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Wii

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Wii
Manufacturer Nintendo
Initial release November 19, 2006
Generation Seventh
Processor IBM PowerPC-Based "Broadway"
GPU ATI "Hollywood"
Memory 512MB internal Flash Memory
1T-SRAM by MoSys
Resolution 480I/480P Progressive Scan
Media 12cm Wii Optical Disc
8cm Nintendo GameCube Discs
SD Cards.
USB Thumbdrive/Hard Drive
Controller input Wii Remote, Wii Balance Board, Nintendo GameCube controller
Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
WiiConnect24
Shop Channel
Codename Revolution
Price $249.99
25,000 Yen
£179.99
Size
Units shipped 29.62 million
Best-selling game Wii Sports
Backward compatibility GameCube
Preceded by GameCube


The Wii (pronounced "we") is a seventh generation (which also consists of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) video game console created by Nintendo and a successor to Nintendo's previous console, the GameCube. It is Nintendo's fifth major home console, not including the Color TV Game systems. The console was initially released on November 19, 2006 in American shores, was released shortly thereafter in other countries, and became the leading console in the U.S.A., having recently passed the Xbox 360 in sales.

The console comes packaged with a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the most prominent being the former. The Wii Remote is capable of detecing movement in three dimensions and can be held with one hand. The Nunchuk can be connected to the Wii Remote via a long cord allowing for more control. Motions made with the Nunchuk can also be registered through the Wii Remote.

Building off the basis of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo is using what they refer to as the "blue ocean" strategy. It is a move to target not only the general gaming public, but also those who have never played games, or those who play very rarely. It has been designed with simplicity and familiarity in mind, which explains the Wii Remote and the Wii Channels.

The system is actually incredibly compact, lending itself to extreme portability. It is approximately the size of three DVD (or Wii) cases stacked on top of one another. It comes with a stand as well, so it can sit upright when in the vertical position. To insert a game, there is a large slot on the front of the system surrounded by a glowing blue neon light. The slot can accept the 8cm discs used by the Nintendo GameCube, or Wii games on standard 12cm discs. The system will also come with a sensor bar that is used to detect the motions of the Wii Remote.

The specs have been said to be comparable to an AthlonXP 2400+ or an AthlonXP 3000+ with a possible clock speed between 2.0 Ghz to 2.2 Ghz. The GPU is comparable to an ATi Radeon X1400 and X1600 and the RAM Speed is said to be at 640Mhz.

The Wii is the first console by Nintendo that has the ability to update its Operating System automatically, due to WiiConnect 24 which allows the console to receive updates even if on standby mode.. It is also the first console since the SNES (Super Mario World) to be bundled with a game at launch, which is Wii Sports.

Contents

[edit] The Name

Nintendo revealed the final name of the console right before that year's E3. Prior to this, the console was simply known as the Nintendo Revolution. Nintendo stated in the beginning that the name was simply Wii, rather than the Nintendo Wii. In fact, the name Nintendo can't be found anywhere on the console itself, being the first of Nintendo's products to do so.

The plural form of Wii is, according to Nintendo, not "Wiis" as some tend to believe, but rather should be "Wii consoles" or "systems". The two lowercased "i"'s in the name are supposed to represent two players enjoying the game together, or the Wii's unique controller.

Following the game's announcement, both developers and fans alike expressed their dislike towards the name, with both groups explaining how they felt the name displayed a sort of "kidiness" to it, and how they prefered the Revolution. Reggie Fils-Aime explained that the name Revolution was long and was hard to pronounce in some languages, while Wii would be pronounced the same in every country.

[edit] Controller

"Wii Remote"
"Wii Remote"

The controller is truly what makes the system shine. Using integrated apparatuses (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes), the Wii Remote is able to sense movement in 3-D space. Using this, the Wii can simulate things such as having a sword fight, playing almost any sports game, solving puzzles, and much more. It closely resembles a television remote, designed this way on purpose in order to make it easy to relate to the familiarity of the TV remote. Its emphasis on motion sensing capabilities also help to make games less difficult and more natural, as to appeal to all groups of people. It also has various attachments which are plugged into the expansion port at the bottom of the controller. One such attachment, referred to as the nunchuk, adds two more buttons, a joystick, and has its own built in accelerometers. The expansion port can also allow other attachments such as the classic controler

The controller was formerly referred to as the Revmote by the gaming community. As the real name of the console was revealed, nowadays the controller is known as the "Wiimote", though the correct name according to Nintendo is simply "Wii Remote".

[edit] Backward Compatibility

Wii is fully backwards compatible with the GameCube, which launched in 2001. It is able to play every Gamecube game in the collection, avoiding the current backwards-compatibility issues of the Xbox 360. The Gamecube discs go into the same slot as the main Wii discs go into, even though it is smaller in size. In addition, the Wii is also able to use some of the GCN peripherals such as the Microphone and DK Bongos. The Wii also has four GCN controller ports and two memory slots, so game saves and control issues shouldn't be a problem. This is the first Nintendo console that is backward compatible with a previous Nintendo console.

[edit] Channels

See also: Wii Channel Menu

This is a list of all the channels that have been confirmed for the Wii. You will be able to choose which channel you want to go to on the main menu for the Wii.


Channel:Wi-Fi:Description:
Disc Channel Some games optional Runs current disc in console. It can run both Wii games and Gamecube games.
News Channel Needed Displays news from around the world.
Weather Channel Needed Shows weather in popular cities around the world.
Mii Channel Optional Create avatars, and display them in Wii Sports and other future games. Internet connection required to allow avatars ("Mii"s) from other Wii consoles to roam.
Photo Channel Not needed Lets you store photos on the Wii, and make puzzles, sideshows, and movies out of them.
Wii Shop Channel Needed Buy software and games for the virtual console.
Everybody Votes Channel Needed Vote on multiple choice questions which builds a profile of your personality.
Virtual Console Channel Not needed Play games purchased from the Wii Shop Channel.
Internet Channel Needed Browse the internet from your home.
Check Mii Out Channel Needed Post and view Miis posted from around the world. Also compete in Mii-making contests.
Nintendo Channel Needed View special game movies, info about new games, play DS demo games, rate games you have played, and more.

[edit] Virtual Console

Classic Controller
Classic Controller

A built in feature of the Wii is the Wii Virtual Console. Games are available to be downloaded (for a price) from previous systems including the TurboGrafx-16, Sega Genesis, NES, SNES, N64 and Neo-Geo. The Wii remote is also designed so, when turned on it's side, closely resembles an NES controller, most likely designed with the NES in mind. Virtual Console games cost between $5 to $10 USD. This includes new titles and classics. It has also been rumoured that separate add-on controllers can be purchased resembling those specific systems, and used to play the games on those systems. The Classic Controller has been shown as well, designed to cover all the Virtual Console systems.

[edit] Launch Lineup

Wii Development Kit
Wii Development Kit

[edit] See Also

[edit] External Links

Nintendo systems
Home consoles Color TV Game | Nintendo Entertainment System | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Nintendo 64 | GameCube | Wii
Game Boy franchise Game Boy | Game Boy Pocket | Game Boy Color | Game Boy Advance | Game Boy Advance SP | Game Boy Micro
DS franchise Nintendo DS | DS Lite
Other handhelds Game & Watch | Virtual Boy | Pokémon Mini
Other products Arcade games
Retrieved from "http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Wii"
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