Wii Sports Resort due in July, 'key software debut' in June

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo last summer, one of the centerpieces of Nintendo's controversial press event was Wii Sports Resort. The follow-up to Wii Sports focuses on less mainstream athletics than its predecessor, which proved so popular as a console pack-in that some Wii buyers never bought another game. Activities demonstrated by Nintendo of America executives (see below) included Frisbee-tossing to a dog and some American Gladiators-style nerf-katana duels.

Though originally set for a spring release, Wii Sports Resort will now live up to its sun-kissed beachfront setting by shipping this summer. At the same press luncheon where he revealed that the DSi has already sold 600,000 units in the US and Europe, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that the game will ship in July in the West. The game will be packaged with Wii MotionPlus, the add-on that Nintendo promised will enhance the Wii Remote's motion-sensing capabilities. Its abilities are apparently impressive enough for Electronic Arts to tailor-make a range of sports games specifically for the device.

In Japan, Wii Sports Resort will ship in June, around the same time that Nintendo will deliver its E3 2009 press briefing. According to Reuters, that briefing might be the scene of some major announcements. The news service reports that Nintendo will "debut new key software in June to revitalize [the] Wii," though no specific titles were mentioned.

Reuters did not clarify if by "debut" it meant that the software would go on sale or simply be revealed, and Nintendo reps did not immediately return requests for comment. However, the Wii could use some help across the Pacific. While it's still selling strongly in the US and Europe, sales of the console have slowed in Japan, where the PlayStation 3 outsold it last month. According to analysts quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the decline could augur a reduction in the Wii's heretofore unstoppable momentum in the West.

For a look at Wii Sports Resort in action, fast-forward to 42:10 in the E3 2008 Nintendo Press Conference video below.