Megaton News

More Here

From Reuters…

Nintendo, which is striving to meet Wii demand more than a year after the machine first went on sale, was also trying to discourage the practice of bundling the consoles with extra games or accessories and selling it for a higher price.

A Wii by itself sells for $250 — cheaper than Microsoft Corp’s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Xbox 360 and Sony Corp’s (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) PlayStation 3 — but some retailers have offered bundles priced for double that price.

“Retailers have already been given feedback that we are not big fans of that. We think it masks some of the price advantage we have versus our competition and, frankly, the consumer should decide what they want,” Fils-Aime said.

Asked if Nintendo had threatened such retailers with fewer Wii shipments, Fils-Aime said only that the company carried a lot of weight as maker of one of the most highly sought items this holiday season. 

“We don’t have to remind retailers of the strength we have right now. We are simply making an observation and that reinforces our point quite nicely with retailers,” Fils-Aime said.

Nintendo’s top priority was to satisfy Wii demand because the issue was an obstacle to future plans, Fils-Aime said.

Unable to accurately forecast how many Wiis will be sold in the coming months, Nintendo is finding it difficult to plan for new games, such as “Wii Fit,” an upcoming physical exercise game that uses a pressure-sensitive board.

“We at Nintendo America are focused on getting to the point when any consumer can walk into any of our retailers and find a Wii. Then we can plan, on an ongoing basis, the rest of the business,” Fils-Aime said.

More Here

And listen to Porky’s Theme here

Cybernator (SNES, 1 player, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): It is the near future. Resources are dwindling, and the major powers of the world are in dispute over territory. Pilot the Cybernator G5-E for the 95th brigade of the mechanized marines and throw yourself into the war. Get briefed before each mission to confirm your targets, and then do your best to clear each of the seven stages, freely using the suit’s equipped tools and four types of weaponry. By collecting the “power chips” left by defeated enemies, it is also possible to reinforce each weapon up to a maximum of three levels. It is left to your judgment as to whether to reinforce a specific weapon or to power up all weapons simultaneously, adding a bit of strategy to the nonstop action. The powerful background music, military-like atmosphere (look for bullet marks on the walls and the strained communication during combat) and intense story development combine to give the world of Cybernator a gritty, sci-fi feel that you won’t soon forget.

Alien Storm (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Shape-shifting aliens have infiltrated the city, creating chaos and panic! Fortunately, a trio of heroes called the Alien Busters has agreed to wipe out the invading creatures. The members of the team wield their own special attacks, and they unload a world of hurt on the Martian menaces from the city streets to the mother ship. Gordon, a tough guy with a bazooka, has a special gunship attack, while Karla has a flamethrower for alien crisping, though she prefers to use her special ballistic-missile attack. Finally, Slammer the robot can self-destruct at will and attacks the intruders with an electric whip and other devices. Take the aliens by storm and save your city.

Monster Lair (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 800 Wii Points): Join young Adam and Laura as they embark on a fantastic adventure in this comical action/shooting game. Featuring beautiful music brought to life by the power of the CD-ROM, the game consists of 14 rounds packed with cute monster enemies. Players can either play alone as Adam (or play with a friend controlling Laura) as they battle their way through round after round. The first half of each round is the action scene, where players must avoid obstacles and pits. Use your Power Boost weapons against enemies and restore your Life Force with food as you head for the gate at the end. The second half is the exhilarating shooting scene, where players must shoot down flying enemies. Take out the boss at the end to clear the round and move to the next one.

More Here

For those of you finding it impossible to find a Wii for Christmas Nintendo is offering rainchecks. From Chris Koeler: 

To help assuage consumers’ complaints that they can’t find a Wii, Nintendo announced this morning that they will begin a ‘Wii Raincheck’ program. If you pay in full for a Wii before Christmas, you can get a raincheck that you’ll be able to redeem for a Wii in January.

Fils-Aime said that the program will be run entirely through retailer GameStop, who he says has “many tens of thousands” of certificates.

The program, says Fils-Aime, is for people who want “something to put under the tree.”

“A certificate needs to be matched to a specific Wii which needs to be matched to a specific store. Only this retailer has the ability to pull off such a program,” said Fils-Aime in regards to why GameStop will be the exclusive partner for this initiative.

Reggie Fils-Aime also said this morning that Wii will be available this weekend in many stores, advertised in circulars for Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

Select Game Sales Outside The Top 10

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games 330,000
360 Rock Band 312,000
Wii Zapper With Link’s Crossbow Training  232,000
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga 180,000
High School Musical 180,000
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles 120,000
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune 117,000
PS3 Rock Band 70,000
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 65,600

U.S. LTD’s

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption ~500,000
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure 35,000

Console-Software Tie Ratios

360 6.85
PS3 4.01
Wii 3.86 (not including Wii Sports)

Link, Link, Link, Link, & Link

More Here

More Here

More Here

More Here

Listen To The Ice Climber Music Here