardware. If you don’t get Spike, you can also watch it online at GameTrailers.com. Xbox Live will even have it available to stream in HD sometime after the event is held.

According to Microsoft, their event will give special emphasis to Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, and a Halo announcement of some kind seems like a sure bet. Microsoft also claims that they’re going to “reveal the latest in innovation for Kinect,” which probably means a round of new game titles — which should be more impressive than last year’s, since developers have had more time to work with the hardware. Plus, there’s likely to be some firmware updates to Kinect in the works, so maybe we’ll learn about new capabilities the device will have in the near future.

As for what else they’ll have for gamers… who knows? Microsoft loves to surprise people, so anything could happen.

Nintendo

Gamers can watch live streaming video of Nintendo’s media briefing at e3.nintendo.com, on Tuesday, June 7th at 9:00 AM Pacific. Nintendo is keeping its secrets close, but we know they’re unveiling their next-generation console at E3, so expect this to be the focus of their event. It’s even going to be playable after the event, on the show floor. No games have been announced for the new console, so some biggies — including titles that can match current-gen software on the 360 and PS3 — will go a long way towards winning back the hearts of hardcore gamers. And there will no doubt be lots of new 3DS games to show off.

Speculation is all over the map on what the new console will involve, but the most prevalent rumors refer to a wild new controller that includes a large touchscreen, motion control, and lots of other bells and whistles. Plus, it’s E3 and it’s Nintendo, so expect to hear something about Zelda. And it’ll probably be another case of postponing a game to make it a console release title — just like what happened with the last Zelda launching with the Wii.

Sony

Oh, Sony, Sony, Sony… Sure, you have your new NGP portable device to tout, but how will you ever be able to get the focus off of the PR disaster that was the PSN implosion? Some big game announcements would certainly help, and there are probably some nice ones in the cooker for NGP. But we already know quite a bit about most of the PS3′s forthcoming triple-A titles, such as Uncharted 3 and Resistance 3. So it’s going to take a lot to knock our socks off.

Sony‘s media briefing is scheduled for Monday the 6th at 5:00 PM Pacific. No plans have been announced yet for live broadcasting of the event.

Games, Games, Games

So what are the big titles of E3 2011? It’s a safe bet that Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will be big news all over the map, probably showcased at both the Sony and Xbox press events. There are an endless number of big titles in the works that will be competing for headlines at E3. These include Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, BioShock Infinite, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, Dead Island, Duke Nukem Forever, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Mass Effect 3, Prey 2, Prototype 2, Rage, Resident Evil: Raccoon City, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the Tomb Raider reboot, among countless others.

One thing’s for sure: it’s gonna be a good E3.

The long-rumored successor to the Wii is real, and it’s going to be unveiled at E3 in June. Compiling data from various reports, it sounds as though Nintendo is going well beyond a “Wii HD,” instead trying to revolutionize the industry once again with something unprecedented.

Dubbed “Project Café” by Nintendo, the new console’s existence and planned debut were first reported by Game Informer, citing numerous anonymous inside sources. Corroborating reports stated that Nintendo’s next-gen system will offer HD graphics thanks to system specs on par with the current-gen Xbox 360 (some reports suggest it’s more powerful than both the 360 and the PS3), and a new controller that could be the “next big thing” beyond the Wiimote.

The controller is said to include a 6″ touchscreen, enabling it to work as a tablet of sorts, as well as opening the door to cutting edge new control schemes. An “iPad with buttons,” if you will. Some insiders suggest that the screen will be HD, while others say it will be standard-def.

The controller also includes left and right-side buttons, a standard d-pad, two triggers, and other inputs that have yet to be revealed. The technology behind the Wii’s sensor bar — that little black bar that sits atop your TV, allowing the Wiimote to sense your movements — is being integrated into the controller this time, which means that motion controls will once again be included, but they’ll be more advanced this time. Perhaps strangest of all, the tablet/controller will also have a front-facing camera. (Anybody care to venture a guess on how that might be utilized in-game?)

Nintendo is said to be trying to correct its biggest mistake with the Wii — lack of strong third-party developer support — by having already filled in all of the major developers about Café. Back when the Wii released, Nintendo focused almost entirely on its own game development, leaving third-party developers out in the cold. Five years later, Nintendo is paying the price for this oversight with a console that’s become stagnant and… well, wholly uninteresting. When was the last time a new Wii title was able to generate the same level of excitement among gamers as, say, the latest Call of Duty, Halo, or Assassin’s Creed? It sounds like Nintendo is finally ready to embrace the hardcore gamer again — while not altogether abandoning casual players.

On top of all this, a French gaming site called 01net — which correctly predicted the specs of PlayStation’s next-generation peripheral — says that Café has one other major aspect that no one has yet guessed or revealed. This last ace up the N’s sleeve reportedly has developers all tingly with excitement. “Nintendo’s plans sound unreal,” says one source, who mentioned that “publishers are already planning launch titles and it’s all very exciting.”

What could this last surprise be? Could that controller touchscreen be 3D, using the same technology behind the 3DS? Will the front-facing camera somehow interface with the HD game on your TV in ways never attempted before? Will the controller itself also function as a detachable, handheld gaming device? Or is Nintendo preparing to unleash a completely new technology on the gaming world, just as it was the first to implement motion-sensing controls?

And what about those hardware specs? Even if Café is more powerful than the 360 and PS3, Nintendo could quickly find itself in last place again when it comes to horsepower, when Microsoft and Sony release their next-gen consoles. (Industry rumors suggest that Microsoft has quietly been working on the third-generation Xbox for a while now, though Sony’s in no hurry to pump out the PS4.)

In the meantime, the price of the Wii is expected to drop down to $150 as soon as mid-May, while possibly even being packaged with a copy of the bestselling Mario Kart Wii. This would be an attempt to squeeze the last bits of life out of the Wii before Café is unveiled. Moreover, Café is expected to include backwards compatibility with all Wii games.

Café is expected to be in stores for Christmas 2012, but we should get a look at it much sooner. E3 kicks off in early June, and Nintendo will hold its annual “media briefing” early that same week, where Café will most likely be shown off for the first time.

I feel funny calling this a game review, because a game this is not. But it does run on a standard Wii game console.

uDraw Studio, the software that comes packaged with THQ’s uDraw Game Tablet, is essentially an artist’s studio and palette, providing all of the tools needed to create your masterpiece. So is it possible to create something that could actually be called art? With a lot of patience and practice, yeah, I think so.

The uDraw tablet itself might seem at first pass to be a glorified steering wheel that you pop your Wii remote down into and then shake around to manipulate various games. It’s true that some of the games made for uDraw require you to shake or rock the tablet back and forth. But what sets the device apart is the stylus connected through the back and the drawing surface on the front. This is where uDraw shows what it can do.

I have to give THQ props for seriously thinking this thing through. Every aspect of the design shows that a lot of care went into designing the device. There’s an indentation on the back where the stylus is easily stored, or you can place it tip-down in the “inkwell” on the front of the device, for easy access during gaming. The pen tip of the stylus retracts slightly when you use it, and there are also two buttons on the side of the stylus that allow various interactions. Probably the most startling of these is that you can draw in mid-air with the stylus by just pressing down one of the side buttons. No contact with the surface of the tablet is necessary — but it’s recommended, as I found it considerably easier to manipulate that way. Since it’s just a peripheral for the Wii remote, it requires no batteries of its own.

Unlike other digital surfaces, the shape and size of the landscape are set 1:1 to what’s on the screen, so there’s no picking up the stylus to reposition your hand on a different part of the tablet. The tablet and the screen stay fixed to one another no matter what you do. This can take some serious getting used to, although I imagine it allows for greater precision among the true artistes.

The palette is a powerful tool, giving you a wide array of brush styles, colors, stamps, shapes, and post effects to apply to your work. The software tries to make it simple to select your options such as opacity, size, and so forth. But there’s still a learning curve involved, because it tries to offer a full suite of artistic tools while keeping them as simple to use as possible. (The software may be rated E for Everyone, but my 3-year-old got frustrated after 15 minutes and gave up.) I have a feeling it may end up being a case of “not enough” for those who really want to make some fine digital artwork, yet at the same time being “too much” for those who just want to have a little fun doodling.

Some nice features include the ability to pan and zoom on your canvas, up to 400% of normal size, and a “replay” feature that will show you a time-lapse video of your work in-progress, stroke by stroke. This is probably my favorite feature, because it’s just a kick to watch yourself work, and you can adjust the speed of the playback between 1x and 8x normal. You can also save and export your work thanks to your Wii’s optional SD card. Files are saved either in PNG or JPG format, for higher resolution versus lower, respectively.

“Environments” give your canvas a place to live in a static, virtual world space, but this is purely an aesthetic feature, serving no discernible purpose within the game. The software comes with lots of blank canvas types for you to draw to your heart’s content, or you can choose to play in the built-in coloring book. This should prove fun for younger Wii players, but it still requires you to have an intimate working knowledge of the palette.

My main issue with the tablet was an inability to make the tip of the stylus go where I wanted it to go. Whether this was a design flaw in the device or some deficiency of my own, I can’t say. I’m experienced at sketching though, and have never had so much trouble getting smooth curves or lines to turn out right. More than once I kept wishing I could just ditch the stylus and use my finger, the way I can on my trusty iPad.

One other aspect of the drawing process that real artists may frown on: a “painting time” bar goes from empty to full with every stroke you make on your artwork — and there’s a limit on how many strokes you can make. The in-game tutorial claims that the stroke counter will fill up after roughly 35 minutes of drawing time. And I guess if you’re not done with your work by then, you’re just screwed, all that time down the drain. I must assume this was done for the purpose of memory usage in the game, but it still sucks.

Overall, I give the uDraw Game Tablet a solid 3 stars. I commend THQ for trying something new and different — and I’d love to get my hands on some of the other games for the Tablet to see how they fare — but the hardware has a few unfortunate flaws. Still, for a fun diversion, it’s perfect for the Wii’s “casual gamer” audience.

So there’s a press release making the rounds today about how Microsoft’s new Xbox motion controller Kinect has sold one million units in its first 10 days. This is big news for Xbox because Microsoft has made big noise about wanting to sell 5 million Kinect units by the end of this year, and they claim that these initial numbers put them on track for that.

But I can’t help wondering how this news stacks up to Kinect’s motion-controlling competition. First-week ticket sales mean everything at the box office, so why not apply that same prognostication factor to gaming? One million units in ten days is a great pull quote, but did Kinect manage to do better in its first week than Nintendo or PlayStation? And more importantly, what does this mean for Kinect’s future?

If you do the math, and in terms of “first week sales,” Microsoft‘s numbers equate to approximately 700,000 units in its first week. My research shows that in the U.S., Sony sold approximately 60,000 Move units (defined as an Eye Camera and one Move controller) in their hardware’s first week. As for the Wii console, when it first launched back in 2006, Nintendo claimed that it sold 800,000 units in the first eight days — which equates to approximately 525,000 in the first week.

Now it’s important to remember the importance of supply-and-demand when it comes to early sales. Sony and Microsoft both offered ample supply in their first week of sales, but Nintendo’s numbers were hampered by the fact that they had a nation-wide shortage of initial hardware units available. Early adopters had to work hard to even find a Wii console in those first months, when retailers sporadically received scant shipments which would usually sell out within minutes. So Nintendo could have sold more — a lot more — Wiis if they had had more units available at launch.

But here’s how first-week sales in the U.S. break down, in approximate numbers:

Nintendo Wii: 525,000
PlayStation Move: 60,000
Xbox Kinect: 700,000

The clear winner is Kinect, and it points to a strong future for the peripheral. But this doesn’t necessarily mean Kinect will outsell Wii in the long run, as that’s a very lofty goal; Wii has got a gigantic 4-year head start, and has demonstrated incredible staying power, with over 36 million units sold in the U.S. and some 76+ million sold worldwide.

Follow @FGgamer on Twitter for the latest gaming news.

Anytime a game is ported from PC to console or vice versa, it’s always an exercise in showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of each platform. This week’s release of The Sims 3 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii — the first ever Sims game to receive a full-fledged port from PC to all three consoles — is no exception. (A Nintendo DS version is also being released, but it’s practically a different game altogether.) Maxis and EA Games have long tried to bring its juggernaut franchise to consoles, but always wound up altering the gameplay to suit what they perceived as console players’ need for focused tasks. These past console entries have lacked the “sandbox” quality of the PC versions, never allowing console players to truly revel in doing whatever they wanted.

The Sims 3 for consoles aims to be the the first entry to change that. While the developers have added a “karma” system to this port, which contains various goals and objectives, the console Sims 3 still retains that “sandbox” quality, letting you micromanage and toy with your Sims for hours on end, to your heart’s content. Early reviews for the game are favorable, enjoying the ability to use the god-like qualities of the PC game on one’s favorite console, and even appreciating the new karma system and the inventive ways it lets you mess with your sims — for better and worse. There appear to be some lag issues with load times and movement between screens, but any effect this will have an effect on sales seems minimal. The numerous expansion packs that PC players enjoy are missing in the console version, but it’s not hard to imagine some forthcoming DLC that contains the same content.

Have console players’ dreams finally come true? Is one of the bestselling PC games of all time at last fully playable via Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo? Let us know what you think if you get to play the game for yourself!

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What happens when you combine a video game controller with LEGO? A holy blessed geekgasm, that’s what.

LEGO has teamed up with Nintendo to offer a new Wiimote that hardcore gamers are going to go bonkers over. Oh, and kids will dig it, too. It’s the “LEGO Play and Build Remote for Nintendo Wii,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a Wiimote with LEGO studs and cylinders built in, so you can accessorize it all you want with LEGO bricks and other elements.

It comes with 31 bricks, but you can add your own, too. It’s not a Motion Plus remote, but it’s compatible with the add-on doohickey that will make it a Motion Plus remote. It comes with the remote, wrist strap, two battery covers, the aforementioned LEGO pieces, and a LEGO tile separator (a nifty device that helps you take your LEGO bricks apart, which you can usually only find in LEGO Stores).

It sells for $39.99. Toys R Us has the LEGO Wiimote available to pre-order now, and expects to ship by the end of this week.

The more I see of Epic Mickey, the more excited I become. And I’m not a big Mickey Mouse fan. The game just looks like an amazingly polished experience. Is this the game that finally justifies the Wii to non-Nintendo fanboys? We’ll find out November 30th.

In the meantime, here’s a brand new trailer that shows off some of the story, and how it’s incorporated into the gameplay.

Check out this awesome new trailer for Epic Mickey, which has just been given an official release date: November 30th. This is one game I can’t wait to get my hands on (even though my feelings toward the Wii have cooled). Looks like the perfect kids game that adults will love, too.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?  The genius behind these characters that have firmly embedded themselves in the hearts of countless gamers is Shigeru Miyamoto.  This video game designer is also the brains behind creations such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, and F-Zero.

Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985, two years after Mario Bros. was first introduced. The game forever endeared the likes of Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Bowser to all of us. Many a parent in the 80s and 90s probably wanted to tear their hair out because of the game! It became so popular that it held the title of best-selling video game of all time for more than 20 years. It was only till Wii Sports hit the shelves in 2009 that Super Mario Bros. was ousted from that spot.

This month, Nintendo is pulling out all the stops. Japanese fans will have the chance to win all sorts of merchandise – playing cards, tote bags, and t-shirts. There’s also a Super Mario Collection available, which can be played on the Wii. In the UK, fans can grab a copy of MCV UK trade magazine, which is dedicated to Mario’s anniversary. If you can’t get enough of Super Mario Bros., check out 25 fun facts gathered by The Guardian. Also, here’s a neat little video of some UK celebrities, sharing their own Super Mario Bros. encounters.

Why don’t you share your own Super Mario Bros. moments?

Photo credit: clevercupcakes

Xena’s Chakram WiiMote
You throw it, it beheads a neighbor, and it comes back – having used its Wii core to analyze the physics behind the chakram weapon and explain for once and for all how Xena got it to do the things it did. (Taking out of the equation any not-so-special effects.) Hey, there’s a Link crossbow game, so why not?

Wolverine’s Adamantium WiiMote
-SNIKT- -SNIKT- Now that’s the sound I want to hear when I power up my Wii. Sure, it may look as though he’s flipping someone a cybernetic bird, but imagine the possibilities for play with a pair of Wolverine WiiClaws. I, for one, would rather use the same arm motion for disemboweling baddies than smacking tennis balls at glorified Lego men. The only problem I foresee is the game’s “cool down” stage, which invites you to sit down on an official Wii mossy log accessory with a bottle of beer, looking like you might just howl at the moon for dramatic effect. (A problem in that, horror of horrors, I don’t actually like beer. So you can have mine.)

The Macgyver WiiMulti-tool
Nevermind that famous paperclip, I want to see a Macgyver multi-tool for Wii! Thinking of what he could do with a WiiMote strapped to a bomb is almost too much to bear. I suspect this WiiMote would blow all other WiiMotes out of the water when it comes to Wii bowling. Of course, no pun intended.

What WiiMotes would you like to see? Do you plan to purchase the Doctor Who sonic screwdriver? Do you already own such novelty WiiMotes as the lightsaber?

Another day, another Wii peripheral. But this family-friendly add-on doesn’t come from Nintendo, it’s from game developer THQ. (Which is interesting in and of itself, since THQ is best known for hardcore titles like UFC, Red Faction, and DarkSiders. But I digress.)

The uDraw GameTablet is quite simply, a tablet for drawing on your screen. Pop your entire Wii Remote into the tablet’s side slot, and you’re off. A corded stylus allows you to work your artistic magic with proprietary uDraw games from THQ like uDraw Studio, Dood’s Big Adventure, and Pictionary (with more on the way).

S0 just how well can you draw on this thing? The video after the jump will show you.

Artist David Kassan — best known for his finger paintings done on the iPad — puts the uDraw GameTablet through its paces in this time lapsed video.

The tablet, which comes bundled with uDraw Studio, arrives in stores on November 21st, and is set to retail for $70. Additional games will run about $30 a piece.

With Robin’s recent posts about TRON action figures, though, my curiosity has reached its peak. I am getting my hands on a copy of the movie and I will watch it as soon as I do. That being said, another reason I found myself drawn to TRON is the fact that I stumbled onto some hot looking TRON-themed peripherals.

Performance Design Products has announced a series of TRON-themed controllers for the Wii, the PS3, and the Xbox 360. They were actually shown off at the E3 conference this year by Disney.

This one’s obviously for the PS3.

And this is for the 360.

This is the bad-a*# looking controller for the Wii.

It may not match my not-so-pristine white Wii but I am sure I will play better if I had this controller.

For someone who hasn’t seen TRON, I have to say that I find these accessories quite attractive. They should be out in the fall, for $50 each. Rumor has it that the supply of the controllers might be limited, so if you really want to get your hands on one, make sure that you keep track of the release dates when they are finalized.

I must say, contrary to an old post about the Wii Fit in FG before, I personally find  the Wii Fit a fun (and geeky) way to exercise!

Like most Wii Games, you start out by making your own Mii (if you don’t have one yet). And then you step on the Wii Balance Board for the Wii to be able to extract some personal data like your weight and BMI. If you are sensitive about your vital statistics, you can put a password on your Wii Fit account so that other people won’t be able to see your weight. It even has a pet stats for your pets! Unfortunately, you can only weigh your pets and your pets definitely can’t participate in the exercises and game, hehe.

After that you get to choose a training from four different categories: yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games.

The aerobics and balance games are very fun and you can choose from a variety of games like Hula Hoop, Rhythm Boxing, Stepping, Running, Soccer Heading, Ski Jumping, Skate Boarding and Snow Boarding.

Here’s a less embarrassing video of my fiance playing the Soccer game.

I would have preferred posting the extremely hilarious video of him playing Air Humping Super Hula Hoop but I don’t want to scare people away, hehe.

The yoga and strength training exercises were just too boring to do though but it had potential, if you had the time and discipline to make your own work out regimen.

After each activity or exercise, the Wii Fit will give you a score of how much calories you burned. The numbers are probably not accurate, but it is a nice basis on how much effort you’re actually putting in for exercise.

However, if you are serious work out fanatic, don’t expect too much from the Wii Fit. Nothing beats a regular work out at the gym. But I personally think that it’s a great way to keep your blood circulating and your heart pumping after spending a day in front of your TV or computer playing video games.

[ Images and video by GeekGirlManila ]

(Video is mildly NSFW)

I’m not sure when I first discovered it, but someone introduced me to Zero Punctuation and I’ve been following it ever since. Every Wednesday, Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw posts up a new animated short reviewing a video game. These fall under the “NSFW” category most of the time, but it’s the way Yahtzee picks apart these games that makes it so enjoyable.

First, there’s the accent and speed of the clips. He’s from Australia, but his accent isn’t very heavy so it’s still pretty understandable all the way through. Then he speeds up his voice when recording – hence the name Zero Punctuation – which gives the video a sense of urgency. Ultimately though, Yahtzee touches on the main problems with games in general, and really gets to the source of the matter. He doesn’t just play these games for 5 minutes and write a review, he plays them for hours – sometimes until he beats them – and then passes judgement.

Take the review above for example, for Batman: Arkham Asylum (mildly NSFW). He says very clearly that he loves the game, but he’s not just going to kiss butt like everyone else. Instead, he takes the things that he takes issues with, and makes fun of them. But it’s all done very constructively in a manner that not only makes you laugh, but also is done to make games better as a whole.

See, Yahtzee is a game developer himself, and he just wants to play good video games. By pointing out the good ones and slamming the bad ones, he’s working towards making a better gaming industry for all of us. Plus he does it with colorful cartoon characters and wit. Fact is, this is one site I visit every Wednesday, and every time I do, I never leave disappointed. Give it a shot.

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is a lot like that hot chick you knew in high school. She had an amazing body, was super hot, and knew how to make boys like her. Then she got old, had a few kids, maybe tried to get some plastic surgery but that didn’t work out. Now it’s 10 years later and she’s got more chins than Chris Farley and a voice that sounds like she’s smoked 4 packs of Marlboro reds for the past decade. There’s just not a lot left there to love.

But if you look back and remember what made that girl hot to begin with, then maybe you’ve got something there. Ultimately, that was always the problem with Sonic. After Sonic 3, they tried to go 3-D like every other character out there, but it just didn’t work. Then they tried upping the speed and that just made the game unplayable. In fact, Sega has tried almost everything with this character, to the point that I had given up. They just needed to get back to what made the game fun to begin with. It was a simple side scroller, nothing more. Bring that back and we’ll have some fun.

Turns out, they have. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been announced, and it takes Sonic back to the old school days of the Sega Genesis, right where he needs to be. From the site:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, the first Sonic game developed exclusively for download, brings back the adventure that Sonic fans have been waiting 16 years for.  It will offer the classic Sonic moves that fans love including Spin Dash and Rolling Attack and will also feature Homing Attack, all in beautiful CG rendered environments. Packed with special stages, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I will take players through a variety of different Zones, inspired by the Genesis-era style. Longtime fans will not be disappointed as they face some intense boss battles against everyone’s favorite villain – the always devious and evil – Dr.Eggman.

By targeting the download market, Sega is making sure that they don’t invest in a physical product, just in case this Sega goes the way of the others. As of right now, it’s coming out for the Playstation 3, Wii and XBox 360, but they’re strongly hinting that it will be on other download sites as well. It doesn’t take a genius to guess that the next platform is the iPhone/iPad, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

The game will come out this summer, and we’ll keep you in the loop when we find out more info.

My wife and I are pretty avid video game fans. We own every Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft console produced in the past 20 years, with a few handhelds and a Genesis in there for good measure. Up until recently though, we didn’t own a PS3, and there was a pretty big reason for that.

The first reason was the price. I wasn’t down with paying half a grand for a console, no matter how awesome or cutting edge the technology was. I resisted purchasing almost out of principle, because it just wasn’t worth the extra cash. The second reason was the games. I love platformers, and the Ratchet & Clank series seemed like a pretty cool group of games for the PS3 – but not enough to justify the price tag. There really wasn’t any other PS3 game that made me really want the system. Little Big Planet was close, and I considered Batman: Arkham Asylum for the Joker download, but there was still nothing that made me pull the trigger. Besides, I could get almost any PS3 game for my 360, so why spend the money? When the price dropped to $299 though, I was all over it. I was just about to pull the trigger when I received a PS3 Slim as a gift, as well as a copy of Little Big Planet and Ratchet and Clank. Times were good.

So after the Blu-Ray haze had worn off and the games were played, I put the PS3 controller down for a little bit to focus on some family stuff. This weekend I decided to treat myself to a game, but now I had a choice: PS3 or XBox 360?

I was looking at 2 games: MLB2K10 (pictured) and MLB10 The Show. I had played demos of both in the store, and MLB2K10 was looking like the stronger game. As I stood there, holding a PS3 and 360 version of the game in each hand, my wife said to me, “Well, if the PS3 has the better graphics, go with the PS3 version.” So I did.

I get home and I’m playing the game. Almost instantly I’m having controller issues, where the PS3 isn’t responding to my frantic button jabs. Then the cursor starts freaking out when I’m trying to place a pitch, then I have problems stealing second. 30 minutes later I’m cursing my decision. Four hours later I give it another shot, and I find that everything is working great and now it’s all good. No problems at all, like it never happened. So what was it? Hell if I know.

This experience shook my faith in the console. I’ve got an old NES that fires up every time I need it, and never complains. Although I understand that newer consoles are substantially more complex that the NES, that doesn’t mean that they should suffer from problems. Consoles should be reliable electronics, not requiring random updates and constant syncing. That goes for my 360 too, because even though it’s working fine now, I have had two units red ring out on me.

So now, when I go to the store and try to decide what to buy, I think my decision may be a bit easier. If it’s exclusive, I’ll go with that console. Otherwise, I’m getting it for the 360.

At the Game Developer’s Conference today, Sony held a press conference where the name of its long-discussed motion controlling wand device was unveiled: PlayStation Move. The device has some obvious similarities to the Wii Remote, but it takes the same basic technology to sophisticated new heights, thanks to the PS3′s tremendous horsepower.

The PSMove is made up of three integral devices: the PlayStation Eye camera, which has been around for a while now, and is used by the Move to track positioning; the primary PSMove controller, a wireless device that looks like a more ergonomic, black Wiimote with a color-changing ball on the end; and the PSMove sub-controller, a secondary controller that’s essentially a wireless nunchuck.

Sony’s pulling out all the stops in promoting the new controller, hyping it like a full-out console launch. At least twenty games are planned for release this year that are made specifically to support the Move, and other popular titles like the PS3 juggernaut LittleBigPlanet will also be made compatible with the PSMove.

The PlayStation Move’s specs and design are powerful and appealing, but fundamentally, it’s the same basic idea as the Wii — two controllers, one in each hand, swung around in conjunction with button and trigger mashing. For Nintendo’s part, the Wii continues to sell well among casual gamers, but the hardcore set has largely grown bored with its low-res graphics and gimmick-filled library of titles (can you say “mini-games”?). Microsoft’s Project Natal, by contrast, represents something altogether more intuitive and potentially paradigm-shifting, dropping all handheld devices and transforming your entire body into the controller.

One thing the PlayStation Move has going for it is that when Sony releases the Move this fall, it’s planning a sub-$100 price point for a package that will include the PS Eye, both Move controllers, and a TBA game. That’s a sweet little pricetag in the midst of this dreadful recession.

Still, will the PlayStation Move turn out to be anything more than Wii: the Next Generation? I have my doubts.

Once you’ve decided on the tree itself, you’ll need to work out what to hang off it.

Yes, you could stay fairly traditional and use baubles and candies, but how about decorating the tree with miniature replicas of your favourite games console?

Bear Duck Designs has five different console ornaments to choose from: Nintendo Wii, PS3, PS3 Slim, Xbox 360 Arcade and Xbox 360 Elite.

Choose a selection or pledge allegiance to just one, it’s up to you.

$30 each, the ornaments come in a metal box for protection the rest of the year.

Product page

“Created for entertainment purposes. It is made to dance and entertain people at conventions and parties.”

It’s a radially symmetrical four-legged robot that’s operated from two modified Wii Nunchucks. It has taken two years of “hobby” time to get to this point and probably cost around $1,000 in parts/replacements.

It’s made from some custom-cut steel plate, copper, aluminum tubing, brass, a 7.4V 1100mAh lithium-polymer battery, a pair of XBee radio modules for communication (has a range of around 20 feet), Pololu micro SSC board and eight HX12K servos.

Check out the video below or Drew’s Flickr photo set.

I’d kind of hoped that the robot had some of its own sensors on board so that it would avoid objects, but to be honest the level of control Drew has over it makes up for that. Next project perhaps?

Drew’s Robots (via)

Anyhow, the ubiquitous white Wii now has a black brother. For the longest time, the clean sparkling white of the Wii was synonymous to group fun. Its sales have reached unprecedented heights as well. Why has Nintendo decided to suddenly change gears?

If sales figures are to be believed, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 are fast catching up on the Wii. While many fanboys have been predicting this for the longest time (indeed, the PS3 has been called a turtle by a lot of people), Nintendo is not about to take things sitting down. Hence, they have come up with a darker – and hopefully more attractive – version of the Wii console.

For now, only the Japanese market will be able to purchase the black Wii. It is due to be released on the 1st of August. The price tag? They say it’s going to be 250,000 yen or $258. Naturally, the console will not be the sole item in the package. It will come with a black Wii-mote, a black Nunchuk, and a black classic controller pro. A bundled version will also be released, with the game Monster Hunter Tri by Capcom. This bundle will go for $341.

Again, it might be for naught to get excited over this piece of news if you are not in Japan. Then again, that has never stopped us from getting what we wanted in the past, has it?