Nintendo
Nintendo unveils a new line of Wii accessories
It's the new black.
By Matthew Shaer | 10.14.09
Yeah, we’re with you. That white Wii remote? It’s so old school. It’s so faded. It’s so over. What you need is a black Wiimote. Something cool. Sleek. Something to liven up your gameplay.
In essence, that’s the marketing pitch from the folks at Nintendo, who today announced the roll-out of a new color for Wii accessories. (Photo at right.)
“The Wii Remote revolutionized not only how people play games, but also who plays them,” Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing said in a statement. “The new color lets people customize their setup, and the controllers make great stocking stuffers for players of any age.”
The black Wii accessories will reportedly hit shelves on Nov. 16.
It’s been a busy few weeks for Nintendo. The company this month unveiled “Wii Fit Plus,” which includes an option to weigh your family pet, and track Rover’s fitness level alongside yours.
Meanwhile, in September, Nintendo dropped the price on its best-selling Wii console from $250 to $200, saying the new price tag would make the top-selling system “even more appealing.”
Although the Wii still regularly bests sales figures from rival Sony and Microsoft consoles, 2009 was not kind to Nintendo. According to the tracking firm NPD, Nintendo sold 277,000 Wii units in August – a 39 percent decline over the same time last year. By comparison, Microsoft sold 215,000 Xbox360 consoles in August, which marks a 10 percent increase over the previous year.
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2. C. Morton | 10.14.09
I love Nintendo and what they represent in the videogame industry, but if new colors for the DSi and Wii accessories are the most excitement they can stir up for this holiday season, then I’m projected a continued decline in their fortunes heading into 2010.
3. Attikai | 10.14.09
I would think more significantly than the new controller being black rather than white is that it includes the MotionPlus and Wiimote all in one unit. Currently one must purchase an attachment (MotionPlus attachment) for the old school white wiimotes to enjoy greater sensitivity. Functionality is the real story here, but you missed it. Form follows function, Matthew.
4. Wa | 10.15.09
@2 Attikai
I doubt the Wii Motion Plus is built into the controller. Pretty sure the remote and the wmp dongle are two separate pieces in one box.
5. Uzoma Peter Lane | 10.15.09
I used to be a Nintendo fan but news like this is why I am now a loyal Xbox 360 customer. The company simply doesn’t do anything that would lead me to believe it cares about gamers. All their products suffer from a lack of functionality: there have been three DS versions and the original PSP is still more useful than the most recent one. Then there’s the switch to AAC format and the friend code nonsense. They want you to spend money on games you can’t try out first. Nintendo is showing a huge lack of respect right now and I hope they suffer the consequences.
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1. zazz | 10.14.09
come up with good games, nintendo. I am disappointed at this point lacking all games that are coming up in ps3 and 360.