Navigation
Wii (pronounced "we", IPA: /wi?/) is Nintendo's 7th generation video game console, Nintendo's fifth home console and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. Until its official name was announced on April 27, 2006, it was known by the codename Nintendo Revolution.
The system is unique in that the console's controller can be used as a handheld pointing device as well as detecting motion in all three dimensions. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumbling device to provide sensory feedback. The console is confirmed to have a stand-by feature entitled WiiConnect24, through which it can receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power.
The system was unveiled at Nintendo's 2005 E3 press conference and a prototype of the system's game controller was revealed at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show by Nintendo's President, Satoru Iwata, during his keynote speech in September. It is expected for worldwide release in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Launch
Release date
Nintendo plans to release Wii in the fourth quarter of 2006. Internationally, the company hopes to launch with no more than four months difference between the first and last launching regions.
Price
Yoshihiro Miro, senior managing director for Nintendo, has confirmed that Wii will cost no more than ¥25,000 in Japan or US$250 in America. A Nintendo spokesman has said that the price in the UK "will be in line with Japanese and US prices announced." Nintendo intends to have 6 million console units and 17 million software units released by March 31, 2007.
As for the price of the games, despite the price point of US$60 quoted for many next-generation games, Satoru Iwata said in an interview that he could not imagine that any first-party games would cost more than US$50.
Wii Hardware
Design
Wii is the smallest stationary console Nintendo has ever manufactured, described by Nintendo as being "about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer". The console will have the ability to stand either horizontally or vertically. The front of the console features a self-loading media drive which is illuminated by a blue light and will accept 12 cm Wii game discs, 8 cm GameCube game discs and, with an additional purchase, DVDs. Being able to load different sized discs is uncommon in slot-loading media drives, which typically only accept discs of a single size.
Nintendo has shown hardware in various colors (platinum, lime green, white, black, blue and red). The most recent press release state the final colors of the console are still to be announced.
The systems shown at E3 2006 and in various trailers appear to have several small changes from the original design. Not only had Nintendo branding on the case been replaced with a 'Wii' logo but the disc loading slot was enlarged slightly, the reset button was moved (from next to the eject button to the power button), and the power indicator light was moved (from next to the power button to located inside the button). However, the systems shown at E3 2006 were still prototypes, as Nintendo has not finalized the specs for Wii.
The port for the sensor bar, a device used for the Wii Remote's pointer functionality, appears to be to the left of the power adaptor cord, closer to the bottom of the back of the system. This port has not appeared in any former Wii hardware images, including images received in Nintendo's E3 media press kit.
Controller
The primary controller for Wii uses a one handed, remote control-based design, which when turned on its side can be used like an NES gamepad. The controller communicates wirelessly with the console via Bluetooth with which it is possible to operate up to four controllers as far as ten meters from the console. Using internal sensors and an external sensor bar placed near the display screen, the movement and orientation of the Wii Remote, also informally called the Wii-mote, can be sensed. The controller has vibrational force feedback functionality and an internal speaker for audio.
The Wii Remote features an expansion port, with which it is possible to augment the controller with various shells and add-ons. Nintendo has announced several such expansions, including a Nunchuk controller which features an analog stick, a Classic Controller for playing games that require more traditional gamepad functionality (such as Virtual Console games), and a "Zapper Style" shell for traditional shooting gameplay. The Nunchuk controller will also have motion sensing capabilities.
Competitors' reactions have been muted. Though Sony announced a "tilting" controller at E3, representatives have denied that it was in response to the Wii's controller. Microsoft, which has experimented with motion-sensing PC controllers in the past, has been dismissive of the technology's viability for mainstream gaming.
Connectivity
Wii will have built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity allowing communication over the Internet via wireless networking. Connectivity with Nintendo DS utilizes the Wi-Fi capability. Nintendo has stated that Wii will have a standard interface for Wi-Fi. An optional USB adapter will permit network connectivity via wired Ethernet as well.
In addition, the console incorporates Bluetooth wireless communication, with which it communicates with the wireless Wii Remote controller. Connectivity with other Bluetooth devices has not been mentioned.
Wii has a flip lid which can be opened to reveal four ports for GameCube controllers and two GameCube memory card slots. Two USB ports (at the rear) and one SD card slot (at the front of the console) are provided. Additionally, at E3 2005, Nintendo revealed that a small internal attachment to be sold as an add-on to the console will allow Wii to play DVD-Video. There will also be a port for the Wii Remote's sensor bar on the final version.
Nintendo has released very little detailed information at present concerning the technical specifications of the Wii console. Some details have however been released by Nintendo and other third parties involved with the console:
Processors:
* CPU: IBM PowerPC processor codenamed "Broadway" (made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process)
* GPU: ATI "Hollywood" (made with a 90 nm CMOS process, includes DRAM)
Memory:
* Amount of RAM unconfirmed
Ports and peripheral capabilities:
* Up to Four Wii Remote controllers (connected wirelessly via Bluetooth)
* One SD memory card slot
* Two USB 2.0 ports
* One Sensor Bar port
* Four Nintendo GameCube controller ports
* Two Nintendo GameCube memory card ports
* Compatible with optional USB 2.0 Ethernet LAN adaptor
Storage:
* 512 MB built-in flash memory
* Expansion available via SD memory card and USB 2.0 ports
Playable media:
* Slot-loading disc drive compatible with:
o 12cm Wii optical disc (single or dual layer) (4.7 GB Single layer; 8.7 GB Dual Layer)
o 8cm GameCube optical disc
o DVD Video (dongle required)
* Virtual Console games accessed from flash memory
Built-in content ratings systems:
* PEGI, ESRB, CERO, and OFLC
Networking:
* Wi-Fi by Broadcom
* Standardized Bluetooth by Broadcom
Video:
* Up to 480p and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV or projector
* Component (including Progressive scan), composite or S-Video output
* 16:9 support
Audio:
* Main: Stereo - Dolby Pro Logic II-capable
* Controller: Built-in speaker
Nintendo Wii Features
Gameplay
Nintendo has stated that as the name "Wii" implies, the system is designed not just for hardcore gamers with developed gaming skills, but for everyone. Nintendo expects that gameplay on Wii will feel "so natural and real, as soon as players use the controller, their minds will spin with the possibilities of how this will change gaming as we know it today”. While most people can swing a golf club or bat, they may not have the gaming experience to do so while aiming with both thumbs. Wii removes this with its accelerometer and sensor driven controller design which allows players to use natural movements for natural actions.
Backward compatibility
Main article: Virtual Console (Wii)
This service will allow users to download and play games from the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, as well as Mega Drive/Genesis and TurboGrafx 16. Not every title will be made available; a "best of" selection will be. Nintendo has stated that this service, "also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets."
WiiConnect24
At E3 2006, Nintendo announced WiiConnect24, a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection that will allow the user to remain connected to the Internet in standby mode, during which the console consumes very little power. Some possibilities of WiiConnect24 that were mentioned at E3 2006 included allowing friends visit the player's village in games like Animal Crossing, or downloading new updates for games while not playing.
It has also been said that it would be possible to download DS promotional demos from WiiConnect24 and later download it onto one's Nintendo DS (also see DS Connectivity).
Internet connectivity
Nintendo has partnered with Opera Software to provide the Opera web browser for the system. It has announced that it will not be sold as a separate item. Wii can connect to an internet connection either wirelessly using WiFi, or using a USB to ethernet adaptor.
DS connectivity
Wii will support connectivity with the Nintendo DS. Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo was still working out when it would be available, but that it would be soon after the launch of the system due to the popularity of the Nintendo DS. The connectivity would allow the player to do things like use the Nintendo DS's microphone and touchscreen as inputs for Wii games. It has also been confirmed that the Nintendo DS will be able to play game demos download from Wii which would recieve them from Nintendo.
In a recent interview with TechOn!, a Japanese website, Satoru Iwata went into more detail on how DS Demos on Wii would be downloaded onto Wii using the WiiConnect24 service. From the interview:
Q: What will the Wii offer when connected to the Internet?
Iwata: I'll give you a specific example we are planning for. Let's say your Wii is connected to the Internet in a mode that allows activation on a 24-hour basis. This would allow Nintendo to send monthly promotional demos for the DS, during the night, to the Wii consoles in each household. Users would wake up each morning, find the LED lamp on their Wii flashing, and know that Nintendo has sent them something. They would then be able to download the promotional demo from their Wii's to their Nintendo DS's. This will, of course, be possible in gaming stores too, but I think users will enjoy being able to do this within their homes. The key merit here is having promotional material delivered to your home, instead of having to go collect it yourself. Regaining what we have lost : Nintendo CEO Iwata's Ambitions for the "Wii"
Player Caricatures and Profiles
In an interview between Wired News and Animal Crossing and Wii Sports producer Katsuya Eguchi, it was confirmed once more that the custom player face feature shown in Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing is built into the hardware, and is part of a "Profile" system which contains the caricature and other information that is yet to be determined. The tool being constructed for this caricature creation also includes the option to use several pre-made images for the less "artistically inclined."
Parental controls
Wii will feature parental controls, prohibiting younger users from playing games with content unsuitable for their age level. When a disc is inserted, it will read the content rating encoded on the game discs; if this rating is greater than the system's set "age level", the game will not load without a correct override password. For instance, a game carrying an ESRB rating of M for Mature, which is intended for those age 17 and older, will not play on a system that is set to only allow games rated T for Teen (ages 13 and older) or below.
It is confirmed that the European units will use the PEGI rating system, and North American units will use the ESRB rating system. While Nintendo has stated that parental control will be included in all Wii consoles worldwide, it has not yet clarified whether that means Wii will support the native rating systems of other territories, such as that of CERO in Japan, the USK in Germany, or the OFLC in Australia.