American Wii Launch Details Revealed

By Eric Wright / Thursday, 14 September 2006

Just minutes before Satoru Iwata, CEO and President of Nintendo, was scheduled to address Japan with long-anticipated announcements regarding the upcoming Wii console, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed details of the Wii's American launch. Featuring a a byline from Seth Schiesel of the New York Times, the article - originally found on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Web site - reported that Wii would launch in North and South America on November 19, for the price of $250. "Our goal is to bring gaming back to the masses," Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told the Times. "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." The Times article revealed that Wii would include Wii Sports, a title that would allow players to use the console's unique Wii Remote to play games of golf, baseball, tennis, and bowling. Wii will mark the first time a game has been bundled with a home-console at its launch since the Super Nintendo in 1991. The article continued to reveal the full suite of Wii's multimedia capabilities. "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," read the report. "Perhaps most intriguing, the Wii will make it possible to browse the Web on the television." Wii will also feature DVD-playback capabilities. "We are including all of these capabilities as part of our overall strategy to expand the gaming market," Fils-Aime told the Times. "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 hardcore gamer." Gamers can expect to play over 25 titles at launch, with up to 30 available by the end of the year, according to the article. It confirmed that the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be available at launch, but that the next Mario game won't be on Wii until early next year. Wii, Nintendo's fifth home-console, will utilize a wand-like Wii Remote in place of a traditional controller. The Wii Remote is capable of detecting player motion and translating it to on-screen movement. Nintendo expects to ship 4 million Wii consoles worldwide by the end of 2006. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer Web site removed this article shortly after posting it. A request for its URL returns the following message: "The page you have requested was not found. The link is either incorrect or the page no longer exists. If you believe there is a problem, please send a message to newmedia@seattlepi.com." Currently, the article is once again accessible. The Wiire will keep you updated on all the details of Wii's launch in all parts of the world, including information from Fils-Aime's press conference in New York City later this afternoon.