When Nintendo first revealed that the Wii would utilize motion control as one of the main input methods, expectations ran high. Would we finally get the total immersion we’ve always dreamed of in games, or would it just turn out to be a cheap gimmick? While some titles (usually first party offerings) have managed to really take the idea and run with it, most third party games do little more than tack some waggle on somewhere and call it a day. With this in mind, some have begun to speculate that Nintendo might not go the motion controlled route in the future, instead returning to a more traditional experience, but that couldn’t be more wrong. According to a story by Digitimes, current infrared sensor manufacturer Pixart already has a deal with Nintendo and "should also be able to continue supplying infrared solutions to Nintendo for any next-generation Wii device, as infrared sensors will still be used for positioning."
So what does this mean to the average consumer? Well on the plus side the technology to make the new system will be cheaper than normal considering the same sensors will likely be used, and it may even be a case where Wiimotes will work on the next Nintendo console. The bad news is that we all know the infrared sensors used for the Wii don’t exactly offer pinpoint accuracy, so unless the technology changes, you’ll still be pointing the remote in the relative direction of what you want, rather than at the specific point. At any rate, it seems apparent that Nintendo’s love for motion control is here to stay.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Confirmed
Is EA Making a Dante’s Inferno Game?
Video games draw inspiration from a lot of sources, but direct retelling of classical literature isn’t normally one of them. However, that could be changing, as the word on the street is that EA is hard at work creating a game based on the first section of Dante’s classic Divine Comedy, The Inferno.
According to Variety, EA is planning on creating "a modern interpretation of the epic poem and will have players fighting their way through the depths of hell (maybe there will even be nine levels?). It’s currently scheduled to be released late next year." Further adding to the "truthiness" of this report, EA filed a trademark for "Dante’s Inferno" back in February, specifically as it relates to video games, film and television rights. Perhaps the most conclusive evidence is the fact that Universal has snapped up the film rights to the game, thus proving that EA is definitely working on something, and not just sitting on a trademark.
While we don’t know anything about the game yet, all this information leads us to move it from the "unconfirmed" category to simply "unannounced." We’re now confident the game is the real thing; all we’re waiting for is the official EA press release. In the meantime, we’re calling this highly likely because the evidence is just too overwhelming.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Highly Likely
Is Elite Beat Agents 2 on the Way?
While there haven’t been a ton of truly great Nintendo DS games, one title that deserves mention right alongside Mario Kart, the Phoenix Wright series and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is Elite Beat Agents. The title, which utilized the DS’s touch screen to create a simply devine rhythm game, is a cult classic and can easily stand up to anything Guitar Hero or Rock Band has to offer to console gamers. Thankfully then, it appears as though we may soon be seeing Elite Beat Agents 2.
In a press release coming out of Nintendo UK, a listing for the game has appeared with the release date simply stating "TBC." It taunts us with its potential reality, reminding us of the days when "Agents are GO!"
There are a couple problems with the report though, and we can’t yet confirm this potentially wonderful news. First up is that the image used in the source article isn’t working, and clinking on it simply gives you a broken link error. Furthermore, from what we can see of the page, there’s nothing showing that this is an official press release and not just some list a guy made on his computer. We really want to belive that this game is happening (as much as Jumping Jack Flash tormented us on Hard), but until Nintendo or iNiS gives us something a little more concrete we’ll have to keep this one in the rumor pile.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Somewhat Likely
”
