Wii Rally

Some Florida libraries are hoping to attract more teenagers to the library by adding a Nintendo Wii. It shouldn’t be a revelation that a lot of teens play more video games than they read. Librarians hope this innovative approach will get teens to want to read more.

Each weekend the libraries will hold events that surround playing cooperative and team building games on the Wii. Since only so many teens will be able to play the system at once, other teens will have to mull around waiting for their turn. They might pass the time talking with their friends(quietly..after all it’s a library) or they might even pick up a book to thumb through.

It’s an innovative idea that might work. If they can get some game strategy guides onto the shelves then there is a better chance that at least some type of books will be looked at or even checked out.

Have you seen this crazy eBay auction for Guitar Hero III for the Wii?

The $90 game and controller fetched over $9,000. But like every outrageous auction on eBay, there is a story behind it that must be the reason several people bid that much for it. Apparently a father spent a lot of time hunting down Guitar Hero III for the Wii as a Christmas gift for his 15-year-old son. He was really excited when he found the game. When returning home from shopping, the father found his son and two of his friends smoking pot in the backyard. This action placed his son on the naughty list and to teach him a lesson, the father decided to sell the present on eBay.

It sold for $9100.01, and the buyer is not that online casino that seems to buy every crazy auction item that comes along. Who knows if the winner will pay. Since this auction has garnered the national spotlight, being the high bidder could be very good for traffic for your own listings.

It seems the father and son are doing OK. In fact, the father wanted to pull the auction because of privacy issues for his son, but his son told him not to. It will be interesting to see if the high bidder pays and if the son gets Guitar Hero III for Christmas from some third party. I have some advice for that Dad: hold out for Rock Band to come out on the Wii. Your son will love it a lot more than Guitar Hero III.

Science fiction dominates this week’s new offerings on the Wii Shop.

Cybernator (SNES®, 1 player, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points)

Alien Storm™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points)

Monster Lair (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 800 Wii Points)

The Donkey Kong monster truck made its debut earlier this month at a Monster Jam event in Minneapolis, MN. The truck inspired be the beloved Nintendo icon will be making an appearance at several Monster Jam shows around the country.

Monster Jam the game is also available for the Wii and feature 20 Monster Jam icons like Grave Digger and Blue Thunder. The Wii version is rated E and retails for $49.99.

Responding to the huge demand of Wiis and not enough supply, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime has announced that consumers who pay the full price for a Wii by next weekend will be issued a rain check and will hopefully have a Wii in their hands by the end of January. Rain checks will be done in conjunction with Gamestop.

Meanwhile, employees at the Nintendo distribution center in North Bend, Washington are busy at work to meet the demand. An estimated 1.8 million Wiis are now being shipped each month.

It has been promised that a new shipment of Wiis will be in at least six major retailers this weekend, so there still is hope for those looking for the hottest console this Christmas to get their hands on one.

Because of the success and game play of the Nintendo Wii, 3DV, an Israel-based company, may have found a market for their 3D camera, the ZCam. The Zcam is a 3D camera for the personal computer that is so sensitive that even a flick of a finger can be a command. The camera can also sense depth, which gives a lot of game play potential for the Wii. Imagine running to escape some dire situation or having to creep across a high mountaintop.

The ZCam can actually put the players in the game. Early reports state the ZCam will be ready for mass production in 2008. No games have been announced that will use the ZCam. The sucess of the ZCam will largely depend upon game titles that support the device.

Apparently, people in the UK desperate for a Wii this holiday are traveling to France to buy one. The Wii is a hot Christmas item this year as it was last year. There’s few to be found in England, so those wishing to get one this holiday are making the trek to France where apparently there are plenty of Wii consoles for sale.

Let’s see. The furthest I’ve traveled for a Christmas present is probably 60 miles, and it was in state, definitely not out of the country. I guess traveling to France would be a better(and fun!) option than paying an outrageous price for one on eBay.

Did anyone catch the first few minutes of Boston Legal? It featured Denny and Alan playing Wii Sports, more specifically, Wii Tennis.

I was too busy to try to grab my camera to get a picture. The game was Wii Tennis that is part of Wii Sports that ships with the Wii. They played a two-person game that I believe Alan(James Spader) won. The Denny Crane(William Shatner) Mii was spot on. Maybe ABC will share it through the Check Mii Out channel.

It’s fun to see video games pop up in prime time.

Payday is a long way away, and I’m really wanting to buy a new Wii game. I’m limiting the amount I can spend to $20 for a new game. There are a few Wii games for under $20. Here is what I’ve found during my quest to spend money I really don’t need to spend right now.

Link’s Crossbow Training retails for less than $20 at Wal-Mart. It would be silly for me to buy this since I already own it but include it on the list for the sake of completeness.

Game Party features a mix of party games like darts, table hockey, and hoop shoot. Sounds like a nice title to make use of the Wiimote and an early frontrunner for my $20.

Cars is based on the Disney Pixar movie. It’s not the first game I found based on a movie for the Wii for under $20.
Surf’s Up is another movie-themed game as well as Happy Feet, Barnyard, Open Season, Spider-man 3, Shrek the Third, TMNT, Chicken Little: Ace in Action, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Ant Bully. The only one that remotely appeals to me is TMNT.

Rampage: Total Destruction also piques my interest. What’s not to like about playing a huge ape destroying a city?

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent might be intriguing but really not my favorite type of game.

The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy is a fighting game based on the popular Cartoon Network show.

Far Cry Vengeance is from the popular shooter series.

AMF Bowling Pinbusters is a bowling game that has more to it than the Wii Sports version.

Spy Games: Elevator Mission is another FPS that while may be a fine game just isn’t my style.

Mercury Meltdown Revolution is a cute puzzle game that will have you using the Wiimote to guide your ball of mercury around the playing area.

Ultimate Board Game Collection features plenty of board game fun.

Tamagotchi: Party On! is a 3D party game based on the Tamagotchi franchise.

BIONICLE Heroes is a game that is

While there are plenty of games for under $20 for the Wii, there are only a few of those that really appeal to me. At least it makes my choice easier.

Sport titles dominate this week of new offerings for the Wii. From boxing to basketball to bikes, there’s certainly a variety for sports fans. If sports isn’t your cup of tea, then selection is limited but at least it is there.

Showtime Boxing

Super Swing Golf Season 2

Indy 500 Legends

Kawasaki Quad Bikes

Kidz Sports: Basketball

Mythmakers: Orbs of Doom

Rig Racer 2

Three new games come to the virtual console this week. Pokemon fans will rejoice as the franchise makes its VC debut.

Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points)

Ghosts’n Goblins (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Animated Violence, 500 Wii Points)

BASEBALL STARS 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points)

Also, Wii owners can send a gift virtual console game to other Wii owners. All you need is to have their friend code. Don’t worry about purchasing a game they already have. If you choose a game your friend already has, you will be alerted to this fact and sent back to the Wii shop to pick out something else. That makes holiday shopping super easy. Now if everyone on my list just had a Wii.

Look for these titles that have arrived this week to store shelves around the US.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Godzilla Unleashed

Jenga

Alvin & the Chipmunks

The Golden Compass

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Just in time for the holidays, Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive announces that Trixie in Toyland has received approval from Nintendo. Trixie in Toyland is being created by their Wii development team that works under the label Popcorn Arcade.

The game is about the fearless Trixie, the Easter bunny cadet, as she single-handedly chases down Penumbra – the new tyrant of Toyland. It is up to Trixie to collect all the Myth Maker orbs. Use the Nunchuk to control Pixie and swing the Wii remote to bash the evil guys. Also complete Myth Maker quests by collecting hidden objects.

Trixie in Toyland can be played by up to four players and could be gold by the end of the year.

This week’s three new games to the Wii Shop may not have much in common but do sound pretty intriguing.

ZANAC (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points) is a vertically-scrolling shooter. Zanac must destroy the mechanized bases of the enemy forces. Zanac was originally released in 1986.

Eternal Champions™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points) is a 2D fighter that features 16 characters who have met an untimely death on Earth. Now they can battle it out to take on the eternal champion for a chance to avenge their death and return to Earth.

The Dynastic Hero (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points) is an action RPG featuring a cast of insect creatures. The insects have turned to Dyna to fight the evil-doers who have invaded their land. Besides fighting and battling your way through various levels, you will also be challenged to answer multiple choice questions that will help open up areas in the game.

Marketing research company Enterbrain is reporting that the PlayStation 3 outsold the Nintendo Wii in Japan. In the four weeks ending Nov. 25, Sony Corp. sold 183,217 PS3s in Japan, while Nintendo sold 159,193 Wii consoles. Nice holiday news indeed for Sony.

With a price drop plus a new, low price 40GB version of the PS3, the PS3 has been selling well this holiday season. The PS3 has struggled to find its place and has been overcast by the lower-priced Nintendo Wii and even the lower-priced, older Xbox 360. But things seem to be turning around for Sony. The PS2 was such a dominant console in the market that I’m sure it’s been disheartening to Sony to see the next gen struggle to find footing in the marketplace. It seems they are finally learning what consumers want: an affordable console. The PS3 is slick, delivers great graphics and game play, but with a higher price has been unattainable for many.

The Nintendo Wii hasn’t had to make any price adjustments since release dates and has done extremely well. Production has been increased at least three times, and Nintendo is still not able to meet the holiday demands. The PS3 and Xbox 360 might have more bells and whistles when it comes to hardware, there’s no denying that the Wii appeals to both gamers and non-gamers alike. I’m sure Nintendo isn’t too worried about being outsold by Sony this time. If it becomes the norm, then it will be interesting to see if Nintendo drops the price on the Wii in response.