Nintendo at GDC08
Nintendo Reveals Its Next Engaging Experiences
WiiWare, Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl Shown at Game Developers Conference
   REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ — The Game Developers Conference in
San Francisco attracts the top creative minds in the video game industry. With
that audience on hand, Nintendo announces news that reinforces its commitment
to provide entertaining and enriching experiences for veteran and new gamers
alike. WiiWare(TM), Nintendo’s new downloadable game service, launches May 12
and expands development opportunities for developers the same way Wii(TM)
expanded the world of video game players. Wii Fit(TM), the upcoming title for
Wii, launches May 19 and introduces the Wii Balance Board(TM) peripheral. And
Super Smash Bros.(R) Brawl draws in fans of all kinds.
   (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080116/LAW110LOGO-b)
   “We are excited to participate in the Game Developers Conference this year
to share with developers and consumers alike our upcoming unique services and
products,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president
of Sales & Marketing. “We are hopeful that they will appreciate our offerings
of WiiWare, Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which represent a trio that
will continue to attract new players to the world of video games.”
   At the conference, Nintendo speakers will outline a number of plans for
the coming months on their respective panels:
   WiiWare: Nintendo’s upcoming WiiWare changes the way both developers
create and consumers access video games. Through WiiWare, Nintendo hopes to
offer developers a virtual laboratory that serves as a breeding ground for new
games, which encourages great ideas that creators always wanted to develop.
The combination of low development barriers and unique game experiences found
only on Wii should enable developers to try new ideas with lower risk in a
quicker, more creative and affordable way.
   Meanwhile Wii owners can download a multitude of cool new games from
different genres, including some that are unprecedented, which can be
purchased from home at a dynamic price range. WiiWare also empowers consumers
to determine with their Wii Points which games have the right stuff to become
the next big thing.
   WiiWare will be a repository for all types of experiences — literally,
something for everyone. Early WiiWare games will come from celebrated
developers like Square Enix, which is creating FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL
CHRONICLES: My Life as a King, a simulation game for all ages. Also watch for
games from up-and-coming developers like Frontier with its fresh, enchanting
platform adventure LostWinds and a new episodic game series from Telltale. The
first U.S. WiiWare games will be available on May 12.
   Wii Fit: Wii Fit demonstrates Nintendo’s commitment to gamers of all
kinds. It combines fun and fitness for every member of the family to keep
active and play together. Wii Fit launches May 19 in the United States and
comes with the weight-and-motion-sensing Wii Balance Board that Nintendo
representatives demonstrated could hold great promise for future game
development as well. Third-party publishers are already working on new games
and applications that will make use of the Wii Balance Board. Additionally,
Wii Fit includes access to the Wii Fit Channel, an interactive channel that
lets users check in each day to track their fitness progress through weight
and BMI. In Japan, Wii Fit has sold more than 1.4 million units since its Dec.
1 launch.
   Super Smash Bros. Brawl: This action game launches March 9. With dozens of
characters, settings, options and ways to play, it has something for everyone.
The game includes characters from all across the Nintendo universe. The
previous installment in the franchise went on to become the best-selling game
of all time for Nintendo GameCube(TM).
   Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the
content their children can access. For more information about this and other
Wii features, visit Wii.com.
   About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive
entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets
hardware and software for its Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance
and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.5
billion video games and more than 430 million hardware units globally, and has
created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM)
and Pokemon(R). 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 http://www.nintendo.com.