The American Council on Exercise (ACE), a leading fitness authority and training organization, has released the results of a study that tested the effectiveness of Nintendo’s exercise tool and balance trainer Wii Fit. The study, conducted in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Exercise and Health Program, found that Wii Fit produced “underwhelming results,” [...]

[In this opinion column, designer and Divide By Zero founder James Portnow lays out why major publishers need an indie arm, addressing the major factors that make it both a necessary and feasible model.] I hear a lot of bitching that innovation is dead in America. That’s a lie. The problem is that we have two [...]

This week’s edition of Critical Reception examines online reaction to Modern Warfare 2, a Call of Duty 4 sequel that reviews describe as delivering “an even more satisfying, more intense experience.” Modern Warfare 2 currently earns a score of 96 out of 100 at Metacritic.com. Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann gives Modern Warfare 2 5 out of [...]

[Gamasutra contributor Quintin Smith examines two versions of harried, squeaky-clean PSP title Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!, and how the panic it creates helps players feel every bit the bumbling villain.] There’s been an odd glut of tongue-in-cheek Japanese games based on 16-bit RPGs recently, games like Half Minute Hero and 3D Dot Heroes. I’ve already [...]

Former Sony boss and “father of the PlayStation” Ken Kutaragi has started a new company, Cyber AI Entertainment, focused on online networking operations. Kutaragi owns a 90 percent stake and will serve as president of the new organization, which Nikkei reports may even be working in the cloud computing arena to develop a new entertainment platform. He’s [...]

ArenaNet and NCsoft’s upcoming online PC role-playing game Guild Wars 2 is aiming for a 2011 launch, following a planned testing phase sometime next year, according to a report on consumer site GameSpot. “I believe there will be a certain public event in the year 2010, so at this point it could be at least a [...]

[We're partnering with game criticism site Critical Distance to present some of the week's most inspiring writing about the art and design of video games from commentators worldwide. This week, Ben Abraham discusses Dragon Age, New Super Mario Bros, Out Run, and that darn 'No Russian' level again.] In the middle of the torrent of newly [...]

In a discussion with Gamasutra at the Gstar 2009 video game trade show in Busan, Korea, Taiwan’s XPEC Entertainment revealed that its upcoming sci-fi MMO, Bounty Hounds Online, was inspired by massive piracy of the original Bounty Hounds on PSP. “In 2006 the game went to market on the PSP platform,” said XPEC Chairman Aaron Hsu. [...]

Japanese software unit sales slowed for the week ended November 22, as Valve Software’s new Left 4 Dead 2 for Xbox 360 broke the top 10 in the region, according to tracking firm Media Create. Left 4 Dead 2, published by Electronic Arts, sold 28,000 units to capture the sixth slot. The game was able to [...]

Yudo (Aero Guitar) iPhone game exec Reo Yonaga has told Gamasutra that Nintendo games and titles like Demon’s Souls have pinpointed the key to game design success in “a sound, valid sense of direction”. Talking as part of a larger Gamasutra feature interview posted today, Yonaga commented on what he believed was key to making [...]