Nintendo Co.unveiled a new games for Wii console

Nintendo Co.unveiled a slate of new games for its Wii console, the companies pursu diverging strategies to capture the attention of videogame market.

Nintendo, introduced new titles such as an upgrade to its popular Wii Fit exercise game and a new Super Mario Bros. title, as it faces slowing demand for its Wii console after years of scorching growth.

Nintendo's DS handheld dominates the portable gaming market, having sold more than 100 million units since its 2004 launch. Sony's PSP has sold more than 50 million units, and the company expects to sell another 15 million units by March 31, 2010.

At its event, Nintendo also teased a new piece of hardware called the Wii Vitality Sensor, but revealed few details except that it could gauge a player's pulse.

Nintendo, Would It Dominate the iPhone Market

Open up the latest portable game gadget from Nintendo, the DSi, which goes on sale today, and you'll be able to log onto a new online store carrying a small catalogue of software titles. If you see one that grabs your interest, you can buy and download it to your device on the spot, with prices starting at $2.

This type of purchase probably doesn't seem exotic any more, thanks largely to Apple. Apple's App Store, which offers software for its iPhone and iPod Touch, has had 800 million downloads since it opened last summer.


Now, other mobile gadgets like Nintendo's DSi are quickly creating their own retail outlets on the Web. Last week, for example, Research In Motion rolled out an online software store for its BlackBerry users, called BlackBerry App World. Smartphone makers Nokia and Palm have similar offerings on the way.

The new Nintendo DSi goes on sale for $169. But that older version of this device, priced at $129, will still be available on retail shelves for the forseeable future, the company said.