Mark Turmell, whom ESPN.com said had been brought to BC to consult on the Wii port, will be working for EA Tiburon in Maitland, Fla. That's the home of EA's Madden and NCAA Football properties. In a Q&A posted by EA Sports, Turmell says he'll be the senior creative director in charge of Tiburon's Central Gameplay Group, and specifically says, "It doesn't get much better than working on EA football titles!"

It's quite likely Turmell began in a consulting role for one project and ended up with a full time gig in another. Bottom line, NBA Jam's creator is now directly associated with the company said to be bringing it to this year's consoles. EA gave us the "no comment on rumor or speculation," answer twice. But this public acknowledgment of Turmell tilts the needle toward a new NBA Jam as an EA Sports release.

The Pursuit of Perfection: Mark Turmell Brings Unparalleled Passion to EA SPORTS [EA Sports Blog]

Though you actually might want to, depending on your level of dedication to the ice cream retailer arts. Cold Stone Creamery: Scoop It Up from Zoo follows the tradition of other fine restaurant arcade titles, where customers give your orders and then you have to fill them. Once you run out of ice cream or toppings, mini-games help you replenish stock, and as you progress you unlock new cones, creams, and mix-ins.

The neatest thing about the game is being able to use two Wii remotes, one for each hand, which almost adds a VR feel to the proceedings.

It's not the greatest game in the world, and it really has little to do with Cold Stone Creamery, but I'm not quite as disappointed with this purchase as I have been with some others.

The Charge Base Quad IC is a new version of Nyko's normal Charge Base IC, supporting four Wii remotes instead of two. It comes in both white and black, and will be released in March with a SRP of $49.99.

The Intercooler Slim, due out next month for $19.99, is of course a cooling device that fits the smaller version of Sony's hardware, just as the Media Hub Slim, due in April for $19.99, is the slim version of the Media Hub, adding two USB slots, an SD and Memory Stick Pro reader, and a remote control to the PS3 Slim.

So no, the Nyko Wand+ isn't the only new product the company is showing off at CES. Just the most interesting.

A small, delicate statement issued by Capcom in the wake of Seux's comments reads:

Further to comments made in a recent article on French website Gamekult, Capcom would like to confirm its commitment as a multi-platform developer and publisher of interactive software.

Kind regards

Capcom's European PR Team

And that's it! Short, to the point. Curt, even. Antoine Seux, you have been officially rapped over the knuckles for being a silly sausage. Next time, exne on the wiisucksne when you're talking with the video games press.

(Though, you'll note they don't fall over themselves saying he was wrong...)

A thousand years after the original Crystal Chronicles the world has changed. The four races are three, with the now dominant plant-like Lilties having defeated the Yuke tribe of machine people in the Great War. Swords and spells have given way to guns and ammo, with magic outlawed and the few remaining practitioners - the Crystal Bearers - feared by normal society. Players take on the role of one such Crystal Bearer, the hero-for-hire Layle, as he embarks on a journey that will something something something fate of the world.

It's Final Fantasy. There's always an epic quest that involves the fate of the world. This time there's telekinesis. How'd that work out? Read on.

Loved
A Grand Adventure: At the core of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is a compelling story that managed to keep my attention despite all of distractions Square Enix threw in my way in the form of mini-games and side quests. The characters are entertaining, even if the voice acting is sub-par and some of them have serious character flaws (the main character, Layle, is a bit of a jerk). My only issue with the story is that just as it was getting really good, the game ended. I'd say around 10 hours of my 18 hour play time was spent completing the story, which seems a little short to me, but could just be an indicator of how much I enjoyed it and hated to see it go.

Everything Is Beautiful: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is a very pretty game. The environments are lush and colorful, the characters attractive and expressive, and your enemies are varied and unique, while still maintaining a bit of that Final Fantasy flavor. It's a little rough around the edges, but if you can look past some jaggies you'll see one of the most gorgeous games the Wii has to offer.

That's Telekinesis, Holmes: Layle's Crystal Bearer power is telekinesis, and I've not spent this much time picking things up and throwing them about since Konami released Elebits back in the early days of the Wii. You'll open doors, catch fish, pull up plants, control trains, and fight with your telekinesis, and aside from some control issues, it's a great deal of fun. Plus, if you get frustrated, you can always pick up an innocent civilian and fling them off a cliff. If you're looking for a Wii title that makes good use of the Wii remote, then look no further.

The Power To Movie Enemies: At first I was less than thrilled with the combat system in The Crystal Bearers. Picking up enemies and throwing them seemed a simplistic way to handle fighting in a game. It wasn't until an encounter with a pair of beetles that I began to understand the true potential of the system. By stunning one beetle and throwing it at the second, the two monsters connected into a ball, which I could then fling about the battlefield, doing damage to everything in its path. Ah, now I see. To get the most out of combat in The Crystal Bearers you need to experiment with the enemies and objects scattered about the battlefield. Some enemies grant you special attacks when held, while some items will kill enemies faster than others. It's a learning process, and with patience you'll find there's a great deal more to combat than simply picking things up and tossing them about.

The Joy Of Discovery: Exploration is a major aspect of The Crystal Bearers. Every location is riddled with little nooks and crannies, filled with treasure chests, new challenges, and small details that help add character to the lovely world you're playing in. One could spend hours simply running about discovering new things without advancing the story whatsoever.

It's The Little Things: The game is filled with little side quests and mini-games that can substantially increase the amount of time you spend playing the game. Activities like garden building and the always welcome chocobo races help keep the game from becoming too monotonous, while an extensive awards system will keep you exploring both the world and your options in combat, rewarding you with kudos for everything from catching certain fish to finding interesting new ways to dispatch your enemies.

Hated
There's Never Enough Time: While the game's battle system eventually grew on me, I never quite got used to the timed battles. Enemies appear in some areas during specific times of the day only, giving you a limited amount of time to dispatch your foes and earn the rewards for doing so before transitioning back to a more peaceful setting. Not only does it limit the amount of time you have to fool around with the telekinesis-powered combat system, it adds an element of frustration to the mix. Far too many times I found myself one enemy short of clearing an area, only to have the time shift occur, leaving me to either wait until the next shift or wander off to do other things.

Control Issues: The Crystal Bearers relies heavily on the Wii remote for just about everything you do, so when the Wii and your hand don't agree on which way you just flicked your wrist, the game suffers accordingly. This issue was particularly prevalent when the Wii remote was being flicked up or down, with a good 3 out of 10 strokes registering incorrectly. I also encountered some problems when trying to target enemies while holding a monster that shoots some sort of beam (fire, electricity, etc.). At times it seemed as if I was shooting behind character instead of in front of him. Square Enix does include options to adjust the sensitivity of the Wii remote, but I didn't notice much of a difference on any setting.

We Got Lost: A fair amount of my exploration was due to one simple fact - I was lost. There really isn't a map function, other than a word map where you're represented by a dot, and when your land and cityscapes are littered with those little nooks and crannies that make exploring so much fun, it's quite easy to get turned around.

While I enjoyed the various side quests and activities that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers provided, I can't shake the feeling that a lot of it is padding for a main adventure that isn't quite complete. This mainly stems from the fact that nearly 50% of the time I spent playing the game didn't involve the actual storyline. The feeling is deepened by the strange appearance of CGI cut scenes later in the game. The majority of the story is told using the in-game engine, but then suddenly there are two or three CGI scenes dropped in, giving me the impression that something was missing. Odd.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers comes off as more as a Final Fantasy activity book with a story running through it than a fully realized FF title, but the sights are lovely, the activities entertaining, and as long as you know what you're getting into you should have a good time.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers was developed and published by Square Enix for the Wii on December 26th. Retails for $49.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through the story mode once.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The TV maker says that its new LE9500 and PK950 sets "incorporate a unique 'Magic Wand' remote system that provides an immersive interaction with the set." The interface "brings together menus, component controls and even embedded games, which can be accessed using a simple remote that combines minimal buttons and gestures to control the on-screen activity, mirroring a 'Wii-like' experience."

That would mean the circle is now complete, is it not? The Wii Remote, inspired by the television remote, has become the inspiration for a new way to control our high-def displays.

We've seen more than our share of motion control attempts at CES, few of them something we'd prefer to use outside of a convention center. But we'll be hitting up LG's booth to see if we can experience the "magic" of controlling a television this way later this week.

Sega announced on its official blog today that players' Miis will be part of the racing lineup, likewise taking advantage of special moves afforded to all competitors. Apparently, that includes being trundled by four pallbearer Miis across the finish line (pictured). Not sure how that's faster exactly, but it's funny.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing will release Feb. 23 on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS.

Race As Your Mii on the Wii Version of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing! [Sega America Blog]

The company is so enthused by the idea of their products helping families spend time together playing games that they've invented their own word for this pastime. They call it "WeTime."

The WeTime Parent Survey showed Memorex that 45 percent of those surveyed selected "playing a video game we can all enjoy" as one of their favorite at-home family WeTime activities.

And how can you possibly enjoy WeTime without Memorex accessories which offer "thoughtful features and bright colors."

You can't, that's how. It's impossible. I've tried. Fortunately, Memorex has your back with these eleven accessories that have already been made by nearly as many companies:

The rubberized racing wheel for the Wii, the wireless sensor bar, the MotionPlus Remote and Nunchuk, a charging kit, a starter kit, a protective cover for Wii Fit, a fitness mat for Wii Fit, a rechargeable batter pack for Wii Fit, a fitness starter kit for Wii Fit, a protective case for DSi, and car charging kit for DSi, Lite and DSi XL.

Hardware first! The Wii has now sold 20 million units in Europe, with 9.6 million of those owning one of the two versions of Wii Fit. That's a little under 7 million consoles sold a year, impressive by anyone's standards.

The DS, meanwhile, has passed 40 million sold in Europe. What's more, both consoles reached those milestones faster than any other machine could manage. For the record, Sony had sold 44 million PS2s in Europe by 2007, so the Wii should overtake it in a year or two.

On the software side of things, Wii Sports Resort has sold 5 million copies since launching last year, while New Super Mario Bros. Wii has moved 2.5 million copies in Europe in just a single month on sale.

It's Ai-chan from Yatterman, otherwise known as Yatterman 2, who joins her partner Yatterman in the game to fight some crime and, where no crime is being committed, kick some ass.

For anyone under the age of 35, Yatterman is an old animation series from Japan that ran in the late 70's, though some of you may also be familiar with the more recent remake.

Watch the clip below (get to around 8:30) and you'll see she enjoys throwing things. Lots of things.

On The Spot [GameSpot]

In an interview with Reuters following a rebound in the company's share prices, Iwata said "I think it's now safe to say the Wii has recovered from slowdown".

"But I'm not sure if it's prudent to use words like revival and recovery lightly before making absolutely certain we can maintain this momentum. So, I steer clear of such words today."

Too late! You already said recovery!

Nintendo Wii posts record U.S. sales in Dec [Reuters]

"The customer of [the Wii] has turned into something [of a] much broader audience. It is a disappointment," says Seux (pictured) in an interview translated from French via Google Translate. Seux, speaking to the blog Gamekult, also calls developing for the Wii "difficult" and goes on to say "for us, Capcom, the future is the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360."

It's likely we're hearing Seux's offhand opinion of the future, not official Capcom messaging here. Still, the words, coming from such a stalwart brand on Nintendo's platforms, are eyebrow raising.

It's clear Seux is frustrated. He points out sales of just 16,000 for Darkside Chronicles in the first three weeks of its release, compared to 140,000 for Resident Evil 4 on the Wii at release in in 2007. Seux's explanation for the disparity: the market has moved on.

One feels that there is a problem very clear on this style of game on the Wii, where gamers have obviously moved on. Resident Evil 4 on Wii worked well, but [it was released] when the market had nothing!

While Seux says the Wii is "still an important part of sales," he calls it "very much a family [console] with low attachment rates."

"This is the year of the emergence of so-called 'new console generation'," Seux concludes. "So for us, Capcom, the future is the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360."

Capcom: Less Wii After Darkside Chronicles Sells Only 16k [Spong]

This first gameplay video of Trauma Team clearly lays out the "major enhancements" made to the series that will ensure, in Atlus' own words, that the Wii game will be "the definitive medical drama experience." Even if it doesn't, the draw of playing a nameless convicted felon serving a 250 year-long sentence—and committed to performing surgical community service, apparently—will have us reconsidering just what the definition of "definitive" really is.

Trauma Team is supposed to hit North America on April 20, 2010. But this is Atlus, so we'll take that as a strong suggestion, not a rock hard release date.

Those who follow our monthly tally of Wii playing time (the so-called "measure of pleasure," as I've dubbed it) know that the average amount of time that Wii gamers spend playing 2008 Call of Duty: World At War is sky-high. At last count, gamers were averaging more than 51 hours with the game, which has sold more than a million copies, according to reporting I've done in the past. Only three games boast more hours per player: The similarly multiplayer-centric Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Guitar Hero III along with Animal Crossing: City Folk, a game designed to be played daily.

I was interested in seeing how this past November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition, a remake of 2007's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would fare. I'll get to sales figures a little lower, but let's look at something impressive first: its average playing time per player. As of December 1, the game had an average playing time of 17 hours, 22 minutes. As of January 1, that average is up to 24 hours, 55 minutes. People who play this game are keeping at it, likely due to its online play.

There's a caveat to the rising numbers for Call of Duty on the Wii. Because I'm only tracking average playing times, a game that is owned by five people who each play the game for 50 hours, will have an average playing time that exceeds a game that a million people have bought and played for 10 hours each. There's also the issue that these average playing times are tallied by the Nintendo Channel, a Nintendo service that only pulls the data of Wii gamers who download the channel, opt-in for data-sharing and re-visit the channel.

There's a way to account for those caveats, to at least have some context. As of January 1, the Reflex Edition was listed as having a cumulative 237,615 hours of play time among people sharing their data with Nintendo. World At War, as of December 1, had more than 7 million hours logged by users sharing their data. Compare those totals to The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, which has 45 million hours tallied as of Jan. 1, and it's obvious that not that many Reflex Edition players are out there and/or sharing their data... yet.

A better comparison for the Reflex Edition might be New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which was also released in November. That game has an average playing time of 15 hours, far fewer hours than that of the Reflex Edition but more than 1.5 million hours of that Mario game have been played and logged by the Nintendo Channel, dwarfing those 237,615 hours for the Reflex Edition. On the other hand, we've got September 2009's WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 which has a wonderful average playing time of 27 hours and 28 minutes, but across just a cumulative 90,066 hours played.

There's no starker contrast than with sales, of course. Nintendo announced today that New Super Mario Bros. sold three million copies in the U.S. through December. The NPD sales-tracking group, which has not released sales for December yet, told me today that, in its first month of release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition sold 81,000 copies.

These Nintendo stats that we track measure the passion players have for the games they have, if not the popularity. Sales aren't the only stats that are interesting to look at.

Call of Duty games may not be the immediate blockbuster launches that they are on other platforms, but the playing time patterns here suggest that those who do have the game are as into the series as the most fervent fans on other platforms. World At War proved that on Wii. Reflex Edition seems set to do the same.

While the numbers aren't official until the NPD Group sings, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata proudly presented some impressive speculative numbers in Japan today. According to Iwata, North American Wii sales in December were in excess of 3 million units, which is a huge amount, especially when compared to the 200k or so that sold in Japan last month. A large percentage of those new Wii consoles were likely purchased along with the New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with U.S. lifetime sales of the title estimated at nearly 4 million.

Nintendo also estimates that the Nintendo DS had a better year than any console or handheld has in the history of video gaming, though they do include the DSi in those figures, which might be fudging things a little.

"The millions of people who bought Nintendo hardware during the holidays can look forward to enjoying great games on those systems now and in the future," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS, and Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are all currently providing Nintendo fans with amazing experiences and fun adventures for the whole family."

Any of you folks count yourselves among those three million new Wii owners?

Image

Attack of the Movies 3D is a game with a gimmick. Up to four players take on six different movie-themed worlds, battling zombies, space aliens, underwater creatures, and even taking up arms as a resistance fighter in order to rage against the oppressive machines. Each of the six scenes features unique weapons, and with changing enemy attack patterns, no two play-throughs should be the same, aside from wearing silly glasses.

"We all dream about being the hero in our favorite action movies," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations for Majesco. "Attack of the Movies 3D lets you live that experience out with a realism and dimensionality previously only found in movie theaters."

Or PC games. Or Disney's G-Force. Let's face it, 3D is one of the oldest gimmicks in the books. Hopefully developer Panic Button Games will deliver a title that holds up once the thrill of red and blue headaches wears off.

Mad Catz first displayed the Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom fight stick in San Diego, gauging fan reaction to the design. Apparently fans reacted well, as it's now up for sale on the GameShark store for $79.99. I'd say it was a preorder listing, but I don't see the words preorder anywhere in the item description, even when I went through the majority of the checkout process.

It's a lovely stick, and as it connects to the Wii remote, it's also wireless, which is nice. Considering the alternatives available for the Wii, I'd say it might be your best bet for a Wii arcade fighting controller for quite some time.

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom Arcade FightStick For Wii [GameShark Store - Thanks Raphael!]

The data was collected between December 29, 2008 and December 27, 2009, and the data is for Japan. The numbers for the DS include all variations — the same for the PSP and the PS3.

Nintendo DS
2009 estimated sales: 4,025,313 units
Life-to-date estimated sales: 29,160,589 units

PSP
2009 estimated sales: 2,307,971 units
Life-to-date estimated sales: 13,386,455 units

Wii
2009 estimated sales: 1,975,178 units
Life-to-date estimated sales: 9,501,999 units

PlayStation 3
2009 estimated sales: 1,727,041 units
Life-to-date estimated sales: 4,391,407 units

Xbox 360
2009 estimated sales: 331,706 units
Life-to-date estimated sales: 1,197,873 units

The Nintendo DS is the front runner, while the PSP has the edge for second place. The Wii and the PS3 are neck and neck. And then, there's the Xbox 360.

The announcement was made earlier today by Capcom, who say that while they'll still technically be acting as publisher, Nintendo will be "responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution" of the game in Europe and Australasia.

It'll be out in April. Expect to see a lot more marketing for the game than you otherwise would have. Oh, and maybe one or two of those black Wii/Monster Hunter Tri bundles (up top), too.

Christopher Bayko allegedly stole the Wii last month then sold it to a local pawn shop. When his mother noticed her console was missing, Bayko told her it was "at a friend's house", a lie which didn't hold up too well once she found the receipt for the Wii's sale.

Worst part? He's so stupid he sold it for $56.

Man charged after selling mom's game system [TBO]