Nightly News Roundup: 2010.12.06

Aural punishment in Michael Jackson game, who’s behind the next Bond game, and what’s Summer Glau doing in this week’s WiiWare/DSiWare?!

By M. Noah Ward. Posted 12/06/2010 23:00 6 Comments     ShareThis

Nightly News Roundup

Pirate Michael Jackson The Experience on DS? VUVUZELA’D!

Ubisoft has taken heat for some of its anti-piracy protections in its PC ports of titles like Assassin’s Creed II, which required a constant internet connection to be played. But the even-easier-to-pirate DS game library hasn’t seen something like this before.

Per the merry pirate ctkxtreme, who uploaded the above video, “This is Ubisoft’s attempt at anti-piracy to the game. The game is an [Elite Beat Agents] clone, [but] there’s no notes playing, it freezes when it’s paused, and [expletive] [plays] vuvuzela noises over the music.”

This anti-piracy measure was actually implemented by the game’s developer, an internal Ubisoft team. A Ubisoft spokesperson gave Wired.com (via email) a straight forward response: “The development team worked this feature in as a creative way to discourage any tampering with the retail version of the game,” but surely they’re giddy just how amusing and effective this deterrent is.

Source: Wired


Next Bond Game Underway at Raven Software?

There were four Bond games released in the last month: Eurocom’s excellent GoldenEye for Wii, n-Space’s alright GoldenEye and Blood Stone for DS, and Bizarre Creations’ Blood Stone for Xbox 360/PS3. Given the poor critical response to the high-def Blood Stone titles, and the imminent shuttering or sale of developer Bizarre, curiosity arose as to whether and when publisher Activision would schedule a new Bond title. The answers? Yes and soon, though Eurocom’s unfortunately not taking the lead, apparently.

Instead, Madison, WI-based Raven Software is rumored to be taking the reigns for the next Bond title, presumably for Xbox 360 and PS3 and Raven has never made a title for Wii or DS. Raven’s most recently known for its work as a second party Activision developer on 360/PS3 titles Singularity, Wolfenstein, X-Men Origins Wolverine and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Regardless if Raven’s take on Bond is based on the now back-in-development 23rd Bond film or an original story like Blood Stone, any Wii or DS ports of the title are likely to be handled by other studios such as Vicarious Visions, Griptonite, or Amaze, all of whom have ported Raven games over to Nintendo platforms in the past.

Source: MI6, Gamespot


Fluidity Leads Pack of New Downloadable Games

Nintendo has an intriguing mix of WiiWare, DSiWare and (yes!) Virtual Console titles for you to consider purchasing.

In the marquee position is Fluidity for 1200 Nintendo Wii Points. This physics puzzler (presumably developed by Nintendo) has you tilting your remote to get a body of water through a series of passages and environments within an illustrated encyclopedia, collecting 80 rainbow fragments across 4 chapters. In addition to its regular, sloshy-attributes, the water can be frozen solid into a small cube and vaporized into lightning-spewing storm cloud.

Next up from developer Zallag is Racers’ Island– Crazy Arenas for 600 Wii Points. This 1-to-4 player kart-and-combat type racer not only features racing with one hand and manipulating weapons with the other, but also includes atypical tasks ranging from paintball to pass-the-bomb to pinball.

Racers' Island - Crazy Arenas Screenshot
Let’s Get Crazy.

For winter holiday lovers, the last piece of software is more of an app: Fireplacing is  your own virtual fireplace for 500 Wii points. Pyromaniacs and bear-rug romantics alike can prepare the wood, ignite it and stoke it to have it continuously burn. Or if  you’re looking for something simpler, just set it on “auto” and your influence will be unnecessary.

Fireplacing Screenshot
Burrrrn, BUUUUURRRNNNN!

Over on Wii’s Virtual Console are two from Capcom: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando and SonSon, both priced at 800 Wii Points. The first one is a top-scrolling grenadier assault game, whilst the second is a side-scrolling platformer starring the Monkey King, who incidentally was also the inspiration for Namco Bandai’s 360/PS3 title Enslaved. This isn’t Enslaved, though.

Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando Screenshot SonSon Screenshot
That’s Wolf on the left and SonSon on the right

On DSiWare we’re getting two games and one app. First up is Abylight’s Dairojo! Samurai Adventures for 800 DSi Points. This in-depth castle defender strategy title is set in ancient Japan and features four gameplay modes.

Dairojo! Samurai Adventures Screenshot Dairojo! Samurai Adventures Screenshot
Dairojo Looks Pretty Intriguing

On the classic front, Digital Leisure’s Space Ace (800 DSi Points) is the spiritual sci-fi sequel to Dragon’s Lair, featuring the heroic Ace endeavoring to thwart Commander Borf and get the cute girl in the process.

Space Ace Screenshot Space Ace Screenshot
Ahh, the classics… Updated for today!

The previously-mentioned app is Cinemax’s Rytmik: Rock Edition (200 DSi Points), which is a music creator that enables you make full songs using 130 guitar, keyboard, bass and drum samples.

Rytmik: Rock Edition Screenshot Rytmik: Rock Edition Screenshot
Wait!! Is that Summer Glau?!

Source: Nintendo

6 Responses to “Nightly News Roundup: 2010.12.06”

  • 360 points
    M. Noah Ward says...

    I’m really happy to see Summer’s still getting some work post-Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles and Firefly.

    • 135 points
      juno2023 says...

      I’m a fan of Summer Glau. I adore Summer Glau. Summer Glau is very talented and magnificent in every way. That is no Summer Glau.

      I will admit, however, that the model in the picture looks quite similar to Ms. Glau.

  • 702 points
    Matthew Tidman says...

    @amishpryate: It’s Chastity Blakeley.

    No, not really, but that’s the best I can come up without putting any work into it.

  • 702 points
    Matthew Tidman says...

    The more I think abut it, the more I want to have the Vuvuzela added as a bonus mode. Whenever you 100% a song on hard, the new mode pops up. Not only is it difficult because none of the touchscreen cues show up, but the sound of the music is also covered up by the melodious sound and cultural pride of thousands of people playing their Vuvuzelas.

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