Satoru Iwata
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The Economist chats up the Wii's potential
International news magazine The Economist is not where we expected to find the Wii. After all, The Economist is where we find out about the invisible rich in the U.K. and Macedonia's consideration for membership in the European Union. It's serious news and our beloved Wii is, after all, about serious fun. But if Nintendo succeeds with the their plan for the new console, it will affect a global market that will only grow with that success, and when it's big business news, The Economist is there. The quick look over Nintendo's goals for the Wii -- and how they compare to the DS - offers those of us who live and breathe gaming daily an interesting look from the outside of the market. But the long and short of it is that Nintendo doesn't see the point of being crowned king of a shrinking market when the whole world is out there. And if their old-but-new viral marketing (hey, try this!) strategy works, the gaming market will be stretched, perhaps even broken wide open. And everyone is watching to see what happens. In that, dear readers, we are not alone.[Thanks, Special_K!]
Nintendo commits to next year's Min-E3
After punching out a rampaging E3 hopped up on sex, drugs and caffeine and sending it to conference rehab, the ESA is already preparing plans to welcome a more discreet and otherwise polite press gathering in 2007. The change has garnered much discussion, with one of the central points revolving around the kind of support the major industry players will provide to a significantly smaller event.According to Gamesindustry.biz, Nintendo is the first of the major three platform holders to confirm involvement with next year's Min-E3, though the level of said involvement is still up in the air. A couple of Super Mario Galaxy posters on the wall of a barren hotel room would likely fail to generate the massive lines Nintendo enjoyed at the last E3, though it certainly would help alleviate the problem of getting trampled by an army of wand-waving nerds (always a plus).Microsoft and Sony have been less decisive in their response, though it should only be a matter of time before they reveal intentions to join the officially dubbed "E3 Media Festival" or simply bulldoze the proceedings with conferences of their own. [Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Satoru Iwata is psychic! Predicts DS sales figures!
Sources today confirmed that Nintendo's President, Satoru Iwata, is psychic! Earlier this year he claimed that the DS would sell 10 million units since its 2004 release in Japan and now 20 months later, it has. Our hats are off to you Iwata. What will you predict next? We can only stare with wonder. Too bad he couldn't have been around to help out Sega with that whole 32x/Saturn/Dreamcast thing ... just sayin'.
CNN Money sees Wii launching as early as September [update 1]
The words of CNN Money's Chris Morris, which suggest a Wii launch in late September or early October, are certainly tantalizing and not entirely unrealistic. Getting the machine onto store shelves and into our loving, embarrassingly weak arms would give Nintendo a healthy lead on the PS3 and Microsoft's glut of holiday titles, not to mention the joy it would grant fans of intergalactic bounty hunters and pointy-eared archers. Morris cites an earlier analyst report by P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research which notes that Nintendo already began manufacturing final retail consoles on 21 June, providing ample time until a prospective September launch.Further evidence comes in the less sturdy form of past release dates of Nintendo consoles, with only the Gamecube missing an October or September release window. Of course, if the Wii launches worldwide immediately, one would expect a strategy similar to that of the DS launch -- that one happened in November as well. While it's not entirely unfeasible, Morris' suggestion is still swathed in speculation. With no details available on manufacturing, Nintendo may have simply started up the production line early (if they did so at all) to avoid launch shortages which plagued the Xbox 360 and are sure to plague Sony's machine.Unfortunately, it looks like the only words we can fully trust right now are the ones from official (and sober) Nintendo men and women.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!][Update 1: Nintendo has (predictably) put the kibosh on this one, with a spokesperson stating, "There's no change in our plan to release the console in the last quarter of this year."]
Iwata: Nintendo to intensify software development
Though we wouldn't normally pay much attention to something called a "Corporate Management Policy Briefing," we'll make an exception when it comes to Nintendo and their beloved Wii. Fielding some questions regarding the system's impending launch, Satoru Iwata attempted to assuage some concern over Nintendo's previous cubic console and its muted commercial success. He noted that Nintendo's inability to consistently and timeously release new games after launch stuttered the system's momentum, a problem which, if all goes to plan, won't rear its snarling head in the next round."To avoid repeating this with Wii, we have been intensifying the software development, both internally at Nintendo and at developers outside the company, in order to prepare aggressive software lineup for Wii at and after the launch." However, Shigeru Miyamoto (who admits to being occupied by a super secret project) added that Nintendo hasn't greatly increased the number of people working on projects, with over 1,500 people already banging keyboards and waving wiimotes in the hopes of generating more Nintendo classics. In that case, how exactly does Nintendo plan to intensify software development? If they have stricter management and curtailed development times in mind, how will that affect their forthcoming titles? Careful Nintendo -- striking the perfect balance between quantity and quality isn't going to be easy.[Update: See comments.]
Wii date and price by September
Speaking at a business briefing in Tokyo, Satoru Iwata has declared that our desperate and entirely unhealthy desire to learn the Wii's launch date and price will be satiated by September at the latest. Unless Nintendo's going for a cataclysmic surprise launch strategy (see: Sega Saturn), a release period of late October to early November seems to be a fair guess.And that's all it is -- a fair guess. As you are no doubt aware, the internet is a veritable minefield of launch dates leaked from top secret sources and overheard exchanges. Watch your step out there.
E3 game critics: Wii won
Short of having Satoru Iwata hurl bricks into the crowd at the Nintendo press conference, it seems that there was very little the Japanese giant could have done to disappoint the myriad E3 attendees, especially the overly critical ones. The Game Critics Awards, an independent group of journalists from 37 different media outlets, have deemed Nintendo's Wii Best of Show, praising its unique controller and "different" approach to gaming. Nintendo also grabbed the Best Hardware and Best Sports Game gongs, the latter one being awarded for the very energetic Wii Sports collection. Other big winners were Will Wright's Spore, Microsoft's Gears of War, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed. The shockingly innovative PS3 controller was mysteriously overlooked.With the Wii receiving this sort of vindication, both as a concept and as a console, we hope that critics and gamers alike don't forget that, like any other system, the games are what will make or break it. The Wii was a success at E3 due to games like Super Mario Galaxy. Games like Final Furlong, on the other hand, remind us that the hardware alone, weird controller and all, can't guarantee an enjoyable experience.[Thanks AssemblyLineHuman!]
Iwata on PS3's DualShake: It won't affect us
Whether it's the backing of an unorthodox console or just the sight of an opponent stumbling over a price tag, Iwata exudes a good deal of confidence in the interview where he shrugs off the PS3's knee-jerk addition of motion sensing capabilities. Mr. Iwata points out that having to hold the DualShake with both hands makes for a noticeably different experience. "There's a huge gap between the two, I can tell you, with that whole experience, so I really don't think that the inclusion of motion sensing into Sony's classic type of controller can affect in one way or the other the advantage that we have with the Wii controller." Though gamers will be pointing and yelling "thief" for a while to come, Iwata's calm reaction is probably the best illustration of what's really happening here. The PS3 controller has an extra feature (at the expense of rumbling) that, judging by the games we've seen so far, is unlikely to become the primary form of input as it has with the Wii. The types of games on the two systems are thus likely to be different enough to dismiss any sort of suggestion that Sony is somehow stealing from and encroaching upon Nintendo's market. It's important to keep in mind that the functions of a controller, whether they be motion sensing or sensual massaging, are pretty worthless without games that make proper use of them. (That excludes the original Xbox controller. It made for an exceedingly effective blunt weapon.)
Nintendo says goodbye to GBA
And it's all the fault of that sleek system you see to the right. Eurogamer reports that in an interview with Reuters, Satoru Iwata shot down the idea of creating new versions of the hugely popular GBA, stating that it would be pouring cold water on the DS and the DS Lite's unfathomably hot success. He says that he "would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance considering the strong support DS is now enjoying." So is that the end for our beloved GBA? Not by a long shot. Many developers are still churning out games for the system--given how many people have one stashed inside their pockets, it's still very much a viable and even lucrative market. Besides, you'll want to keep one around if you simply can't handle the sight of a GBA cart sticking out of a DS Lite.
Revolution to support external HDDs & other 3rd party storage devices
During a recent conversation with CNN (focused on cheaper game prices), Nintendo President Satoru Iwata suggested that the Revolution would support a multitude of storage options. Referring to the console's USB ports, Iwata confirmed that "practically any storage method can be used."The Nintendo Revolution will not feature an internal hard drive. Instead, the unit will utilize 512 MB of flash memory and built-in SD memory card support. In addition, Iwata's remarks imply that Nintendo intends to, ultimately, leave the best storage solution up to the consumer's discretion — a freedom that could give Nintendo an edge (in terms of consumer satisfaction) over Sony and Microsoft. For example, a quick search on Circuit City's website yields Seagate's 160 GB external drive for only $60 (with rebate). Compare that to Microsoft's $100, 20 GB 360 HDD (also manufactured by Seagate). No contest.Memory options will be important for gamers looking to stockpile the Revolution's Virtual Console titles. Iwata noted that aside from classic games, Nintendo plans to issue new titles through the download service as well. But does the storage freedom mean a loss of security for Nintendo? That is, will this decision increase the prevalence of homebrew apps, including emulators that already run all of those classic games, on the Revolution? It's a tough call.[Thanks for the artwork & additional info Rosco!]
Nintendo's Revolution games will be cheap-er, vows Iwata [Update 1]
Speaking with CNN, Nintendo's Satoru Iwata revealed his company's plan to undercut the $60 price tag carried by standard Xbox 360 titles (and expected for PS3 games). "I cannot imagine any first party title could be priced for more than $50," says Iwata. However, Nintendo's president was careful to note that the company could not control the retail values suggested by 3rd party publishers of other Revolution titles.Iwata also added that in-game advertising will not significantly influence Nintendo's future revenue (and likely, its games), and therefore, does not affect the decision to maintain the $50 price tag for 1st party titles.UPDATE: As noted in the Comments section, current 1st party 360 titles also retail for $50.
GDC: Notes on (and in) Brain Age
Nintendo gave away copies of their upcoming DS title, Brain Age, following Satoru Iwata's keynote Thursday morning. Included in the special GDC edition* was the above note, urging all of us to be ambassadors, if you will, of Nintendo's ideology of inclusive gaming. Having only been back in Philly for a half day now, my girlfriend has already logged a couple hours training her brain: math puzzles, drawing, reading aloud, and--of course--sudoku. The goal is to achieve the ideal "brain age" of 20; I began at 30 (not far from my real age of 26), my girlfriend encountered a slightly steeper learning (not being a lifelong gaming-nerd) giving her an unrepresentative brain age of 74. After retrying the test, she achieved the more accurate score of 34. I plan on continuing my daily training in Brain Age, charting my progress, competing with my girlfriend, and reporting it all here. First impressions: Nintendo has another hit on their hands.*see below for the specially embossed package. Actually, it's really just a sticker. Brain Age is due to be released April 17th at the discount price of $20.
GDC: The Nintendo keynote blow by blow (Updated)
Waiting in the San Jose Civic Auditorium for Nintendo's Satoru Iwata to begin his keynote presentation titled "Disrupting Development." The music is a trendy mix of The White Stripes, Gorillaz, Beck, and some others I'm not cool enough to recognize. Reggie is standing in the front deflecting fans. He deflects my request for a picture: "I don't want to take the spotlight away from Mr. Iwata's keynote."Fair enough, Reggie. Fair enough. But we'll still get a picture of your presence, to document it, for posterity. The video display keeps teasing us with shots of Iwata's slides, flashing up and disappearing before my eyes can deliver the pertinent information to my brain to process. Something about Ninte... gone. There are a series of rectangular, metal blue devices on stage labeled "IS Nitro Capture." Nitro was the DS code name if I'm not mistaken; are these DS capture units, to display games on the screens? We'll find out. Another song that I don't recognize. They ask us to turn off all cell phones and pagers (who still uses those?) but they don't mention cameras. I've filed a mental note.
Pre-keynote Iwata interview sets lofty goals
Dean Takahashi over at The Mercury News conducted an interview with Satoru Iwata yesterday, gently quizzing him about what topics his "Disrupting Development" speech would encompass and what we can expect from the Revolution (or is it the Nintendo Go?) during E3. Perhaps the boldest statement to come from Iwata is how many users he expects to make use of the online service."Our concept is to get 80 percent to 90 percent of the players online. That was the reason we build Nintendo WiFi networks. You can expect this to continue with the Revolution."That's a lofty goal to set, but we're certain that the Nintendo Wi-Fi service's monthly subscription (currently set at a pleasing $0 a month) will give it a big boost in those respects, along with the allure of downloading classic Nintendo games for the Virtual Console. The question is, how much will those cost? Iwata doesn't provide an answer, but does assure us that the shortages faced by the Xbox 360 (and almost assuredly the PS3) won't be a problem for Nintendo's machine."Microsoft had problems with strategy. There were markets where they had consoles left on store shelves. I think I understand where their problems were. I don’t want to give an answer because I don’t want to give them any help."That's great, Mr. Iwata. Would you mind sharing that info with the guys in the DS Lite department? Read the rest of the excellent interview for some more interesting insights regarding the Revolution's lack of HD support, its 3rd-party developer situation and overall strategy. [Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Revolution to be renamed this Thursday
According to CVG, there's "a strong whisper that the Revolution's real name will finally be confirmed this week" at GDC.Satoru Iwata's disruptive GDC keynote, scheduled for Thursday at 10:30 AM PT (1:30 PM ET) to 11:30 AM PT, would be the perfect opportunity to reveal the new name for Nintendo's next console.The other rumor--regarding a highly unlikely June launch for the machine still code-named Revolution--was a lot less believable. Then again, this week's events could simply confirm that the Big N's going with its hardware code name for the Rev as it did for the DS. Questions, questions... hopefully we'll have some answers this Thursday.[Via Gamecloud]See also: Joystiq @ GDC: In the beginning... [a few upcoming GDC highlights] Revolution's real name and final form to be revealed in May Revolution still just a "codename?" Nintendo overhauls the DS [but keeps the code name]
Encore! Satoru Iwata to deliver GDC keynote
It was a year ago, to the day, that the president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, was confirmed as a keynote speaker at the 2005 Game Developer's Conference. His speech, called "The Heart of a Gamer," was considered a heartfelt plea that stood in stark contrast to J Allard's hyperactive giveaway. Additional details of his presence at GDC have been revealed. Iwata-san will resume the battle-cry for innovation in video games with his keynote speech, titled "Disrupting Development." Topics will include Brain Age, NiWiFi, and the Revolution. Iwata's keynote will be held on March 23rd, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
