Nintendo gave GameDaily a chart to show that the assumption of low software sales for Wii are incorrect. Nintendo's Denise Kaigler wanted to set the "record straight" that the company is "selling third-party games and they are doing very well, and better than [Nintendo's] competitors."

That is a very impressive chart. What we want to know is what happens when two things are taken out of that chart: first-party titles and -- way more importantly in Nintendo's case -- a little piece of "software" called Wii Play. After doing those two things the chart may look the same, it may look totally different, but we'll be sure to post the comparison when we get it.

We're criminally forgetful around these parts, so usually refer to the Wiimote MotionPlus accessory as "that thing that makes the Wiimote work the way it should have in the first place." But as it turns out it may also someday be "that thing that makes the 360 controller or DualShock 3 work the way the Wiimote should have in the first place." InvenSense, the company behind the tech, says that Nintendo doesn't have the exclusive rights to it, and that other companies have expressed an interest. To be fair though, they don't name anyone specifically.

So, Nintendo, out of curiosity: You invest in an addition to your console's primary feature and you don't even lock up the rights? How about you dig through Miyamoto's office cushions and buy the exclusivity, the company and a gold-plated hover-castle for them to work in? What are you saving for?

IGN was able to pin down seven new tracks for Guitar Hero World Tour and it's, well ... it's a mixed bag, to put it kindly. Let's take a look:

• Airbourne – "Too Much Too young..."
• At the Drive-in – "One Armed Scissor"
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – "Weapon of Choice"
• Bob Seger – "Hollywood Nights"
• Dinosaur Jr. – "Feel the pain"
• Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"
• Survivor – "Eye of the Tiger"

Anything jump out at you specifically? Yep, Bob Seger. Now, of the Bob Seger songs you could choose from, you could do a lot worse than "Hollywood Nights." But Seger is also responsible for "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll," which is scientifically, quantifiably the second worst song ever recorded (after Phil Collins' version of "Groovy Kind of Love.") Shouldn't that preclude Seger's involvement with anything ever? Or are we being too restrictive?

Nintendo's VP of Corporate Affairs, Denise Kaigler, says the company isn't competing against Guitar Hero and Rock Band with its toddler-friendly overly-casual Wii Music. She explains to GameDaily that the company is trying to make "enriching opportunities for consumers" and have them create something unique. Yes, tempo creation through waggle is certainly unique.

Kaigler tells the site that Wii Music will have the "power to inspire kids to develop an interest in music." Well, as GayGamer discovered, it sure didn't inspire the media attending E3 this year. We're frightened sure that Wii Music will find an audience somewhere, even if it is just the rugrats roaming the great plains of the playpen.

There's a part of us that wants to compare The Ant Commandos' Illuminated Drumsticks to one of those ridiculously absurd Wiimote attachments; however, there's something stopping us. It's just ... it's just ... these are drumsticks that glow when you hit them on the drum pad. Come on, that's awesome!

At $20 the price is a bit silly, but then again, so is the whole concept. We're sure that under the right chemical conditioning these things will add a whole new level of glee to drumming. There's a horrible video after the break to see how it works.

[Via GayGamer]

Look, it's not that Microsoft's Xbox VP, David Gosen, dislikes the Wii and its parade of people-friendly peripherals. "What Nintendo have done with the Wii is truly fantastic – there is no question about it." No question at all -- but there is a but. "But I think sometimes there is a thin line between gimmick and great gameplay." And there's no question that said but refers to that thing that lets you play games with your butt.

Speaking at a Gamefest UK keynote and later to the folks at Develop, Gosen admitted that while different interfaces, whether they be video cameras or plastic guitars, are important in bringing new players into the market, they need to serve a "truly game changing experience." Gosen went on to cite research which found Wii Fit players abandoned their "digital bathroom scales" quite quickly. "They are not good if they are gimmicks. There is a challenge for us to make sure that all new user interfaces are deep and are rewarding to the end user."

And how do you do that, exactly? Gosen offers, "So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes – and we have to treat them with respect." Get the balance of game design right, huh? Sounds like the perfect Wii Fit game, no?

If you had asked us what Ozzy Osbourne had in common with Bret Michaels just yesterday, we would have only been able to come up with "relentlessly unwatchable reality shows." But today we learn that both are members of the proud fraternity of artists featured in Guitar Hero games that aren't really known for playing guitar. G4 reported today that Ozzy would appear in Guitar Hero: World Tour, as would his tracks "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley."

Arguably, Ozzy makes for a more logical addition now that the game includes singing as well as shredding. But we're still happy to hear that he'll be bringing actual guitar hero Zakk Wylde along for digitization.

[Via ScoreHero]

With Brett Favre booked for a one-way ticket out of retirement and into New York (as a Jet!), Madden NFL 09 will look decidedly vintage when it releases next week with Favre on the cover ... as a Packer. Some may attribute the gaffe to evidence of the "Madden Curse" at work (c'mon, it can do better than that!), but EA Sports boss Peter Moore assures, "There's a plan."

While IGN has already confirmed there will be no second printing -- Favre will remain a Packer on the surface of Madden 09, at least -- a Crispy Gamer interview with Moore and marketing director David Tinson published last week addressed the possibility of Favre switching teams; to which Moore offered his vague assurance. "It will ship with what you've seen. Yes. And then we'll have a plan if he's not [a Packer]," Tinson added. Day-one roster update confirmed!

Update: EA will indeed release a day-one update placing Favre on the Jets (and reflecting any other relevant roster changes), reports MTV Multiplayer. But that's not all: "We do not plan to re-issue packaging, but WILL offer a free downloadable cover in the coming days on easports.com featuring Brett Favre in a Jets uniform. Fans can print this new cover out and insert it into the case of Madden NFL 09," a company spokesperson revealed to MTV. See, EA did have a plan! ... But if you're not feelin' it, why not make your own cover?

[Image credit: FirstCuts]

Remember that Wii system menu hack we told you about yesterday? Among other things, HackInstaller removes the health warning at startup, the background music and -- most importantly -- all region encoding for GameCube and Wii games and Wii channels (you can view a walkthrough of the patch, above). Homebrew coder "Crediar" has released HackInstaller into the wild.

Installation requires the homebrew channel. If you haven't taken the leap to homebrew, check out the Wii Pack Generator for a no-fuss entry into the scene. We suspect Nintendo isn't going to take this loss of region coding concern lightly.

The original Rock Band on Wii was, well, not really Rock Band. It looked and played the part, but lacked a certain something. Or, rather, somethings. You know, like downloadable songs, online play, create-a-rocker, and a proper World Tour mode a la the 360 and PS3 versions. Thankfully that won't be the case with Rock Band 2.

Wired reports that the Wii version of Rock Band 2 will, according to Harmonix, be "fully-featured." In fact, this includes DLC (no word on how that's going to work storage-wise) and online play. If it's going to be a "much more competitive product" as its developers say, then we should also expect to be making music with band members of our own design and touring the world as we see fit when the game hits the stage in November.

[Via NWF]

As you might have noticed, the first episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, "Homestar Ruiner," did not make its target month of July. Maybe he was too busy pining for Trevor or [insert more recent Strong Bad reference here], who knows? Thankfully, the wait has nearly ended: Telltale has announced on its site that the first episode will arrive on WiiWare and PC Aug. 11.

We're happy to finally see SB make the leap to the somewhat larger, yet still small screen. But we're more hopeful that the announcement means Telltale can now move on the to the episodic Teen Girl Squad game we all secretly crave.

Let's be honest: Shigeru Miyamoto would never post on Joystiq, and if he would, we'd like to think our response would be something wittier than ":(". So while we object to The Slackerz' totally false characterization of us, we are required by Blogger Law to award it webcomic of the week.

A very close second (as of this writing) goes to Dueling Analogs, with Digital Unrest in third. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!

There's nothing wrong with your speakers. The above video is totally silent, although its content speaks volumes. What you're looking at is a new Wii System Menu hack from homebrew coder "Crediar." What's special about this one – which is installed via the Homebrew Channel we've covered previously – is that it does away with the annoying health warning screen at boot-up, the Wii Menu background music, and, most importantly, region coding for Wii games, GameCube games and Wii Channels. The video is annotated so you know exactly what's going on during the walkthrough. Crediar hasn't made his work public as of yet, but we can only imagine Nintendo – unlike Wii owners – will be none too pleased.

[Thanks, Craig!]

We've been unable to verify recent speculation (which we totally made up, just now) that Hudson has shipped all those units directly to a New Jersey landfill, but we have our suspicions. Still, we can't help but wonder if a few copies of Deca Sports have actually passed through retail checkouts, purchased by Wii owners desperate to rediscover the riotous, wrist-racketing revelry that faded from the living room once they ran out of friends who hadn't tried Wii yet. Well, they sure got what they paid for: a Wii Sports knockoff ... made with the craft and care of a drunk baboon.

Shown for the first time at the company's Captivate 2008 event in June, Capcom's Wii-exclusive action title Spyborgs is undergoing some serious ... re-tooling. This news comes as little surprise, considering the game was a complete no-show at E3.

In an official forum post, Christian Svensson, Capcom's senior director of strategic planning & research, said, "You won't see new [Spyborgs] assets for several more months," adding, "We're refining it considerably (pretty much as significant an overhaul as Dark Void underwent from its first announcement to its first big reveal)." Hoping to quell fears that the game has outright stalled, Svensson assured that, "I have seen a new build recently though. It's coming along nicely."

[Via Go Nintendo]