Nintendo announces full line up for the rest of the calendar year.

[mike_intellivision]

What does everyone want?

We are less than two years into this console ... about the only big active franchises which have not seen a Wii game are Pikimin, Star Fox, F-Zero, and Kirby (the latter of which barely saw a GC title).

With only a couple of exceptions, this list will be in stores for the holidays. Most of the games others talked about will be lucky to show up by Xmas 2009. Nintendo, tired of getting reminded that Twilight Princess stole two shows before making it to retail, takes a very different approach. They could have everyone of those franchises ready for that holiday season -- and not show them until next year.

My guess is that we will learn more at the TGS in October. Of course, Nintendo can just drop a game SKU on people and make it happen.

If you read between the lines of their press briefing, this was the year Nintendo wants to get their "third party partners" into the act. They noted the number of titles in the first 19 months, how it exceeded both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. They talked about how 19 games by 11 different third-party companies had sold 400,000 in the US. They are looking for a broad base of different experiences and after having no one develop for the Gamecube, they want everyone to do what they want for the Wii -- because everyone wins in that game.

Now so long as they bring over Kirby Wii from Japan in early 2009, I will be happy.

Mike from Morgantown