내년 초가 거의 유력한듯 하네요. 것도 중국과 같은 시기이네요.

--기사--

닌텐도가 캐쥬얼 게이머로 하여금 게임기계를 사도록하는데 성공하였고, 계속 이같은 노력을 기울일 것이라고 발표하였습니다.

내년에는 더더욱 실용적인 소재의 소프트들을 발매하여 이 같은 노력을 경주할 것이라고 시타루이와루(닌텐도 대표이사)가 밝힘.

DS는 지금껏 가장 빠른 속도로 팔린 휴대용 게임기계로, 9월까지 5천3백만여대가 팔렸고, 위도 또한 1천3백만여대가 팔렸다고 합니다. 구입자 중 많은 수는 그 동안 게임에 관심이 전혀 없던 사람들입니다.

이 같은 성과로 2년간 닌텐도의 주가는 4배 올라 일본에서 가장 가치가 높은 회사 중 하나가 되었습니다.

두뇌트레이닝 또는 위 스포츠 같은 게임으로 이른바 캐쥬얼게이머들을 끌어들이는데 성공했지만 이제 어떻게 계속 캐쥬얼게이머를 남게 할 것인지가 닌텐도의 새로운 고민거리가 되었습니다.

실용적인 장르의 소프트로 고민거리를 해결한다는게 닌텐도의 복안입니다.

닌텐도는 또한 내년에 중국과 대한민국에 위(Wii)를 판매할 계획입니다.


출처 : 월스트리트저널 아시아 금일(2007년10월29일)

--원문--

TOKYO -- Now that Nintendo Co. has succeeded in getting consumers who aren't big videogame players to buy its devices, it plans to make an aggressive push to keep them interested.

Nintendo, which makes the DS portable videogame device and Wii console, said it hoped to start by unveiling new features for the DS next year that would be more practical than entertaining.


The company didn't provide specifics. But President Satoru Iwata said the features will be useful in places like train stations, amusement parks or museums and could be accessed wirelessly. The decision, unveiled in a rare strategy presentation by its top executives, is a change in strategy for Nintendo.

Concerned that complex videogames were turning off users, the company over the past few years has courted casual game players with a range of software titles on practical topics such as learning English and cooking. Its coming title for the Wii, called Wii Fit, focuses on health and exercise. But the company has insisted that such software and other features include an element of game playing or entertainment with a gamelike twist and has discouraged the notion it was expanding beyond videogames.

The success of the DS and Wii has changed things. The DS has been the fastest-selling portable videogame player ever, selling more than 53 million units world-wide as of September. The Wii, released a year ago, has already sold more than 13 million units. Many of the users have never been interested in videogames.

In comparison, Sony Corp. has sold 25.4 million PlayStation Portable units and 5.5 million PlayStation 3 videogame consoles in about the same period.

Nintendo's newest fans have been big drivers behind some of the company's most popular games, such as Brain Age, a quiz game for the DS, and Wii Sports, a game for the Wii that lets users bowl, golf or play tennis by wielding a controller as if it were a ball, club or racket.

The demand by so-called casual users has helped Nintendo report a surge in sales and earnings, and its stock price has nearly quintupled over the past two years, making it one of Japan's most valuable companies.

Analysts say they think Nintendo will be able to maintain its strength, but one concern has been how Nintendo would keep these casual players interested enough to not put their devices away.

Mr. Iwata said he would consider practical uses for the Wii and DS, but that it made sense to focus on the DS first, because it has sold far more.

"This is the first device that is portable and wireless and anybody can use. And with so many devices out there, it would be wasteful to not turn it into a tool," he said.

Nintendo's president added that it would take a little time to roll out these features because it means changing the company's business model. He suggested that Nintendo would first target Japan, where nearly one in six people owns a DS. He said DS sales in Europe were gaining the kind of momentum experienced in Japan the past couple of years.

The Wii will still take time to become as widespread as the DS, but Mr. Iwata said Nintendo planned to form partnerships with more companies to offer more Internet-based features on it that aren't game related.

For starters, he said a new television-programming feature for the Japanese market will be available by March in partnership with another company. Users will be able to check television listings, run searches by keyword and genre, and highlight each family member's favorite programs.

He also said a new capability in the shopping feature on the Wii will allow users to send downloadable games as gifts. This will be available in December world-wide.