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Training, Nintendogs, Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii – games that appeal to a broad demographic including new consumers who started playing video games as we expanded the gaming population. These new consumers are not necessarily aware of launch dates or what’s new or what’s been on the market for some time and at Nintendo we take this into consideration when planning our software promotional activities. I think the learning here is that the value of software should not be judged by the launch week sales alone.
What is it that Nintendo can do to reverse the downward trend it is currently experiencing? As I mentioned earlier, Wii regained its momentum in the second half of last year and the continued good sales of New Super Mario Bros. Wii and other major titles has kept this momentum going. We believe the strong software line up this year – with the imminent launch of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and further strong titles such as Wii Party and Metroid: Other M in the pipeline – will help to maintain this momentum. Similarly on Nintendo DS we have some key titles launching this year that we hope will help to continue to drive sales of Nintendo DSi and DSi XL. The first one I’m looking forward to
is Dragon Quest IX. When you start to play this game, you understand why it became a social phenomenon in Japan. You feel the depth and the richness of the game, with a very unique multiplayer mode that allows you to take your friends on board in your adventure any time.
Do you feel Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch can impact Nintendo’s handheld business? As a hardware and software manufacturer, our goal is to offer a great game experience that no other platform can offer.
In addition to other video game platforms – including Wii – we are always competing against other forms of entertainment. We have been and will be trying to offer really unique and compelling entertainment experiences only available on Nintendo systems.
There’s been a period over the past 18 months where there’s not been a great deal of Wii software,
particularly for the core Nintendo fan. And the more mature and core products that have come out haven’t performed very strongly. Do you feel that, because of the new markets Nintendo has moved into, you’ve lost that core following? First, I guess it is important to keep in mind that it is difficult or artificial to draw this border between what is a core game or not. Actually we know that the best games are the ones that can appeal to any kind of gamers.
Nintendo fans have and always will be important to us. In the first half of last year there was a lack of strong software titles, however in the second half we had a much stronger offering with many games that appealed to our core audience.
This year we will continue to offer games that will appeal to Nintendo fans, we have recently launched Monster Hunter Tri; Super Mario Galaxy 2 and
Dragon Quest IX are imminent and we’re looking forward to the return of Samus in Metroid: Other M and embarking on a brand new adventure with Link.
“
How important is the core consumer to Nintendo Europe? As I said, Nintendo fans have and always will be important to us and this year’s software line up is testament to that.
Do you feel that the core games you’ve listed can win back the Nintendo fan? We hope Nintendo fans will be happy with the software line up this year, we’re certainly excited about it. If we just talk about our next big release this week, Super Mario Galaxy 2, it has been praised at the highest level by all people that could play it. This game is certainly the best answer we can give to that question.
Everyone’s rushing towards digital at the moment, and Nintendo has been active in this space since the launch of Wii. However, WiiWare
and Virtual Console have not quite received the attention that XBLA and PSN has. Why do you feel that is? What can Nintendo do to improve its digital offering? This is an area of our business that we are certainly very focused on. In terms of the content we offer, we are proud to work with an incredibly diverse and talented group of developers who have collectively made over 275 downloadable games for our WiiWare and Nintendo DSiWare services and we look forward to see what these creative people will come up with next. We are working with these partners, to find ways to make these services better and more compelling to our customers, so that developers can take full advantage of them.
Natal and Move are due this year, and there is an array of traditionally Wii genres hitting these platform –
We appreciate the fact that other companies are now endorsing the motion-sensing approach that Nintendo started four years ago. Laurent Fischer, Nintendo
OPINION: WE BELIEVE IN NINTENDO
The UK games industry has faith in Nintendo’s ability to turn around the falling sales.
Rod Cousens, CEO, Codemasters
“The Wii may be maturing, but I’m sure Nintendo will have plans to
sustain it and it has an installed base which could give rise to opportunity. Nintendo are very clever in their brand extension in their virtual offerings and this will doubtless be setting up their next generation platform – whatever and whenever that may be.”
Ben Feder, CEO, Take-Two
“We are believers in Nintendo’s resiliency and ability to innovate
including party games and fitness titles. What do you make of these new motion-sensing products? We appreciate the fact that other companies are now endorsing the motion-sensing approach that Nintendo started offering four years ago. Since the actual experiences by the customers – not the technologies – are most important, Nintendo is not in a position to comment until these hardware and software actually hit the market. But for Nintendo, motion control and social gaming are realities today. We will continue to make efforts so that whatever we do on the gameplay interface can become another de facto standard in the industry.
”
Do you think these traditionally core gaming platforms can satisfy the consumer Nintendo currently caters for?
I think ultimately it will be the customer who decides. However at Nintendo we will continue to look at ways to expand the gaming population and find new compelling reasons for people to consider buying a Wii.
and be responsive to the market. Yes, the upcoming launches of new controllers from Microsoft and Sony will provide ample competition for the Wii; however, I would not count Nintendo out.”
Martin Spiess, CEO, Tradewest Games
“In addition to establishing the platform as a new gaming console,
Nintendo also managed to position Wii as a lifestyle product. But as many of the mass market consumer’s won’t convert into hardcore gamers or frequent game buyers automatically, the industry has to continue to give them unique applications that wow the audience just as their first Wii game experience wowed them.”
Mike Hayes, President, Sega West
“Nintendo couldn’t do anything wrong for a couple of
years and now it’s
all ‘oh has the Wii bubble burst.’ All I can do is point to the sales we have had on the mainstream titles. I’m sure Ubisoft must be jumping up for joy following the success of Just Dance. What part of that says Wii is not successful? There is at least another big Christmas for the platform. We are very positive about the future of Wii.”
E3 SPECIAL
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