NINTENDO'S HOLIDAY 2008: WII SPEAK CHANNEL, CLUB NINTENDO, MORE SURPRISES

Nintendo Announces 'Significant Increase' in Q4 Wii Supplies over 2007

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 2, 2008 – Nintendo today disclosed a number of surprises, including new games, the ability to use the Wii™ console to chat with friends near and far, and the expansion of the popular Club Nintendo rewards program to North America.

At its San Francisco press event, Nintendo followed up on its Japanese DSi announcement by revealing the updated handheld won't debut in the U.S. until "well into 2009," (fiscal year).

The DSi itself wasn't the main thrust of the presentation, due to the fact that it won't launch in North America until significantly into next year, according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Nonetheless, the presentation kicked off with a demo of the DSi, which updates the DS's original design with the addition of a camera, the ability to play music files and an SD card slot.

Fils-Aime's English language explanation brought up a couple of notable clarifications compared to the Japanese launch.

Notably, the demo showed that the handheld will indeed have some internal Flash memory for storing games and data, and that the music player will play only AAC files, as opposed to MP3s.

Continuing its commitment to supply new game experiences for every level of player, Nintendo 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.”

The new Wii Speak™ Channel arrives on Nov. 16 and uses the Wii Speak™, a microphone that sits on top of your television. This accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99. 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.

Gamers have longed for the expansion of Club Nintendo to North America for years, and now Nintendo is making it a reality for everyone. 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.

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More details announced, Smaller, GBA-less handheld.

US, October 1, 2008 - Nintendo has just announced a new model of the Nintendo DS. Called the Nintendo DS-i, the unit is a smaller handheld that features larger screens, an SD card slot for digital downloads and MP3 playback, and a .3 megapixel camera (640x480 resolution). It is roughly 12% thinner than the current DS Lite model.

Using the touch screen, users will be able to adjust pitch and playback speed of MP3s as well as edit photos taken with the camera.

The Nintendo DS-i handheld will have browser software built-in and have access to a DSWare store where gamers can spend Nintendo Points on software. Nintendo will give gamers 1000 points for free if they visit the store by March 2010 -- games will feature four price structures: Free, 200 Points, 500 Points and Premium (800 Points).

Smaller, built-in camera, and no GBA slot.

The Nintendo DS-i will not feature compatibility with Game Boy Advance games due to the lack of a GBA cartridge slot. Though it hasn't been revealed by Nintendo, it's likely that peripherals such as the Guitar Grip for Guitar Hero will not work with the DS-i handheld.

The system will be released November 1st in Japan for 18,900 yen (approximately $180 US) in white and Matte black colors. As of right now, the system is a Japan exclusive.

THE WII GAMES BEGIN AT MARRIOTT & RENAISSANCE HOTELS

Marriott and Nintendo Bring the Fun Back to Business Travel and Pilot New In-Room Entertainment Options for All Generations

Bethesda, Md. and Redmond, Wash. - September 30, 2008 - The Wii™ experience is just beginning for Marriott and Renaissance guests, who can now choose from 20 games, including the popular Mario Kart™ Wii, Super Mario Galaxy™, and Wii Sports™ as well as the revolutionary fitness game, Wii Fit™. In a lodging industry first, Marriott International, Inc. is piloting a new specially built Wii hotel game system from Nintendo in select guest rooms and lounges. Wii systems are available at six Marriott and Renaissance properties:

• New York Marriott Marquis
• Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square
• Boston Marriott Cambridge
• Bethesda (Md.) Marriott Suites
• Annapolis (Md.) Marriott Waterfront
• JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix (Lounge only)

Wii has been a hit with every age group. The intuitive, motion-sensitive controls of the Wii Remote™ controller make the games easy to play, whether alone or in groups, making it an excellent fit for hotels and their guests. With Wii Fit, guests can even burn calories while having fun, all in the comfort of their hotel rooms.

The new Wii hotel game system allows hotel guests to select from a library of games without inserting game discs. With the intuitive games menu, guests can just point the Wii Remote at a game and begin playing immediately. Popular new Wii games will be added to the menu as they become available.

The Wii guest room packages include unlimited Wii access for the entire stay. To book a Wii guest room package at these six hotels, subject to availability, please go to www.marriott.com, select your preferred hotel, then click on the "Deals at this Hotel" link or insert promotional code XY0 (zero). There is a small premium for a room with a Wii hotel game system over the standard guest room rate.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,000 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007 Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $13 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.

The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii and Nintendo DS systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.7 billion video games and more than 470 million hardware units globally, including the current generation Wii and Nintendo DS as well as the GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Gamecube. It has also created industry icons that have become well known household names such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokemon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Nintendo strikes Wii hotel deal

If you're going to be staying at the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square on business, you might need to have someone come get you when it's time to leave for your meetings.

That's because the hotel, and several others in the Marriott chain, will now be featuring Nintendo Wiis in their rooms, along with a selection of 20 games. Mass meeting delinquency is sure to follow.

According to a release from Nintendo on Tuesday, the Time Square hotel, along with Marriotts in five cities around the country, are going to begin stocking hotel rooms, or the lounge in one case, with specially outfitted Wiis and games like Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, and others.

And in case you're wondering whether you have to pay by the hour, Nintendo said that guests would be able to purchase an all-you-can-eat package that would allow them to play all they want. Further, the games would be pre-loaded and therefore will not require mucking about with game discs. Instead, just point your Wii remote at the TV and voila, Wii Fit will pop up for your enjoyment.

No word yet on how many hotel TVs will have to be replaced when guests throw the Wii remote through the screen while playing the tennis game in Wii Sports, or whether such guests will be on the hook for the replacement costs.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO WIIWARE GAMES AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Sept. 29, 2008 - Auspicious debuts and the return of a classic franchise top the list of new additions to the Wii Shop Channel™ this week. Art Style™: ORBIENT™ is the first in a new game series from Nintendo, combining deep game play with atmospheric flair and simple, elegant controls that anyone can pick up and enjoy. With two more Art Style titles scheduled for release in October, this is your chance to be the first to enjoy this truly remarkable gaming experience.

Bomberman makes his WiiWare™ debut in Bomberman Blast, taking the frenzied multiplayer action the series is known for online. Or if you just feel like saving the galaxy again, take on the Machine in Super Turrican 2.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare™

Art Style: ORBIENT (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Explore the universe like never before in Art Style: ORBIENT. Take control of gravity and anti-gravity and carefully maneuver your small star through 50 stages set in multiple galaxies. Collide with other stars to absorb them and make your own star expand in size, or capture the stars in your orbit and have them become your satellites. Space isn't empty, though, and you'll have to avoid bumping into obstacles or getting pulled into a black hole. If you feel like relaxing while still being challenged, this is the game for you. Its combination of simple controls, atmospheric sound and unique environment make for an experience unlike any other.

Bomberman Blast (Hudson Entertainment, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A brand new addition to the Bomberman series is available on WiiWare. Up to eight players can battle online simultaneously via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Simple controls make this a great game for family and friends to enjoy anytime. You can trigger new items by shaking the Wii Remote™ controller, creating new levels of Bomberman excitement. You can even take the intensity up another notch by adding your own Mii™ caricatures to the mix. Battle results can be recorded on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Ranking, so you can see how you stack up against others around the globe. This title will prove to be a blast for everyone--from those who've never touched a Bomberman game to the Bomberman masters. For more information on Bomberman Blast, visit http://www.hudsonentertainment.com/

Virtual Console™

Super Turrican 2 (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Violence, 800 Wii Points): As the last survivor of the United Freedom Forces, it is your duty to destroy the Machine's forces that have devastated the galaxy. Fight through countless hordes of enemies using everything at your disposal. Use weapons and power-ups to fight back the tide of oncoming enemies. Use special abilities like the Energy Wheel and Cyberfist to find secret areas and score extra lives. When your lives and continues are gone, the mission ends. You are the galaxy's last hope. Are you up to the challenge?

For more information about Wii, please visit www.wii.com.