And the news just keeps on comeing in! In a related article to the EGM PS3 interview they managed to snag an interview with Reggie Fils-Aime Nintendo's Vice president of sales and marketing,
and Reggie had some interesting things to tell us, in this full interview below!
Live Via Wii-Mote
Reggie believes we will love the Wii
Is Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's Execuative Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, worried about launching the Wii? He says no. Why? Because he believes in you-the gamers. Are you going to let him down? Read what Reggie thinks....
EGM: We have to talk about the name: "Wii" Why the change? Was "Revolution" that bad?
Reggie Fils-Aime: Nintendo knows our fans love the "Revolution" name. But the fact is, Revolution as a name is not idea; It's long, and in some cultures, it's hard to pronounce. So we wanted something that was short, to the point, easy to pronounce, and distinctive. That's how "Wii," as a console name, was created.
EGM: But couldn't you have chosen a name that still got your message across, only with fewer connotations to certain bodily substance?
RF: We had a number of different names we were evaluating. But in the end, "Wii" as a console name was, in our belief, the perfect choice. I do think the fans will accept it. And in terms of all the dirty jokes, frankly, we could have come up with a range of other names where that type of stuff would have happened anyhow.
EGM: Did you do any focus testing? Anyone hint "Wii" might not be such a good name for a console?
RF: There was no focus grouping, and quite frankly, focus groups are a little outmoded in terms of how to get good consumer feedback. But we did a range of things in the end, I think that some members of the media are getting more hung up on the name than the consumers or fans are. Believe me, I have walked the [E3 show] floor. And as I walked the floor, whether someone's wearing a Sony PlayStation shirt, a Microsoft shirt, or Nintendo paraphernalia-i'm talking to a lot of fans and asking them the question: How do you feel about the name? And i'm hearing a hell of alot more positives then negatives. I'm hearing acceptance-and support-for the decision we've settled in on. As we more forward, my expectation is we're going to hear more supportas people get comfortable with the name.
EGM: But could you have gotten the same support by choosing a more marketable name?
RF: I can create dozens of what-if scenarios, everything from the name to what I would have done differently to launch the Nintendo DS. The fact is, we have made the decision. We're moving on, and we are seeing alot of acceptance by the consumer. In the end, we feel that "Wii" as a console name is the right choice.
EGM: Did you give yourself a high five when Sony announcedthe price of the PlayStation 3?
RF: When I first heard their announcement, I was suprised. Arguably, you could say, shocked. When I heard the arrogance in their comments to support the price, I was even further shocked. They will do what they will do and we will do what we will do. The fact is, the Wii console will be the most affordable system. [Nintendo President Satoru Iwata] has gone on record that Wii will be priced less than $300, but certainly, I see a huge window of opportunity with our next home console. And we will take full advantage of that opportunity. [shortly after this interview, Nintendo announced the Wii will retail for less than $250-ed]
EGM: That's sure less than Sony's $600 PS3. Do you think you may have missed an opportunity by now announcing your price after hearing what Sony is charging?
RF: In our minds, the first step is the consumer making the decision by asking, "Will this remote feel good in my hand," "What types of games can I play," and "What can I invision Nintendo doing with this?" That's step one. And that's what we wanted to accomplish at this years E3. Step 2 is beginning to appeal to the more rational side, in terms of what 's the pricing and what's the launch date. Step 3 will be truely exciting the consumer by detailing the specific launch titles. We've announced Wii sports as a launch title, and Ubisoft has announced that Red Steel will be a launch title. and when the consumer sees all of that, I have no doubt that the excitement's going to be there for the Wii console.
EGM: Do you foresee the Wii being the No. 1 system this generation?
RF: I can certainly invision that. What gives me that confidence? A number of things. First, the fact that most of the show is dead except for our little corner of E3. And no disrespect to any publishers, No desrespect to Sony or Microsoft, but the fact is, the world is watching what we're doing, and people are having great experiences. The second thing that gives me confidence is the building and burgeoning third-party support we're receiving. Red Steel, Madden, Tony Hawks Down Hll Jam, Elebits,Sonic-we didn't have that type of support when we launched the GameCube. The third piece is our own first-party library. We're showing a great Mario game; we're showing Metroid. We are confident that we're going to have a fantastic run.
EGM: Is it possible to compete with the almighty PlayStation brand name?
RF: To directly answer your question, Can we do it? yes we can. What gives me that confidence? i've been receiving phone calls and e-mails from people I know personally who are saying, "Reggie, what's this Wii console all about?" These are people who are 35 to 45 years old: They're not core gamers, but thet're hearing that Nintendo's doing something different, and they're hearing about what it is that we're trying to do in the gaming market. So I think we're getting more and more buzz: We're getting more brand recognition, and I do think we are turning the industry on it's ear in a positive scense. So we certainly have every chance to come out of this generation with a significant increase in our market share.
EGM: How are you convincing third-party developers and publishers to come back to Nintendo after the GameCubes weak performance?
RF: It's three things. first, It's recognition of the innovation that we're bringing, and they're understanding of how innovation can make their games better. The second is the financial understanding that it's just a hell of a lot more profittable to develope on this platform than it is for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. The thrid part is that our relationships are better. They were always strong, but the publishers never believed. They never believed that what we were trying to do with the GameCube would be successful. I think, at first, they didn't believe in the DS. But they believe now. If you go talk to them, they believe in the Wii now.
EGM: You have to admit, the Wii's graphics don't look as nice as the PS3's or the Xbox 360's.
RF: In terms of the Wii console and processing power, we believe that the smart decisions have been made. We're not questioning whether or not high definition capability should be something to build toward. By the time HD penetration is at a substantial level, we will be ready for the next gen at that point.
EGM: But are you not going for the core gamers who expect HD-quality games from a next generation system now?
RF: We will have games and experiences for the core gamer like they've never seen. Zelda, Super Mario galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Red Steel- those are core-gamer games that look great, play great, and have tremendous fun factor. and they're right in the sweet spot of the current gaming consumer base. The Wii as a console will also bring the mass market. It'll bring in both younger and older consumers. That's our strategy. We want both parts of the consumer base. And, certainly, the machine has the horsepower to make that happen.
EGM: It's an innovative console, yes. but it's hard to look at those games and not wonder what they'd look like on a more powerful system. Especially since those gamers expect a significant hardware upgrade every five to six years.
RF: I think the core gamer, once they see the games, will understand exactly what we're doing. I haven't talked to one disappointed consumer who said, "Boy, I'm not sure about the grapics." Not one. the fact is, the next iteration of games will probably look much better than what we are showing today. Probably the third iteration after that will look even better.
EGM: What are your thoughts on Sony unvailing a controller with motion sensativity?
RF: What I know is, i've gone over there, put the controller in my hand, and it's nothing like we're doing. Nothing like it. The full range of functionality, the use of infared for the pointer, the ability in the nunchuk device to also have a motion sensor-the games the Wii enables are nothing like [what Sony will] achieve on their own controller. Plus, we still have the rumble feature built in ours. We have the speaker that gives you another scence of game play. Sony's imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and that's all it is.
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