Nintendo announced the release date for WiiWare in Japan as being March 25th, as in right around the corner. For those keeping stats, we’ll see WiiWare in the US on May 12th. Along with dating the service, Nintendo released a list of 9 launch titles for Japan:
Okiraku Ping Pong Wii – Arc System Works – (500 points)
In case the red God of War PSP isn’t your thing and you like importing gaming products from Japan, a new bronze PSP is coming. This new limited edition color comes out on April 24th. It looks almost like baby poo. Can’t say I’m a fan of this color.
To go along with this new SKU, Japan will be getting a cradle/dock for the PSP Slim. It will allow you to dock your PSP by your TV to watch videos on the big screen or listen to music on your stereo. The cradle will run 4,800 yen (about $47) by itself or 6,500 yen ($63) with bundled A/V cables.
No word if and when we’ll see this cradle in other parts of the world.
Looks like Japan is getting a getting a cool limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 that won’t make it State-side. According to IGN, Konami will be including a BluRay disc in this LE with all the released trailers and some behind the scenes footage of the game.
To go along with the limited edition game, Japan will be getting a special bundle, not too far off from what we’re getting here in North America. Except their bundle will include the LE copy of the game. And, oh yeah, it might be cool new color. Konami will be announcing more information later in March, but Japanese gamers might get a nice custom Solid Snake PS3 to go with the release of the game in June.
No word on whether we can expect a limited edition for Europe or North America. Stay tuned as Konami announces more details.
It’s early code on a test arcade machine, but Street Fighter 4 looks to shaping up nicely. I’m really glad they stuck with 2D. The animations looks fluid and I really like the art style. Can’t wait for this to ship State-side.
The Japanese PlayStation Store has been updated with demos for Lost Planet and Patapon. These demos didn’t make it over to Europe, and no word has been released yet on whether we can expect these in North America.
The Lost Planet demo is an 8 person online demo featuring deathmatch and team deathmatch. From what we’ve seen, the game has worse textures and framerate from it’s older 360 cousin. The Patapon demo looks to be similar to what’s available from Gamestop with pre-orders, but it’s all in Japanese. Trust me, being able to read and understand what’s going on in Patapon really helps.
We’ll keep you posted later today with the US PlayStation Store updates.
The good news first. If you are in US or Europe, the Skype update will come on time to coincide with the firmware update do out sometime at the end of the month. There is a problem with the Japanese microphones that is causing this delay. The apparently do not reach the standards for the Japanese release, yet the Western equivalent does. Hmm. Either way, sucks for Japan. Not sure how well Skype is going to do anyway, but its nice to see the Western hemi not get screwed once again.
Sony has announced that once current stock of 20GB and 60GB PS3’s are gone, they won’t be coming back to Japan. The only model that will remain is the sans backwards compatible 40GB SKU.
The company said that it now intends to concentrate on the 40GB model in the region as it “vigorously promotes” the home console during 2008.
Usually with Sony, whatever happens in Japan gets reflected in the rest of the world. Don’t be surprised to hear about this in the US and Europe sometime this year. Looks like backwards compatibility has gone the way of the dodo.
Japan will see a downloadable demo of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on the PS3 on October 20th (which happens to be this editor’s birthday). No word on the rest of the world, but I’d expect it to hit the US and Europe a few weeks later, as that’s the standard we’ve seen previously.
Translated from the latest edition of Famitsu:
release Dec 13
demo version from Oct 20
mysterious disguised GT-R will be driveable in the demo version
first time Daytona has been in the GT games
watch car info programmes from around the world on GT.TV
use points you gain from offline events in the final product to buy fascinating cars
Sounds good to me. Hopefully we see the demo and final release close to the same time Japan does.
Sony quietly dropped the release date for the PS3 version of LocoRoco at a post E3 event in Japan. The game will be released 9/21 in Japan, with no worldwide release or pricing set.
There are some major differences from the PSP version. You take control this time of a butterfly, or perhaps a group of butterfiles, known as “Cocoreccho.” By pressing the circle button, you can make the Cocoreccho shout “boo boo.” This makes the sleeping LocoRoco in your area wake up and come to you. Your goal is to lead the LocoRoco to the stage’s goal.
The game’s title, incidentally, tells the whole story. “Boo Boo” is what Cocoreccho say to make the LocoRoco come to them (”oideyo” is Japanese for ordering someone to come to you).
I’m very excited for this title, as the PSP version with insanely addicting. Even the cheesy music got stuck in your head.
The Wii fit when first released did not receive the reception that Nintendo had hoped for. Many people thought of this as a gimmick and another inferior product in the Wii’s short life. Apparently for our friends, in the far east, the Wii Fit is making Mothra type waves. Gameindustrybiz reports that Wii Fit is at the top of a most wanted game list conducted by polls afterE3:
1. Wii Fit
2. New PSP model
3. Gameplay demo of Metal Gear Solid 4
4. Upcoming software for the PlayStation 3
5. Upcoming software for the Xbox 360
6. Announcement of the Zapper for the Wii
7. Little Big Planet
8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
9. Peter Moore leaving Microsoft to go to EA
10. PlayStation Home
Also notice that there is only one Microsoft related tidbit on this list.
The good news first. If you are in US or Europe, the Skype update will come on time to coincide with the firmware update do out sometime at the end of the month. There is a problem with the Japanese microphones that is causing this delay. The apparently do not reach the standards for the Japanese release, yet the Western equivalent does. Hmm. Either way, sucks for Japan. Not sure how well Skype is going to do anyway, but its nice to see the Western hemi not get screwed once again.
The Wii fit when first released did not receive the reception that Nintendo had hoped for. Many people thought of this as a gimmick and another inferior product in the Wii’s short life. Apparently for our friends, in the far east, the Wii Fit is making Mothra type waves. 
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