Nintendo rep talks supporting Wii/Wii U in 2012

The following information comes from a Nintendo of Canada rep...

On the Friday release of StarFox 64 3D...

"That's something I would like to talk about, because that's something we talked about at Nintendo. We at Nintendo of Canada don't determine the launch dates, but launching on a Friday has many reasons why it could work. The industry doesn't use it, it's exciting, we know many people gearing up for the weekend are looking for things to happen around the weekend, and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday launches are the norm. Sundays, we like to do, and Mondays through Wednesdays we like to do. So Friday is trying something new."

On Wii releases for 2012...

"Yes, there will be titles to fill the void for 2012, because we haven't really talked about anything for 2012. We talked about Wii U, we talked about Luigi's Mansion 2... beyond that, there's not a lot, but that doesn't mean those are the only two things to launch, obviously. So... that's a pretty broad, vague question to ask. But, yes, Nintendo... we will always release things at a good pace to make sure there's things throughout the year. Look at how our holiday is going to work: yes, everyone wanted Mario Kart for Nintendo 3DS on launch day, but we wanted this to be a title that happens this many months after launch. Same with Super Mario and Star Fox; it's all paced out. So, there will be a good pace of titles in 2012. To be honest, I don't know what they are and we haven't made announcements about them, so there's not much I can say."

On the possibility of another Metroid title in 2012...

"Actually, I don't know. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't; that's something I'm unaware of."

On supporting Wii and Wii U at the same time...

"We've committed to both consoles, the Wii and Wii U, coexisting together at the same time. We've had a lot of questions-- 'will games launch for both systems?', 'will you continue to make great games for Wii?', and we just don't know the answers to those questions; since we haven't made any announcements, there's not much we can say about it. I think we can be confident that both systems will be around for a bit still."

On Wii U supporting more than one controller...

"Let me correct something that is a misconception. We said that the Wii U system will come with one Wii U controller, but we haven't said that you can only use one Wii U controller. The fact is that if the developer makes a game or an experience that uses more than one, then anything is possible. What we've also talked about is to imagine taking some of the experiences you've had at your own home, putting them on your Wii U controller, and taking that with you somewhere else. That would again get rid of that myth and misconception that only one can be used. So, the possibility is there, but the system will only come with one at this point."

On taking the Wii U experience with you...

"Okay, so that I can elaborate on. The Wii U is not a portable handheld device you're going to take with you in transit or into a proximity away from the Wii U console, but you can take content from your console, put it on your Wii U controller, take it with you somewhere else, and be able to upload it. That technology is possible. Taking a Mii with you is cool and fun, but this has the possibility to do more... not on the go, but once you get somewhere else where you take your stuff to someone else's environment, it's definitely possible. It's hard for us to commit to anything concrete, but yes, it's a possibility (to load up content and take to a friend's house) because the controllers are compatible. It's possible to have that kind of experience."

On not every Wii U game focusing on the Wii U controller...

"...not every game will necessarily have the focal point as the Wii U controller. It's new technology, it's a new way to play, but it doesn't have to be the focal point. we know that there are a lot of misconceptions about Wii U; the majority of the population wasn't at E3, and didn't get a chance to actually have hands-on, so the reality about what Wii U is going to do is that it's going to change the dynamic of what happens in your living room, or wherever your TV is. The dynamic of that room is going to change, and it's going to be Wii U technology that does it.

Having this controller that offers a different perspective, or a complementary perspective, or being able to take content off the TV when other people want to use the TV for something else. It keeps people in the room together, either all playing together or doing different things, but they're all kind of connected in a slightly different way than what's possible right now.

And so changing the dynamic of that TV room space is what Wii U is going to do. That's a pretty philosophical way to look at it, but you saw only what was potential at E3, and that's... well, the whole thing is philosophical right now, although it's a tangible piece of hardware, and an accessory."

On celebrating other franchise anniversaries...

"the reality is we are in a time period when a lot of franchises are experiencing celebrations. Yes, I know, you're going to be let down if we don't do something for Donkey Kong. So hopefully we can do something special, at least for you. We haven't talked about anything else being celebrated-- not that we aren't celebrating as a company, but we're putting a lot of time and effort into The Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary, more so than what we did for the Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary.

So, are we going to celebrate other anniversaries? It's hard to tell if they're going to have big campaigns behind them. The Zelda 25th celebration is a big campaign, and of course we've told a lot about that already, and there's more information still to come, too."

Source: http://eccentricgame...g-wiiwii-u.html