Joystiq

A Reggie Mii comes bearing gifts for 3DS' first birthday [update: Iwata too!]

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST

The 3DS is one year old in North America today, and Nintendo's North American emissary, Reggie Fils-Aime, has embarked on a journey to give each and every 3DS owner some special gifts. Or, rather, his Mii is. North American 3DS owners who check out their Mii Plaza today will find a new guest has arrived: none other than Reggie himself. Surprise! He's been playing Kid Icarus: Uprising lately.

In addition to bringing his imposing mug to your Mii Plaza, Reggie also has a puzzle piece for Puzzle Swap and can be used as a level 5 hero in Find Mii. This probably goes without saying, but his character kicks ass. See him in action after the break.

Update: Joystiq reader Staeton notes that Reggie isn't the only special Mii floating around. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is making the rounds as well.

Continue reading A Reggie Mii comes bearing gifts for 3DS' first birthday [update: Iwata too!]

A Reggie Mii comes bearing gifts for 3DS' first birthday [update: Iwata too!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

'Nintendo Direct' presentations in Japan and America tomorrow

JC Fletcher — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

We just received the first-ever Swapnote press release -- a note from Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime inviting us to a Nintendo Direct video tomorrow, February 22, at 9AM EST, at this URL. There wasn't much indication in the handwritten note as to what it was about; Reggie only said he was "looking forward to sharing some news."

A few hours before that video, Nintendo of Japan will have its own Nintendo Direct hosted by Satoru Iwata, at 6AM EST. This one specifies that it will have some Wii and 3DS news.

'Nintendo Direct' presentations in Japan and America tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie Fils-Aime doesn't think much of Zynga, but he's intrigued by free-to-play gaming

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:15:00 EST

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime is notorious for his ability to say very little with a whole lot of words, but he doesn't bother mincing words when it comes to his feelings on social gaming giant Zynga. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog, Fils-Aime answers a question regarding his thoughts on Zynga's recent IPO by saying, "What's the share price? It will be interesting when it breaks below $9." In case it isn't clear, that's the executive way of saying, "Your IPO ain't shit."

He continues by inferring that Zynga's creating the same titles over and over, presumably referring to the company's many "Ville" games, though he seems more than okay with his own company doing as much with its recent release of the seventh Mario Kart title.

As for the free-to-play business model, however, Fils-Aime is less pessimistic. While he says, "I would argue Facebook is a platform ... I wouldn't expect to see our franchises on other platforms [that aren't owned by Nintendo]," he admits that Nintendo will "certainly" be experimenting with "other forms of monetization." When we'll see that pricing experimentation remains to be seen, however, as Fils-Aime only reveals vaguely that said price "experimentation" is currently taking place across Nintendo's various internal studios.

[Image credit: 'nateog']

Reggie Fils-Aime doesn't think much of Zynga, but he's intrigued by free-to-play gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fils-Aime discusses 3DS DLC, says Wii and Wii U will coexist

JC Fletcher — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:44:00 EST

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime clarified the upcoming 3DS firmware update allowing "add-on content," in an interview with Games.com.

"In terms of what the next system update will allow, it will allow developers to sell add-on content, and whether that's for a physical game or a digitally released game," he said. "In terms of how it will work, it's up to the developer whether they want to make it to buy new levels, new items--all of that is up to their imagination. Essentially, what we're doing is creating the framework for those transactions to happen."

He said Nintendo will take part in offering DLC for its own games, but in a manner that "whatever we sell initially, we will feel that that is a complete experience. And if that's all the consumer wants to do, that they'd be satisfied."

Fils-Aime also said he believed the Wii U's combination of HD and dual screens will "yet again disrupt the market the same way [Nintendo] did with DS and Wii." But it won't disrupt ... the Wii. Fils-Aime believes the Wii has "millions more systems to be sold." Even better, he said that there will "certainly" be more Wii games to look forward to. We know the three games you're all hoping for, but he'd better be talking about Rhythm Heaven.

Fils-Aime discusses 3DS DLC, says Wii and Wii U will coexist originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo and West Coast Customs bring Mario Karts to life

Mike Schramm — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:45:00 EST

Normally, Mario's Kart is just a bit of virtual video game magic, confined to a world where turtle shells fly and banana peels litter racetracks. But Nintendo has joined forces with auto shop West Coast Customs to produce two real life Mario Karts, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Both Mario's main ride, above, and Luigi's Bumble V kart were made, and both are equipped with front-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels in the back, and a propeller add-on for traveling through water.

Unfortunately, that propeller doesn't really work underwater (so says the press release), but the karts really do move. Their construction will be spotlighted in an upcoming episode of West Coast Customs' reality TV show. You can see more shots of the karts over on the company's site (including one of Reggie Fils-Aime himself driving).

Continue reading Nintendo and West Coast Customs bring Mario Karts to life

Nintendo and West Coast Customs bring Mario Karts to life originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: NOA 'watching' Xenoblade performance in Europe

JC Fletcher — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST

Nintendo of America, the last we heard, had "no plans" to localize Xenoblade or any of the other titles for which "Operation Rainfall" is campaigning. But plans, or lack thereof, can always change in the face of enough money.

NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime told IGN that the company would be paying attention to next week's European launch of Xenoblade Chronicles. "We will be watching very closely what happens in Europe," he said. "Certainly if there are business opportunities and positive consumer uptake from some of those titles, that will be great data for us to consider as we look at what to do with these titles."

That's certainly not a confirmation of a North American release, but neither is it the sort of stubborn denial we've come to expect regarding these games. So that's something. If you want the opportunity to buy a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles, go buy a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles ... from Europe!

Reggie: NOA 'watching' Xenoblade performance in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Wii U's online functionality will be 'flexible' to publishers

JC Fletcher — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:05:00 EST

If you're looking for Nintendo's Wii U to have a unified online network ... don't. While concrete plans for the system's online functionality have yet to be fully detailed, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime made it sound like it'll be left entirely up to individual publishers in an interview with Forbes.

Nintendo is "creating a much more flexible system," Fils-Aime said, "that will allow the best approaches by independent publishers to come to bear. So instead of a situation where a publisher has their own network and wants that to be the predominant platform, and having arguments with platform holders, we're going to welcome that. We're going to welcome that from the best and the brightest of the third party publishers."

He said that Nintendo's system would be an "extremely robust online experience," but deferred to publishers regarding specifics. However, during the Ubisoft/Nintendo developer roundtable at E3, Ubisoft continually deferred to Nintendo. We hope this isn't how the actual development of the service is going.

Reggie: Wii U's online functionality will be 'flexible' to publishers originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fils-Aime: Consumers' two biggest problems with the 3DS have been fixed

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST

In an interview with Kotaku during E3, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime discussed how the company is addressing consumers' concerns about its stereoscopic handheld gaming system, the 3DS. Citing "consumer information," Fils-Aime said shoppers' biggest hang-up was that the 3DS' launch line-up lacked a "big Nintendo franchise," an issue he hopes will be fixed by the handheld's first-party-heavy future line-up. ""I think we've got that issue not only identified but addressed," Fils-Aime added.

The second issue Fils-Aime pointed out was the 3DS' lack of an online network at launch, an issue he says was corrected with the launch of the eShop during E3 -- as well as the upcoming rollout of features like Netflix and 3D movies. That last bit sounds promising, though we ask that Fils-Aime first looks into a logical third problem: Making it so the 3DS battery will last through a full movie. Sure, it can probably tackle most 90-minute features; but what of our extended Lord of the Rings Director's Cuts? What of that, sir?

Fils-Aime: Consumers' two biggest problems with the 3DS have been fixed originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie demos Skyward Sword on Jimmy Fallon, says Wii U coming after April 2012

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST

Continuing his week of video game-themed coverage, Jimmy Fallon played host to Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime last night. Check out the video below to see The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in action, and to hear Reggie talk up the Wii U, which will apparently launch "in 2012, after April."

Continue reading Reggie demos Skyward Sword on Jimmy Fallon, says Wii U coming after April 2012

Reggie demos Skyward Sword on Jimmy Fallon, says Wii U coming after April 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wii U third-party sizzle reel composed of 360/PS3/PC footage

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:00:00 EST

When Nintendo showed off a reel of major third-party games currently in development for its newly announced console, the Wii U, the footage wasn't actually playing on Wii U hardware. Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime casually admitted as much in a post-presser interview with GameTrailers, excusing it by saying, "We're talking a year away from when the system's gonna launch" -- a hard to argue point, considering developers probably need some time to, ya know, actually make games for it.

We're hoping to see some actual third-party game footage soon, but aren't exactly expecting it in the upcoming weeks. Nintendo's Wii U is expected to launch at some point in 2012, with Nikkei predicting the latter half of the year.

Wii U third-party sizzle reel composed of 360/PS3/PC footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie Fils-Aime talks Nintendo's 3DS supply strategy

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST

Remember how finding a Wii after its launch was more difficult than finding ... um, a thing, like -- you know what? There actually isn't an analogy that's applicable, here. It was the hardest thing to find, ever. That was a rough period to be sure, but Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime recently explained to USA Today, "We learned significant lessons from the launch of Wii and we made sure to have not only ample supply [of 3DS] in the marketplace, but we staged supply so it would not sell out." He added, "That strategy is why you didn't see massive sellouts on Nintendo 3DS."

Fils-Aime explained that, even though the system sold almost 400,000 units in its first week on store shelves, it avoided sellouts largely because Nintendo "had product going direct to store and we also had product in retailers (distribution centers), so they could easily replenish when they had stores running low on inventory." The supply chain seems to be holding up pretty well -- way better than Nintendo's supply strategy for the Wii, which involved making secret wishes on falling stars that Wiis would just, like, appear.

Reggie Fils-Aime talks Nintendo's 3DS supply strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rovio's Vesterbacka defends mobile games, calls out Nintendo's '$49 pieces of plastic'

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:55:00 EST

"A lot of people in the games industry, they think the 'real' games are on consoles. You're only a 'real' games company if you do a big budget game. But we don't have that inferiority complex," Rovio head Peter Vesterbacka told MCV in a recent interview. Vesterbacka was defending against Nintendo's latest criticisms of the mobile market -- both Nintendo of Japan head Satoru Iwata and Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime have argued that low-priced smartphone apps are degrading the value of games.

"If I was trying to sell a $49 piece of plastic to people then yes, I'd be worried too," Vesterbacka added, with a tinge of vitriol, alluding to the standard retail price of a Wii game disc. "But I think it's a good sign that people are concerned -- because from my point of view we're doing something right." Rovio's Angry Birds and its spin-offs are just a $1 each for iPhone and are offered as free, ad-supported apps on the Android Market.

Still, the company has plans for more console development, having already released Angry Birds as a PlayStation Mini, with additional console ports in the pipeline -- even Nintendo's 3DS is getting an Angry Birds port. "Games consoles for us are just like launching on a new smartphone platform," Vesterbacka said nonchalantly. After all, he's probably more concerned with the movie tie-in, the planned US IPO, and, uh, having an Angry Bird etched into the Moon.

Okay, that last one probably isn't happening. Yet.

Rovio's Vesterbacka defends mobile games, calls out Nintendo's '$49 pieces of plastic' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Nintendo's next home console unlikely to feature 3D

JC Fletcher — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Nintendo believes strongly in glasses-free 3D. The company wouldn't be able to achieve this feat on a home console, short of shipping an innovative TV in the box, so ... it's probably not going to do that.

"I think at Nintendo, we realize that any sort of goggle-type 3D technology was not going to work," 3DS hardware producer Hideki Konno told CNN. "In order to make 3D technology viable with video games, we thought we needed to have glasses-free 3D." Konno and his team at Nintendo did experiment with a 3D display tethered to a Wii before development of the 3DS began, but purely as a proof-of-concept for glasses-free 3D.

Echoing Konno's remarls, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told CNN, "Glasses-free is a big deal. We've not said publicly what the next thing for us will be in the home console space, but based on what we've learned on 3D, likely, that won't be it." It probably won't be 4D either -- that's been done.

Reggie: Nintendo's next home console unlikely to feature 3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie Fils-Aime on the competition and what it means to be a 'garage' developer

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST

A few minutes before Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime handed over the first 3DS sold in the US (as seen above), he spoke with me on how the new portable stands out from the competition, what Nintendo considers a "garage" developer versus an "indie," and what he's playing at launch (spoilers: it's not Nintendogs + Cats)

"At its heart, what Nintendo's trying to do is to bring more and more consumers into gaming. And to do it in a way that's fundamentally different than anyone else," Fils-Aime told me, explaining his company's continued adherence to the "Blue Ocean" business strategy. "With the Nintendo 3DS -- yes, it's a handheld, but 3D in the palm of your hand without glasses. A full range not only of games but of other elements -- photography, video. It's not what people expected. Which is, at its heart, what the Blue Ocean strategy and Innovator's Dilemma (which was the other book we used to demonstrate our strategy) are all about."

Because of this strategy, among other things, Fils-Aime remains unconcerned with the competition -- whether that competition be from Sony's upcoming NGP platform or from the smartphone crowd. "First off, it's a product that isn't out yet," he said of the NGP. "It's a product that hasn't had an announced price point, it hasn't had an announced availability. So, how that product impacts us is to be told in the future."

Gallery: Nintendo 3DS NYC Launch Event

Continue reading Reggie Fils-Aime on the competition and what it means to be a 'garage' developer

Reggie Fils-Aime on the competition and what it means to be a 'garage' developer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nintendo 3DS New York City launch event, in pictures

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:30:00 EST

Trust us when we say this: you were lucky not to have weathered NYC's shockingly cold East Village this evening. No matter how much you want a Nintendo 3DS -- nothing was worth the blistering wait.

Except, to the hundreds of folks munching down hot dogs and giant pretzels (not to mention the free tacos), and happily donning 3DS-branded woolen caps and tees, the cold wasn't such a big deal. As we approached the front of the line, blankets and makeshift blanket forts were keeping the most loyal -- or perhaps the craziest? -- warm in the last painful hour, with smiles as ubiquitous as the blankets.

The cold, it seems, may have pushed some people off. As you'll see in the gallery after the break, the 3DS's big coming-out party could've probably used a few more attendees lining up to get inside. We're sure Nintendo will have no problem getting rid of consoles at launch and in the coming weeks, but the catering company from tonight's event is likely gonna need to get rid of a few hundred extra hot dogs.

Continue reading The Nintendo 3DS New York City launch event, in pictures

The Nintendo 3DS New York City launch event, in pictures originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fallon gets his 'Adult Female Face' blown away during 3DS demo on Late Night

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST

We expected Jimmy Fallon to flip out during Reggie Fils-Aime's 3DS demonstration during last night's episode of Late Night. We expected the audience to get a kick out of the device's AR functionality. However, we did not expect the 3DS to swap Fallon's gender on live national television. Priceless.

Continue reading Fallon gets his 'Adult Female Face' blown away during 3DS demo on Late Night

Fallon gets his 'Adult Female Face' blown away during 3DS demo on Late Night originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Nintendo not interested in 'the garage developer,' still likes indies (just don't mention the garage)

Christopher Grant — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST

At the tail end of Satoru Iwata's GDC keynote, the Nintendo prez took an unlikely turn asking if "maintaining high value games" was a top priority. After comparing the Wii and DS software libraries to those of the Xbox 360 and PS3 (Nintendo has more games!), Iwata inexplicably suggested that "the big app sites" had too many games.

For Nintendo, it's about managing consumers' pricing expectations; in a world of $3 Super Monkey Balls, it's hard to sell a $40 copy of Super Monkey Ball 3DS. "We want consumers to see value in the software, whatever that appropriate value is," Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime told Gamasutra. "And we want to see that value maintained over time."

When asked if the Big N was reaching out to app store devs to bring their $1 games to the presumably more lucrative plains of the Nintendo portable savanna, Fils-Aime said that Nintendo is "absolutely reaching out to the independent developer," but he made a distinction. "Where we've drawn the line is we are not looking to do business today with the garage developer," Fils-Aime said. "In our view, that's not a business we want to pursue." Fils-Aime suggested that these so-called "hobbyist" developers are akin to amateur musicians in the music industry and ...

Wait, is that really the example you want to go with, Nintendo? The same music industry pummeled by its unwillingness to embrace alternative methods of pricing and distribution? That one?

Reggie: Nintendo not interested in 'the garage developer,' still likes indies (just don't mention the garage) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie admits that Nintendo is 'juggling two big balls'

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST

Speaking to IGN on the current state of the Wii -- which has seen few first party releases lately -- Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime admitted that the company has "pushed out some Wii launches so that [Nintendo] could focus on our handheld business." Fils-Aime was referring to the launches of Pokemon Black/White and the 3DS, saying that Nintendo is "already juggling two big balls" and that adding more to the company's plate would have proven "a little bit challenging."

Fils-Aime reassured Wii owners that "there's content coming, and we'll be sharing more, certainly, in the weeks ahead." He added that there will be new content released before E3 and that there will be "more news" revealed at the expo this June.

Finally, Fils-Aime teased The Legend of Zelda's impending 25th anniversary, which was briefly mentioned by Satoru Iwata during Nintendo's GDC keynote earlier this month. "All I can tell you," said Fils-Aime, "is that it will be different than what we did for Mario, and it will be just as special." If it's anything other than free ocarinas, we'll be disappointed.

Continue reading Reggie admits that Nintendo is 'juggling two big balls'

Reggie admits that Nintendo is 'juggling two big balls' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Netflix and 'short-form video service' coming to Nintendo 3DS

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:43:00 EST

Why should the 3DS' futuristic screen be relegated to games only? Nintendo has announced two media services for the upcoming handheld. First, Netflix is coming to the 3DS, allowing you to watch a movie on the go ... and then finish watching at home using your Wii.

In addition, Nintendo will offer a "short-form video service," which will offer "curated" (i.e., in 3D) content, such as comedy shorts, music videos and movie trailers. These features won't be available at launch, but will be available via a system update in "late May."

Netflix and 'short-form video service' coming to Nintendo 3DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie explains motivation for 3DS 'Play Coins'

JC Fletcher — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST

The 3DS's "Activity Log" uses the built-in pedometer to track your steps, awarding players "Play Coins" for certain distances. Those Play Coins can then be used for unspecified unlocks within supported games. According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, this was included for two related reasons.

First, he told MTV Multiplayer, "Nintendo has always been at the forefront of active gaming." He cited the Pokewalker, Personal Trainer: Walking, and, of course, that whole Wii thing. Second, "it's just another reason to encourage people to get up and walk around. Why? Because we want them to be carrying their Nintendo 3DS, going through StreetPass, SpotPass types of activity."

Apple managed to get people to carry their iPhones around everywhere by making the iPhone a phone -- one of the major advantages enjoyed by that platform. Nintendo has chosen to basically bribe users with virtual coins in order to get people into the habit of making the 3DS part of their everyday equipment. Hear Reggie's explanation for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Reggie explains motivation for 3DS 'Play Coins'

Reggie explains motivation for 3DS 'Play Coins' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie articulates what's compelling about Nintendo's 3DS launch games

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Just as Super Mario 64 DS ushered in the era of the original DS system, it seemed fitting that a 3D-enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -- the cherry on top of last June's "E3DS" scoop -- would be the linchpin of the 3DS hardware launch this March. Except, it's not going to happen.

Footnoted in a vague announcement that more than thirty 3DS games would be released between the system's launch and E3 2011 (in early June) was the equally ill-defined update that Zelda: OoT 3D was still "in the works," along with other triple-A Nintendo iterations for the new handheld, including Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing and Star Fox -- not to mention the ballyhooed Kid Icarus comeback, Uprising, which did impress at last week's preview event.

"Mario, Zelda, all of those titles are coming," Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told MTV Multiplayer. "From our perspective, we like to launch titles when they're ready. And so they'll be ready. They'll be ready soon -- just not in that initial time period of late March to early June." In other words: "after E3."

That leaves Nintendo with a somewhat dubious 3DS launch "window" lineup (we still don't know exact release dates) of first-party titles -- three to be exact: Nintendogs + cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver. You could make a case for those first two serving strong supporting roles in the hardware launch; and Reggie, off the top of his head, said that the Nintendogs and Pilotwings franchises have combined to sell "tens of millions of copies," despite neither being a particularly prolific sequel bearer.

Steel Diver, on the other hand, is an unknown (it began as a tech demo for the original DS) and stars ... a rather drab submarine. Astutely sensing our apathy for the game, Reggie explained that "from a compelling standpoint, we think it's awfully compelling."

If you're not buying it ... you could just buy Street Fighter IV again.

Reggie articulates what's compelling about Nintendo's 3DS launch games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Holiday sales more crucial to Nintendo than competitors, says Fils-Aime

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST

Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets Annual Digital Entertainment Conference in New York today, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime highlighted the importance of this year's holiday season, and contrasted his company's greater reliance on the end-of-year sales boom over that of competitors.

"The holidays are more important to Nintendo than to other manufacturers," Fils-Aime said. "We have a distinct edge when it comes to gift-giving, and it's no doubt because of the familiarity and recognition of both our brand and key franchises." Nintendo's upcoming software lineup for November and December boasts some famous -- though not distinctly edgy -- brands, including Donkey Kong Country Returns and Disney Epic Mickey, but hardware has historically been the company's best performer during the holiday season. Nintendo sold over five million DS units and five million Wiis in the US through November and December last year, a two-month tally which Fils-Aime said comprised over 40% of Nintendo's annual sales.

Fils-Aime also cited NPD data, which showed that Nintendo had shifted 43.1 million DS systems and 30.4 million Wiis in the US thus far. The holidays are just as crucial for software sales, with Fils-Aime noting that 44 percent of all annual game sales were incurred during the last two months of the year (compared to 33 percent for other manufacturers). Nintendo had the top three best-selling games in December 2009 -- New Super Mario Bros., Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort -- though it conceded November to Call of Duty. It's likely to do so again this year.

With the introduction of new Mario-themed console bundles and a solid lineup of seemingly evergreen first-party sellers, Nintendo seems adequately prepared before it wades bravely into that throbbing, Black Friday consumer crowd. Perhaps Microsoft is the smart one for courting those same customers from a distance -- of eight feet or so.

Holiday sales more crucial to Nintendo than competitors, says Fils-Aime originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Happy birthday, Mario! We share cake with Mario and Miyamoto at NYC's Nintendo World Store

Andrew Yoon — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 17:29:00 EST

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Nintendo invited fans to celebrate with an incredible cake, adorned with recreations of levels from the game. Not only did Mario show up, but so did his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, and NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime.

Continue reading Happy birthday, Mario! We share cake with Mario and Miyamoto at NYC's Nintendo World Store

Happy birthday, Mario! We share cake with Mario and Miyamoto at NYC's Nintendo World Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Nintendo sees Apple as larger threat than Microsoft and Sony

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime wants to make sure you're not getting it twisted -- he's not competing with other game companies, but with the very concept of time itself. Speaking to Forbes recently, Fils-Aime explained that "It's all about time." Rather than just competing with the likes of Microsoft and Sony, Fils-Aime said, "I compete with Zynga, I compete with surfing the net, I compete with the newspaper." What about eating ice cream, Mr. Fils-Aime? Hmmmm?

Regardless, he does see one direct competitor to worry about: Apple. Fils-Aime rhetorically wondered, "Do I think that in the near term they can hurt us more than Microsoft? Absolutely." Though, despite astronomical sales of both the iPhone and iPod Touch, Fils-Aime believes that content will win the day, bringing up Dragon Quest IX as an example of a game that can "consume." He even pointed out that 14 of the top 20 selling games this generation originated with Nintendo.

Fils-Aime didn't point out Apple's bigger trump card -- its device does a lot more than play video games. We're confident that Nintendo isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but competing with a phone in terms of handheld sales? Not so sure about that.

Reggie: Nintendo sees Apple as larger threat than Microsoft and Sony originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie confirms 2011 launch for 3DS on Fallon

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Nintendo of America's towering president stopped by the set of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon yesterday, closing off the show's week long celebration of upcoming video games with a look at Donkey Kong Country Returns. After teaching Fallon the correct method of Diddy-maneuvering, Reggie Fils-Aime brought out the big guns: The 3DS, which he told Fallon would be coming out "next year." Oh, that thing you just heard? That was the sound of one thousand Christmases being simultaneously ruined.

You can check out the Donkey Kong demo and Fallon's enthusiastic reaction to the handheld's glasses-less 3D effects in the video posted after the jump.

Continue reading Reggie confirms 2011 launch for 3DS on Fallon

Reggie confirms 2011 launch for 3DS on Fallon originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo's Fils-Aime promises 'commitment' to improve online experience

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Nintendo enjoys breaking conventions. Disruptive ideas have been part of the company's heritage, and while some innovations set industry standards -- from the D-Pad to motion controls -- other ideas seem different for the sake of being unique. Case in point: Nintendo's implementation of online in both the Wii and DS. In an interview with IndustryGamers, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime admitted that the company has shortcomings in that arena. "The online ... or let me state it more broadly, the digital area is an area where we can improve, and we've made a commitment to dramatically improve in that area."

It may be too early to celebrate the death of friend codes, though. In typical Nintendo fashion, the company won't be following the models created by Microsoft and Sony. "I can just about guarantee [our plan] is unlike anything that our competitors have done to date. The reason for that is it wouldn't be innovative, it wouldn't be distinctive, and therefore, it wouldn't be Nintendo ... Our approach will be to enable the consumer to discover our digital content much more easily."

It's hard to imagine a service that offers a drastically different experience from PSN, Xbox Live, or even Steam. Let's hope that Nintendo's desire to appear innovative in the online space results in something more akin to the 3DS and less like the Virtual Boy.

Nintendo's Fils-Aime promises 'commitment' to improve online experience originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wii installed base growing more quickly than PS2's did

JC Fletcher — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

During E3, Nintendo gave a presentation to analysts about the company's new offerings and its current status. Reggie Fils-Aime presented the above slide, which shows the startling truth about the Wii's installed base in the United States: in its fourth year on the market, it's larger than the ubiquitous PlayStation 2's installed base at the same point in its life, by a margin of almost five million units. Of course, the PS2 has had a spectacularly long lifespan after that, with Sony announcing 7.2 million units sold just last year.

Later in the presentation, Reggie revealed that around 300,000 units of the black Wii console have been sold since its May 9 introduction in North America, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 is "approaching 900,000 units here in the U.S."

Wii installed base growing more quickly than PS2's did originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: 3DS launching in 'major markets' by March 2011

JC Fletcher — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

When Nintendo of Japan made its first terse, cryptic announcement of the 3DS in March, it offered a vague release window: "during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011." At the time, we assumed that this time frame applied to the Japanese launch only.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime kicked that assumption in an interview with IndustryGamers. "The one thing, for sure," Fils-Aime said about the 3DS release plan, "is that we will launch in all of our major markets by March 31, 2011." As for the specific release dates, Nintendo is still "making individual market decisions in terms of what's happening in Japan, what's happening in the Americas [and] what's happening in Europe." It's worth noting that the last two DS systems launched in the spring in North America: DSi on April 5 (2009) and DSi XL on March 28 (2010).

Fils-Aime also reiterated that the design of the device seen at E3 is not final, so don't get married to the analog stick placement or those shiny paint jobs just yet.

Gallery: Nintendo 3DS

Reggie: 3DS launching in 'major markets' by March 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo of America opens new Redmond HQ

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:45:00 EST

[TechFlash]

We imagine the interior of Nintendo's new headquarters in Redmond, Washington to embody the four quadrants it's divided into: Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi and Wario. Unfortunately, Nintendo wouldn't allow press to take interior photos of the company's recently opened US headquarters, citing "security concerns," so we just don't know. Nor do any images exist of the "gigantic top-floor conference room" that's appropriately named "The Master Sword;" though, according to Techflash, it's said to resemble a Wall Street-style conference room more than anything you'd find in a Hyrulian office -- the 75,000 square feet of greenery on the roof would likely make Link feel more at home.

As you can see above, Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime and Nintendo worldwide head Satoru Iwata were hilariously joined by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and her friends the Mario brothers for the building's opening ceremonies last week. "Hopefully this new building will help [employees] to be even more creative and productive, and continue to put smiles on the faces of our consumers," Iwata said of the new HQ. The beautiful facility -- detailed in several photos here -- is said to house 650 staff members. No official number of hidden Yoshis has been given.

Nintendo of America opens new Redmond HQ originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: five million Wiis sold this year; almost a million have 'participated' in Netflix

David Hinkle — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:30:00 EST

Nintendo's had quite the start this year, president Reggie Fils-Aime revealed during a recent CNBC interview (that you can watch after the break). Both the Wii and DS are performing exceedingly well in 2010, Fils-Aime reported -- a level of success we're certain Nintendo isn't familiar with.

"In the last four months, consumers have bought over five million Wii consoles," Fils-Aime boasted. He was quick to jab competitors Sony and MIcrosoft as well, stating "that amount is equal to the entire amount that our competitors have sold over the previous 12 months."

Fils-Aime also offered a neat statistic on Wii Netflix usage. Since launching on the console in March, "almost a million" have participated in the service. He added that "we're getting great consumer compliments."

Fils-Aime said that the DS has been selling extremely well and that "we think that through April that we'll have the best four month time period to kick off a new calendar year that we've ever had with the device." We'd comment but, really, doesn't this happen every year?

Update: We were contacted by Charlie Scibetta, senior director of corporate communications for Nintendo of America, who offered this clarification on Reggie's reported sales figures: "The sales figures referenced in the CNBC interview were not for the first four months of calendar year 2010, but rather the last four months of current publicly reported NPD data which runs December of 2009 through March of 2010." Well now, we're glad that's all cleared up!

[Via Edge]

Continue reading Reggie: five million Wiis sold this year; almost a million have 'participated' in Netflix

Reggie: five million Wiis sold this year; almost a million have 'participated' in Netflix originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie Fils-Aime: Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's next 'platform'

David Hinkle — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST

It may sound like the obvious statement to make, but for how much Nintendo has enjoyed marginally improving its handheld over the last few years, it's a big deal. According to an interview with Businessweek, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that the upcoming 3DS will indeed be Nintendo's next platform -- not simply another revision of its already existing DS tech.

"The Nintendo 3DS for us is our next handheld platform," Fils-Aime assures. Even though Nintendo's business is "fundamentally about software, not hardware," the new tech will be "a means to an end" -- the final goal being "a great consumer experience."

Reggie wouldn't offer anything else on the proposed new handheld, other than mentioning Nintendo's plans of debuting it at E3. We'll be there.

[Via MCV]

Reggie Fils-Aime: Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's next 'platform' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie courts core devs, questions motivation to Move

JC Fletcher — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:20:00 EST

In an interview with IndustryGamers, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime asserted that Nintendo does care about third parties and does need them, despite the fact that Nintendo's business is sustained pretty well by first-party games. "The fact of the matter is we know we create great content for younger consumers," he said, "we know we've got great content for more casual players, and we want fantastic content for that more active player who loves Metroid or Zelda, but maybe also wants something like a BioShock 2 to play as well." Reggie then admitted, "We're not good at it and it's not a key focus area," thus Nintendo's interest in third-party developers.

The boss man also reiterated, almost word for word, his previous position that Nintendo would begin work on the next Nintendo system when a developer was unable to do something on the current Wii hardware, and he repeated that an HD feature alone wouldn't be enough to justify a new console.

When asked about the PlayStation Move, Fils-Aime questioned the Sony device's appeal. If the Wii already scratches the itch for motion-based gaming, then why would consumers be moved to pick up a PS3? "What's going to motivate them to spend minimally $300 for a new [PS3] system, plus minimally $100 for the Move motion bundle? So [as a consumer], now I'm into this for $400 and I still have to spend money on software. What's going to motivate me to do that?"

Reggie courts core devs, questions motivation to Move originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Nintendo not 'thinking seriously' about next console yet

JC Fletcher — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST

In a Forbes interview, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime gave the impression that a new home console from Nintendo is still in the distant future.

"The way we approach that innovation," he said, referring to Nintendo's innovative "jumps" (like the Wii), "because we have hardware developers working side by side with software developers, is that when the software developer comes forward with an idea that can't be executed on the current platform, that's when we start thinking seriously about the next system. We're not there yet, from a Wii perspective." Of course, E3 is still a few months away.

Satoru Iwata recently commented that a Wii successor would "need something new" in addition to HD graphics to be worthwhile, and Fils-Aime, who has previously, "forcefully" denied plans for an Wii HD model, echoed this sentiment. "So when people talk about high definition for the Wii console, our feedback is that that by itself will not create a brand new experience. Therefore, we're not interested. What we have to push for are groundbreaking new experiences. Technology has to enable it, not to be a means all by itself."

[Via Edge]

Reggie: Nintendo not 'thinking seriously' about next console yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie: Wii users don't care about HD Netflix streaming

Justin McElroy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST

As spotted by Siliconera, Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé recently told CNBC that users streaming Netflix through the Wii aren't going to miss the HD content they won't be able to access -- free content that's available through other devices. He justified that claim with a simple argument: "over 26 million consumers have bought a Wii. The consumer is saying, for them, the quality of the visual is not nearly as important as the overall entertainment."

It may irritate 360 and PS3 proponents to no end to hear him lay it out that plainly, but we're having a hard time finding a flaw in Reggie's logic.

Reggie: Wii users don't care about HD Netflix streaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Reggie shows off the DSi XL

David Hinkle — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST

This week's Nintendo Channel update may be a bit on the slim side, but Nintendo Week is back and actually has a few worthwhile snippets in this week's episode. First up, Capcom's Seth Killian struts his stuff in Tatsunoko vs Capcom, explaining the title for the unaware and showing off some of the combo-heavy gameplay behind it. Then, there's the Reggie Fils-Aime interview where he talks about the Nintendo Week program, some of the third-party support Nintendo platforms enjoyed in 2009 and the DSi XL. He also manages to bring up the upcoming Zelda game without actually talking about it.

Head past the break for the full rundown of this week's Nintendo Channel content.

Continue reading This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Reggie shows off the DSi XL

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Reggie shows off the DSi XL originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo: 80 percent of female console gamers prefer Wii

David Hinkle — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:00:00 EST

[Source: Kotaku]

Nintendo's resident name jotter-downer and kiester-kicker recently divulged to BMO Capital Markets attendees that the Wii is outperforming its rivals when it comes to female gamers. According to its estimates (via Kotaku), 80 percent of the female console gaming crowd prefers Wii over the alternatives. With an estimated 11.7 million female console gamers in the Americas -- it's important to note this data of Nintendo's doesn't take into account DS owners or PC users -- the figure comes out to roughly nine million ladies waggling their way into the fun zone.

Nintendo: 80 percent of female console gamers prefer Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo's Fils-Aime: 'effectively marketed' third-party titles can sell on Wii

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Despite slow to non-existent sales for several high-profile third-party Nintendo Wii titles, the company's US head, Reggie Fils-Aime, still believes that third-party publishers on Nintendo's console can be successful. Speaking with Kotaku, Fils-Aime says he's "extremely disappointed" with the lack of major third party games on the Wii. He even goes so far as to say he's spoken (presumably quite sternly) with "every publisher who makes content that is not available on my platform" about the subject.

When questioned as to why major titles like Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed 2 aren't headed to his company's console, he explains it as a measure of long lead times rather than technological inability. "Typically decisions are being made two years prior ... and so the decisions two years ago were that those types of games would not be effective on the platform." And though the subject isn't directly broached, Fils-Aime remains steadfast that third-party titles can be successful on the Wii ... with the right marketing. "High-quality, effectively marketed against our installed base, will sell. Period. End of story."

It would appear then that Boom Blox, The Conduit, No More Heroes, and a mess of other third-party titles, had some truly ineffective marketing by Reggie's standards.

Nintendo's Fils-Aime: 'effectively marketed' third-party titles can sell on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie ain't sweating Project Natal, 'Sphere'

David Hinkle — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

In the dilapidated, war-torn streets of the gaming industry, the Console Wars[TM] have taken their toll on not only the landscape, but also the inhabitants of this once peaceful land. With war mongerers Sony and Microsoft preparing their next wave of battle tech -- motion control devices like the "PlayStation Motion Controller" (rumored: 'Sphere') and Project Natal, respectively -- Nintendo's battle general, Reggie Fils-Aime, recently continued his criticism of rivals by commenting to wartime reporters at Gamasutra that Nintendo isn't really shaking on its Balance Board.

General Fils-Aime said that Nintendo will "applaud anything that will further expand the market of game players" and that the expansion of this kind of technology is really "in everyone's best interest," even though he admits Nintendo could lose some of its marketshare as a result. However, he does feel confident in Nintendo's "head-start of over 51 million controllers."

Reggie ain't sweating Project Natal, 'Sphere' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie denies the existence of Wii HD

Justin McElroy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:02:00 EST

Though plenty of people -- analyst Michael Pachter chief among them -- are pretty certain that an HD version of the Wii is in the pipeline, you're not going to catch Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Amie copping to it. Speaking with Geoff Keighley on Gametrailers TV, the Regginator said, "Michael continues to be the only one who believes that this is gonna happen. I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD."

It certainly sounds like a firm refusal, but let's all try to remember that the shelf life of a Nintendo denial is exactly 10 days.

Reggie denies the existence of Wii HD originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reggie Fils-Aime on PSP Go: 'What's the benefit?'

JC Fletcher — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

In an interview with The Washington Post's Mike Musgrove, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime handily dismissed the DS's competition, suggesting either that he doesn't feel threatened at all, or he feels really threatened (and the history of DS sales makes us more likely to believe the former interpretation).

He said that the newly launched, download-only PSP Go has a "fundamental concept problem in terms of 'Who's it for?' and 'What's the benefit?'" He added that he has the "utmost respect for all our competitors, but it's interesting to try and answer the consumer question of 'What's in it for me?' in that product."

As for the other major competition in the handheld space? When discussing the DS's advantages over the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, Fils-Aime made the surprising move of referring to a third-party game, namely Scribblenauts. "That's a fabulous experience that can only be brought to life on the DS." Honestly, it probably could be done on iPhone, but it hasn't and probably won't, which is just as good for Nintendo.

Reggie Fils-Aime on PSP Go: 'What's the benefit?' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments