Nintendo fires off a release about the upcoming release of the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo is mobilizing the largest worldwide video game console launch in at least a decade, with approximately 4 million Wii systems available globally during the six weeks between Wii’s Nov. 19 launch in the Americas and the end of 2006. Although the largest share of that worldwide allotment will go to the Americas, Nintendo expects supply will be outpaced by demand, based on retailer orders, intense consumer requests and placement on numerous "gotta have it" holiday lists.

Nintendo is maximizing all its resources for a rapid replenishment program designed to consistently pump Wii consoles into the supply pipeline and keep retailers’ shelves as filled as possible. In addition, Nintendo factories are working around the clock manufacturing the extraordinary new system. Nintendo is employing fleets of planes, cargo ships, trains and ground vehicles in each global market to maintain the best supply flow possible, starting in the Americas.

"Wii is for both experienced and uninitiated gamers, and it will be available for the masses," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Because of demand, we’re urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we’re seeing goes beyond the ordinary. Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers – people looking for a better way to play. And that’s exactly what Wii is designed to provide."

A new study by the Consumer Electronics Association estimates a 27 percent spending increase this holiday season on electronic goods, and major pop culture authorities already have singled out Wii as the most anticipated item for the holidays. For the first time in history, a video game system is on the Toys "R" Us "Fabulous 15," the crème de la crème of the retailer’s "Hot Toy" list. Wired made Wii an editors’ pick in the technology magazine’s annual Test issue. And Toy Wishes magazine also includes Wii on its "Hot Dozen" list of must-have holiday toys, an industry bellwether of popular demand.

And the widespread demand for Wii creates great stories too: At a Denver retailer event, two sisters, one in her 20s, the other in her 30s, waited all night to be the first in line to place pre-orders – for themselves. The forums in Wii’s online community at www.myspace.com/howwiiplay are buzzing with posts from once and future gamers, male and female, in their teens to their 50s.

The unmatched Wii console makes use of a new control system: The Wii Remote can act like anything from a steering wheel to a tennis racket or a sword. Wii’s Virtual Console lets users download and play games from a library of classic titles from the past. Wii goes on sale in the Americas Nov. 19 at an MSRP of $249.99, and comes packed with a five-sport selection of games called Wii Sports. Outstanding first-party games available on launch day include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and EXCITE TRUCK. A total of 62 new and classic games will be available for Wii during the five weeks after launch. The American launch is followed by the Dec. 2 Japanese launch and the Dec. 8 European launch.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems, and upcoming Wii console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 375 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda 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.

Within the first five weeks of launch, Wii owners can pick from up to 62 games, representing the most diverse, and most exciting, console video game library available. Licensees and developers have lined up to support the Wii launch in unprecedented numbers. Wii and its Wii Remote completely change the way people play and experience video games by making every motion of the controller translate into action on the screen. All at once, Wii makes games both easier to play and more immersive. In the five weeks after Wii launches in the United States on Nov. 19, gamers of all ages and abilities will be telling their friends and family: "You’ve got to play this!"

By year’s end, Wii owners will have 32 new titles to play, including industry powerhouse games like The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess, Madden NFL ’07, Need for Speed: Carbon and Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam; category-redefining adventures like Red Steel, Elebits and Trauma Center: Second Opinion; and Hollywood favorites like Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some of these games might be familiar, but if you haven’t played them on Wii, you’re only getting half the experience.

Wii owners also will return to their youth with 30 classic games available for download to play on Wii’s Virtual Console. These include games for the NES®, Super NES®, Nintendo® 64, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 consoles. Players redeem Wii Points in the Wii Shop Channel and download their games. And that’s not to mention the entire library of more than 530 Nintendo GameCube games that can be played on the Wii console from day one because Wii is directly backward compatible.

"Developers worldwide have enhanced Wii’s launch library of new games with countless new ways to play," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Whether you pick a completely new property or a classic franchise, the Wii experience draws you in."

Every Wii owner starts off with Wii Sports, which comes packed in with the console itself. The sporting collection of bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing and golf lets players literally swing the Wii Remote like a bowling ball, racket, bat, boxing glove and golf club. The games are easy for anyone to try and they dramatically demonstrate how Wii makes video games fun for everyone.

For avid gamers, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess emerges as this season’s video game masterpiece. The epic adventure lets players swing the Wii Remote as a sword and can play in a 16:9 aspect ratio with beautiful visuals and glorious sound. Have you ever tilted your controller while playing a driving game, hoping in vain that extra oomph would help you land a huge jump? Now EXCITE TRUCK translates those movements of the Wii Remote as players hold it sideways and turn it like a steering wheel.

Wii’s launch library contains games of all genres, and each one gives gamers a new way to play. While Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and EXCITE TRUCK will be ready to go on launch day, last-minute polishing by third parties means their exact dates will soon be locked down, though most will launch by the end of November. A complete list of launch-day titles will be announced in the near future. Visit www.Wii.com for updates. Third-party publishers have created an impressive list of launch titles for Wii, and their backing will continue steadily into the new year. Before the end of December alone, the following titles will be available:

Activision: Call of Duty® 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Rapala® Tournament Fishing, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, World Series of Poker®: Tournament of Champions
Atari: Dragon Ball Z®: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Atlus: Trauma Center: Second Opinion
EA: Madden NFL ’07, Need for Speed: Carbon
Konami: Elebits
Midway: Happy Feet, Rampage®: Total Destruction, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Ant Bully
Sega: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
SNK: Metal Slug Anthology
Tecmo: Super Swing Golf
THQ: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barnyard®, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab
Ubisoft: Far Cry®: Vengeance, GT Pro Series, Monster 4X4 World Circuit, Open Season, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent
Vivendi: Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

In addition to these new titles, Nintendo is making the greatest video game archive in history available for download to its Virtual Console. NES games start at 500 Wii Points, Super NES games start at 800 Wii Points and Nintendo 64 games start at 1,000 Wii Points. Sega Genesis games start at 800 Wii Points and TurboGrafx16 games start at 600 Wii Points. Wii Points can be purchased online or at retail at an MSRP of $20 for 2,000 points. Before the end of December, the following titles will be available:

NES: Mario Bros.®, The Legend of Zelda®, Donkey Kong®, Donkey Kong Jr. ®, Ice Hockey, Pinball, Soccer, Tennis, Urban Champion®, Wario’s Woods, Baseball, Solomon’s Key
SNES: F-Zero®, SimCity
N64: Super Mario® 64
Sega Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Columns, Ecco the Dolphin, Gunstar Heroes, Space Harrier II, Toe Jam & Earl, Ristar, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
TurboGrafx16: Bonk’s Adventure, Super Star Soldier, Victory Run, Bomberman ’93, Dungeon Explorer

As previously announced, Wii contains built-in parental controls that let adults set the console to play only games of a certain rating and lock their selection with a PIN code.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems, and upcoming Wii console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 375 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda 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.