Despite being “nearly finished” last February, Square Enix revealed earlier this month that Dragon Quest IX won’t be making a playable appearance at this year’s TGS. Now we know why. Speaking in a brief interview with Jiji Press, company president Yoichi Wada dropped word that the title won’t be hitting Japan until “early next year.” Doh. Here’s hoping at least some solid info on the game comes out during TGS. A new gameplay trailer, anything to ease to wait.

ドラクエ最新作、年明け発売へ＝テクモ買収は「今後判断」－スク・エニ社長 [Jiji]

Ubisoft today announced that the highly-lauded Prince of Persia reboot will hit store shelves on December 2 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Prince of Persia: The Fallen King, a separate entry in the series exclusive to Nintendo DS, will ship on the same day.

Opening an all-new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe, the title features a unique illustrative art style, open-world environments, dynamic AI, and an enhanced combat system.

Never, ever underestimate the power of Pokemon. Pokemon Platinum, the franchise’s latest installment, was released in Japan a few days ago on the 13th. Guess how many copies its sold? Try 967,675 units in two days, according to sales data from Famitsu parent Enterbrain.

This makes Pokemon Platinum the fastest-selling standalone DS game in a week, surpassing the previous record holder, New Super Mario Bros. It doesn’t quite beat the combined sales of Diamond and Pearl, though, which is to be expected.

＜ポケットモンスタープラチナ＞ミリオン間近　発売2日で96万本 [Yahoo]

Nintendo has been selling oodles of Wii and DS units over the years. Ever wonder what their revenue figures would look like if you break it down per employee? The Financial Times did just that and discovered that the company generates $1.6 million per employee, with roughly 3,000 people employed in development and R&D. That’s more than Google - even more than the big-name investment banking group Goldman Sachs made back in 2007. Impressive.

Nintendo makes more profit per employee than Goldman [FT]

The PSP has its own Phantasy Star title, but where is the love for DS? Look no further, as the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu confirms that Sega is bringing Phantasy Star Zero over to the DS this Winter. It’s an all-new title, with the scenario being penned by series vet Tooru Shiwasu and Teru Arai. Players can join up in teams of four over Nintendo WiFi connection. Interestingly, a chat system will be present, allowing players to send over sketches and text messages using the stylus a la Pictochat.

Jeez, an original title and four-player online? Hey, don’t go and make PSP owners jealous now…

Wii @ Everyday [Wii Everyday]

Namco Bandai has revealed that its upcoming DS RPG Tales of Hearts will carry a price point of 6,650 yen ($61), a near 30 percent increase from the average price of Nintendo DS titles in Japan. And let’s not forget that the game will ship in two flavors: one featuring anime style cutscenes while the other drops the otaku look in favor of realistic CG models. Collectors am cry.

Considering that sales of Tales of Innocence were fairly disappointing for a big-name DS RPG of its caliber, one has to wonder why Namco is placing a premium price tag on Hearts. Either they know its going to sell in droves regardless of price, or a larger-sized DS cart is being used.

Tales of Hearts hits Japan on December 11. Currently Namco has no plans to release a localized version in the U.S.

Surprise! Nintendo went ahead and announced a Wii and DS compatible WiFi router today. It’ll hit Japan on September 18 at a price of 5800 yen (around $54). Seeing as nearly every standard router out there works with both systems, we’re left feeling a little perplexed as to why Nintendo would bother bringing a peripheral like this to the market - especially with more pressing issues at hand, like a centralized storage solution for our WiiWare and Virtual Console titles. Oh well, guess this is good news for those less tech-savvy folks, which make up a large majority of Nintendo’s userbase.

SEGA is resurrecting Shining Force, one of its classic RPG franchises that first emerged as a Genesis / Mega Drive title, on none other than the Nintendo DS. Entitled Shining Force Feather, the game plays as a traditional turn-based strategy RPG on the field map, sporting visuals presented in a top-down isometric perspective. When initiating a battle sequence, however, the game switches to a 2D viewpoint. Akin to Namco’s “Tales of” series, you can move about freely on the battlefield while inputting button combos at will.

Shining Force Feather is scheduled for a Spring 2009 release in Japan. The title has yet to be announced for North America and Europe.

We knew it was coming, but Nintendo finally made an official announcement today. The Metallic Silver DS Lite is hitting North American store shelves in a standalone package on September 7. Following its debut, the new color will be featured in a series of print ads with actress Liv Tyler.

Hit the jump for three high-res photos of the unit.

Metallic Silver DS Photos

Publisher Activision today announced Tony Hawk’s Motion, the first title to feature accelerometer technology on the DS. Utilizing the Motion Pack, players can “twist, tilt and turn” through a number of skate and for the first time, snowboarding locations, ranging from the streets of Tokyo to the frozen Alps.

An action-oriented puzzler, Hue Pixel Painter will be bundled with Tony Hawk’s Motion in a $39.99 pack when it hits this later this November. Players take control of Hue, utilizing the features of the Motion Pack to bring color to a world turned grey.

Full fact sheet after the break, along with the first screenshots of both titles.

Tony Hawk Motion / Hue Pixel Painter Screenshots