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Greed Corp bringing environmental turn-based strategy to PSN

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 12th 2009 at 6:00PM }

We possess equal amounts of affinity for hexagonal turn-based strategy games and mother nature -- naturally, W!Games' upcoming PSN strategy title Greed Corp really resonated with our green-tinted hearts. The trailer above gives a pretty good depiction of what the game's about -- four corporations are struggling to take control of a dying planet, while trying to balance out their own resource consumption and environmental preservation. Fail to do so, and you'll either end up too weak, or plummet to certain death.

It's a neat concept for a game, incorporating elements from Halo Wars, Risk and ... Don't Break the Ice. We'll be getting our hands on this bold mixture when the game lands on the PSN near the end of September.

Get your ecosystem on with Sim Animals

by Chris Greenhough { Jul 11th 2008 at 5:00PM }

EA has worked animals into its Sims franchise before, but Sim Animals already sounds way more interesting than The Sims 2: Apartment Pets (and its corrupting boxart). Described by NGamer magazine as a "woodland ecosystem god game where Disney-style characterisation meets the teeth and claws of the Discovery Channel," this god game puts you in charge of a big ol' chunk of nature, which you have to ensure remains clean and full of happy, well-petted animals and plants.

Do this successfully, and you'll get to see more of the 25 animals and 50 plant specimens in the game, which sounds a ~~bit~~ lot like Viva Piñata. The food chain plays a role (so to increase numbers of a certain species, bump up the number of animals they prey upon), and the ecosystem itself has its own happiness level. Four players can take part at once (animals remember how each player treats them), and it should be hitting both DS and Wii next year.

With any luck, we'll see more of this soon. If only there were some huge industry event in the near future!

Ecolis boxart reveals WiFi and panda support

by Eric Caoili { Jun 19th 2007 at 7:00PM }

Online support seems like a prerequisite for any decent RTS release, but it's never safe to assume with DS and Wii games. Thankfully, the boxart for Ecolis indicates that the InterChannel title will make use of Nintendo's WiFi connection in addition to its "download play" features. We're not sure if that means online duels, item shops, or a near-useless messaging system, but it's something -- a quantity that's arguably better than nothing.

If you haven't been properly introduced, Ecolis is a strategy title in which you command an army of woodland creatures against the pollution and deforestation taking over their homes. You'll also be tackling issues like global warming and recycling while you plant new trees to restore damaged forests. The eco-friendly message doesn't end there; as evidenced by the panda stamped on the game's packaging, a portion of Ecolis' proceeds will be donated to Japan's World Wide Fund for Nature.

Gallery: Ecoris

[Via Ruliweb]

Games blamed for decline in national park attendance

by John Bardinelli { Jun 6th 2007 at 3:25PM }

The Christian Science Monitor along with the National Wildlife Federation reports that videogames are one of the reasons (along with cell phones, TV, and gas prices) national parks in North America have seen a sharp decline in attendance over the last few years. More kids are becoming couch potatoes and developing a "nature deficit disorder", and parks are suffering as a result. The NWF is launching programs around the country to fight the indooredness of these sun-deprived folk whose only interaction with trees is in World of Warcraft.

We love gaming, but we also love nature. While you can't do both at the same time (waterfall hikes with gaming gear in tow can get messy), we can't help but feel there's a deeper reason behind the decline. Maybe Nature just needs a better marketing team to jazz things up, make it more exciting? It's time for Nature 2.0.

[Via Gaming Today]

Sunlight: Wii's biggest foe [update 1]

by Ross Miller { Oct 9th 2006 at 4:55PM }

Nintendo Wii's sensor bar goes awry when confronted with natural light, according to a report by a "Warpstar Knight" on the Nintendo NSIDER Forums. The impressions, from OMBRENOIR17's September 14 visit to the Nintendo World Store (soon to be posted on Nintendo Gal), reveal that Mother Nature's carcinogen forced Metroid Prime 3 kiosks under curtains and completely shut down Wii Sports Tennis and Shooting Game. The kiosks returned to normal as soon as the bright star took a few steps back.

It is as of yet unclear how garlic affects Wiimote functionality or load times.

[Via Engadget]

[Update 1: A representative for Nintendo told 1UP, "our testing thus far shows no great risk of light interference when playing a game that relies on the pointer and sensor bar."]