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gamedaily
Nintendo Wii Online Free
An interview with Reggie "The President" Fils-Aime has revealed that there will be no Xbox Live-like subscription fee for Wii online gaming. Similar to the DS and its Wi-Fi service, gamers can log on with the Wii out of the box at no cost. He also boasted about the Wii's abilities compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360, and commented that Nintendo is "so far in advance of our handheld competitors that they're not even on the map."
In an interview with USA Today, Chief Operating Officer and President of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed that Internet play for Wii games will be free, at least from Nintendo. He sees online gaming as a driver of system/game sales and an enhancement to the gaming experience, not the means to an end with a subscription fee.
"What I can tell you is the way we've approached online play now is really with a view to the masses," said Fils-Aime. "With Nintendo DS (a dual-screen handheld player), for example, we offer free Internet play in a wide-ranging series of games. Our focus is getting as many consumers to enjoy that online experience as possible. And we've done that."
"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," he continued. "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."
Fils-Aime also commented about "expanding the market" with the Wii, repeating the company line. He also talked about how the competition (Sony and Microsoft) are essentially trying to grab the same market share and that Nintendo was taking a different approach. Fils-Aime once again brought up the example of the DS as a way that Nintendo's philosophy not only expands the market, but brings in core gamers as well.
"Our visuals for Wii will look fantastic, but in the end, prettier pictures will not bring new gamers and casual gamers into this industry," commented Fils-Aime. "It has to be about the ability to pick up a controller, not be intimidated, and have fun immediately. The trick is being able to do that, not only with the new casual gamer, but do it in a way that the core gamer gets excited as well."
"Our competitors are both going down the same path. Both believe that more and more performance with a higher and higher price tag are their keys to success. So what do I see? I think our two competitors will trade share between them, while we go off and grab share in a completely different way," he concluded.
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