AGI and Sega have a quirky little program coming out for the Nitnendo DS that will have gamers talking – literally.

Kokoro Scan is voice recognition software that is designed to gauge a person's mood. The program can tell if users are happy, sad, stressed and so on. It can even be used to scan the voices of others in the area.

The software comes with a few games, including Kokoro Age, which will have players trying to control their moods while talking. Mini-games are also included.

It doesn't sound like much right now, but if Kokoro Scan follows the typical Nintendo pattern, there will be much more there than meets the eye. Quirky + Nintendo tends to equal addictive!

Wii Sports anyone?

Nods to Kotaku

Related:
Nintendo DS Sings Opera In Japan
Warning For Nintendo DS Owners
Nintendogs Dalmatians Out This Summer
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: agi, kokoro, Nintendo, nintendo ds, wii sports

With Sony's slickness and Microsoft's early start, few expected Nintendo to actually come out on top in the next-gen battle, but once again, the Wii has taken on all comers. The DS, too, is leading in sales.

According to Game Daily, March was a very good month for the game maker. "Despite widespread shortages for both systems, more than half a million buyers snapped up the portable Nintendo DS, and Wii was once again the top-selling new home video game console... Wii remains the fastest-selling new console in more than a decade, based on NPD sell-through information over the first five months of availability. So far this year, Nintendo has sold more video game systems than all other manufacturers combined."

"The message delivered by both Wii and Nintendo DS is the same one," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president, Nintendo of America has been quoted as saying. "Innovation is compelling both current gamers and new gamers to experience a new way to play. Nintendo is bringing gaming back to the masses."

While shortages of the Wii will likely remain, production has increased.
Although it was the underdog, Nintendo is clearly proving different can be quite good.

Related:
Wii Workouts At YMCAs Coming For Kids
Wii Takes On All Comers
Video Predicts Wii Win In Next-Gen War
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: ds, Nintendo, nintendo ds, nintendo wii, Wii, wii production

To celebrate the second birthday of the PlayStation Portable, Sony has announced a sizeable price cut for the handheld console.

The new sticker shouldn’t cause too much shock at a cool $169.99.

Sony’s Jack Tretton has been quoted as saying, “We have seen a steady rise in the number of teens adopting PSP as their primary handheld entertainment system, and we expect the new price to accelerate that trend.”

With the new pricing, it’s possible this will accelerate the trend, but it will be hard to beat the Ninteno DS, which remains the most popular of gaming machines.

However, with the recent firmware update that gives users an online ability for six months at T-Mobile hotspots and lots of new download possibilities, the PSP is looking more attractive, even if UMDs are questionable.

Still, appealing to the teen market is perhaps the best way to knock Nintendo out of its No. 1 perch. With tons of young kids in love with the DS, Sony could easily market its PSP as the “hipper” handheld and get some serious notice.

Related:
PSP Firmware Upgrade 3.30 Announced
PSP Hacks and Mods List
Sony Says PSP UMD Is Misunderstood
Nintendo Still King Of The Handhelds
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: handheld games, nintendo ds, ninteno, psp, psp lite, sony

Mum seems to be the word for Nintendo executives at this years GDC. Spong is reporting some of the company’s heavy hitters will be in attendance, but they won’t be talking much.

The reason for the silence is an upcoming stock deal that will have the Japanese government selling off much of its stock in the company that's responsible for the DS and the Wii. The government is expected to sell 1.987 million shares that will be priced soon. Indeed, it looks like Nintendo has made an offer on the stocks.

Information about upcoming games and developments that might be released at the conference could impact the pricing, so Spong says gamers can expect to hear very little out of Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Reggie Fils-Aime and Perrin Kaplin.

There’s no source listed by Spong, but the news site has been very reliable with information in the past. And, news on the Nintendo front has been very slow as of late, so this sounds more than plausible.

Related:
MySims Coming To Wii, DS
Wii Is Full Of Surprises
Wii Beating, Xbox 360, PS3 On Interest
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: gdc, Nintendo, nintendo ds, reggie fils-aime, shigeru miyamoto, Wii

Konami’s Lunar Knights is one fun little game of mystery, puzzles and adventure. Gamers take on the roles of two adventurers out to save their world from evil that’s closing in. Lucian and Aaron are guided by the sun and moon as they work out a way to save all that they know and love.

With 3D shooting stages, dynamic weather and all kinds of powers and weapons, Lunar Knights is a blast on the Nintendo DS. That blast can now be yours to have.

Thanks to Igniq’s relationship with The EPN, we have a brand new copy to give away to gamers in North America. The lucky winner will be drawn from those who can answer this question correctly:

Who is the father of The Sims?

Send your answer to: contest@igniq.com. Be sure to put “Lunar Knights Giveaway” in the subject line.

The winner will be announced on March 31. Good luck!

Remember, the contest's open only to those in North America. The ESRB rating on Lunar Knights is E, 10+. Special thanks to The EPN and Konami for the giveaway prize!

Related:
Nintendo DS Tops All Comers In Japanese Sales
Metal Gear Solid 4 for Tokyo Games Show
Mount Everest Climbers Pack Their DS
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: konami, lunar knights, Nintendo, nintendo ds

Nintendo fans looking for some more Sims action won’t have to wait too much longer to try their hands at MySims. Electronic Arts is in the process of developing the game for both the Wii and the Nintendo DS.

According to Digital Home Pipeline, the title will have gamers “creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes whether its pig-tails and baseball caps or dreadlocks and Mohawks.”

Players will moved into a disorganized town where they can redo everything to make it truly their own. Along the way, they’ll meet a host of characters, such as the Mayor, Rosalyn P. Marshall, and Buddy, a lazy hotel bellhop.

Sounds like this will be one fun entry in the Sims series.

Related:
The Sims 2 Breaks EA Sales Record
EA: Sims 2 For All
Sims’ Will Wright Honored For His Work
Find more...
Comments >>

Labels: electronic arts, mysims, Nintendo, nintendo ds, sims, Wii

The Wii has a lot to be proud of. It’s little. It’s spunky. It’s affordable. And, now, it’s the fastest-selling console on the market.

According to Absolute Gadget, the console boasted 435,503 units sold in the U.S. during the month of January alone. This, per the NPD Group, made the Wii’s sales 70 percent higher than any other new game system released during the last decade during its first full January.

This is a pretty amazing little tid bit considering the availability issues, but not entirely surprising overall considering the console’s playability and affordability.

As if the Wii’s success weren’t enough, the Nitnendo DS once again took on all comers to hold the title of being the best-selling portable device. It sold almost 240,000 units during January.

Nintendo sounds pretty proud: “The continuing success of Wii and DS demonstrates that the public has embraced Nintendo's philosophy of entertaining current gamers in new ways, and expanding gaming for the masses."

The success of both systems gives some serious credence to the idea that Nintendo founded its Wii on: Affordability + Fun = Success.

Related:
Nintendo Customer Service Gets Praise
Wii Is Full Of Surprises
Video Predicts Wii Win In Next-Gen War
Find more...

Comments >>

Labels: Nintendo, nintendo ds, videogames, Wii

The popularity of Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the UK market has once again been confirmed by the presales information coming out of online sites.

Last week, we reported the PS3 was the fast-selling presale on the British site, Play.com. Now, it seems the console’s the hot item to have on Amazon UK.

According to i4u.com, the PS3 is the leader in the video game top sales chart on the Amazon site. It’s followed by the Wii and the black Nintendo DS Lite.

The news must be music to the ears of Sony execs and might even provide a little room for gloating. If the launch figures hold true when the console arrives in Europe next month, the execs who said the delay would effect PS3 sales in Europe over the long haul will be proven correct.

Related:
PS3 Preorders Topping 360, Wii
PS3 European Failure Possible
PS3 European Launch Date Hit
Find more...

Comments >>

Labels: nintendo ds, play.com, PlayStation 3, ps3, sony, Wii