When playing Saints Row or Red Faction, did you ever wish you could smash up buildings or conduct drive-by shootings with a porn star while waggling a Wiimote? Even if you answered "no" to that question, developer Volition says it may one day be possible. During the Red Faction: Guerrilla launch event in New York City last night (held at the red planet-themed tourist trap/night club known as Mars 2112), we asked senior associate producer Jeff Carroll if the THQ-owned studio ever considered making Wii versions of their popular franchises.

"Though [THQ] may do Wii versions of [our games] in the future, Volition won't be doing them -- at least for the next year or so," Carroll said.

"We actually talked about whether we were going to become a partial Wii developer," he explained. "Then we talked it over with THQ and they had enough studios that were going to be Wii-specific. But we really wanted to focus on the technological advances [in console development], especially for Red Faction Guerrilla."

When asked if these Wii titles were in the works, he replied that he didn't know but that they were "within the realm of possibility."

The real question is: Will Gary Busey be involved? For insanity's sake, we hope so.

SCEA marketing whiz Peter Dille has pitched the company's new game plan, and Wii's the bait, according to a recent interview with Gamasutra. Opting for more concession speech than victory declaration, Dille offers a "hats off" to Nintendo and its Wii for "doing something that hasn't been done" by expanding and diversifying the demographic of game console owners. Dille proposes that if this new class of gamers gets "hooked," then PS3 is in position to fulfill the next logical acquisition in their newfound "gaming habit."

Dille suggests that the prospect of a "high-definition gaming experience" might drive a Wii family to invest in a PS3 as their living room "centerpiece," but doesn't specifically suggest why Sony's console might be favored over the other high-def game platform currently on the market. Still, Dille clearly understands the strength of the PlayStation brand, established by the ridiculously pervasive PS2 (which is still pervading in certain markets) and, likely, rightfully assumes that a significant chunk of Wii converts were once PS2 owners. Do you see the plan coming together now? "So we think that over time all those folks will migrate back to the PlayStation 3 -- when I say 'back,' that takes the view that they were PS2 gamers, went to the Wii, and then would come back."

It's a big week for Nintendo fans. First of all, the first 6 downloadable goodies on the US DSi Shop are available, and we've got 1 new WiiWare and Virtual Console title to consider. So let's not waste any time and get right down to the nitty-gritty. What will you be downloading this week?

A $99 PS2 may not sound groundbreaking to the hardcore gamer, but it certainly opens a lot of doors to the casual gaming market. Sony's last-gen console keeps on chugging, and it looks as though Sony is positioning the PS2 as its main competitor against Nintendo's almighty Wii. SCEA's John Koller spoke to GameDaily Biz about the new price, admitting that the Wii and PS2 will have "similar customers."

"Yes, we do think the $99 price point could steal some share [from Wii]," Koller said. "From a technological standpoint, the Wii is much closer to the PS2 than it is to the next-gen consoles. It's obviously not an HD box and the software development is on a par with where PS2 development is, so that's a much more realistic and similar demographic."

Although the Wii and PS2 are similar technologically, Nintendo has delivered a system that really caters to the mainstream casual masses. Without motion control and appropriate software support, a lower price point may not be able to steer people away from Nintendo's system. "Nintendo has done a fantastic job of capturing young and female [demographics]," Koller admits, and that's something Sony will have to work on if they'll want to keep the PS2 relevant in a Wii world.

Little Mac is definitely back, and he brought Doc Louis with him. He's also hauling a heck of a lot more pixels this time around, and we're happy to report that Punch-Out!! is indeed still fun to play. The Nintendo booth (the largest and lone major gaming publisher on the show floor) was showing off Punch-Out!! on a few stations, although sadly without the Balance Board functionality that's coming to the game.

It did show off four of the thirteen total fighters, including Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, King Hippo, and the newcomer, Disco Kid. He looks like what you'd get if you crossed Mike Tyson with Ric Flair, and pulled him through a Disney movie animation wringer. He likes to primp, check himself out in a mirror, and pose for the crowd. Little Mac learned the lesson about the dangers of vanity long ago, so there's no such worry. Head after the break and start training, Punch-Out!! comes out on the Wii this May.

Netflix may be looking to expanding their service beyond Xbox 360. According to a consumer survey mailed to a Joystiq reader, Netflix may provide their service to Wii owners. "Imagine that, as an added benefit to DVDs by mail, Netflix offers its members the ability to watch movies & TV episodes instantly on their TV via their Nintendo Wii, choosing from a library of over 12,000 choices.

According to the survey, the Netflix service will be enabled through a "Netflix Instant Streaming Disc." The disc would need to be placed in the Wii every time someone wanted to use the Netflix service. Unlike Microsoft, it appears Nintendo will not bundle Netflix into an upcoming firmware.

The existence of this survey doesn't necessarily mean Netflix support on Wii is confirmed. However, it does suggest the company has been investigating the possibilities. We're certain Netflix is eager to tap into the millions of Nintendo fans ready to try the streaming movie service.

[Thanks, Trey!]

Three years and countless lives lost later, it appears that Nintendo's Wii has finally found equilibrium in the epic battle between supply and demand. GameStop SVP of Merchandising Bob McKenzie, speaking with embedded reporters from Gamasutra, expresses the company finally has enough inventory on the shelf, with at least a couple weeks worth of supply.

As for software, McKenzie sees EA Sports Active being another hit for the console, stating that the pawnshop conglomerate was surprised by the popularity of Wii Fit.

Although this talk of Wii sales equilibrium sounds lovely in March, that doesn't guarantee it'll hold true once the holidays come around. But, at least, the concept of balance in the Wii supply chain is a tangible idea after all these years.

Sony is looking into new ways of extending the PS2's life cycle far beyond the promised "ten years." A new patent discovered by the watchdogs at Siliconera points to a new gameplay system that has users waving a wand in front of a camera connected to the PS2.

Sounds very much like the Wii to us, but there are apparently other uses in the works. Another patent diagram shows ring controllers, worn around a person's fingers, that transmit light and data. This kind of experience may lead to even more freeform methods of play, as players will no longer have to grasp a controller.

Before you get too excited (or digusted), remember this: not all patents come to fruition as actual products. Sony filed another patent last year for a unique break-apart controller that has yet to turn up. To get a further glance into the potential future, check out Siliconera's full report.

Retailers in the UK may end up raising consumer prices for Wii following Nintendo's own price hike, according to two sources: 1) common sense, and 2) Don McCabe, managing director of Chips.

"I don't think any retailer has got the ability to soak up that sort of margin change," McCabe told GamesIndustry.biz. "I think I saw one story that said the supermarkets wouldn't be passing the price point on but I think they will. I don't think any retailer can take that sort of squeeze."

If the £20 Nintendo is adding to retailer prices is passed on to consumers, the Wii will now cost £199 ($275), a price that McCabe thinks Nintendo could have gotten away with from the very beginning. Now that the price is going up, "It will have a negative effect on the sales... I think we'll still end up with shortages come Christmas again, but through the summer it's going to have an effect." So at a higher price, McCabe expects, Nintendo will still sell every Wii this winter.

Nintendo will raise the price of the Wii to UK retailers by approximately £20 due to the depreciation of the island kingdom's currency. GI.biz reports that the Chateau de Mario had to "reluctantly" raise the cost to retailers following the "unprecedented and sustained depreciation of the pound." The publisher may also need to raise the price of software to retailers in the future.

The Wii currently has a recommended retail price of £180 ($249 USD) to UK consumers. Nintendo is leaving the price charged to customers up to the stores.

Listen, we're all for games that take advantage of the Wii's unique properties, but we're afraid that Wii Breakfast has gone too far. As you can see in Idiots Of Ants' leaked gameplay footage after the jump, the developer has really gone peripheral crazy for its new release, which simulates everything from making toast to newspaper reading. Do we really need two Wii Sausages, guys? Really?

That said, the real-time generated Wii Butter looks positively delicious.

[Via GoNintendo]

According to a recent console usage report compiled between October and December of last year by Nielsen Media Research, the Wii appeals to quite the broad spectrum of people, being especially popular among boys age 6 -11 and women age 25 - 34. Most interesting is the Wii's ability to captivate the older women audience, as the console's use by women over 35 is much higher than that of the Wii's competition. And they're apparently playing Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, games cited as favorites among that group.

Of course, as much as the younger audience and older women flock to Wii, it still has trouble captivating that coveted 18 - 24 demographic, where the Xbox 360 and PS3 fare a lot better. For Microsoft's Xbox 360, the group getting their game on the most is males aged 12-17, and females aged 25-34. The PS3, it would seem, has the oldest male audience locked down, as the report notes that gamers who may have owned a PSOne or PS2 in the past "may have 'graduated' to the PS3 in their assumed adulthood." For both males and females, the highest usage came from the 18 - 24 group.

As far as average playtime, the Wii trailed behind the others. On the Xbox 360 side, males used the console almost twice as much as females (10.2 vs. 5.4 in December), whereas usage between genders on the PS3 and Wii was much more balanced.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Resident Evil 5 producer Masachika Kawata intimated that he'd like to see more of Resident Evil on Nintendo's waggling financial giant. Said Kawata, "Personally, I would like to create something on Wii in the Resident Evil family." He further stated that the team doesn't know what it would be, as it's been hard at work on Resident Evil 5, but asked gamers to "watch this space." Thus far, staring at our computer monitor has resulted in nothing but eyestrain.

Kawata also spoke briefly to concerns raised about Resident Evil 5's control scheme, saying that the team "reflected" on the control scheme for some time. While Kawata expects some may dislike the controls, he -- and the team -- believe it "does not reflect negatively on the game as a whole," but is instead "part of a forward-looking process." Kawata hopes that even those who dislike the controls will enjoy the overall product.

Before watching the video we've posted after the jump which depicts Dead Rising: Chop Til' You Drop's version of the memorable "maintenance tunnel" sequence, we suggest strapping on your strongest pair of UV-protective eyewear. If you possess no such ocular shielding, here's a helpful site that can show you how to make one of those pinhole projector boxes you can use to view solar eclipses. It may be a bit too much artsy and craftsy trouble for you to go through for just one video, but we feel it's a necessary precaution.

We knew Capcom was going to be making a few cutbacks in order to make Dead Rising: CTYD Wii-friendly, such as a reduction in the maximum number of on-screen zombies. We don't really care about that -- but if the final version of the game offends our senses of sight and sound (and yes, even taste) as the post-jump video has, well, that would be a noteworthy cause for concern.

[Via GoNintendo]