reggie fils-aime
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Fils-Aime: This is a box and the PS3 and 360 are in it
Reggie Fils-Aime has said some pretty interesting things regarding the PlayStation 3. Not always the system itself, rather he puts in his green contacts and stares longingly at the games due out for Sony's console, like LittleBigPlanet. He now thinks that the 360 and PS3 are in a tough spot, since both developed expensive consoles that are difficult for for game makers to develop content for. He said that "the challenge that our competitors have is significant. They've gone down the path with building expensive machines that they lose money on. They've gone down the path with games that are hard to develop."Fils-Aime followed this up with "They've put themselves in a box. I don't know how they're going to get out of it." As if this were a magic show, our dear Fils-Aime! You should know even the most advanced magicians need time to unbind their shackles and escape the container of water (or create a cloning device to make it appear that way ... cookies to the reference-catcher). It's going to be a fairly decisive holiday season, so it seems, but Fils-Aime shouldn't worry about the PS3 and 360. Different strokes for different folks and all that. They'll get out of their box on their own.
Reggie says: Everyone's a gamer
For those of us who live and breathe video games, it's easy to take an elitist standpoint and scoff at the casual gamer. In case you couldn't tell by now, though, Nintendo doesn't adhere to that philosophy. In a recent conference, NoA's president Reggie Fils-Aime said, "[Our message is] that everyone's a gamer. Whether it's bringing joy and happiness to mothers and fathers as they experience Wii for the first time playing Wii Bowling or Wii Tennis, or whether it's bringing a game like Nintendogs to a fifteen or sixteen year old girl who has a puppy that responds only to her voice. That passion is what's driving us, and that passion to be part of shaping the future is really why we're here." Whether you agree with Nintendo's school of thought or not, the company's way of thinking has certainly helped put it on top this year.
BrandWeek crowns Nintendo's Fils-Aime marketer of the year
Nintendo of America's ass-kicking, name-taking president Reggie Fils-Aime (pronounce it properly, please) earned top honors this year by being named marketer of the year according to BrandWeek. It's not too surprising, given the console maker's rather storied rise to the top - how many more articles are we going to see about grandparents playing Wii bowling?Other honorees include executives from NBC, Geico and Crocs. The BrandWeek article can be viewed online (.pdf file); Reggie's article starts on page four.[Via Gamasutra]
Say it with us: Reggie "FEE-SUH-MAY"
Finally! With Nintendo of America's executive washroom looking emptier and emptier these days, it's increasingly important that we not mangle the surnames of the few execs who remain. We're pretty sure we've got Perrin Kaplan down (though we're still not sure if she's sticking around), but Reggie Fils-Aime's last name has always presented something of a problem. Everywhere, gamers and journalists have ... paused before uttering his unique name. "Did I just say that right? PHILS-AMY?"Well, MTV's Multiplayer blog went right to the source and asked Reggie, How the crap do you pronounce your last name? Watch as Reggie kicks ass and enunciates names. "It's not PHILS-AIM. It's not PHILS-AMY. It's FEE-SUH-MAY." Really? Fils-Aime is pronounced "fee-suh-may"? Yeah, err, that's totally how we've always pronounced it.
Wii can't meet demand for holiday season, says Reggie
Faster than we could say "Nintendo," the Wii has once again slipped back into questionable supply for this holiday season. Where previously Reggie Fils-Aimé appeared confident in the "unprecedented" number of Wiis in stock this Winter, now the Nintendo of America President seems convinced that demand will still far exceed supply, with shortages through the end of 2007 meaning crummy Christmases and half-baked Hannukahs two years in a row for some gamers.In an interview with Mercury News, Fils-Aimé goes "on the record" to state that the Wii can't possibly meet demand by the end of the year. He strongly emphasizes that this is not a production issue, and has to do merely with the incredible demand for the product, which production has been unable to keep up with (though that does sound like a production issue to us).Still, Reggie promises that the Wii will be appearing in retail locations at an almost constant flow, and urges potential buyers to call stores persistently to ask when future shipments are arriving, and to get to stores early.[Via GamesIndustry]
Wii Warm Up: So where is our September surprise?
Maybe when Reggie said we could expect something good by the end of September, he meant the actual end. That means he's got until Sunday, but he's cutting things quite close. Maybe sometime today we'll hear something ... or do you think it's silly to get our hopes up? A lot of people have been speculating that it has something to do with recent forum closures or the changes in store for Nintendo Power, but unless we're getting that content in channel form (a possibility, to be sure), then that's probably not it, since Reggie was talking about channels and WiiConnect24 at the time.So what -- and where -- is it? We've been very good, and we deserve a surprise.
Nintendo promises Wii stock boost, says they'll still sell out
Reggie Fils-Aime over at Nintendo has promised an "unprecedented" Wii supply boost for North America over the holiday season -- unfortunately, it's only "unprecedented" because Nintendo has never been able to keep up with demand. Doubly unfortunate for potential Wii purchasers, this extra supply will probably not meet demand over the holiday season period. Sounds like business as usual then: people wanting Wiis, but with Nintendo shipping just enough to be perpetually sold out. Marketing points 1 2, customer satisfaction 0.
Conjecture Countdown: 6 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Reggie will talk about kicking ass. He may even mention taking names.
Conjecture Countdown: 13 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true. Rumor: Reggie will show up in a suit made entirely of $100 bills -- that were printed with his handy DS Lite.(we would actually pay hard-earned cash to see this one)
NOA's Reggie Fils-Aime talks Manhunt 2, AO titles
Talking with Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime about WiiWare, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal used the opportunity to bring up Nintendo's stance on games rated Adults Only by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, first in relation to their "hands-off" approach to the download service and then with the recent Manhunt 2.Fils-Aime makes the company's stance with the ESRB very clear: no AO-rated titles. "This is not an image issue, Wii welcomes games rated E, T and M," he said, adding that he doubts Nintendo will ever approve an AO-rated title.Concerning Manhunt 2, Fils-aime said that, "What Rockstar has right now is a game rated outside our spectrum, outside any manufacturer's spectrum," and asserted that they are still interested in releasing the game if it receives a Mature rating.
Reggie extols the wonders of the DS
Just in case you didn't know, the DS owns the Japanese market. At today's Nintendo Media Summit, Reggie Fils-Aime dropped a major bomb: so far in 2007, half of all games sold in Japan have been for the DS. Yes, that was half. It may be time to move beyond the "it prints money" joke. We're not sure that really communicates this level of success. Also, the numbers of people over the age of 30 who are buying the DS are up -- if you look at DS adopters over 35, the statistics are huge: the numbers are up 212%. Looking at that, it's easy to guess why we're seeing more and more of what we jokingly refer to as "non-games" rolling out for the DS. A lot of these new gamers aren't as interested in traditional fare, and as the market expands, the type of games has to expand as well. Satoru Iwata had good reason to come down hard on NoA for not getting the U.S. market on the Brain Age train; everywhere else, the game continues to walk off shelves at alarming rates. Reggie said they're seeing "significant market change" in the U.S., and we can only hope that means that, as the gaming market expands, so will gaming advertising. It's time DS commercials broke out of their Saturday morning slots and started marketing to the new gaming class: adults who like shooting zombies just as much as they like studying languages.
Reggie on the Wii effect at the Nintendo Media Summit
This morning, at the Nintendo Media Summit, NoA President and resident badass Reggie Fils-Aime had some interesting statistics on the Nintendo juggernaut. While a lot of it may not be the best news for the hardcore gaming contingent, the massive revenue increases indicate that the wider potential market may well be what powers the industry in the coming years. One particularly telling statement backed up the figures: "We don't consider Sony and Microsoft as our only competitors. We're competing with other leisure time entertainment. If people stay at home and play Wii bowling instead of going to the movies, we win."It's not all gloom and doom for the hardest of the hard, however. Reggie had some interesting things to say about this summer's highly anticipated Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It "will reinvent the control scheme for a first person shooter. It's the closest you can get to PC control in a [console] game." A lot of people hoped Red Steel would pull that off for the Wii at launch, but leave it to Nintendo to really show us what the Wiimote and nunchuk combo can do for the FPS.Reggie also added that the DS continues to print money, just in case none of us knew.
Reggie disses 360's European presence
Nintendo of America boss, Reggie Fils-Aime, has some fighting words for Microsoft. In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Reggie was asked about Nintendo's success with the Wii. When asked about its performance in Europe in comparison to its competitors (i.e. Microsoft) Reggis responded, "360 is selling well only in one country: UK. Across the rest of Europe, it is not performing well. Wii, on the other hand, is selling exceptionally well all through Europe."We know that Microsoft has been aggressive in tackling markets all over the world, launching its console in countries like Brazil and India last year. Whether or not the 360 is performing well throughout Europe, we really don't know, though we're sure Microsoft remains confident in it sales prediction of 12 million units worldwide by the end of June.What say you, European fanboys? Is Microsoft's Xbox 360 a hot commodity outside of the UK, or is Reggie right on the money?[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XXVIII - Reggie pokes fun at PS3 shootings
Apparently Perrin Kaplan isn't the only spokesperson for Nintendo speaking a bit too "freely" these days. The man himself, Reggie Fils-Aime, when queried about the PS3 launch lines in an interview with GameHead, asked, "Were those the people ducking to not get shot?" What a comedian! This was following a staunch denial of the PS3 having any lines at E3, which isn't quite accurate -- the lines were just short and more of a per-console thing, since there wasn't the crazy kind of closed room setup at the Sony booth. Maybe he should spend a bit less time honing those witty barbs and more time figuring out a way to get some more of his own console onto store shelves -- before the Wii related violence starts to get out of hand.[Via Joystiq]
Next Wii channel could be 'Nintendo Power'
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Next_Wii_channel_could_be_Nintendo_Power_archives'; Plucked from Nintendo's brain trust and tucked into the tail end of MTV's recent interview with Reggie Fils-Aime is the latest Wii channel concept: Nintendo Power. "We have a tremendous amount of old Nintendo Power content ... that we could present to consumers," Reggie told MTV.The interview (the one where Reg dodges the "Where's Metroid?" question) doesn't delve further into the thought, leading us to believe the digital archive is a ways from fruition. Still, coupled with Virtual Console, a back catalogue could provide a valuable resource for those digging around for tips and strategies -- or just general information about games of yesteryear. And, of course, Nintendo is never one to underestimate the nostalgia factor, always eager to find another familiar to resell to old-timers -- that's assuming the archive would be pay-to-view. Would you subscribe (again)?[Via Supercabra]
Nintendo's Reggie needs an assistant
The ultimate seat of power is currently available for Nintendo fanboys and fangirls everywhere: Assistant to the president at Nintendo of America. Unless there's been a major shift over at Nintendo HQ in Redmond, that means working directly for Reggie Fils-Aime. Imagine the power, which any office worker will tell you lies with the assistant. You'd be the hand of Reggie, unleashing Nintendo of Americas salvation or wrath. You'd never want for Wii again, product would flow for you like the Nile.Only problem is the job description is the stuff high-powered positions that own the ear of a company president are made of. Eight years of related experience, ability to relay information with tact and diplomacy and a preference to someone bilingual in Japanese and English. The full job description can be found after the break. Wonder how Reggie takes his coffee?[Via GoNintendo]
Wii takes its cue from the DS
In a recent Q&A with GamePro, Reggie Fils-Aime pointed to the DS, and not the GameCube, as the real inspiration as most of Nintendo's strategy with the Wii. That doesn't mean that multicolored units are around the corner (unfortunately), but it does mean that we can expect a lot of aggressive marketing to people that aren't usually considered gamers. Considering the incredible sales numbers, that's certainly worked well for the DS! As the core group responsible for the DS and its success, it's like that others will, in the future, try to mimic that. So, DS gamers -- do you think that what's working for Nintendo may work for others in the future?
Reggie "blown away" by Wii success
In a Q&A session with GamePro, NoA's King of Awesome, Reggie Fils-Aime, did indeed state that he was "blown away" by the resounding success of the Wii, and while it's exactly what Nintendo was shooting for, he's surprised that it happened so quickly ... so quickly, in fact, that Nintendo can't even seem to keep up with the demand. And of course, comparisons to the DS had to be made; after all, the Wii is taking its cue from the DS in many ways. However, when asked if we'll soon be seeing multicolored Wiis like we have with the DS, Reggie brushed that off as a concern for the future. Right now, they're more interested in getting more units into stores -- and we're sure that's good news for many of you.It's worth noting that the issue of HD came up, and when asked whether or not Nintendo was planning on any kind of upgrade for the Wii that might add HD functionality, Reggie didn't say that it wouldn't ever happen ... but did cite statistics indicating that 83% of American households are not currently equipped for HD. What good is it to add something that many people can't even use? After all, Nintendo is trying to reach beyond the "hardcore" gamer and into every household ... a strategy that doesn't work very well if one of your biggest games is so dependent on HD that parts of it can barely be seen by the majority of potential gamers. The verdict? DVD is coming, but don't expect an HD dongle any time soon.
Nintendo retracts promise of one million Wiis for US
Nintendo has retracted a statement made by Reggie Fils-Aime, who said yesterday that Nintendo would be shipping one million units to the United States by the end of the year. We tend not to pay particularly close attention to the estimates that the "big three" console manufacturers make about how many units they expect to ship. Particularly with the new generation of consoles, these targets have more often than not been missed when applied to the real world. But given Nintendo's relative successes this time around, this particular retraction could tell us one of two possible things about the situation that Nintendo currently finds itself in. Either they're having manufacturing issues (possible), or they're diverting units to the rabid masses over in Europe (we'd like to think this is equally likely). There is a third possible scenario: Reggie thought it would be fun to get the press to put a nice round figure of one million behind the Wii launch, which would bring us neatly back to the reason why we don't take these kind of announcements very seriously.[Via digg]
Online Wii gaming will roll out Q2 2007, sez Reggie
We all knew it was coming, and now Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime has given us a timetable in which to expect the first online, multiplayer Wii action: Q2 2007. Assuming that Reggie wasn't referring to the second quarter of fiscal year 2007 -- which ended, like, a few days ago -- when he made the commitment on SpikeTV's Game Head show, it sounds like the first, unnamed online titles will begin trickling out in the March/April time frame. As you're probably aware, Japan's already had a taste of networked Wii gaming in the form of launch title Pokémon Battle Revolution, but Reggie kept the details about future multiplayer games close to his chest -- those titles will be revealed early next year, he said. Reggie also let slip the fact that new Wii channels are in the works, though once again, he omitted any real concrete information concerning either their content or scheduled rollout. So there you have it: if all goes according to plan, we should be able to hold a Gears of Peace-style event for the Wii in early spring; still, we can't promise that pwning us in Mario Kart will be quite as rewarding as draining our Crimson Omen with a hail of machine gun fire.
