E3 2007: Nintendo Press Conference


E3 2007: Nintendo Press Conference 

By


Louis Bedigian

 
As we embark on a new setup and style for E3, one thing remains unchanged: the
press conferences. That was proven this morning when Nintendo kicked off their
E3 showing with a conference dedicated to the games we’ve been dying to play for
months — like Super Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. Brawl — and games we never
knew existed but have begun to drool for. Though Nintendo saved the best for
last, it is only fitting that we give gamers what they want most right now and
discuss their newest Nintendo Wii innovation: Wii Fit. Using a special Wii
Balance Board (which will be packaged with the game), Wii Fit is another game
that’s geared every kind of possible game player — that is, every person on the
planet.


  



The legendary Shigeru Miyamoto shows off Nintendo’s newest innovation.


In the tradition of past Nintendo conferences, Reggie Fils-Aime began by showing
a video of the potential for the game, which included a woman spinning and
leaning to catch hoops around her body; a young girl leaning in a game of
balance; a man doing push-ups on the balance board; and a kid who leaned his
body to hit a soccer ball. The potential was amazing.


  
Aerobics, balancing, yoga, and more will be a part of the Wii Fit experience.
 

Mario Kart Wii
 
Nintendo made an announcement we’ve all been waiting to hear: Mario Kart Wii is
in development. In other shocking news, the sun will rise tomorrow. And in news
that really is shocking, the publisher confirmed that the game will be playable
online and use a new wheel attachment that grips onto the Wii remote. That, and
a brief trailer showing slightly-above-GameCube-quality visuals, are all that
was unveiled. The action contained all the familiar faces, Mario-themed worlds,
and other elements you’ve come to expect from the series, plus a noticeably
faster speed limit. Reggie finished the Mario Kart Wii announcement by saying
that it would feature more simultaneously playable racers than the previous
console titles. How many more? All he would say is, "Stay tuned."



 
Zapper Time!
 
What do Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, the next Medal of Honor game, and
the newly announced Ghost Squadron (one of Sega’s more recent arcade releases)
have in common? They’re all coming to Wii and will support the use of a new
lightgun peripheral called the Wii Zapper. This clever attachment combines the
Wii remote and nunchuck with a handy firearm grip for arcade-heavy action.


  


Release Date Central
 
Press conferences are not usually a time for major release date announcements.
You might get a general "fall" confirmation. In some cases a publisher may not
go beyond saying "by the end of the year." But at Nintendo’s conference, they
announced specific dates for two of their most anticipated games: Super Mario
Galaxy will arrive on November 12 and Smash Bros. Brawl will arrive on December
3.



 
No other announcements were made regarding either title, but Nintendo did show a
phenomenal trailer that revealed new world areas and gameplay styles in Galaxy.
Every stage has this enormous, never-ending feel with dozens of platforms placed
all over the spacey atmosphere. That was to be expected given the name of the
title, the location of its worlds (in outer space), and the no-gravity style of
gameplay that’s being developed for the title. What was not expected was a
potential new suit for Mario — a bee suit. Could my eyes have deceived me!?
Reggie, in a statement that could’ve been directed personally at myself, even
went as far as to say it is the true successor to Super Mario 64.
 
Check Mii Out
 
Expanding on the "Mii" concept, Nintendo announced Check Mii Out, a new Wii
feature that will allow users to upload their Miis and vote on which ones are
the best.
 
The Nintendo (Sales) Difference
 
Sales figures don’t usually bring much excitement other than to say, "My
favorite game is huge!" But Reggie presented an interesting statistic: for the
game industry excluding Nintendo, a mere 20% of game consoles were purchased by
female players. However, when you look only at Nintendo’s console figures, that
number jumps to 33%. This is an incredible leap for our industry. By getting
women to play, video game sales could double. At least, they could for Nintendo,
as the company insists these figures do not apply to its competitors. If the
time comes when women buy more Nintendo games than men, we will have seen a
massive shift like nothing before.
 
Reggie also noted that the Wii has been a worldwide sellout since its November
debut, bringing the total of successful weeks at retail to 33. There are already
60 Wii games on the market and 300 for the DS; by Christmas another 100 will be
added to Wii and an additional 140 titles will hit the console maker’s leading
handheld.