GameSpy: There was an amazing attach rate for Zelda and the Wii…
Perrin Kaplan: For the Wii and for the GameCube, we were floored! Well over a million units sold for the Wii, and I don't know what the latest count is on GameCube but that's what we were just talking about. The attach rate this holiday was just huge, our collective jaws dropped. But we're happy because it's an incredible masterpiece.
GameSpy: No argument here. We gave it our 2006 Game of the Year award.

So, the PlayStation 3 launch coincided with the Wii launch. What kind of impact did that have on your success? Did it help the Wii? Was it a non-factor?
Perrin Kaplan: Well, we didn't have anyone in line that got shot waiting for our system. So there's one sign of the different approaches between our two companies. I think that there were really two different audiences. The core gamer probably went out and tried to purchase both systems. I think Sony's efforts were in trying to get the core gamer to accept and adopt it, which for them in the PS2 era, spread to the mass consumer. I think we were just really prepared. Years of experience doing this ensured that we would have a very good launch.
GameSpy: You touched on this when you mentioned that the core gamer would try to pick up both systems or multiple systems over the holiday. Some contend that the Wii isn't a real competitor, as it doesn't push the state of the art in terms of graphics, and instead is focused on its unique control and trademark Nintendo® gameplay. Do you feel that this is a three-way race? Or are Nintendo® and the Wii in a completely other category, and it doesn't really matter what the other platforms dor
Perrin Kaplan: I think that coming out as number one in terms of sales answers that question. We're not an afterthought by any stretch of the imagination. Each of us have anecdotal stories of consumers that couldn't find our system but wanted it, or those who went out and not only bought it but bought five or who are experiencing gaming for the first time on our newest platform and loving it. Core gamers wanted our system and bought it, and the really hardcore player probably bought several systems. We're happy to see that the majority of those core gamers picked up a Wii.
GameSpy: Twilight Princess has shown that there will always be a place for compelling single player experiences. Wii Sports and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves tell us that party-setting multiplayer is still lots of fun. But then there are the incredibly popular online multiplayer games like Halo, the EA Sports titles and even World of Warcraft. Do you feel like Nintendo® may be missing the boat by not making online gaming a significant part of the Wii experience?
Perrin Kaplan: I think you're asking why we're not following the other guys. And we feel that everyone has developed their own niche of expertise. So for example, our Virtual Console has been astoundingly successful. People absolutely love it. We aren't giving up on online games at all, and Mario Kart for the Nintendo® DS is an excellent example of Nintendo®'s online gaming that almost everyone is playing. Now, massively multiplayer online gaming is probably not a direction that Nintendo® will be going. I think that's a niche area that other companies have more expertise in.

But worldwide online play is a priority for Nintendo® and you will see it. Our system had a lot of complex new components to it. We had to introduce the Wii remote, and it took nine to ten months for the gaming press to get their heads around it. At first, they said, "this is weird…" and then they experienced it and that turned into, "this is kind of cool…" It just took them a long time to get it. And once they did, they really embraced it.

I think if we had just taken the whole package, here are all the channels, here are all the online games, here are the Miis, the news, the weather, I just think it would have overloaded the mass consumer. So instead we began rolling everything out in a fashion where people can really understand it. First the remote, then the system itself and Wii Sports. Then the Mii channel, and Virtual Console. Then we purposefully unveiled forecasts after that and most recently news. We have more things coming, and online is definitely one of them.
GameSpy: So how well exactly has Virtual Console fared thus far? Do you have any specific numbers?
Perrin Kaplan: I do, but we're organizing some things with our parent company before we announce global numbers. Suffice it to say that it's just phenomenal, and it has become in and of itself another separate thriving business.
GameSpy: How many Virtual Console games will Wii owners have to choose from by the end of the year?
Perrin Kaplan: We're trying to launch about ten a month, and every Monday we've launched Virtual Console products, about three or four a week. We're going to stick to that and start building a huge library.
GameSpy: Releasing retro compilations is a big thing these days. I'll reference the Sega Genesis Collection, where you can get thirty games for twenty bucks. The same games downloaded via Virtual Console cost between five and eight dollars each…
Perrin Kaplan: There's some overlap there. But they're also competitive in that Virtual Console downloads are about convenience. You already have your system at home, and you can get your game via digital distribution without having to set up a whole separate thing to receive your game.