Nintendo Fall Schedule
#1
DVD Talk Legend
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Nintendo Fall Schedule
The fourth quarter of 2006 will herald a new era for Nintendo with the launch of its remarkable new Wii™ home video game system. But that’s not what this news item is about! How could that be, you ask? Perhaps the secret to the launch information for Wii is somehow encoded in the text of this news item. You might want to pore over it for a few hours before staying up all night to debate phraseology and comma placement with your friends online. Or maybe it’s all just a scam to get you to read the other games we have launching this fall. One of the two.
As the weather cools down, the Nintendo portable game offerings heat up. FINAL FANTASY® V ADVANCE makes its way to Game Boy® Advance SP on Nov. 6. As series go, FINAL FANTASY is to video games what James Bond is to movies. FINAL FANTASY loyalists will enjoy an opportunity to debate which installment was best.
Nintendo DS™ owners are the big winners. Every week or so, another huge DS title hits, from the Touch Generations title Clubhouse Games™ to fan favorites like Elite Beat Agents™ and Yoshi’s Island™ 2. Clearly a gamer’s idea of paradise, here is Nintendo’s upcoming DS lineup:
Oct. 9: Clubhouse Games™
Oct. 16: Nintendogs™ (Dalmatian)
Oct. 23: Magical Starsign™
Oct. 30: Pokémon® Ranger
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Nov. 6: Elite Beat Agents™
Nov. 13: Yoshi’s Island™ 2
Dec. 4: Custom Robo™ Arena
Dec. 4: Kirby™ Squeak Squad
And, for Nintendo GameCube™ owners, The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will be available for you this fall. An enhanced version also will be a launch title for Wii. That will all happen on … Oh look, we’re out of space.
As the weather cools down, the Nintendo portable game offerings heat up. FINAL FANTASY® V ADVANCE makes its way to Game Boy® Advance SP on Nov. 6. As series go, FINAL FANTASY is to video games what James Bond is to movies. FINAL FANTASY loyalists will enjoy an opportunity to debate which installment was best.
Nintendo DS™ owners are the big winners. Every week or so, another huge DS title hits, from the Touch Generations title Clubhouse Games™ to fan favorites like Elite Beat Agents™ and Yoshi’s Island™ 2. Clearly a gamer’s idea of paradise, here is Nintendo’s upcoming DS lineup:
Oct. 9: Clubhouse Games™
Oct. 16: Nintendogs™ (Dalmatian)
Oct. 23: Magical Starsign™
Oct. 30: Pokémon® Ranger
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Nov. 6: Elite Beat Agents™
Nov. 13: Yoshi’s Island™ 2
Dec. 4: Custom Robo™ Arena
Dec. 4: Kirby™ Squeak Squad
And, for Nintendo GameCube™ owners, The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will be available for you this fall. An enhanced version also will be a launch title for Wii. That will all happen on … Oh look, we’re out of space.
#3
DVD Talk Legend
The lineup seems to be missing a number of titles, unless dates for these have changed:
August 21, 2006 Tenchu: Dark Secret
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 11, 2006 Mario Hoops 3-on-3
September 18, 2006 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
August 21, 2006 Tenchu: Dark Secret
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 11, 2006 Mario Hoops 3-on-3
September 18, 2006 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
#5
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The fourth quarter begins on October 1. Now look at the list. At least one game is released every Monday in the fourth quarter except for the following dates: October 2, November 20 and November 27. November 27 is after Black Friday, so it’s out. November 20 is after the launch of the PS3, so that’s out too. That leaves us with October 2. The Wii will launch on October 2.
http://gonintendo.com/?p=4013
http://gonintendo.com/?p=4013
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by nodoubt
The fourth quarter begins on October 1. Now look at the list. At least one game is released every Monday in the fourth quarter except for the following dates: October 2, November 20 and November 27. November 27 is after Black Friday, so it’s out. November 20 is after the launch of the PS3, so that’s out too. That leaves us with October 2. The Wii will launch on October 2.
http://gonintendo.com/?p=4013
http://gonintendo.com/?p=4013
#8
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by Jeremy517
The lineup seems to be missing a number of titles, unless dates for these have changed:
August 21, 2006 Tenchu: Dark Secret
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 11, 2006 Mario Hoops 3-on-3
September 18, 2006 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
August 21, 2006 Tenchu: Dark Secret
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 11, 2006 Mario Hoops 3-on-3
September 18, 2006 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Matt C. at IGN has an interesting take on this up on his blog: :
I mean to stay vague when I state that there have been multiple indications that Nintendo aims to launch Wii in the October time frame. Which would, of course, put the machine well ahead of the expected mid-November debut and likewise well ahead of Sony's looming PlayStation 3 console.
Sleuthing readers have determined that October 2 is a very likely candidate for Wii to launch -- this, based on the aforementioned press release, which has a suspicious opening on said date. Let's go with that for a minute and consider why this might make sense and why it might not.
Launching Wii on October 2 makes sense for several reasons.
First, there's the element of surprise. I don't think anybody really expects Nintendo to break from tradition and debut a new system a full month and a half ahead of the historic time frame. The Big N could therefore use these expectations to its advantage, sneaking out its new platform early. Sony has enough problems already with the high-priced Blu-ray drives and the low yields of its Cell processor; a surprise release of Wii could go a long way against a company which is likely fiscally unable to quickly mount a counter.
Nintendo could pull an Apple, which has rarely, if ever been done in the videogame console business. What I mean by this is to hold an event and then release a spotlighted product within a week of said event. Apple does this at Macworld all the time. Nintendo could theoretically do it at the Tokyo Game Show.
I'm leaving the realm of rumor when I state that Nintendo is scheduled to hold a Wii related event in September. Furthermore, Iwata himself has said that the price and release date of the machine would likely come in September. Now, the Tokyo Game Show happens to fall in late September. If the hardware is ready in bulk, what is to stop the Big N from announcing price and release date on or around TGS and then shipping everything a week later?
Retailers would love it. Launching Wii in October would effectively kick off the holiday buying season early, a prospect that retailers could rally behind. In contrast to the usual release-everything-in-November mentality, Nintendo and backers could ship Wii with, say, 5-10 games and deliver an additional 10-15 through October and November. Good news for the Big N, which will undoubtedly have big guns like Metroid and Zelda at launch. Good news for third parties like EA and Ubi, both of whom will probably have Madden and Red Steel rearing to go for launch, too.
Meanwhile, Nintendo and third parties could trickle out other big games -- WarioWare, Trauma Center, Rayman -- in October and November, which offers two immediate benefits. First, some third party titles that may have gone overlooked now have a chance. Given the choice between Zelda, Metroid and anything else, your average Nintendo fan is going with the established icons. That's just the way it is. But perhaps after two weeks have passed, they'll have room for some third party goodies, too. And second, a steady release of games both offers potential buyers continued incentive to pick up a Wi and also creates the perception that the console has a lot of continued support, not just one big bang.
There are also reasons why it doesn't make sense.
I don't think hardware is the problem. Wii is essentially current generation horsepower shrunk to fit inside a tiny console. The controller has been working for months. And some developers have finished kits. Hitting it in bulk might be a hurdle, but Nintendo seems better prepared for this challenge than any competitor. Still, software could be problematic. Games like Excite Truck and Zelda should have no trouble launching in early October, but third parties may have more difficulties. And although it could actually prove fiscally irresponsible to launch their games against Nintendo's powerhouses, some third parties see the word 'launch' and think that if they hit the window, they've got it made; thus, if they can't make it because Nintendo launches too early, there could be some backlash.
Would there be adequate time for public relations and marketing campaigns? Difficult to say. Apple is a Mac monopoly, if that makes sense. It is the only company creating Apple computers, as opposed to PCs, which can be manufactured by anybody. It is therefore the Field of Dreams for Macs, meaning that if Jobs builds it, they will come. It can sell iPods and Macs a week after announcing everything with a commercial and a smile. But can Nintendo do the same? It's never been done by a videogame giant. On top of everything else, Apple runs its own retail outlets and therefore has the unique ability to ship product without spoiling the surprise. Can Nintendo do the same when dealing with outside retailers who have nothing to gain in keeping the secret?
Despite these potential issues, I think it can be done and to be perfectly honest, I'd prefer it. Hitting the October window would be unexpected and original, two words that can simultaneously be used to describe the Wii console. I want to see Nintendo make the first move.
What do you think? Let's get a discussion going on the blog.
Sleuthing readers have determined that October 2 is a very likely candidate for Wii to launch -- this, based on the aforementioned press release, which has a suspicious opening on said date. Let's go with that for a minute and consider why this might make sense and why it might not.
Launching Wii on October 2 makes sense for several reasons.
First, there's the element of surprise. I don't think anybody really expects Nintendo to break from tradition and debut a new system a full month and a half ahead of the historic time frame. The Big N could therefore use these expectations to its advantage, sneaking out its new platform early. Sony has enough problems already with the high-priced Blu-ray drives and the low yields of its Cell processor; a surprise release of Wii could go a long way against a company which is likely fiscally unable to quickly mount a counter.
Nintendo could pull an Apple, which has rarely, if ever been done in the videogame console business. What I mean by this is to hold an event and then release a spotlighted product within a week of said event. Apple does this at Macworld all the time. Nintendo could theoretically do it at the Tokyo Game Show.
I'm leaving the realm of rumor when I state that Nintendo is scheduled to hold a Wii related event in September. Furthermore, Iwata himself has said that the price and release date of the machine would likely come in September. Now, the Tokyo Game Show happens to fall in late September. If the hardware is ready in bulk, what is to stop the Big N from announcing price and release date on or around TGS and then shipping everything a week later?
Retailers would love it. Launching Wii in October would effectively kick off the holiday buying season early, a prospect that retailers could rally behind. In contrast to the usual release-everything-in-November mentality, Nintendo and backers could ship Wii with, say, 5-10 games and deliver an additional 10-15 through October and November. Good news for the Big N, which will undoubtedly have big guns like Metroid and Zelda at launch. Good news for third parties like EA and Ubi, both of whom will probably have Madden and Red Steel rearing to go for launch, too.
Meanwhile, Nintendo and third parties could trickle out other big games -- WarioWare, Trauma Center, Rayman -- in October and November, which offers two immediate benefits. First, some third party titles that may have gone overlooked now have a chance. Given the choice between Zelda, Metroid and anything else, your average Nintendo fan is going with the established icons. That's just the way it is. But perhaps after two weeks have passed, they'll have room for some third party goodies, too. And second, a steady release of games both offers potential buyers continued incentive to pick up a Wi and also creates the perception that the console has a lot of continued support, not just one big bang.
There are also reasons why it doesn't make sense.
I don't think hardware is the problem. Wii is essentially current generation horsepower shrunk to fit inside a tiny console. The controller has been working for months. And some developers have finished kits. Hitting it in bulk might be a hurdle, but Nintendo seems better prepared for this challenge than any competitor. Still, software could be problematic. Games like Excite Truck and Zelda should have no trouble launching in early October, but third parties may have more difficulties. And although it could actually prove fiscally irresponsible to launch their games against Nintendo's powerhouses, some third parties see the word 'launch' and think that if they hit the window, they've got it made; thus, if they can't make it because Nintendo launches too early, there could be some backlash.
Would there be adequate time for public relations and marketing campaigns? Difficult to say. Apple is a Mac monopoly, if that makes sense. It is the only company creating Apple computers, as opposed to PCs, which can be manufactured by anybody. It is therefore the Field of Dreams for Macs, meaning that if Jobs builds it, they will come. It can sell iPods and Macs a week after announcing everything with a commercial and a smile. But can Nintendo do the same? It's never been done by a videogame giant. On top of everything else, Apple runs its own retail outlets and therefore has the unique ability to ship product without spoiling the surprise. Can Nintendo do the same when dealing with outside retailers who have nothing to gain in keeping the secret?
Despite these potential issues, I think it can be done and to be perfectly honest, I'd prefer it. Hitting the October window would be unexpected and original, two words that can simultaneously be used to describe the Wii console. I want to see Nintendo make the first move.
What do you think? Let's get a discussion going on the blog.
#10
DVD Talk Legend
How would releasing it a month early be like what Apple does? They've already shown off the system and its games. We know it's coming no later than November, so why would launching 4-6 weeks early be that big of a deal? It would be a nice surprise since most people expect it in November, but it's hardly (excuse the pun) revolutionary.
#11
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I would LOVE for the Wii to come out in early October. I'm sitting on 7 days of vacation that I have to use or lose by October 14, and am really hoping I can waste them sitting around playing with a new toy.
Also, I hope the calendar doesn't mean that Phantom Hourglass has been pushed back. The promise of that game pushed me over the edge and got me to buy a DS a couple months back and I'm still really, really looking forward to it.
Also, I hope the calendar doesn't mean that Phantom Hourglass has been pushed back. The promise of that game pushed me over the edge and got me to buy a DS a couple months back and I'm still really, really looking forward to it.
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by Jeremy517
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
#13
Retired
Must Buy:
Nov. 13: Yoshi’s Island™ 2
Castlevania (not listed since 3rd party game).
Probably pick up if reviews are good:
Dec. 4: Kirby™ Squeak Squad
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Maybe, but probably not due to time constraints:
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Final Fantasy 3
Nov. 13: Yoshi’s Island™ 2
Castlevania (not listed since 3rd party game).
Probably pick up if reviews are good:
Dec. 4: Kirby™ Squeak Squad
August 28, 2006 Star Fox Command
September 25, 2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Maybe, but probably not due to time constraints:
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Final Fantasy 3
#16
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Only games I'm really looking forward to are Final Fantasy III and Children of Mana, and Phantom Hourglass whenever that comes out. I've got plenty of games to occupy me as it is.
#18
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While Yoshi's Island and Star Fox and must-buys for me, I'm actually more pumped about Clubhouse Games than anything (not counting the Wii of course). Check it out.
#19
DVD Talk Legend
Does anybody know if Nintendo is bringing Hotel Dusk: Room 215 to North America? I believe this game is coming out in the fall in Japan.
After watching the trailer, it looks to be a detective/murder mystery game and wouldn't mind playing it since I'm big into detective/film noir movies.
After watching the trailer, it looks to be a detective/murder mystery game and wouldn't mind playing it since I'm big into detective/film noir movies.
#20
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Originally Posted by Drexl
We know it's coming no later than November, so why would launching 4-6 weeks early be that big of a deal?
#21
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by Drexl
How would releasing it a month early be like what Apple does? They've already shown off the system and its games. We know it's coming no later than November, so why would launching 4-6 weeks early be that big of a deal? It would be a nice surprise since most people expect it in November, but it's hardly (excuse the pun) revolutionary.
You know, pretty much the exact opposite of what MS did.
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Looks like I'm going to be buying at least 2 games a month then!
There goes my wallet, but a lot of those look really good!
And if that wasn't enough Wii will be launched later. Nintendo is on fire!!!
There goes my wallet, but a lot of those look really good!
And if that wasn't enough Wii will be launched later. Nintendo is on fire!!!