In a bit of a different kind of videogame story, Norwegian Cruise Line announces that it will have Nintendo Wii consoles installed on all North American ships by next month. Games available will be Wii Sports, Wii Play, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Excite Truck.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced it is the first cruise line to offer guests a chance to experience Nintendo’s red-hot Wii video game system on board its ships. Since its launch in November 2006, the Wii system from Nintendo has become one of the most popular game systems. With an easy-to-use motion-sensitive controller, Wii draws new players into the world of video games in a very ‘real’ way.
Wii systems are currently on NCL’s newest ship – Norwegian Pearl – and all NCL America ships. Wii will be rolled out on the rest of the NCL fleet by next month. The systems are equipped with Wii Sports, offering five distinct sports experiences: tennis, golf, baseball, boxing and bowling. Other games available on the ships include Wii Play, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Excite Truck.
"With its active, engaging and inviting game experiences appealing to every age from kids to parents to grandparents, the Wii from Nintendo is a natural fit for Freestyle Cruising," said Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO. "With the addition of Wii to our on-board activities, we can now offer bowling, boxing, golf, tennis and baseball across the entire fleet. Cheering, yelling and high-fives will be highly encouraged."
"Millions of people around the world continue to discover the fun of playing Wii with their friends and families," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Norwegian Cruise Line is a great partner, as they offer us direct access to non-traditional gamers. Our partnership reinforces how Wii’s social phenomenon continues to grow, from the centerpiece of gaming parties, to a workout supplement, to a fun facet of vacation cruises."
On each ship, Wii systems/setups will be located in the atrium and other public rooms allowing guests to gather and play against each other while viewing the game on large video screens. Each ship’s Kid’s Crew facility will also feature two Wii kiosks providing kids-only fun. The ships will also host tournaments and other activities around the games.
"This partnership with Nintendo is an industry first and another innovation for NCL," Veitch said. "This continues our mission to dismantle the traditional cruise experience and deliver the most exciting and most customizable experience at sea."
