Lots of New York coverage for the Nintendo of America Wii press conference. First things first though, if you want to see what the Wii menu will look like and how you control it, go to Wii.com. English is now online!
Here’s a list of all the new facts:
– Zelda for Wii on November 19th, for GameCube December 11th.
– Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is delayed until 2007.
– Nintendo games will have a $49.99 price point (and will support widescreen).
– 30 games available this year, half at launch November 19th.
– Wii Remote costs $39.99. Wii Nunchuck attachment is $19.99.
– Wii Classic Controller for playing the downloadable games will be available, but no price announced, looking at the Japanese price, it might cost as little as $20.
– At least three games will be online on launch day.
– By the end of the year there will be at least 30 classic Nintendo titles online for download. Beginning in January 2007 that will grow 10 a month through the year.
– Pricing for downloadable games will be 500 Wii Points (or $5) for NES, 800 (or $8) for SNES, and 1,000 ($10) for N64. You can buy a 2,000 Wii Points card at a store for $20.
– Wii Channels is the official name for the Virtual Console, at first there will be 12 Wii channels such as:
1. Play a Wii game or one of 530 GameCube discs.
2. At the Wii Shopping channel you can buy old games to play on the console.
3. The Mii channel, a Mii is a digital 3D avatar of you or someone else. You can create a Mii by finding a look-a-like or start from scratch. You can transfer your Mii’s to your Wii Remote and take them with you. You can take them to a friend’s house and let them populate your friend’s Wii. You can also let them populate your Wii games. So you can put the little Mii’s in your game like Wii Tennis.
4. In the Photo channel the menu shows eight images at a time, in two rows of four images. You can scroll through them like a slot machine. The front of the Wii has a SD reader and once you pop in the card it quickly pulls up the images. You can also zoom out to see all of the images in a bunch of super tiny thumbnails. You can also view Movies and alter them instantly with little fun games. Like turning it into a moving puzzle.
5. News channel.
6. Weather channel.
7. Internet channel (works with the Opera Browser, not sure if this is free like the rest or that you have to buy the browser).
8. A Message Board channel where users can send messages or photos to other Wii owners or to a PC or Cell phone. You can also send messages to other members of the family on a calendar like feature.
…the four other channels will be shown at a later time.
The Wii Channel system is available instantly, since the console remains on all of the time, so no boot-up. With Always-On 24 (WiiConnect24?) you can get updates while you sleep. The concept is that people will get used to using the console daily and often and begin to become gamers because it’s so accessible.
“We our intent on changing the way players connect to their games and the way any TV owner can connect to their system.”
If I missed anything, you can get the full coverage via Engadget & Kotaku.
The official Nintendo Wii press site just released the detailed Wii Menu channels in a list:
Wii Channel Menu: The Wii console will revolutionize how people play games. But more importantly, it will entice new players into the world of video games by offering a variety of entertainment, information and communication Channels that add value to the console and make it a device that the entire family can enjoy. The Wii Channel Menu will be the first screen shown on the television, as it easily integrates itself as part of people’s everyday lives.
Disc Channel: This channel allows users to play either Wii game discs or the entire library of Nintendo GameCube discs.
Mii Channel: Fun caricatured portraits created in this channel can be used as characters across a variety of Wii software. Portraits can be stored in a user’s Wii Remote and taken to a friend’s house to play on another Wii console. Each member of the family can have his or her Wii Remote personalized with a caricature.
Photo Channel: This channel allows users to take digital pictures stored on an SD memory card and display them on their television screens. Users also can manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. They can draw, add stamps, and copy and paste. They also can change the “mood†of photos by brightening them, converting them to monochrome, inverting the color or changing them to stark black and white. Users can even add an MP3 tune to their slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for people to edit their digital pictures. Users also can send their pictures to other Wii consoles by attaching a photo to the Wii Message Board.
Forecast Channel: Users who have connected their Wii console to the Internet can access free local weather forecasts just a few seconds after turning on the Wii console. The WiiConnect24 service automatically updates local weather information. Users can view forecasts for cities around the world on a 3-D globe.
News Channel: Users can access breaking news with the touch of a button. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel and organizes it in a variety of topical categories. Users can see where news is happening by viewing the location of news stories on a 3-D globe.
Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.
Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user’s home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii Points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program (“What was that actor’s name again?â€). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.
Wii Message Board: Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. Users can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. They also can use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside the home as well. Even better, people can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming messages targeted at software, such as a new map or weapon for a game. Games can constantly be updated, thereby extending their playability.
Here’s a list of 53 so far announced Wii games according to Nintendo.
First Party (only Zelda, Excite Truck & Wii Sports for Nov. 19, the rest either shortly after in the “launch window” or 2007)
Nintendo:
Battalion Wars II
Big Brain Academy (temporary name)
Excite Truck
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. (temporary name)
Super Mario Galaxy (temporary name)
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Wii Sports
Third Party (All games slated for release before March 31, 2007)
Activision:
Call of Duty 3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Rapala Tournament Fishing
Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam
World Series of Poker
Atari:
Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2
Atlus:
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Codemasters:
Dance Factory
Sidewinder
EA:
Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Buena Vista Games
Disney’s Meet the Robinsons
The Godfather
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
SSX
Tiger Woods PGA Tour
Konami:
Elebits
Majesco:
Bust A Move Revolution
Midway:
The Ant Bully
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Happy Feet
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Rampage: Total Destruction
Sega:
Sonic and the Secret Rings
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
SNK:
Metal Slug Anthology
THQ:
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Barnyard
Cars
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Ubisoft:
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
Far Cry: Vengeance
GT Pro Series
Monster 4×4: World Circuit
Open Season
Prince of Persia
Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Vivendi:
Ice Age 2
Also see: The official Nintendo Wii Games List.