Nintendo Bolsters Product Line for Holidays

Nintendo inc

Nintendo said that it is gearing up for the holiday season with new games, the ability to use the Wii console to chat with friends near and far, and the expansion of the Club Nintendo rewards program to North America.

Nintendo also revealed a wide range of games for the 2008 holiday season and beyond. A number of games are slated for 2009, including a new Punch-Out!! and Sin & Punishment 2 for Wii, and Fire Emblem : Shadow Dragon and Mario & Luigi RPG 3 for Nintendo DS . Consumers also can expect a new "Personal Trainer" series of titles designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways.

Nintendo also announced that North American supplies of the Wii video game console between October and December will see a significant increase from 2007's levels, and that Nintendo DS will also be available in greater abundance than ever before.

"We have new games and new experiences for every kind of player this holiday season, and that will certainly fuel increased interest in Wii and Nintendo DS," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "While there's no way to gauge total demand for our hardware systems, we're trying to satisfy as many of those players as possible."

According to the company, the new Wii Speak Channel arrives on Nov. 16 and uses the Wii Speak , a microphone that sits on top of your television. People who buy the microphone are given a code that allows them to download the Wii Speak Channel from the Wii Shop Channel at no charge. The Wii Speak lets people in up to four locations who have traded Friend Codes chat with one another at no extra cost. When you use Wii Speak in real time, your Mii appears on your TV screen and mimics your chat. You also can leave audio messages for your friends and family members or use Wii Speak to narrate captions for your photos, the company said.

Club Nintendo rewards Nintendo loyalists who complete surveys and register Nintendo products with loyalty coins that can be redeemed for exclusive items available only to Club Nintendo members. Club Nintendo is set to debut in North America this holiday season, according to the company.

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