INTERVIEW-Nintendo president says its sales outpace industry
* Says Nintendo's US business up 19 pct so far this year
* Banking on new WII releases in 2009
NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) U.S. sales have outpaced the video gaming industry this year and its regional chief hopes new releases will help maintain that momentum and offset a steady contraction in the market.
Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America, told Reuters on Tuesday the company's business rose 19 percent this year to date while the rest of the industry declined about 4 percent.
He defined "business" as sales of Nintendo-related gaming hardware, software and accessories from the Japanese company and some of its third-party vendors.
Wii sales have dwarfed those of more technically souped-up and pricier rival consoles from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Sony Corp (6758.T) by broadening its audience beyond hard-core video gamers.
"The fact (is) that our business is up 19 percent this year, and all of our huge titles are yet to launch. We are feeling pretty good about this year," he said in an interview at the E3 video game conference in Los Angeles.
In 2008, Nintendo released some of its most popular titles for the Wii gaming console -- such as "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" and "Wii Fit" -- early in the year.
This year, Fils-Aime expects to score with "Wii Sport Resort" due in July and "Wii Fit Plus" and a new entry in the "Mario Bros." franchise -- again for the Wii -- ahead of the holiday season.
"The key word is pacing," he said. "This year's pacing is going to be the back half of the year."
Nintendo on Tuesday said it has sold more than 15 million units of its "Wii Fit" system in just over a year, taking advantage of a growing interest in video game consoles by physical fitness enthusiasts.
The company also said its new DSi portable handheld device has sold over one million units, and that it is developing technology called "Wii Vitality Sensor": an accessory that looks much like a finger-tip-placed heart rate monitor.
Fils-Aime's' positive outlook comes despite somewhat sobering fiscal results for the company, which last month reported a 42 percent fall in quarterly operating profit as the yen's strength outweighed robust game sales.
It also has predicted DS hand-held player unit sales will slip this year, in their first fall since the device's 2004 launch, while predicting flat sales of the Wii console.
None of the console makers discussed cutting prices for their machines during major press events. Fils-Aime defended the Wii's $250 price -- still generally higher than that of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 -- as solid value for most households. "Consumers today are telling us with their wallets and pocketbooks that Nintendo products represent the best value in gaming," he said.
Asked if the company was considering lowering the price of the Wii, he said: "No plans for a price cut." "Price cuts are temporary measures. This industry has shown that compelling software is what drives the consumer," he added. "What we have shown today is a full range -- first and third party -- of compelling software. That is what is going to drive our business through the end of the year."
(Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by Gary Hill)
((Email: Franklin.Paul@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 6195; Reuters Messaging: Franklin.Paul.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: VIDEOGAMES/NINTENDO US Keywords: VIDEOGAMES/NINTENDO US
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