Today in Gaming News: April 24, 2008

Okay, we’re really going to try very hard to stretch our creative flexors and attempt to bring you a Today in Gaming News that is completely, we said completely and utterly, free of Grand Theft Auto IV news.

Huuguugghhhh… Grrruuuuuhhh… Bwaauuuhhhhh… MuaaaaaaaaaAAAA!!!

Resisting… Reeeesistinggggg….

• Nintendo of America president and chief sumo god Reggie Fils-Amie today told Wired.com that the company is “passionately upset” about how, a year and a half after first released, you still can’t find a goddamned Wii anywhere in the US. He says the average Wii spends about an hour on the shelves in the states. Reggie says that only in the US is demand outstripping supply. Somehow, I just don’t believe him. Any EU or Australian readers out there who can attest that Wiis are plentiful on your shelves?
• Couple that last item with the fact that Nintendo announced today that it’s making more money that God. Or Blizzard. Last year it increased sales by 73 percent and raked in profits of $4.77 billion, an increase of 115 percent from FY 2007. Or, to put it in perspective, $4,770 million. Not gross. Profit. Recession? What recession?
• In other Wii news, if you want to add to that cash glut Nintendo’s got going, supposedly Toys ‘R Us stores are going to get a huge infusion of Wiis this weekend.
• Oh wait, one more. Nintendo today announced its Q2 release schedule. Highlights: Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes to Europe on June 27 and comes to WiiWare on May 20. Then you’ll understand why Yahtzee hates it so much.
• The demo for Echochrome dropped today on PSN. We played this at GDC this year, and it’s a huge mind f**k, but it is a lot of fun. Warning, you’ll probably end up tossing your controller into your television, tho.
• And finally, Solid Snake fans can get a load of the new trailer for MGS 4 (in Japanese). As previously reported, it does show a geriatric Snake (make that “Sah-nay-ku”) looking like he’s about to eat his gun. Unfortunately, we GameHounds don’t speak Japanese, so we can’t figure out if it contains the other the reported other “indelicasies” (if you want to read yesterday’s slight spoiler, check this link).