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Nintendo Wii Conferences (13th-15th), Final Launch Details Expected

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by RC Cola, Sep 13, 2006.

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RC Cola Member

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As some of you are aware, Nintendo has a special event scheduled for tomorrow in the US, and it is expected that they will announce the final details about the Wii (release date, price, launch titles, any surprises, etc.). What you may or may not know is that Nintendo actually has 3 of these events scheduled, one in each region (we're the 2nd event). The first event will take place in Japan later today, at around 7PM Central IIRC, while the US event will be tomorrow at 9AM. I don't know exactly how this will work, but you can get more info from the following thread at NeoGAF, which is very helpful IMO:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4289881&postcount=1
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118984
There is actually a little bit of info already regarding the VC and a few Wii games.

Unfortunately, I might miss the very beginning of the event tonight, and possibly some of the US event tomorrow. If I do, I expect to come back to a thread full of updates on the event(s), all in an easy-to-ready format. Don't disappoint me.

edit: Might be more like 8PM tonight instead of 7...not really sure...I'm getting conflicting info on this, and I don't really have the time to look into it.

#1 RC Cola, Sep 13, 2006
Last edited: Sep 13, 2006

Yonkers Member

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I can't to wait to hear what's going to happen. Definitely going to get a Wii.

#2 Yonkers, Sep 13, 2006
ClutchCityReturns Member

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Rumors so far...

- $229
- 2 controllers included
- Wii Sports included

Again, the conferences have not started. These are just rumors, but from a moderator at the IGN boards, so there is at least some credibility.

#3 ClutchCityReturns, Sep 13, 2006
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the more goodies the better.. give 'em hell, nintendo..

#4 DonnyMost, Sep 13, 2006
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ClutchCityReturns said:

Rumors so far...

- $229
- 2 controllers included
- Wii Sports included

Again, the conferences have not started. These are just rumors, but from a moderator at the IGN boards, so there is at least some credibility.
Click to expand...

I think Wii Sports was always included. Unfortunately I think the Sports thing is pretty basic. I would like to see Sega do a Tennis thing and a Tiger Woods Golf game.
I'm hoping for $199 and two controllers.

#5 Yonkers, Sep 13, 2006
R0ckets03 Member

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I hope Wii kicks 360 (which sux donkey ballz as far as games are concerned) and PS3's ass.

#6 R0ckets03, Sep 13, 2006
ClutchCityReturns Member

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Yonkers said:

I think Wii Sports was always included.
Click to expand...

Nope.

People were hopeful but it has never (and still hasn't) been confirmed. However, the "sources" behind these rumors obviously think so, and another site reported that Wii Sports mysteriously disappeared from the Nintendo release calendar yesterday or today or something.

#7 ClutchCityReturns, Sep 13, 2006

RC Cola Member

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Just got back from the stuff I needed to take care of. It seems like things are just getting started (so it was 8?).

I'm not sure what sites are good for updates. After a quick look at NeoGAF, it seems like the following site will provide updates:
http://www.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/10307/
Let me know if there are any alternatives (these usually get pretty slow, so it is good to have more than one from what I've experienced).

#8 RC Cola, Sep 13, 2006
RC Cola Member

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OK...apparently GWN is updating via a video stream from Nintendo's conference...only problem is that said conference took place in June. LOL.

Sorry guys. I'm not really sure what is going on. Apparently the conference doesn't start for another 3 hours. I'm not a 100% on that though.

This is so screwed up.

New thread from NeoGAF BTW:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119152

#9 RC Cola, Sep 13, 2006
RC Cola Member

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Um...not sure if this is legit...not sure how/why they'd get the facts before it was announced, but:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/285027_nintendo14.html

In a move that may allow Nintendo of Japan to take advantage of stumbles by its main rival, the company plans to announce today that it will release its new Wii video-game console in North and South America on Nov. 19, just as the holiday shopping season begins, and that the machine will cost $250 in the United States.

Nintendo executives said this week that the company also would announce today that more than 25 new games would be available for its video-game machine this year, a substantial portfolio from several genres that is intended to help the company broaden the appeal of its console. The company plans to ship 4 million of the Wii consoles worldwide this year.

Nintendo also will explain today a plan to expand the video-game market beyond its core of young men.

Today's announcement comes as Nintendo's main rival, Sony, has been forced to delay and scale back the introduction of its own game machine, the PlayStation 3, at least twice amid serious troubles with that company's new Blu-ray Disc technology.

Last week, Sony said that the PlayStation 3 would not be introduced in Europe until 2007 and that it would ship millions fewer units worldwide this year than it had promised. The top version of the PlayStation 3 is expected to cost around $600.

Another competitor, Microsoft, has sold more than 5 million of the Xbox 360 game console since its introduction in 2005 and hopes to sell more than 10 million by year's end.

Nintendo's Wii (pronounced we) is less technically ambitious than Sony's PS3, which is why it will cost far less and be far more available in stores this holiday season. To market the Wii, Nintendo hopes to make up in innovation and accessibility what the machine lacks in sheer silicon horsepower.

Nintendo is No. 3 in the console video game market, behind Sony and Microsoft. But while those competitors have largely focused on appealing to hard-core gamers, Nintendo is now trying to appeal to a broader audience.

"Our goal is to bring gaming back to the masses," Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, said in a telephone interview. "You see that in our pricing, you see that in the number of units we plan to make available this year and you see that in how we are positioning the Wii to appeal to every member of the household, including but not limited to the hard-core gamer."

The Wii's major innovation is a wireless controller that the user can tilt and point to produce action on the screen. In a sword-fighting game, for instance, the player can simply swing the controller to thrust and parry with an on-screen blade; there is no need to master the complicated combinations of buttons and triggers that make many video games so intimidating to the reflex-challenged.

Nintendo intends to announce today that every Wii will come with a game compilation called Wii Sports -- including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling -- meant to show off the machine's intuitive controls. (Most consoles, including Nintendo's GameCube, do not come with games included.)

Nintendo plans to announce that 25 to 30 top-tier games will be available for the Wii this year. The most-anticipated game comes from Nintendo itself: an installment of the long-running "Legend of Zelda" series, "Twilight Princess."

Nintendo also will deliver a driving game called "Excite Truck" this year but will likely provide a minor disappointment to gamers in saying the next version of the popular "Mario" franchise will not arrive until 2007.

Nintendo intends to charge $50 for its Wii games, $10 less than the standard price for Xbox 360 titles and the same price generally charged for GameCube games.

Top games expected to be introduced for the Wii this year from third-party publishers include a version of "Madden NFL" from Electronic Arts, the sword-fighting game "Red Steel" from Ubisoft of France, an addition to the "Sonic" action series from Sega of Japan and a "Tony Hawk" action-sports game from Activision.

While Nintendo is certainly counting on the success of top-tier games sold at retail, many gamers may be at least as excited by the Wii's Virtual Console, which will allow players to download versions of older Nintendo games from the Internet.

Nintendo plans to announce today that about 30 classic games will be available for download when the Wii is released, including ones from the "Zelda," "Mario" and "Donkey Kong" franchises. Downloadable games will cost about $5 to $10 each.

More broadly, Nintendo hopes to make the Wii a living-room centerpiece by including various media channels meant to appeal to and draw in people who do not consider themselves gamers.

There will be a photo channel that will allow users to use the Wii to display digital photographs on television.

There also will be an easy-to-use interactive news channel and weather channel.

Perhaps most intriguing, the Wii will make it possible to browse the Web on the television. Microsoft's Xbox 360 does not permit this because that could negate the need to buy a Windows PC.

"We are including all of these capabilities as part of our overall strategy to expand the gaming market," Fils-Aime said. "Broadening the market is important because it will breathe new life into this business. Otherwise, this industry is moving down a path of being more and more limited to the hard-core gamer."
Click to expand...

Guess we'll find out soon.

#10 RC Cola, Sep 13, 2006
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Hmm. Interesting. Particularly the media/web browsing. Didn't really think much about that.

But, if true, 250 for the system and the Wii Sports compilation sounds decent to me.

#11 Coach AI, Sep 13, 2006
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NYT: $250 Wii coming November 19

Nintendo's next-gen console will arrive two days after the PlayStation 3, according to the New York Times; over 25 games available at launch.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157572.html?tag=breaking_news;link

Though Nintendo won't say it publicly until an event Thursday morning, today's issue of the New York Times has already answered the questions on millions of gamers' minds: When will the Wii go on sale? What will it cost? How many games will it have at launch?

As it turns out, the console will arrive on Sunday, November 19, in North America and South America, according to the Times. That puts the console's launch just two days after that of its archrival, the PlayStation 3, which has recently seen its own debut scaled down.

But while only 400,000 PS3s will be available at launch, the Times claims that the Wii will be "far more available in stores this holiday season" than its competitor due to its cheaper and simpler form factor.

As many suspected, the console will cost $250 in the US, according to the article. Since Nintendo executives have repeatedly said it would be under $250, the likely final price will be $249.99 or $249.95. It will also reportedly have over 25 first- and third-party games available at launch.

"Our goal is to bring gaming back to the masses," Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer Reggie Fils-Aime told the newspaper. "You see that in our pricing, you see that in the number of units we plan to make available this year and you see that in how we are positioning the Wii to appeal to every member of the household, including but not limited to the hardcore gamer."

#12 UTweezer, Sep 13, 2006
Kam Member

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Looks like I will be buying a Wii first, then a P ieceof S hit 3 next year.

#13 Kam, Sep 14, 2006

Supermac34 President, Von Wafer Fan Club

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I already have an XBOX 360, but at the price point I may get the Nintendo as well.

I like games that my wife is willing to play with me, and Nintendo's libraries tend to appeal to her more...so hopefully it will have some stuff that we can both enjoy.

#14 Supermac34, Sep 14, 2006
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Via Joystiq:

1:34 a.m. EST: [update 6] Iwata gives prices for virtual console games! 500 yen for NES games, 800 yen for SNES games, 1000 [typo corrected] yen for N64 games. Pay by credit card of Wii points card. Wii will play three MSX games (from Gemaga).

1:38 a.m. EST [update 7]: Famitsu reports 30 Nintendo games and 30 PC Engine/Megadrive (Turbo-Grafx/Genesis) games before end of year. Ten new virtual console games every month after that!
Click to expand...

The original article has been pulled BTW. Guessing that means that it was posted too soon and not that it was inaccurate though.

I'm getting pretty tired, so I'll leave the updates to you guys. I don't really feel like waiting much more for any updates, especially since it seems like most of the details I cared about have probably already been revealed. Not sure if I'll be here for the US stuff later.

#15 RC Cola, Sep 14, 2006
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So, to summarize: AKA the short, short version:

Wii for $250, Nov. 19th

-System will include a pack in game: Wii Sports, a compliation of wimote games that includes Baseball, Tennis, Golf and Bowling.

-Wii will have a built in Web Browser, digital photo viewing capabilities and a connection to News and Weather Channels. Don't know what the 'channels' are yet.

-Virtual Console should have 30 classic Nintendo Games and 30 Hudson/Sega Classics by end of the year. 10 classics will be released every month.

- VC includes Genesis, Turbografix and MSX support (announced so far)

- VC pricing:
NES - $4.25
SNES - $6.81
Nintendo64 - $8.51

Did I miss anything?

#16 Coach AI, Sep 14, 2006
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i wonder how much memory is on the Wii to store virtual console games

not to go off on a tangent, but lately nintendos stuff has been really impressive. just when i thought i was getting too old for video games, the ds lite is just amazing. in a time when pc, microsoft, and sony keep making games more and more complicated and nintendo was out of the picture

they come back with such an obvious idea, make games more simple

#17 yobod, Sep 14, 2006
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Check out this preview video:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/topics/wii_preview/movie/lineup.html

Think I saw New Punch Out, Duck Hunt, some sort of Resident Evil...

In addition, a little on how the weather/news stuff might work. Japanese version, of course, but you get the idea.

http://wii.com/jp/movies/forecastchannel/

#18 Coach AI, Sep 14, 2006
Last edited: Sep 14, 2006

JaWindex Member

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Rokkit said:

Check out this preview video:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/topics/wii_preview/movie/lineup.html

Think I saw New Punch Out, Duck Hunt, some sort of Resident Evil...

In addition, a little on how the weather/news stuff might work. Japanese version, of course, but you get the idea.

http://wii.com/jp/movies/forecastchannel/
Click to expand...

Ah, I was about to say something about those weatherchannel videos. It looks neat and a nice extra to have I guess. I like the concept of the wii controller and system looks very sleek. I had stopped playing console games the last few months but that game preview video has me excited. I can't wait to play Zelda, Bleach, and other cool games that will use the wiimote extensively. Nintendo, I wish I knew how to quit you

Edit: I was looking around on wii.com and under the channels section, theres a channel called shopping channel. That was really surprising. I take it we'll be able to buy stuff online. I wonder what other things are in store for us.

#19 JaWindex, Sep 14, 2006
Last edited: Sep 14, 2006
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More on the interface:

http://wii.com/jp/movies/wiimenu/
http://wii.com/jp/movies/forecastchannel/
http://wii.com/jp/movies/miichannel/
http://wii.com/jp/movies/newschannel/

Photo storage:
Check out the second video:
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/topics...tation/07.html

#20 Coach AI, Sep 14, 2006

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