You've probably read by now that Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime has teased the media with a promise of a big game for the holiday season.  Apparently, all gamers will want this new game and we'll learn more about it at E3 later this year.  Lots of folks are jumping all over this revelation.  Speculation is already running wild over the identity of this new game.  Kombo has the details.

The ass-kicking, name-stealing president of Nintendo told [Geoff] Keighley that Nintendo will be announcing its line-up for the second half of 2008 at this year's E3, which takes place in July. More specifically, Reggie said that Nintendo's releases in the second half of '08 will be "maximizing all of our [Nintendo's] key franchises."

It gets better. "There's gonna be a big game for the holiday that the gamers will want," he said. "All I can tell you is what we announce during E3 is gonna be fantastic. The gamer is gonna be excited and the expanded audience is gonna be excited."

Frankly, I don't understand all of this early excitement.  We've seen Nintendo play this same card before.  Of course the company has plans for the holiday, and even if they didn't, they certainly wouldn't tell us.  What would you expect them to say at this point?  "Yeah, sorry, we got nothin' for the rest of the year.  And the games we do have coming up are terrible.  Nobody will like them.  At all.  Ever."  Here's my take on the 2008 Nintendo release schedule: the hardcore audience has Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the casuals have Wii Fit, and the two groups cross with Mario Kart Wii.  Those three titles will carry the Wii into the spring and through part of the summer.  Beyond that it's all bluster and hype until some new titles are officially announced and release dates are hammered out.  Settle in, folks.  We've waited a long time for Brawl and Kart.  Take the time to really explore and enjoy them.