You’ve likely watched an at-home unboxing of a new gadget on the internet. But probably not an official one … from a company president … who wears white gloves during the process.
That’s exactly what Nintendo president Satoru Iwata does in the video above with the company’s new Wii U game console and its touch-screen GamePad controller. It’s pretty funny watching the 52-year-old bossman open up the box for what he claims is the first time.
Just before pulling out the contents, Iwata puts on white gloves and says they “kind of make me feel like Mario.” Later, he says that he feels like a host on a shopping channel. At least we know he has a sense of humor.
Nintendo is hoping to convince shoppers that its newest product is the best way to play games, watch video content and connect with friends. It’s the company’s bid to rebound in the console market after posting the first unprofitable year in its history, thanks in part to a tepid initial response to the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming machine.
A while back, GeekWire visited a “Wii U Experience” event at a Seattle club and polled some of the people trying out Nintendo’s new thing, which is the first in the industry’s next generation of home consoles and gets Nintendo out ahead of Microsoft and Sony. The reaction from the crowd was generally positive, but not universally so, with some concerned about price and lack of originality.
The Wii U Basic Set will be sold at a suggested retail price of $299.99, while the Wii U Deluxe Set will be available at a suggested retail price of $349.99.
Previously on GeekWire: Nintendo rolling out 5,000 retail kiosks in buildup to launch
