News/December 2002 Updated: 12/28/2002 Squaresoft recently announced in the Japanese magazine "Dorimaga" that gameplay elements in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for GBA would also be used in Final Fantasy XII for PlayStation 2. Square refused to comment on official information regarding this revelation, though they encouraged gamers to play both games in order to get the "full story". Does this mean FF XII could possibly be ported to GameCube? Would Nintendo ever allow a GBA-PS2 connection? Or has there been some sort of mistranslation or miscommunication? More on the situation as it develops. The CEO of 3D0, Trip Hawkins, has announced that he will provide $10 million in financial support to the games company. 3D0 is attempting to get back on track with revenue growth and creditors for 2003. In return, Hawkins will have use for four years of two million shares of 3D0 company stock. Updated: 12/27/2002 A hidden webpage on Nintendo.com revealed that a Digimon game is in the works by Bandai for GameCube. In other Nintendo.com weirdness, Nintendo has changed their game page for Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes saying it will be released in the U.S. sometime in March of 2003. Yuji Naka, president of Sonic Team, was recently quoted saying that a new Sonic the Hedgehog game will be revealed at E3 2003. According to sources, the game will NOT be another "Sonic Adventure" sequel. This information was revealed in the Japanese magazine, "Dorimaga". Updated: 12/26/2002 Sources within Ubi Soft are now saying that the company will officially announce in the near future that "Tom Clancy's Spinter Cell" will be announced for GameCube and PS2, supposedly for a March 2003 release in Europe. A U.S. release has yet to be revealed. The PS2 and Gamecube versions will apparently also contain new levels and weapons not yet available on the Xbox. Xbox-owners will have to download the new content via Xbox Live instead. Updated: 12/24/2002 Nintendo Power subscribers will be getting a very special bonus this year, a CD containing the Super Smash Bros. Melee Live Orchestra! The Orchestra was held in Japan a while back and various Super Smash Bros. Melee tunes were played. It's times like this I wish I was still subscribed to them. The new issue of Famitsu is now reporting to Japanese release dates for certain GameCube games. Star Fox Armada, Mario Kart GC, Pikmin 2, and Animal Crossing 2 are all scheduled for an uncertain 2003 release. However, Giftpia(an RPG) is scheduled for an April 2003 release, whereas the eagerly anticipated F-Zero GC is set for a May 2003 release. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles has been moved up to May 2003, and Wario World has been delayed until sometime during the Summer of 2003. And finally, 1080: Avalanche has been pushed back until Winter of 2003. Updated: 12/23/2002 According to Intensity-Magazine, Nintendo will announce some sort of technological breakthrough at January's Consumer Electronics Show. CES takes place January 9-10, 2003 in Japan. Maybe this is Nintendo's "megaton". More on the situation as it develops. According to an article in the L.A. Times, Midway Games MAY be up for sale to another corporation. The American game publisher which started in the arcade business and gradually moved into console market featured lackluster sales in 2002. Midway has made no official announcements regarding an acquisition or merger, but the article points to inside sources who say a sale is imminent. It should be noted that both Electronic Arts and Activision, America's two largest publishers, have both gone on the record saying they have no interest in buying Midway. Could this be Nintendo's "megaton"? More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 12/20/2002 XenGamers.com is now reporting that Nintendo has confirmed plans to unveil a PLAYABLE version of F-Zero GC. Supposedly, Nintendo and Sega are preparing a two-player demo at the upcoming World Hobby Fair in Japan. XenGamers also said that Nintendo will hold a series of time-attack challenges. The newest issue of Famitsu reports new information regarding Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. As originally suspected, the game will indeed be a live-action RPG(like Zelda where the fighting is not turn-based, but must actually fight enemies). Also like in Zelda, when you come near an enemy, you will choose whether to fight or not with an "Action" button. More on the game as the details for it are released. Playonline.com revealed today the official logo for Squaresoft's upcoming "Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles" game. You can see it, here. It is already known than Skies of Arcadia Legend for GameCube will contain more plot details, improved character graphics, improved battle engine and new characters. Overworks has updated its official site with new details on the game. One of the new features revealed today is the "wanted battle" system. There are places around the world where you can enter into challenges with other unique characters. Also, the three main characters in the game are Vyse, Aika, and Fina. But you also are able to play with other characters in your party. In the Dreamcast version, there were 22 crew members, but the GameCube version has at least 28. More on the game as the details for it are released. Capcom of Japan confirmed today that they have no plans of merging with other game developers, officially denying the rumors of them being bought out by Nintendo Co., Ltd. CBS reported on its Web site earlier this week that Nintendo, the world's second-biggest video-game maker, may buy Osaka-based Capcom, which forecast a loss in the year ending March 31. Chief Financial Officer of Capcom of Japan, Heiji Oshima, said "Those reports are totally groundless." and "We have no immediate plans to merge or tie up with other game makers." Cash-rich game companies such as Nintendo and Microsoft Corp. may take over smaller unprofitable game developers, analysts originally said. Now that this rumor is out of the way, look for new details on this site for the ACTUAL "megaton announcement" to be made later this month. Updated: 12/19/2002 The National Institute on Media and the Family has given the video game industry an "F" grade, partly due to the abundance of violent games. The video game trade association is calling the report "illogical and grotesquely unfair". The report singled out several games, mainly "GTA: Vice City". Republican Betty McCollum(D-Minn.), said such games "are creating a culture of virtual victimizers." Senator Joseph Lieberman(D-Conn.) said he thinks it might be time for a new round of congressional hearings. More on the situation as it develops. NBC Nightly News did a segment on "The Top 10 Games To Keep Away From Your Children" tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. I watched the so called "segment", and it only lasted like 5 minutes. Really the only game they talked about was "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" for PS2. Every once in a while, Nintendo likes to release a "Did You Know" report regarding new achievements they've made. So how is Nintendo doing in the holiday season? You can see the list in it's entirety, here. The New TNN will be presenting The Video Game Awards sometime in the 4th quarter of next year. It will be a two-hour ceremony and will feature categories such as Best Soundtrack, Hottest Graphics, Best Kick Ass Weapon, and of course Game of the Year. More on the ceremony as the details for it are released. Asia Pulse revealed today that game console producers in Taiwan may be taking half of the world's OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer) orders next year. An OEM is a producer that provides a product to its customers, who proceed to modify or bundle it before distributing it to their customers. According to the story, Taiwan is producing consoles fast with a very high production value. More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 12/18/2002 CBS has published the text version of their 60 Minutes special, "Sex, Lies and Video Games". The show will air at 8:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 PM Central. You can read the text version of the segment, here. Bloomberg announced today that Legend of Zelda: Kaze no Takuto has sold more than 407,702 copies in just THREE days! Also, the GameCube's hardware sales have surpassed the one million mark, coming to a total of 1,052,300 sold(Zelda by itself caused more than 67,500 GameCubes to sell). WAY TO GO NINTENDO! Black Label Games has launched the official site for Enclave. Apparently, the Gamecube version will have many changes from the Xbox version, including giving you the option of a dark or light campaign. To check out the official site, click here. Updated: 12/17/2002 Nintendo announced today their plans for the V-Jump Festival in Japan, where many expect Nintendo's "megaton announcement" to take place. Nintendo will aparently be showing video footage of Legend of Zelda: Kaze no Takuto, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past(GBA), Nintendo Puzzle Collection(GBA), and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. The destival will take place this coming weekend in Japan and is open to the public. Warthog PLC announced today that they have acquired Zed Two Ltd. The buyout was approximately £1.5 million in Warthog shares. The acquisition will last until March 31, 2004. Zed Two is currently working on the straetgy game, "Pillage". Nintendo of America confirmed today that they will INDEED be offering the same pre-order offer for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in the U.S. as they did in Japan. Starting February 16, gamers who pre-order LOZ: The Wind Waker will receive a limited-edition playable disk featuring The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Master Quest. PRE-ORDER NOW! I KNOW I WILL! Updated: 12/16/2002 Tomorrow night, Dateline NBC will air a hidden-camera investigation of retailers who sell Mature-rated games to minors. It will air at 10:00 PM Eastern Time. According to analysts, Nintendo of Japan is expected to make a major announcement Tuesday(tomorrow). Officials at both Nintendo and Capcom declined comment. There have been rumors floating around that Nintendo could be in talks with Capcom about the purchase of the famous developer. This information seems to confirm these beliefs and suggest that the buy-out announcement could be sooner than we all thought. Many sites rumored this announcement would come tomorrow and it seems like these rumors are coming true. More on the situation as it develops. Cube Nation is now reporting that according to a "reputable source", Nintendo's "megaton announcement" will be the following. First of all, Nintendo will not be buying Capcom and/or Sega, but will instead be announcing 3-5 new games from Capcom(in addition to the previously announced 5). Secondly, they will announce a new Pokemon game, which is set for a March 2003 release, and its "revolutionary concept" will supposedly boost the sales of the GameCube to "astronomical levels". Finally, Nintendo will announce "GBA's future", which is speculated to be the previous rumored GBA 2 rumor. More on the situation as it develops. Multiple sources are reporting that Shigeru Miyamoto has commented to a Japanese magazine that the networking aspect of AC2 is in development. What this means is that Shiggy's recently confirmed 'Animal Crossing 2' could have online capabilities. More on the game as the details are released. THQ announced today that they have changed the name of Summoner 2 to "Summoner: A Goddess Reborn". The game is set for an early 2003 release. WIRED Magazine announces today this year's nominees for its fourth annual WIRED Rave Awards, celebrating innovation and the individuals transforming commerce and culture. These emerging voices in thirteen categories, including game design. The nominess in the Game Designer category are Shun Arai for Jet Set Radio Future, Toshihiro Nagoshi for Super Monkey Ball, Leslie Benzies for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Shigeru Miyamoto for Super Mario Sunshine, and Will Wright for The Sims Online. Shares of Nintendo fell sharply today due to investor concern about a weak holiday season. They dropped 7.2 percent(850 yen) to 10,920. Updated: 12/14/2002 Cube-Europe.com is now reporting that an anonymous source is reporting that Capcom will indeed be bought out by Nintendo and become a first-party developer. One the other hand, Sega will instead MERGE with Nintendo, rather than be bought out. Apparently, Nintendo has stepped up security because of this leak of information and there will be no more information released until the supposed "official announcement" is made this coming Tuesday. Shigeru Miyamoto recent complained that there aren't enough teams to develop Nintendo's franchises. This statement points to the fact that there could be some major buyouts in the near future. More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 12/13/2002 IGNCube revealed today that THQ has officially announced that Red Faction II will INDEED be coming to GameCube sometime in Spring 2003. The game distinguishes itself from the competition partly by way of it's "Geo Mod" technology, which allows the player to destroy parts of the scenery. Of course, the technological side of the game will be much improved on Nintendo's powerful system. There is a rumor that is beginning to fly around the Net that a new Konami game will be announced next week scheduled for a 2003 release(obviously). The game rumored to be in the works is a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, possibly for GameCube. Xbox and PS2 aleady have the newly released MGS2: Substance, and since GameCube has yet to receive a game based on Konami's most popular franchise, this could possibly be a GameCube-exclusive game if the rumor turns out the be true. For the first time in six years, console gaming will return to CES (Consumer Electronics Show). In one of the conferences, The Gaming Supersession, heads from BAM!, Sega and Microsoft will be there. Not only that, but journalist Steven Kent will be there. More information on the show as the details are released. Bloomberg announced today that NEC Corp. is in talks with Nintendo Co., Ltd. to develop a chip for the GameCube SUCCESSOR to rival Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 2 in 2005. Spokesmen for both companies are denying the talks, but NEC executives who declined to be identified stated that engineers at NEC Electronics Corp. and Nintendo are discussing the possibility of co-developing the new processor. More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 12/12/2002 IGNCube revealed today the OFFICIAL boxart for Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In this reporter's opinion, it's kind of bland. It reminds me of the boxart for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can see the boxart, here. A few months ago, it was rumored that Nintendo would buy out Sega. Then, it was rumored then Nintendo might buy out Capcom. Now, it is being rumored once more(from a very reliable source) that Nintendo could possibly be buying out Sega and Capcom BOTH! Both companies have good relations with the GameCube and GameBoy Advance. Capcom recently announced 5 GC-exclusive games, but then again, Sega recently cancelled their Sega Sports line-up for GC. Some sites are reporting the official announcement from nintendo as early as next Monday or Tuesday, other sites are saying just before Christmas. Earlier in the year, a rumor broke out that Microsoft was looking to buy out Capcom and/or Sega, but nothing happened. It should be noted that this new rumor sprang from SPonG.com, the same site who was the FIRST to break out the rumor of the Rareware buyout. You can read the article for yourself, here. Could THIS be Nintendo's heavily rumored "megaton announcement"? More on the situation as it develops. Ubi Soft Entertainment announced today that two Hollywood actors will offer vioceovers for certain characters in the upcoming game, 'Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc'. Apparently, John Leguizamo will be playing the voice-over for Globox, a kind of goofball character. Also, Billy West will be playing the voice-over for Murfy, a tough "fly guy". Rayman 3 is currently set for a March 2003 release. In a recent interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in Sabra Magazine, Shiggy confirmed the development of Animal Crossing 2. Apparently, Nintendo is hard at work to release the game in Japan by late 2003. It is currently unknown if the game will come Stateside, though it is quite likely. The Video Software Dealers Association has announced the VidTrac results for video game rentals for the week ending December 8, 2002. Metroid Prime for GameCube barely made the Top 10 list, coming in at No.10. All other games on the Top 10 list were PS2 games. Of course, video game rentals are hardly ever reliable for information on the popularity of a game. Updated: 12/11/2002 A new video game convention was announced today: the Ultimate Gamers Expo. Started by Wayne Pepper and Joe Hubbard, UGE is basically exactly like E3 except that the public will be allowed in for a mere $20 fee(excluding airfare, lodging, etc.) UGE is set to take place August 15-17, supposedly at the LA Convention Center where E3 takes place every year. It is currently unknown what companies will be attending UGE, but it is expected that more than 100,000 developers will have boothes set up. More on the convention as the information is released. Updated: 12/10/2002 The newest issue of the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu came out today, along with the scores for the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: 10/10/10/10 - a perfect score! Only 3 other games have ever received a 40/40 in Famitsu, which are Vagrant Story(PSX), Soul Calibur(DC), and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time(N64). This just goes to show that the controversy over the graphics and gameplay of LOZ:TWW wasn't just hype after all! It was revealed today by PlantGameCube.com that Animal Crossing contains to hidden much-beloved NES games: Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda. Nintendo of America has yet to release the in-game codes to unlock the games, and it is currently unknown when they will announce it. Just remember that you can download these games to your GBA for on thr go gaming. Codemasters.com is now offering a series of career guides for those who wish to get into the video game industry. The career guides offer background, education and skills needed to get a job in the gaming industry. The guides are mainly aimed at those who wish to become graphic artists, programmers, or quality assurance technicians. The guides can be located here. Capcom USA announced today that the US version of the exclusive Resident Evil 4 has been delayed until 2004, rather than late 2003 as previously believed. Because Capcom will be releasing 4 other games this coming year, RE4's absence will most likely not be that big of a deal. Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in the newest edition of the Japanese weekly version of Playboy that Pikmin 2 and Mario 128 are INDEED in the works. Shiggy commented that Super Mario Sunshine was a deluxe version of Super Mario 64 and that it was not new and different enough the sell the number of consoles Nintendo originally expected. More on the games as the information for them is released. Updated: 12/9/2002 Mitsubishi Materials announced today that Nintendo will be using it's 2.4GHz ceramic wireless antenna in a chip in it's WaveBird wireless controller for the GameCube. This is a bit of a surprise, as the current WaveBirds use 900MHz technology, similar to the technology used in analog cordless phones. The 2.4GHZ technology could be used to extend range as well as battery life. However, it's possible that 2.4GHz frequencies could interfere with many popular computer peripherals around the home, such as Bluetooth and WiFi networks, or 2.4GHz digital portable phones. More on the situation as it develops. With the release of the upcoming Zelda games for GameCube and Gameboy Advance coming out this month, Shigeru Miyamoto recently made statement concerning the games. According to Shiggy, The Wind Waker takes place approximately 100 years after Ocarina of Time. Obviously, the role of Link is not played by the same Link from OoT, but rather the video game series is a continuing fight of Link and Ganon, whom represent good and evil. The game has three distinct structures to it's story, which each offer a slightly new appeal. Much of the focus is on the wind; something Shigeru Miyamoto has wanted to do before but hardware restrictions didn't make plausible. Miyamoto explained that gamers who play The Wind Waker for the first time can beat it in about 40 hours, meaning experts can do it in about 10 hours. Shiggy also mentioned that the Ocarina of Time/Ura Zelda pre-order bonus disc doesn't offer much of a different experience than that of the original Ocarina Of Time. Interestingly, in the interview, Shigeru didn't deny NOR confirm the unconfirmed news about the pre-order deal coming to the U.S. and Europe. Updated: 12/6/2002 It is now being rumored that Square-Enix is looking to develop more RPGs to consoles. Apparently, "Parasite Eve: Rebirth", an Action/RPG. It will apparently be a new episode in the series and will feature an innovative combat system, digitalized voices, and an astounding technical realization. Square-Enix has yet to confirm the game's development, but information suggests it could be released in Japan by the end of 2003, and in the U.S. sometime in early 2004. Last week, the GameCube sold practically as much as PS2 in the weekly sales in Japan, and the GBA sales sky-rocketed. This week, the GameCube market share increased to 13.80%, while PS2 increased to 26.09%. The craptacular Xbox increased 1.23%. On the Top 10 list of best selling software, Mario Party 4 came in at No.7, while Resident Evil 0 came in at No.8. Capcom has just announced the Japanese release of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis: January 23. The price for the titles is about 4800 yen, close to $40 USD. However, it was previously stated that RE2 and 3 would be $20 in the U.S. It should also be mentioned that the Japanese release is set after the U.S. release. This would mean either the U.S. release would be delayed, OR, the GameCube ports would be released in the U.S. before Japan. This is not typical of the series, BUT, it has happened before. More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 12/5/2002 ZENtertainment is now reporting that a sequel to the Super Mario Bros. film is in the works. Apparently, the movie would be a live-action/CGI like the previous movie and also that it would follow the storyline of the games more. They are also reporting that Marilyn Manson could be in the film, possibly as a Koopa cousin or a Koopa kid. Nintendo is now offering a one-week discount coupon to help lower costs this holiday season. One coupon will save you $25 on a GameCube system, while another coupon will save you $5 per title up to a $25 maximum. However, there is a limited selection of games that you can use to get your discount(Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 0, Super Mario Sunshine, and several others. You can see the entire list here). Also, this is not an instant discount, but more of a mail-in rebate program. The rebate can only be redeemed for purchases made between the 8th and 14th of December. You will need to visit Nintendo's coupon site and download the PDF coupon form, and be careful to follow the directions EXACTLY as listed on the form, or your rebate could be denied. Updated: 12/4/2002 An inside source within Nintendo has revealed that the pre-order promotion for Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker will begin February 16. Not only that, but like in Japan, the pre-order promotion will include the bonus disc containing Ocarina of Time and Ura Zelda. Also, the game trailers on the disc will have to be changed obviously. In a related story, EBGames.com is no accepting pre-order for LOZ:TWW and is giving out the bonus disc with it. On a side note, EBGames.com is referring to Ura Zelda as "Ocarina of Time: Master Quest". Could this be the U.S. name for Ura Zelda??? Nintendo of America announced earlier today that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker will be pushed back to March 24, 2003. NOA has yet to announce WHY the game was pushed back a month, but it most likely has to do with production costs, etc. Updated: 12/3/2002 Lionhead Studios announced today Black & White: Next Generation for Nintendo GameCube. Like the PC version released a few years ago, B&W is a real-tiem strategy game, often referred to as a "god game". Also, Electronic Arts will apparently be publishing the game. The game is currently set for an unknown 2003 release. Sega, Inc. announced today that they have signed a middleware agreement with two fo the top console manufacturers, Sony and Nintendo. Game developers now have access to Sega.com's expertise, technologies, and services that will allow them to set up network gaming environments for gameplay on PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo GameCube. Sega.com helps developers successfully take their games online across multiple platforms with SEGA Network Application Package (SNAP), a suite of technologies and services designed to provide a multi-platform, end-to-end, network multiplay solution. Sega did this because new studies are now saying that more than 114 million gamers will be playing online games in less than 4 years. Updated: 12/2/2002 Irish police are investigating the theft of around €1,000,000 worth of games and accessories. The criminals made off with the goods after breaking into a factory unit in an industrial estate in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow, Ireland. Authorities say the haul included Nintendo GameCube consoles, Playstation 2 consoles, and new games including James Bond 007 Nightfire, Lord of the Rings, Medal Of Honor: Frontline and Fifa 2003. Nintendo of Europe has updated their website with the English title for the next Zelda game: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Please note that it is possible that this title could change for the U.S. The Wind Waker is set for a Spring 2003 release in both the U.S. and Europe. The Wind Waker will also be able to link-up to the GBA's port of the Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.