reggie fils-aime
Latest
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Reggie shows off the DSi XL
This week's Nintendo Channel update may be a bit on the slim side, but Nintendo Week is back and actually has a few worthwhile snippets in this week's episode. First up, Capcom's Seth Killian struts his stuff in Tatsunoko vs Capcom, explaining the title for the unaware and showing off some of the combo-heavy gameplay behind it. Then, there's the Reggie Fils-Aime interview where he talks about the Nintendo Week program, some of the third-party support Nintendo platforms enjoyed in 2009 and the DSi XL. He also manages to bring up the upcoming Zelda game without actually talking about it. Head past the break for the full rundown of this week's Nintendo Channel content.
Nintendo Wii has lion's share of female console gamers
Nintendo's been doing a bit of digging and it turns out it's already won the console wars. If we're only talking about the ladies, that is. A whopping 80% of American female primary gamers (the person who primarily uses the console rather than the occasional dabblers) do their thing on the Wii, which we see as a clear indication to the graphics-obsessed Xbox 360 and PS3 developers that women prefer their games to be fun to play, rather than just look at. Maybe if we also stopped dressing female characters in swimsuits, they'd find non-Wii games relatable too -- that's just a guess though, probably wrong.
Nintendo: 80 percent of female console gamers prefer Wii
[Source: Kotaku] Nintendo's resident name jotter-downer and kiester-kicker recently divulged to BMO Capital Markets attendees that the Wii is outperforming its rivals when it comes to female gamers. According to its estimates (via Kotaku), 80 percent of the female console gaming crowd prefers Wii over the alternatives. With an estimated 11.7 million female console gamers in the Americas -- it's important to note this data of Nintendo's doesn't take into account DS owners or PC users -- the figure comes out to roughly nine million ladies waggling their way into the fun zone.
Nintendo's Fils-Aime: 'effectively marketed' third-party titles can sell on Wii
Despite slow to non-existent sales for several high-profile third-party Nintendo Wii titles, the company's US head, Reggie Fils-Aime, still believes that third-party publishers on Nintendo's console can be successful. Speaking with Kotaku, Fils-Aime says he's "extremely disappointed" with the lack of major third party games on the Wii. He even goes so far as to say he's spoken (presumably quite sternly) with "every publisher who makes content that is not available on my platform" about the subject. When questioned as to why major titles like Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed 2 aren't headed to his company's console, he explains it as a measure of long lead times rather than technological inability. "Typically decisions are being made two years prior ... and so the decisions two years ago were that those types of games would not be effective on the platform." And though the subject isn't directly broached, Fils-Aime remains steadfast that third-party titles can be successful on the Wii ... with the right marketing. "High-quality, effectively marketed against our installed base, will sell. Period. End of story." It would appear then that Boom Blox, The Conduit, No More Heroes, and a mess of other third-party titles, had some truly ineffective marketing by Reggie's standards.
Reggie ain't sweating Project Natal, 'Sphere'
In the dilapidated, war-torn streets of the gaming industry, the Console Wars™ have taken their toll on not only the landscape, but also the inhabitants of this once peaceful land. With war mongerers Sony and Microsoft preparing their next wave of battle tech -- motion control devices like the "PlayStation Motion Controller" (rumored: 'Sphere') and Project Natal, respectively -- Nintendo's battle general, Reggie Fils-Aime, recently continued his criticism of rivals by commenting to wartime reporters at Gamasutra that Nintendo isn't really shaking on its Balance Board.General Fils-Aime said that Nintendo will "applaud anything that will further expand the market of game players" and that the expansion of this kind of technology is really "in everyone's best interest," even though he admits Nintendo could lose some of its marketshare as a result. However, he does feel confident in Nintendo's "head-start of over 51 million controllers."
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime squashes Wii HD rumors... again
Oh, brother. Here we go again. Just over a year after Nintendo's own Reggie Fils-Aime denied the existence of a forthcoming Wii HD, the bigwig is having to make that very same denial again. Naturally, a few new rumors of an HD-enabled Wii have surfaced since that fateful day in October of 2008, and with the recent price drop, it made sense to think that the Big N might actually be looking ahead. Instead, it seems that it's perfectly content selling hundreds of thousands of consoles that want nothing to do with modern amenities like "HDMI," "1080i" and "things that the PS3 and Xbox 360 have offered since day one." The man's exact quote? "I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD." And Reggie, we don't know how much more forcefully you can continue to break our hearts.
Reggie denies the existence of Wii HD
Though plenty of people -- analyst Michael Pachter chief among them -- are pretty certain that an HD version of the Wii is in the pipeline, you're not going to catch Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Amie copping to it. Speaking with Geoff Keighley on Gametrailers TV, the Regginator said, "Michael continues to be the only one who believes that this is gonna happen. I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD." It certainly sounds like a firm refusal, but let's all try to remember that the shelf life of a Nintendo denial is exactly 10 days.
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime says the PSP Go has a 'fundamental concept problem'
Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime has been known to take a few shots at the competition in the past and, while he's not exactly verging into CE-oh no he didn't territory this time around, it seems that he just couldn't help himself from offering a few thoughts on Sony's latest handheld. Speaking with The Washington Post, Reggie says that the PSP Go has a "fundamental concept problem in terms of 'Who's it for?' and 'What's the benefit?" -- adding that he always has the "utmost respect for all our competitors, but that it's "interesting to try and answer the consumer question of 'What's in it for me?' in that product." Of course, Sony does have a few answers to those questions for its part, sort of.[Via Joystiq]
Reggie Fils-Aime on PSP Go: 'What's the benefit?'
In an interview with The Washington Post's Mike Musgrove, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime handily dismissed the DS's competition, suggesting either that he doesn't feel threatened at all, or he feels really threatened (and the history of DS sales makes us more likely to believe the former interpretation). He said that the newly launched, download-only PSP Go has a "fundamental concept problem in terms of 'Who's it for?' and 'What's the benefit?'" He added that he has the "utmost respect for all our competitors, but it's interesting to try and answer the consumer question of 'What's in it for me?' in that product."As for the other major competition in the handheld space? When discussing the DS's advantages over the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, Fils-Aime made the surprising move of referring to a third-party game, namely Scribblenauts. "That's a fabulous experience that can only be brought to life on the DS." Honestly, it probably could be done on iPhone, but it hasn't and probably won't, which is just as good for Nintendo.
Nintendo sells 2.2 million DSis, says Walmart is biggest customer
During a recent interview with CNBC, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime addressed the Wii's recent price drop (surprise: it's seen positive results) and the company's strategy for the upcoming holiday season. The manufacturer is counting on a strong showing for its DSi handheld, with Reggie revealing that 2.2 million units have now been sold, presumably in North America alone. Of course, Nintendo couldn't have possibly sold that many handhelds without the help of retailers and according to Reggie, Walmart has been the biggest customer. We're not surprised -- Walmart is supernatural, after all.
Reggie: Metroid Other M is a 'more traditional' Metroid game
With all the rapid-fire 3D action, Metroid: Other M may not look anything like any Metroid we've seen before, but according to Reggie Fils-Aime, it's a return to a more familiar Metroid style. "A year ago, someone could have asked me, what's going on with Metroid?" Fils-Aime told GameSpot. "When are we going to go back to the more traditional Metroid series versus the path that we went down with Prime? Here's the answer: Other M." The more traditional series -- with a "harder edge," according to Fils-Aime.Reggie would like Other M to sell a bit more than the traditional Metroid game, however. "Metroid, for us, is a key franchise. And, in our view, really, since the SNES Metroid, we haven't broken through in terms of 1.5, two million units, and that's our bar," he said. He also told GameSpot that he's beginning to hear feedback from other companies, hoping to work with Nintendo in the same way Team Ninja is on Other M.%Gallery-65847%[Via The Escapist]
Nintendo: we're not making a phone, we swear
Despite a statement back in April from prez Satoru Iwata that the company would make a phone if it could avoid monthly subscription costs, it looks like Nintendo will not be getting into the cell biz any time soon. Reggie Fils-Aime, president and CFO of Nintendo of America just put the kibosh on all that with a statement to the New York Times, saying, "Telephony is not in our wheelhouse. It's not something I anticipate us getting into." So, you're telling us that telephony is not in your wheelhouse? Hmm... okay. Thanks for clearing that up! The company is however, considering offering devices with always-on wireless connectivity -- which would be way cooler the DSi's current, WiFi hotspot capabilities.
Reggie promises a better E3 from Nintendo this year ... again
Fresh off the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks at GDC 2009, Nintendo of America head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime had some interesting things to say about Nintendo's plans for this year's E3. "From Nintendo's perspective, we always go into E3 with a very high bar wanting to satisfy not only the core fans but also ourselves," he told GameTrailers TV, teasing the reveal of a release date for the upcoming Zelda. "We haven't announced a launch date -- maybe we'll do that at E3."So, conclusive evidence of a brand new Kid Icarus game? Not quite. Though Keighley hammered "the Regginator" for details on what exactly Nintendo would be bringing to the "glamour and sizzle" fest of this year's E3, the exec kept mum, saying, "Everyone wants to know what we're going to announce at E3 and my answer is, come to E3 and you'll see." Guess we're waiting 'til June 2 like everyone else.[Via Play.tm]
Reggie on Bob's Game: Refused license doesn't reflect on Nintendo's support for the little guy
You remember Bob's Game, don't you? The humble 2D RPG made by a single, possibly loony, individual? Well nearly two months have gone by since the game's creator Robert Pelloni was denied developer status by Nintendo and -- other than a NYC littering spree -- we've heard little about the game as of late. In an interview with Nintendo big boss Reggie Fils-Aime on MTV Multiplayer last week, however, the record was set considerably straighter.When asked for his side of the story on what had come to pass, the Regginator had this to say: "He did submit to be a licensed developer. We have an evaluation process. We evaluated the opportunity. We decided at this point in time that he did not meet the requirements to be a licensed developer." Well that about does it then, no? Apparently MTV wanted more from the conversation, pushing the CEO on what to do if a developer wants to work with Nintendo but doesn't necessarily have two or three major games under its belt, "My hope is that any developer who has a compelling idea will reach out to our licensing organization and share their idea and go through the process of becoming a licensed developer for the Nintendo platform," Fils-Aime said, "And we have a legacy of supporting that type of development." Unfortunately, as it seems, Mr. Pelloni's game wasn't quite "compelling" enough of an idea.
Reggie on why used games are not his problem
Speaking to VentureBeat, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime attempted to dismiss the proliferation of used game sales as not only something that Nintendo isn't worried about, but as something that consumers shouldn't think about, citing the long life of some of Nintendo's games."We don't believe used games are in the best interest of the consumer," Fils-Aime said. "We have products that consumers want to hold onto. They want to play all of the levels of a Zelda game and unlock all of the levels. A game like Personal Trainer: Cooking has a long life. We believe used games aren't in the consumer's best interest."While it may be true that designing a game that can be replayed enjoyably for years is a good defense against used games, many consumers will still fast-track their way through games to trade them in as quickly as possible for something totally new ... just because. Reggie follows up this argument with an odd point -- that other forms of media don't have significant used markets."Describe another form of entertainment that has a vibrant used goods market. Used books have never taken off. You don't see businesses selling used music CDs or used DVDs. Why? The consumer likes having a brand-new experience and reliving it over and over again. If you create the right type of experience, that also happens in video games."That strikes us as just wrong. There have been used book shops worldwide for as long as there have been books, and there's even (at least one) chain of stores devoted entirely to it. And stores like Hastings and CD Warehouse trade heavily in used DVDs and CDs.
Even Wii games not immune to dilution of industry profits
Get this: Game publishers would be charging more for their console games if it wasn't for your consumer choice. Despite continued sales growth in the game industry, its biggest companies are still losing money. While ballooning production costs are certainly to blame ($25 million is a typical bill before marketing), the proliferation of low-cost games -- and means of distribution -- has been singled out as the underlying culprit of profit dilution, according to a NYTimes.com report. And these cheapo games are also keeping price tags low (at least, lower than big companies would like).And let's be clear: Low-cost games aren't the ones sitting in the Wii rack at your local retailer. Even a Wii game needs to sell at least one million units to be profitable, by Reggie Fils-Aime's estimates. (And Only 16 out of 486 Wii games have crossed that threshold as of March 1, by NPD estimates.) So who's gobbling up all the pie? Well, just about anyone. Have you searched "free games" in the Apple App Store lately -- or just googled it? To counter the proliferation of consumer gaming options, companies are bringing down production and marketing costs (laying off, outsourcing, recycling IP, etc.) and tapping additional revenue streams (e.g., subscriptions, in-game ads, and DLC). So what's our professional takeaway? Here, we'll give it to you for free: We see big-budget sequels (made in Egypt) and many, many casual games (made by Joe the Developer) in your future. [Via Eurogamer; image credit: hyperscholar]
GDC09: Spring release for MotionPlus still possible
With all of the amazing stuff that Nintendo did show at GDC, we briefly forgot about what it didn't show: Wii Sports Resort and the MotionPlus device, both of which we'd expect to hear something about if they were still planned for "spring." MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo asked Reggie Fils-Aime about the missing game and peripheral, and Reggie suggested they could still make a spring release. "We haven't announced the full spring line-up ... And it feels like winter in Seattle right now."Reggie also mentioned that Wii Sports Resort's controls had been improved beyond the previous demo. "The level of full motion capability is far in excess of what we showed at E3."%Gallery-27741%
Top 5: Say What?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Nintendo_Corporation_Quotes'; Ahh, the quote. Whether used to end an essay or defame a political opponent, the quote is a very versatile tool. Particularly in the era of blogging, every word that escapes a well-known figure's mouth has the potential to be immediately flung back at them. It's quite scary to look back on conversations I've had and consider the possibility of quotes of mine being used to define my character as a whole. In fact, judgement of character based on a quote can even usurp the validity of the quote itself. Conventional wisdom asserts that singer Lauryn Hill once made a statement to the effect of "I'd rather have my children starve than have a white person buy my album." While this is simply not true, the false statement has been cited by those who would define Hill as a racist. Even Eminem supported the fallacy in a song whose title I won't mention. Being over a century old, Nintendo is bound to have a few interesting quotes attributed to them. Coupled with a philosophy that is undoubtedly unique and perhaps offbeat, the Big N is not lacking in the department of ear-catching statements. Two weeks ago, I made a Top 5 in which I tried to downplay any tension between Nintendo and its fans. This week, I'm providing cheap ammunition. Enjoy. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
Nintendo planning greater community features
It's not to say that the company hasn't been mindful of community features in the past. They've launched the Check Mii Out Channel, as well as the Everybody Votes Channel. Sure, they were flops, but it's good to know that Nintendo is at least trying. And Reggie wants us to know that Nintendo has some things coming down the pipe."Nintendo has always had a vision on community," he said. "The issue is that we define community differently than our competitors. ... Our consumers do want a sense of community, and we're going to deliver that--but in a way that is unique to Nintendo." Thanks for being so vague, Reg!Regardless, it's good to know Nintendo is thinking about it. Stacked up against Xbox Live and, even worse, PSN, the Wii is lacking in some very necessary community features. Why don't you all take a guess? What do you think Nintendo has up its sleeve? Personally, we'd appreciate Virtual Console and WiiWare demos and maybe more online multiplayer.%Gallery-19378%[Via GameDaily; thanks, Mr Khan!]
Reggie thinks third-parties don't 'get' the Wii: discuss
Alright, alright. There's a few things going on here. First off, Reggie Fils-Aime told Forbes "I will be able to say our licensees 'get it' when their very best content is on our platform, and with very few exceptions today, that's not the case." That's a pretty good conversation starter right there. He also lamented the absence of Grand Theft Auto and Spore on his platform, teased community features without spilling anything at all, and for kicks threw us this utterly hopeless word on a price cut: "At some point, it will be time to adjust the [price], but we're nowhere near that point now." We're pretty astonished that a console honcho like Reggie would so summarily insult his third-party partners, but we can't help but agree -- though peep Nintendo Wii Fanboy's via link down there for an alternate perspective on the matter. To us, the question really lies in the blame game: is Nintendo's Wii strategy and unique hardware approach to blame, or is everybody else out there too dense to cash in? But really, this is just too wild, too incendiary, too awesome for us to hog all the discussion. Hit up the vaguely-applicable poll option, and then let loose in the comments. We're all ears![Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]%Poll-22618%
