REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Nintendo’s Wii U™ console – the first
new home video game system in six years – arrived on Nov. 18, aiming to change
the landscape of games and entertainment with its new Wii U GamePad controller.
With more than 30 games for all types of players, Wii U arrives just in time for
the holidays and is poised to be the must-have gift of the season.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120413/CG86987LOGO )
The Wii U Basic Set is available at a suggested retail price of $299.99 and
includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB* of internal storage, one white
touch-screen GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and
controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI™ cable. The Wii U Deluxe Set is
available at a suggested retail price of $349.99 and its components are black.
This set includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as the Nintendo
Land game, increased internal storage totaling 32 GB*, a console stand, a
GamePad stand and a GamePad charging cradle. People who purchase the Deluxe Set
also will be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which allows Deluxe Set
owners to earn points when they purchase downloadable games and then redeem
those points for codes that earn them credit toward even more fun digital
content in the online Nintendo eShop. For more information about the Deluxe
Digital Promotion, which is available for a limited time, please visit http://ddp.nintendo.com/.
“Wii U is an ‘everyday’ connected device – offering a combination of games,
entertainment, online connectivity and social activity that will make people
want to interact with it daily,” said Nintendo of America President and COO
Reggie Fils-Aime. “Never before have so many features been packed into one game
console, at any price. Our substantial lineup of games offered at launch has
something for everyone on your shopping list.”
Wii U offers completely new and unexpected game play, entertainment
experiences and unique online interactions:
- Wii U GamePad: The controller features a 6.2-inch touch screen that
redefines how people interact with their games, their entertainment and one
another. It comes with dual analog sticks and traditional buttons for gaming.
The GamePad is wirelessly connected to the console, providing a perfectly
integrated second-screen experience with the TV, no matter how it’s being
used. Different players can enjoy different experiences in the same game,
depending on which controller they opt to use. Players can even move select
games from the TV to be played on the GamePad or use the GamePad as a TV
remote control.
- Games: Wii U launched with 29 packaged games, plus a handful of
digital games, marking the largest launch lineup in Nintendo history.
Nintendo-published games currently available includeNintendo Land™,
New Super
Mario Bros. ™ U, SiNG PARTY™ and NINJA GAIDEN™ 3:
Razor’s Edge. Third-party publishers also have an amazing array of
games available, such as Just Dance® 4, Assassin’s
Creed® III and
ZombiU™ from Ubisoft, Skylanders
Giants™ and Call of Duty®: Black Ops II
from Activision Publishing, Inc., Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of
Two from Disney Interactive, EA SPORTS™FIFA Soccer
13 and Madden NFL 13 from Electronic Arts, NBA 2K13 from 2K
Sports and Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition and
Scribblenauts™Unlimited from Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment. A number of these titles are also available for purchase
digitally in the Nintendo eShop alongside a strong lineup of
downloadable digital-only games, including Little Inferno from Tomorrow
Corporation, Trine 2™: Director’s Cut from
Frozenbyte, Chasing Aurora from Broken Rules, Mighty Switch Force:
Hyper Drive Edition from WayForward and Nano Assault NEO from
Shin’en. Wii U owners can expand the storage capacity of their systems by
adding their own USB external hard disc drives. Downloadable content for
select games, such as additional levels or maps, will roll out in December
following a system update. Wii U is backward compatible with almost all
Wii™ games and Wii accessories.
- Miiverse: Miiverse™ is a global community in which
gamers from all over can share experiences, discuss games and learn more about
the video games they love. Using their personalized Mii™
characters, players with broadband Internet access can enter Miiverse and see
games and entertainment content they have interacted with recently, expressed
interest in learning more about or that their friends are playing or
discussing. They can also challenge their friends to play together, ask for
help from the Miiverse community about a difficult level or discover elements
of their favorite games they never knew existed. Miiverse is integrated
seamlessly into the Wii U experience.
- Video on Demand: An array of favorite movies and TV shows are
available on Wii U to Netflix and Hulu Plus subscribers, with Amazon Instant
Video to be added soon. These services will also be accessible from Nintendo
TVii. Wii U owners will also be able to watch YouTube videos and channels
through the YouTube application, as well as sign in to their account and
control the application with the GamePad. Wii U owners who have connected
their systems to the Internet will receive a notification as each video
application becomes active.
- Nintendo TVii: In December, Nintendo will activate this unique
application that will transform how people find, watch and engage with TV
shows, movies and sports. Nintendo TVii makes watching TV simple and fun by
bringing together a program guide, remote control and social interaction into
one, seamless second-screen experience on the GamePad. Nintendo TVii comes
with Wii U at no additional charge and requires no additional equipment. It
works with existing cable and satellite channels. Viewers can engage with
others in a variety of ways, such as commenting on moments as they happen on
live TV, and then sharing those thoughts via Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter.
Users can also discover more about what they’re watching, as information from
a variety of sources is automatically linked to the program they are watching,
including sports data. Nintendo TVii is customizable for every member of the
family.
- Wii U Chat: Wii U owners can video chat with one another on a
broadband Internet connection using the built-in camera and microphone of the
Wii U GamePad. Friends and family members far away can see and talk with one
another in real time using this service at no additional charge.
- Internet Browser: Wii U comes with a browser that lets users surf
the Web from the comfort of their couches. Users can browse purely on the
GamePad while watching a program on TV. Additionally, they can pause a game,
launch the browser and search for something, and then re-enter the game right
where they left off.
“The value of Wii U goes well beyond day one,” Fils-Aime said. “Nintendo will
be enhancing the Wii U experience with continuous updates and new services for
Wii U owners.”
Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the
content their children can access. For more information about the many Wii U
features and details about all the current and upcoming games, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu. A network update is required for
some features.
* 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Usable internal memory limited due to system
software.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive
entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets
hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home
consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of
portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment
System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4 billion video games and more
than 637 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii
U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game
Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi
XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo
GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that
have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey
Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and
Pokemon™. 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, please visit the
company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com/.
Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at http://press.nintendo.com/,
a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please contact Deanna Avila at
213-438-8742 or davila@golinharris.com. Users can receive instant Nintendo
information by subscribing to the site’s RSS feed.
CONTACT:
GOLIN HARRIS
Angela Carrasco
213-438-8795
acarrasco@golinharris.com
Maritza Santibanez
312-729-4052
msantibanez@golinharris.com
America
