I would gladly sit on my throne and laugh at all the news sites scrambling to make sense of Reggie Fils-Aime’s latest cryptic statement about the Wii’s future releases, but I am also sucked completely into his well-rehearsed PR speak. Ever since he said, “What if we already did (go online) and you just didn’t notice?” at last year’s E3, I’ve found it pretty hard to trust anything he says. Is he talking to us, the dedicated gamer? Or the new “expanded audience” the Wii has sucked in? I’ll put that thought aside as I bust my noodle trying to piece together his oh-so-subtle hints.
“There’s gonna be a big game for the holiday that the gamers will want,” Fils-Aime said. “All I can tell you is what we announce during E3 is gonna be fantastic. The gamer is gonna be excited and the expanded audience is gonna be excited”
That statement alone sounds great, doesn’t it? A game that will not only cause hardcore gamers to squeal with schoolgirl glee, but one that can entertain the elderly and disinterested as well. That’s some game, isn’t it? My first thought is that it has to be multiplayer. Though Galaxy was certainly accessible and undeniably fun, it’s not something Gramps is going to fire up by himself one lonely Saturday night. The Wii’s success was built on multiplayer (Wii Sports) – heck, even the name is about community – so it makes sense Nintendo would capitalize on that again.
When he said Nintendo will be “maximizing all of our key franchises,” thing get a little hazy. Nintendo has three wildly popular, multiplayer-centric franchises: Mario Kart, Smash Bros. and Mario Party. Hardcore gamers won’t be doing flips over another Mario Party, Brawl just came out and Mario Kart is coming next month. So what does that leave for the Holidays? A motion controlled F-Zero? A simplified Pikmin? Maybe a four player ghost hunt through Luigi’s Mansion?
Or is it Animal Crossing? This was announced years ago with nary a peep from the Big N since. Could this be their answer to Home? A vibrant online community where people work to pay off their massive mortgages and do mindless tasks for unappreciative leaches (just like real life!)? I’d love to see Nintendo transform this series into a massively multiplayer world with the strong collecting hook it’s known for but more variety and engaging activities that will keep hardcore gamers entertained.
Is it possible? I have no idea. Nintendo has the casual sect cornered but doesn’t seem as interested in appealing to their longtime fans. I’d love to trust Fils-Aime that Nintendo will satisfying everyone this year, but we’ll have to wait a few more months to see if he makes good on his word.
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