NINTENDO DS PUTS NEW EXPERIENCES ONLY A TOUCH AWAY
On Nov. 21, the First Nintendo DS Owners Step into the Future of Video Games
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 18, 2004 - If you've ever enjoyed video games, you've likely played MarioTM, Madden or Metroid®, The SimsTM or Spider-ManTM - but you've never played them like this. The names and characters might be familiar, but now you can interact with them in completely new ways.
On Nov. 21, just in time for the holidays, gamers across North America will begin snapping up the most innovative game platform in a decade, the Nintendo DSTM. Boasting dual screens, touch-screen and voice-recognition interfaces and two forms of wireless connection, the 1 million Nintendo DS units available in North America already are expected to be depleted by year's end.
"Retailers began calling for more Nintendo DS units even before the first ones arrived," explains Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "They're reflecting the demands of game players for entirely new ways to enjoy games - not just playing the same old games on a different platform. It really comes down to delivering a new experience and that's what we're doing."
Nintendo DS comes embedded with the PictoChatTM communication feature and bundled with a playable demo of the upcoming Metroid Prime® Hunters. In addition, the system will have a dozen titles available during its launch window, spanning every genre, including Super Mario 64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL 2005, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Golf and The UrbzTM: Sims in the CityTM from EA, Spider-Man 2TM from Activision, Ping PalsTM from THQ, Feel the MagicTM: XY/XX from SEGA, Rayman® DS and Asphalt Urban GTTM from Ubisoft and Ridge Racer® DS and Mr. DRILLER®: Drill SpiritsTM from Namco.
By the end of March, the Nintendo DS game library will include 20 to 25 games. More than 125 games remain in development worldwide, from Nintendo as well as every major third-party developer. And because Nintendo DS is backward compatible with Game Boy® Advance SP games, it already has a library of more than 550 games.
"Interest in Nintendo DS is very high as we head into the holidays," says Jeff Griffiths, CEO and president of Electronics Boutique. "This is a must-have item for a wide variety of people, older and younger, this holiday season."
Nintendo DS will sell at an MSRP of $149.99. Its clamshell design protects both screens, and its rechargeable battery allows for six to 10 hours of play on a single charge. The launch is being supported by an aggressive, multifaceted marketing program, which includes the "touching is good" campaign that targets a hip, male demographic in lifestyle magazines and on hot broadcast and cable television programs. Additional information about Nintendo DS is available at www.nintendods.com.
Nintendo DS launches in Japan on Dec. 2. By the end of 2004, Nintendo will ship 2 million units worldwide and another 2 million by the end of March.
The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance, Nintendo DSTM and Nintendo GameCubeTM systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as MarioTM and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, ZeldaTM and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.
For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.