Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Ask most gamers -- or gamers like us, at least -- about sequels, and you'll be greeted with much eye-rolling. Here's one follow-up we can get behind, however: a sequel to High Voltage's promising sci-fi shooter, The Conduit. What's that you say? The Conduit isn't even out yet? Well, who cares? Certainly not High Voltage's Eric Nossinger!

Chatting to That Videogame Blog, Nossinger revealed that The Conduit has "enough story [...] and enough ideas" to justify making further The Conduit games, though admitted that sales would influence whether such follow-ups were developed. "We're building a brand with The Conduit," added colleague, Matt Corso (remember our interview with him?), dollar signs spinning in his eyes. Let's not forget to keep our eyes firmly on the first one, eh, chaps?


[Via Go Nintendo]

Call of Duty: World at War has hit the intertrons! The official COD domain has always been a general-purpose website, but the latest information for the upcoming shooter has been granted its own dedicated section with a whole range of groin-grabbing goodies.

The whole point of the site is the get involved with everything Call of Duty. You'll sign up and create your profile, and from there you can complete a variety of "missions" to earn points and level up. This include posting in the forums and taking part in polls, but you'll unlock more missions the further you progress within the site.

Why does this sound like a video game? It's a website -- but a pretty good one at that. The Intel and Reconnaissance (that is, news and media) sections should be updated regularly, and a developer blog is up and running. Off you go, then!

[Via press release]

While many of you are wondering how Call of Duty 5 ... uh, won't suck on the Wii, check out Joystiq's interview with Treyarch's Mark Lamia. He talks about the Wii version, how it will include online play and also has its own team dedicated to the Wii version of the game. It's a pretty interesting interview that covers some of the concerns Wii gamers have for the title, so head on over and check it out.

In our High Voltage interview last week, Lead Game Designer Rob Nicholls was frank enough to admit that the team making The Conduit has "looked at and stole shamelessly from mega-hits like Halo." Such honesty is probably advisable, because there's no mistaking it: artistically at least, The Conduit isn't afraid to borrow visual cues from other shooters. It kind of is Halo.

This point was rammed home by a bunch of art distributed this morning (delivered in one huge combined strip -- see the full loooong version after the break) that deals with everything from weapons to enemies to the backstory. Truth be told, it's overflowing with tired sci-fi clichés, but if the game ends up being half as absorbing as Bungie's classic shooter, we've a feeling most of you will be able to forgive it.

We recently got the chance to pick some of the brightest minds at High Voltage about their upcoming game, The Conduit. Wii fans have been liking what they've seen from the game, but there are still many questions left unanswered. That was, until we asked the folks at High Voltage those questions, which cover everything from the game's plot on down to multiplayer. So, read on and find out more about upcoming Wii FPS, The Conduit.

Stylistically, it's been compared to Half-Life and Perfect Dark. What games have inspired design choices in The Conduit?

Rob: One of our goals from the very start was to make a fast-paced accessible FPS. To that end we looked at and stole shamelessly from mega-hits like Halo and Half-Life, recent titles like Resistance: Fall of Man and Metroid Prime Corruption, as well as classics like Goldeneye for the N64. We wanted to pick the best features from these titles, the things that made them fun and memorable and have features like those in The Conduit.

Matt: We've done art direction for so many different titles, and we've learned a lot about establishing a strong and cohesive visual style. The Conduit's art direction has come mainly from taking real world styles and locations and combining them with our own alien technology concepts and aesthetic design preferences. I suppose that it looks similar to those other games, but in the end it's The Conduit's own unique premise that has largely driven the artistic vision. When combined with the features that are specific to our engine tech, The Conduit will look stunning by the time it reaches the player's hands.

Will there be a calibration option, so we can "aim down the sights?"

Rob: One of the things we learned in our development process was that customization of controls is essential to an enjoyable gameplay experience. To that end, we allow players to customize sensitivity, dead zone sizes, as well as control layouts. But, if you mean, can you actually use the iron-sights of your guns, that answer is "not exactly". The reason being that several of our weapons are alien in nature and don't even have iron-sights... but you will have sort of an alien vision mode with some of the weapons.

Matt: There'll be on-the-fly, in-game look sensitivity adjustments, as well as a fully map-able control scheme, down to the button, in the game's front end UI. Players will be able to map the game's controls completely to their own liking. There'll even be a couple of alternate control methods for those that don't care as much for the Wii pointer style of directional turning. There'll be lots of options for maximum playability.



There hasn't been much word on who the publisher for The Conduit is. Rumor has it, Nintendo is actually going to publish the game. Can you comment on that? Can you announce one at this time?

Matt: I can neither confirm nor deny this, senator. ;) All I will say is that thanks to the explosion of interest in this title, we've had a lot of publishers knocking on our door.

Control-wise, will there be options for other methods outside of the Wiimote and nunchuk? Will it support the GameCube controller? Classic controller?

Dan: There are movement and weapon functions in The Conduit that require the Wii Remote's pointer, accelerometer, depth, and cursor rotation functionality in order to perform. The Conduit isn't your standard ported-over-to-the-Wii style of game. Using the Classic or GC controller kind of defeats the purpose of what we are looking to do.

Matt: With The Conduit we want to redefine first person shooter controls. Hard core FPS gamers that have played the game have told me that they are now convinced that Wii is the best system for the genre. When you play it you'll realize very quickly that the Wii Remote is an incredible control device for this type of game. It just feels amazing to play.

Rob: I think if you are buying a Wii, you're buying it to make use of its motion sensitive controls, which are tailor made for an FPS game.

Aside from the controls, what are the game's strengths that separate it from other existing PC/console FPSes?

Rob: I would say that would be the ASE or "All Seeing Eye" device. In game, this piece of hardware allows a player to adjust the "phase state" of things. This makes invisible enemies and hazards not only visible, but able to take damage. It also makes invisible cover and platforms become solid, leading to more gameplay. We also reveal secret puzzle locks that must be solved to get to special weapons.

Dan: We've put a solid amount of effort into enemy AI for The Conduit. A pet peeve of mine is single player FPS games where the enemies just stand there getting blasted, and don't seem to be reacting to the world around them. In The Conduit, our bad guys can hear and see, understand the use of cover, have variable levels of aggression, use grenades effectively, advance and retreat, and can determine when the player is susceptible to attack (i.e. reloading, exposed and moving in their firing cone). I think focusing a higher than normal amount of the dev time on AI makes our single player experience better than most other FPS titles out there. Of course, the overall look we're able to achieve with our advanced engine tech is also something the makes The Conduit a superior FPS game IMO.

Matt: I think that going back to the Wii Remote, The Conduit has a unique control system that feels more like a VR experience than the typical spring loaded joystick controlled videogame. I also agree that the ASE device offers a unique style of gameplay that hasn't really been seen before in other games. Having the ability to discover and phase useful objects into the environment to assist with combat is a lot of fun. Beyond that, it's just rock solid action all throughout the game. There'll be fierce enemies, bad ass weapons, and white knuckle battles. It's going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

Does the game run at 60fps? 30fps?

Matt: If we can hit closer to 60, then that will be great! But for right now we are shooting for a steady 30fps, with zero drops in framerate. The whole team swears by the fact that a solid 30fps still feels great. Even our studio's most hard core PC FPS gamers think that The Conduit feels just right at 30fps. The quality will be there, and the game will look and run amazing by the time that it ships.

Dan: The game will run absolutely solid at 30fps. For HVS, choice is either to have less visual splendor and run at 60fps or achieve the look we want for the game and run at 30fps. 30fps is a frame rate that is plenty responsive for FPS gaming and we are valuing the increased visual detail we can offer over the slightly smoother gameplay we might otherwise get by scaling this back.

High Voltage has made an adventure game/minigame collection for the Xbox (Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, also on PS2 and PC), and now they're making an FPS for the Wii. Is this ironic or strategy?

Rob: I like to think it's beautiful strategy. At the time Magna Cum Laude came out, the Adventure game market was woefully barren. So we found a title and a publisher willing to take the risk to revitalize that genre. Now we're trying to do the same thing with FPS's on the Wii. We feel that The Conduit will be like rain in the desert, which seems to be the case judging by the online response.

Matt: Diversity is key. We don't like to sell ourselves short by sticking with one genre or style of game. High Voltage knows that it's okay to try new things. We've learned a lot after 15 years working with so many different publishers, developers, and licensors. I could go on about how licensed game restrictions, publisher mandates, and drop dead unmovable release dates ultimately affect the quality of your game, but this project is very different. The Conduit is something completely new for our studio. This game will rock!

The company seems very (vocally) confident about the ability of The Conduit to revolutionize Wii gaming. Was it always in the plan to build up so much hype, or was the hype a natural product of enthusiasm? Has the hype been more than expected?

Rob: The hype has certainly been more than I expected and I am grateful for it. However, it is a two-edged sword. While the hype has helped give us the pick of litter for a publisher, it does mean we have a LOT to live up to. But I think we are up for the challenge. =)

Dan: There aren't many large scale multiplayer games for the Wii at this point, nor any that push the Wii graphics HW to the extent we are. So, from these standpoints – The Conduit will be revolutionary for the Wii gaming market. It is HVS's belief that although there are great FPS games on the 360 and PS3 – what they all lack is the kind of unique motion sensing based control schemes that makes The Conduit for the Wii more fun to play. Giving gamers a great looking, great playing, great controlling FPS title is something we feel is worth hyping!

Matt: The plan all along was to maximize the potential of the system, and then build a game that showcases the engine tech and the fun of the Wii Remote. Every developer talks big about their own game, but no one at High Voltage could say for sure how well our audience would react to the screenshots and gameplay video release. We've always just been focused on making a great game, and the result is that The Conduit seems to be building its own hype. And we're very appreciative of all the kind words and support we've received from the Wii community.

Is The Conduit sharing tech with Animales de la Muerte? Where did the concept for that one come from? Is it still on track? Really, anything we could learn about Animales de la Muerte would be wonderful.

Dan: Animales is using the same engine tech as The Conduit, but in a much different way since it's a 'toon shaded game.

Matt: I don't want to say too much more about the title until it's closer to completion, but I will say that it's going to be bloody fun. By the way, much respect to our friends in Mexico. However, screw PETA...no animal in this game is safe!

Anything about multiplayer? Many of the folks interested in the game are looking to have some kind of online multiplayer, preferably something on-par with Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. Are you trying to implement Wi-Fi compatibility? Local multiplayer?

Dan: We are working closely with Nintendo to be able to provide the kind of multiplayer gameplay that we know the market wants.

Matt: Nintendo has been really helping us out with technical support but we still have more questions that will need be answered before we can release any specifics about our multiplayer modes. Obviously we want to be competitive with the other online console games, but we'd rather wait until we've got something great to show off before we make any announcements about this very important feature.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

High Voltage loves the readers of Wii Fanboy. Following up the package of screens they hooked us up with recently, they've just now sent over four new exclusive screens. That's right, folks, you can only get these screens here at Wii Fanboy. Even better, you're the first to see the new enemy variant above. How awesome is that?

So, head on into the gallery and check them out. The first image starts here!

High Voltage knows how excited for The Conduit the Wii Fanboy community is. That's why they just hit us up with 18 screens for the game, with the vast majority of them being screens you've never seen before. We were shocked to see how far along the game is, as the screens show off several weapons, a variety of different enemy units and even clue us in to some of the environments the player will be charged with traversing. Really, you should be checking out these screens. They look pretty damn good.

So, get started already!

Expressing interest for The Conduit is good for the Wii. Why, it's even good for gaming in general. The latest press release from High Voltage Software describes the vision for this unique shooter, and CCO Eric Nofsinger is going right against the grain, saying "Too many Wii owners have been told that the Wii is a casual platform with no room for serious games or top-tier graphics."

That statement gets our hopes up for the exact opposite of everyone's favorite Wii word -- shovelware. The Conduit looks to be entirely original and crafted with the utmost care, as evidenced by the gorgeous trailer, drooled over by many. Nofsinger wants to avoid the casual stigma entirely, "by providing gamers with the kind of title they imagined back when the platform was first announced."

Best of all, the release window has been confirmed for Q1 2009. That's less than one year, which is practically heaven considering some developers often jump the gun and leave us hanging with their tantalizing announcements.

Following up the screens and tech demo we all got to check out (and get excited over), High Voltage has now released a rather lengthy trailer for their proposed FPS The Conduit. What do we have to say? Well, much like you will be after seeing the video above, we're in love. We need this.

Everything from the amount of on-screen action right down to the badass weapon used in the beginning has us pumped. What say you all?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Now that Link's Crossbow Training is coming out in the region that matters (Japan), Nintendo has begun promoting it with one of their "Iwata Asks" interview series. This time, Shigeru Miyamoto is back in the hot seat -- and at the beginning of the interview, he expresses surprise that producers Takashi Tezuka and Eiji Aonuma aren't there as well.

Right away, the surprises begin. Describing his motivation for Link's Crossbow Training, which he sees as an introduction to the FPS genre, Miyamoto reveals himself to be an FPS fan: "I've always been into first person shooter (FPS) style games, 3D games in which you can walk around freely and see things from your own point of view. " He describes the perspective as "more comfortable, more natural," and then upturns the interview's tea table, saying that he originally wanted The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to be in first-person.

Since this is an interview between Iwata and Miyamoto, you know that can't be the only awesome quote. There's a bit in there about explaining Link's gun use with a Terminator-esque story. You should really just go read the whole thing.

A mysterious tipster sent a rumor in to GoNintendo that a retailer database now lists a product called Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii. GoNintendo's RawMeatCowboy speculates that this would be "Prime 1, (2), and 3 all on the Wii ... but Prime 1 and 2 with all-new Wiimote controls."

We believe that, if this is a real product, it's a lot more likely that it's the three Prime games ... in a new box! Or maybe even in the same boxes, but with those inside a new box! Not that that's a bad thing -- the Prime games are very high-quality (even if you hate first-person!), and quite reminiscent of the real Metroids. The first two are definitely among the best GameCube games, and any opportunity to get them in new Wii owners' hands would be welcome.

High Voltage Software has been hard at work with the Wii, apparently, as their tech demo above shows. The stuff they've done with the water is especially nice, we believe. But, a tech demo is just a tech demo, right? Correct, but what's interesting is that they are hoping the in-house engine that powers this tech demo will be used in their upcoming game, The Conduit.

Now, we say "hope" because The Conduit doesn't have a publisher yet, so there's no guarantee it'll release. And from the tech demo above, and the screens that IGN has (we've tucked a few past the break), we're of the mind that this game needs a publisher. We'd like more than one good FPS on the console.

Should you need a good dose of point and shoot in your games library, you might feel inclined to take advantage of Amazon's "Deal of the Day." At $32.99, you can shoot up some Nazis for pretty cheaply by getting the Wii version of Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. We think it's a pretty good game (unless you live in Australia), and it used to be Dave's favorite Wii title to play on Game Night until that Nintendo brawler came out.

Does anyone think that they'll bite on today's deal? If so, just make sure you do it before 3am EDT.

The last we heard, Capcom's on-rails homage to the Resident Evil series was nearing one million sales. Capcom made the news official today, though, reporting that Umbrella Chronicles finally reached the lofty landmark.

After being available at retail for only four months, the game has shipped one million copies worldwide. Yes, that's "shipped" and not "sold," but it's still impressive despite the technicality.

Most of us at Nintendo Wii Fanboy loved the zombie shooter (then again, we're big fans of the Resident Evil series), but we know some of you didn't like the on-rails experience. Even so, it's always good to see third parties succeeding.

This is Capcom's second game to break one million on the Wii -- the first, of course, being the company's other Biohazard game, the Resident Evil 4 port.