"We don't have anything to announce for the U.S. on either of those products," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told Kotaku this morning. "We know that it will be reacted to quite positively in Japan.. but no news for the Americas markets for those two products."

We asked about the inevitability of new colors of the Wii coming to America, especially given that Nintendo had shown the Wii in multiple colors as far back as E3 2005.

"There's a difference between showing different colors and making the product announcement that new colors are coming," Fils-Aime said. "We have shown a plethora of colors in the past for the Wii. We have shown a wide range of colors for the DS. From an Americas perspective, colors do drive the business. We've shown that, for example, with the lighter blue DSi that we thought was a nice complement to the black. So there will be more colors for various hardware.

"In the end, for us, it's all about: how do we time it? How do we leverage it, ideally with software? In Japan, linking [the black Wii] with the launch of Monster Hunter Tri [from Capcom] is why that announcement was made and why that's being positioned as it is."

While Fils-Aime said that Tri is coming to the U.S., he wasn't ready to talk about black Wiis or Wiis of any other hue.

What good is E3 hype if none of it comes true?

To get you ready for this E3, we've subjected ourselves to re-living the major press conferences of last year's big show. We've pulled all of the predictions, promises and other verbal constructions Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony used to get you excited about their console. And we've seen what became of all those thrilling statements.

Microsoft was yesterday. Nintendo, your E3 2008 promises are being checked today — exhaustively.

Background: The Nintendo press briefing occurred on July 15 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. This event lasted exactly an hour, and you might remember that it didn't go over very well.

Shaun White "Exclusive"

After demoing Shaun White Snowboarding with the help of Shaun White, Nintendo's executive vice president of sales and marketing, Cammie Dunaway, says: "All of you can have as much fun as I just had when this game arrives exclusively for Wii by year end."

Verdict: Hmmm. Yes, the version of Shaun White Snowboarding that you can play with the Wii Balance Board proved to be exclusive to the Nintendo Wii last fall, but there were Xbox 360 and PS3 versions later in '08 too, you know.

Mario and Zelda Folks At Work

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "Our internal team which creates Mario games and the one that makes Zelda games are both hard at work. They will bring new titles to Wii."

Verdict: Expected to come true someday. Not yet.

Animal Crossing Is Coming

Animal Crossing creator Katsuya Eguchi details the features for the fall's Animal Crossing City Folk, including a new city, Wii message board interaction, the ability to send messages to cell phones and PCs too, support for the Wii Speak mic.

Verdict: All these features were included when the game launched.

Wii Speak Is On Its Way

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils Aime says: "Animal Crossing is on its way to Wii by the end of the year with the Wii Speak option."

Verdict: Yup. He was right!

Lots of DSes

FIls-Aime: "By the end of our current fiscal year next March we expect that total DS worldwide sales will grow to almost 100 million systems."

Verdict: Indeed. Nintendo announced that the company achieved this milestone in March, just weeks before the end of its fiscal year.

Three Key Games

Nintendo declined to show a reel of upcoming Wii games, instead showing three that would be out later in the year: Star Wars The Clone Wars, Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Call of Duty: World at War.

Verdict: And, yes, those games came out.

Big Franchises on DS

Dunaway: "An even more imaginative interpretation of the [Guitar Hero] franchise called On Tour Decades is on the way… the DS is also the only gaming-dedicated platform where you'll find Will Wright's Spore this year."

Verdict: The new Guitar Hero came out, as did Spore Creatures. And, no, Spore on PC does not count as Spore coming out on a gaming-dedicated platform. Nor does Spore on the Wii, which is coming out this year, not last year.

More Pokemon

Dunaway announces "the next invasion of Pokemon," the release of a new Pokemon Ranger for November 10, 2008.

Verdict: Accurate. It happened.

GTA in the Winter

Dunaway: "We can announce today that a custom version of Grand Theft Auto called Chinatown Wars arrives on DS this winter." She added that the game will feature new characters and the "same free-ranging gameplay GTA fans have come to expect."

Verdict: Depends on when you think winter is. If you thought this meant the Christmas holiday, you were wrong. If you thought this could include March 17, a day that's just barely on the winter side of the vernal equinox, then you and Cammie were spot-on.

DS Non-Gaming Experiments

Dunaway describes experimental DS functionality that will inform you where your luggage is when you get off a plane and where a good restaurant might be. She says "this is all being tested," which isn't a promise that it will come out, but...

Verdict: Again, not a prediction, but also not something that has been released to the public yet. The only thing like it is the DS compatibility with SafeCo Field, which Dunaway also detailed.

MotionPlus Is Coming

Fils-Aime: There will be one Wii MotionPlus accessory and extended jacket packaged with every Wii Sports Resort. And of course others will be sold separately.

Verdict: This hasn't come true yet, but is on the verge of doing so in July.

Wii Sports Resort This Spring

Fils-Aime: "We began our presentation today with a single image in mind: smiling facings. And we believe there will be a lot more of them when Wii Sports Resort launches globally next spring."

Verdict: Ouch. Biggest mistake of the press conference. The game i slated for a June release in Japan but will definitely miss the spring in the U.S. and Europe, where it is scheduled for July.

Wii Music Will Be Fantastic

Fils-Aime: on Wii Music: "It's safe to say it will generate a lot of smiles - new smiles - in a whole new way."

Verdict: Subjective, but sure, why not? We'll give you this one, Reggie.

Wii Music Fulll of Instruments

Nintendo's chief game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto says that In Wii Music you're going to be able to play more than 50 different instruments just by moving your body, that you can save videos of your performance and , play each part of a song before combining your performances into an ensemble piece.

Verdict: Yes, Wii Music let gamers do all of that.

Note: No mention was made during the press conference of what would become the best-reviewed Wii game of 2008, World of Goo. Nor did Nintendo mention the fall (in Japan) launch of the DSi. So, arguably two of the proudest parts of Nintendo's 2008 future were not hyped at E3.

To Sum Up.... Nintendo's press conference was lambasted by hardcore fans, though not entirely for the reasons that the company can't score that well in this one-year-later review. Nintendo got the Wii Sports Resort date wrong, but stuck to accurate predictions otherwise. The problems were that the company just didn't promise that much stuff — not compared to Microsoft the day before. And what it did promise didn't prove to be as bold as exciting as, say, the company's Wii Fit announcement of the year before. As an honest conveyor of Nintendo's quality and quantity of game offerings for the next year, it was only good enough to merit a C.

Next Victim: Sony.

[PIC] - MTV Multiplayer

He needs a DS software development kit to get his game, basically a top-down 2D adventure, into retail packaging. Nintendo won't sell him one. Bob says he's spoken with Nintendo about it, filed an application for the kit, was told he'd have an answer in 6 to 8 weeks, and now he's on week 17 with no answer and no kit. Thus, he's begun a "One Hundred Day Tensai Sit Down Protest."

Here's his story on getting the kit, or lack thereof:

I met with Nintendo in February- almost a YEAR ago- to ask for the SDK.
I did teleconferencing. I flew to GDC and had a face-to-face meeting.
I asked the WarioWorld division, and they sent me to marketing.
I talked to marketing, and they said apply with WarioWorld division!
The agreement on the application states I will receive a decision in 6-8 weeks. It has been 17 weeks!
I fulfill all the requirements- I'm a financially stable registered company with a FEIN working from a commercial address.
When Nintendo decides to approve my developer license application I will end my protest.

And here are the conditions of his protest confinement, which you can view via live webcam:

I cannot leave this viridian room. The door is locked and barricaded from the outside.
I am sleeping behind the camera, and yes- I've got a shower. Food is delivered once a week by a friend.
I have no internet access, television, or game consoles besides those I am developing on.
I can receive and send email on my Android G1, so I can get Nintendo's reply and update my site with tether.
The LED counter will be incremented once a day, and sometimes it will display hints and secret messages.

He is on Day 11 of this protest. Bob justifies his work, says he meets all of Nintendo's requirements, then goes on a rant about the quality of his game and the lack of it in other titles. He says he's worked on the project for five years and isn't going to give up "just because some stubborn intern or mid-level marketing exec at NOA is deleting my emails! I want an answer, and I want to hear it from the top. [...] I'll see you there on day 100, REGGIE!"

Alright, Reggie Fils-Aime, you heard the man, ball's in your court!

100 DAY TENSAI SIT DOWN PROTEST [Bob's Game, thanks Tibor K. and many others]

11:20 AM: Who's hindering us in the marketplace? Not Sony, not Microsoft - not other publishers. Non-consumption is our problem: The people who aren't playing games today.
11:25 AM: He's going to be covering three topics - state of industry from Nintendo perspective, the immediate prospects for the holiday season, and finally a longer-term look at video games and entertainment business changing
11:30 AM: Only 1 in 5 people describe themselves as regular video game players. Twice as many have no interest in playing at all. 40% say I'm interested and I've played games in the past, but there are other things that keep me from really getting into them.

More Reggie goodness after the jump...

11:33 AM - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass sold 250,000 units in just one week. Impressive!
11:34 AM - Talking a lot about the DS now...it's very important to the industry. DS is the primary growth driver for the industry sales. He expects more than 6 M DS units to be sold in the US this year.
11:36 AM - What's the biggest request on bridal registries? According to Reggie: The Wii!
11:37 AM - Big jump in male usage of the Wii this year. 15-29 year-old males. Wii is about the mainstream but also the hardcore!
11:41 AM - How was the Wii impacted by Halo 3 sales? It was our best showing so far this year: Half a million in hardware sales. "For the time being, the man seems bulletproof." Our only problem? Availability!
11:42 AM- We are making 1.8 Million Wii units a month. We are taking consumer scarcity very seriously.
11:44 AM- Pro-tip: The system that has won after the second holiday season in market has already won the console war!
11:45 AM - Super Smash Bros Brawl comes on February 10th. The industry's first blockbuster title of 2008! 4 player Wifi multiplayer. Mario Kart will is coming next year too, including optional steering wheel controller. And Wii Fit/Wii Balance Board coming next year to US.
11:50 AM - Hey Reggie, are you going to give us any details on that September surprise?
11:51 AM - The keys to the future of videogames according to Reggie. 1.) Immersion! The Wii Fit Board, the Wii Zapper, and of course the Wii Remote. 2.) Inclusion/Social Cohesion. It's a dynamic we've seen with Wii Bowling. If Mario and Sonic can share top-billing in a game, anyone can play together! 3.) Innovation. "Our record on this one speaks for itself."

That's it. No big news there — well, besides the fact that the Wii is #1 on Bridal registries! Choice quote from the talk, in reference to the Wii sales in the face of Halo 3: "For the time being, the man seems bulletproof."

Troy Wolverton and Mike Antonucci, reporters for the San Jose Mercury News, got a chance to speak with Nintendo frontman Reggie Fils-Aime in an interview published earlier today. In it, he addresses various issues surrounding the Wii and DS including the lack of Wii availability, comparative sales to other consoles and even the broken strap issue. The interview is certainly interesting from a marketing and numbers standpoint, but what really intrigued me was a little sidebar item called "Five things to know about Reggie Fils-Aime" where we actually get a glimpse into a bit of the personal life of the man who's name has become synonymous with Nintendo.

1. His girlfriend is not a gamer.

2. He is a top player of "Wii Sports Tennis." At a party at the Game Developers Conference, he crushed all comers.

3. His paternal grandfather was a general in Haiti in the 1950s when the military overthrew the democratically elected government that included his maternal grandfather.

4. His parents immigrated to the United States because their politically opposed parents wouldn't let them date.

5. His father is a retired mechanic.

Also in the sidebar is a short bio of Reggie that lists some of his former jobs before becoming Nintendo of America's President which includes marketing jobs for Guinness Import Co. and Pizza Hut.

Just goes to prove that what I always thought was right. At heart Reggie is just a regular old beer and pizza kind of guy. Flynn De Marco

Nintendo head lays out game plan [San Jose Mercury News]
[via GoNintendo]

Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime spoke on the subject in a recent interview with The Hub.

Nintendo manufactured, through the end of December, four million units worldwide. And to put this in perspective, the ramp up you need to have from a manufacturing standpoint to make four million units, and to make them flawlessly — our defect rate is miniscule — that's a huge challenge. Yet, because of the demand, because of the buzz, we could not satisfy consumers worldwide.

We work with our retailers to supply them on a regular and ongoing basis. Some retailers make decisions to hold product to support their circulars that typically drop on Sundays. But I'm now looking at a report that says in 93 percent of retail outlets, there are less than three hardware units available. That is a huge issue and something we're working very hard to fix.

Look, Reg. Less talk, more stock, okay? If this keeps up, someone's gonna get shot and then you'll really be sorry. Michael McWhertor

Hoo-Wii! [The Hub]

The ideal applicant will be bilingual in Japanese and English, have excellent Microsoft Office skills, know the correct pronunciation of Fils-Aime, and show the "ability to relay information with tact and diplomacy". This isn't some cushy job that will involve playing DS games at your desk while occasionally sweeping up the Reggie-kicked asses that clutter the NOA hallways. This is hard work.

If you think you have the organizational and communication chops to support Reggie, apply online from the job posting. Michael McWhertor

Mission #3: Read this carefully. I ate two meals with Pikachu faces on them. Meal one had a miso base with two Pikachu faces in it. The second meal had salmon and rice in it and might go good with faux liquor. How many small pink and yellow Pikachu faces were in the second meal (a bowl of soup with rice)?

Job Description - Assistant To The President [via Aussie Nintendo]

Gamepro sat down with Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime to talk about the Wii, its success, its public acceptance, and its future. Reggie admits to be taken by surprise at how well the latest Nintendo console is performing:

We knew Wii was a system for the masses, and yes, we were confident that was going to happen-but this fast? Personally, I'm just blown away.

Reggie doesn't drop any major bob-ombs in the interview, but does give hints about new Wii colors (after "once we've managed to meet the overwhelming worldwide demand for our current color"), the DVD-movie playing Wii ("available in the future in some markets"), and his thoughts on Sony and Microsoft. Fils-Aime sadly takes the high road for the most part when discussing his competition, meaning traffic grabbing headlines will have to wait.

Read on for more Wii insight and carefully worded answers. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo Q&A: Reggie Fils-Aimes talks future of Wii [Gamepro]

Newsweek's resident game guru N'Gai Croal pinged us about a pledge Nintendo honcho Reggie Fils-Aime has made. The company president has promised no "Nintendo drought," which typically follows between first party games. While Twilight Princess is out and about, sites such as CVG rumor that the next two big titles Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Mario Galaxy won't see the light of day until late next year.

In a sit-down interview from October, Reggie told Croal:

Metroid Prime 3... is a from-the-ground-up creation of Metroid for the Wii system. That title is going to come out early in 2007. That will give us fantastic momentum coming off of the launch, and will certainly be an example of how there will be no new game drought for this system.

Mario Galaxy... another from-the-ground-up Wii game that we are strategically timing the launch to make sure that we continue driving momentum through 2007. So N'Gai, how do I answer the question, "Will there be no drought," and "How will we make sure that there are fantastic titles for Wii?" The answer is Zelda, Metroid and Mario. Which is a pretty darn good lineup.

"So are you willing to make a 'Read my lips' pledge right here?" Croal fired back. Reggie's answer?

I thought I just did.

Continuing, Croal added "I'll be checkin in with you when these titles actually ship." To which Reggie replied, "Exactly." And thus the bet was sealed, bringing back memories of bald Jallard refusing to wear a wig. Unfortunately, no such deal was inked with Reggie. Two words: Missed opportunity. Brian Ashcraft

Reggie's Promises [Newsweek]

A while back, MTV's Stephen Totilo had a whooper of an interview with Nintendo honcho Reggie Fils-Aime. There's been concern about how the Wii-mote eats batteries. But is Nintendo planning an internal rechargeable battery? Meh. Says Reggie:

I would love to see a third party do that, and that's something a third-party licensee can do a lot more efficiently than we can.

Reggie doesn't have time to fiddle with batteries, folks. He's BUSY. Worrying about things like why Elite Beat Agents has only sold 120,000 copies— as opposed to the 300,000 he had hoped for. Says Reggie:

I have to say I'm a little personally disappointed. The sales are strong and good. I personally thought it was going to be explosive.

See that? Elite Beat Agents: Personal. Batteries: Not. Brian Ashcraft

Reggie Interview Left-Over Goodies [MTV]

The show will also feature name taker/ass kicker Reggie Fils-Aime, rapping about the Wii, so get out your VCR Plus and figure out the code for Spike TV at 12:35 AM late Friday/early Saturday.

Check the full press release, with info on other stuff you might want to see, after the jump. Michael McWhertor

Spike TV - Game Head

Watch Game Head this Friday Night at 12:35a — Only on Spike!

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime joins our very own Geoff Keighley once again to finish the fight.

In early February of 2006, (when the Wii was still The Revolution and Reggie was still a VP) at a go-kart track outside of Las Vegas, Reggie Fils-Aime and Geoff Keighley started a rivalry that has taken the gaming world by storm. By using a banana peel, Reggie managed to beat Geoff in a 200k go-kart race. However, Game Head won some previously undisclosed information on The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.

Left embarrassed and hungry for revenge, Geoff got his rematch at Nintendo's extremely crowded E3 booth in May of 2006 in Los Angeles. In a best of three match, Keighley managed to literally beat the then Nintendo VP at his own game: Wii Sports - Tennis.

Now the score stands at 1:1. And in THE year for competitive gaming, we're taking a quick break from the Console Wars, and finishing our fight (sorry again Peter): Game Head's Geoff Keighley vs Reggie Fils-Aime, now Nintendo of America President.

The tie will be broken as Geoff and Reggie go Wii Bowling, and Real Bowling, in a best of four frames challenge. Reggie admits that he hasn't gone bowling since college (with a beer in his hand) and Keighley only knows how to bowl with ten pins. Canadians...

Bonus! We world premiere the trailer for SSX for the Wii (even Reggie hasn't seen this). Reggie candidly talks about the Wii60 and Peter Moore even weighs in on the console love affair rumors that he started. Can there be a Reggie/Peter "Gears of War" showdown in the mix??!?!

Find out by watching Game Head's Wii-Off special this Friday Night at 12:35a only on Spike! Frankly, it's Wii-Tastic.

Also featured in this episode:
SSX (EA, Wii)
RESISTANCE FALL OF MAN (INSOMNIAC GAMES, PS3)
EXCITE TRUCK (NINTENDO, Wii)
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS (NINTENDO, Wii)

Do you have plans to create a social network in the future around the Mii? Maybe online profiles or the ability to customize it further?

We think the ability to customize your Mii if very fascinating, adding more personality, more information, so certainly that's something we're looking at.

Ears? Will we get ears?! Reggie also let slip something that I was not aware of, in that if you take your Wii online, your Wii will "travel" around the world, appearing in other on other people's consoles. Allow me to tape up my nerd glasses while I reflect on how cooo-uhl that is. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo's Fils-Aime on Wii and Second Life [Reuters]

Sayeth Reggie to Reuters:

All systems are go for reaching the 4-million target we have in our financials by December 31. Exceeding (sales targets) is going to be challenging based on manufacturing capacity. We will sell everything we make so now it's simply a manufacturing thing.

Only 3,400,000 to go, Reggie. Make it happen. If I don't have a Wii by Sunday, heads will roll. Michael McWhertor

Nintendo says Wii on track to meet targets [Reuters]

In a meal of an interview, Nintendo honcho Reggie Fils-Aime tells MTV's Stephen Totilo that Metroid for the Wii will be out after Marty Party 8 hits in March. Okay, but what about Super Mario Galaxy?! That'll be out anytime between the end of March and next Christmas.

Gee, that narrows it now.

Other morsels: There is not DVD-playing Wii headed towards the US anytime soon. Third party companies can drop Miis into games, but Reggie claims not to have any footage as of yet. And with developer Rare owned by Microsoft and Activision snapping up the James Bond license, is GoldenEye out? Says Reggie:

Would I love to see it on virtual console? Absolutely. But there are a lot of issues there. Suffice it to say we would love to see it, so we're exploring all the rights issues.

Good. And when not dropping hints about upcoming releases, Reggie offered up Wii-mote safety tips, safely placed after the jump.

• "One, when your hand gets sweaty, wipe it off."
• "Second, you have to make sure you're using the wrist strap appropriately."
• "And third, don't let go of the Wii remote when you're pitching in the baseball game or bowling."

Cheers, Reggie! Brian Ashcraft

Reggie Talks [MTV]

In addition to racking up lots of monies with their profitable Gamecube Turbo, Nintendo is also very proud of themselves for selling over 454,000 copies of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. (I assume this game is very good. Since I don't have a Wii to play my copy on, I wouldn't know, would I?)

Hit the jump for the full back-slapping, rubbing-it-in-my-face press release, while I slink off to hug my unopened Wii-mote, then write an angry letter to Reggie. Michael McWhertor

WII IS A MASSIVE HIT

600,000 First-Week Purchases Attracting Veteran and New Gamers

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 27, 2006 - Built on a foundation of pure fun, Nintendo's new Wii video game availability. That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the Nov. 19 launch. Including just first-party software and accessory sales, Wii instantly has become a $190 million business in the Americas.

During the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, there was plenty of conversation across the nation about the high demand for the Wii system, with the acknowledgment that if you see one, you'd better buy it.

"Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it's clear this is one of the 'gotta-have' products for the holiday season," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We've shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company was able to deliver for its launch around the same time - and we still sold out. Given the inclusive nature of Wii game play, we're seeing this new form of video gaming is already a huge hit with gamers and newcomers alike. It continues to be a phenomenal launch."

The system also is succeeding in its stated mission of reinvigorating current players, while attracting new ones. Every Wii system includes the five-game Wii Sports software, which is the talk of the Internet, featuring countless reports on how previously devout non-gamers have suddenly been converted via the amazing new way games are experienced using the system's remarkable controller. At the same time, the masterful The Legend of Zelda : Twilight Princess, a favorite of avid gamers, already has achieved sales of more than 454,000 units in the Americas, representing more than 75 percent of all hardware purchasers.

Licensees, pleased not only with the sales performance of the Wii, but also its creative development capabilities, are publicly sharing their comments:

"Madden NFL 07 is a great example of how the Wii gives players a whole new experience on their favorite games," says EA Studio President Paul Lee. "EA's creative teams are working to build more Wii features into some of our most popular franchises."

"The creativity we've been able to unleash on the Wii system with our game Red Steel has been eye-opening for our development teams," explains Ubisoft President Laurent Detoc. "Having the opportunity to design and develop entirely new game-play experiences using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is both exciting and rewarding."

Classic games also are proving to be a hit on Wii, which offers downloadable access to 20 years of the best of Nintendo , Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 hits via the system's Virtual Console feature.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii , Nintendo DS , Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario , Donkey Kong , Metroid , Zelda and Pok mon . 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 www.nintendo.com.

Nintendo ain't just making games for Johnny-Come-Latey's. No. Nintendo is still making h4rdc0r3 gamez (along with making pedestrian stuff for my mom). With the DS appealing to the casual and non-gamers, some are worried that Nintendo's ditching the 'core. According to company president Reggie Fils-Aime:

For the passionate fan who wants something a bit more challenging, a deep story, 70 hours of gameplay, it's Zelda. It's all there, it's nine dungeons long, it is an immense area—that alone should stop all of the worries as to whether Nintendo will continue to make big, epic games. We absolutely will... We want it all, quite frankly. So when we talk about bringing gaming back to the masses it is both for this core fan, which we will continue to have great content for, and this new expanded gamer who either hasn't played in 20 years or hasn't played at all.

1337. Or as mom would say, "That's swell." Brian Ashcraft

Reggie Hasn't Given You Up [Eurogamer]

Reader exit86drummer wrote in saying he had received this t-shirt from a friend who works at a Gamestop. So, being the ace reporter that I am, I put on my Press hat and headed down to my local EB gaming concern to see what the deal was.

I discovered upon entering that they still didn't have their Wii kiosk up and running (grumble, grumble) since they were waiting for their tardy Nintendo Rep to come set it up for them. I chatted for a bit with my store's game mistress and got a few details about tonight's midnight launch and eventually got around to asking about the t-shirt. She confirmed that they indeed would be giving these t\T's out to everyone who had pre-ordered a Wii. Then I heard those magic words, "You want yours now?" she said with a sly wink. Of course, I said "Yes" and duly received my sweet shirt. As I gazed lovingly on it I noticed, and exit86drummer agrees with me, that the guy on the shirt is the spitting image of Reggie a la' Bruce Lee.

I will wear my hunky Reggie shirt proudly to tonight's midnight launch and make everyone in line jealous until some gun toting maniac mugs me for it. Flynn De Marco

With Nintendo's new console weeks away from launch, company honcho Reggie Fils-Aime does a sit down video interview with CNet. It's one of those embedded thingies, so you have to click over to their site to see it. Here's the stand out quotes for the lazy:

• "What's in the box, that's set."
• "No wonderful secret announcements. At least not one that I'm aware of. Then it would be really secret."
• "You know, it will be tough. The only thing I can tell a consumer is that it's going to be tough because the demand is so high, not because we've stumbled on the production."
• "There's never been a product launch with four million units. Ever."
• "It [South Park] wasn't something they approached us for permission. Though, we were aware they were working on it. It's fantastic to be in popular culture in that way. And I'll tell you this, it's not gonna be the last. Because we captured the consumer's imagination, because we've captured the imagination of so many people who create entertainment on their own, there's just gonna be more content coming."

Does that mean we'll be seeing a "Pimp My Wii" in the near future? Hooray for stale puns! Brian Ashcraft

Reggie Talks Wii [CNet]

Nintendo has released some truly inventive products, which are collecting dust. Take the Virtual Boy and the Power Glove. The company was pushing the boundaries, but that's all that happened. They were pushed, and there wasn't the software there, causing the products to ultimately collapse. In short: They reeked of gimmick. In an interview with AOL, Nintendo of America prez. Reggie Fils-Aime assured that the same is not true of the Wii:

I think the bongo controllers are actually a great example. The first Donkey Konga? Great. Jungle Beat? Great. But what else have we done? I mean yes, we did Donkey Konga 2, but what else have we done?

Three games that made use of the bongos? It's not enough.

Imagine if we'd made three games that made use of the DS touch screen. It wouldn't be enough. And so that's why every game makes innovative use of the Wii remote in some way, shape or form, whether it's based on the sensor bar, the direct pointing capabilities or the use of the nunchuk. Every single game makes use of the Wii remote. That's why I'm confident it won't be a gimmick.

And there you have it, folks! Reggie's confident and wants better bongo use. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [AOL] via Infendo