Publisher Hudson today announced Bomberman Blast, an all-new entry in the long-running Bomberman series for WiiWare. Slated for a release later this year, the party-centric game will retain the same classic run ‘n bomb gameplay from previous installment in the series, whilst introducing a host of new features, such as Mii support, online leaderboards, and 8-person multiplayer over the net. Up to four players on the same Wii can join in an online match.

Hudson said it plans to host several online tournaments immediately following the game’s release, including one that will coincide with the game’s actual launch day, which has yet to be determined.

Bomberman Blast Screenshots

Independent developer Ghostfire Games today announced that barring any last minute delays (we’re looking at you Nintendo), its music rhythm title Helix will hit WiiWare on August 25.

Billed as “one of the most innovative music rhythm games ever designed,” players use the Wii Remote to perform over thirty moves designed to give your upper body a workout while listening to fast-paced music.

“Helix is not only fun, it’s a great workout. You can really burn some calories playing this game. You tend to lose yourself playing the game and forget that you’re even getting a workout, because the gameplay is compelling.”

Sounds interesting, to say the least. We’ll find out if it is worth the 1000 Wii Points come next Monday.

SEGA revealed today that its Wii maraca-shaking music game Samba De Amigo will hit North American retailers on September 23 as the first retail-based Wii title to offer downloadable content. Scheduled for a release on the same day, the initial content pack will offer three songs by artists Lou Bega, Bow Wow Wow, and Jet. Deets regarding pricing have yet to be announced.

Apart from DLC, the Wii edition will include over 40 songs on the game disc, ranging from tunes found in the original Dreamcast release to modern day pop hits.

Hit the jump for the full soundtrack listing. more »

The NPD Group today announced that it has formed an alliance with sales-tracking services around the world, including Gfk Chart-Track of Europe and Japan-based Enterbrain. The partnership allows NPD to release a global sales chart each month, providing the industry with a comparative view of the top five video game software titles by the top three markets - North America, Europe, and Japan.

“The video games business has become increasingly global, with the majority of the publishers releasing games in multiple markets,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “The U.S, as the world’s largest market will be able to view and compare sales for the first time outside of their own market.”

NPD sent over the first Top Global Markets Report today, covering year-to-date figures from January 2008 to July 2008. The data reveals Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV as the top selling title this year with 6,293,000 units sold combined in North America and Europe. Runner-up in all three regions was Super Smash Bros. Brawl at 5,433,000 units sold worldwide. Moving on, Mario Kart Wii pushed 4,697,000 units, Wii Fit sold 3,604,000 units, and Guitar Hero III sold 3,475,000 units.

For the complete sales breakdown by region, hit the jump. more »

Mad Catz? The company that makes all those budget peripherals and shoddy knock-offs, that usually end up stop working after a few months (sometimes weeks) of use? That’s the first thought that came into my mind and yes it’s true, Mad Catz has entered into a license agreement with Capcom to produce official controllers and accessories based on Street Fighter IV, Bionic Commando and Resident Evil 5.

“We are excited to partner with Capcom to create branded controllers and accessories based on three of the videogame industry’s most popular and enduring franchises,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “We look forward to offering unique and exciting accessories to fans of these games, as we continue to grow and diversify what we believe to be the industry’s leading portfolio of branded videogame accessories.”

Considering previous experiences with Mad Catz products, it’s hard to get excited here. But who knows, given that these controllers will be licensed, maybe they will try extra hard not to screw up this time.

Is this the “world premier” reveal SEGA was prepping for Leipzig? Yup, looks like it. The company announced today that The House of the Dead: Overkill is heading exclusively to Wii next year.

An all-new entry in SEGA’s gore-filled pulp horror series, Overkill is staying true to the over-the-top gameplay found in previous entries. Players can use the Wii Remote to pistol-whip jaws off, as well as smash in skulls with the butt of a shotgun. Hardcore. Development duties on the title are being handled by Headstrong Games. more »

Nearly two weeks late, but it’s here. This week’s Wii Shop Channel update kicks off with the addition of the Blue Bomber’s first outing, the original Mega Man on NES. Priced at 500 Wii Points, players set out to put an end to Dr. Wily’s dream of world domination in this 8-bit classic. Joining Mega is NEOGEO title Neo Turf Masters, a golf classic that features six available characters and a number of golf courses from around the world. This one will set you back 900 Wii Points.

Over on the WiiWare front, Gameloft brings us Midnight Pool. For 900 Wii Points, you can partake in virtual pool tournaments as one of seven characters, using the Wii Remote to pull off sweet trick-shots in a gimmicky fashion. Neat-o. more »

After extending the deadline of its offer to purchase Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two five times, Electronic Arts is calling it quits. Set to expire today at 11:59 p.m. EDT today, the offer will not be given an extension, according to EA CEO John Riccitiello:

We no longer believe we can integrate Take-Two ahead of the important holiday season. Accordingly, we require due diligence to support a transaction and are therefore letting the tender offer expire tonight.

In response, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick forwarded a management slide containing information related to the company’s three year product release schedule and financial projections. Yes, T2 is still interested in working with EA, as long as that partnership does not involve selling their company off at $25.74 per share.

EA allows Take Two bid to expire [MCV]

The NPD Group has released its hardware and software sales figures for the month of July. In the hardware sector, overall sales were down compared to June, but up from the previous year.

Nintendo emerged as the clear victor, pushing 555,000 Wii and 608,400 DS units. Sony’s PS3 shifted 224,900 units, a sharp decline from the previous month’s figure of 405,500 units. Despite this, it still managed to best the Xbox 360, which sold 204,800 units throughout the duration of July.

As for software sales, NCAA Football 09 took first place, with Wii Fit managing a close second and Activision’s DS title Guitar Hero: On Tour a not-so-distant third.

The full hardware and software sales breakdown can be found after the jump, courtesy of NPD. more »

Electronic Arts today announced that it has a signed a publishing agreement to distribute titles from leading developers Epic Games and Grasshopper Manufacture.

Under the agreement, EA will publish an all-new action game in development at Epic’s Poland-based People Can Fly studio, responsible for the Gears of War PC port and the Painkiller first-person shooter franchise. The title will be released on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

“Epic is excited to work with EA Partners to launch our next big IP on the global stage,” said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic Games. “EA Partners gives independent developers like Epic the muscle of a global publisher like EA, along with the focus and flexibility of a smaller team committed to working with our individual needs.” more »