Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO of Nintendo of America, has told Forbes that the company is not ready yet to begin work on a new home console to replace the Wii. “When the software developer comes forward with an idea that can’t be executed on the current platform, that’s when we start thinking seriously about the next system. We’re not there yet, from a Wii perspective,” he said.
Fils-Aime once against mirrored Nintendo’s general attitude toward including the latest technology in games consoles, saying that as an enabler, technology has to enable a new and unique experience for players. “So when people talk about high definition for the Wii console our feedback is that that by itself will not create a brand new experience,” he said.
“Therefore, we’re not interested. What we have to push for are groundbreaking new experiences. Technology has to enable it, not to be a means all by itself.” He said that Nintendo has no plans to sell virtual items like rivals, saying the company does not feel it is an idea that creates value for the consumer.
On the issue of the new motion controllers on the horizon for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3), Fils-Aime cautioned that the competition will face its own challenges in terms of the need to develop compelling software and to offer it as a competitive price.
“They will be separately challenged because the motion-enabled part of their business will only be a small part of their line. For us, it’s core to what we do,” he said.
Result for: wii
According to research firm Enterbrain, the ever-popular Nintendo Wii has hit the 10 million unit sold milestone in Japan this week, 170 weeks after its initial launch.
The firm says as of yesterday, Nintendo has sold 10,009,736 units in the nation.
The only console to reach the milestone faster in Japan was the PlayStation 2 which hit the figure in 131 weeks, a full 10 months quicker.
Sony’s current generation console, the PlayStation 3 has 4.77 million units sold in Japan, adds the firm, with the Xbox 360 in third at 1.24 million units sold so far.
Result for: wii
James Burt of Queensland, Australia has agreed to pay Nintendo $1.5 million in damages as compensation for lost revenue caused when Burt uploaded a game before its official release date.
Burt made New Super Mario Bros. for Wii available online in early November, one week before its official Australian street date. As is the case in most countries, distributing games without permission is illegal and carries a hefty fine.
Rather than head to court, Burt and Nintendo settled and came to the $1.5 million figure, which also includes $100,000 to pay for Nintendo’s legal fees.
“Nintendo will pursue those who attempt to jeopardise our industry by using all means available to it under the law,” says the company.
Adds Nintendo Australia managing director Rose Lappin: “It wasn’t just an Australian issue, it was a global issue. There was thousands and thousands of downloads, at a major cost to us and the industry really. It’s not just about us. It’s about retailers and if they can’t sell the games then they have to bear the costs associated with that. Once it’s on the internet it’s anyone’s really.”
