Flood of Wii information from Japan...

Although the Wii won't be out in the country until December 2nd, Nintendo has just launched a substantial Japanese marketing campaign complete with billboards and TV ads, IGN reports. You can watch a couple of them (including a five-minute gameplay montage) after the jump. In the meantime, there's plenty of news on accessories. If you go here you can find a list of Japanese prices for basic gear, like video cables and Wiimotes. Of note is the USB LAN adapter, priced at 2,800 yen ($23.40 US), and a Wii-branded 512 MB SD card, priced at 3,800 yen ($31.75). Speaking of SD, an official interview mentions that the Wii can play MP3s alongside slideshows, if you have some on a card. There's no separate Music Channel. Finally, Vooks writes that if Japanese gamers buy 5,000 Wii points for 5,000 yen ($41.78), they'll automatically receive a Classic Controller. The Classic will be mandatory for most Virtual Console titles.

Prey: 1.2 patch, Triton situation update

Accompanying the Prey update for the 360 is a 1.2 patch for the PC version. The 40 MB file contains a series of bug fixes, as well as the extra multiplayer content just added to the 360. The list again:

Becky - Multiplayer character
Elhuit - Multiplayer character
Elite - Multiplayer character
Hunter - Multiplayer character
Jen - Multiplayer character
Gravity Lab - Multiplayer map
Space Oddity - Multiplayer map
Topillogical - Multiplayer map
Tunnel Rat - Multiplayer map

Patch mirrors can be found here and here. If you downloaded your copy of the game through Triton, here's the situation: 3D Realms says that 2K Games will automatically mail you a boxed copy to your credit card address. No further action is necessary.

EB and GameStop taking Wii pre-orders on Thursday?

GameStop and EB Games will be taking Wii pre-orders on Thursday, GayGamer says. The information is said to come from "very reliable" inside sources. This rumour might be ignored, but it is telling that PS3 pre-orders were formally announced last night. The main obstacle to believing GayGamer is the notoriously spotty record of GameStop sources - apparently, even GayGamer's contacts were caught off-guard by the PS3 announcement. If they had no idea that was coming, Wii pre-orders could begin tomorrow or two weeks from now.

New games: After Burner, Settlers VI, Sturmovik: 1946

A trio of interesting games have been announced for different platforms. Sega is bringing its classic After Burner series to the PSP in the form of Black Falcon, which Rewiredmind says is set for a spring 2007 release. The new game will introduce multiplayer, 19 customizable real-world jets, and a "story-rich" single-player game. On the PC, Ubisoft has uncovered sequels to IL-2 Sturmovik and The Settlers. IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 should ship in November, including all the content of the original game plus nine new campaigns and 32 more fighters and bombers. CVG says The Settlers VI is being planned for 2007, and supposedly, this title will feature the most accessible graphics and gameplay in the RTS series' history.

Call of Duty 3 PS3 will have online play

With Sony being blamed for missing Internet play in games like Project 8 and Virtua Tennis 3, it might be rational to fear that a whole host of PS3 games could end up the same way. You'd be wrong about Call of Duty 3, at least. GameDaily had a chance to preview the PS3 port, and Treyarch claims it will have the same 24-player support as the 360 game. Where the 360 title may be superior is in terms of speed. That version is running at 60 frames per second, whereas the PS3 game is "only" doing 30 frames. Performance is expected to improve in the polishing time before the game ships on November 17th.

EB Games starts download service

EB Games has started a new range of downloads for PC titles $29.99 US or less. Most of what's on offer isn't especially good, but there are a few gems - BloodRayne for example, or IL-2 Sturmovik, Myst III: Exile, and Thief: Deadly Shadows. A number of full- or mid-priced downloads were already available. Note that BloodRayne is also on Steam for $9.95. We don't endorse any particular vendor, we just want you to know where options exist for hard-to-find games.

Phantasy Star Universe beta available on Wednesday

On Wednesday and Thursday only, 360 owners with Gold subscriptions will get to download a free multiplayer beta of Phantasy Star Universe. FiringSquad notes that people who grab the beta will be able to play the game until October 18th. The full version of Sega's online RPG comes out on the 24th. In addition to online play, the retail game will come with a single-player adventure starring Ethan Waber, a rebellious teenager who has to defend his sister from an alien invasion. The aliens turn out to have a connection with ruins of an ancient civilization.

Xbox Live: Tiger Woods demo, Prey content

Continuing the spate of EA demo releases (after FIFA 07 and Need for Speed Carbon), there's now a sampler of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 on Xbox Live. The file is 918 MB. Human Head and 3D Realms, meanwhile, have released the promised multiplayer content for Prey. Here it is:

Becky - Multiplayer character
Elhuit - Multiplayer character
Elite - Multiplayer character
Hunter - Multiplayer character
Jen - Multiplayer character
Gravity Labs - Multiplayer map
Space Oddity - Multiplayer map
Topillogical - Multiplayer map
Tunnel Rat - Multiplayer map

Keep an eye out for a demo of Tony Hawk's Project 8 within a week or so.

Final launch titles for the Wii and PS3?...

The PS3 should have 24 games while the Wii will get 30, say Wedbush Morgan Securities, quoted through CVG. Wedbush has published a list of "anticipated" launch titles for the two consoles, on which one can also find expected sell-in figures where available. The one glaring problem is the Prince of Persia game for the Wii - it's pegged as a launch product, but we know it won't be coming until March 2007 at the earliest. See the PS3 launch list below, with the full Wii assortment after the jump.

PlayStation 3

Resistance: Fall of Man - Sony
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - Sony
Genji: Days of the Blade - Sony
Gran Turismo HD - Sony
NBA 07 - Sony
Call of Duty 3 - Activision (600,000)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance - Activision (310,000)
Tony Hawk's Project 8 - Activision (300,000)
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Bethesda Softworks
Fight Night 3 - Electronic Arts (400,000)
Madden NFL 07 - Electronic Arts (700,000)
NBA Live 07 - Electronic Arts (500,000)
Need for Speed Carbon - Electronic Arts (800,000)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Electronic Arts (400,000)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Target In Sight - Namco Bandai
Ninja Gaiden Sigma - Namco Bandai
Ridge Racer 7 - Namco Bandai
Full Auto 2: Battlelines - Sega
Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega
NBA 2K7 - Take-Two Interactive (400,000)
NHL 2K7 - Take-Two Interactive (200,000)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - Ubisoft
Rainbow Six: Vegas - Ubisoft
F.E.A.R. - Vivendi

Medieval II: Total War demo released

A demo is out for the historical RTS game by Creative Assembly. At 487.56 MB, the file includes a tutorial at the Battle of Hastings (Normans vs. Saxons), as well as full-scale scenarios at Pavia (Hapsburgs vs. French) and Agincourt (English vs. French). Absent is the full game's turn-based grand strategy mode. You can find mirrors for the demo here, here, here and here. A warning: according to Shacknews, a CPU with SSE2 support is required. This leaves out owners of Athlon or Athlon XP processors (Athlon 64 is supported).