The Wii is the fifth home video game console developed and released by Nintendo. It focuses on controls and gameplay rather than graphics and processing power.

Overview
The Wii logo

The successor to Nintendo's GameCube, the Nintendo Wii was officially unveiled at Nintendo's Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference in 2005.

Development for the Nintendo Wii began in 2001 shortly before the launch of the Nintendo GameCube as Shigeru Miyamoto, came up with a concept focusing primarily on a new form of player interaction. Branching off from the traditional game pad controller from Nintendo's previous consoles, the Wii features a wireless controller, referred to as the Wii Remote, which is used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Although the console was unveiled earlier in the year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Wii Remote was not shown until The Tokyo Game Show in September of that year.

The Nintendo Wii launched in North America on November 19, 2007, December 2, 2007 in Japan and on December 8, 2007 in Europe.  Since its launch, the console has sold 34.55 million consoles as of September 2008. The Wii has been infamous for its limited availability, and people have complained about how few consoles can be found in stores. According to Nintendo, they are making nearly one million Wii consoles per month, however. Nintendo is also the only console developer to gain money off of their consoles, while competitors Sony and Microsoft lose money on each console sold.
The Nintendo Revolution

Originally, the console was known as the Revolution. When it was unveiled, it was dark black, but upon its release it had changed to a white and blue color scheme. The name Wii has had many official explanations. Nintendo stated that the plural form of Wii is, contrary to popular belief, not "Wiis." Instead, it is "Wii consoles" or "Wii systems." The two i's in Wii are meant to represent two players standing next to each other, or the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. One explanation for the name is as follows: "Wii sounds like 'we,' which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii."

The Nintendo Wii has been criticized for its lack of any real hardware upgrade, which may be the cause of any lack of ports of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 games. It has also been criticized for its library of games, that includes a good number of PlayStation 2 ports, and also a lack of new IPs.

Hardware


Main Console
The Nintendo Wii


The Nintendo Wii is the smallest of the seventh generation consoles measuring 44 mm (1.73 in) wide, 157 mm (6.18 in) tall, 215.4 mm (8.48 in) deep, approximately the size of three standard DVD cases stacked together, and weighs in at 2 kg (2.7 lb).

The Wii launch retail package comes at an MSRP of $249.99 USD, and $279.99 CAD which includes the Wii console, one Wii Remote, one Nunchuk attachment, one Sensor Bar, a removable stand for the bar, one external main power adapter, two AA batteries, one composite AV cable with RCA connectors, a SCART adapter in European countries (component video and other types of cables are available separately), operation documentation, a stand to allow the console to be placed vertically, a circular clear stabilizer for the main stand, and, in all regions except Japan and South Korea, a copy of the game Wii Sports.

The Wii is powered by the PowerPC based "Broadway" processor and its graphics processing is powered by the ATI "Hollywood" GPU, 88MB of main memory, a slot-loading disc drive compatible with 8 cm Nintendo GameCube Game Discs and 12 cm Wii Optical Discs, 512 MB built-in NAND flash memory, and an SD Card memory slot.

Wii Remote
Wii Remote


Using a combination of accelerometers and infrared detection built in to sense its position in a 3 dimensional space when pointed at the Wii's sensor bar, Wii Remote is the primary controller for the console. The controller communicates with the console using Bluetooth technology and features rumble vibration and an internal speaker. The Wii Nunchuck unit also features an accelerometer with an added traditional analog stick with two trigger buttons. By using the Wii Remote, users can control the game using physical movements as well as traditional button presses

The body of the Wii Remote measures 148 mm long, 36.2 mm wide, and 30.8 mm thick (5.83 in x 1.43 in x 1.21 in). It interacts wirelessly with the Wii console through a short-range bluetooth radio.

The Wii Remote has a total of 11 input buttons, counting each direction of the directional pad as one input.
  • The "A" button is located on top of the controller, and is a transparent plastic button. It is generally used for selecting things on menus.
  • The directional pad is Game Boy style and cross-shaped, with four gray lines on top of the pad going out in each direction
  • The 1 and 2 buttons are placed vertically near the bottom of the remote, and are used as a pause button in some games.  In games where you use the remote horizontally, they are often used as "A and B" buttons.
  • The plus and minus buttons, located in the middle of the remote, are usually used to bring up menus.
  • The home button is located in between the plus and minus buttons, and brings up a menu that allows you to go to the Wii Menu, reset your console, or edit Wii Remote menus.
  • A power button is located in the top left corner of the remote.
  • The "B" trigger is located on the back of the Wii Remote, and is generally used to return to previous menus, or to fire weapons in shooters.


Technical Specifications


Processors

  • CPU: PowerPC-based "Broadway" processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, clocked at 729 MHz
  • GPU: ATI "Hollywood" GPU, made with a 90 nm CMOS process, clocked at 243 MHz

Memory

  • 88 MB main memory (24 MB internal 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package, 64 MB external GDDR3 SDRAM)
  • 3 MB embedded GPU texture memory and framebuffer

Ports and Peripherals

  • Four possible Wii Remote controllers, connected via Bluetooth
  • Four Nintendo GameCube controller ports
  • Two Nintendo GameCube Memory Card slots
  • SD memory card slot
  • Two USB 2.0 slots
  • Sensor Bar port
  • Accessory port on Wii Remote (used to connect Nunchuk and other peripherals)
  • USB keyboard input, compatible with Wii Shop Channel and Internet Channel (versions 3.0 and 3.1)
  • Mitsumi DWM-W004 WiFi 802.11b/g wireless module
  • Compatible with USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor
  • MultiAV output for component, composite, and S-Video

Storage

  • 512 MB built-in NAND flash memory
  • SD card memory, up to 2 GB
  • Two Nintendo GameCube Memory Card Slots (for GameCube save states)
  • Slot-loading disc drive compatible with 8 cm Nintendo GameCube game discs and 12 cm Wii optical discs
  • Mask ROM by Macronix

Video

  • 480p (PAL/NTSC), 480i (NTSC), or 576i (PAL/SECAM), standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen
  • MultiAV multi-outport port for component, composite, S-Video, RGB SCART, and VGA

Audio

  • Stereo: Dolby Pro Logic II
  • Wii Remote built-in speaker

Power

  • 18 watts when on
  • 9.6 watts in WiiConnect24 standby mode
  • 1.3 watts in regular standby mode

Wii Menu

A unique feature of the Nintendo Wii is the Wii Menu system. It is designed to operate with "channels" on a television. Each square is a "channel" that has a different function. Channels have been added since the six available at launch, and periodical updates are available for the Wii Menu. The Wii Menu is navigated via the Wii Remote, and channels can be moved (with the exception of the Disc Channel) by holding down the A and B buttons and then dragging the channel.

Wii Channels
Wii Menu

  • Disc Channel - The default channel that is used to play games. When a disc is loaded in (either Wii or GameCube), the two discs spin around, eventually stop, and then one falls down as if it is being loaded in a slot. Then, the game's splash screen appears, and the player has the option to either play the game or return to the Wii Menu screen.
  • Mii Channel - Another default channel, the Mii Channel is used to design custom avatars known as Miis. Players can customize many aspects of their virtual avatar. The Mii interactivity is one of the frequently advertised parts of the Wii.
  • Photo Channel - Players can upload through photographs through use of an SD card, and then use various effects to alter the image. Sound files .mp3 and .aac are also compatible with the channel, so the user can play a slideshow accompianed by music. The Photo Channel can be customized with a picture as of a recent update.
  • Wii Shop Channel - The Wii Shop Channel is a channel that allows users to purchase games. Games can be purchased on the Virtual Console that have been released in previous generations, from a variety of consoles. WiiWare is custom games that have been released by amatuer developers wanting to get a name, or even large companies releasing games not big enough for a retail release. Wii Points must be purchased to buy any games on this channel.
    Browsing the Wii Shop Channel
  • Forecast Channel - Users navigate a large 3D world to find weather forecasts for their area. By merely clicking on the channel, however, users can see a quick forecast. Some games use the information from the Forecast Channel to change the ingame weather (such as Madden NFL 07 and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams).
  • News Channel - The News Channel allows uses to view headlines from various current events. The news articles are from the Associated Press, and are available in a variety of languages. The news headlines are available in many different categories, and they are automatically updated as news comes in.
  • Internet Channel - The Internet Channel is a browser for the Wii based on the Opera browser. Originally, it was free, but it is now available for 500 Wii Points ($5), although users who downloaded it for free do not have to pay. The browser has keyboard functionality and supports many of the same standards as the Opera browser available for computers.
  • Everybody Votes Channel - The Everybody Votes Channel is a channel where users take their Miis and vote in a variety of opinion polls. All questions are submitted by users, and stats based on the users answers can be viewed. A map showing how the specific country votes is also available for users.
  • Check Mii Out Channel - The Check Mii Out Channel allows users to upload Miis and share them to users around the world. Users can download others' Miis and can also "favorite" them (causing the Mii's pants to change to orange). Users can submit their Miis into contests designed by Nintendo, and then other users vote based on which Mii is the best.
  • Nintendo Channel - The Nintendo Channel is essentially a preview of upcoming Wii and Nintendo DS games. There are a variety of trailers to watch and browser, including ones not relating to a particular game (e.g. promotional videos). Nintendo DS game demos can be downloaded via this channel as well.
    The Homebrew Channel

There also have been two channels made available only in Japan: Television Friend Channel and Digicam Print Channel. Some games add a channel when the game is booted up for the first time, and a few channels are made available by using the Wii's DS connectivity. Homebrew is made available through the use of the Wii Channels, and hackers have done this through the Homebrew Channel (which can be uploaded to the Wii through use of an SD card). One retired channel, the Metroid Prime 3 Preview Channel, was made available temporarily, but now previews are distributed through the Nintendo Channel.

Wii - Recent Games

Name Platforms Developer
My Fitness Coach
released on Dec. 2, 2008
WII Ubisoft Entertainment
The Tale of Despereaux
released on Dec. 2, 2008
PS2, X360, WII, DS, PC
Disney's Bolt
released on Nov. 28, 2008
PS2, PS3, WII, DS, PC Avalanche Software LLC
Professor Heinz Wolffs Gravity
released on Nov. 28, 2008
WII, DS, PC Deep Silver
Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge
released on Nov. 25, 2008
X360, WII, DS 49Games GmbH
AMF Bowling World Lanes
released on Nov. 25, 2008
WII
Championship Foosball
released on Nov. 25, 2008
WII
Neopets Puzzle Adventure
released on Nov. 25, 2008
WII, DS, PC Infinite Interactive Pty. Ltd.
Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune
released on Nov. 25, 2008
PS2, WII, DS
All Star Cheer Squad
released on Nov. 24, 2008
WII, DS Gorilla Systems Corporation
Cake Mania: In the Mix!
released on Nov. 24, 2008
WII
Skate City Heroes
released on Nov. 24, 2008
WII
Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree
released on Nov. 21, 2008
WII, PC
Castlevania Judgment
released on Nov. 18, 2008
WII Konami Corporation
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
released on Nov. 18, 2008
WII, DS Ubisoft Paris Studios
Monkey Mischief: Party Time
released on Nov. 18, 2008
WII
Need for Speed: Undercover
released on Nov. 18, 2008
PSP, PS2, X360, PS3, WII, DS, PC, IPHN EA Black Box
Tomb Raider: Underworld
released on Nov. 18, 2008
PS2, X360, PS3, WII, DS, PC Crystal Dynamics, Inc.
Sonic Unleashed
released on Nov. 18, 2008
PS2, X360, PS3, WII Dimps Corporation, Sonic Team
Skate It
released on Nov. 18, 2008
WII, DS Exient Entertainment, EA Montreal

Wii - Upcoming Games

Name Platform Developer
No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle
expected release 2010
WII grasshopper manufacture inc.
A New Beginning
expected release 2009
WII, DS, PC Daedalic Entertainment
Cursed Mountain
expected release 2009
WII Deep Silver
EA Sports Active
expected release 2009
WII EA Canada
The Conduit
expected release 2009
WII High Voltage Software, Inc.
Oneechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers
expected release 2009
WII Tamsoft Corporation
MadWorld
expected release 2009
WII PlatinumGames
Samurai Shodown Anthology
expected release 2008
PSP, PS2, WII SNK Playmore
Bratz: Girlz Really Rock!
expected release 2008
WII
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
expected release 2008
WII Eighting/Raizing
Images

General Information Edit
Platform Name: Wii
Release Date: Nov. 19, 2006
Online Support: True
Install Base: 30,000,000
Original Price: $249
Producing Company: Nintendo
Total Games: games
Recurring Appearances
Earth
first in
55
New York
first in
29
Space
first in Spacewar!
20
Japan
first in
20
Cave
first in
19
Castle
first in
18
The United States of America
first in
18
Europe
first in
17
The Beach
first in
15
Chicago
first in
12
Motion Control
first in
137
3D
first in Elite
128
Achievements
first in Kameo: Elements of Power
83
Minigames
first in SwordQuest: EarthWorld
71
Health
first in
61
Tie-In
first in
59
Jump
first in Donkey Kong
59
Death
first in
57
Game Over
first in
54
Best-Selling Games
first in Pong
51
Gun
first in
54
Sword
first in
42
Helmet
first in
30
Tree
first in
29
Bomb
first in B-17 Bomber
28
Pistol
first in
26
Car
first in
23
Cat
first in
21
Grenade
first in
21
Bullet
first in Spacewar!
20


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