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Nintendo Businesses E3 Wii

Nintendo - "Everyone is a Gamer" 354

Posted by Zonk from the or-they-soon-will-be dept.
There's nothing that excites gamers like statistics; pie charts and graphs dominated the opening of Nintendo's E3 conference. Fortunately, the event had more than just business to discuss. They unveiled a 'Wii Zapper' housing that allows the Wiimote and Nunchuck to combine into a light gun, which will retail for about twenty bucks. They showed off a number of third party titles to prove the outside-the-company commitment, such as a Soul Calbur and Medal of Honor (which will be playable online) designed specifically for the console. Hardcore gamers were the focus of the early portion of the conference: Smash Brothers Brawl has a launch date of December 3rd in the US. They heavily hyped online play, with several EA titles and a Pokemon-like Dragon Quest title. Mario Kart for Wii will be launching early next year, will be playable online, and will have a Wiimote driving wheel housing packaged with the game. With the hardcore discussed, the attention shifted to mass market games. A new channel, 'Check Mii Out' will allow for a HotorNot-style voting mechanism and contests to make the most realistic celebrity Mii. There was much discussion of the Nintendo approach to expanding audience; Super Mario Galaxy was brought up as bridging that gap, as a second player can 'assist' the primary player in various ways. Galaxy will be launching on November 12th. Targetted more directly at this 'outside the norm' group was WiiFit, which uses a dedicated device called the Wii Balance Board. It allows for a daily exercise routine, can track data over time (and compare it to other family members) and includes some simple minigames like a soccer heading game. The press conference ended with Reggie Fils-Aimee revealing Nintendo's goal to make videogaming one of the pre-eminent forms of entertainment, across all age groups.
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Nintendo - "Everyone is a Gamer"

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  • What gamers? (Score:5, Funny)

    by also-rr ( 980579 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @01:34PM (#19827535) Homepage
    There's nothing that excites gamers like statistics; pie charts and graphs

    That's just outreach to all the hardcore gamers in accounting, obviously. Feel welcome guys!

  • Two years ago (Score:5, Interesting)

    by yanos ( 633109 ) <yannos@g m a i l.com> on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @01:41PM (#19827651)
    I remember when the big 3 was announcing their forthcoming console. The Xbox 360 press event made it to slashdot's front page. So did the PS3, while the Wii was tucked away in the game section. Forward two years from then, and it's Nintendo press conference that made it to the front page, while Sony and Microsoft are nowhere to be found. How things changes...
    • Didn't you get the memo?

      2007: The Year The Industry Got Dropped On Its Head

    • Re:Two years ago (Score:4, Informative)

      by Osty ( 16825 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @01:50PM (#19827779)

      Forward two years from then, and it's Nintendo press conference that made it to the front page, while Sony and Microsoft are nowhere to be found. How things changes...

      Nowhere to be found [slashdot.org], eh? Microsoft's conference was last night. Nintendo's was this morning. Sony's is next. Slashdot will cover all three.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by DrXym ( 126579 )
      Was Zonk around two years ago?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by suv4x4 ( 956391 )
      I remember when the big 3 was announcing their forthcoming console. The Xbox 360 press event made it to slashdot's front page. So did the PS3, while the Wii was tucked away in the game section.

      Your memory is apparently doing you a very poor service.

      Speculations about Nintendo's controller where all over the news (before they have shown the controller). When they announced the controller with photos, doubly so.

      We had fanboys making fake "Nintendo Revolution" videos about what the console might look like.

      Then
  • There was precious little news in that conference. No indication of how multiplayer networking will be improved, no striking new games to talk about, just video montages of people raving about their Wii. The reveal of plastic steering wheel was its lowest point, reminding me of something you might get in a Happy Meal. The balancing pad looked as though it might have some fun uses though.
    • Would the balancing pad work for movement in a FPS?

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Kadin2048 ( 468275 ) *
        Maybe if it was an FPS where you rode a heavily-armed Segway around...

        Actually, that sounds like it might be fun.
    • My first thought for the balance pad: Wii Kama Sutra. I mean, if you can do yoga on the thing it's not much of a stretch.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by MBCook ( 132727 )

      I kind of agree with the steering wheel and the zapper shell. The wheel looks more advanced (has buttons and such), but it's still just 'meh.'

      The platform on the other hand, is HUGE. Look how many "non-gamers" like the Wii. Now give them an exercise device that is kind of fun to use, lets you do step-robics. It's like the mat from the NES days, but updated. Having all the balancing mechanics in it can open some more very interesting possibilities. It may die a quiet death, but it may be another game change

  • Not bad (Score:4, Insightful)

    by alvinrod ( 889928 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @01:49PM (#19827751)
    Didn't get to watch it live since Gamespot was having some kind of issues with their live stream and I couldn't find another one for free. Guess I'll have to check on google video for it later. I did read through about five different live blogs to get a good feel for the presentation though and overall I think they did alright.

    I would have liked to see more focus on some of the third party exclusives that were being brought to the Wii, something that seems a little lacking. I know that a lot of companies have pledged support and are releasing games, but a lot of them turn out to be crappy ports that no one's interested in. They probably should have shown something from Square Enix in more detail.

    I'm glad that Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. are dated now and it'll be nice to finally have some AAA games coming out. Hopefully, I'll be able to stand the wait between now and then. Announcing Mario Kart for 1Q 2008 also helps to let everyone know that there won't be another gaming drought, at least not for a while. Hopefully there will be some good AAA third party releases by then to start picking up the slack.

    I'm glad they made some announcements about expanding online play in games on the system, but I still want to know more about it and how all of it will work. I'm not a huge fan of friends codes and would prefer that they used a set-up more akin to Xbox Live. At least they're finally catching up to Sony and Microsoft in terms of online play.

    The Balance Board and their new light gun look like some interesting additions. I can see how the light gun adaptor would help to break down some of the barriers between casual and hardcore gamers. I also suspect that WiiFit will do a lot better than most people will give it credit for.

    I'm going to go see if I can find a stream for the Sony conference now.

  • The press conference ended with Reggie Fils-Aimee revealing Nintendo's goal to make videogaming one of the pre-eminent forms of entertainment, across all age groups.

    Revealing? They said the same thing last year (and I think they said it two years ago too), but I suspect the number of people who are taking them seriously has increased a hundred fold.

  • Just release Metroid Prime 3 (when it's ready) and I'll be happy. I rarely ever buy a Nintendo console for anything else than Zelda and Metroid. All other games are just bonuses.

    Now if only they'd add MPEG-4 video support (H.264, even) along with external USB drives, people could use their Wii as a media system as well. Rip DVDs to 500GB USB drive and you got a DVD library on your TV with the help of the Wii.

    • Now if only they'd add MPEG-4 video support (H.264, even) along with external USB drives,

      Right now, today, the Wii supports a web browser that can play back Youtube videos. Make your home media server have an option to render a given video in Flash and point your Wii's browser at it. Voila - home entertainment center.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by LWATCDR ( 28044 )
      Why rip them to a USB drive? Keep them on your server and us wifi to watch them on TV. Or maybe also on your DS over wifi :)

  • I find myself less and less interested in Nintendo (Score:3, Insightful)

    by hudsonhawk ( 148194 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @02:00PM (#19827899)
    ...because they seem less and less interested in me.

    And as someone who has owned literally every Nintendo console ever (yes, even the Virtual Boy, though not yet the Wii as it hasn't yet sold me) that makes me pretty sad.

    Of course I understand why they're doing this from a business point of view. But as a long-time, moderate gamer, I don't really care - I'm a fan of their games, not their business - I just want good, engaging, and deep games to play. And that's not the direction they're going. I have seen the future and it's a collection of mini-games.

    Sorry Nintendo, but Wii Yoga isn't going to win me back. I see a lot of new experiences for non-gamers, but for all its promise the Wiimote has yet to really add anything compelling to traditional gaming (waggle doesn't really count). I didn't see anything in that conference to convince me otherwise.
    • They are releasing a lot of minigames, I'll give you that, but there's also a lot of other stuff out there. Metroid Prime, Zelda, and the Mario series are all very much not minigames. Actually, they become more and more "epic" with each new game they release from any of those series.
    • Have you tried a Wii yet? Dismissing the remote as just something to "waggle" while you play does not begin to cover the capabilities that it's already demonstrated. I'll agree that much of what has been done with the Wii has been less about adding to traditional gaming, and more about creating new types of gaming, I still think we've gotten some hints at ways that the wiimote can improve even "traditional" game types. Redsteel certainly wasn't a perfect game, but the ability to point and aim like that in a
      • It's fun. Wii sports is a great party game. It works ok for FPS gaming. But a control scheme becomes transparent once you're playing the game - after a certain point the game has to stand on its own, fancy controller or not.

        I was sold on the controller at the outset and hoped it would create new experiences. It does that but so far those experiences seem very shallow.

        I'm not whining because my hobby's being devalued - the more the merrier - I'm simply sad that Nintendo's changing directions and it's not

    • Re:I find myself less and less interested in Ninte (Score:5, Insightful)

      by gstoddart ( 321705 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @03:44PM (#19829223) Homepage

      Of course I understand why they're doing this from a business point of view. But as a long-time, moderate gamer, I don't really care - I'm a fan of their games, not their business - I just want good, engaging, and deep games to play.

      Well, at least you understand why they're doing it.

      As someone whom gaming has been steadily leaving behind in terms of skill dexterity (and patience), I'm glad to see someone is accounting for the fact that old geezers like me still want something to pick and play with in short bursts, and doesn't need 40 hours/week to play or preternatural dexterity to control 15 buttons simultaneously in a fast-paced game. I last about 10 minutes on a modern game, get frustrated, and stop playing it altogether.

      Nintendo does seem to be abandoning you as a segment. But, in order to sell more games with a wider appeal, they're focusing more on other segments (those without l337 gaming skills). Give it time, if the Nintendo platform keeps selling as it has been, the other game makers will have to start releasing their more "hard core" games on the platform.

      Unfortunately, the choice seems to be between "amazing graphics but unplayable for many people" or "moderate graphics, but playable by anyone". There's obviously more people interested in the latter category.

      Cheers

    • Re:I find myself less and less interested in Ninte (Score:4, Interesting)

      by porcupine8 ( 816071 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @03:55PM (#19829343) Journal
      I don't understand how a "long-time moderate gamer" who has owned every Nintendo console (a description that nearly fits me) could say that a company that's releasing Twilight Princess; Mario Galaxy, Party, Paper, and Kart; Super Smash Brothers; and Wii Sports (have you actually played it?) is "ignoring you." What exactly do you WANT?

    • I see a lot of new experiences for non-gamers, but for all its promise the Wiimote has yet to really add anything compelling to traditional gaming (waggle doesn't really count). I didn't see anything in that conference to convince me otherwise.

      Have you played The Godfather? For me that's the best use of the Wii's controls in a "traditional" game so far and it is very compelling (and by a third party developer). It helps that it's a very "hands on" game (by which I mean the protagonist does a lot with his h

  • My wife and eldest daughter are the only "non-gamers" in the house, but they both love the Wii.. from playing with Miis, to Wii sports to Wii vote they love the thing.. so now while i'm fragging away online they can play the Wii.. win win!

  • Mii Hot or Not? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by LoverOfJoy ( 820058 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @02:23PM (#19828239) Homepage
    Maybe this sounds racist but I think most Miis look pretty much the same. I don't own a wii so maybe it's been updated since the last time I've played with it but the options seem pretty limited. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it for what it is and I made one with a beard that looked halfway like mine but if they are going to make a contest on creating the most "realistic" celebrity I think we're going to see a whole lot of nearly identical miis that don't look all THAT much like any particular celebrity.

    It's a very rough caricature. How realistic can people make them? Someone will make Madonna and when it's pointed out I might even agree that it kind of looks like her but if I would never have looked at the mii and immediately thought MADONNA!

    My nephews own a wii and they created a mii for everyone in our extended family. They did as good a job as anyone could do but I couldn't pick out who people were because the options would have to be a lot more detailed to distinguish between my nose and my brother's nose, for instance. So how are people going to vote on celebrity miis? This one's head is a LITTLE bit bigger. That one has a slightly darker skin color. How do you decide which is better when they are all nearly identical?

  • Overlooked real target for the fit board (Score:3, Insightful)

    by brunes69 ( 86786 ) <`gro.daetsriek' `ta' `todhsals'> on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @02:35PM (#19828399)
    Did no one else look at this thing and instantly think "Tony Hawk"?

    Come on - medium sensor board, that's light and wireless, detects weight and pressure both?

    Slap a shock-absorber attachment on the bottom so that it doesn't snap in half when you come down on it and you have an instant virtual skateboard. Hell you could even make a velcro attachment to the WiiMote so you could strap it to your leg to mimic pushing off.

  • Hardcore Gamers are idiots (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Rosebud128 ( 930419 ) on Wednesday July 11, 2007 @05:40PM (#19830967)
    2004- When the DS was revealed, they laughed at it. PSP would destroy it, and Nintendo would go third party.

    2005- When the "Revolution" was revealed, they laughed at it. "Nintendo cannot compete." Meanwhile, they went 'ONE CONSOLE FUTURE' to the Sony Killzone 2 trailer and Microsoft's Xbox 360 showing.

    2005- (TGS) When Nintendo revealed the Wii controller, they laughed at it. They compared it to the Powerglove and that it would flop. They hailed Xbox 360 launch as start of 'high definition' generation.

    2006- When the Wii name is announced, hardcore gamers laughed and considered the Revolution to be 'dead' on arrival. After all, who would play the 'Wii' when there were much cooler names like Playstation 3 and Xbox 360?

    2006- Nintendo's excellent E3 showing was not worth thinking about, they said. After all, Nintendo fans go ballistic on every Nintendo E3 presence. PS3's brand name would sail it past very fast. And while PS3 was expensive, you got so much value in it! Wii wasn't future proofed.

    2006- Wii's $250 price shocked them and they declared it too expensive for any reasonable person to buy. The bundling of Wii Sports would destroy third party software sales. Don't bother pre-ordering since you can walk in the afternoon and buy it anytime.

    2007- Wii is still selling out. Obviously, it must be a fad. A novelty. Hardcore gamers believe they are the mainstream after all. PS3 is not 'dead'. It is just 'slow' in starting. It will overtake the market in time. It just has too.

    2007- Wii Balance Board? "Nintendo is DEAD as a gaming company!" they proclaim. "I don't even turn on my Wii anymore," they keep telling us. Obviously, the end of Wii had come and everyone will rush to get Xbox 360s and PS3s.

    The pattern shows that Hardcore Gamers have been 100% wrong on Nintendo ever since the DS. Why should we listen to them now? They're wrong then, and they are wrong today.

    Hardcore gamers say, "I understand Nintendo trying to expand the audience. But why don't they listen to us?" It is because hardcore gamers ARE the problem with gaming. Microsoft and Sony listened to them and look at where that got them. The more Nintendo defies the hardcore, the more their success.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by grumbel ( 592662 )
      Hardcore gamers care about games, not how much money Nintendo can make with the Wii and in terms of games so far the Wii is far away from being impressive.

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