Wii MotionPlus brings 1:1 motion to the Wii, claims Nintendo

Nintendo has begun teasing some of the topics they'll be talking about Tuesday morning at their E3 2008 keynote press conference, starting with a new peripheral that claims to bring 1:1 motion control to the Wii. So far only mentioned as a "MotionPlus" accessory, details about how the device looks, how expensive it will be, or what is really possible with it will likely be shown tomorrow.

It would be great if Nintendo would provide the peripheral for free to all current users, like they did with the Remote Jackets, but it's more likely it will come bundled with a new game (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed maybe?) like the Wii Wheel. 1:1 motion control, where the exact orientation of the Wii Remote can be detected, was mentioned as a missing feature when the Wii was released, but most of the noise has died down in the midst of the millions of units sold. Either a new game needed it to provide the desired experience, or Nintendo saw an opportunity to improve gameplay even more.

Full mini-press release after the jump.

Impressions: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is a new Xbox Live Arcade release from Capcom that packs quite a punch to the senses. With bright and colorful visuals and crisp, accurate audio your eyes and ears will be under a full on assault from the first moments you hit the beach.

Perform on Fake Instruments on a Real Stage for Real Money

The idea behind games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band is to give you the sensation of playing in front of a huge crowd and rocking out, but usually these games are played in a living room with a very small group of people. Occasionally there are competitions that allow you get on stage, but even then, they are usually on a small, temporary stage. But fear not, little rocker dude, because Saturday July 12, 2008, Maximedia Studios will be offering the chance for anyone to play on a professional stage in front of a roaring crowd. The "Ultimate Guitar Hero / Rock Band Contest" will be challenging rockers from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to compete with each other for an as-yet-unspecified amount of cash in front of a live crowd on a real stage. There will be prizes given away throughout the day, and it should be fun for anyone. The full press release at the "read more" link below. For more information, check out the event website at www.liveatthemax.com/rockband.

Xbox 360 console licenses now transferrable

When you download content on your Xbox 360, it's linked not only to the Xbox LIVE account that downloaded it, but also to the console on which it was downloaded. That console license allows any profile on that particular console to access the content, not just the user that downloaded it. Unfortunately, only one console license can exist for each piece of content, so if you replace your Xbox 360, or lose it due to theft or disaster, you can't use that content again without being signed on to Xbox Live. Well, not until now.

Microsoft has just released a new tool to allow you to transfer your console licenses to a new console, meaning that people who have replaced their Xbox 360 may now re-download content and have it be accessible to any profile logged into that Xbox 360. It helps simply the licenses, and makes content more accessible, at least on one console. Microsoft still doesn't allow content to have two console licenses, which would be useful for people with multiple Xbox 360s, but as always, content can be accessed from anywhere using the Xbox LIVE account that the content is linked to.

Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) has posted a small story explaining the process and linking to a walkthrough video that shows how it all works.

Content License Transfer Tool (aka the DRM Tool) now available [MajorNelson.com]

Nintendo announces Wario, Kirby as part of their fall 2008 lineup

Nintendo jumped the gun on the E3 announcements by releasing a little info on some upcoming titles for the Wii and DS. Instead of being lost in the shuffle of E3 2008, they are telling us about their new Wario and Kirby games, along with the previously announced Super Sluggers and a new Mystery Case Files game.

The full press release is available after the jump.

Review: Lost Planet: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION

Many games are released in different editions. Collectors Edition, Ultimate Edition, Barnyard Edition, whatever. Usually these editions involve different packaging, a bonus comic book or artwork, or maybe even a figurine. After a game has been released and sells well, it may even be re-released in a "Game of the Year" Edition, or in the case of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the COLONIES EDITION. There have been a few changes to the game since its original release, but are those changes enough to tempt new consumers? Read the full review below to find out!

Some royalties based on Metacritic scores, say developers

When games are released, developers usually see a portion of the revenue based on the amount of sales. In this way, their performance is tied to their income. MTV's Stephen Totilo recently found out that sometimes developers see their income tied to the review score that their game receives, regardless of how many copies are sold.

Here’s the way it works: a game publisher agrees to finance the work of a development studio and includes a stipulation that certain bonuses or royalties won’t be delivered unless the game achieves a certain Metacritic score. If you’re that developer and you agree to that deal, you better hope reviewers give you a fair shake, no?

The unfortunate part of the formula appears when the publisher has influenced the development of the title after this agreement is made, which may cause a lower review score. If the developers are not in control of their own product, then the tie between effort and reward is lost, and the motivation to create a quality game disappears. Another problem is that new genres may receive only low-to-average scores since many reviewers will not like the genre, and there is nothing else to compare the quality to.

Perhaps publishers will not be able to force developers into these types of agreements now that they are more publicly known, or maybe developers will simply request that their royalties be based on the vote of the consumer with their wallet.

Low Metacritic Scores Cause Game Publishers To Withhold Developer Royalties [MTV]