Nintendo’s Fils-Aime Confirms Wii’s Online Service is Free
Plus, Tokyo Analysts foresee a £90 price-point for console!
In an interview with a major American newspaper today, Nintendo of America’s rumbunctious President and Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed that online play on the Wii console will be free. That’s right! No subscription fee. No extra cost. To play against your Wii-loving mates online will cost you zilch. Nada. Nowt.
Fils-Aime told USA Today: “We will offer online-enabled games that the consumers will not have to pay a subscription fee for. They'll be able to enjoy that right out of the box. The Wii console is going to be Wi-Fi enabled, so essentially, you'll be able to plug it in and go. It won't have hidden fees or costs.”
When asked if Nintendo would support the idea - promoted by Microsoft - that gamers might want to buy an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii and not bother with the pricey PlayStation 3, Fils-Aime told the paper: “I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories and a ton of games versus buying any of my competitor's products...We're going to make it so that everyone who tries the Wii experience talks to their friends and neighbors. It's going to be a really provocative sight to be seeing teens and 20-year-olds and 40-year-olds and 50-year-olds talking about how different this experience is.”
SPOnG is glad to see Nintendo back on fighting form after a slightly shakey, not entirely confident start, but extremely successful finish to E3 earlier this summer.
To see the full interview, check out USA Today.
Elsewhere on the Wii front, Japanese Analysts at the Tokyo-based Nikko Citigroup have predicted an even lower price-point for the Wii than anyone has previously guessed at, forecasting that the Wii could set Japanese consumers back a mere 19,500 yen (around £90!). We'll bring you more on this as we get it. SPOnG suspects the price will be nearer the £150 mark, but we should have some confirmation from Nintendo on this when we see them at Leipzig next week.
Fils-Aime told USA Today: “We will offer online-enabled games that the consumers will not have to pay a subscription fee for. They'll be able to enjoy that right out of the box. The Wii console is going to be Wi-Fi enabled, so essentially, you'll be able to plug it in and go. It won't have hidden fees or costs.”
When asked if Nintendo would support the idea - promoted by Microsoft - that gamers might want to buy an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii and not bother with the pricey PlayStation 3, Fils-Aime told the paper: “I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories and a ton of games versus buying any of my competitor's products...We're going to make it so that everyone who tries the Wii experience talks to their friends and neighbors. It's going to be a really provocative sight to be seeing teens and 20-year-olds and 40-year-olds and 50-year-olds talking about how different this experience is.”
SPOnG is glad to see Nintendo back on fighting form after a slightly shakey, not entirely confident start, but extremely successful finish to E3 earlier this summer.
To see the full interview, check out USA Today.
Elsewhere on the Wii front, Japanese Analysts at the Tokyo-based Nikko Citigroup have predicted an even lower price-point for the Wii than anyone has previously guessed at, forecasting that the Wii could set Japanese consumers back a mere 19,500 yen (around £90!). We'll bring you more on this as we get it. SPOnG suspects the price will be nearer the £150 mark, but we should have some confirmation from Nintendo on this when we see them at Leipzig next week.
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Comments
kriv 16 Aug 2006 16:09
1/8
God bless Nintendo. Of all the 3 consoles Wii is the only one that excites and could be the refreshing change in gaming we all need.
Who wants to play another stale FPS clone, or yet another racer which has the same gameplay mechanics but nicer graphics?
Who wants to play another stale FPS clone, or yet another racer which has the same gameplay mechanics but nicer graphics?
Joji 16 Aug 2006 16:40
2/8
Blimey guvnor, that ain't half cheap.
I'm speechless, top stuff.
I'm speechless, top stuff.
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Dreadknux 16 Aug 2006 16:43
3/8
Gorgeous. That means plenty of room for AAA game snatching then! :)
There are loads of launch titles worth buying I wasn't sure if I could afford it all, but I guess the low price range - if proven true - could really kick things off and allow people more attach rates for software. This is likely the plan all along from Nintendo - since its so close to PS3, get out all their good stuff by launch and make the console and games cheap enough to obtain lots of them! Genius.
While I'm here, Nintendo have an opportunity to do some major damage software wise too. If the XBOX 360 is any indication, PS3 and 360 titles are gonna be about £50 a pop (up to £60 if they wanna push their luck).
Wii is cheaper to develop for, so there's the chance for cheaper games (as I think Nintendo said at one point). But keeping their games at £40 is pretty impressive for 'next-gen', but still not great in my book. If they were lowered nearer the £30 mark, that makes Wii games nearly £20~ cheaper than other console games, and would make serious value for money. And I'd imagine Nintendo would still get some profit for the cause.
Only problem is, (new) GCN games are still £40, which is horrendous. That might be an indication that Nintendo's a bit stubborn on that front.
Wouldn't make a difference to me personally if Wii games were £40, but would be cheeky enough to cause even more damage to rivals.
There are loads of launch titles worth buying I wasn't sure if I could afford it all, but I guess the low price range - if proven true - could really kick things off and allow people more attach rates for software. This is likely the plan all along from Nintendo - since its so close to PS3, get out all their good stuff by launch and make the console and games cheap enough to obtain lots of them! Genius.
While I'm here, Nintendo have an opportunity to do some major damage software wise too. If the XBOX 360 is any indication, PS3 and 360 titles are gonna be about £50 a pop (up to £60 if they wanna push their luck).
Wii is cheaper to develop for, so there's the chance for cheaper games (as I think Nintendo said at one point). But keeping their games at £40 is pretty impressive for 'next-gen', but still not great in my book. If they were lowered nearer the £30 mark, that makes Wii games nearly £20~ cheaper than other console games, and would make serious value for money. And I'd imagine Nintendo would still get some profit for the cause.
Only problem is, (new) GCN games are still £40, which is horrendous. That might be an indication that Nintendo's a bit stubborn on that front.
Wouldn't make a difference to me personally if Wii games were £40, but would be cheeky enough to cause even more damage to rivals.
Jay 17 Aug 2006 09:48
4/8
Reggie wrote:
I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories and a ton of games versus buying any of my competitor's products...
No s**t, Sherlock!
All great news though. I very much doubt we'll be seeing anything like a £90 pricepoint, but a free online service is the icing on the cake, expecially if it can match the quality of Live. My only qualm is Nintendo's insistence on the Friend Code idea - the process can be a bit laborious when compared to the usual lobby system, and you also lose the fun (if not the general wierdness) of talking b******s with random strangers at 2AM.
DoctorDee 17 Aug 2006 12:47
5/8
I want a Wii!
Actually, I could do with a piss as well. Excuse me...
Actually, I could do with a piss as well. Excuse me...
PreciousRoi 17 Aug 2006 13:39
6/8
kriv wrote:
Who wants to play another stale FPS clone, or yet another racer which has the same gameplay mechanics but nicer graphics?
with you on the FPS clone, some fresh ideas in the genre would be welcome(though if those bastards at EA ported Allied Assault over to Xbox I'd be all about it, even if I have been waiting 5 years)...but frankly, I can't wait for a Forza on the 360, especially since its impossible to transfer my existing Forza save. And when it does come out, I'll be back on the same damn track I been on since forever. Der 'ring. Only it'll be more prettier.
But free online service...theres gotta be a catch somewhere...like LIVE! Silver or something, they'll be making money off this somehow, not that thats a bad thing, more (Nintendo) Power to them.
Dreadknux 17 Aug 2006 14:32
7/8
Nintendo have always said they'd never implement an online gaming service unless they can make it free. I don't think there's any real catch involved
Mind you, for downloading classic games and other things it might cost you a bit, like XBOX Live Marketplace. Only I get the impression some WiiConnect24 thingies downloaded automatically will be free. Otherwise that's a snide way of making more cash.
"Your Wii downloaded an Animal Crossing expansion pack overnight! That'll be a fiver, please. I can take an IOU."
Mind you, for downloading classic games and other things it might cost you a bit, like XBOX Live Marketplace. Only I get the impression some WiiConnect24 thingies downloaded automatically will be free. Otherwise that's a snide way of making more cash.
"Your Wii downloaded an Animal Crossing expansion pack overnight! That'll be a fiver, please. I can take an IOU."
Smelly 21 Aug 2006 15:05
8/8
PreciousRoi wrote:
But free online service...theres gotta be a catch somewhere...
The DS online service is free too! There's been no catch there, so why would they change that for the wii?