Round-Up: Reggie Driver, Atari's Minimoys, Sega's Tower

Today's pre-weekend round-up includes news on an exciting Nintendo driving challenge, as well as a new animated movie license for Atari, plus Sega's licensing of a neat Yoot Saito-designed strategy title, alongside today's new GameSetWatch posts, product news and Gamasutra job postings. - Nintendo vice president of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime, who likes to project a tough-guy "Regginator" persona during public appearances, will be defending his claims at a Bellevue McDonalds promotional event for Mario Kart DS. Fils-Aime will be using the McDonald's hotspot for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection network to challenge both local and global players via the Worldwide setting for the game. Local players who beat Fils-Aime will have a chance to win Nintendo DS systems signed by the executive or by the band Fall Out Boy. - Infogrames has announced that subsidiary Atari Interactive will publish games based on the upcoming film Arthur and the Minimoys by director Luc Besson, whose credits include The Professional and The Fifth Element. Arthur is an animated children's movie scheduled for release in late 2006; Atari's tie-in games will be released for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and PC. "Atari's video game will keep the film's adventure alive by allowing players to step into the characters' shoes to explore and try to save the world of the Minimoys," said Besson. - Sega has announced that it will bring Yoot Tower for Game Boy Advance to the U.S. as The Tower SP in March 2006. Developed by Vivarium, whose last game was the offbeat virtual pet sim Seaman, the game gives players control over every aspect of a skyscraper building, and the offices and apartment spaces inside. "This game will not only challenge players' imaginations to build the coolest towers possible, but develop their management skills as well," said Sega of America VP of marketing Scott Steinberg. "Sega has always delivered innovative titles that challenge gamers in new ways; The Tower SP is another feather in Sega's hat of innovation." - Over at Gamasutra's newly launched sister game weblog GameSetWatch, new posts include a discussion of pre-owned video game woes, info on tour guides navigating True Crime: NYC, and an expose of the weirdly familiar Barry Hatter for the PlayStation 2, among others. - Also updated today: product news including the imminent release of the Unity Game Engine, as well as the latest Gamasutra job postings from companies including Humagade, Saffire, SkillJam, and Sucker Punch Productions.