At E3, Nintendo Shows Products That Expand Appeal Of Video Games To New Audiences
Nintendo's Next Console, Game Boy Micro, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for DS Represent New Directions for the Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2005 - Nintendo continues to lead the video game industry in innovation. No matter the hardware system, no matter the software title, Nintendo remains on the cutting edge of what's possible. At the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Nintendo demonstrates how it will open the video game experience to new audiences. Nintendo announced a variety of new initiatives, including details about its next console, the slick new Game Boy® Micro, the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection wireless service for Nintendo DSTM and surprising information about the new Legend of Zelda® adventure.
"No company has a stronger history or a brighter future," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "We want everyone to join us in that future, which is why we're expanding our products to new audiences and investing in the concept of All-Access Gaming."
Here are some of the Nintendo highlights that people will be talking about during E3 and beyond:
Nintendo's next console turns the world of video games on its side: Due in 2006, the new console will be backward compatible with Nintendo GameCubeTM. The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo® 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System® (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES). Players also can buy and add new levels and characters to games made specifically for the new console. The new console has 512 megabytes of on-board flash memory. A bay for an SD memory card will let expand the internal flash memory.
The console's stylish look houses a single, self-loading media bay for both 12-centimeter optical discs for new games as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. It will have wireless controllers, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. A number of Wi-Fi-enabled games will be ready at launch, and the new console will build on - and add to - Nintendo's rich stable of star franchises. A new development architecture will accommodate both big-budget games as well as artistic, indie offerings designed to make sure that everyone from video game experts to newcomers find ways to share and enjoy the gaming experience.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection extends Nintendo DS' range from your hands to the world: By the end of the year, owners of the dual-screened Nintendo DS will be playing Mario Kart® DS, Animal Crossing® DS and a new Tony Hawk title from Activision wirelessly with their friends worldwide. The new Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection portable, wireless video game service debuts later this year and lets players join in for no added Nintendo subscription charges. IGN Entertainment will manage the architecture and navigation of the service. DS players will connect at any Wi-Fi hub, whether in their home, at a coffee shop or elsewhere. The service will let friends join together as easily as if they were playing in the same room and instantly broadens the gaming experience to players worldwide.
With more than 60 licensee titles due this year, Nintendo also seeks to expand the idea of what constitutes a video game. New software titles like NintendogsTM and ElectroplanktonTM for Nintendo DS provide unique experiences beyond traditional definitions. Nintendogs lets users choose an extremely realistic puppy and form emotional bonds with it, while Electroplankton lets users create their own ethereal or pulsing rhythms using the touch screen.
New Game Boy Micro projects a dynamic image: The best-selling system, Game Boy Advance, gets an extreme makeover for image-conscious people who like to play games. A slick, polished new look called Game Boy Micro shrinks Game Boy Advance technology into a stylish silver casing. It boasts a super-clear screen but weighs just 2.8 ounces, about the weight of 80 paper clips. A removable face plate gives owners the option to buy replacements to customize the look of their systems again and again with new colors and designs. It's a cool new look, but not a successor to any existing product line. The Game Boy Advance line has sold more than 28 million units worldwide.
Fans howl for new Zelda game on Nintendo GameCube: The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess remains the most anticipated game on any console this year. Players control Link as he travels on foot, battles on horseback or roams the vast countryside - as a wolf. With lush graphics and a deep storyline, the gritty, sweeping adventure demonstrates the awesome power and versatility of Nintendo GameCube. More than 60 new titles are expected for Nintendo GameCube this year, from kid-friendly games to Mature-rated titles. Four Mario titles are set to debut at E3, including Dance Dance Revolution®: Mario Mix, Mario BaseballTM, Super Mario® Strikers and Mario Party® 7.
The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DSTM and Nintendo GameCubeTM systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as MarioTM and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, ZeldaTM and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.
For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.
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