Nintendo Wii Launch Details |
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Thursday, September 14, 2006 - 06:17:20 EST |
Today Nintendo finally answered the two questions all the fans have been waiting for. When is the Wii coming out and exactly how much is it going to cost? Nintendo also supplied lots of other information about the console in their press conference in New Yourk, which can also be found in this article.
Package and Contents
Nintendo announced that the Wii will be available in stores November 19th, 2006 for $250. There will only be one package available and only one color, white, available on November 19th. The package (shown above) includes:
- Nintendo Wii console
- Wireless Wii remote control
- Nunchuck controller
- Game: Wii Sports
Games
Nintendo announced that at launch their titles will include:
- Wii Sports
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Excite Truck
Third party titles announced or expected to make launch so far:
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Activision)
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Atari)
- Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Atlus)
- Madden NFL 07 (EA)
- Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
- Elebits (Konami)
- Blitz: The League (Midway)
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Sega)
- Metal Slug Anthology (SNK)
- Cars (THQ)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (THQ)
- Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
- Far Cry (Ubisoft)
- GT Pro Series (Ubisoft)
- Open Season (Ubisoft)
- Monster 4X4 World Circuit (Ubisoft)
- Rayman Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft)
- Red Steel (Ubisoft)
Third party publishers are free to set their own prices for their games; however, first party Nintendo games will be priced at $50. Nintendo also announced that the Nintendo Wii is completely backwards compatible with all GameCube games, which includes over 530, from day one. Nintendo also said that in the time between November 19th and December 31st there will be 30 total games available for their system. Additionaly they released a list of titles that will be available through March 27.
Third Party Wii Titles Through March 27, 2007:
- Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
- Rapala Tournament Fishing (Activision)
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Activision)
- World Series of Poker (Activision)
- Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2 (Atari)
- Trauma Center : Second Opinion (Atlus)
- Chicken Little: Ace in Action (Buena Vista Games)
- Disney's Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista Games)
- Dance Factory (Codemasters)
- Sidewinder (Codemasters)
- The Godfather (EA)
- Madden NFL 07 (EA)
- Need for Speed: Carbon (EA)
- SSX (EA)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour (EA)
- Elebits (Konami)
- Bust A Move Revolution (Majesco)
- The Ant Bully (Midway)
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (Midway)
- Happy Feet (Midway)
- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Midway)
- Rampage: Total Destruction (Midway)
- Sonic and the Secret Rings (Sega)
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Sega)
- Metal Slug Anthology (SNK)
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (THQ)
- Barnyard (THQ)
- Cars (THQ)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (THQ)
- Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
- Far Cry: Vengeance (Ubisoft)
- GT Pro Series (Ubisoft)
- Monster 4x4: World Circuit (Ubisoft)
- Open Season (Ubisoft)
- Prince of Persia (Ubisoft)
- Rayman: Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft)
- RED STEEL (Ubisoft)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Ubisoft)
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Ubisoft)
- Ice Age 2 (Vivendi)
Wii Channels
Besides the packaging, contents, pricing, and games, Nintendo also announced the Wii Channel Menu. Below is a list, from Nintendo's Wii Channel fact sheet:
 Disc Channel: This channel allows users to play either Wii game discs or the entire library of Nintendo GameCube discs.
 Mii Channel: Fun caricatured portraits created in this channel can be used as characters across a variety of Wii software. Portraits can be stored in a user's Wii Remote and taken to a friend's house to play on another Wii console. Each member of the family can have his or her Wii Remote personalized with a caricature.
 Photo Channel: This channel allows users to take digital pictures stored on an SD memory card and display them on their television screens. Users also can manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. They can draw, add stamps, and copy and paste. They also can change the “mood” of photos by brightening them, converting them to monochrome, inverting the color or changing them to stark black and white. Users can even add an MP3 tune to their slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for people to edit their digital pictures. Users also can send their pictures to other Wii consoles by attaching a photo to the Wii Message Board.
 Forecast Channel: Users who have connected their Wii console to the Internet can access free local weather forecasts just a few seconds after turning on the Wii console. The WiiConnect24 service automatically updates local weather information. Users can view forecasts for cities around the world on a 3-D globe.
News Channel: Users can access breaking news with the touch of a button. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel and organizes it in a variety of topical categories. Users can see where news is happening by viewing the location of news stories on a 3-D globe.
Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.
Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user's home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii Points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program (“What was that actor's name again?”). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.
Wii Message Board: Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. Users can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. They also can use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside the home as well. Even better, people can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming messages targeted at software, such as a new map or weapon for a game. Games can constantly be updated, thereby extending their playability.
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