SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Nintendo, which helped create today's video-game industry more than 20 years ago, had to change its game plan quickly to avoid being overwhelmed in the home-console wars.
Now Nintendo and its Wii are riding the biggest wave of success at the E3 game summit, overshadowing tech giants Microsoft and Sony and their more powerful entries.With its unique motion-sensitive control system and several hot homegrown games, the $249 Wii's infectious physicality has caught the attention of gamers and newcomers alike. And as sales outstrip those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, game developers are noticing.
The results are evident in a slew of new Wii titles on the way, from Dance Dance Revolution:Hottest Party (Konami, fall), incorporating the remote and nunchuk controllers in dance moves, to more Wii-action-friendly sports games such as a retooled Madden NFL 08 from Electronic Arts (out Aug. 14). Wednesday, Nintendo unveiled its latest innovation for the Wii: a physical-fitness game called Wii Fit (due in 2008, no price set) that combines aerobics, core conditioning and yoga with activities such as ski jumping and blocking soccer balls. Players stand on a balance board that also evaluates body mass. The program tracks your fitness age, similar to how Nintendo's Brain Age game tracks mental acuity.
