After some mistaken information about start times and a few false starts around the internet, it looks like Nintendo's Japanese press conference is actually set to start at 2 p.m. Japan time (1 a.m. Eastern time, 10 p.m. Pacific time, 0500 GMT). Though Joystiq doesn't have anyone on the ground in Tokyo, we're working to attain the best feed and translation services available for the event. We do plan to cover any big news from the conference by monitoring a purported live online feed, with translation services provided by ittousai of Engadget Japan. If that doesn't work, we'll monitor our sources into the night to bring you this information as soon as it's available.Keep checking back on this post as the deadline approaches for not-quite-live coverage of what is likely to be a major conference.
12:13 p.m. EST: A little less than an hour to go, supposedly. Keep it here...
12:22 a.m. EST: The fireworks start early... the Seattle Post Intelligencer has posted a story from the New York Times' Seth Schiesel saying the Wii will launch in North and South America for $250 on Nov. 19. The story also reports 25 - 30 Wii games will be available this year, that Wii Sports will be a pack-in title and that virtual console games will cost $5 - $10. We haven't confirmed this info. yet, but this seems to be from a relatively reliable source. Stay tuned... [update: The story has been taken down... see this post for more details]
1:14 a.m. EST: [update 2] Famitsu is doing some sort of online coverage of the event. They are saying the conference should start soon. Below pic taken from their coverage.
1:22 a.m. EST [update 3] Gemaga has a picture of the event's MC, Japanese TV personality Miho Nakai.
1:27 a.m. EST [update 4] From Famitsu, Iwata is talking about how the DS has shifted the market in Japan.
1:32 a.m. EST [update 5] Iwata continues to talk about expanding the game playing population, making games for everyone, even non-gamers. Nothing new.
1:34 a.m. EST: [update 6] Iwata gives prices for virtual console games! 500 yen for NES games, 800 yen for SNES games, 1000 [typo corrected] yen for N64 games. Pay by credit card of Wii points card. Wii will play three MSX games (from Gemaga).
1:38 a.m. EST [update 7]: Famitsu reports 30 Nintendo games and 30 PC Engine/Megadrive (Turbo-Grafx/Genesis) games before end of year. Ten new virtual console games every month after that!
1:55 a.m. EST [update 8]: And the other shoe drops. Famitsu is reporting a December 2 launch and 25,000 yen ($215.51) price for Japan.
1:58 a.m. EST [update 9]: Nintendo will be posting a Japanese press release momentarily and will have full text of Iwata's speech in about an hour. Also, wii.com will go live in Japan in about an hour
2:06 a.m. EST [update 10]: The press release is up. It lists the contents of the Wii box: Wii console, Wii remote (w/ strap), nunchuck attachment, Wii AC adaptor, Wii A/V cable, Wii console stand(?), sensor bar, sensor bar stand and two AA batteries. Also, it seems the 25,000 yen price includes tax.
2:09 a.m. EST [update 11]: Gemaga reports 3,800 yen cost for the remote, 1800 yen for the classic controller, and 1800 yen for the nunchuck attachment.
2:13 a.m. EST [update 12]: Famitsu reports 16 titles from ten publishers at launch. Cost of games: 4,800 yen to 6,800 yen. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will cost 6,800 yen.
2:16 a.m. EST [update 13]: Gemaga reports Wii Sports will not be a pack-in game, but will cost 4,800 yen and include five sports games.
2:17 a.m. EST [update 14] From Famitsu, Miyamato has just beaten Japanese tennis pro Sugiyama at Wii Sports Tennis. Teen Idol Hayashi is playing a Wii version of Big Brain Academy.
2:31 a.m. EST [update 15]: Nothing new, but it seems from a Gemaga picture that the classic controller is much as it was at E3. Hmmm....
2:34 a.m. EST [update 16]: Japanese version of wii.com is up. Translations coming.
2:38 a.m. EST [update 17]: Nintendo has posted a list of Japanese launch titles. Four from Nintendo: Zelda, WarioWare, Wii Sports, and "Your First Wii Games" (rough translation). More translations coming.
2:43 a.m. EST: [update 18]: More Japanese launch titles: Red Steel from UbiSoft, SD Gundam Revolution, Tamagotchi, and "Ennichi no Tastsujin" which seems to be carnival style games in the tradition of Taiko: Drum Master(!) from Namco. More coming.
2:48 a.m. EST: [update 19]: Trauma Center, Elebits, Necro-nesia, Monkey Ball, and Pangya Golf are all launch games in Japan.
2:51 a.m. EST [update 20] Wing Island, Kororinpa (might be a Marble Madness-style game) and Machariku Domino (a domino game) round out the Japanese launch list.
2:55 a.m. EST [update 21]: If you didn't notice, the Japanese Wii site has videos of avatar-making (Mii channel?), the news channel, and weather forecasts all on the Wii.
2:58 a.m. EST [update 22]: From Famitsu, the Japanese Wii packaging
3:03 a.m. EST [update 23] Tidbits: Famitsu says there are 34 playable games at the event, but Gemsga says 44. The game we earlier called "Your First Wii Games" might actually be called "Wii Play" and comes with an extra controller. Found in the bowels of Japanese wii.com, a new promo video.
3:15 a.m. EST [update 24]: Besides new footage for a lot of known games, the promo video also shows Wii Sports Bowling and Boxing, a scuba diving game, and footage from new games announced above like Wing Island. The conductor game from E3 is shown as Wii Music.
3:17 a.m. EST [update 25] The Wii site lists 24 publishers for the Virtual Console, including Konami, Capcom, Square/Enix, Tecmo, Bandai/Namco, and Taito just to name a few.
3:19 a.m. EST [update 26] Copious videos of the picture viewer/editor.
3:22 a.m. EST [update 27] WiiConnect24 will feature a BBS-like message board system that can cross-post to and from cell phones, computers and other Wii consoles.
3:31 a.m. EST [update 28] More tidbits: Iwata says "The success of the DS does not ensure the success of the Wii." One Wii point = One yen for virtual console shopping.
3:36 a.m. EST [update 29] All right, it seems the news is slowing a bit, though more poring over the Japanese site will probably unveil more tidbits. With the U.S. event less than six hours away, though, I think I'm gonna call it a night. Big thanks to our fast and efficient translator Ittousai from Engadget Japan and to the guys over at Nintendo Wii Fanboy for keeping me company during posting and finding some good links. See ya.
