Iwata believes Wii Sports Club improves on the Wii Sports experience
First, I would like to talk about “Wii Sports Club,” which is a recreation of “Wii Sports” for the Wii U system. “Wii Sports” has been enjoyed by many people around the world as one of the games that defined Wii. Although we were yet to launch the “Wii Remote Plus” controller that incorporated a gyro sensor at the time we released “Wii Sports,” this new game is made to work specifically with Wii Remote Plus, and I am sure that it will become even easier to feel a better virtual reality experience. In addition, we will provide online gameplay that enables one to play with others in distant locations as well as a new element in which players can engage in competitions where teams corresponding to certain prefectures in Japan, or states in the U.S., compete against each other online. Even without having to get together with a group, there will be numerous elements that can be enjoyed by a single player.
This time, we have decided to offer the game digitally as opposed to providing a packaged game. While “Wii Sports” was available as a standalone game in the Japanese market, it was bundled with the Wii system for an extended period of time in the overseas markets, and as a result we have opted to provide the game in a so-called free-to-play format. Consumers will be able to download the game free of charge, and the first 24 hours after activation will be a free trial, after which players can choose either a “Day Pass” for all sports that costs 200 yen per day or a “Club Pass” that costs 1000 yen per sport. We expect those who already discovered their favorite sport and wish to play it on a frequent basis to opt for the “Club Pass,” and those who only wish to play the game when they get together with others to opt for the “Day Pass.”
In the beginning we will release two sports, tennis and bowling, but we will release other sports one after another. These sports will be released automatically through the SpotPass feature without requiring consumers to perform any tasks. When a new sport is added, it and all the existing sports will be available free of charge for the first 24 hours, so I hope that many of you will get the chance to try them. - Satoru Iwata
link
This time, we have decided to offer the game digitally as opposed to providing a packaged game. While “Wii Sports” was available as a standalone game in the Japanese market, it was bundled with the Wii system for an extended period of time in the overseas markets, and as a result we have opted to provide the game in a so-called free-to-play format. Consumers will be able to download the game free of charge, and the first 24 hours after activation will be a free trial, after which players can choose either a “Day Pass” for all sports that costs 200 yen per day or a “Club Pass” that costs 1000 yen per sport. We expect those who already discovered their favorite sport and wish to play it on a frequent basis to opt for the “Club Pass,” and those who only wish to play the game when they get together with others to opt for the “Day Pass.”
In the beginning we will release two sports, tennis and bowling, but we will release other sports one after another. These sports will be released automatically through the SpotPass feature without requiring consumers to perform any tasks. When a new sport is added, it and all the existing sports will be available free of charge for the first 24 hours, so I hope that many of you will get the chance to try them. - Satoru Iwata
link
