GoNintendo live-blog - Nintendo E3 media briefing

This post will sit on the front page, inactive, until the show begins. As long as I can get a wireless signal, I will be providing updates to this post. If I cannot get a signal, Deux Michaels will handle this section. I will update you on the situation as the event nears its start.

- 9:01 A.M. Nintendo is late starting the show, of course!

- Show starts, promo footage of everyone playing the Wii and DS…so many happy people. Do you feel the love?

- Cammie Dunaway is talking about her kids, playing games, and trying to be a cool mom

- Shaun White playing his own game, Wii version obviously

- Shaun White leaves, Iwata takes the stage

- Iwata talks about the pessimistic view of Nintendo 5 years ago, when he first took the E3 stage as president. Iwata comments that he is surprised that Nintendo is now selling millions of ‘bathroom scales’ around the world. Iwata goes into talking about the paradigm shift. He discusses games that sell over long periods of time, instead of a title that has big sales for the first weeks, and then drop off significantly. Brain Age and Nintendogs are used as examples of titles that still pull in big sales long after launch.

- Iwata talks about how not all consumers care about better graphics. He does understand that there is a crowd that enjoys that though.

- Nintendo’s internal teams that work on Mario and Zelda are hard at work

- Iwata is talking about system sales, Wii and DS sales are excellent worldwide. North American sales and European sales are breaking records, and doing holiday-like sales outside of any holidays.

- Iwata discusses expanding the audience through Guitar Hero III, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart Wii. Guitar Hero III Wii version is outselling all other versions.

- Animal Crossing Wii coming out this holiday season. Animal Crossing City Folk. Same style graphics, a bit higher rez.

- Animal Crossing City Folk has a city, an auctioneer building, visit Gracie, harriet’s beauty salon, you can put on a mask to look like your Mii. Write letters to other players, attach pictures, send them to other towns and the Wii message board.

- New microphone option called Wii Speak. Voice Chat on Wii, talk to people through Animal Crossing City Folk. Microphone sits on top of the TV, have people come to your town and do activities like fish, and more.

- Reggie takes the stage, sales data talk continues. 10 million Wii and 20 million DS sales surpassed in US.

- Reggie expects total worldwide DS sales within the next fiscal year. 2 out of 3 handhelds sold are DS units. DS sales are 12% ahead of last year’s record in America. Total DS software sales are 29% ahead of last year.

- Reggie says Wii software sales are beating out the PS2 record over the first 19th months of availability. 19 different third party games on Wii have exceeded sales of 400,000 units in US alone. 11 different third party publishers responsible.

- Star Wars: The Clone Wars footage is being shone. Nothing new really, just an expanded audience trailer. People flailing around, lightsabers going all about. Due out holiday 2008

- Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party footage. Ride a rocket through space via the balance board. Due out Fall 2008

- Call of Duty World at ar Wii footage, looks pretty impressive. CoD4 engine looks great in motion on Wii. Man shown using Zapper to play. Flamethrower in the game. Lots of glames…ore flames… “coming soon”

- Cammie comes out again. 30% of DS owners in 2005 were female, 2006 it was 46%, last year it was 48%. Guitar Hero On Tour sales talked about again, no new information on sales.

- Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades is on the way. The title is due out this fall. Players will be able to song share with other people. You can take your version of the game and meet up with a friend that has decades, and you can share songs.

- Spore Creatures is coming this year. Player creativity and sharing are a focus of the game. You can share creatures with friends, they enter your game zoo, and even in your game world.

- Pokemon Ranger 2 heading our way this year

- Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars coming to DS this year. Free-roaming gameplay just like the console versions

- Nintendo DS and airports teaming up to give you up-to-date info on on luggage, connecting flights, and more.

- Cooking Guide DS is coming to North America in November

- Reggie comes out to talk about the MotionPlus accessory.

- Wii Sports Resort is announced, will use MotionPlus accessory. Three activities will be shown. Every Wii Sports Resort will come packaged with the MotionPlus

- Wii Sports Resort demo showing real-time action. Disc Dog being shown, frissbee being thrown using precise motions

- Reggie shows off a jet ski, hold controllers like a jet ski handle. Throttle by flipping the controllers back.

- Sword fighting is shown off, Reggie and Cammie fight with each other. Hold Wiimote and swing like sword. 1:1 motion to chop blocks. Fight on a platform suspended above water. Sword fighting looks really great.

- Wii MotionPlus coming out this Spring

- Wii Music being shown. Drum with Wiimote and Nunchuk, balance board as foot pedal. Drum solo going on. Miyamoto takes the stage

- Miyamoto comes out playing a saxaphone, the drummer is still going. Miyamoto looks like he is eating the Wiimote.

- Miyamoto talking about the design process of Wii Music

- 50 instruments in Wii Music: piano, violin, guitar, variety of percussion instruments. Drum portions include lessons to teach you how to play. Orchestra mode, hand bell choir, note matching games. No evaluation of your performance, but videos of your performance can be saved. You can create your own music videos. Bands have six different parts, but the game is 4-player. Miyamoto and the gang are putting on a little mini-concert.

- that’s it!