Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Road to Release: All major gaming-related events until the end of the year.

Are you wondering where and when Nintendo might reveal new Wii info leading up to the console´s launch? Here´s a rundown of all important videogame related events until the end of the year.


IEMA Summit
18th - 20th of July 2006

Description: The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association´s annual summit.

Venue: Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, Huntington Beach, California, USA

Notes: The IEMA Executive Summit is a retail purchasing show bringing together the leading merchants and publishers to discuss topically-important industry issues and conduct purchasing meetings. It´s apparently a trade-only event.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news very low.


Online Gaming China 2006
25th - 26th of July 2006

Description: Optimizing marketing competitiveness, profitable game development and revenue strategies, organized by the International Quality & Productivity Center

Venue: Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel, Shanghai, China

Notes: There is no full list of exhibitors, this is possibly a workshop and session only event. Nintendo not on the speakers list.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news very low.


Siggraph
29th of July - 3rd of August 2006

Description: The 33rd International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, organized by the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques

Venue: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Notes: Co-located with Sandbox - an ACM Video Game Symposium. Nintendo not an exhibitor.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news very low.


Edinburgh International Games Festival 2006
21st - 22nd of August 2006

Description: The festival celebrates the best of the interactive entertainment industry and creates an environment where the development and publishing community can celebrate the latest creative milestones and look to future innovations.

Venues: Royal College of Physicians / Odeon, Edinburgh, UK

Notes: Co-located with the EIEF06 Edge Award. Nintendo is on the sponsors list.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news high.


Games Convention 2006
21st - 27th of August 2006

Description: Europe´s biggest gaming expo.

Venue: Leipziger Messe, Leipzig, Germany

Notes: Co-located with GC Developer Conference. Nintendo is on the exhibitors list. Wii console is expected playable at the event.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news very high.


PAX 06
25th - 27th of August 2006

Description: Penny Arcade Expo

Venue: Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA

Notes: PAX is a three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers. Nintendo is on the sponsors list.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news high.


Toronto Independent Games Conference
31st of August - 2nd of September 2006

Description: 2nd educational conference and trade event for game developers, with a strong focus on 3rd party "indie" developers, hobbyists, and students.

Venue: George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Notes: Largely academic speakers, full event schedule not yet published.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news low.


Austin Game Conference
6th - 8th of September 2006

Description: 4th conference for online and networked game development, including massively multiplayer online games, casual games, online PC and console games.

Venue: Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas, USA

Notes: There is no full list of exhibitors, this is possibly a workshop and session only event. Co-located with Game Writers Conference, Casual Games Conference and Game Audio Conference. Nintendo not on the speakers list.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news low.


TGS 2006
22nd - 24th of September 2006

Description: 10th Tokyo Game Show, organized by The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. Asia´s biggest gaming expo.

Venue: Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan

Notes: Nintendo is no exhibitor (like last year) and will not hold a keynote speech. Sony Computer Entertainment´s Ken Kutaragi and Square Enix´ Yoichi Wada are occupying the opening keynote slots, according to the Japanese TGS 2006 site. The English speakers list is still to be published.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news low.


GameCity 2006
25th - 29th of October 2006

Description: 1st Annual Interactive Entertainment Festival, GameCity aims to entertain, inform and educate individuals, industry and the public sector on the value and the potential of interactive entertainment for everyone.

Venue: Not Specified, Nottingham, UK

Notes: Since it´s the first such event, little is known about it. There is no exhibitors list.

Likelihood of Nintendo related news low.


vgXpo 2006
27th - 29th October 2006

Description: 2nd America's VideoGame Expo

Venue: Valley Forge Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Notes: Nintendo not on the provisional exhibitors list
.
Likelihood of Nintendo related news low.


EDIT I overlooked a sort-of important event, Digital Life in mid-October. Microsoft´s Peter Moore is holding one of the keynotes, but Nintendo isn´t even exhibiting. I just thought I added this in case you want to treat this as a complete list of gaming-related events, regardless of Nintendo´s participation.

EDIT It appears that Nintendo will not appear at this year´s Tokyo Game Show at all. It was widely believed that Satoru Iwata would again hold one of the opening keynotes and reveal more information about Wii. This is not the case. Sony Computer Entertainment´s Ken Kutaragi and Square Enix´ Yoichi Wada are occupying the opening keynote slots, according to the Japanese TGS 2006 site. So it looks like there will be no Nintendo news at TGS this year.

EDIT I will no longer update this post, since I am constantly updating its mirror, so to speak, over on the NSider forums. The formatting is slightly different, so I cannot simply paste the same information here without some effort. And since this post has moved off the blog´s front page and my NSider forums thread is floated on the Wii board, I kindly ask you to go there for updates.

Sources: Gamasutra, Siggraph, SPOnG

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice find! :-)


BTW

http://gonintendo.com/?p=3643

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid, I have a question about Eternal Darkness. Dyack mentioned they'd love to make a sequel. What console do you think it would come to? Doesn't Nintendo have patents on the franchise and sanity effects? Or is that just a misunderstanding?

game on said...

what a great post. Thanks fala!

Shoxware Games said...

@ raphael: I own the magazine "Games Aktuell" and the Wii Ad is real. That's all i can say.

Anonymous said...

Hope all happens according to planned....yes...

pn18 said...

ninty won't show anything at TGS. why?
1.: They'll held an extra conference in september to tell us the Wii launch/pricing
2.: No speech from Iwata or Miyamoto is up in the air for TGS
3.: As always, they won't be on showfloor

ninty won't show anything new on GC. why?
look above, except point 3

what's the "Edinburgh International Games Festival 2006"? Never heard about this. No way ninty will give us some news there.

Penny Arcade Expo 06: wii playable, no doubt, but news? no way.

greetz

Anonymous said...

http://n-heist.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Nice work man.

Anonymous said...

EA Unveils Development on Six
Titles for Nintendo's Wii
-- More to Be Announced

source: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/
060713/20060713005239.html?.v=1

Anonymous said...

The sentence that catches my attention in this press release by EA : "Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller." This suggests Wii offers new experiences not only thanks to its controller but also thanks to its hardware... Interresting !

Anonymous said...

Hmm... have you heard anything enw regarding that Star Wars game? it's still the greatest disappointment coming out of E3 (with Smash Bros. not at launch a close second!).

Actually, do you believe that there are still unannounced titles being developed? Titles intended to launch as soon as this fall or this winter but haven't been revealed?

I ask because I thought that this was impossible, that the entire fall launch lineup had been more or less revealed, and then EA announced 6 titles that sound as if they're launching this fall too. It it possible that there are more "secret" games that might arrive soon?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Anonymous said...

*NOTHING* would make me happier.

"dw9 wii exclusive?" -EGM rumors.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109920

or

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/
showthread.php?t=109920

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

Hey Falafelkid,

I searched the EBGames website for Wii to see what they had listed. I noticed all the games were $59.99 (to be expected since people won't get mad if they lower the price of a game that was preordered instead of raising it). Also, some of the games had an October 1 release date (deadlines are made to be moved).

The thing that really caught my attention was the fact that there were some games on the list that I thought were only rumors like Duckhunt and Pilotwings.

My question is: Do you think they have extra information or is it not unheard of for companies to list games that aren't necessarily going to see the light of day?

Link is here:
Wii at EBGames

Falafelkid said...

Hi PN18.

Sorry you don´t catch me online much... anyway, thanks for your comments. Just a couple of replies:

what's the "Edinburgh International Games Festival 2006"? Never heard about this. No way ninty will give us some news there.

Well, they are a sponsor of the event and, as such, will most likely have their upcoming console playable at the event. And where the console is playable, there will be news - if not official press statements, there will be news about hardware changes, as compared to E3 and the like. So far, there have always been minor tweaks and little news snippets from every public showing of the console. Wait and see, I am sure I´m right about this one.

Also, it´s co-located with the EDGE awards and EDGE is not just another gaming mag. So, depending what kind of products they are considering for these awards, there very well could be Wii news from this side event alone.

Penny Arcade Expo 06: wii playable, no doubt, but news? no way.

As above: Wii playable means news.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Anonymous.

Do you think they have extra information or is it not unheard of for companies to list games that aren't necessarily going to see the light of day?

I think it´s just what you seem to suggest. EB most likely knows no more than we do and are just posting a lot of tentative stuff. However, Gamestop and EB are having some kind of merchant´s meeting or conference sometime this or next month. At some event like this, they are sure to get more info from Nintendo. However, I doubt that it would ever trickle down to the people who manage what goes on their website. Those are just my two cents, of course - but you asked for them ;)

Anonymous said...

monster house screens

http://gonintendo.com/?p=3683

they look pretty good but lets remember its also going to be shown in 3d at the movies. will this game be made for wii? and zemmeckis is involved (in-three.com)

Anonymous said...

anon: NICE.

you got my attention. i didn't know the movie was supposed to be 3d...

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

The UK has apparently passed a law to outlaw "standby" feature devices in order to conserve energy. Is this bad news for the Wii Connect 24?

http://www.clubskill.com/?view=article&article=3892

I ask because as a professional journalist in europe, you have a vastly greater understanding of these issues than an ignorant american like me... though... I'm really Canadian...

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Anonymous said...

The Wiimote with normal batteries !!! LOL !!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!
What a stupid decision, like the name change !!!!! This is a reason not to buy this weak machine, which is absolutely not delivering Next Gen, but Next Leap !!! ( LOL = next leap, this reminds me to communists !! )

Anonymous said...

^ u suck hard man...get aps3 and go away

RGB said...

I dont know where it is stated where they said it will be using AA batteries. Please state this fact with a link otherwise shut your gob.

Anonymous said...

http://wii.ign.com/articles/718/718946p1.html

Anonymous said...

Oh i see even the biggest fanboy of the Wii , named grandmaster g.y, does not know the newest facts about his beloved, childish console.

You want the link ? Here take it !

http://wii.ign.com/articles/718/
718946p1.html


This shows how professional the Wii Fans are. They are told news by others, like me ! LOL !
Ah i see, this is not your fault, it is your destiny to have the weakest machiche , because you have the weakest brain !

Anonymous said...

man, i don't know about everyone else, but i'm soooo glad the wiimotes use AA batteries! nothing i hate more than dead proprietary batteries that are a pain in the ass to replace (and expensive) and have to be plugged in or docked all the time!

long live cheap rechargable AA batteries with 30-60 hours of life! :D

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

Hey Folk :

You know buying a PS3 or a 360 is much cheaper than have a full upgraded Wii!

Think of it :

1. You have to buy the classic controller, because i doubt that they will pack it in in !

2. You have to buy a lot of batteries!

3. You have to buy a bigger Flash card to save your Virtual console games, because the Wii does not have a Harddisk !

4. You have to buy the USB-Stick,for Wii-Fi, to play online, because the console does not have an ethernet port.

5. You have the buy the expansions to play shooter games or maybe future fps !

6. You have to have a good assurance which is going to pay your treatments of your inflammations in the wrist !

I mean the Wii is not a console to chill on a couch and play some really cool games. Ok, some of you will now come up with zelda, but honestly i prefer to play zelda on my gamecube, because it is more comfortable, and i dont want buy only an upgraded gamecube with nothing than a boring peripheral.
I mean common be honest, where to hell is here the next gen ??? !!! They are selling us for dumb, because they have developped the DS for the Television. They saw how successful the DS was and therefore they converted it to the TV. The Wii is nothing more than the DS. And therefore i see no innovation !
As a true gamer i want progress, i want Next Generation, i want have Graphics ( Yeah why not??!! This is natural ! this is real gaming ! ), i want new games and also sequels !
Gaming is technology and therefore progress is wanted by the consumer.
I am open to all consoles , but this time, the whole gaming market is drifting away, especially nintendo. I dont think that this way is innovating the gaming sector, maybe they will have big success with selling because of the price, but they will not push the gaming market to the future...

Anonymous said...

LOL,LOL, LOL !

You can play the 360 and even charge the akku! This is next technology !

Falafelkid said...

Hi Anonymous.

You know buying a PS3 or a 360 is much cheaper than have a full upgraded Wii!

You are kidding, aren´t you?

1. You have to buy the classic controller, because i doubt that they will pack it in in !

They might. If not, it will set you back about $20-$30 maximum. Also, you only need it for VC games and only if you don´t have GCN controllers.

2. You have to buy a lot of batteries!

Now you ARE kidding, right? Batteries cost a pittance and you have heard of rechargables, have you?

3. You have to buy a bigger Flash card to save your Virtual console games, because the Wii does not have a Harddisk !

A flash card will be included in the standard set, that´s for sure. If you need more, a 1GB flash card costs less than $20.

4. You have to buy the USB-Stick,for Wii-Fi, to play online, because the console does not have an ethernet port.

The connector costs $40.

5. You have the buy the expansions to play shooter games or maybe future fps !

First of all, you don´t need those extensions. And even if you wanted one, how much could it possibly cost? Say $40 at the most.

6. You have to have a good assurance which is going to pay your treatments of your inflammations in the wrist !

Now you really ARE kidding. Have you played Wii yet? Didn´t think so.

You know buying a PS3 or a 360 is much cheaper than have a full upgraded Wii!

All the equipment you listed (most of which is optional) comes to an extra $120. That´s still much cheaper than any competitor (and including all the cool accessories you could possibly want). You do know that the Xbox360 is twice as expensive and PS3 even three times the cost of a basic Wii console?

Sorry, but your post sounds quite fanboyish to me, to be honest.

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