has skyrocketed back to the top of its industry, few could dispute that
he leads one of the country’s top entertainment outfits.
Other publishers have had difficulty producing hit
software for the Wii and DS, however, and in the last year the Xbox 360
and PS3 have both started gaining ground on the Wii.
Fils-Aime spoke to the Los Angeles Times in
QUESTION: Are you concerned that
ANSWER: Looking at what PlayStation is doing, it feels very “Wii-too.” In terms of
we’ll see when they actually show off their software. I think our
competitors will be challenged in a number of ways: bringing fun
experiences to life, because in the end that’s what the consumer wants.
Our competitors will be challenged on providing the
great value we have always provided. Our consumers have a system that
they love. Is that consumer suddenly going to stop and go do something
else?
Q: A lot of publishers have made high-profile,
well-reviewed games for the Wii and DS that flopped, like “Grand Theft
Auto: Chinatown Wars” and “Dead Space: Extraction.” Why is it so tough
for other companies to make games that sell on your platforms?
A: I would argue there are also high-quality games
that seem to be well marketed (that) aren’t selling well on competitive
platforms. Our mission at a conference like this is to message directly
with developers and publishers and provide thoughts on creating content
that will be effective in the marketplace.
Q: When Wii launched,
insisted it was just for gaming and not for video or other types of
entertainment. But you recently followed your competitors in signing an
Internet streaming deal with
A: By having the approach we have had with content
that is very social in nature, 85 percent of the Wii’s we sell in the
U.S. are on the main TV in the household. That has given us a
tremendous platform to push the envelope of entertainment.
Having said that, we don’t want to have a gazillion
different applications because you get to a point where all you’re
doing is making it confusing for the consumer. If there are other
compelling entertainment services we can provide through the Wii, then
we’re interested.
Q: If the long-term trend in gaming is away from packaged products and toward digital distribution, does that mean
A: As more homes are connected and bandwidth
increases, the potential for digital goods grows substantially. We want
to participate in that and we are, through (digital services) like
WiiWare and DSIWare.
Having said that, we do believe that the interface
between the screen, the controller and the consumer is something that
is integral to the gaming experience. So in our view there will always
be a console that enables that experience to come to life.
As for when digital will overtake packaged goods, our view is that is well into the future.
Q: Do producers and executives still knock on the
door asking about movie rights to Mario or Zelda or Metroid, and if so,
what do you tell them?
A: All the time. The message is, “Thank you for the
interest.” There have been certain (people) that we have talked in more
detail with. But I think in the end, because we are a content company
and are passionate about our franchises, it will be few and far between
that actual deals are done to bring our franchises to life in a
different way. These are our children.
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