Nintendo was very adamant about their success, and they made sure to note this a lot during their press conference. While the redundant and constant video montages became annoying, their show was impressive for their latest products, and others certainly underwhelming. Fans of online play were also disappointed, even with the first showing of Mario Kart on the Wii.
The mainstream media powered this keynote, and Nintendo took full credit for pushing the industry onto those who don’t generally play games. Statistics are tossed around in terms of console sales, though they did not address some concerns of software attach rate for each of those systems. They also stated that 69% of industry growth can be credited to Nintendo, though didn’t explain how that stat came to be.
Nintendo wisely addressed some concerns about the Wii being a fad, using the DS as an example in terms of continuing sales. The quick shift to the number of software titles was a fine way to continue pushing away disbelievers.
The first of multiple new controller devices was revealed, showcasing a redesigned $20 Wii Zapper that housed both the nunchuck and Wii Remote. It really looks like nothing more than a holder so both are held like a shotgun. The demonstration for Umbrella Chronicles was impressive, as was the announcement of a new Medal of Honor with 32 player multi-player, though they failed to specify online.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl was finally dated. December 3 will be a huge day for Wii fans. Onstage demos of Zelda Phantom Hourglass on the DS and Metroid Prime 3 went smoothly.
By far the biggest disappointment was the online portion of the presentation. While Reggie Fils-Aime would continue teasing, they never addressed frustration with friend codes, or how the casual, mainstream crowd will feel about dealing with this frustrating set-up. A new Mii Channel that allows users to vote on Mii creations was hardly the announcement Wii fans were looking for. Madden and FIFA will both be online for the Wii, though that’s not exactly innovative or special.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Super Smash Bros. Brawl was finally dated. December 3 will be a huge day for Wii fans."
Note to self: move vacation weeks to December.
2 - Ruben
A very concise and mostly unbiased write-up, Matt. I like it. What did you think of Sony's and Microsoft's keynotes?
~Ruben
3 - Matt Paprocki
Check out my other articles for write ups on all three keynotes.
Thanks Ruben!