By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, Funimation, Geneon, Microsoft, Xbox, Live, Akira

--Ugh, I've had a ton of work, and it's been hard to update AniGamers enough.

Today, both Funimation and Geneon announced their decisions to release anime on Xbox Live Marketplace. They will join ADV Films as the only three anime companies to sell anime on XBLM. The current lineup is GUNxSWORD, Last Exile, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, and Lupin III from Geneon, and Samurai 7, Trinity Blood, Gunslinger Girl, and Basilisk from Funimation. In addition, Geneon will be releasin Akira in High-Definition format for the first time ever onto the Marketplace, a true treat for anime fans. This all follows within just a few months of announcements by Funimation and ADV to sell anime on iTunes and Xbox Live Marketplace, respectively. Of course, this turn of events bodes very well for the movement of anime into more mainstream distribution methods.

By Vampt Vo
Topics: Ani-Gamers, site, blog, poll, culture

--As some of you perceptive readers may have noticed, (considering the big "NEW" tag next to it) Ani-Gamers has recently acquired a blog. Right now, we are trying to figure out what to do with it. Should we post all of our news to this blog, or just staff comments? To help answer this question, we decided to get right down to the people who will actually care about this: you. Head on over to the contests page to vote on what we should do with the blog. And come post your opinions in the forums thread.

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, SSBB, culture

--It seems that the rumors were true. Nintendo has posted a blog onto the Super Smash Bros. Dojo site, with Masahiro Sakurai, the game's director, posting behind-the-scenes updates. Interesting, but not the new character or other big announcement we were expecting. So far, Sakurai has posted three entries. One on how to play, (Basic stuff you know already, though some of the shots might be of real gameplay) one on stages, (announced a basic stage called Battlefield. It's the one you've seen in the trailers. Best part is that it changes from night to day) and one about music. (He gives us a list of all musicians working on the game) Not what I was hoping for, but this should tide over fans until we get a big announcement. Who knows, maybe this blog will be used for future announcements about the game. So what's your opinion? Sound off on our Comments forum.

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Blizzard, StarCraft, culture

--Yesterday at Blizzard's World Wide Invitational, a gaming event in South Korea, the company anounced what drooling fans have been waiting years for. StarCraft II will be coming to PC and Mac.

Finally!

The unit designs and terrains look very similar to the original game, though the graphics are noticeably better. And as for what to expect when it comes to features, this is all we've heard so far from the developers: "With StarCraft II, we'll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original StarCraft and more ... We recognize that expectations are high following the long-running popularity of the original game, but we plan to meet those expectations and deliver an engaging, action-packed, competitive experience that StarCraft players and strategy gamers worldwide will enjoy." This also serves to disprove the information we received from CVG earlier this month claiming that Blizzard would be announcing a StarCraft MMO at this event. Our friends over at Joystiq have a gallery of the promotional images and screenshots that have come in so far.
(via Joystiq)

Of course, every nerd on the face of the planet is probably convulsing in fits of joy, but try to calm down enough to stop by our forums. Let's hear what you have to say about this megaton announcement.

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., culture

--It seems that Nintendo has placed a countdown on the "Smash Bros. Dojo" site. All that the site says right now is "Site Launch in 6 Days. (Japan Time)" While this could be a simple new layout for the site, we here at Ani-Gamers tend to believe that this signifies a big announcement about the currently top-secret Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I can't think of any major gaming cons or other reasons for this information to come out on May 22. Keep your eyes open, folks, and stay tuned to Ani-Gamers when the news comes out.

By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, articles, culture

--AnimeNation has an interesting article up in their "Ask John" section. It explains the inherent cultural barriers stopping anime from being respected by Americans as a valid form of film, such as foreign films. It's definitely worth a read.
(via AnimeNation)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Blizzard, MMO

--CVG reports that Blizzard is set to release full info on the long-awaited sequel to the smash hit PC Real-Time-Strategy StarCraft. It has been confirmed that this game is also a Massively Mutiplayer Online Game, in the vein of Blizzard's hugely successful World of Warcraft. The details will be revealed at a Blizzard event in South Korea on May 19th. Rest assured, Ani-Gamers will report immediately when the news gets out, so stay tuned.
(via CVG)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, people, humor

--Anime News Network has an issue of their "Buried Treasure" column featuring an episode of the NHK Japanese TV special "Welcome Back for an Extracurricular Lesson, Sempai!" In it, Hideaki Anno, creator of the dark and disturbing Evangelion, goes back to his hometown to give a lesson to a class of sixth graders. I'm sure you imagine the hilarity that ensues as the disturbing and practically self-esteem-less Anno teaches a bunch of impressionable kids. Read the article here.
(via Anime News Network)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, law, internet, culture

--Jack Thompson, infamous anti-video game lawyer, has recently attempted to file suit against Gawker Media, the owner of gaming blog Kotaku over threats made by commenters. Yes, those same comments you're thinking of. The lawyer tried to sue the blog because anonymus commenters (not even official bloggers) made threats towards him. According to Joystiq, the commenters said that Thompson "should be shot ... struck with a baseball bat, shot in the face by an irate gamer, [and] castrated and his testicles stuffed down his throat" These, of course, are some very serious threats. We know that these people were not intending to do any of these things to him, but if they had said these comments as official members of the press, there would be punishments.

Nevertheless, since they were anonymus commenters, and Jack didn't file his complaint correctly, (he is a lawyer, right?) the suit was dismissed by Federal District Court Judge Paul Huck. He has, however, stated that he will continue to pursue methods of suing Kotaku. We congratulate our fellow newswriters at Kotaku for their (default) victory, and hope that they do not run into any serious future trouble with Thompson. As far as we know, the law has pretty much headshot Jack every time, so rest easy.
(via Joystiq)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: AniGamers, reviews, forums, culture

--AniGamers is in real need of some reviewers to write for us. We are looking for motivated, hard-working individuals interested in writing part-time as a reviewer for our site. You will recieve full credit for all of your writings, and will become an official staff member and everything. Those interested should check out our Apply for Staff page, where they will find more information on contacting me about working for AniGamers.

As for casual reviewers, feel free to use our forums both to post your reviews of anime and games and to comment on our reviews. Truly insightful reviews and even comments will be posted on the main site, full credit included. So come on! Write some reviews for us. You can have fun, be part of a growing community, and help AniGamers out. (not to mention it looks good on that college/job application)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, One Piece, business

--FUNimation has acquired the rights from 4Kids Entertainment to produce and broadcast the One Piece anime for both TV and DVD. They will create a newly-dubbed, uncut version starting from episode 144. Clearly, this is great news for fans like myself who love Eiichiro Oda's original manga, but are disapointed with 4Kid's interpretation of the anime.
(via animeOnline)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, PS3, Sony, business

--Sony has officially confirmed the death of the 20 Gigabyte Playstation 3 model. The company has already ceased production of the model, and will no longer be sent to retailers. They claimed that this was because of customers buying more 60GB PS3s on a 10 to 1 scale. (possibly because Sony produced them on a 10 to 1 scale) This change will only affect North America for the time being, but expect it to spread to other territories in the near future. I guess it's all $599 big harddrives with shiny plating from now on.
(via Joystiq)

By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, movies, corrections

--Ani-Gamers recently posted an article claiming that the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer live action movie would be released on May 9, 2007. This date should actually be May 9, 2008. I knew that just a few months away seemed too good to be true... Anyway, sorry for the confusion.

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Wii, Sega, Ani-Gamers, culture

--Yeah, remember our post a few days ago? Now read this press release, and weep at your foolishness.


On to real news, NiGHTS 2 acutally was confirmed, (wow, I actually predicted right?) and it will be titled "NiGHTS: Journey Of Dreams." The game will feature easy-to-use Wii controls for soaring through the air. No online play has been confirmed as of yet.
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Wii, Sega, business, Sonic

--I guess I really am psychic. Though hard to decipher behind all of the PR speak, a Nintendo press release reveals what gamers have been waiting for for a long time. Two of the biggest developers and publishers in the industry, and once bitter rivals, Nintendo and SEGA will be merging. Yeah, that's right. Nintendo and SEGA will form a single company dedicated to "bringing a large variety of video games to all kinds of fans."

And get this: Nintendo also confirms for us 1) A NiGHTS sequel on Wii, with online play. 2) Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl! and 3) A new IP from the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and the teams of both companies.

Those believing that Nintendo was going through hard times with third parties will be surprised to find that the company has joined with a major third party now. And of course, from the way they phrase it, Nintendo-SEGA seems to be a bit more focused on us hardcore gamers than plain old Nintendo. Here's hoping Nintendo can maintain their goal of bringing in casual gamers while simultaneously, with the help of SEGA, bring us some hardcore games. So, what do you all think of the most important development in video games in years?

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, games, movies, business

--Would you look at that! Anime and video games finally come together in a single news article. A Microsoft press release announces that ADV will be bringing some anime titles to the Xbox 360's Live service. Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., A&E Network, National Geographic and TotalVid.com will also be joining the companies supporting this medium. The titles will be available for download at a currently unspecified amount of Xbox points.

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Wii, DS, Sega, culture, Mario, Sonic

--I had that same look on my face when I first read it. Famous video game mascots Mario and Sonic will appear for the first time in the same game in "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games." In it, characters from both Mario and Sonic games will compete in all sorts of sports in the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, and real locations from the games will even be included. Confirmed characters include: Luigi, Yoshi, Tails, and Knuckles. It is also known that SEGA will develop the game, while SEGA will publish it in the West (US and Europe) and Nintendo in the East. (Japan, China) Shigeru Miyamoto, the world-famous creator of the Mario franchise, will oversee the project as well, strangely working with SEGA revelopers instead of Nintendo ones. Click here to check out the only promotional image released for the game over at IGN. The game releases on both Nintendo DS and Wii this Christmas.
(via Joystiq)

Of course, I would understand any skepticism our readers may have of this announcement. Remember, we are in late March, so anything anyone involved with video games tells you should be taken with a grain (or perhaps a few grains) of salt. However, this game is definitely causing a stir on the intrawebs. I believe that it is very possible that this entire announcement is a publicity move to finally announce Sonic being included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Or, to get into the more bizarre theories, Nintendo and SEGA could merge, which would be the biggest announcement in recent video game years. Click that forums link, and get discussing!

EDIT 1: Hurr, forgot the consoles it releases on. I'm an idiot.

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Sony, PS3, business

--Your eyes are not deceiving you. Sony has just sold approximately 165,000 Playstation 3 units during its launch weekend these past few days. These numbers are breaking records, as well as ousting Nintendo's Wii from its 105,000 units and blowing away the Xbox 360's 70,000. The current record holder is the PSP at 185,000, but the PS3 still gets recognized as the fastest selling home console in the United Kingdom.

This all comes in just a few days after Sony recieved varied criticism from game industry insiders for their launch plans. Anticipated problems included errors in backwards compatibility, lackluster fan support, and doubt that Sony could coordinate the launch. Despite all of these potential setbacks, the PS3 has now shown its mettle in one of the largest video game markets in the world. With this launch, (and the Australian one of course, which grossed $25 million AU) we officially begin the next generation of video games, with all three consoles available in the four major markets. (Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia)
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, movies

--Warner Bros. will release a Speed Racer live action movie on May 9, 2007. Yep, that's not too far away. To top off the coolness, Larry and Andy Wachowski, better known as "The Wachowski Brothers", directors of "The Matrix" and lovers of anime, have directed the film.
(via LELOLA)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Sony, PS3, PSP

--1UP got a chance to speak with Cory Barlog, director of God of War II, at the game's launch party last night. In the interview, Barlog revealed new details about both the new PSP God of War (not a port, an original story) and God of War III, releasing sometime in the future on Playstation 3. The most generally interesting news to come out of this was the director practically confirming rumble on the PS3, which has been hinted at since Sony settled the lawsuit with Immersion Corporation, original creators of the DualShock. 1UP's got the interview blogged, and Joystiq's got the bulletted rundown
(via Joystiq and 1UP)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, DS, Zelda

--This past Friday, Game Informer interviewed Zelda co-creator Eiji Aonuma and discovered a quite appaling piece of information. The first Zelda game to be playable online will be the DS adventure Phantom Hourglass. When asked if Phantom Hourglass would support online battles over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Aonuma, being a good game designer, answered with the ever-revealing "Yes."
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Wii, culture

--In a Gamespy press release today, the website revealed that they would be partnering with Nintendo to "provide multiplayer technology to game publishers developing titles for Nintendo’s Wii™ video game system. As part of an ongoing partnership with Nintendo, GameSpy has developed middleware technology to enable Wii titles to offer community features, such as friend rosters, advanced matchmaking capabilities and comprehensive rankings data." While this sounds like Nintendo will finally be using a matchmaking service similar to Xbox Live, when one reads into the article, you can infer that this will still be DS-like in its online functionality. Joystiq seems to think that this will signal "the end of friend codes" and a fully-featured online experience, but there is no way to tell for sure from this press release. We'll have to wait until we get official confirmation from Nintendo to be sure if we are finally getting the online experience Nintendo fans have waited for. Here'd hoping for a more robust Nintendo WiFi Connection!
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, licensing

--Geneon has announced their license of When They Cry. (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) The first DVD of the popular, twisted, bizarre, 26-episode mystery anime will be released in both standard and special editions.
(via Anime News Network)

In addition, FUNimation has scheduled their release of Suzuka volume 1 as June 12, ($24.98 standard, $34.98 special) and Beck volume 1 as June 26. ($29.98 standard, $44.98 special)
(via Anime On DVD)

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: games, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, convention

--Though we have no reporters present at the conference, Ani-Gamers will be covering the major news events of the Game Developer's Conference through sites like IGN and Joystiq. Check our GDC page over the course of the weekend for full coverage of the major gaming convention.

  By Vampt Vo
Topics: anime, magazine

--Americans will soon be reading a brand new anime and manga magazine. Joining the incredibly popular Newtype Magazine will be Sovereign Media Inc.'s (publisher of SCI FI magazine) Otaku USA. These people think real hard about these names, huh? Patrick Macias, editor of the mag, described the publication:
"Each issue of OtakuUSA will be oversized 9 x 10 7/8, with a poster bound in the center spread, and a DVD inserted onto the front cover, with full- length Anime features and game demos. In addition, each issue of Otaku USA will include a full manga feature, printed as a pull-out section. My aim is to make Otaku USA the best, most comprehensive Japanese pop culture magazine in the marketplace."
(via ICv2)

In addition, Sony Pictures Classics has released a new American trailer for Satoshi Kon's Paprika to Apple's Quicktime movie trailers page. You can watch it here and bathe in its awesomeness.
(via Anime News Service)

  By Vampt Vo

--As previously reported, Bandai will release the first volume of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on May 29. A recent announcement from the company explains that it will release in a $29.99 regular version and $64.98 special edition (comes with art box, Hare Hare Yukai CD soundtrack, headband, iron-on, and pencil board) on the 29th as well.
(via AnimeNation)

  By Vampt Vo

--Phil Harrison, worldwide studios president of Sony, let loose some fun little info in an interview in which Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) was mentioned. As Phil tells us, the developers over at Sony "...have some really, really cool things that will be extending the story, extending the locations, some brand new content, starting in April. So if that works well and is well-received by the audience, then that will keep the engagement with game going between now and should there be a sequel at some point in the future." Downloadable episodic content, most likely mixed with new maps and other downloadable features, followed by a second game. Those who embraced this critically uncertain title, rejoice!
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo

--More classic games are to come on the Wii's Virtual Console as Nintendo has confirmed that systems Neo-Geo and MSX are coming to Japan. The consoles will debut in Japan this spring, and will almost certainly follow soon after in other territories. Now Nintendo, how about those Nintendo 64 games? Where is our Zelda, StarFox 64, and other awesomeness?
(via Joystiq)

Oh, and if you haven't heard already, the "Everybody Votes" channel was released about a week ago on the Wii. It is a fairly simple channel in which Nintendo sends out simple polls such as "Which is a more romantic Valentines Gift, roses or chocolates?" for users to vote on and predict the results. Useless, yet mildly amusing, the Everybody Votes channel is aimed much more at the casual market than at the hardcore gamer. However, I suggest you all take a read of this article (and the comments section) over at Nintendo Wii Fanboy, as it explores the possible uses of the channel as a testing ground for Nintendo's online strategy with the Wii.

  By Vampt Vo

--Rebuild of Evangelion, one of the new stories in the universe of Neon Genesis Evangelion, was announced a few months back, and now its release date has been anounced as well. Hideaki Anno, exeecutive director of these four new films, has officially stated that "Rebuild" will premeir in Japanese theaters on September 1st. In addition, a 15 second theatrical trailer for "Rebuild" will be released on February 17th. Finally, the Japanese spelling of Evanglion will change for these movies, causing the katakana to in fact say "Wevangeliwon" instead of "Ivangelion."
(via AnimeNation)

On a more personal note, Happy Valentines Day! Hopefully you got off from school or work if you live in the area of this week's big Eastern storm, and can enjoy your day at home with someone special. Enjoy our late PotM, and look forward to a possible Valentines Day image later in the day.

  By Vampt Vo

--Geez, what am I, a psychic or something? (see iPhone announcement news) Later this week, Apple is expected to give a press release officially stating that they wil begin to sell anime episodes at "affordable prices" on the iTunes store. Please, as if you don't already download your fansubs to your iPod video. However, those people who feel the need to support anime companies by buying episodes, but can't afford DVDs will have a ton of fun with this one. (Remember, this is only for dubbed shows licensed in America, and expect a small catalog at first) Check back for updates as the news comes in.
(via Anime News Network)

Update: Three shows have been released to the store: Desert Punk, Samurai 7, and Speed Grapher, all released by Funimation. Rumors of ADV being the first to get into the iTunes store appear to be false, though they will most likely follow Funi in.

  By Vampt Vo

--The ASOS Brigade has once again released a fanmade video containing information from Bandai about the licensing of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The voice actors will be as follows: Haruhi: Wendee Lee, Kyon: Crispin Freeman, Yuki: Michelle Ruff, Mikuru: Stephanie Sheh, Itsuki: Johnny Yong Bosch, Ryoko: Bridget Hoffman, and Tsuruya: Kari Wahlgren. The video went through the offices where the show is being dubbed, and in the next one, the girls will sit in on a recording session.

  By Vampt Vo

--In a press release a few days ago, Rockstar (creators of the beloved GTA and Bully) announced that Manhunt 2, the sequel to the violent game where you figure out the most gruesome ways to kill people, will be coming to Playstation 2, and...Wii. The "kiddy system" will be getting a few ways to creatively kill your enemies, with Manhunt, The Godfather, and Scarface all coming to a Wii near you. This announcement is sure to spark controversy in the mainstream press (a.k.a. Jack Thompson) for being a "murder simulator." I have to admit that not only is the Wii well suited for it, but it sounds like tons of fun to jab rusty nails through people's skulls with motion control! You know you want to.
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo

--Microsoft has officially stated that a price drop on their Xbox 360 console in early 2007 is "unlikely." However, they have also said that a price "reduction" later in the year is probable, but may not happen depending on the actions of their competitors, Sony and Nintendo. To explain the subtle difference, a price drop lowers the price consumers pay for the product, while a reduction lowers the cost of producing it, therefore making more profit for the company.
(via Joystiq)

  By Vampt Vo

--Bandai Entertainment will release the first DVD volume of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya on May 29th. This was announced in the latest video from the fan-made and Bandai-endorsed ASOS Brigade

  By Vampt Vo

--Friday morning, Nintendo introduced us to their newest channel on the Wii: News. The channel loads up the most recent news articles from the Associated Press, and organizes them based on both subject and location. It uses the same satellite-imaging globe utilized by the Weather Channel, making it very easy to locate articles. In this writer's opinion, this channel is one that will get some of the most attention from your's truly. (Of course, it can't beat the Disc and Internet channels)

  By Vampt Vo

--Sony Pictures Classics has set up a small page about Satoshi Kon's newest film, Paprika. It contains the opening sequence of the movie and news that Paprika will make its American debut on May 25 in select US cities.
(via Anime News Network)

  By Vampt Vo

--This past Monday morning, at a keynote address during the Macworld conference in California, Steve Jobs fulfilled every nerd's dreams. He came onto stage showing the crowd of drooling fanboys pictures and information of the prototype design of Apple's new iPhone. Features include cell phone, internet, PDA, and MP3/media player functions. Also, it is outfit with high tech features such as a widescreen touchscreen, portrait and landscape viewing modes, dual-touch sensitivity, (can sense two fingers on the screen at once) WiFi/Bluetooth, and a camera. In plain terms, this thing is a cell phone, an iPod video, and a cheap PDA all squished into a single device. All it needs now is a game console mixed in there... (chew on that, Apple-Nintendo merger theorists) The iPhone (oh boy, aren't we original) will be priced at $499 for a 4GB model, and $599 for an 8GB. Yeah, yeah, I know the two things you're thinking. "I could buy a PS3 with that!" and "Wow, that's the first thing that came to mind? I'm a nerd and a failure at life."

Anyway, the phone will undoubtedly become the next big craze in electronics. As others have already said, the iPhone could be great for other uses like gaming. (or anime...) I'm sure some of you dowload fansubs and iPod games to your iPod video. Why shouldn't there be full touch-screen games on the iPhone and anime episodes buyable on the iTunes Store? Hell, the DS proved it was possible to make tremendously fun games using only a touch screen with the DS. The iPhone could really bring together everything nerds want into a single device! Okay, maybe it's just wishful thinking, but at least I can dream! (Vampt Vo sheds a tear as his dreams are crushed by the weight of inevitability)

  By Vampt Vo

--Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a safe and fun night. Anyway, on to important site matters. As you may or may not have noticed, there have been a few updates in the last few days. A Zelda: Twilight Princess betaReview, a new pic and quote of the month, (as you can see to the right) and a new page about the Ani-Gamers! Official Seal of Nerdiness. There's more to come this year, so stay tuned... well, more like keep reading... Updates soon to some include Zelda, Red Steel, DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi II, Gears of War, Haruhi Suzumiya, Bleach, Naruto, and Ergo Proxy. Have a great year! ^^

  By Vampt Vo

--Phew! Just in tim--oh... Haha, what's up everybody. I managed to create a holiday image for you, and it's themed as a celebration of Bandai's (confirmed) license of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in North America. Enjoy!


Also, I'd like to take this chance to speak to you, our gracious (okay, maybe not) readers. Please join the Ani-Gamers! forums, since they are finally ready. The more people that join, the more fun the board will become! We will also post user-generated reviews, images, information, and even quotes, so make sure to check out the forums. Also, note that there will be major additions to the Naruto and One Piece sections in the coming months. We hope to complete these two series before moving on to other things. (Don't worry, we'll still post our traditional game and anime reviews)

  By Vampt Vo

--YouTube executives will be meeting with delegates of the JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) to speak about the large numbers of anime series being published to YouTube. YouTube, the bastion of illegal online anime episodes, has had to delete thosands of videos in the past due to copyright concerns. This could be terrible news to most new-age anime fans, who watch YouTube instead of downloading fansubs. However, this will hopefully bring more revenue to anime companies, which is always good, since it helps us to see new series released.

In addition, thw Wii is not on speaking terms with the tubes broadcasting many varieties of you. The Opera web browser beta on the Wii does not seem to have the correct flash plugin to view YouTube videos, crushing the dreams of many to watch YouTube like a normal TV station. There is still hope for anime fans looking to watch anime on TV without tuning in to Anime or Cartoon Network or buying DVDs. (cheapskates) Crunchy Roll has higher quality and better organized anime episodes, though their selection is slightly less than YouTube's. The site does work on the Wii browser, so until a fix is created for the YouTube/Wii error, you can rely on CrunchyRoll.

  By Vampt Vo

--Late last night, (North American EST) an amazing new power was sent to each and every Nintendo Wii across the world... The power...to internet!

Nintendo released their weather channel to view weather forecasts from the Wii this past Wednesday, as scheduled. However, no date was ever officially released for the Internet channel, created by a joint effort of Nintendo and Opera software. In what can only be called a holiday surprise, Nintendo released the new "internet channel" this morning for us. We feel so loved.

The software is only a beta right now, but will be dowloadable for free in March from the Wii Shop, and will begin to cost money in June. Not much of a large chance to buy it there, but I'm sure you hardcore Wii-ers will pick it up.
(via Joystiq)

I'm sure you'll be checking out Ani-Gamers on your Wii, right? RIGHT?

  By Vampt Vo

--Unconfirmed news is coming in of a license for Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu, (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) the incredibly popular anime series. So far, it has only been licensed in Japan, despite incredible popularity outside of Japan from fansubs. The site seems fairly professional, and Anime News Network claims to be advertising it. All of this seems to add up to the highly anticipated release of Haruhi in the US. On the site, you'll see the date "December 22, 2006", which I can assume is when the page will provide us with more information. Since Vampt Vo has already seen Haruhi Suzumiya, (We don't need questions on how, right? Remember, Ani-Gamers does not condone piracy! ^^) expect a review of the anime series before the series releases in America. It will be updated with information on the dub and other region-specific info when it is released.
(via Anime News Network)

(Update 1): It seems from today's update that "asosbrigade" is indeed a fansite, though they make a claim that Kadokawa Pictures is producing the anime, and Bandai is distributing it. According to our sources, this claim seems to be correct, so look forward to supporting anime companies by buying the DVDs when they release. (date currently unknown)

  By Vampt Vo

--After dealing massive damage to Televisions, bodily organs, and the dignity of many, the evil Wii Wrist Straps have been returned to their sadistic creators. Nintendo has agreed to recall 3,200,000 (yes that's over 3 million) wrist straps , and replace them with new, 1.6 times thicker straps. The intrawebs have brought many "reported" cases of "Wiinjuries", (not my word) though Nintendo has only recieved about 3 official complaints.

In Japan this weekend, hundreds of Japanese kids and their parents traveled to Jump Festa, where the publisher of the insanely popular Shonen Jump holds a convention for anime and video games. Naturally, we wish we could have been there to photograph the visible cloud of nerdiness floating in the air. As of yet, no major news has come from the con, though information about the new Naruto: Shippuden was expected to be revealed. We'll be sure to keep you updated on this if there are any changes. In the video game section of the convention, Square Enix showed off many of their new RPGs, including Heroes of Mana, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

  By Vampt Vo

--There is a trailer for the Genshiken OAV now online. Check out the YouTube video of the trailer here. The OAV will come with the Kujibiki Unbalance DVD 1 in Japan. This OAV is, in reality, episode 13 of the series, since Genshiken ended at an unusual 12 episodes.
(via AnimeNewsNetwork)

Furthermore, there have been some updates recently. I posted reviews of both Trigun and Wii Sports, while The Oracle updated our Gamecube information page.