wii

At this very moment, I am looking at a paused Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess game while an Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are perched alongside the Wii collecting dust. Does that mean the 360 and Playstation 3 are inferior to the Wii or provide a less gratifying experience? No way. But what it does mean is that Sony and Microsoft underestimated Nintendo as well as the consumer base they try so hard to impress. The Wii's success may not have been a surprise to Nintendo fanboys out there, but it becomes more apparent that the Wii's success … Read more

A little while ago I wrote up Nintendo's "Everybody Votes" channel, a small Wii application that lets users pit themselves against the masses in a multiple-choice voting system. One of the things it did so brilliantly was let you see how your answers stacked up against others after the polls had closed. Along similar lines comes Tapatap, a new contest service that lets you go up against others in contests that use an "A-or-B"-style voting system.

Each contest has a theme, and the most popular ones are listed on the contests page. The site … Read more

At least 80 employees in Sony Computer Entertainment of America's Foster City, California PlayStation unit have been laid off, according to a report in the popular video game blog, Kotaku.

But Kotaku quoted SCEA spokesman Dave Karraker as saying, "In an effort to accurately align the company to meet the changing needs of our consumers and our industry, (SCEA) has found it necessary to...restructure the company as necessary to continue our standing as the market leader."

And in an email to CNET News.com, Karraker confirmed the report Wednesday morning.

Given Sony's troubles--the much-hyped PlayStation … Read more

Nintendo said Wednesday that its Wi-Fi Connection service--which allows Nintendo DS users to play wirelessly against each other--has surpassed 5 million users.

All told, the video game giant said, users have initiated more than 200 million sessions, playing games like Animal Crossing: Wild World, Mario Kart DS, Metroid Prime Hunters and others wirelessly.

And despite the attention paid to next-generation video game systems like the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, the DS is currently the best-selling system of all, having moved 470,000 units in April, according to NPD Group.

We managed to get a sneak peek at EA's upcoming Wii The Sims game, MySims. It's cute. It's really, really, really, really cute.

Unlike the make-a-Sim/live-your-life gameplay of The Sims or The Sims 2, the Wii's MySims focuses much more on helping out friends and building up a village. The result is a game that's part The Sims, part Animal Crossing, and part Lego Star Wars (without the blasters or lightsabers). You can build structures--starting with your own home but eventually others' homes, stores, and even dance clubs--out of basic blocks. Once you have … Read more

Sony said Wednesday that it is considering putting out a new version of its struggling PlayStation 3 game console in the United States with an 80GB hard drive. That's the storage capacity that will come on the South Korean version of the PS3.

To date, the PS3 has come with a 60GB hard drive. A 20GB version was discontinued in the United States but still sells in Japan.

According to the Associated Press, Sony Computer Entertainment representative Satoshi Fukuoka said that the company is thinking about adapting the storage capacities of the PS3 for different regions.

"Increasing capacity … Read more

Nintendo is giving fanboy filmmakers a chance to shine, with its Short Cuts Showcase contest. Grab a camcorder (or animation software) and produce a Nintendo-themed video, then submit it to the contest site by June 6. The three best videos will be screened at Rockefeller Center's film showcase, June 19-22. The creator of the top-rated video will receive $10,000 and a trip to New York City for the screening, a meeting Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Craig Haktoff, plus a Nintendo Wii, a DS Lite, and games for both systems. The second and third place winners will get a … Read more

You've got a Wii, and you like it. A lot. And you want to show your affection by giving it a new wardrobe.

First, you might want to consider getting out more. Second, you have a lot of options, ranging from various colors to a full chrome job. But if you want something that's practical and pretty, there's the "Wii Crystal Cooler" from ever-prolific Brando. Not only does this console stand give off a blue LED light show, but Techie Diva says it also cools the box with a high-velocity fan. And your beloved Wii … Read more

Just when we thought the Tamagotchi was on the way out--it's in its teens, after all--they pull it back in. It's kind of the Michael Corleone of Japan's kawaii culture. And what better way to infuse the aging 'Chi with new life than with the Wii? (We suspect a "Chiimote" can't be far off.)

Atari is bringing its Tamagotchi Party On game to the Wii this summer, according to GeekSugar, a move that threatens to expose an entirely new generation to the once-addictive digital icon. We're surprised that someone didn't throw in … Read more