Kotaku: nintendo's fall presser

Nintendo Promises Increased Wii And DS Supply For The Holidays

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Nintendo took a moment during their press conference in San Francisco this morning to assure desperate parents that the Nintendo Wii and DS Lite would be in ample supply this holiday season. Specifically, Wii supplies should see a significant increase over last year's levels, while the DS will be available in greater numbers than ever before.

“We have new games and new experiences for every kind of player this holiday season, and that will certainly fuel increased interest in Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “While there’s no way to gauge total demand for our hardware systems, we’re trying to satisfy as many of those players as possible.”

My suggestion? Buy them early anyway. Don't let promises of increased supply cause you to wind up crying in front of a Toys R Us video game counter because your child's holiday is ruined. You're a bad parent, and that's okay. The book they write one day will pay for your nursing home.

Wii Speak Channel Coming Next month

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:50:00 MDT

You didn't think the Wii Speak microphone was only for Animal Crossing, did you? No, Nintendo announced today at their press conference in San Francisco that an all-new Wii Speak Channel will arrive in North America on November 16th, allowing up to four friends who've exchanged Friend Codes to chat with one another. In the chat room, players will be represented by their Mii's, who will mimic their speech on the screen as it happens. I'm guessing that's limited to hand gestures and simple body movements, so those planning on using the channel for more intimate encounters will still have to rely on their imaginations.

The Wii Speak microphone, which retails for $29.99, will come packaged with a code that allows owners to download the Wii Speak Channel at no additional charge. Other uses of the mic include leaving voice messages for your friends ("Why did you disconnect? I wasn't done yet?") and narrating photo captions.

Club Nintendo Finally Coming Stateside

Mike Fahey — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:35:00 MDT

Stars. My god it's full of stars. Big news came at the very end of Nintendo's super-special press conference in San Francisco today, when President Reggie Fils-Aime announced that the Club Nintendo, the customer loyalty program already in place in Europe, Japan, South Africa, and Australia, is finally going to make its way to North America this holiday season. Running in a similar fashion to the previously established programs, fans will be able to collect points by completing surveys and registering products to save up for nifty premium items from a North American Stars Catalog.