In an interview with WiiRInControl, High Voltage's Eric Nofsinger hints that the next title might be an RPG for the Wii. “That really is another area [RPGs] that can use a shot in the arm I feel," he said. "Keep your eyes peeled because in the near future we’ll be announcing some other titles that we’ve already got underway in development."

He then goes back to the Wii-needs-better-games-and-we're-the-answer line, which has been part of the High Voltage company story for some time.

We feel that there are a number of genres that are poorly represented on the Wii for core gamers. We want to do games that are high quality. You know, that’s what we are. I think it’s a shame for what is our personal favorite system to be so underrepresented when it comes to core gamers.

RPGs for Wii from High Voltage Software? "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" [WiiRInControl]

“The Conduit is one of the most talked-about Wii games this year and High Voltage Software has only scratched the surface of the game in terms of what they have shown so far...They have proven that graphical and technological innovation can be exciting to the Wii market, and SEGA is thrilled to partner with a team that truly shares our belief in the Wii’s gaming potential beyond the casual market.”

I'd have to agree wholeheartedly. The Conduit is the most exciting thing the Wii has going for it right now. Nice catch, Sega! Hit the jump for the full press release, along with some juice new screens of The Conduit in action.

SEGA Gets Zapped by High Voltage with The Conduit

SEGA to Publish Highly Anticipated Wii Title in Spring 2009

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON—(BUSINESS WIRE)—SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® of Europe Ltd. today announced a worldwide partnership with High Voltage Software to publish and distribute the Wii™ home video game system-exclusive title, The Conduit. The first-person shooter garnered multiple awards at E3 2008, including Best Wii Game by GameTrailers and three awards from IGN: Best Shooting Game (Wii), Best Graphics Technology (Wii) and Best Overall Wii Game. The Conduit is a stunning, futuristic title powered by a new game engine technology that delivers remarkable visuals and effects, as well as a rich interactive experience that is unlike any other title on the Wii.

“The Conduit is one of the most talked-about Wii games this year and High Voltage Software has only scratched the surface of the game in terms of what they have shown so far,” says Simon Jeffery, President of SEGA of America, Inc. “They have proven that graphical and technological innovation can be exciting to the Wii market, and SEGA is thrilled to partner with a team that truly shares our belief in the Wii’s gaming potential beyond the casual market.”

“High Voltage Software's partnership with SEGA to publish The Conduit represents an important milestone for this studio,” said Kerry Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software, Inc. “SEGA shares our vision for the title and its tremendous potential, which is why we chose them from a long list of potential partners. With their support, we are confident that The Conduit will deliver the definitive shooter experience that Wii fans have been waiting for.”

The Conduit takes players into a dark story in Washington D.C. after a vicious alien invasion has rocked the country. An organization called the Trust has sent in Secret Service agent, Mr. Ford, to go up against the insect-like alien race known as “The Drudge.” Armed with an array of futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device simply called the “All-Seeing Eye,” players follow an intricate storyline filled with conspiracy, shady government activity and terrifying aliens.

The Conduit’s detailed control system allows players to customize and configure look sensitivity, turning speed, the dead zone and much more. As players delve further into the mystery behind the extraterrestrial invasion, shocking details reveal that the invasion may have been brought on with help from the government itself.

Powered by High Voltage Software’s groundbreaking Quantum 3 engine, The Conduit ensures that players will experience single and multiplayer gameplay with graphical fidelity never seen before on the Wii. The Conduit will also support the recently announced Wii Speak peripheral, allowing online multiplayer gamers the ability to chat as they destroy aliens in each terrifying level. Additionally, the game will take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus for optimal control.

We've contacted Sega reps about the company's plans to publish The Conduit, but have yet to hear back from them. We'll let you know when and if we do.

Then we have Kevin Sorbo and his magnificent hair. Kevin will be voicing the terrorist Prometheus. Kevin "Kull" Sorbo, playing a terrorist. Bold move, High Voltage.

THE CONDUIT GOES HOLLYWOOD

High Voltage Software announces the voice-actors appearing in The Conduit

Hoffman Estates, IL – October 14, 2008 - High Voltage Software, Inc., one of the world's largest independent developers, today officially revealed the Hollywood voice-over cast of their exciting first-person action shooter, The Conduit.

Mark A. Sheppard stars as the voice of the main character, Mr. Ford. A British-born actor and musician, Sheppard’s TV credits include Battlestar Galactica, 24, Medium, Firefly, Burn Notice, CSI and The Bionic Woman. His film credits include Unstoppable, Evil Eyes, and In the Name of the Father.

“I think the story in this [The Conduit] is fantastic,” said Sheppard. “I think there’s a lot there for the player to enjoy.”

William Morgan Sheppard puts his incredible voice to the character of John Adams. William Morgan Sheppard spent 12 years as an Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company. His TV credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and Kingdom Hospital. His film credits include Star Trek VI, The Prestige and Transformers. His video game credits include Medal of Honor, Metal Gear Solid 2, Escape from Monkey Island and Star Wars: Force Commander.

“It [The Conduit] has a resonance to it as a story;” said Morgan Sheppard. “It’s really quite exciting… and very well written.”

Last and definitely not least is Kevin Sorbo, who stars as the voice of the terrorist Prometheus. Sorbo is an American actor best known for the roles of Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda. His film credits include Kull the Conqueror, Avenging Angel, Prairie Fever, Meet the Spartans and An American Carol.

“It [The Conduit] looks like a riot,” said Sorbo, “I’m looking forward to it.”

The Conduit is tentatively scheduled for release in Q1 2009 exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.
###

DSi Not Bound for US Until Well Into Next Year
EA May Have Gotten Early Look at DSi, New WiiWare Announcement Today
Tetris Party, Boingz Coming to WiiWare, World of Goo Dated
MadWorld Still Not Playable (In the US at Least)
The Conduit - Still Going Strong
Boingz: The Game Where You Play as a Condom
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop Makes Me Sad
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - Not a Looker, But She's Got Heart
Cave Story - Everything That's Old Is New Again
Call of Duty: World At War - None Dare Call It Call of Duty 5
Tetris Party - Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

While all that was making my head explode going on, I also got the chance for some quality time with Mirror's Edge and Gears of War 2. Oh, and I also got my hands on NXE - it was pretty sweet.

I'm going to go feed on something else now - preferably pizza. Fahey got me stuck on pizza.

Less than two builds later, The Conduit looks worlds better. All of the graphics have been smoothed over thanks to new detail mapping, which also gets rid of those pesky blurring textures on walls and stuff. The lighting and colors have been tweaked so that a real sense of atmosphere comes through as you play. And we can finally see what the All Seeing Eye tool is supposed to do when you use it to search for hidden passages and enemies; something I didn’t get to try during my last whirlwind tour of the Wii FPS.

I started this demo somewhere underneath one of the government buildings in Washington (maybe the Pentagon). The long, dark corridors were moody and tense as orders were being given to me over an earpiece about where to go and who to shoot at. Gas-masked foes jumped out from behind crates and steel doorways, bringing on a rush of Time Crisis nostalgia as I gunned ‘em down.

I had to stop and fiddle with the motion controls a bit (mostly just to slow the turning speed). It was every bit as responsive and in-depth as I remembered, letting me set up the control scheme nearly any way I could think of. (I have a sneaking suspicion that The Conduit it would have worked out fine even without MotionPlus).

A “soft” targeting reticule was added to this build and there’s now an objective compass that tells you how far (and in which direction) your goal is. Facing a guy and holding down Z brings up a loose box around the enemy as well as a gauge that gives a rough estimate of his HP. Let go of Z and the reticule vanishes (that also seems to happen if the target gets too far out of range). So by “soft” reticule, High Voltage means you still have to work if you wanna shoot someone.

After finishing off or chasing away all of the gas mask guys, I came to what looked like a dead end and busted out the All Seeing Eye to look for a clue. I had to walk back along the corridor until I saw something flash on the wall and a yellow icon light up on screen. Using the All Seeing Eye, I triggered a secret lock that had me aligning semi-circles around an illuminati pyramid before a panel slid open to reveal a secret passage. At the end of the passage, a short cutscene showed one of the gas mask dudes getting disemboweled by an alien and then I was back to running through shadowy corridors, looking for more clues and more people to shoot.

Before, I compared this game to Turok. What I meant by that was, The Conduit evoked the marvelous feeling that Nintendo FPS games can hold their own against anything Sony comes up with (which I used to believe back when I was 13). I may be more jaded now (and a proud PS3 owner), but I honestly think when I look at The Conduit that I am looking at one of the best shooters anyone could ask for on any console.

Even better is the idea of multiplayer. No one’s gotten a look at this yet, but we have heard that WiiSpeak is being incorporated into this part of the game. Even if it weren’t, I’d still be stoked for multiplayer because if campaign mode is any indicator, The Conduit multiplayer stands to be the next GoldenEye. Which means two of my favorite N64 shooters will have been reenacted. Which means my wallet will be lighter. How about yours?

The Conduit - Tech Highlight Trailer [Gametrailers.com]

“We’re hooking it [MotionPlus] up,” Nofsinger told Multiplayer. “We want to support it. Probably for this version of the game there’s not going to be a whole ton of really extensive use of the Wii MotionPlus. For the sequel to the game, we definitely do want to incorporate more melee and things like that. We want to support it.”

Earlier this month, reports said High Voltage would push to start work on a sequel once they got a publisher for the first, and that an announcement of the publisher should be coming soon.

The Conduit Already has MotionPlus Support, WiiSpeak Too [MTV Multiplayer via GoNintendo]

“From the start of the project our primary goal has been to make the definitive first person shooter for the Wii, and specifically for core gamers. Asking core gamers for their input is just a logical extension of that rationale,” commented Kerry J. Ganofsky, Chief Executive Officer.

To enter you need to come up with a control scheme that uses a standard Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination. Gamers need to include the following functions:

1. Move Forward/Back
2. Strafe Left/Right
3. Jump/Activate
4. Shoot Weapon
5. Target Lock
6. Crouch
7. Reload Weapon
8. Scope/Binocular Mode
9. Switch Between Weapons Carried
10. Switch Between Grenades Carried
11. Pause Menu
12. Swap Between Weapon Carried and Weapon on Ground
13. Equip ASE (All-Seeing-Eye) / Special
14. Aim Reticule/Turn Camera
15. Melee Attack
16. Throw Grenade

Entries also need to suggest Wii motions to trigger actions.

Entries should be sent to Feedback@High-Voltage.com with the subject line of “Conduit Controller Mapping Contest”. Winning entries will be made available for selection through the UI as official controller schemes for The Conduit, with appropriate in-game credit given to their creators.

Contest entries must be received prior to November 14, 2008. Entries using duplicate schemes will be awarded based on whichever was received first. Winners grant permission to High Voltage Software (HVS) to use his/her name for professional and promotional purposes. All entries become the property of HVS and under no conditions does HVS promise any financial or monetary compensation to those who enter.

WiiHD, which has been an impassioned anti-friend code voice in the past, delved into and transcribed a podcast from Nintendo Radio, regarding The Conduit, and it doesn't like what it hears. The title "probably will" require them for multiplayer, according to developer High Voltage Studios.

High Voltage insists it's going to lengths to make this process as easy and streamlined as possible. But it points out that this is Nintendo's field and they have to play ball on it. Although the two designers interviewed said they are no fan of the codes, "it's [Nintendo's] console, which we have to have their permission and their sign-off for whatever we put into the game. And if Friend Codes are what is, [that's what it] is gonna be."

The Conduit is still publisher-less, which means High Voltage would have less leverage on the Friend Code/No Code question — and close to zero if that publisher turns out to be Nintendo itself, as WiiHD surmises.

Death of The Conduit? [WiiHD]

Full disclosure, I do not own a Wii and so I'm talking a little out of class about the Friend Code experience. I do know that Googling "friend codes suck" returns about 1,000 pages.

The Conduit, in case you’ve never heard of it, is a futuristic sci-fi shooter aimed at core gamers. That might seem weird, then, that it’s only on the Wii, but developer High Voltage Software is convinced that the Wii is where it’s at for shooters on the count of the controls being so intuitive. I wasn’t going to argue with them on that point, but I heard myself muttering “Not Red Steel – please not another Red Steel…”

Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger (who was running the PAX demo) heard me too. “Oh no,” he said. “Definitely not that.” He showed me the menu wherein players can set the Wiimote sensitivity for everything from turning speed to reticule motion when firing. This is great for klutzes like me that tend to flail when being shot at, but it didn’t do too much for the realism of shooting, really. The Wiimote has limitations, after all, most of which Red Steel demonstrated. At length. *sigh*

I didn’t have too much success actually killing aliens Saturday, but that had more to do with me getting lost in the demo level than with difficulty. The guy before me had stopped playing at some point in a narrow hallway and I had a hell of a time finding the fallen-in wall that was my exit. Once I finally got out onto a street, a shot cutscene showed me a big spider-looking boss that I was supposed to kill. I shot at it with my glowing orange gun and for a moment, I felt like I was 14 again, playing Turok on my N64 (but here, the environments weren’t drawing in and there was no disco code to make the aliens dance).

The next day, I revealed myself to Eric as a Kotaku correspondent and got to watch him go through the whole demo so I could see what it really looked like from start to finish. Eric started out on a destroyed street littered with broken cars and was almost immediately confronted by aliens running towards him. A few headshots solved that problem, and we moved on to the dark hallway and then through to an alleyway out onto a street where the demo boss waited (and I don't need to tell you he did a much better job killing it dead than I did the day before).

Even though The Conduit was only in pre-alpha, it already looked way better than Red Steel. Certainly not as good as Metroid, but then, as Eric said, “That’d be like saying you’re better than Jesus.”

I asked about Wii MotionPlus because in theory that’d solve the realism problem. Eric told me Nintendo hadn’t handed over the goods quite yet, although they were expecting to get their hands on dev kit materials this week. At least Nintendo had been helpful in providing High Voltage with a way to incorporate a Wii chat for online multiplayer.

Eric went on to say that the idea was to create an in-depth shooter that didn’t dump a bunch of cutscene exposition on you. The actual cutscenes between levels will be short, sweet and to the points and, for people who have to have a story with their shooters, the levels are all peppered with little things you can find and interact with the get more of the story (radio broadcasts, TV shows, etc.). Kind of like Cloverfield, only without the motion-sickness camera.

I definitely got the feeling that the actual shooting was the star of the game. Not the story, the graphics or the multiplayer – although, that could change as The Conduit moves into the beta phase and actually adds multiplayer. And if what Eric said about aiming at core gamers is true, then The Conduit might be just want the doctor ordered for the Wii’s ailing shooter release list.

Screens below and keep your eyes peeled for a trailer later today:

The Wii is a really cool game system. It's worth better games than it's getting right now. There are some great games out there for the system, but it just seems like there's such an opportunity to do so much more with it. Considering it's such a popular system right now, it just doesn't make sense to not focus on making really quality games.

Matt, be a dear and fwd that onto Ubisoft and THQ, would you? A Conduit dev walkthrough's after the jump if you're at all interested.

High Voltage's Corso: Wii Deserves Better Games Than It's Getting [Gamasutra]

Also, a Q&A with High Voltage's software development director gives a few more details on the game itself, including:

• Three modes for online play. Offline play is single-player. LAN multiplayer likely. They're trying to get voice chat online.
• Enemies use portals to bring in reinforcements; destroying them will be a key.
• Set in fictional Earth of the near future, the story takes on a dark conspiracy-theory tone that unravels pretty fast after you get sent to investigate an extra-terrestrial encounter. Think the X-Files with stranger weapons.
• Your adversaries are called The Drudge. I battle drudgery every day, lemme tell ya. ...

Hit the jump for the eye candy.

The Conduit Information Center: Interview Qs and As [The Conduit Information Center, thanks Karasu is my Homeboy]

"Deathmatch Authorized," ... "About damn time." Is that a message? Maybe someone's getting a little impatient?

The Conduit: Videos [IGN, thanks reader Mark L.]