Nintendo Wii Fanboy

No, you didn't misread the title of this post; it's not another edition of Born for Wii for today. Yet, the title is still a bit misleading, as we really should have said that the Dark Room Sex Game is "Porn for Wii Remote."

Created for the Nordic Game Jam at the IT University at Copenhagen (which had a theme of "taboo" this year), players can either use Wiimotes or a keyboard to play this PC title. Even though it's a "sex" game, there are no visuals in Dark Room (only audio). The objective is to find a "mutual rhythm" with your partner, and then gradually speed up until -- well, we probably don't need to spell out the rest. Four players can also take part simultaneously in Orgy Mode, during which you "swap partners randomly and compete to reach orgasm the fastest."

Part of the inspiration behind Dark Room, apparently, was the phallic shape (and rumble) of the Wiimote. The team behind it hoped to make players feel embarrassed but satisfied, and believes that the use of imagination in the game is more erotic than using raunchy graphics. We're not so sure, though, that some hormone-driven teenagers would agree.

Note: The audio (and audio only) in the video above is NSFW. Also, the reaction of the person watching Dark Room Sex Game is absolutely hilarious.

[Via MTV Multiplayer]

Not a PC gamer, eh? Don't worry -- one of the best (and funniest) PC adventure games is heading Wii-ward this August. There's not much that Telltale or Dreamcatcher can reveal about Sam & Max: Season One, considering it's a port and all. To make up for it, though, they tossed in some fresh screens for adventure fiends to check out.

They're in our gallery below, so hit that up for new pics.

Microsoft and Sony might -- might being the keyword -- have Wiimote-esque plans in the works, but there's another platform that we failed to consider tapping into the motion control scheme: PCs. GoLive2 has created a controller that looks eerily similar to Nintendo's, called Stix. Although these bad boys (the 200 model is for 2D games while the 400 model is for 3D) were announced last week, they won't hit retail until August.

We're not sure if PCs need motion controls, but it's an intersting concept. After trying out the controllers, though, MTV Multiplayer's Patrick Klepek described the experience as "touchy," which sounds ... not good. They also don't come cheap, as the 200 retails for $39.99 and the 400 for $49.99.

Are any of you Wiimote lovers excited to try this out on your computers, or do you think it's just a silly idea?

[Via MTV Multiplayer]

When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote his famous philosophical work Beyond Good and Evil in the late 19th century, odds are he didn't think that it would be a source of inspiration for video games over a century later. Namco proved him wrong with their trilogy of Xenosaga RPGs, each of which had a subtitle referencing a Nietzsche work (such as "Jenseits von Gut und Böse"). But it's another wannabe trilogy that owes its moniker to Nietzsche that's up for recognition.

Beyond Good & Evil was published at the height of the Christmas rush in December 2003, and despite its war-on-all-fronts release on the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC, it simply failed to sell. The game received widespread critical acclaim, but competition from other games caused it to be given a jarring price drop mere weeks after its release. Even so, those in the know played Beyond Good & Evil and saw it for what it was -- a fantastic adventure with a unique world and an appealing cast of heroes. And though it took four years, Ubisoft finally gave a sequel the green light -- so it's time to show the original game some much-deserved love.

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!

Earlier this week, we shared with you videos from Ubisoft newly announced WiiWare title, Protöthea, and the game looked, at best, boring, at worst, awful. Seeing this trailer for the original 2005 PC game which the WiiWare release will be a remake of, however, has given us a new hope. This looks about a hojillion times more exciting than the clips IGN trotted out for us to preview!

Further improving our opinion of Protöthea, the original PC game was Cartoon Network's Project Goldmaster winner at the 2005 Independent Games Festival, rewarding developer Digital Builders an opportunity to create a game based on a Cartoon Network license. Knowing all this, maybe the screenshots in the gallery we've included below will seem more interesting to you.

Protöthea was supposed to launch with WiiWare, according to IGN, but we didn't see the title on the list posted earlier today, so who knows when the shmup will be thrown onto Nintendo's download service. While we wait around for someone to announce a release date, spend a moment to leave us a comment on whether or not this trailer has changed your opinion on the game.


[Via GoNintendo]

Check out the awesome in-game video of the stage in action after the break, along with some other screens. You can also download the stage here at the UT3 forums.

Modder rareemotionz performed some big-time science and made a beautiful hybrid Wii-PC thing. Well, actually it's just a Wii crammed into a high-end PC's case, but the case matches the Wii nicely. The Wii is connected to the PC's video out via a GameBridge device, making it possible to switch over the display to the Wii in Windows. Despite labeling this creation as both the ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE and HANDS DOWN THE BEST OUT!! in custom PCs, rareemotionz has seen fit to let his beloved contraption out into the wild on eBay.

We could see such a convergence device being of use to Wiimote-ologists like our own Mike Sylvester, who spend enough time going between the computer and the system to benefit from a merged unit. We also see this unit as proof that the Wii really does look like an internal disc drive. Look, there it is as an internal disc drive!

[Via GameSniped]

SE2 Labs isn't afraid to toot its own horn with the ITC One, introducing this monster of a home entertainment system on its site with, "ITC One. Hello, awesomeness." The AV company has no problem attaching a luxury price to the all-in-one theatre box, either, suggesting a $50,000 tag for a full-featured model.

In addition to the Wii and Xbox 360 packed right next to each other (that can't be great for heat management), the ITC One has an iPod with a universal dock, a 4.3" touch screen, Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, an ICEpower D-Class amp, a DirecTV HD DVR, a Brystron DSP, and enough inputs and outputs in the back to plug in every single device in your home. With all that and more, it's easy to see why SE2 Labs feels it can confidently claim that they've jammed in "every high-end component you need."

Interestingly, the current design doesn't allow users to access the Wii's GameCube ports, so you can cross GameCube compatibility from the ITC One's long list of features. Siliconera had a chance to speak with SE2 at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show, and asked CEO Michael Pyle why the low-end Wii was included with the high-end system. Pyle responded, "It fit in there, so we figured, why not?"

SE2 Labs plans to offer a base model of the ITC One without the Wii and other components for the low price of $19,900. Sounds like a steal to us! Bring your moneybags past the break for a couple more photos of the ITC One.

We may have seen a giant NES controller that can actually be used to play the system, but some Swedish students have just given us an entirely new reason to want such an oversized object in our homes. This time, the giant controller is being used as a case mod for a working PC.

The students put this together for 1500 Kronor (about $300 USD), so we imagine that the specs aren't all too great, but it's still over 9,000 times cooler than anything we've ever done. Nerd your way past the break to see more pics of this giant wonder.

If you've ever been interested in purchasing a computer encased in a NES console, now's your chance. This mod is for sale via Ebay France (click here to see the page in English), but the seller will ship internationally as well. We may have seen stuff like this before, but usually we don't have a chance to bid on one ourselves.

For those of you like us who've developed more of a "look but don't touch" policy when it comes to cool mods, and therefore have no interest in bidding, check after the break to see more pictures and a video of this PC in action.

Many may profess that iTunes is the ultimate application for listening to music on the PC. For us, Winamp has always been (and probably always will be) where it's at. And, we're quite happy to report that Winamp now works with the Wii.

Users then can do a little thing here or there, point their Wii's web browser to here and stream music directly from their internet-enabled PC. You can also allow other users to stream content from your PC set up on the Wii, allowing them to check out video and music from your host machine.

Technology, ain't she grand?

When you limit your compilation of computing wonders of the world to a mere seven, you're going to become quite familiar with lists. Crossing things off and comparing/contrasting will become second nature to you, as your discerning eye will evolve into an almost superhuman sense.

And that's what PC Mag's Lance Ulanoff has just finished doing. In drafting up this feature, securing the Wii as number two on his illustrious list must've been difficult. Citing the motion-sensitive controls and drama surrounding Nintendo's ability to bring the supply up to the demand as the main reasons for its fascination, Lance forgot to mention that the Wii is damn near the best time one can have with company anymore. Not since Pictionary can we think of such a universally enjoyed social activity.

[Thanks, Neal! We had ourselves a good laugh at this.]

This Akihabara store display contains a Super Famicom that has been gutted and turned into a Windows PC. We already love the idea of making boring, ugly things like computers look less boring and ugly by cramming them inside game consoles. But what really makes this mod a winner is the custom label on the hollowed-out cartridge.

The fact that it actually appears to run Windows XP is the hilarious icing on the cake. Oh! Maybe it's really Windows Vista, but made to look like XP! You know, in keeping with the retro-camouflage theme!

[Via Gizmodo]

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

In the coming weeks, I'll be detailing the process of writing a GlovePIE script, from concept, through testing, to completion. You will see that it's not so tough to get something running, and I hope you'll also get a better understanding of the mechanics of the hardware inside the Wii Remote and its accessories.

This time around, I'll be deconstructing the simplest of the GlovePIE scripts I've written to date, but also one of the most rewarding -- Alien Hominid.