E3 2005: Nintendo's E3 2005 Conference
We attend Nintendo's E3 blow-out. Details on Revolution and Zelda inside.
by IGN Staff
May 17, 2005 - The following is a play-by-play live report from the conference.
9:30 am: Kodak Theatre, fifth floor, Ball Room. Nintendo's annual E3 conference is about to start. The house is packed full. Many people could not score seats and are standing at every side of the auditorium.
9:37 am: Still nothing. Nintendo is fashionably late.
9:40 am: The fire marshall is not happy. The start of the conference is delayed until the most flammable Nintendo fans are moved out of the way.
9:45 am: Lights dim. The crowd claps. A Nintendo intro video appears on screen. Reggie voiceover remix: "We remain all about the games. My name is Reggie, we're about kicking ass."
9:50 am: Iwata takes stage. Says he's about playing games. "Who's your daddy," he asks. A video plays.
9:51 am: Footage of DS games. Footage of Geist, ElectroPlankton, Nintendogs, Mario Kart, Zelda, Killer 7, Viewtiful Joe DS, Madden, Batallion Wars. The crowd cheers. The video ends.
9:54 am: The crowd cheers and Reggie takes the stage. "We at Nintendo continue to explore the videogames," he says. Promises information about new gameplay on Nintendo DS and promises solid information on Nintendo Revolution.
9:55 am: Reggie jokes about console specs for 360 -- offers another number: "2." As in "2 billion games sold by Nintendo." Says it's just the beginning. "Nintendo is not an 'or' company. Nintendo is an 'and' company." Talks about how Nintendo is about "change" -- and how more change is on the way. "We exist for the love the game." Reggie promises a new dimension of gameplay on DS.
9:56 am: "Today, you will begin to understand how our Revolution is preparing to storm the gates." Says Nintendo created the game space and "we're not moving out." He then compares the Game Boy Advance to PS2 in sales -- GBA has sold more than 28 million units in the US, even though it launched eight months later. Global sell-through for DS is 5 million -- twice that of PSP. 9:59 am: Hollands still likes it. Takes the stage to demonstrate some music tracks. He composed entire tracks from the unit. Sound demo appears to use sounds from synthesizers, however (the bass is too heavy for a DS demo).
10:01 am: Reggie returns. Says Nintendo didn't invent the concept of online gaming. But they intend to reinvent it. Reggie says Nintendo partnered with IGN Entertainment's GameSpy division to provide wireless online play -- uses hot spots around the world. "Simple and intuitive." Believes 90% of DS owners will be online. the service will be free, outside the house via hotspots and free inside your house. "Users won't face monthly gameplay bills." Reggie says Nintendo is working to overcome the current "macho style of online games."
10:04 am: "Around the world, 25 publishers are working on DS wireless games including all the big players. Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing wireless internet by end of year -- Tony Hawk game, too. Mario Kart will be demoed on the showfloor wirelessly.
10:06 am: Nintendogs is up next. Taught the Japanese game world to sit up and take notice, with 400,000 copies sold in Japan in a month. DS was the bestseller in Japan for the launch period, outselling PSP by a factor of 3. Tina Wood from G4 takes the stage to demonstrate Nintendogs. She's got a pug named Mia. Tells the dog to say "hi" and dog moves mouth. Says "lay down" and dog lays down. Says "new Zelda" thee times and dog shows no reaction. Oops. A little Mario Kart is driving around the virtual room and the dog follows it. Then Tina gives the dog a bath and demonstrates "bark mode."
10:11 am: Tina uses wireless technology to search for a friend for to play with. System searches. We hear a bark. Bill Trinen's dog Mario comes into play.
10:12 am: Shigeru Miyamoto takes the stage. Applause. Miyamoto and Wood converse in English (she's his number 1 fan, etc.), Miyamoto's dog does a handstand in the game and then mount's Tina's dog. Laughter. Miyamoto asks: "Would you like me to show you a few more tricks?" She says yes. He replies: "Then please follow me backstage." Laughter.
10:14 am: Reggie shows the Game Boy Micro. Says "I know you haven't seen this. It's a hair bigger and two-thirds the weight of an iPod Mini." It's not new technology, but a new look and has the "best and brightest screen ever in a handheld." Not a successor to DS or GBA, but an extension of portable play. The system can be customized with a wide array of face plates and will hit this fall.
10:15 am: Reggie says games are the most important thing. Montage of video footage plays. Fire Emblem, Yoshi Topsy Turvy, Pokemon Emerald, Nintendogs, Mega Man Battle Network 5, Mario Kart DS, Need for Speed DS, Pac'n Roll, Trace Memory. Phoenix Wright, GoldenEye, Mario and Luigi 2, Advance Wars Dual Strike, Spyro, Kirby Kanvas Curse, Meteos, New Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, Trauma Center, Viewtiful Joe DS. End of montage. Iwata is back on stage.
9:18 am: Iwata takes tage. Introduces Revolution. Holds up the tiny, Mac Mini-sized unit. Crowd cheers. Says it's the smallest console Nintendo has ever manufactured. Says the final machine will be even smaller than the concept unit he's holding. Can stand horizontally or vertically. Revolution will play 12cm (DVD) discs (and GameCube software, too). Added attachment can be used to play movies and other DVD content. Machine has 512 MB of onboard flash memory for data storage.
9:20 am: "When you turn on Revolution and see the graphics, you will say 'wow!'" "Our competitors have detailed the power of their core processor and display. But the advantages of our technology will also have no bearing on gameplay. I know, this is one of those mysterious comments," he says. Says wifi will be built into every Nintendo product so controller, TV, console, and internet can interact. Nintendo intends to develop a device that's functional and appealing to every member in the household -- whether gamers or not. All controllers will be wireless. Also, the controllers will be very unique "in ways we will share with you... later." Already working on several wifi games for launch. Smash Bros. will be launch game -- wifi.
9:24 am: For Revolution, "Miyamoto is challenging his teams to create something new." His new creation will debut with Revolution. Big franchises will of course be there -- including new versions of Mario and Zelda. Short (pre-rendered) Metroid Prime 3 clip showing Samus standing in front of her redesigned spaceship. "We expect strong third-party support in both hemisphere." For example, Square Enix is already working on Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle for Revolution.
9:27 am: Iwata: Convinced game development on Revolution will be easier and far less costly than for other machines. "Big idea can prevail over big budget." Revolution is a solution to help maximize creative freedom. Iwata then talks about backward compatibility. "Redefining term of backward compatability." It's a virtual console, able to download 20 years of Nintendo content. You will be able to Download NES, Super NES and N64 games. You can get every Nintendo game ever made. "Revolution shares a vision with DS. The machine is just a tool for software."
9:30 am: Next year, Revolution will fully serve core gamers. "We will attract casual gamers using consumer friendly content control and internet. And we will even draw non-gamers to our Revolution showing them how much fun there is and what we all do already. We call this 'all-access gaming.'" Iwata concludes by saying gamers touch his heart when they pick up the controller and enjoy the games.
9:32 am: George Harrison takes stage to talk about GameCube. System has sold 10 million units in America alone. There are 60 new titles on the way in 2005. There will be 400 games in total.
9:33 am: Batallion Wars: save the world by clearing over 20 missions in a combination of action and RTS. Gameplay clip plays.
9:34 am: Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. It's a full-fledged RPG with a dark and sinister plot. "Pokemon is serious business." Emerald and other GBA titles will move to the big screen when XD launches in October. A quick Killer 7 clip plays.
9:35 am: Harrison introduces new Mario titles: Super Mario Strikers, Mario Baseball, Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (big cheers), and Mario Party 7. Montage shows Fire Emblem, Geist, Killer 7, Pokemon XD, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Donkey Konga 2, Incredible Hulk 2, Madagascar, Madden NFL 06, One Piece, Scooby Doo, Spartan, Mario Mix, Mario Party 7, Strikers , Mario Party, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, Harvest Moon, Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball, Shadow the Hedgehog, Midway Arcade, Medal of Honor.
9:38 am: "Of course we have saved the best for last. Today, prepare to see Link as you've never seen him before." Zelda trailer plays. Lights are flashing in the audience to simulate lightning flashes in the trailer. And yes, Link turns into a wolf in the trailer. Crowd goes wild.
9:41 am: Reggie is back on stage. Welcomes producer and director Eiji Aonuma. "Since you like the trailer, I have a present for you." Pulls Zelda video compressed on a DS cartridge out of a sleeve, goes "dadadadaaaa!" (Zelda chime.)
9:44 am: Reggie says good bye: "Be prepared to let your right brain run wild."
End of conference.
the first ever "cool" looking console from nintendo. 
The kids are alright at least.