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Third-party hardware company Nyko has a tendency to one-up Nintendo in many ways this generation regarding the console’s crucial controller, from releasing a Wii Remote battery solution to customizable controllers to a wireless Nunchuk attachment. Now, the company is doing something even Nintendo has yet been able to do: Offer Wii MotionPlus in a Wii Remote, built-in.

The Nyko Wand+ will feature the same form factor and size of the original Nyko Wand controller, adding in one very important addition: Wii MotionPlus compatibility. No more dongles or attachments, it’s right there for you when needed. The Wand+ will also make use of Nyko’s already-established Trans-Port technology, allowing for attachment controllers that don’t make use of the Wii Remote’s established buttons.

All this comes a darn good value, as the Wand+ will be sold for $39.99, just five bucks more than a standard Wiimote. If you’re not scared off by unlicensed peripherals, this could be worth a look.

Sony didn’t actually discuss PlayStation 3 and PSP very much during its mostly yawn-worthy CES 2010 press conference, but they happily released this number: PlayStation 3 sold 3.8 million hardware units worldwide during the five-week holiday period following Thanksgiving.

Nintendo announced earlier this week that Wii sold in excess of three million units during the month of December in the United States alone. No doubt worldwide figures are much higher.

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Nintendo recently expressed concern about lagging sales of the Wii console, but holiday results have the company publicly breaking out the sales stats once again. Nintendo Europe on Tuesday said the Wii has sold a total of 20 million units through December 2009 in Europe. The company said the hardware, launched in December 2006, is the “fastest selling home console in Europe,” having reached the milestone in about three years. The company also said that …

As Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII fell from its top sales slot, so did its host system, the PlayStation 3, leaving the Wii to take the top slot by a significant margin. And just as PlayStation 3’s performance reflected Final Fantasy XIII’s, so did Wii’s mirror New Super Mario Bros.’s return to the top slot on the software side. According to tracking firm Media Create’s Japanese sales data for the week that ended December 27, …

The editorial staff here at MMORPG.com has made their decisions, and today we start to unveil the winners of the 2009 MMORPG.com awards by naming our Most Improved Game of 2009.

[We round up the top console digital download news of the last week from sister console digital download site GamerBytes, including brand-new game announcements and scoops from the world of Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare, PSP Minis and DSiWare.] It’s been a bit of a quiet week here at GamerBytes — heck, it’s been quiet everywhere. Still, we have some bits of news that’ll keep you up to date. Look forward to a lot …

2010… a year we’ve been waiting for since at least the mid-80’s. It’s finally here guys — so what happens next? Every year we take the 1st of January to try and figure that out. Normally we would consult the sage-like wisdom of Engadgetdamus, but this year is special, and we thought it needed the kind of time-twisting-artificial-intelligence-color-cycling-weird-baby-monolith-Roy-Scheider-starring-space-adventure that only the above image (and book, and movie) could evoke. Below are the predictions from the staff of ye olde Engadget — what say you, good reader?

Chris: In an unprecedented cash and stock deal valued at over $1.7 billion, Comcast acquires your ‘89 Festiva.
Thomas: Steve Jobs will announce a pair of tablets, then smash them to bits on account of Android idolatry.
Laura: Jeff Bezos will continue to predict the “death of the book.” The book will continue to exist merely to spite Bezos.
Don: The world breathes a sigh of relief that the Large Hadron Collider will never create a black hole… after it is destroyed by zombies.
Dan: Apple’s stock will plummet when a TUAW investigative report reveals that Steve Jobs actually died in 2002, and has since been portrayed by talk show host cum surreal performance artist, Arsenio Hall.
Nilay: Google finally flips the switch and creates Skynet.
Joanna: The OLPC XO-3 gets an early release date - in the form of the Apple Tablet. Ends world hunger, illiteracy and violence. Saves the world.
Ben: Microsoft agrees that CableCARD is a failure and Media Center along with it and introduces Zune Center.
Josh F: Adult entertainment will kick-start yet another media market, this time in the form of 3D Blu-ray porn.
Richard Lai: Tamagotchi resurrects with 3D monochrome screen, and then dies.
Darren: Intel considers making an Atom that’s actually fast, but its bottom line delays the launch until December 31, 2012.
Vlad: Sony Ericsson delivers an Xperia handset on time… nah, just kidding.
Richard Lawler: Nintendo surprises everyone and releases the Wii 3D.
Josh T: Google upends the landscape of the mobile phone market when Eric Schmidt says Apple can “have one of these unsubsidized” while emphatically pointing to his crotch.

Predictions for 2010? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Major retailer Amazon has released a list of its top-selling items in the video game category for 2009, with Wii hardware and software dominating the Top 10 for the year thus far. According to the current listing through December 2009, the top four best-selling game-related items - whether consoles, accessories or games - are all Wii related hardware. Specifically, the Wii hardware bundle itself is in top spot for the year from the U.S. version …

[Veteran indie game creator Edmund McMillen, known for his work on 2005 IGF Grand Prize winner Gish, Time Fcuk, and Super Meat Boy for WiiWare, shares his opinions and manifesto on making indie games, with 24 clear do-s and don't-s to make your art thrive.] One of the most common questions I’m asked in interviews is, “Do you have any advice for independent game developers who are new to the scene, or tips for developers …

Craig Morrison addresses the community in 2009 one last time with the release of December’s Letter from the Game Director. In the letter, Morrison discusses the 1.06 patch cycle, progress on the Rise of the Godslayer expansion, and takes some time to welcome the Korean players who are currently beta testing the Korean localization of the game.

Here’s one from the rumor-mill: Word on the internet is EA is creating a new football game for the Wii, but it’s not a Madden title. Instead, "NFL Trainer" aims to get players to participate in football exercises and workouts. It will give you advice on how to throw passes and, presumably, do other football-style actions. Rumor has it the game will come with a pigskin shaped attachment to add realism. Supposedly, the game will be officially announced in January.

I think this is a fantastic idea — games that use the Wii to inspire people to exercise seem to appeal mostly to women, so using the Wii for male gamers who want to get a little exercise would actually work really well… That’s assuming it’s Wii Fit for football fans, but if it’s just a collection of Wii-centric football mini-games, that’s cool too. Football is good, and EA trying to expand their position as the home of video game comedy makes perfect sense.

Rumors that the Oakland Raiders are investing in this game for its entire offense are probably not true, as I made that up.

Source: Destructoid