Nintendo Minute: 12.05.08

Longtime IGN readers may remember our Nintendo Minute series, in which we presented Nintendo of America's highest-ranking executives with one new question per week. After an extended hiatus, the feature returns complete with answers from the company's new guard. In the weeks and months to come, we will be posting new Minutes answered by Denise Kaigler, NOA's vice president of corporate affairs.

To learn more about Denise and her esteemed background, check out her IGN Stars profile.

If you have a question that you want Nintendo of America to address, please send it our way. Simply click right here.

IGN: Reggie recently said that he didn't think the majority of third-parties were bringing their best software to Wii. "I will be able to say our licensees 'get it' when their very best content is on our platform, and with very few exceptions, that's not the case." What's the hold-up, in your opinion?

Denise Kaigler: As with all good, juicy, seemingly provocative quotes, this one loses its bite courtesy of helpful Mr. Context. Reggie's entire quote did not run with the original story, so your question gives me a chance to clear a few things up. First, Reggie was asked how many quality third-party games were available for Wii. He cited a bunch of them like Shaun White's Snowboarding Road Trip, the Rayman Raving Rabbids series and the Tiger Woods games. The reporter then suggested that "core" games do not sell well on Wii, which Reggie flatly said was not true, pointing to Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a prime example.

What wasn't included in the quote was that Reggie thinks developers are starting to "get it" and that he thinks there are definitely some great third-party games available now, with others on the way. But he said he wishes licensees could have believed that their core games were right for Wii on launch day.

You ask: "What's the hold up?" Isn't that a better question for the third-party publishers? Do you think they have all maximized their potential on Wii? Why or why not?

We're all definitely looking forward to helping our partners find ways to make use of the motion-sensitive controls for Wii. With the Wii's install base of more than 13 million in the U.S. alone, developers are coming to the party. Wii MotionPlus is a great example. We have given out numerous developer kits and our licensing team tells me there is some terrific innovation being considered.

IGN: We've heard some rumors that Nintendo may be planning some major announcements for the hardcore beginning in January. Care to comment?

Denise Kaigler: Rumors, rumors. Always rumors. Who starts these anyway? And I love how it's phrased: "… rumors that Nintendo may be planning some major announcements." Not that we'll actually announce anything, just that there's a chance we might possibly be planning an announcement. Well, maybe I'll confirm that. We're always planning some announcement. Of course, there are also rumors that we may not be planning some announcements.

One thing I can tell you is that we'll soon release our big list of games planned for Q1. And maybe some more information about a certain club.

As far as major announcements for core gamers, our huge, amazing news for 2009 will of course be … oh, look at the time. These Nintendo Minutes really fly by, don't they?

IGN OWNED... I think she is talking about Kid Icarus Wii XP

And about the Reggie thing, told you he didnt mean it... Im the only one thinks different when that issue comes up in this site.

I can't wait for that list of Q1 releases.

I like this chick. She has a quick wit about her. Especially the answer to the second question. Maybe she should speak instead of Cammie from now on. No offense to the Cammie Dunaway Fan Club.

itll be luigies mansion 2  edit.... just so nintendo can screw with you and have KidI ready th ship when they anounce it 

good read. Things needed to be clarified for the third parties.

just to cite:

"Rumors, rumors. Always rumors. Who starts these anyway?"

LULZ ironic she interviewed on the site that started it all...

Edit: I think everyone here will change their thinking about Ninty about third parties. Nintendo LOVES third parties theyre the ones bringing money from Nintendo after all... YEAH, even EA so I think Nintendo likes EA doing with NASCAR kart and the EA fit thing too.

i wonder how much of the Q1 list is developed by nintendo themselves. I mean we have wii sports resort from nintendo EAD but everything is being kept really secret

^S&P 2 and Punch Out Wii wasnt enough for you? :/

I like her, she does an interview every friday, tells of interesting things, I really want to know the list of Nintendo Q1 games though I'm sure it looks something like this Wii Sports Resort, Fatal Frame 4, Disaster Day of Crisis, and maybe a surprise or two.

2009 just looks awesome already I mean Q4 fell on Wii Music and Animal Crossing which are nice but irritated people that were looking forward to this years SMG to happen or a huge game like Brawl that happened earlier this year.

SIDE NOTE/RANT: What I've noticed was this 2007 is considered to be the Wii's year with games like Metroid Prime 3 and SMG and even SMG sitting at the #1 spot on game rankings for a while, but people forget that earlier that year was rather slow but people don't remember that they remember what comes out end of the year/killer app for the year, and that was SMG. Q1 and Q2 2008 was dominated by Wii releases as well, lots of block busters and huge selling games, but Q3 and Q4 brings the good games yet because they're either multiplats or not hugely hyped or noticed Wii seems weak in this time and it seems like 2008 is the year of PS3 and 360 and act as if Q1 and Q2 didn't even happen...

Just me but I know for a fact people people forget these things very fast...

/end rant