Wii Opera Browser (Beta), available Dec 22

Nintendo announced that on Dec 22, the Opera Web Browser (beta version) will be available for download for free from the Wii Shop channel. Once downloaded, it will activate the Internet channel and allow users to surf the web from the Wii.

The final version of the Opera browser will be available at the end of March 2007, and will be free for all Wii owners to download through the end of June 2007. After June, users who haven’t already downloaded the Opera browser can go to the Wii Shop Channel to download it for 500 Wii Points.

The beta version is a flash-enabled browser that will allow users to use the Wii-mote to click links for navigation. An on-screen keyboard will be provided to help users fetch web pages. Users will also be able to zoom-in/zoom-out of content.

Also today, the Forecast channel goes live delivering current and future weather information.

Wii Came, Wii Saw And Wii Conquered!

The Nintendo Wii hit the European streets on Friday December the 8th and sold out 50,000 units in 12 hours. But it kept going. In just two days, the console had sold out across Europe with a total figure of 325,000 units. According to a press release this has been the fastest selling home console in history. It seems the world has embraced the Wii with open arms. In North America and Japan, 3 weeks post launch a total of 1 million consoles have been sold. 600,000 units were sold out in 8 days after the North American launch. 400,000 units were sold out after the Japanese launch. So if you haven't already got one, what are you waiting for? Lets all Wii together.

Why not get an Xbox 360, seriously?

I have been to all the launch events; Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3. I’ve seen what each has offered from day 1. I even gave the Xbox 360 a year to see what Microsoft would come up with. So I waited and now I’ve decided.

When I first saw the Xbox 360 I was definitely wowed by the graphics but I had faith Sony would show something better after their demonstrations at E3. I was not even considering Nintendo until the Wii-mote was unveiled. Going to the Nintendo Wii event, I discovered how much fun the Wii was, the graphics were shitty but the remote won my heart. Sadly I walked into the Playstation 3 launch expecting something really great and walked out very bored and disappointed. All I saw was an Xbox 360 wrapped in black with a label saying Playstation 3. It was the same damn thing, nothing superior in graphics. I’m sorry fan boys, you love Sony, but the launch titles sucked and the graphics were just okay after seeing what the Xbox 360 had at launch. If Sony really wanted to wow people they would have tried just a little harder at making a game with graphics showing the true potential of the PS3, instead they coupled the same GUI found on the PSP and threw out crappy first titles with boring gameplay. I think Sony has forgotten that great graphics only take you so far, it’s the games that matter most. If it feels like shit playing it, why bother with graphics. Oh and since you can already get the third party games for the PS3 on the Xbox 360, why cough out your money for the PS3 if it looks the same anyway. For the Blu-ray player, enforcing the Blu-ray format? Seriously HD-DVD and Blu-ray look the exact same, it doesn’t even matter! I’ve tested them both.

As for the Nintendo Wii, it’s great! But the selection of choices on it are still limited and I would like to see what more innovative and original games Nintendo throws out in the next year. Wii Sports isn’t enough for me to buy the console yet.

Now we come back to the Xbox 360; 1 year out with a strong established online community. A lot of great titles, more specifically Gears of War and the upcoming Too Human and Halo 3 games. If anything it’s the continuous blockbuster games Microsoft is dishing out each year that have won me over to the Xbox 360. These games look fantastic in graphics, but tend to be even greater in gameplay. They are just so damn fun to play, and they are only on the Xbox 360! And they make great use of cinematic elements. Yes I’m sure Sony will throw out some cool looking games with decent gameplay later, but it’s too late. I want to play great games now; I don’t want to wait anymore. If you're tired of waiting, get an Xbox 360, I know I am.

Update:
Here is a performance comparison of the Xbox 360 vs. PS3 - guess which one is better (source: IGN)

Thanks Kevin.

50,000 Wiis sold in UK over 12 hours

Although us North Americans have been blessed with launch of the Nintendo Wii already, folks in the UK have just embraced the Wii-mote and nunchuck, and man have they embraced it well! In 12 hours 50,000 Nintendo Wii's have already been sold according to a UK press release. That's roughly one Wii console sold every second! Nintendo of UK plans to keep the supply coming as they do for North America so that we all have a Wii to play with this Christmas. We have a feeling that Christmas shopping will be more chaotic than the norm this year. The Nintendo Wii to some parents may become what "Turbo Man" was to Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle all the way.

Instead of buying a PS3...

If you're thinking of getting one of your kids a PS3 for the holiday season maybe you should think of presenting them with a few other options that will run about the same price.

Things you could do instead of buying a PS3:
- Fly to London (and get a cheap hotel room)
- Pay your rent for a month
- Buy 300 big macs
- Buy 4 Nintendo DS lite's
- Buy 3000 bandages
- Order 60 Large cheese pizza's
- Buy 250 gallons of gas
- Get a laptop
- Get some books from the library and return them really, REALLY late
- Buy 4 Ipod Nanos
- Buy a 1988 Mazda 323
- Pick up 3 flat panel monitors
- Buy 15 shares of Sony Corp (judging from PS3 sales I would NOT recommend this)
- Take a skydiving course and do 4 jumps
- Hire a personal trainer and have 17 sessions at the gym
- Pay for two months worth of groceries
- Buy 30 years worth of toothpaste
- Buy 210.8 gallons of soda
- Pick up 225 pounds of tuna (canned)
- Buy a 360 AND a Wii (and a couple of games)

Or...you could do the right thing:

Provide food, shelter, and clothing for two children for AN ENTIRE YEAR and still have $150 left over for something nice for yourself.

In North America alone, about 200 000 PS3's have been sold. That's 400 000 children fed, clothed and sheltered for an entire year. Maybe we should all take a break from video games and put our money to some real use this holiday season.

360 to benefit from console shortages?

You can't help but wonder how long before people become totally fed up with waiting to get their hands on PS3's and Wii's and opt for picking up a 360. Sometimes companies ship fewer systems in order to increase hype around the release, however, I'd question the intelligence behind the decision (especially by Sony) to ship so few. It seems Microsoft may have been prepared for this and are quite happy with the console shortage in North America. Recently Microsoft executives let it be known that they intend to try and have 10 million Xbox 360s sold wordwide by the end of the holiday season.

As if losing potential sales isn't bad enough, if quantities remain low, it is most likely that potential PS3'ers will pick up a 360 this holiday season (simply because they target the same audience). This is even worse news for Sony, as Microsoft's Xbox HD-DVD add on for $200 is definitely a much easier alternative to purchasing a bluray player- especially for those who have already picked up an Xbox for the holidays.

Though this sounds like bad news for Sony, Nintendo caters to a different audience, and from the looks of their sales, they seem to have everything under control (outselling the PS3 2-1). It remains to be seen however how both Sony and Nintendo put up with the upcoming holiday demand. If you want to make sure you get your hands on a console this holiday season, the 360 will definitely be your best bet - which may have been Microsoft's strategy all along.

Buy a Wii, be a loser.

The greatest thing about the Wii isn't that its fun. It isn't that it's cheap (compared to its competitors anyways). It's the simple fact that it gets people up and off the couch doing something. And the timing couldn't be better. Granted gameplay can be as simple as hitting a virtual ball, or beating the virtual lights out of your friend, but it can really be a lot of work! Approximately 30% of American children are overweight [obesity.org] and with the technology age upon us, perhaps virtual gaming is the solution to this problem, which seems to be reaching epidemic proportions.

If you get into them, the games can actually get so intense that some people have complained of soreness obtained during these "Wii Workouts" [WSJ]. Nintendo has even introduced reminders that appear every 15 minutes in some games to warn users to take frequent breaks, to ensure fatigue doesn't set in.

Whether or not you're a fan of video games, if you're someone who wants to get a family member into shape and off the couch, this holiday season you may want to consider investing in a Wii. It might be an easier way of introducing someone special into an exercise 'routine'.

HMV giving away chance to buy a Wii or PS3

It's as if god himself opened the stairway to heaven for us gamers. After the launch of the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii many poor souls were left unsatisfied and miserable, it was as if part of their soul was missing, something was definitely wrong. Well my sappy friends, cheer up because HMV is determined to rescue you from yourself and possibly satisfy all your gaming needs.

How you may ask? HMV is giving away a chance to purchase the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii at their Canadian stores. Avoid the line-ups and disappointments and call your aunt or uncle up north, be extra nice this time. There are 20 PS3s and 20 Wiis that the good folks at HMV are willing to let you buy off them, one per person.

One of twenty (20) Sony Playstation® 3 console (UPC # 0 00 71171 98001 0 / 20GB Hard Drive version console) or one of twenty (20) Nintendo® Wii console (UPC # 0 00 45496 88001 9 / Include Wii console, Wii Sports, a sensor bar, an AV cable, a Wii stand, a Wii Remote, and a Nunchuk controller)

Why are they doing this, because they want to ease your pain and also because they want you to know that they now carry games and consoles. Good Move!

My only hope is to win a Wii and that not many people read this post.

"Bomberman 93" and "Bonk's Adventure" now on Wii Virtual Console

This just dropped in my e-mail a second ago from Hudson Entertaiment. They have announced that two of their classic games originally developed for the TurboGrafx-16 have now been released on Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii; Bomberman 93 and Bonk’s Adventure. These two releases were apparently delayed and were originally scheduled to be released for launch day.

Other titles that were previously announced will roll out over the next few weeks, including "Super Star Soldier," "Victory Run," and "Dungeon Explorer."

Gotta love the classics...

Goodbye Social Life, You'll Be Missed.

So last night a friend and I camped Walmart to ensure acquisition of a Nintendo Wii. The night began travelling after work via the #1 Highway to Swift Current; roughly 100km from my residence, it is in fact the nearest place that will have the Wii available. Equipped with the 360, a power inverter, and a T.V. we are officially set for the night. A few energy drinks and countless hours of Splinter Cell: Double Agent later and its time for us to actually 'camp' it. My co-worker and I wander up to the Walmart front doors armed with sleeping bags, lawn chairs, Maxim's and Nintendo Power mags; and so we wait. After a few hours of waiting around bored out of my mind, the night shift manager opens the doors to come out to talk to us. Apparently this guy is like a god amongst men, and offers to leave the front door open so that we can SLEEP IN THE WALMART. Can you say first in line? Because I sure can. Wake up to some noise and the room is filled with a throng of nintendo fan-boys; however, my sleeping bag dominates the front door. An hour or two later and I'm #1 in line, and the doors are opening.

I'll give you an update in a while, but currently I've already played Twilight Princess for roughly 8 hours, and it is definitely not going to disappoint. Not that I ever thought it would. Also picked up a few controllers and Red Steel. Keep your eye out for some reviews in the near future.

I also want to give props to Wii Sports, which is fighting the obesity epidemic one gamer at a time, and is an amazingly fun party type environment.

Jason Out.

A Collection of Inter-Wii Coverage

I have been sifting through the crazy amount of Wii related coverage this afternoon. Some of it is really funny. I have gathered the interesting stuff and listed it here for your viewing pleasure.

• Video - First Wii Owner gets his Wii
• Photos - The Wii taken apart and looked at piece by piece.
• Photos - Coverage of Wii Launch in New York
• Article - Zelda gets a horrible review
• Video - A Wii Prank
• Video - Wii guy pissing off PS3 line
• Video - One guy plays his Wii games for a week LIVE! Nov: 19th-26th
• Video - CNN compares PS3 to Wii side by side
• Photos/Video - Nintendo Wii Smashed to bits in front of fans
• Article - Engadget's FAQ on the Nintendo Wii, many questions answered
  

If you find more interesting stuff please add it in the comments below.

(Cover Photo: Engadget)

Canadian Nintendo Wii Launch Event

As promised I did attend the Canadian launch event for the Nintendo Wii console yesterday with my fellow blogger eMadman. It was held at Ontario Place, in downtown Toronto secretly tucked away at the end of a long tunnel. We managed to arrive thirty minutes before the official launch time and were forced to stand outside with a massive statue of Link. We even took a few photos with our buddy Link; he didn’t seem to mind.

As we entered the event floor at 10:00 am we saw around twenty-eight Nintendo Wii consoles just sitting there crying out to be played, “Play Wiiiiii…” is all I could hear. Of course we were held back till a speech was given about how great the Wii was and will be blah blah blah…as if the hype wasn’t killing us already. The best news for fans we could gather was Nintendo's dedication to release ten Wii titles each month starting in 2007.

I ran across the event floor as soon as the TVs were turned on, stumbling and bumping into other media personnel, I was venturing towards the crowd lining up to play Call of Duty 3, and yes Zelda was there too. First off, don't expect mind blowing graphics the Wii isn't a super hyper-realism graphics machine like its competitors; it’s a “fun” machine for a larger audience. I stood at a bit over a meter's distance from the Sharp LCD TV and grabbed the Wii nunchuck in my left hand and the Wii remote in my right. I was immediately thrown into a battle against the Germans. The Wii remote was configured to such great sensitivity that whenever I moved it I did a 360 degree dance in the game. I quickly got the hang of it as the Wii representative there told me to only twitch the remote a little to look to the left or right. All forward and backward movements were controlled from the Wii nunchuck, moving the Wii nunchuck to the left let me swap through my weapon inventory and that was a very cool experience.

Although I only got 4 minutes of playing time with the game since other media hogs wanted to get in on it, I discovered that it was going to take great skill and practice to use the Wii remote for an fps game. When I first started playing I assumed an extended arm position as if I was holding a gun, after a while that started to hurt my shoulder and I had to experiment to find a comfortable position.

I searched for eMadman and found him boxing with the Wii, literally! eMadman and I decided to go for a round in the virtual ring in Wii Sports’ Boxing game. I was really impressed at how easy it was to discover the basic moves; my mom could have easily done this! I grabbed the Wii nunchuck and Wii remote and brought it up to my face, to assume a defensive position against my opponent. I even tried shifting my feet to the left and right and my character moved along with me, it was incredible even with a lacking photorealistic character on screen. I swung my left then my right then my left again, and let eMadman have a piece of my Wii powered fury. Once again I only had 4 minutes and discovered that the character could not swing past a certain speed, if I tried to punch really fast or hard he would still move slower, so I was forced to match his average speed.

Next I decided to move onto Marvel: Ultimate Alliance for the Wii. Playing MAU wasn't as rewarding of an experience with the Wii remote. I almost felt as if the use of the remote technology was forced onto the game. I still wanted to see what the wireless gestures would make me do in-game. Unfortunately I was not so impressed: tilting the Wii remote up, down, left and right made me produce different moves, I came to a point where just twirling the remote clockwise easily cycled through the 4 basic moves, it felt sort of cheap.

As the crowd died down we jumped over to the Wii Sports’ Tennis game. This game, even though simple in function still proved to be fun, more enjoyable than MAU. I was forced to actually serve a ball and do a backhand on a return shot. I’ve played “real tennis” regularly, playing it on the Wii made me forget it was virtual as I tried to dive to the right to return a serve. Suddenly it dawned on me that my character automatically moved regardless of where I positioned myself and I had made a fool of myself. This was a great disappointment as the experience could have been taken so much farther if the character on screen moved relatively to my real-world position.

I moved onto Rayman Raving Rabbids, a game that made great use of the Wii remote. I had the chance to sample two short mini games within this game. One forced me to rapidly move my arms and shoulders holding the Wii nunchuck and Wii remote to simulate running action. My objective was to deliver a present from point A to B as fast as I could, and how fast I “pretended” to run reflected my speed in the game. The second mini game I tried involved throwing a cow. The cow was lassoed and I had to use the Wii remote and twirl it as if I was going to twirl a real cow around my body. Believe me this was difficult; I couldn't twirl it fast enough to gain enough virtual momentum. My timing was also off; I now know I suck at throwing cows.

My concluding thoughts…
I couldn’t sample everything and 4 minutes per game is hardly enough time to enjoy a game fully especially with so many people walking the event floor. From the games I tested, I did not like using the Wii remote for cross platform games that were not designed specifically for the Wii such as CoD3 and MUA. I felt that those games would stay best played with a controller. The Wii really showed its full potential with the Rayman and Wii Sports games, I can see where Nintendo is headed with the remote technology in those titles and I hope to see even more innovative titles designed specifically for the Wii. Cross-platform games I don’t see doing so well from what I sampled.

Stay tuned for my Canadian PlayStation 3 launch event coverage this Friday. Until then I leave you with our buddy Link.

Wii and PS3 launch this week in Canada...well for press!

Yeah damn straight you should be jealous. After all, you want that Wii weally weally badly or the bigger bad boy, PlayStation 3. But you still can't have either unless you are in Japan. So you sit there and cry in agony hoping that time doesn't come to a stand still, as if it isn't slow enough to begin with. We'll I'm going to shatter your dreams and piss you off because unlike you I have been invited to the Canadian preview/launch events for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 both held in Toronto this week. I don't know what exactly will be at the events but they are a few hours long and from experience that means the press will have the chance to sample some initial launch titles and ask questions. So to make your wait even more painful and impatient I am going to post some initial coverage of each event this week right after I attend it, and if you are a true die hard fan you will come back here to see the outcome.