N +

That is one bold affirmation, Mr. Wada; so bold, we hope it's true (and preferably a little sooner than that). Square Enix Presiden, Yoichi Wada, has said that he expects Nintendo to release a new Wii by 2011, with features resembling those of the PS3 or XBox 360 (high-def graphics, HD Video playability, and network and multimedia features) and might even come with a new kind of controller (let's hope its not the Vitality sensor).

Mr. Wada's statements do not end there...Oh, no! He goes on to claim that Sony's and Microsoft's upcoming motion-sensing technologies will have little to no impact at all on their sales, claiming that their systems are already well targeted and unless a great deal of good motion-sensing games come out from day one, the new controllers will be more of gimmicks than actual controllers (ouch!). He also notes that actually developing motion-sensing games is quite a difficult task.

Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine. Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small. They are an extension of the gaming function.

But he does have a motion-sensing technology of choice: Microsoft's Project Natal. Wada even goes on to say that this will become the standard for the industry in the near future. Maybe he has a crystal ball or something...

Why is a PirateBay note on N+? What does it have to do with Nintendo, you ask? Well, so far, nothing. But it is what it COULD mean for Nintendo that matters. Controversial (and usually illicit) site, The PirateBay, has left the dark side and gone legit.

That's right. It will now start to pay royalties over to copyright owners of all content downloaded through their site. How is this possible? Because it was bought for USD$7.8M by Global Gaming Factory, an Internet Café and Gaming mega company. The key word here is GAMING.

The new owner is planning to use the site's popularity and installed 'technology' to propose a new business model where all parties involved make a legit profit, including game distribution. In case you don't remember or didn't read it, we were recently discussing why the new iPhone, along with digital distribution, might be Nintendo's downfall. And now this comes to prove digital distros ARE the next big thing to come. Do you think Ninty needs and/or will get on this wagon?

Click here to read the full press release.

See what I did there? Friend of the Conduit? FC? Ummm... OK... ¬.¬

If you already got The Conduit (or are going to get it at some point in time) you ARE going to play online. For that, it sometimes helps to have friends to share the slaughtering experience with. So, we've opened a thread on the Forums for us to post our FCs and try to arrange our busy schedules, world time differences, and whatnots to maybe get together online.

So go ahead to this thread and leave your The Conduit FC. I've already left mine if anyone wants to add me.

This week has been plagued by cool releases for the Wii, and since news about all other things have been slow in creeping anticipation for E3 announcements, it is only natural that we devote our time playing the great games that have come our way this week.

First, the anticipated release of Punch Out!. The game brings back a beloved Nintendo franchise and, according to reviews all over the net and printed media, it does deliver a knock out. The game is being praised for its addictive gameplay, kinda puzzle-solving strategy, and well developed graphics, as well as for capturing the essence of the originals and updating it to this generation.

The second release was The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for the Virtual Console, regarded as one of the best Zelda's ever (debated mostly between this and Ocarina of Time) to mark the 300th VC title. We know you want it, we know you'll get it.

And last, but not least, the release of Boom Blox's sequel, Bash Party. The first Boom Blox was highly praised for its simple mechanics and lasting appeal, as well for its multiplayer modes and just for how fun the darn thing was. Now, EA and Spielberg come back with a second installment which, so far, has also been getting quite good reviews for adding a ton more levels than the original, underwater and zero-gravity gameplay, and new 'weapons'. But something that has risen eyebrows and dropped some jaws is the level creator; the developers have already said that for this game they built the level creator FIRST, and then used it to create the built-in levels, so users can create their own levels with THE SAME tools available to the developers themselves. How cool is that? Of course, multiplayer madness makes a comeback in this installment as well.

So, which one is it for you? What are you playing during these days? Just one? All three? None of them? Wii want to know.

Animal Crossing Wii was released a few days ago, so a good number of you might have it, and I am sure its going to be a hot holiday item too. I have created the Animal Crossing Forum where we can all help each other finish bug or fish collections or share funky stories about how to end up in Resetti's lair, or a neat trick you can do with two shovels - things like this. I have also moved the the AC:Wii friend code forum to this area too, so you can share AC:Wii friend codes if you are so bold. If you don't want to give it to everyone just post what city you are from with what fruit, and you can set-up private message invites with fellow N+ers.

Ready to cross some animals?

This new edition of Everybody Votes at N+ was inspired by the My.Opera front page where they ask what your favorite gaming system is, which by the way you should go vote in to secure the Wii in number one spot, becuase currently PS3 is winning! But over here at N+ we put a list of Nintendo's systems together for you to vote on your favorite system that they have produced. It's a tough choice - I can't decide. It's between Wii, DS Lite, Gameboy Color, and Super Nintendo for me - decisions! Oh and as for the results of our last poll - What N+ Header was your favorite:

0% - Duckhunt
3% - Tie for Tingle and Kawaii Pikachu
7% - Tie for Super Mario Galaxy and No More Heroes
14% - Missingno
17% - Smash Bros Brawl
21% - Mario Kart Wii
28% - Metroid Prime 3 (our first one!)

Thanks guys for the votes, I love doing these headers/wallpapers for N+, it gives me great practice in my computer aided art, and produces a great look for N+ month to month! I am sure that the Khad man feels the same way. Oh and make sure to prepare yourself for next months header image - it hasn't been rated by the ESRB.

Stay put right here for LIVE UPDATES as they happen from E3! This blog will be the written documentation on what gets announced and when! This is also going to be one of the best ways to check the news while on mobile internet devices that can't watch the show, or visit flash updated articles. This year we are getting good confirmations of games we have been waiting for, and hopefully new games weve never heard about! New handhelds? Wii accessories? You can also join us in the IRC for live discussion of the event.

CLICK HERE FOR N+ E3 FORUM DISCUSSIONS

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