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Start Button Press - September 2006

Yeah, it's been a while, but's been relatively quiet from Nintendo recently - at least in comparison to the furore surrounding the Wii's launch...

The best pricing deal on DSes - black and white - seems to be at Target at the moment, at $179. Though if they're out of stock of the black, it's highly likely a JB HiFi in the area will pricematch or possibly even beat others' prices - I know that I got my DS for ~$20 less than Myer were selling them for, simply because I talked to the guy and was friendly The Futuretronics 15-in-1 pack is now relatively cheap, $39 at all Myers. This pack has some good and some pointless things. The screen protectors are an absolute boon and really do a good job of protecting the screen from unintended scratches and dust, as well as feeling better to stab (there's more material to push against, rather than straight onto the DS's thin screen). The game cases and the headphones are rather gimmicky though, but some people might use them, if only for the headphones' iPod-esque fashonista looks.


Over on MyWii60 (that's Wii X360 for all you uninitiated folk) there's an article following the continuation of the Toys'R'Us Wii preorder 'fiasco' (such as it is). Read it all here, if you want. Basically, Toys'R'Us offer a preorder in which you get a guaranteed Wii, and a free game at launch. Sounds enticing. The only catch so far is that noone knows - least of all Toys'R'Us HQ themselves - whether the game will be predetermined or able to be chosen on the day. Store managers have supposedly been giving a lot of conflicting information, and so far, everyone is still confused.


EDIT: OK, so I spoke to Toys'R'Us, and got a little more info. It seems the deal extends to more than pre-ordering - that is, you can walk into Toys'R'Us on Dec 7th, pick up a Wii, and get a free game with it. I haven't got this in writing (yet, though I'm trying) so definitely don't take it as gospel

If only I was in Japan... or the U.S.A, or Europe. Pre-order Elebits on the Wii, and get a free plush toy! It looks awesome.

Elebits toys!


Aussie-Nintendo.com have some more interesting info on the Wii.
The Opera browser will be a free demo download for at least 6 months, possibly more. After July 2007 or thereabouts it will cost a token amount in the Wii's Shop Channel to download, or continue to use the browser. So you'll get 6 months' free functionality, but if you want to keep using it, you'll have to line Opera's pockets slightly (:
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Wii Release Date, Price revealed...

September 17th 2006 07:43
Yes, it's incredibly late, and no doubt you've already read it somewhere else. But if by some freak chance you haven't, here's what we know now...

"NINTENDO’S INCOMPARABLE Wii CONSOLE LAUNCHES DEC 7th; SRP $399.95

As part of a global launch period, Wii will arrive in Australia on December 7th. Wii will be sold as an affordable, mass-consumer product at an SRP of just $399.95. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk™ controller and the groundbreaking collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc, which anyone can play using simple movements, experienced or not.

Every Wii console includes another distinctive feature: a series of on-screen “channels” that make up the Wii Channel Menu, which makes the console approachable and customisable for everyone, from the most avid gamer to people who have never played before.

The Wii Channel Menu is the starting point for all of the console’s functions. The “channels” offer a gateway to a rich variety of entertainment options. When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface, letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games.

Additional functions allow users to redeem Wii Points and download classic games to Wii’s Virtual Console™. The variety of options available through the Wii Channel Menu motivates both gamers and non-gamers to turn on Wii’s power every day.

Wii is creating worldwide excitement with its unique control system, an inventive, first-of-its-kind controller whose position can be detected in a 3-D space. The new controller allows users to pinpoint targets in games or move through the Wii Channel Menu with precision and ease. This intuitive control system will be understood immediately by everyone, regardless of their previous experience with video games.

With this one small controller, Wii makes games both easier and more intense than anything previously experienced. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game, players swing the Wii Remote like a racquet to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.

“Wii is a product for all to enjoy. Whether you’re young or old, an experienced gamer or complete novice, Wii has something unique to offer us all,” says Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing. “At such an affordable price, we see Wii as being a true product of everybody.”

Between launch day and Dec. 31, Wii owners will enjoy a robust lineup of around 20 software titles, with selections for everyone from video game veterans to newcomers.

Some top Nintendo launch titles include Wii Sports, a compilation of tennis, baseball, golf, bowling and boxing and The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess.

Wii’s self-loading media bay also can play the entire library of hundreds of Nintendo GameCube™ titles from day one.

Third-party developers around the world have lined up to provide unprecedented support for Wii.

Additional information about the list of Virtual Console games and the pricing structure will be revealed on nintendo.com.au in the coming weeks."


And of course, IGN have some valuable tidbits

And here is the Channel 7 report on the Wii!. I must admit, it's odd to see any mention of it in the mainstream media

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IBM releases Wii chips...

September 8th 2006 07:33
"
IBM has announced that their Broadway chip custom-designed for Nintendo's Wii console is not only already in Nintendo's hands but has been since July. "We have been shipping well within this quarter (July)," said Ron Martino, director of IBM Technology Collaboration Solutions. "In fact, we have shipped a significant volume in this quarter."

So what does this news mean to gamers who have been waiting patiently for a release date from Nintendo? Well, considering that Nintendo has had their hands on a large amount of the final Broadway chips since July, we can easily speculate that the Wii could feasibly be released within the next few weeks. Perhaps by the end of the month


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Wii Release Date to be revealed?

September 7th 2006 00:33
"Three regions of the world, three near-simulaneous press events. The final Wii price and launch date information will almost assuredly be announced, although Nintendo has not officially confirmed that to be the case just yet.

Ever since we all got our hands on the Wii this May at E3, everyone's been clamoring for two more pieces of information: price and date. It appears that the final pieces of the puzzle may be coming together in about two weeks


[ Click here to read more ]
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This week's game sales in Japan:

1.) Final Fantasy III (NDS, Square Enix) - 503,051 | NEW


[ Click here to read more ]
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