“The capability to turn a virtual jewelry design into a physical piece of jewelry is a real breakthrough,” said Michael Hervieux, Artbeads.com Chief Operating Officer.

Artbeads.com worked closely with Ubisoft and 1st Playable Productions to select jewelry components and create templates that would ensure each player’s custom design could be made into a quality piece of jewelry that closely matched their in-game design. With this innovation, players can now create custom wearable jewelry for themselves or to give to friends and relatives for a truly one-of-a-kind gift experience. They can even share these designs with others who might like to purchase them. The manufacturing of each jewelry design will occur at Artbeads.com’s facility in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Dragon Ball: Origins immerses fans with vibrant 3D graphics on both screens and further pulls players into the spectacular universe with the lively humor well-known to Dragon Ball games. This unique action-adventure game includes dozens of challenging puzzles and problem-solving obstacles, as well as plenty of room for exploration and treasure hunting - with, of course, an array of enemies on which to practice signature Dragon Ball fighting elements.

Through Goku and Bulma’s travels, players can progress through the game using the stylus to direct the character, control action, and unleash a variety of attacks. For example, a double tap on Goku followed by tapping on the Ka-me-ha-me-ha letters unleashes his famous devastating move. Another DS feature available for the first time in a Dragon Ball title is a unique wireless exchange, which will enable players to wirelessly trade items, vehicles, costumes and weapons.

The immensely popular Dragon Ball Z(R) series is the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 30 different games and over 12.7 million units sold since May 2002.

“As the world’s most popular racing franchise, Need for Speed is committed to delivering players superior racing experiences,” said Larry LaPierre, Vice President at Black Box, developer of Need for Speed. “This November, Wii gamers can fully experience the thrill of the chase in Need for Speed Undercover with Logitech’s force feedback realism.”

Easy to set up and store, the Logitech Speed Force Wireless features a one-piece design that is convenient to use whether you’re sitting on your couch, arm chair or living room floor. The built-in gas and brake controls are located on the wheel itself and the expandable lap rest is easily adjusted – allowing for comfortable game play without the need to use a table or a desk. Plus, familiar Wii controls make navigating game menus a snap.

To help you minimize clutter, the Logitech Speed Force Wireless eliminates the console cable. With Logitech’s 2.4 GHz wireless technology, you can enjoy lag-free racing from up to 30 feet away from the console. To start racing, just connect the USB receiver to the Wii console, plug in the wheel’s power cord, put in Need for Speed: Undercover, adjust the lap rest to a comfortable position and wait for the race to begin. There’s no mounting or assembly involved. And when you’re ready to put it away, the USB receiver can be stowed in a convenient compartment on the bottom of the wheel.

Logitech Force Feedback Technology

Having introduced its first force feedback products in 1998, the company has designed 19 models of force feedback wheels. And more than 100 racing titles have supported Logitech force feedback technology on a variety of game platforms.

When you’re playing a racing game, standard controllers don’t let you feel all the excitement that makes racing with force feedback technology the closest you can get to the real thing. Force feedback, unlike vibration feedback or rumble technology, creates directionally precise, tactile feedback that accurately simulates forces experienced in the game. Through the use of advanced software and electronics, force feedback moves a steering wheel as if the device were subject to real external forces.

About Need for Speed Undercover

Need for Speed Undercover takes players back to the franchise’s roots and re-introduces break-neck cop chases and spectacular highway battles. Players discover a world of high-stakes and high-speed action in some of the world’s hottest cars. The all-new Heroic Driving Engine propels the action forward as players experience the dramatic story through spectacular Hollywood-style live-action in-game movies.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Speed Force Wireless racing wheel is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).

Need for Speed Undercover is being developed by Black Box in Vancouver, B.C. and is slated to ship this November. It will be available for Wii, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system as well as the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system, PC and mobile. More information can be found at www.needforspeed.com

The Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii provides special system keys – such as Zoom In/Out, Forward/Back, Quit and OK – making it even easier to use your favorite game console to communicate with your friends, surf the Web, read the news, check the weather, browse Internet videos and send e-mail.

The keyboard complements the clean, stylish appeal of the Wii game console and Wii remote with its polished white finish and elegant, living-room design. And to provide you with a comfortable typing experience, the keyboard’s primary keys are full size. However, the compact, slim design is also small enough to blend into the living room and sit comfortably on your lap.

The Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii is easy to set up and put away. Just plug the mini-receiver into the console and the keyboard is ready to use. And when you’re finished using it, the receiver snaps into the back of the keyboard.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in August. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $49.99.

The Wii also lets you connect to the Internet while in your gaming environment, so you can check weather, news, email, or shop. You can also download music and use the same mp3 files as background music for your slide shows. There is a virtual console channel option that allows you to download games from the Wii shop and play them directly on your Wii.

If you are considering the thought of buying the new Nintendo Wii then you should probably buy the bundled version. When you walk into the electronics store and buy the normal Wii console, you usually get an incomplete console. This means you will need to buy a game and accessories before you can actually start playing. And when you buy the bundled version you will get every thing you need to start your playing experience.

Buying a bundled version of the Wii will also save you money. You will actually get the games at a lower cost than if you buy them separately from the console.

You can find the bundled versions at most gaming stores, and many of the large retailers too. You will find that the bundled versions vary depending on the games you choose to go with the console. Don’t forget the Final Fantasy IX where Vivi says: “How do you prove that you exist? Maybe we don’t exist”

In actuality according to the times online “Nintendo Wii sales have soared worldwide. The game console far surpasses play station” If their sales are far superior in Japan, china and the U.S. then there must be a reason and the most probable is that this is just a great game console and far superior to the others. Find out more information about buying a Nintendo Wii at http://www.nintendowiibuyonline.com

"Metroid Prime 3 has a revolutionary control style that makes it easy for anyone to immediately jump into the action," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Now, an entirely new audience can experience this amazing first-person adventure."

The rich story requires players to use their heads as much as their hands. Complex puzzles, tough enemies and new challenges put players inside the visor of the story’s heroine. As deadly Phazon threatens to corrupt Samus, she harnesses its power and attacks her enemies with superpowered weapons. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption features voice acting, new bounty hunters and three adjustable control settings for players of all skill levels.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, rated T for Teen, launched exclusively for Wii. The game’s launch represents the culmination of Nintendo’s "Month of Metroid," which has featured free Metroid Prime 3: Corruption videos available for download in the Wii Shop Channel and the release of the classic Metroid(R) and Super Metroid(R) for the Virtual Console(TM). More information about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Counting downloadable Virtual Console titles, Wii already boasts more than 150 games. Here is what Wii has to offer:

Wii Fit: The active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports now spreads to your whole body thanks to the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board (name not final), which comes packed with Wii Fit. The board is used for an extensive array of fun and dynamic activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and games. Many of these activities provide a “core” workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions. Family members will have fun staying active and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.

Mario Kart Wii (name not final): The new version of Mario Kart, due in early 2008, features new vehicles and lets players near and far compete using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s wireless gaming service. Mario Kart launches with the Wii Wheel (name not final), a steering wheel housing for the Wii Remote that brings new controls and challenges for veteran gamers, while making getting into a race easy and intuitive for newcomers.

Super Mario Galaxy: The latest masterpiece by legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto puts a smile on the face of everyone who plays it. Until now, no game has matched the sheer fun and sense of delightful awe produced by the groundbreaking Super Mario(R) 64. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players navigate iconic hero Mario through a series of planets, each with its own gravity, chaotic challenges and power-ups. The game bursts through the screen in vivid artistic detail, and a second player can even provide some assistance along the way. It blasts off Nov. 12.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Nintendo’s all-out smash-or-be-smashed franchise remains one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. Its predecessor became the No. 1 selling game of all time on Nintendo’s previous console. Super Smash Bros. Brawl ups the ante with new characters, new moves and new arenas. The game smashes into North American stores Dec. 3.

Wii Zapper (name not final): This new accessory combines the accuracy of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a single housing for a new experience for first-person shooters and targeting games. Players can hear the sounds of battle through the Wii Remote speaker when it is incorporated into the Wii Zapper. It arrives on store shelves later this year, packaged with Nintendo-developed software that shows off its versatility. The Wii Zapper also will be used with a host of third-party games, including Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles from Capcom, Ghost Squad from Sega and Medal of Honor from Electronic Arts.

Check Mii Out Channel (name not final): Launching in 2007, this free new channel builds on the huge phenomenon of Wii owners creating fun caricatures of themselves, their friends and celebrities. The two main components of the free channel include an area where users can post Miis they have created to let others vote on their artistic abilities, and a competition element that lets users test their skills to create the most accurate likeness of individuals or other themes suggested by Nintendo. The Check Mii Out Channel joins the lineup of cool channels on the Wii Menu, which includes the Internet Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel and the Forecast Channel, among others.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: This final chapter of the Metroid Prime trilogy introduces unmatched first-person controls by letting players use the Wii Remote as an arm cannon for a feeling of complete immersion. Heroine Samus travels between planets to stop her nemesis, Dark Samus, from corrupting them. All the while Samus fights the spreading Phazon that is taking over her body while giving her incredible powers. It launches Aug. 27.

More to Come: Other Nintendo titles launching this year for Wii include Mario Strikers(TM) Charged (July 30), Donkey Kong(R) Barrel Blast (Oct. 8), Battalion Wars(TM) 2 (Oct. 29), Endless Ocean(TM) (Oct. 29) and Fire Emblem(TM) (Nov. 5).

Third-Party Support: Third-party publishers are racing to see who can put the most resources behind Wii. By the end of the year, about 100 new Wii games will hit stores. EA brings Boogie and EA Playground, as well as online action for its Madden NFL and FIFA Soccer franchises; Mario and Sonic team up for the first time ever in Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; Sega shows off dreamy aerial acrobatics with NiGHTS Journey of Dreams; Activision jams with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; Namco Bandai puts the battle blade into players’ hands with SoulCalibur Legends; Disney Interactive belts out High School Musical: Sing It!; Square Enix brings Dragon Quest Swords in early 2008 — and that’s just a taste of what’s to come.

Tags: E3, Nintendo, Mario, Wii, Gaming, Console, Games

Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day is designed to help users sharpen their “Focus Power” with a series of fun tests of hand-eye coordination, eye agility, reaction time and peripheral vision. Top-rated athletes have long used computerized vision trainers to help them take better aim before they swing at the ball. Now Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day puts this same technology into the palm of your hands. The title launches on Oct. 15.

Other upcoming Nintendo DS offerings include:

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: For the first time, players can control the action using only the Nintendo DS stylus. If you’ve never played a Zelda game, you’ll learn the controls in a snap. And even if you are familiar with the franchise, you’ve never played a Zelda game like this before. On Oct. 1, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass launches hero Link on a wild new adventure and sets a new standard for graphics capabilities and game interaction on DS. In Japan, the game launched in late June and is selling well to both avid and casual gamers, including female players.

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day: The prefrontal cortices of gamers of all types will light up once they hear of the new ways to keep their brains active. On Aug. 20, Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day builds on the huge success of the original title while introducing more than a dozen new brain-stimulating activities that incorporate music, word and logic puzzles and voice recognition.

More to Come: Other Nintendo games launching this year for DS include: Picross DS(TM) (July 30), DK(TM) Jungle Climber (Sept. 10), Chibi-Robo(TM): Park Patrol (Oct. 2), Mario Party(R) DS (Nov. 19), Nintendo Magic (Nov. 26) (name not final), Professor Layton and the Curious Village(TM) (Dec. 3) and Nintendo(R) Crossword (name not final).

Tags: Nintendo, DS, Gaming, E3, Zelda, Brain

“Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “WiiWare brings new levels of creativity and value to the ever-growing population of Wii owners.”

The possibilities for WiiWare are limited only by the imaginations of developers. WiiWare provides game creators a simple method by which they can get their games to the public. This approach, combined with the remarkable motion controls of the Wii Remote(TM) and Nunchuk(TM), will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers’ minds. The reduced barriers to development provide developers the freedom to create and an inexpensive, clearly defined path to reach consumers who will ultimately determine which game will become the Next Big Thing.

WiiWare will be posted on the Wii Shop Channel. As with current Wii Shop Channel offerings, users will redeem Wii Points(TM) to download content. It will support a variety of pricing options. Details about that and upcoming projects will be announced at a later date.

Tags: Nintendo, Wii, Gaming