Correction at 4:50 a.m. PDT November 18: Cammie Dunaway incorrectly described Wii's October sales figures compared with other next-generation game consoles. Wii sales were nearly the total of its rivals combined.
Stung by lower Wii sales and a couple of down quarters, Nintendo may be a bit off its game this year. But Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing, keeps focused on the company's strengths and positive numbers.
The recession and a paucity of blockbuster titles have taken a bite out of the overall video game industry this year, with revenue down from record levels in 2008. Nintendo certainly hasn't been immune. For the first half of the year, earnings fell about 50 percent from 2008, while Will sales dipped.
In the midst of this atmosphere, I spoke on Thursday with Dunaway, known to many video game buffs for her high-spirited appearances at E3.
Though I asked Dunaway about the company's revenue decline, lower console sales, and potential competition, she continually championed Nintendo's assets, including its Wii and DS consoles and recent popular games like Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus, as well as new titles like Super Mario Bros.
Dunaway's optimism about Nintendo may have been borne out by the latest results. Though overall video game revenue fell in October, the Wii bounced back to recover its spot as the top selling console, according to NPD.
Last month, Nintendo sold 507,000 Wiis, compared with 320,600 Sony PlayStation 3s and 249,700 Microsoft Xbox 360s. Coming in second in video game hardware sales was Nintendo's portable DSi and DS Lite, with gamers scooping up 457,000 units.
Four of Nintendo's titles also did well in October, finishing in the top 10. The company sold 232,000 copies of Wii Fit Plus alone, and 209,000 of Wii Fit Plus bundled with the Balance Board. Wii Sports Resort scored with 179,000 copies sold, while Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the DS found 169,000 new customers.
I spoke with Dunaway by phone before before NPD released the October sales figures. But she certainly knew ahead of time that the numbers would look good for Nintendo.
Q: The question on everyone's mind is Nintendo's performance this year. For the first half, earnings were down about 50 percent. Sales for the Wii have dropped. Your president, [Satoru] Iwata, recently admitted that sales of the Wii have stalled. What do you pin as the reasons for this downturn, both for the company and for the Wii itself?
Dunaway: Let's talk about the U.S., and let's break it down into the separate platforms. So, speaking first about the Wii--what's important to understand is that in 2008, we sold 10 million units of the Wii, which was a record for any console ever in history. And so it's a high mark.
What's also important to understand is that the pacing of our software this year was quite different than it was in 2008. In 2008, our big titles were released early in the year. And this year's huge title, released a few weeks ago in October, Wii Fit Plus, is doing quite well. And then arguably, the largest title of the year, New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii, only releases Sunday [November 15]. So we believe that going into the holiday season, consumers will continue to look for the products they see as representing the best value and the most fun.
Now on DS, we also had a record setting year last year, selling over 10 million units, and we are actually 16 percent above that pace year-to-date in 2009. So the combination of DS Lite and our new product DSi is really resonating with consumers.
Then on software, here in the U.S., our software for both Wii and Nintendo DS is actually up over a year ago. So despite the fact that our big titles are yet to come, we still have had a good year overlapping a tremendous year with our software.
Can you talk about some of the new titles Nintendo has in store for the holidays and next year? You mentioned Super Mario Bros. is a key title for the holidays. Are there others?
Dunaway: Looking to some of the additional titles for the holidays, New Super Mario Bros., for the first time enables four people to play a Mario game together. And it is going to be something that provides tremendous challenge to experienced gamers, and something a brand new gamer can jump in with their friends and family and enjoy. So that one will be a monster hit.
We also on the DS side have a new Zelda title--Zelda Spirit Tracks--coming on December 7. And Zelda titles are always strong performers, and it's a franchise that loyalists look forward to, line up to get copies of. And it's a title that we also think expanded market consumers will enjoy because of its heart. It's really about solving puzzles and going on an adventure, which is something that really anyone can have a good time doing.
Then as we go into next year, while we haven't announced timing, we have announced that we'll be launching a new Pokemon Gold and Silver, which has broken all records on its launch in Japan. [We're also launching] a title that will be great for loyalists called Sin & Punishment and a title called Endless Ocean that really provides a wonderful family experience on the Wii.
... Read more
This is the way Wii Sports Resort should have been packaged in the first place.
(Credit: Nintendo)Now that the Nintendo Wii is $199, there are two ways to go about using your savings: putting it in a low-risk bank account, or buying the rest of the peripherals Nintendo wants you to have to complete your Wii experience. Wii Fit notwithstanding, the biggest new plug-in Nintendo has is Wii MotionPlus, the motion sensor enhancement that plugs into the back of every Wii remote. And, sadly, they're still not included with the Nintendo Wii.
In an attempt to make amends, Wii Sports Resort is now selling a $59.99 bundle that includes two MotionPlus accessories instead of just one. It's a $10 savings over getting the $49.99 Wii Sports Resort and a second $19.99 MotionPlus separately. Honestly, it's a wise investment if you're going to buy Wii Sports Resort, since many of the games are two-player and require two MotionPlus accessories anyway.
These little discounts are appreciated, but it's still surprising that Nintendo's not simply releasing a Wii bundle that includes Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus inside. $250 for a Wii bundle that has both versions of Wii Sports and two controllers with MotionPlus...how about it, Nintendo? We can always dream.
Meanwhile, get your Wii Sports Resort bundles while they last.
It's a free-for-all gripe fest as we talk about our personal frustrations with the PS3, AT&T, the iPhone, and whatever else was crossing our minds at that point.
From cyberdoormen and using your baby's mama for an iPhone replacement at the AT&T store, to Scott finding pleasure in getting Julie so worked up that she accidentally drops a naughty word and Joseph's failed attempt to pit Scott and Julie against each other...it's all on the table.
We're also holding a contest for the best Digital City desktop wallpaper creation (not a logo). The contest will be held from July 24 to August 7. Joe gave you guys a week to do this, but I think two weeks is a little more feasible. It should include all four of us--Dan, Scott, Joseph, and Julie--or Scott will have a conniption fit (love ya, man!). Caricatures, superheroes, three pimps and a 'ho, it doesn't matter as long as it's nothing too nasty or we won't be able to show it. Once you've created your masterpiece, attach and send it to us via e-mail at digitalcity@cnet.com.
The prize: Joe is giving away a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince for either the Xbox 360 or the Wii (specify for which console in your e-mail).
At the close of the contest, we'll be more than happy to give all participants a shout-out on the show. The fact you participated is awesome--win or lose. There could be a runner-up prize, but don't quote me on that, I'd have to confer with the rest of the crew.
Get creative!
>>Watch the Digital City live every Friday at 3 p.m. EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
Listen now: Download today's podcast
Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video)
Last month, we got some hands-on time with Wii Sports Resort, the first-party Nintendo game that comes bundled with Wii MotionPlus.
While most of the minigames are new, you'll recognize a few classics from the original title such as golf and bowling. That aside, there's a lot of new activities in Wii Sports Resort, all of which take advantage of Wii MotionPlus (which we reviewed earlier this week).
During our demo, we especially enjoyed our time with Table Tennis and Archery. After playing with the final version for about a week now, Table Tennis remains among the highlights of the game. The capability to perform top spin and fades on the ball makes for a very satisfying experience.
We also enjoyed the Frisbee game where MotionPlus really shines. You have complete 1:1 control over your character's toss, in which you must have a dog catch the disc in a bull's-eyed area.
Wii Sports Resort comes bundled with one Wii MotionPlus attachment and rubber sleeve and is available July 26 for $50. Additional Wii MotionPlus units are available now for $20 each.
On Sale Now: $47.79 - $48.99
View the latest prices for Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
On Sale Now: $17.96 - $21.99
View the latest prices for Wii MotionPlus
Take our advice and be a sad little king. You won't regret it.
(Credit: XSeed Games)Those who complain about there not being enough good original Wii games had better put up or shut up this week. Yes, there's a certain game called Wii Sports Resort that's about to hit store shelves, but we're not talking about that one. Indie game publisher XSeed has been slowly gaining a reputation for releasing weird and risky import titles to the U.S. (the DS cult hit Retro Game Challenge being one of them), and this week they've brought the Wii perhaps its finest genre-blending game: Little King's Story.
We won't pretend, based on the title, that you'll necessarily be interested at first sight, because we weren't. Cutesy king man-child, large logo, and Japanese-esque anime art all add up to a look that seems to say "bargain bin." But do yourself a favor and pick this game up, and help publishers like XSeed for their efforts. This is a long, serious, weird, and fun piece of entertainment.
Shigeru Miyamoto's semiforgotten GameCube masterpiece, Pikmin, was recently released in a Wii-mote-friendly format by Nintendo, prompting fanboys to get angry about no new Wii sequel. Well, you can nearly consider this your sequel. Little King's Story features a gameplay mechanic of crowd control and rounding-up of subjects that's very reminiscent of Pikmin. Executive produced by the creator of another cult title, Harvest Moon, this game retains a lot of the same sense of family-friendly strategy.
While the colorful, Animal Crossing-cheery world centers on you (the Little King, who starts with a few subjects and no money), the way that battles and missions are achieved is by training and gathering your growing stable of subjects, tossing them at targets to do your bidding. Waddling around with your little jiggling entourage surrounding you is really an amusing sight, and the game unfolds with some charming Nintendo-quality localized humor, smart use of classical music, and a great mix of real-time strategy and role-playing wrapped in an interface that's nonintimidating.
Reviews of the game have been good since its release, which isn't surprising. It's everything that Nintendo games are supposed to be about. If we had a few more of these, and a few less of the licensed one-offs, maybe the Wii wouldn't seem like so hollow a success story to serious gamers. While this game is available on disc in stores like GameStop, hopefully WiiWare will allow riskier indie projects and smaller-market games in the future to thrive more easily, and insure a future where gamers will always have original, creative content as an option.
Now here's a question for you: are there other forgotten Wii masterpieces you feel have been under-celebrated? Or others you'd like to finally see the light of day?
On Sale Now: $35.00 - $43.19
View the latest prices for Little King's Story (Wii)
As we mentioned previously, this week we got all close-up and hands-on with Nintendo's E3 lineup for the holidays, courtesy of a meeting in a NY hotel room deep in midtown Manhattan. And to our surprise (and clearly, Nintendo's delight), they've gone a little hardcore competitive on us all of a sudden.
We told you about New Super Mario Bros. Wii (a.k.a. "Super Mario Smash Bros."), and now we'll let you in on our three-game session with Nintendo's ace-in-the-hole, Wii Sports Resort.
While you've probably heard a lot about this game, did you know it's including updates of classics like bowling and golf? While we didn't spend time with those, we took on whole new challenges that provoked a bit of smack-talking between Jeff and Scott. ... Read more
Now that the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference is behind us, let's take a look at some of the game announcements for the Wii. While we saw a few titles we were expecting, there were a couple that came as total surprises.
Right out of the gate, we got to see a brand-new 2D Mario Bros. game for the Wii. New Super Mario Bros. will allow for four-player co-op playing and will feature new game characters and power ups.
Wii Fit Plus, the successor to Wii Fit, will arrive in the fall and come bundled once again with a balance board. Of course, the software will also be available separately for those who already own it.
(Credit:
Gamespot)
While we already knew about the July 26 release of Wii Sports Resort, we did get to see archery and basketball demos take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral. Speaking of MotionPlus, Nintendo announced that the Ubisoft-developed Red Steel 2 will require the accessory to play.
While we also knew about the Wii exclusives Dead Space: Extraction, Resident Evil Dark Side Chronicles, and The Conduit, we were thrilled to see a new Metroid game unveiled. Metroid Other M seems to be a hybrid first-person meets third-person action title and will be released in 2010.
Finally, we were treated to a taste of a Super Mario Galaxy sequel. Super Mario Galaxy 2 features more 3D Mario action geared at gamers of all ages. This title is also set to release in 2010.
Wii Vitality Sensor: Lets you know if you're alive?
(Credit: CNET)Yesterday, Microsoft raised the bar on the mainstream-interactive landscape with the demonstration of its futuristic Project Natal. Today, Nintendo had a chance for a rebuttal, during which it chose to focus on Wii Motion Plus.
Scheduled to debut in a few weeks when it's packaged in with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, the more accurate plug-in to the Wiimote has its greatest killer app in Wii Sports Resort, the delayed sequel to Wii Sports. Showed off last year as well, two new sports in the package, archery and a three-point hoops contest, were demonstrated once again by Reggie Fils-Aime and Bill Trinen. The accuracy benefits were more noticeable to the naked eye on the archery demo: smaller hand motions allow for greater focus and targeting.
The Wii Motion Plus is a funny update to the Wii, because the advertising around it (virtual swordplay, archery) is exactly the same angle that was used for the original Wiimote. It arrives in a few weeks to stores. ... Read more
Jason Howell, from Bore Out Loud, keeps us classy in this very special episode of The 404. We make our big videocasting announcement. That's right! The 404, podcast of the future, is going to become a video podcast, so you'll be able to watch as Wilson looks deeply/creeply into the camera every morning. Plus, we get into some studio shenanigans as we prepare to revamp this place. And CNET TV is nominated for a Webby!
(Credit:
Wilson G. Tang/CNET)
On today's show, find out why you should never eat Domino's pizza, especially if you live in New York City. It's all about the Ray'z Pizza, man. Also, Amazon says it had a homophobic "glitch" that caused several LGBT books to be removed from its listings. We think Nazis did it.
On the second half of the show, it's Tuna Tuesday! (Please listen to the show to find out what that means.) Nintendo releases an add-on to the Wiimote that makes it even longer and more precise. TWSS. Also, a 79-year-old Japanese man has the greatest job in the world.
By the by, is Miramax sending the right message to a girl who couldn't find a copy of "Adventureland" on bittorrent by giving her free tickets to see the movie? Or is it all a ploy to get her arrested? Finally, be sure to check out your RSS and iTunes feeds for our little "404 presents."
Keep sending in your best survival stories and character voices to the show at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). Be sure to RSVP for The 404 and Buzz Out Loud Meetup here in New York City. Alison Rosen, Jason Howell, Natali Del Conte, Kenley Bradstreet, and so many more are going to be making their appearance. Maybe you can buy them a drink? (Be warned: Jason is ours though.)
EPISODE 320
Download today's podcast | Subscribe in iTunes | Subscribe in RSS
... Read more
(Credit:
Nintendo)
Nintendo first hinted at a new motion accessory for the Wii remote last July. Just announced this morning, the Wii MotionPlus attachment will officially be released on June 8 for $20. MotionPlus promises a more precise and accurate experience while using the motion controls on the Wii remote. The device attaches into the nunchuk port at the base of the remote and will work with all existing games but most noticeably with the sequel to Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort.
Resort will allow for a platform that best displays these new "deep control enhancements" such as riding a Jet Ski, dueling with a sword, and throwing a Frisbee. Wii Sports Resort will go on sale July 26 for $50 and will include one MotionPlus attachment. We've got some screenshots of the game here.
Whether or not MotionPlus will improve the motion control experience in prior games is still up in the air, but you can be sure we'll address this concern and others in our full review in June. Although as Engadget has pointed out, it seems MotionPlus will not work with any game that hasn't been programmed accordingly. But for now, what are your first reactions to MotionPlus?
UPDATED: New information on the backwards compatibility on MotionPlus with older Wii games.
