Nintendo Wii European press conference

The waiting game starts. Hello to everybody, make yourselves comfortable. Remember that this page updates automatically, so there's no need to refresh. Enjoy the show - updates will start shortly.

We're in, but things aren't looking too sunny. Security are clamping down on reporting devices of all kinds, so we may be shut down. Fingers crossed.

After an hour of waiting around the halls of ExCel the press and trade are filing into the conference. Running time should be an hour.

There's a podium and a lot of Wii logos up on stage, with a huge screen playing monochromatic videos of Wii software. Iwata's here apparently.

Nintendo's adamant about not using laptops, mobiles, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices, so we may get cut short. Didn't happen at E3, mind. Can't stop the signal.

There's still scores of people left to come in, so it may be a little while.

Nintendo UK boss David Yanton's taking his place in the audience. Nintendo UK staff make up about a third of the row behind me.

Still sod all happening. Lanyard commentary: elegant, simple, nice font, while the strap bears the "Wii Play Together" slogan. Decent clip mechanism. 7/10.

I'd estimate about a third of the seats are still waiting to be filled. Give it time. /impatient

Nothing's happening...

It's filling up a bit now. Snore.

Apparently it's going to start "in a few minutes". "Please take your seats," the PA asks hopefully.

"Please switch off all electronic devices." "No."

Fan request #1: "Totty commentary". Well, there are lots of women in Wii t-shirts. There is nothing yet to rival Germany's magnificent pink-dress DS creature.

The last few stragglers are taking their seats. There's a danger it might actually start soon.

Almost forgot: one of our spies who got here at about 10am claims that Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski were wandering around.

Aaaaaaaaaany minute now.

Aaaaaaaaaany minute now.

Aaaaaaaaaany minute now. Lights dim. Controller's up on screen.

"Introducing Wii". Quotes flying up from various sources. Magazines, CEOs, old women. Video of people playing with it.

I Don't Feel Like Dancing is playing. Gerhard Florin from EA has a quote up: apparently Wii is ace!

So here's what it is: gamers, non-gamers, and gamers who gave up on gaming saying they like the Wii. "Please welcome your hose for today... Gabby Logan." Gabby isn't a gaming fan, but she's excited anyway. Laurent Fischer from Nintendo Europe comes on. "Can you really get me interested in gaming?" says Gab. "How can you get me interested?" "Maybe you like sport.""I do." "Not everyone is playing games, because right now people see it as a narrow sort of activity." Gaming landscape is changing, says Fishcer. Nintendo is creeping towards a 50/50 gender split. 44% are women. Best-selling title in last year sold to over-25s. He's explaining the DS for the benefit of the mainstream press, I'm guessing. Did you know it has a touch screen? DID YOU? Nintendo Europe President Satoru Shibata coming on to talk about DS. "Thank you everybody for joining us today." He'd like to talk some more about DS before he talks about Wii, apparently. Regardless of age. gender or past gaming experience, he reckons they can get people involved. Touch generations software has helped get people interested, he says. Train your brain, learn English, walk a dog, etc. They want to "welcome women to gaming".

So here's what it is: gamers, non-gamers, and gamers who gave up on gaming saying they like the Wii. "Please welcome your hose for today... Gabby Logan." Gabby isn't a gaming fan, but she's excited anyway. Laurent Fischer from Nintendo Europe comes on. "Can you really get me interested in gaming?" says Gab. "How can you get me interested?" "Maybe you like sport.""I do." "Not everyone is playing games, because right now people see it as a narrow sort of activity." Gaming landscape is changing, says Fishcer. Nintendo is creeping towards a 50/50 gender split. 44% are women. Best-selling title in last year sold to over-25s. He's explaining the DS for the benefit of the mainstream press, I'm guessing. Did you know it has a touch screen? DID YOU? Nintendo Europe President Satoru Shibata coming on to talk about DS. "Thank you everybody for joining us today." He'd like to talk some more about DS before he talks about Wii, apparently. Regardless of age. gender or past gaming experience, he reckons they can get people involved. Touch generations software has helped get people interested, he says. Train your brain, learn English, walk a dog, etc. They want to "welcome women to gaming".

Nintendogs: 4 million in Europe alone. 60, 000 sold a week even now. Responsible for the upsurge in women gamers on the DS he says. Brain Training: half of the owners are over 26 years old, he says, which is very unusual. In Japan, the series sold over 5 million copies since May 2005. In nine weeks it's sold 500k in Europe, which took 17 weeks in Japan, he says. In Germany, Brain Training is on top of the charts two months after launch, he tells us. DS software has dominated European charts in July and August. He's showing Nintendo's favourite graph: the one that shows sales spiking in later weeks, and not just big sales in the first week that tail off.

Nintendogs: 4 million in Europe alone. 60, 000 sold a week even now. Responsible for the upsurge in women gamers on the DS he says. Brain Training: half of the owners are over 26 years old, he says, which is very unusual. In Japan, the series sold over 5 million copies since May 2005. In nine weeks it's sold 500k in Europe, which took 17 weeks in Japan, he says. In Germany, Brain Training is on top of the charts two months after launch, he tells us. DS software has dominated European charts in July and August. He's showing Nintendo's favourite graph: the one that shows sales spiking in later weeks, and not just big sales in the first week that tail off.

"Our strategy is paying off." Graph: DS sales account for 70% of handheld sales accross Europe. More than 100k were consistently sold every week, he says. DS has now reached over 6 million people in Europe alone. 10 million sales predicted by the end of 2006. Says to look forward to Sudoku, English Training, Starfox, Yoshi Island 2, and Pokemon Dungeon.

"In the very near future we'll be launching another console that will go even further in making games accessible and fun for everyone." Gabby's back. Introducing Wii Sports' boxing game. Shibata's going to play against Iwata, who they say is actually in Japan. A hologram of your player in front of you, jabbing with the Wii remote and Nunchuck.

Aha! And Satoru Iwata's walked on behind him. "And this is what goes on when you think I'm away." "I woke up many hours ago and many thousands of miles away, so I assure you I won't take any more time than necessary to share my thoughts."

He's talking about the very-old days of working out what to do after the NES. The same questions have continued ever since, he says. He says we've been focused on tech up to now. I think I've typed him saying that at about 15 different conferences now.

He points to four significant moments of introducing products that changed things. 1) DS. 2) Touch! Generations games.

He loves him some Touch! Generations. Because they're not just escapism. Right. 3) Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

He loves him some Touch! Generations. Because they're not just escapism. Right. 3) Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

4) Most dramatic: the hands-on with the Wii control in LA at E3 2006. "For us, that was a huge week." Each moment represents a bridge to the majority of people who don't play games, he says. Today introduces a fifth step.

4) Most dramatic: the hands-on with the Wii control in LA at E3 2006. "For us, that was a huge week." Each moment represents a bridge to the majority of people who don't play games, he says. Today introduces a fifth step.

Just not immediately. Now he's talking about DS again and how accesible portables are. The Wii is analogous, he thinks. "It was necessary to frame the appeal not just in terms of games, but in terms of the television and internet." That led to the 5th milestone: Wii channels. Wii menu page contains four pages, each with 12 channel screens. Acces Cube/Wii software discs. Onboard photo software. Goal to provide simple editing. Another channel "became a must after its reception in LA". The character creation stuff. Same sort of stuff you can watch on Eurogamer TV - the caricature software "Mii".

Just not immediately. Now he's talking about DS again and how accesible portables are. The Wii is analogous, he thinks. "It was necessary to frame the appeal not just in terms of games, but in terms of the television and internet." That led to the 5th milestone: Wii channels. Wii menu page contains four pages, each with 12 channel screens. Acces Cube/Wii software discs. Onboard photo software. Goal to provide simple editing. Another channel "became a must after its reception in LA". The character creation stuff. Same sort of stuff you can watch on Eurogamer TV - the caricature software "Mii".

Calendar, househould bulletin board and family message centre for organising family scheduling, he says. Leave post-its for your friends and family. Or Tom Nook. Online access to international weather forecasts. Constantly updated worldwide headlines, too. Plus seperate net channels powered by Opera. Virtual Console. Mario World, Zelda Link to the Past, Mario 64 flash up. 15 in launch period in Europe. With 5-10 titles a month. Donkey Kong shows up too. Now we're on WiiConnect24 - offering Nintendo news or "other features", "even while you sleep". He points out that you can do this without Wii, but argues not everyone has the same advantage. For many it'll be the first time they're comfortable doing it. Channels will be good for people who aren't as technically able, baisically. With Touch! Generations software coming to Wii, Iwata believes everyone in the family will give Wii a go. And now he's off. Gabby's back. Wii Sports tennis now. And it's Tim Henman and Greg Rusedksi. She's not pointing out they're here yet. BUT WE KNOW THEY ARE. And the curtains have gone infront of the stage for some reason. Aha. Big reveal: Tim and Greg playing real tennis on a court behind the stage. Shibata's back, and he's going to challenge them both to Wii tennis.

They're in their tennis whites and everything. Gabby's commentating. Greg's really getting into it, but they're 30-0 down. Henman misses one on the baseline. And Greg gets one back. Oh but Henman's hit it out. Game. Second game. Tim's beaten down. He's arguing the line call. 15-15. "We move quicker in this game than real life," says Greg.

30-30. Tim's serving. Decent rally this time, and Greg wins it. Game point. "Nintendo's gone mad," my friend says.

30-30. Tim's serving. Decent rally this time, and Greg wins it. Game point. "Nintendo's gone mad," my friend says.

Advantage to Greg/Tim. Big rally. And the pros have it. "Do you want to see another game?" asks Gabby. YES. 30-0. "We're dominating" says Tim. Before missing a service return. And a few laughs and balls in the crowd later, the pros lose. Laurent Fischer's back. Wii launch Europe details coming now, he says. Launch titles: Wii Sports, Wii Play (the mini-games package with bundled Wii remote). Zelda...

WarioWare: Smooth Moves (just after launch). Third-party: around 15-20 games from launch. Red Steel. Rayman. Need for Speed Carbon. Tony Hawk. Super Monkey Ball. Date: 2006. December 8th 2006. EUR 249 / GBP 179 Bundles is white console, one Wii remote, one Nunchuck, Wii Sports. Between 49 and 59 Euros for software. 34 for 39 pounds.

The enormous Wii software trailer reel shown on Nintendo's website is now playing, showing off many titles including Resi Evil, Zelda and countless others.

Iwata's back. He's inviting us to stand up and enter the demo area behind the stage. So that's it folks!