From Wii Fit to Flash Focus to Mario Kart, Nintendo Shows Everyone is a Gamer

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 11, 2007 – The world used to be divided into two camps: gamers and non-gamers. In the first group: young men. In the second: everyone else.

Then came Wii™ and Nintendo DS™.

The remarkable Wii Remote™ and touch screen and voice recognition of Nintendo DS removed the barriers to entry and put video games into the hands of young women, moms, dads and grandparents. Gamers now find they have a whole new population of people willing to join them in their gaming passion. At its media briefing today at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif., Nintendo announced multiple new games and accessories designed to reinforce that bridge and further demonstrate everyone is a gamer.

“Games like Wii Sports and the original Brain Age proved anyone can pick up a video game system and immediately have fun,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We’re building on that foundation with games and accessories appealing to our current fan base and drawing in even more new players.”

New games and accessories not only demonstrate that Nintendo is not going to coast on its momentum, but they also show how the power and versatility of Nintendo’s systems have only just begun to be explored. What might the future bring? These are the kinds of “what-if” questions firing the imaginations of consumers when Nintendo dares to explore them. For now, the following is a roundup of Nintendo’s major announcements.

Wii
• Wii Fit™: This experience builds on the active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports™. It comes packed with the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board (name not final) that measures users’ actions in fun aerobic, toning and balance activities. Wii Fit also promotes communication about health among family members, as everyone can review one another’s progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu. Coming in the first half of 2008.

• Mario Kart® Wii (name not final): Nintendo’s classic racing franchise goes online. It launches with the Wii Wheel™ (name not final), a steering wheel housing for the Wii Remote that lets veterans and newcomers compete together. Launches globally in early 2008.

• Super Mario Galaxy™: This amazing achievement by legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto inspires awe with its amazing sense of gravity and fun replayability. Launches Nov. 12.

• Wii Zapper™ (name not final): This unit houses both a Wii Remote and a Nunchuk™ and comes packaged with Nintendo software to show off its applications. Third-party developers have multiple games in the pipeline that will use this dynamic new interface. Launches 2007.

• Check Mii Out Channel (name not final): This free Wii channel builds on the phenomenon of people creating fun Mii™ caricatures. Now people can show off Miis they have created either on their own or for Nintendo-suggested competitions. Coming in 2007.

• Super Smash Bros.® Brawl: New characters, new moves and new arenas highlight this highly anticipated game, which launches Dec. 3.

• Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption: The precision aim of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk make this one of the best-controlled first-person games ever. Launches Aug. 27.

• Third-Party Support: Wii has nearly 100 titles in the works from every major publisher.

Nintendo DS
• Brain Age™ 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!: This brain-training game offers more than a dozen new brain-stimulating activities that challenge the mind. Launches Aug. 20.

• The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass: This first Zelda game for Nintendo DS can be played with the stylus and sets a new standard for the graphics capabilities and immersive play of this system. In Japan, the game launched in late June and is selling well to both avid and casual gamers, including female players. Launches Oct. 1.

• Flash Focus™: Vision Training in Minutes a Day: This program is designed to help users sharpen their ‘Focus Power” through a series of fun activities and sports challenges that test hand-eye coordination, reaction time and peripheral vision. Launches Oct. 15.

• Third-Party Support: DS has more than 140 titles in the works from every major publisher.