Wii Goes on Tour

Nintendo UK have announced a sampling tour of its upcoming Wii console which aims to to get the console into the hands of one million people by the launch date. The two month tour runs from the 10 November 2006 to the 13 January 2007 and will be held in over 60 locations across the UK and Ireland. Full dates and locations can be found on the official Wii website: http://wii.nintendo.co.uk

Dawn Paine, Marketing Director, Nintendo UK comments:

"With each passing year, video gaming has become a more exclusive experience. The complexities of some of the newest games have alienated those who used to play games with their entire families. Wii changes all that. Nintendo has created the most inviting, inclusive video game system to date. Thanks to our unique controller, anyone of any age or skill level can pick up and play games on the Wii console and it's key that we message this in all our communications.

Just as sampling and getting the hardware into people's hands was so important with Nintendo DS, the same is very much true with Wii and we are making our largest ever investment in sampling for this campaign to ensure by launch that nearly one million people will have experienced Wii"

According to todays press release: "The six month integrated campaign is focused around the message of inclusiveness and 'gaming for everyone', from active and hardcore gamers right through to lapsed and non-gamers alike. The central campaign idea is based on the premise of real people experiencing and playing Wii in their homes. This idea flows through from the above-the-line campaign through to Nintendo UK's biggest ever sampling tour which is based on a household comprising of different household rooms for different types of people. The central PR platform at the hub of Wii's media relations strategy is a Nintendo house which again will reflect different rooms and ways to play Wii.

Taking its cue from the above-the-line strategy, Wii sampling will take place in two very distinct ways. The first is in a series of modular room sets that have been created to look like the living rooms, bedrooms and homes of people from across the UK complete with TV's, sofas, bed and all assorted paraphernalia. People can simply walk into the room (which only has two walls for access and visibility) sit down and play away. The second sampling mechanic is a series of portable 'busking units' that enables much more reactive and tactical sampling. These units can simply be unloaded quickly and easily wheeled to their destination, used for a short time and then move on."

The Nintendo Wii will be available in the UK from the 8th December 2006 for only £179.99 and will come bundled with the Wii Sports game. Software for the platform will cost £34.99 or £39.99.