Fils-Aime on Wii, future plans, likeness to Apple

Nintendo of America (NoA) President Reggie Fils-Aime was quoted the other day saying they are just getting started when it comes to their company’s quest for their lost glory. Saying something like that only means you have a lot up your sleeves, right? So everybody’s thinking what’s next for Wii and Nintendo. The following interview gives us an idea of things to come.

Speaking with online site GamePro, the official shared that he is rather blown away right now as their next-gen console not only met but exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s no secret that hardware and software sales for the Wii are nothing short of stellar. Fils-Aime then added that his amazement began in one of their media briefing prior to their launch:

Personally, it really clicked a couple days before, when we were rehearsing for our media briefing. When I got up there on stage and fired up that game of Wii Tennis… Well, not only was I having a blast, but I could see the faces of the handful of crew looking on from the audience. They were psyched. I was psyched! That was the moment I suspected we were in for even more than we expected.

He then mentioned that they really learned a lot from their Gamecube experience. While admitting that, Fils-Aime is also aware that things are different now given their much-powerful competitors. But as always, the Nintendo official reiterated that they have chosen to take a different path much like they did with their handheld, DS. He explained:

It’s clear by now that we’re headed in a very different direction. We’re putting games back into play, you might say, for everyone. Just like we did with Nintendo DS. From a strategic standpoint, that’s where we’re different-not restricting ourselves from catering only to the core. But amazingly, most of those core players are having an absolute blast with Wii, too.

Fils-Aime, furthermore, reminded everyone that a Wii with a DVD player will be coming soon in some markets but refused to talk about other details. When it comes to serving customers with HD content, the official referred to one survey that says only 17% of households in the U.S. have a TV set capable of high definition. While they can in fact do that anytime, he shared, it is not yet HD’s time.

The Nintendo official then shrugged when Nintendo was compared to rival companies Sony and Microsoft. They are different from them in terms of philosophy, he said. But then, he somewhat felt comfortable comparing Nintendo to the Apple company. He shared,

I think both companies are driven by a relentless vision that’s frequently at odds with the conventional wisdom in our respective industries. We both aggressively pursue innovation, and I think much of that innovation centers on software and the interface between user and device, rather than pure horsepower which receives a disproportionate amount of attention.

Nintendo of America (NoA) President Reggie Fils-Aime was quoted the other day saying they are just getting started when it comes to their company’s quest for their lost glory. Saying something like that only means you have a lot up your sleeves, right? So everybody’s thinking what’s next for Wii and Nintendo. The following interview gives us an idea of things to come.

Speaking with online site GamePro, the official shared that he is rather blown away right now as their next-gen console not only met but exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s no secret that hardware and software sales for the Wii are nothing short of stellar. Fils-Aime then added that his amazement began in one of their media briefing prior to their launch:

Personally, it really clicked a couple days before, when we were rehearsing for our media briefing. When I got up there on stage and fired up that game of Wii Tennis… Well, not only was I having a blast, but I could see the faces of the handful of crew looking on from the audience. They were psyched. I was psyched! That was the moment I suspected we were in for even more than we expected.

He then mentioned that they really learned a lot from their Gamecube experience. While admitting that, Fils-Aime is also aware that things are different now given their much-powerful competitors. But as always, the Nintendo official reiterated that they have chosen to take a different path much like they did with their handheld, DS. He explained:

It’s clear by now that we’re headed in a very different direction. We’re putting games back into play, you might say, for everyone. Just like we did with Nintendo DS. From a strategic standpoint, that’s where we’re different-not restricting ourselves from catering only to the core. But amazingly, most of those core players are having an absolute blast with Wii, too.

Fils-Aime, furthermore, reminded everyone that a Wii with a DVD player will be coming soon in some markets but refused to talk about other details. When it comes to serving customers with HD content, the official referred to one survey that says only 17% of households in the U.S. have a TV set capable of high definition. While they can in fact do that anytime, he shared, it is not yet HD’s time.

The Nintendo official then shrugged when Nintendo was compared to rival companies Sony and Microsoft. They are different from them in terms of philosophy, he said. But then, he somewhat felt comfortable comparing Nintendo to the Apple company. He shared,

I think both companies are driven by a relentless vision that’s frequently at odds with the conventional wisdom in our respective industries. We both aggressively pursue innovation, and I think much of that innovation centers on software and the interface between user and device, rather than pure horsepower which receives a disproportionate amount of attention.