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IGN: What exactly is Wii Fit’s price and when will it release?

Reggie Fils-Aime: In terms of the release, let’s start there. We’re going to be announcing that Wii Fit will be launching on May 19. Price for the Wii Fit Board and the software is under $100 — we’re still working to finalize the price given currency exchanges, etcetera, but under $100 bucks.

IGN: We don’t think you will have any trouble hitting the casual sector, but what about the hardcore? Are you going after them with Wii Fit, too?

Reggie Fils-Aime: We absolutely will. We’ve seen the core consumer have just as much fun playing Wii Sports as the casual gamer. We expect the core to be thrilled with Wii Fit because it has such a wide range of experiences. It’s more than just the aerobic or stretching exercises — there are quite a number of other mini-games, if you will, embedded in the software that we think will speak to the core consumer.

IGN: Wii Fit is a very untraditional title. What kind of untraditional avenues will you be exploring to get the word about the game out there? Reggie Fils-Aime: You know, for the launch of Wii we executed a number of non-traditional programs and that thrust will continue with Wii Fit. You can expect to see it on morning national programs. You can expect to see it on female-oriented programs. There will be a broad Internet program leveraging Cammie’s [Dunaway, NOA's executive vice president of sales and marketing] knowledge of that space. And there will also be traditional prime time TV advertising. It will likely be our largest launch of the year from a total dollar spend standpoint.

IGN: What’re the chances of a Wii Fit console bundle and how soon might such a package come to fruition?

Reggie Fils-Aime: In terms of Wii hardware bundled with Wii Fit? As you know, Matt, we continue to sell out of Wii consoles as soon as we put them into the market and until we’ve gotten to a point of stable demand and supply, I don’t see any different package configurations hitting the market. While a Wii Fit plus Wii console would be a fantastic idea, until we’ve got much more product into the marketplace, it just doesn’t make sense to even contemplate it right now.

IGN: Do you foresee a time when you finally will have a steady stream of supply to meet demand? With Smash Bros. Brawl right on the horizon and then Wii Fit and Mario Kart right after that, it just seems like consumers are going to continue to find Wii sold out. Reggie Fils-Aime: Our goal is to get to the point where supply is in line in demand and you’re absolutely right, Matt, that Smash plus Wii Fit plus Kart plus WiiWare and all of the other initiatives that we have going on just in the first half of the year, we will be quite strained to get as much product into the marketplace to meet that demand.

IGN: Do you see Wii Fit as a game or an exercise program?

Reggie Fils-Aime: We see it as both. It combines fun and fitness in a way that’s never been done before.

IGN: Have you done any kind of studies to determine how effective Wii Fit is as a weight loss or dietary solution?

Reggie Fils-Aime: We have seen consumers make up their own exercise routines just as with Wii Sports. Our expectation is that with the four different types of activities provided in Wii Fit that it can absolutely be a critical part of person’s healthy regime.

IGN: Is Wii Fit actually going to create a Channel on your system where you can monitor all of your progress?

Reggie Fils-Aime: Wii Fit does create a Channel on your Wii console. What that allows you to do is to track your progress and monitor your BMI activity, so you’ll be able to see simple graphs to show you how you’re doing.

IGN: Wii Fit is destined to — like Wii Sports — enjoy a long shelf life. However, are you planning any initiatives to ensure that the experience stays fresh? Perhaps downloadable updates over WiiConnect24?

Reggie Fils-Aime: This title absolutely will have a long life and we will be supporting it with marketing initiatives for quite some time. In terms of WiiConnect24 type of activity, it’s too premature to be speaking to that, but the game itself is not Wi-Fi enabled.

IGN: Under $100 for another peripheral is still a chunk of cash to shell out. Do you have anything in line that will make further use of the Wii Balance Board? Reggie Fils-Aime: I think what you’re speaking to is, from a consumer perspective, help me feel good about this purchase. There are over 10 games in development that take advantage of the Balance Board. Certainly in terms of ongoing enjoyment, we believe that Wii Fit plus the Balance Board will provide that to the consumer.

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