Nintendo Q&A: Reggie Fils-Aimes talks future of Wii
- January 22, 2007 14:52 PM PST
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Wii upgrades? An HD-capable Wii? Multi-colored Wiis? Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime talks with Vicious Sid and Bro Buzz about the future of the Wii and how Nintendo compares itself to the Apples and Microsofts of the world. A must read!
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime talks exclusively to GamePro on the future of the Wii
GamePro: Where would you say the Wii stands now? Did it meet your expectations or exceed them?
Fils-Aime: I'll be honest with you -- I'm blown away. We knew we would sell every piece of hardware put into the market, but we did not expect all the buzz and the advocacy...especially from non-gamers. I can't tell you how many people I have talked to or read about who played Wii Sports during the holidays and were suddenly surrounded by relatives who wanted to give it a shot. Everyone, from kids up to grandma and grandpa.
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.
GP: When was "the moment" that you knew the Wii was going to live up to everything -- and more -- Nintendo had hoped?
Fils-Aime: I think most people began to understand on the show floor at E3 last year, waiting in those lines, or just looking at them, anxious to see what the Wii fuss was all about.
But for me personally, it really "clicked" a couple days before, when we were rehearsing for our media briefing. You see, I had played an early version several months before, but when Mr. Iwata, Mr. Miyamoto, George [Harrison, VP of NoA] and I got up there on stage and fired up that game of Wii Tennis...well, not only was I having a blast, but I could see the faces of the handful of crew looking on from the audience. They were psyched. I was psyched! That was the moment I suspected we were in for even more than we expected.
GP: What lessons did Nintendo learn from the life of the GameCube that it incorporates into its plans for the Wii?
Fils-Aime: There's only one lesson that matters: At a certain point just doing more of the same is self-defeating. You've got to give people a fresh perspective or eventually they'll start to lose interest, no matter what your entertainment medium.
GP: Sony appears to be having difficulties moving a large number of PS3s. What, if anything, do you think is to blame for this? A high price? A lack of must-have games?
Fils-Aime: Happily, that's a question you'll have to put to Sony.
GP: What is the Wii's position in the marketplace vis-a-vis the PS3 and the Xbox 360?
Fils-Aime: If you're asking about philosophy, it's clear by now that we're headed in a very different direction. We're putting games back into "play," you might say, for everyone. Just like we did with Nintendo DS. From a strategic standpoint, that's where we're different-not restricting ourselves from catering only to the core. But amazingly, most of those core players are having an absolute blast with Wii, too. The early indications are that, just maybe, Wii can have it all.
An updated Wii? Don't count it out
GP: Is Nintendo interested in "updating" the Wii in the future, as it has done with the Nintendo DS and DS Lite (to great success)?
Fils-Aime: We're always looking for ways to improve our systems. You probably know that a premium version of Wii with a DVD player will be available in the future in some markets. But since Wii has been out for only two months, it's a bit premature to be discussing any potential evolution.
GP: In the future, is Nintendo looking into a way to serve customers with HD content?
Fils-Aime: I just saw a survey from the Center for Media Research that showed only 17 percent of U.S. households have a TV set capable of high definition. Flip that number around, and that means that a full 83 percent of households do not have the means to produce the kinds of visuals that high definition devices require. Of course, we're intensely interested in better technology, but sometimes our definition of the right technology is different from other people's.
GP: Is there any update on multi-colored Wiis? How exactly does that strategy fit into Nintendo's larger vision?
Multi-colored Wiis? Not a priority until Nintendo can meet current demand
Fils-Aime: Maybe that question will have more relevance once we've managed to meet the overwhelming worldwide demand for our current color!
GP: Part of Nintendo's stated goals for the Wii were to create and attract new gamers, how well has the Wii done in that regard so far? What can we expect to see Nintendo doing to further those goals?
Fils-Aime: Ask people who showed Wii to their family members during the holidays and you'll find out how the non-gaming crowd reacted. In the next few weeks alone we have titles like WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play to provide fun, new, pick-up-and-play experiences for those newcomers who love Wii Sports and Excite Truck and Rayman Raving Rabids and Elebits and others.
GP: Apple and Nintendo are commonly compared. Do you see any similarities between the strategies of the two companies?
Fils-Aime: Although we're in different businesses, I think both companies are driven by a relentless vision that's frequently at odds with the "conventional wisdom" in our respective industries. We both aggressively pursue innovation, and I think much of that innovation centers on software and the interface between user and device, rather than pure horsepower which receives a disproportionate amount of attention.
Apple and Nintendo: more than meets the eye
GP: The Wii and Xbox 360 are very different consoles, but both have found enormous success and are powering a kind of "new renaissance" in the gaming industry. Is there any common denominator?
Fils-Aime: Wii has clearly met the early expectations we had for it. Obviously, in pure numbers, it's by far the best launch in this generation of systems, and this was done in what I believe was the first truly simultaneous worldwide launch. But I think it's safe to say we have a very different vision of the nature and future of gaming than Microsoft does.
GP: There have been some complaints that certain third-party launch titles haven't made good use of the Wii Remote. Is this an ongoing concern for Nintendo?
Fils-Aime: Not at all. In fact, I think the early titles have been terrific. Look at what Rayman does...Madden does...Trauma Center does...Elebits does. Remember that these are just the first generation of games using the new controller, and the results are amazing. What title for any other new system can match their control innovation? This is just the start.
Third parties are excited to a degree they haven't been for a long time. And that's because of Wii. Look...a new control system...the real chance to invent entirely new genres...and all at a fraction of what development costs on other consoles? It's a no-brainer. We have an incredibly talented group of game partners.
GP: Will Nintendo work with third-party developers to help them maximize their use of the Wii Remote functions?
Fils-Aime: Absolutely. We love our third party partners, we support them, we ardently want them to succeed. Make no mistake. A vibrant pipeline of third-party titles for Wii-and for DS, for that matter-is a very good thing for Nintendo.
GP: Of the new Wii games announced so far, which ones are your personal recommendations to GamePro readers and why?
Fils-Aime: Every one of them! Remember, I'm a marketer by training.
