Winners and Losers: Week of 9/16/07

Each week Game Freaks 365 compiles a list of the perceived winners and losers of the week based on news events. Since we don’t like useless (and highly controversial) gaming related Top 10 lists, we feel this fills that void for our readers. The winners and losers may be people, companies, systems, franchises – really anything. The lucky (and unlucky) ones this week are…

Winner: Smash Bros. Brawl

Online play has been confirmed by Nintendo for the forthcoming Wii blockbuster Super Smash Bros. Brawl with up to four players. You can choose to play “with friends” or “with anyone.” Playing with friends will track wins and losses and allow for taunts assigned to the direction pad. No voice chat is currently planned. While waiting for opponents, a punching bag mini-game will be available. The game launches exclusively on Wii December 3, 2007.

Loser: Online gamers

More specifically, they’re losing their lives. This is far from the first time its happened, either. Just ask South Korea. This time it was a 30 year-old Chinese man who died this week after spending three consecutive days at an Internet cafe. “According to preliminary findings, the length of time this man spent online might have triggered heart problems,” the Beijing News reported.

Winner: RadioShack

The company that’s known for selling electronic wiring, accessories and equipment is making room for something else. They’re going to start selling video game software and hardware. All I have to say to this one is: it’s about time. The video game industry is thriving, so it only makes sense for an electronics store to carry an increasingly popular entertainment source.

Loser: Obesity

From our own reporting earlier in the week, “Konami continues its fitness initiative in schools as its groundbreaking game series, Dance Dance Revolution, has become part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s challenge among all k-12 schools to get California students healthy and fit. This highly acclaimed game will be part of an all-new fitness center presented to Los Angeles based Marvin Elementary School on Tuesday, September 18. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will also be on hand at the event with a ribbon cutting ceremony and walkthrough of the center that will feature Dance Dance Revolution and other physical activity equipment.” The state of West Virginia is also fighting obesity with DDR in their public schools.

They may be losing the larger battle, but Halo 3 looks to break records this coming Tuesday. GoldenEye 007, released ten years ago on the Nintendo 64, is still the top selling First-Person Shooter of all-time. Master Chief would like to take that title from James Bond. Microsoft is hoping that Halo 3 will rake in $155 million in first day sales. If Microsoft’s estimates are true, that’s roughly 2.5 million units on day one at $60 a pop. However, the game is also coming in a Limited Edition at $70 and Legendary Edition at $130 a piece, respectively, so it’s more difficult to estimate how many Microsoft expects each version to sell. More than 10,000 stores will stay open at midnight on Tuesday for the Halo 3 release, with GameStop hosting launch parties.

Loser: Dogs

If you thought televisions were the only victims of Wii Remotes, you were wrong. In Colorado, a family went to their local veterinarian when their dog was coughing up blood. X-rays revealed that the dog had swallowed the family’s Wiimote.

“The Vet started massaging the dogs belly and it just came flying out of the dog,” said owner Marie Becknell. “I knew what it was right away by the color and shape of it — it was my son’s video game remote. The dog had swallowed the boy’s Nintendo Wii controller.”