Nintendo unveils Wii Party

By Ellie Gibson Published 7 May, 2010

Play with your friends and as your Mii.

Nintendo has unveiled a new multiplayer game titled Wii Party.

In an investor's presentation, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said, "We are developing this game with the aim to make it a marquee party game for Wii.

"The developers are spending significant time for this title so that they can include elements that are must-haves in a party game as well as making sure that [an] adequate volume of gameplay [is] available. We are developing it with the intent that every Wii player will be able to find a game that can be enjoyed."

Iwata went on to confirm that players will play as their Miis, using the Wii remote. He also said there will be a gameplay mode titled "Living Party".

"Nintendo has not launched a marquee party game since Mario Party 8, launched in summer 2007," Iwata pointed out. "However, since Wii is usually being played by several people at once and the global sales of Mario Party have reached 7.6 million units, a party title has great potential."

According to a translation of text on the Wii Party screenshots by Kotaku suggests the game will be playable by up to four players. Mini-games mentioned include roulette and bingo, and you will be able to compare your high scores with other players.

There's no word yet on when the game is out, or whether it will make it over to Europe.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (28) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Malek86 #1 2 years ago

    Well, at least it's not Mario Party 9, I guess.

  • Eraysor #2 2 years ago

    They keep making these casual games, but when are we going to get a new F-Zero? GX can only keep me going for a few more years...

  • spekkeh #3 2 years ago

    Has the potential to be epic, but as it appears now it's just like Mario Party with Miis instead of Mario characters... for 60 year olds (roulette and bingo, wtf).

    Would prefer something like an interactive Party&Co, with added karaoke and We Dance type games.

  • Acrid #4 2 years ago

    Hmm, I trust Ninty to do the right thing with this so I'll just say I'm interested for now.

  • Eraser #5 2 years ago

    I was gonna say "Just what the Wii needs, another party game", but it's actually exactly what the Wii needs. There are far too few good party games available on the Wii.

  • Canyarion #6 2 years ago

    Roulette and bingo... I really doubt that's a good representation of what the mini-games will be like.

    I hope Wii Music taught Nintendo a lesson, and that this game will actually be good.

  • homerramone #7 2 years ago

    A party game for the wii... cool.. been wanting one of those.

  • erp #8 2 years ago

    From Galaxy 2 to /this/...?

    And I thought Nintendo might be back on form...

  • superted1974 #9 2 years ago

    I thought Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort WERE party games.

    Shows you what little I know.

  • andywilkie35 #10 2 years ago

    I'm still waiting for Wii CircleJerk, I'm sure they've been planning it for a while now.

  • X3Entente #11 2 years ago

    we live in a world where just dance has sold more copies than deus ex and system shock 2 combined, so im sure this will be successful. ah well, as long as some of the profits gurantee more zelda and mario games

  • dingo75 #12 2 years ago

    Ninty:
    Start thinking about some adult (*cough* pron *cough*) stuff if you ran out of ideas.
    The Wiimote might be used in some interesting ways.

  • scouserfuller9 #13 2 years ago

    Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Zelda Wii, Pikmin 3 and now Kirby have all been announced for 2010 (so we hope) with E3 to appear next month and we're still getting people moaning Nintendo ain't making hardcore games because a family party game has been confirmed :( How many more hardcore games do Nintendo have to confirm before everyone is happy??

  • Bruce_One #14 2 years ago

    Bingo Wiings

  • Incarta #15 2 years ago

    Mario Party 9 in disguise?

  • Cid #16 2 years ago

    @erp

    It's games like this that have helped Nintendo stay on top this generation. You didn't seriously think we'd seen the last of them, did you?

    Besides, this year we're getting Galaxy 2, Other M and possibly Zelda Wii. One "casual" title isn't hurting anyone.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #17 2 years ago

    One "casual" title isn't hurting anyone.

    Besides, Mario Party actually was a lot of fun back in the days when it was still new. I don't know how many hours we poured into Mario Party 1 on the N64 but it definitely was a lot.

  • smelly #18 2 years ago

    Been reading forum posts about this all over the internets.. And as per usual game forum kids totally miss the point.

    This game will sell millions, because there are people out there who bought a wii to play games like this. They are no more or less important than you. In fact in many ways, they're a more important audience - they're the mainstream.. they're not the type of people who moan on forums all the time about game X not being for "them".

    >I hope Wii Music taught Nintendo a lesson

    Wii music was a brilliant piece of software for the audience it was aimed at (i.e. not you). If you'd just get off your high horse going "boo hoo - it wasnt made for me, therefor it must be crap".. you'd realise that. Put it in the hands of a few six and seven year olds - see how much they enjoy it.. then give them a game YOU think is good (say the latest shooter), see which they prefer - and come back and tell me it's crap.

    Not every game needs to be made with the teenager forum posting emo kid nerd in mind. Unfortunately because most of you lot fit in that category, you dont seem to understand that.

    Besides - there's plenty of wii games coming this year which ARE for you.. look at the sin and punishment review today for an example.

  • Wabe #19 2 years ago

    Aww - Smelly's post made me miss not having a voting up button on mobile Eurogamer. Still, well said that man.

  • Stompy #20 2 years ago

    You might have a knee-jerk hate-reaction to party games like this: but some people like them. And these people are people too.

  • alcides #21 2 years ago

    I actually got offended by Mario Party 8.

    No, really I mean it, OFFENDED. It was so uninteresting, so slow, so bland, so crosspurposed. I felt I spent more time sitting ducks than actually playing. If that's what you call it. Plus it looked awful... 10 years of experience and the Wiimote and not even a decent moment in it?

  • smelly #22 2 years ago

    >Plus it looked awful

    something tells me it wasnt for you, and you'd be happier playing a dull looking grey and brown shooter?

  • holydrone #23 2 years ago

    "I actually got offended by Mario Party 8. "

    As did I. But let us not forget that the Mario party games were developed by Hudson and not Nintendo.

  • tnt_2008smum #24 2 years ago

    @smelly

    Wow your hypocrisy knows no bounds. I've made a few amendments to the following paragraph taken from your post to try and help you see.

    BioShock was a brilliant piece of software for the audience it was aimed at (i.e. not you). If you'd just get off your high horse going "boo hoo - it wasnt made for me, therefor it must be crap".. you'd realise that. Put it in the hands of someone who enjoys a good fps - see how much they enjoy it.. then give them a game YOU think is good (say the latest waggle fest), see which they prefer - and come back and tell me it's crap.

  • Dan234 #25 2 years ago

    @ alcides

    I actually got offended by Mario Party 8.

    No, really I mean it, OFFENDED. It was so uninteresting, so slow, so bland, so crosspurposed. I felt I spent more time sitting ducks than actually playing. If that's what you call it. Plus it looked awful... 10 years of experience and the Wiimote and not even a decent moment in it?

    It wasn't made for you, it was made for young children (if you're a young child the I apologise).

  • smelly #26 2 years ago

    @tnt_2008smum: No, bioshock like most fps games is a dull uningaging game for pre-pubescent teenagers. The only thing good about it is it's plot which keeps you playing - which is a bit depressing for a game dont you think? Oh and dont get me started on bioshock 2.

    But that's nothing to do with the fact that bioshock is aimed at your and mine ages groups (i.e. grown ups.. well in your case probably not.. but older than 10). Wii music is aimed at children (i.e. not you or me).

    You seem to have difficulty grasping this concept.

    Next you'll be telling me that tellytubbies (or whatever the modern day equivalent is) is crap when compared to scarface.

    You're still not getting this are you?
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/10 @ 05:17

  • spekkeh #27 2 years ago

    It wasn't made for you, it was made for young children (if you're a young child the I apologise).

    Bollocks, Mario Party games are at its most enjoyable when drunk.

  • tnt_2008smum #28 2 years ago

    @smelly

    Look it is you who are clearly missing the point.

    You say we cannot criticise a game like Wii Music because it is aimed at children and some children enjoyed it (mine didn’t). However, YOU can criticise other games such as Halo and BioShock despite the fact that fans of the genre (the people these games are aimed at) enjoyed them.

    Yes my example of target audience is broader than yours but my overall point is valid and you are still a hypocrite.

    Read this next bit very slowly so it sinks in.

    YOU are clearly not a fan of shooters. As such, the likes of Halo and BioShock do not appeal to YOU (that’s your choice and there’s nothing wrong with it). However, FANS of the GENRE did and still do ENJOY both theses critically acclaimed games (and their sequels) yet YOU pop up in nearly every related thread spouting on and on about how bad they are and how YOU did not like them.

    Now, when someone else comments negatively about a game THEY don’t like YOU jump on YOUR high horse and use YOUR “it’s not for you so don’t criticise it” defence.

    THIS IS WHAT MAKES YOU A HYPOCRITE!