GDC 08: Nintendo Dates Stuff
Can't wait to see what Nintendo's next big thing will be? Well, at least now you'll know how long you'll have to wait. Nintendo used GDC to reveal launch dates for Wii Fit, WiiWare and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
"We are excited to participate in the Game Developers Conference this year to share with developers and consumers alike our upcoming unique services and products," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We are hopeful that they will appreciate our offerings of WiiWare, Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which represent a trio that will continue to attract new players to the world of video games."
WiiWare has Nintendo finally joining Microsoft and Sony in the downloadable games market, and the service will launch on May 12. They tout games like the excessively titled Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King and LostWinds, but there's no details about exactly what games will be available at launch. Still, I'm sure there will be some good stuff coming, and I'm looking forward to spending Wii Points on something other than Virtual Console games.
I'm very intrigued by Wii Fit, but skeptical about just how much real exercise you can do with the game. At the very least, once everyone already has a Wii Balance Board in their home, some enterprising developer can release a game that uses it in a much more fitness-oriented way. The "game" has sold over 1.4 million units in Japan since launch, and we'll be able to compare the US sales when it arrives in stores on May 19. (Oh man, I can't wait for the Nintendo World Store launch party for that one!)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is coming on March 9, and I think there's already people lined up for it. The last installment was the best-selling game on the GameCube, so it's likely this sequel will do the same on the Wii. I still wish there was some kind of voice chat for the Wii like on Xbox LIVE, because online gaming just isn't the same without that kind of interaction. I mean, playing Smash Bros. without smacktalk? Crazy!
That's all the good stuff, but there's a full press release after the jump!
Nintendo Reveals Its Next Engaging Experiences
WiiWare, Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl Shown at Game Developers Conference
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 20, 2008 – The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco attracts the top creative minds in the video game industry. With that audience on hand, Nintendo announces news that reinforces its commitment to provide entertaining and enriching experiences for veteran and new gamers alike. WiiWare™, Nintendo's new downloadable game service, launches May 12 and expands development opportunities for developers the same way Wii™ expanded the world of video game players. Wii Fit™, the upcoming title for Wii, launches May 19 and introduces the Wii Balance Board™ peripheral. And Super Smash Bros.® Brawl draws in fans of all kinds.
"We are excited to participate in the Game Developers Conference this year to share with developers and consumers alike our upcoming unique services and products," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We are hopeful that they will appreciate our offerings of WiiWare, Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which represent a trio that will continue to attract new players to the world of video games."
At the conference, Nintendo speakers will outline a number of plans for the coming months on their respective panels:
WiiWare: Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare changes the way both developers create and consumers access video games. Through WiiWare, Nintendo hopes to offer developers a virtual laboratory that serves as a breeding ground for new games, which encourages great ideas that creators always wanted to develop. The combination of low development barriers and unique game experiences found only on Wii should enable developers to try new ideas with lower risk in a quicker, more creative and affordable way.
Meanwhile Wii owners can download a multitude of cool new games from different genres, including some that are unprecedented, which can be purchased from home at a dynamic price range. WiiWare also empowers consumers to determine with their Wii Points which games have the right stuff to become the next big thing.
WiiWare will be a repository for all types of experiences – literally, something for everyone. Early WiiWare games will come from celebrated developers like Square Enix, which is creating FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King, a simulation game for all ages. Also watch for games from up-and-coming developers like Frontier with its fresh, enchanting platform adventure LostWinds and a new episodic game series from Telltale. The first U.S. WiiWare games will be available on May 12.
Wii Fit: Wii Fit demonstrates Nintendo's commitment to gamers of all kinds. It combines fun and fitness for every member of the family to keep active and play together. Wii Fit launches May 19 in the United States and comes with the weight-and-motion-sensing Wii Balance Board that Nintendo representatives demonstrated could hold great promise for future game development as well. Third-party publishers are already working on new games and applications that will make use of the Wii Balance Board. Additionally, Wii Fit includes access to the Wii Fit Channel, an interactive channel that lets users check in each day to track their fitness progress through weight and BMI. In Japan, Wii Fit has sold more than 1.4 million units since its Dec. 1 launch.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: This action game launches March 9. With dozens of characters, settings, options and ways to play, it has something for everyone. The game includes characters from all across the Nintendo universe. The previous installment in the franchise went on to become the best-selling game of all time for Nintendo GameCube™.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
Wootini
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 20 February 2008
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