News
Nintendo GDC 2008
On February 20, in the year of our Lord 2008 at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Nintendo had some Family Friendly Gaming related announcements. WiiWare, Nintendo's new downloadable game service, launches May 12, 2008 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, 2008 and introduces the Wii Balance Board peripheral.
"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: 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, in the year of our Lord 2008.
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 year of our Lord 2008 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 December 1, 2008 launch.