GamersCast News Feed

Wii News Channel

2007-01-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Wii News Channel has been released one entire day early! A message in your Wii Message Board from Nintendo will give you a quick link to the Wii System Update screen. I have just made a video showing off the features of the News Channel, which is now apparently being managed by the Associated Press (how many times did Nintendo change the source of this channel?! These stations must be putting up some pretty damn good offers). The video can be seen below and also will be placed onto the podcast feed.

GamersCast: Episode 19 Released

2007-01-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

Last week, we put episode 19 of GamersCast up onto the podcast feed, at long last! To make up for the tardyness of this episode we made it a whopping 2 hours long of pure non-hesitant gaming discussion, from everything starting from launch up until January 7th (right before CES started). In fact, since we didn't want to go over the 2 hour point a few things we didn't get to are being carried over to episode 20. So, now you got something to listen to in your free time!

As you all know by now, you can listen to GamersCast on iTunes, the flash player on the site's homepage, and several other major podcasting sites. And the Flash Player is even compatible with the BETA of your Wii Browser.

Microsoft Comments on Competition

2007-01-18T16:09:00.000-05:00

Microsoft, well Bill Gates, to be more specific recently commented how they saw themselves as far as compared to their competition.

He 1st started by saying, he wanted to swap spots with Sony and revealed his original goal in the 360s development, "We wanted to not be a year late, not be a big box, not be a more expensive box." Those goals were obviously met.

Then, he went on to talk about how he saw his competitors, Sony and Nintendo, now. Originally, Bill Gates had praised Nintendo's ideas on the Wii to a high extent, but now he seems to be changing his tune from his most recent quotes (I guess he doesn't want to be compared to any of Sony's infamous quotes).

- "Sony has always been our most direct competitor. Nintendo of course is a competitor. But look at the resolution you get with a controlled experience like that! Say to yourself, how in terms of using a game for a long period of time, what kind of accuracy and capability do you want? Look at the classic Nintendo positioning. Look at the graphics. Look at Nintendo's execution in terms of online capability. We have this thing that nobody has ever seen before. When you say to your friend, hey let's play online, you say then you have to buy an Xbox. That's what 10 million people say. If you want to play online, get an Xbox. We're not standing still."

His quotes also have seemed to reveal that Microsoft doesn't even consider Sony as a competitor anymore. To him, only Nintendo is his true competitor now. Perhaps this has something to do with him, not being able to buy-out Nintendo previously?

DON'T "hold your wee for Wii"!!

2007-01-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

Just recently in California, a radio station decided to hold a contest they entitled, "Hold your wee for Wii". It was your basic water drinking contest, but it was to see who could go the longest without having to urinate. One woman, entered to win a Wii for her 3 children. But she drank so much water that she passed away as a result of it, caused by "water intoxication". It looks like Sony's PlayStation 3 isn't the only system that has killed anymore.

Now, everyone should keep in mind that drinking lots of water isn't a bad thing. What killed her, is the fact that she didn't use the bathroom for so long. Nobody present at the contest currently knows how much water she drank, and all the details of her death has yet to have been released.

UPDATE: It was just revealed that before this contest started (on 107.9 FM) the hosts were joking about somebody dying from it. Then, a few minutes later someone called in onto the show stating that it was possible for the contestants to die from "water intoxication", but the hosts merely replied with:

- "We are aware of that."
- "They signed releases, so we're not responsible. It's OK."

Before the death of Jennifer Strange she said:

- "They keep telling me though that it's the water, that it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke."

Obviously, there were signs of warning before this tragic event occured, so naturally the 10 hosts who were involved in the contest were fired. Many people were calling the local authorities asking for an arrest warrant, though the police replied saying there were no grounds to base the arrest upon.

Zephyr Confirmed

2007-01-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Adam called it wrong, but Microsoft did finally comment on the Zephyr images, by saying they are real! (OMG!) However, they went on to explain that these are non-functioning prototypes, so there is still a chance that it won't even be released to the public, ever! They may not have announced it during CES, but nevertheless it was announced. My guess: I'd expect it by 2008.

E3 Smaller.... GDC Bigger

2007-01-12T19:13:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, we all know E3 shrunk, but hey it's all good! Now, that this year's Game Developers Conference is expanding (Why must every gaming convention happen over there!?) it promises to be bigger and better than before. The biggest and only new thing that's so far announced about the new GDC is the "I am 8-Bit Exposition", in which gaming artwork celebrating the video games from the 80's is put on display. It's fair to say that Nintendo may possibly announce some Virtual Console news at the display, but that's just my speculation.... :)

2 New Gears of War Maps!

2007-01-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

Well, apparently The Discovery Channel's new show, "FutureWeapons" is now responsible for 2 new maps in Gears of War. So, I'm guessing The Discovery Channel isn't actually responsible, but maybe that's why these maps are free! C'mon guys! You know Microsoft! Do you honestly think they would give out something "free" if they weren't gonna make a quick buck in it somehow!? So, thank The Discovery Channel for not having to open up your wallet on this trip to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Here's the summary of the maps that Microsoft provides:

Map Name: Raven Down
A Raven Helicopter has gone down in the middle of a large scale battle with the omnipresent Locust Horde. Gears have taken out the Seeder, so join Delta Forces moving into the crash site from all angles to search for survivors.

Map Name: Old Bones
In an attempt to eradicate any traces of human history and culture, the Locust Horde has emerged under Sera's Capitaline Museums and has begun to destroy them brick by brick. Your mission is to help the Delta Force recapture the museums before all remnants of humankind's existence are obliterated.

And now, The Discovery Channel further extends their generosity by giving away 2 million Microsoft Points just for having online activity on the Xbox Live Marketplace!! For details, go to: ReadyAimFuture.com

(Now honestly Nintendo, can't there be something the Wii is compatible of besides plain text like this! I wanna be able to put something in Bold every now and then! Or maybe simple link at least!!)

CES 2007: The Microsoft Booth

2007-01-09T18:34:00.000-05:00

The Microsoft booth was the talk of the show at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and it was very much showing off Microsoft's Zune and Windows Vista, but if you looked deeply enough you could manage to find a section there for the gamers.

So, at Microsoft's booth they made a small section for Vista and 360 gaming. And no, there was absolutely no mention of the Zephyr by Microsoft, so they may not have wanted to draw too much attention to it for now.

As for the games at Microsoft's booth, here's what they had on display :

Xbox 360

- MLB 2K7
-Lost Planet
- Fuzion Frenzy 2
- Crackdown
- Guitar Hero 2
- Shadowrun
- Def Jam Icon
- Gears of War
- Def Jam Icon
- Viva Piñata

Games for Windows

- Halo 2
- Crysis
- Rail Simulator
- Lord of the Rings Online
- Hellgate: London
- Age of Conan
- Geometry Wars
- Luxor 2
- Shadowrun
- World in Conflict
- Supreme Commander
- Company of Heroes
- Spinword
- Bliss Island

Xbox Live Arcade

- Worms
- Ms. Pac Man
- Heavy Weapon
- Catan
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Alien Hominid

CES 2007: Guitar Hero 2 for Xbox 360

2007-01-09T18:27:00.000-05:00

It was two months ago when Guitar Hero 2 arrived for the PlayStation 2. Music fans and gamers rejoyced! Since then, a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox was injured by the game and can no longer pitch come the start of the 2007 baseball season. Despite this, Guitar Hero 2 was easily one of the best selling games of 2006. And now, Microsoft wants in on the action!

You guessed it, Guitar Hero 2 is being ported for the Xbox 360, and if you hadn't got the PS2 version yet, you might want to consider waiting. Why? Well, the new version has bonus features including 10 new tracks, new guitars, and more! To make it even better, there will be free downloadable upgrades for the 360 version of the game, for even MORE songs, guitars, and other goodies! After all, spring 2007 isn't all too far away!

Xbox 360 Version 2?

2007-01-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

Loads upon loads of pictures just began being leaked out to the internet showing a new Xbox 360 system in development. As of now, all we know about the new console is that, unlike the original Xbox 360, this new one will be able to output digital signals in 1080p HD to your television set, with an included HDMI port. This would definitely leave Nintendo behind in the dust, graphically speaking, of course.

When IGN pursued Microsoft on the topic, they were very evasive upon there answers, though the pictures of the new console look as legit as it can get. The new Xbox 360 is expected to be priced just a bit more than the current Premium Edition Xbox 360, which would disappoint the number of people who got a 360 for the holidays. Although, there isn't too much of an idea when the release actually is. One site said, "soon", but that doesn't exactly help now, does it? I do recall this is what was said about "Super Mario 128", back in the late 90's. And as Microsoft has not yet confirmed or even commented on anything asked, anything could happen.

But as it stands, the new console appears to have been already codenamed, "Zephyr". Personally, my guess would be it being named Xbox 720, but that's just my prediction. The big question on my mind right now is, if this is just a refurbished Xbox 360, then how will new games made in 1080p react under the use of the original Xbox 360? Or using composite cables, in an analog signal?

Of course, this will be one of the many topics discussed in episode 19 of GamersCast.

Below are some thumbnail images of the pictures mentioned earlier in the article. Click any of the thumbnails to expand the image in a new window.

Orb adds Wii Browser Support

2007-01-06T13:17:00.000-05:00

The popular online media streaming service, known as Orb, has just added support for the Nintendo Wii Opera Web Browser to their service. Now, anyone with a Nintendo Wii Browser installed can stream media content directly from their computer to their Wii, so that you can watch videos from your computer on your television screen.

Media that can be streamed using Orb, includes videos, documents, music, and television shows (if your computer as a TV tuner).

This has been tried many times in the past by the members of Wiili, but only resulted in success sometimes, other times. Whether or not, Orb actually made changes to allow Wii Support, or they are just making a statement is unknown.

Though, if you do find troubles using the Orb service now, you should keep in mind that during the BETA period of the Wii Web Browser, many of the features are disabled, until the full-release, coming this March.

To find out more about Orb, check out: Orb.com

Now we are organized!

2007-01-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

At long last! Now, thanks to Blogger leaving their BETA, we can have a much more organized feed, with more content delivered to you quicker than ever before! (And yes, I know I have said that a lot). And now, you can even get the brand-new GamersCast Newsletter from the Wii console's Wii Message Board! To find out more, visit the GamersCast Homepage!

http://www.gamerscastpodcast.com

The Wii Forecast Channel is

2006-12-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

The Wii Forecast Channel is now online!

Wii Message

2006-12-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

I'm too addicted to my Wii to turn
on my computer. So, i setup my wii
so i can post using the wii message
board, like i am right now. Now i
never have to leave my wii! :p

Sony admits Wii is more fun!?

2006-12-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

Yep. This time it ain't a clever header.... IT'S TRUE! Check out this nice quote from Sony of Australia:

"Wii is a core gaming device. It's a more fun, intuitive sort of product to pick up, where the PS3 is a broader entertainment solution..."

WOW..... What drives Sony to make quotes like that, just so randomly out in the public?

Not all Wii Channels at Launch...

2006-11-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

Well, the subject line pretty much says it all, but keep reading (or else!). Only a few of the online channels will be availible at the Wii Launch and they are the Wii Shopping Channel, Mii Channel, Photo Channel, and the Wii Message Board (yeah, the message board isn't an actual channel, but it's still gonna have online at launch.). The Forecast Channel is gonna be online on December 20, and the News Channel will be up and running on January 27.

And one more quick note, is that the News Channel will now be provided by the Associated Press, but there's no word about what happened to the deal with CNN. Also, the Forecast Channel is powered by Weathernews.

By the way, episode 19 is coming out, very soon....

The Launch that comes once in a limetime!

2006-11-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

As we all know the Nintendo Wii will be launching across the USA on November 19th, but now the one and only thing to make this the coolest launch of all-time has just happened.

As we wait outside of stores an hour before the Wii Launch, a truly amazing thing will happen! Everyone across the USA will be able to look up into the sky and see a steady stream of meteors soaring across the sky in a meteor shower, going at a rate of 10 meteors and hour. BUT THEN! 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE LAUNCH, the shower will burst and go at a rate of 150 meteors an hour soaring across the sky! And it will keep up for an hour after launch! This will be an undoubtedly amazing launch... perhaps it is a sign.... perhaps not. But be sure to check out spectacle before you begin your non-stop play of the Wii, for this is an event that only happens once every 33 years! And for it to happen perfectly timed with launch, with millions of people outside anticipating the launch of a system, is a sight you will never see happen again!

GamersCast at Global Wii Launch!!

2006-11-16T14:48:00.000-05:00

That's right everyone, it's official! GamersCast WILL be attending the Worldwide Wii Launch in New York, this Saturday night! Unfortunately, I'll be getting to there two hours late (10PM), but it's better to be late than never! It's also unfortunate that I am going to have to leave before the official launch, as all the Wii consoles at the global launch are going out to pre-orders, and I want to make sure I can quickly get my game reviews out to you guys! So, I'm leaving early for the benefit of the show!

But don't feel bad, because Mr. Reggie-Anime-Fils, President of Nintendo will be present at the event, showing off the Wii for the last moment that it could be considered a "preview".

It's gonna be a party in NY this weekend! So don't miss out! Keep checking the feed for the video of the world-wide Nintendo Wii Launch Party, and more!

Listen to MP3s while you play Wii!

2006-11-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

During the Nintendo Fusion Tour, many gamers noticed an option about a soundtrack, but before they could explore, gamers were constantly halted by Nintendo of America representatives. However, now that the final version of Excite Truck is available for play generally everywhere (almost). There's no holding us back!

It's official! Along with your usual game music you can listen to .MP3 files instead, by running them from your SD card. Here's what the instructions say in the official manual:

How to Select Music Tracks
1. Insert your SD Card into the Wii console.

2. Begin or continue a game and enter any race. Before the race begins, press + on the Wii Remote to access the Sound Options screen.

3. Select the "SD Card" option.

4. Any MP3 files available on your SD Card will be displayed (100 songs maximum). To choose a specific song for the race you are about to enter, highlight that song. You can also choose to randomize all songs shown for that course. Highlighting "Default" will play the standard in-game music.

5. Press 1 to return to the Sound Options menu, then 1 again to return to the pre-race screen. You can also use the "Sound" command at any point during the race to change the current song.

There's no word whether this feature will be implemented into other Wii titles, but we can be sure that we will probably see this feature again in the future.

Wii Component Cables Prank Exposed

2006-11-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

Very funny Nintendo (well, not really). Apparently, according to Nintendo in an interview with IGN, they revealed they were only joking about only selling component cables only online, and said that they will be in stores on launch day. So, now you don't have to wait to experience limited high definition gameplay on the Wii!

One more quick side-note:

On launch day, I personally am buying the following, that way you know what games to expect reviews for:

Wii Console (obviously)
Extra Controller + Nunchuck + VC Controller
Wii Sports (also obviously)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Excite Truck (preview coming 11/09)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Red Steel
Wii Component Cables

Microsoft broadens XBox Live Marketplace

2006-11-08T17:52:00.000-05:00

First Google Video did it, then iTunes, now Microsoft.

Well, Microsoft will now be selling HD movies, videos, TV shows, and all that fun stuff to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Not much more to say then that, except for the fact that they're pricing their stuff a bit cheaper than iTunes is (a 1st for Microsoft). Movies are only around $6 in HD, but on DVDs you got all those extra features, and on iTunes, you can send movies to your iPod and watch them portably, so I guess the $6 is pretty fair when you come to think of it.

Wii Interface and Excite Truck Preview!

2006-11-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I have now officially played the Wii, and all I can say is: OMG!

I have seen the menus (couldn't access Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection), I've played games. And now, beware the previews. Now that I have had over a good hour of hands-on time with the Wii (well, so-to-speak), GamersCast is going to be previewing Excite Truck (the only game I had the chance with) along with commenting about the Wii's Interface and more. And we will also be bringing Adam Shear back onto the show, as he too got hands-on time with Excite Truck and the Wii Interface.

Also, I'm gonna see if I can get some video footage of my gameplay (don't make fun of me!) onto the feed as well. And we may have a chance to get more time with some other Wii games this weekend, or maybe not. Who knows what could happen!? All I know is, now that there's 2 Wii Consoles playable within a mile of my house, anything could happen!

Keep checking back here for more updates!

Virtual Console Games

2006-11-08T17:57:00.000-05:00

Well, Nintendo keep constantly announcing more games being added to the Virtual Console Channel, here's the run-down as of now:

* Duck Hunt (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Hogan's Alley (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Kid Icarus (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Kirby's Adventure (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Pilot Wings (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Pro Wrestling (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Punch-Out (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Wild Gunman (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Kirby's Super Star (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
* Starfox 64 (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
* Super Metroid (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Super NES; rated E for Everyone)
* The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64; rated E for Everyone)
* Excitebike (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Ice Climber (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Dr. Mario (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Mario Brothers (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Ice Hockey (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Soccer (NES; rated E for Everyone)
* Super Mario 64 (N64; rated E for Everyone)

And there are many more also coming, very soon...

Wii got it!

2006-11-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

For me, it was an "lol" moment. As you can tell from the 1st mobile edition of GamersCast, I live in an area filled with PlayStation and XBox fanboys, but today (on my birthday), Nintendo seemed to entirely invade the EBgames at my corner! Yeah, they still got the playable Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP up. But aside from that, it's all Nintendo! There's HUGE pop-out Twilight Princess posters, a giant Wii Countdown clock, the typical GCN demo loaded with OoT. But then, today, something great also happened aside from all that.....

At last.... It happened before Nintendo scheduled it to... There is now a playable Wii within 2 blocks of my house! That's right everyone! Get ready for loads of Wii Content coming your way onto the feed! Bad news is, only Excite Truck is playable now, but hey we can expect something else before launch (no guarentees)! And this weekend I might be able to head upto Nintendo World, so you guys can get even more Wii Videos! As I am now incredibly joyful about all this, as I stood in EBgames, I looked up at the countdown clock, noting that only 11 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes, and 11 seconds remained until Wii Day.

PS: My "lol" moment was, that the store was filled with hard-core Xbox-only fanboys waiting for Gears of War as this was all happening. The look on their faces as they saw the re-designed store was simply.... priceless.

The GamersCast's Feed is where it's at!

2006-11-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can imagine, there's a lot going on now, as it is only 2 weeks until the "next-generation" becomes "this-generation". So, like at E3, rather than making you read (reading is for school :P) we're just going to send wave after wave of videos onto the GamersCast Feed!

You'll hear interviews! See Videos! Get Discussions and Predictions! Along with some upcoming things that you will not find anywhere else!

http://www.gamerscastpodcast.com/GamersCast.xml

Click here for the iTunes Feed!