Nintendo will reshape the home entertainment and video game landscape with the launch of its heralded Wii™ home video game console. Wii will go on sale in the Americas on November 19th and Japan on December 2nd - European launch date, price and software line up will be announced at a press conference in London tomorrow (Friday 15th).
Wii will be sold as an affordable, mass-consumer product at an MSRP in the US of just $249.99. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk™ controller and the groundbreaking collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc, which anyone can play using simple physical movements, experienced or not.
Every Wii console will include another distinctive feature: a series of on-screen “channels” that make up the Wii Channel Menu, which makes the console approachable and customizable for everyone, from the most avid gamer to people who have never played before. The Wii Channel Menu is the starting point for all of the console’s functions. The “channels” offer a gateway to a rich variety of entertainment options. When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, upload and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games. The variety of options available through the Wii Channel Menu motivates both gamers and non-gamers to turn on Wii’s power every day.
Wii is creating worldwide excitement with its unique control system, an inventive, first-of-its-kind controller whose position can be detected in a 3-D space. The new controller allows users pinpoint target in games or move through the Wii Channel Menu with precision and ease. This intuitive control system will be understood immediately by everyone, regardless of their previous experience with video games. With this one small controller, Wii makes games both easier and more intense than anything previously experienced. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game players swing the Wii Remote like a racket to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.
“Wii reinvents games for the devoted player,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “But more importantly, Wii breaks the wall separating players from non-players by delivering the best game experiences for the most affordable price. We believe the next leap is games for the masses – young and old, gamer or non, alone, with a friend or with the whole family.”
Fils-Aime made his remarks in New York, shortly after Nintendo executives in Japan announced Wii will launch there on Dec 2nd priced at 25,000 yen. Both announcements come ahead of a European press conference during which Nintendo will unveil specific detail around the console’s launch in Europe.
Between launch day and Dec. 31, Wii owners across America will enjoy a robust lineup of 30 software titles, with selections for everyone from video game veterans to newcomers. Some top Nintendo launch titles include Wii Sports, a compilation of tennis, baseball, golf and bowling; The Legend of ZeldaÆ: Twilight Princess; and EXCITE TRUCK™. While publishers are free to set their own prices for games, first-party Nintendo titles will have an MSRP of $49.99. Wii’s self-loading media bay also can play the entire library of more than 530 Nintendo GameCube™ titles from day one.
Third-party developers around the world have lined up to provide unprecedented support for Wii, “I believe the Wii will attract new and casual gamers to the world of interactive entertainment,” says Larry Probst, Chairman and CEO, Electronic Arts. “It’s a fun, easy and economical system that will become a bridge to gaming for mainstream audiences. At EA, we are putting more support behind the Wii than any Nintendo hardware launch since the Super NES.”
Additional information about the list of Virtual Console games and the pricing structure will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The Switch just isn't equipped for a killer sports title like the Wii was
A lot of the points made here are true, yet let's give it a chance, because like the author said, the Wii was a motion control console and everyone did view it as such while the switch is not, so the way people view the game determines how much they invested in it, so again let's give it a chance and see
Wii sports was truly atrocious and you're saying Switch Sports will be even worse? It does not bode well for Switch Sports indeed.
Wii Sports was ok for screwing around, but the games lacked depth. Also I'm not sure why it seems like they decided to stick with the automatic player movement so all you need to do is swing to hit something. Very noob friendly but not as much fun IMO.
Wii Sports was THE game for casuals. I don’t feel many casuals own the Switch. I can’t see this doing the numbers Wii Sports did.
Course it won't, the Wii was a phenomenon. Something new with the motion tech. A curiosity to almost everyone. Obviously Switch sports won't create the same impact.
Nintendo could be sitting on a gold mine with a past favorite.
Because we all miss accidentally throwing our Wiimotes at the TV, so let's throw some Joy-Cons.
I was always confused by Nintendo’s decision to kill the franchise. “Super” stayed with Mario titles even after the Super Nintendo. They can still use the Wii name. Hell it’s been so long that releasing a new one, or even an HD remaster, will tap into that nostalgia market.
Super was never because of the Super Nintendo. Super Mario Bros launched on the NES. The Super is because it's an indirect sequel to Mario Bros.
They can just call it Nintendo Sports or something, but using the Wii name would be a bit confusing.
Yeah i agree but i don't think Nintendo will be bringing wii sports to the Nintendo Switch samething goes for diddykong racing
A look at some of the best games that launched beside a new console.
Missing Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PS5 in this list. Love this game!
They probably didn't include it (and a bunch of others) because of their criteria for "lasting influence on the industry".
SMMM is a good game, but it doesn't stand out enough to have THAT huge of an impact on the industry as a whole - especially when compared to games like Mario, Halo & Tetris.
i would also add Sonic and Crash (pun intended lol) ...Sonic 1 on MD is a all time classic game that helped MegaDrive to separate itself and explode in sales... also Crash Bandicoot ...while not exactly a launch game..it was pretty close to launch for PS1 (in Europe was almost a launch game as PS1 released later here) and trademarked the start of PS era
Totally agree - those two games were huge for the industry & direction of platformers.
p.s. love the irony of your name for this post :P
Sonic was not a launch game. I keep seeing people say it was, but maybe they were so young it’s when they got the console. Crash bandicoot definitely wasn’t even close to being a launch game . These games are system sellers though.
@Sonic-and-Crash
Neither Sonic nor Crash released anywhere close to the launch of their respective consoles. Crash released a full year after the western launch of the PS1 (and two full years after Japan's launch), and Sonic released two years after Genesis in US, and a year after Mega Drive in PAL regions.
I knoe it wasn't a massive influence on the industry, but Condemned: Criminal Origins on Xbox 360 is one of my all time favorite launch games.
Ok you love it, and that's great but I think you are missing the point of the article... In any case to judge something like this I think you need time, currently we can see the tree but not the forest
That game has aged like a fine wine. Still go back to it all the time on my Dreamcast.
Super Mario World is still my my favorite of all Mario games and in the discussion for best side scroller ever.
I would have liked to see two controllers, rather than one. But I like that they included a game.
And although I like Nintendo, I'm waiting for a little while before I buy one. I want to see people's reactions to the gameplay before I buy one.
No doubt about it, I'm getting one.
I will probably go reserve one after work today! MY wife wants one really bad, too.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but has anyone heard if this will have built in wifi, or will there be an accessory for it?
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiii. But not only am i physced that PS3 and Wii are coming on the same weekend, but i get the best of both worlds and im thinking about holding off on the PS3 for a while, but the Wii, Ill be gettin for sure. I take it there hasnt been an official specs sheet eh.?