Back before my Wii began collecting dust due to its lack of a solid games library (yes, I know, Super Smash, Mario, etc. are great games), the Wii Internet Channel was just a Trial before gamers were required to pay 500 Wii Points for the software.

Well, Nintendo has announced today that those who paid said fee will be getting credit towards any NES game this October while the Internet Channel will be free to use for all.

What’s more, Nintendo has also let us know that they are updating the browser’s Flash from 7 to Flash Lite 3.1, making for a whole slew of new found usability.

Read (Nintendo)

It was recently made known that the PlayStation 3 firmware update version 3.00 has officially gone live and is now available for download.

Below are some of the features found in version 3.00:

• “What’s New” – The “Information Board” will be replaced with a “What’s New” section, which allows you to enjoy interactive PlayStation news every time you start the PS3 system. Located under the PlayStation Network icon, “What’s New” displays the latest and greatest game, video, PlayStation Network and PlayStation news and releases, as well as your recently played games, in a sleek, new animated format.
• Status Indicator – In the top right corner we’ve added an indicator bar, which displays your user icon, friend icon, the number of friends you have online and a small message icon to let you know if you have any new messages. The indicator also includes a scrolling ticker that features the latest news from PlayStation Network. In addition, when you press the PS button, the battery life indicator will no longer cover up the clock.
• Friends List – Now your PlayStation Network friends will appear in a slightly redesigned format on your Friends List. Also, messages will now be viewable from each of your friends’ respective profiles.
• PlayStation Store Shortcuts – We’ve added a handy shortcut icon to the PlayStation Store under both the Game and Video categories so you can access the latest content quickly and easily.
• Personalization – Personalize your PS3 with new dynamic custom themes and avatars. Dynamic themes as well as free and premium avatars will be available through PlayStation Store. A dynamic theme takes your screen to a whole new level as it incorporates animated objects into the background.
• Trophies – Showcasing your hard earned trophies just got better. Update 3.00 gives game developers the ability to modify how they display trophies for add-on content. Base and add-on game trophies will continue to be combined into a single list so you can see where you stand in a game as a whole. Within that list, trophies will be broken out into subcategories—base trophies and add-on trophies—that way, you can easily view the percentage of your base game trophy collection, and separately track your trophy progress in add-on packs. Look for this enhancement to be included in upcoming games.

Well, what are you waiting for? Stop reading and go get it!

Gran Turimso 5 has been in development seemingly forever but that’s to be expected considering the amount of effort Polyphony Digital is putting into it. While we have yet to see a solid release date, one could only expect that the game hit North American shelves sometime after it dropped in Japan.

Thankfully, Polyphony Digital’s Kazunori Yamauchi recently sat down for an interview to speak of the issue where he was quoted to have said, “its release is not too far away – it will be after the PSP GT release – and, most likely, it will be a simultaneous worldwide release.”

Most likely, huh? That doesn’t sound too promising but it can at least be assumed GT5 will be released in Japan and North America very close to one another.

via kotaku