Wii Could Be Very Excited

As if we don't dork out on Wii enough on this blog, we've now decided to top off our previous news item about PlayStation for Netflix with rumors and conjecture regarding a possible similar marriage between the video rental website and Nintendo's massively successful console.

 

So, the breakdown of all the salacious details is as such:

1. According to this blog post, an un-named source connected to the Wii/Nintendo collaboration has confirmed that Wii and Nintendo are in fact working together

2. According to this same blog post, the un-named individual has also seen screen shots of the Netflix site running through Wii

3. News of this collaboration isn't really that news-y at all as Netflix has both recently surveyed its customer base to ascertain how much of it would prefer to view streaming video through a Wii and has posted job openings for in-house programmers to help deal with the project

4. The release date is merely marked as "soon", but, two possible timing points for the announcement of the collaboration have been suggested to be "by the end of the year" (this means, 09!) or whenever it is that Nintedo finally announces Wii HD. 

GameSpot breaks down the gossip pretty well and we personally can't wait. HD or not, we think it'd be pretty darn cool to wave a Wii controller at the TV and have Amelie come on.

Google Brings Online Music To The Masses

Check out this bit of an announcement:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10386692-27.html 

We can finally listen to songs in searches! Praise be.

What's really interesting is that Google struck deals with Lala (whom we love) and iLike in order to bring the project to fruition. That has to be like opening a suitcase of gold for both companies, who are both fringe industry players at best. Rainbows are probably spilling out of the suitcases of gold as well. How did these guys get so lucky and do they have a stock plan for employees cuz we could totally start making music games? I'm just sayin'.

Samsung Makes Bid For Stake in Mobile Gaming

According to this week's Develop Online post, Samsung has openly initiated a bid for the mobile gaming market by offering a quarter of a million dollars to game development companies or individuals that can produce a winning mobile game idea.

 

According to Handmark's senior VP of Global Sales, Chris Barnett:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone, including big brands, mobile developers or any individual with a unique, creative idea to make it a reality"

A.k.a. (or as Joystiq commented last night), because the company has "lost a sizable chunk of the mobile consumer base to iTunes, Samsung is now reaching into its pockets to ensure the company's slip in market share doesn't turn into a complete mudslide". We agree, but, are also simultaneously excited by the prospect of the mobile market opening up to a myriad of platforms, and see this as a step in that direction.

Playstation and Netflix Mate

Since we seem to be unable to avoid this topic in the blog-o-sphere, we're going to just mention it, PlayStation is finally following in the foot steps of XBox by partnering with Netflix. 

The partnership is an offshoot of the subscription service's regular program where members get to receive an on going stream of films for a fixed monthly price. In this case, the Netflix/PlayStation combo will set you back $8.99 a month and get you films stream-able through the system to your television without a monthly limit, as well as the regular shipment of DVD's Netflix members get.

And just in case the goal of this merger is unclear, Jack Tretton, president and CEO, of SCEA has the following to say:

“The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming, and it will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows. Whether you want to watch content on Blu-ray disc and DVD, download it from the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, or stream videos instantly from Netflix, the PS3 system is the only solution that offers it all.”

A set date for the service has yet to been announced. Check out the full press release via PlayStation blog.

Filler Gets Indie On XBox

One of our favorite iPhone games (yes, we've wasted many hours on this thing), has recently surfaced in a XBox 360 incarnation. "Filler", as it is known for the console system, is a game of blowing up bubbles to make them fill a space (on iPhone its the whole of your screen, on XBox its a framed window). 

 

The difference between the mobile version of the game and its console counterpart is that the former is a race against time, where the latter is a game of evasion, i.e. attempting to blow up a big enough bubble to ensure it doesnt get hit by one of an onslaught of little red dots. And, as far as we're concerned, the best part of the news is that the game was developed by an independent gaming studio (kind of like yours truly), which means that us little guys do still have a stake in the biz and also, we do develop some of the more addicting, universal concepts.

We really like this detailed review of Filler at MTV Multiplayer blog. Check it out!

We've Got Game For Decades

We're really happy to announce that our little baby in waiting, Decades, has finally become approved for the Facebook platform. Check it out: http://apps.facebook.com/decadesgame/ !

The entry into Facebook now marks Decades' third platform entry, as it has been available through iTunes for iPhone/iPod Touch and for Android devices at Android Marketplace for the past couple of weeks.

So far the feedback we've received from the mobile gaming community has been positive and we're looking forward to what is sure to be a great response from Facebook gamers as well. Post some comments into our comment section, let us know what you think of our newest release!

Video Game Addiction Gone Awry

Some sort-of sad news today from Destructoid blog as it reports that a man killed his son over a missing video game. We don't know how much we can say about that other than that we believe part of the fun of gaming is the addiction and the mental challenge of repeated play. However, we do think that gaming in no way should interfere with any part of your life or stoke your other addictions.

So, kids, enjoy our gaming material over to the right here, but, please please try to get out into the fresh air and enjoy some sunlight.

And now for something on the lighter side:

Why HSN Should Stick To Bartering Jewelry

And why you should be extra careful with that new Wiimote