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Nintendo Wii
Prototype of the Nintendo Wii
ManufacturerNintendo
TypeVideo game console
GenerationSeventh generation era
LifespanAfter May - Before November 23, 2006[1]
MediaDVD-ROM
GameCube Optical Disc
Secure Digital card (SD Flash Media)
Online servicesNintendo Wi-Fi Connection

The Nintendo Wii is Nintendo's fifth home video game console and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. The system was previously codenamed, "Revolution", which referred to the console's promised revolution of the video-game industry. On April 27, 2006, Nintendo announced that the official name of the Revolution will be the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we").

The system is unique from others because the console's controller can detect its exact location and orientation in 3D space, a feature not available on any other mainstream console.

The system was unveiled at Nintendo's 2005 E³ press conference and the system's game controller was revealed at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata during his keynote speech in September.[2] In an interview with Sankei Shimbun, Iwata confirmed that the Wii will be released in North America no later than Thanksgiving 2006 (November 23).[1] Internationally, Nintendo is considering attempting a launch with no more than 14 weeks of difference between the first and last launching regions.[3]

Nintendo has announced that more details about the system will be made public on May 9, 2006 at their E³ 2006 Press Conference.[4]

Name

On April 27, 2006, Nintendo changed the Revolution section, http://revolution.nintendo.com, to explain the new name.

"Introducing... Wii. As in "we."

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games...and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?

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.

Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything."

Confirmed hardware

Design

File:Nintendo-revolution6.jpg
Presented colors of the Wii skin design at E3 2005

The Nintendo 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 and 8 cm GameCube game discs.[5]

When the console was unveiled at E3 2005 the console was colored black. However, at the Tokyo Game Show 2005 when the controller was revealed, promotional material depicted a white console. Nintendo has since revealed three additional colors (platinum, lime green, and red).

Controller

The Nintendo Wii controller sets aside the traditional controller seen in other mainstream consoles in an attempt to appeal to a larger audience. The controller is shaped like a television remote control and is held with one hand. Due to its symmetrical nature, the Wii's controller is able to be used by either hand, unlike other controllers. The controller can also be rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise and used like the NES controller.

File:RevolutionController.jpg
The Nintendo Wii controller from various angles.
File:Revcon screen006.jpg
The "nunchaku-style" analog stick peripheral (right) attached to the main controller

The controller is also able to sense motion; a sensor placed near the television allows the computer to sense the controller's position in three-dimensional space. Other sensors in the controller itself allow it to sense its tilt and yaw. This allows players to mimic actual game actions, such as swinging a sword or using a flashlight, instead of simply pushing buttons. An early marketing video showed actors miming such actions as fishing, cooking, drumming, conducting an orchestra, shooting a gun, sword fighting, performing dental surgery, and what seems to be, a game of Super Mario Bros. with one handed play.[6]

The controller also features an expansion port at the bottom which will allow various attachments to be added to the controller. Nintendo has revealed one of these attachments to be a unit which features an analog stick and 2 trigger buttons. It will connect to the main Wii controller via a short cord, and its appearance while connected to the main controller has led it to become dubbed "The Nunchaku". Nintendo has stated the aforementioned "Nunchaku" add-on may be bundled with the Wii console.

Nintendo has also announced a controller "shell" which will resemble a traditional game controller called the "Classic-Style Expansion Controller". The Wii "remote" will fit inside this shell which will allow gamers to play games using a traditional controller while retaining the "remote"'s motion sensitivity. According to Satoru Iwata, it is meant for playing "the existing games, virtual console games, and multi-platform games".[2]

Despite the controller's similarity to lightguns which are only compatible with standard-definition cathode ray tube televisions, Nintendo has stated the Wii and its controller will be compatible with all televisions including digital projectors.

Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto, before exiting the stage of Japan's 2005 Digital Interactive Entertainment Conference, stated that "there are still secrets to this controller, and these will be revealed next year."

Connectivity

The Wii has a flip lid which can be opened to reveal 4 ports for GameCube controllers and 2 memory card slots.

Additionally at E3 2005, Nintendo revealed that a small internal attachment (most likely a containing an MPEG decoder chip) to be sold as an add on to the console will allow the Wii to playback DVD movies. It will also have the support of the free Nintendo Wi-Fi service, now available on the DS.

CPU/GPU

Nintendo has announced that IBM has finished developing the CPU, codenamed "Broadway". IBM had previously developed the processor for Nintendo's current system, the GameCube. Nintendo has also announced that Canadian graphics card maker ATI Technologies is developing the GPU, codenamed "Hollywood", for Wii. In an interview ATI's Public Relations Manager for Consumer Products, John Swinimer, confirmed that "Hollywood" has not been developed from PC architecture but developed specifically for the Wii 'from the ground up'.[7]

Technical specifications

File:Nintendo-revolution5.jpg
GCN Connectivity at side of Wii console

Nintendo has released very little detailed information at present concerning the technical specifications of the Wii console. According to a recent interview with Nintendo's Jim Merrick, Nintendo may never release a complete system specification.[3] Some details have however been released by Nintendo and other third parties involved with the console:

  • Processors:
  • Memory:
    • Unknown amount of RAM
    • 512 MB built-in flash memory.[8]
  • Ports and Peripherals:
    • Two USB 2.0 ports.
    • Support for wireless controllers.
    • 4 Nintendo GameCube controller ports and 2 Nintendo GameCube memory card ports (for backward compatibility).
    • Optional USB PC-compatible 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless attachment.(see Connectivity)
  • Media:
    • Slot-loading optical disc drive compatible with both 12 cm Wii optical discs and 8.0 cm GameCube optical discs (1.5 GB) as well as standard DVD discs.
    • 2 Front-loading SD memory card slots.
  • Built-in content ratings system:
    • PEGI 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+, 18+
    • ESRB EC, E, E10+, T, M, and AO.
    • CERO All Ages, 12+, 15+ 18+.
    • OFLC G, PG, M, MA15+
  • Networking
  • Video:
    • 480i (likely 480p)[9] and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV.[10]
  • Audio:
    • 5.1 Surround Sound (possibly up to 7.1)

Features

Backward compatibility

Nintendo has stated that Wii will be backward compatible with all GameCube software and most peripherals. The top of the console (or on the side if laid horizontally) is the GameCube docking station, featuring four controller ports and two memory card slots compatible with GameCube Memory Cards and the Nintendo GameCube Microphone. The Wii's slot-loading media drive accepts 8 cm GameCube discs as well as the standard 12 cm discs such as Wii games, DVDs, and CDs. This is uncommon in slot-loading media drives, which typically only accept discs of a single size.

Virtual Console

Main article: Virtual Console (Nintendo Wii)

One of the most anticipated features of the Nintendo Wii is its game download service, dubbed the "Virtual Console." Despite other rumors, Nintendo of America expects "Virtual Console" to be the final name of the service.[11] Using this Virtual Console service, users will have the ability to download and play many or all Nintendo-produced NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, and N64 games for a small fee.[12] More notably, some games may offer free retro downloads as a bonus for the purchase.[13] Nintendo has also announced that games developed for the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 consoles will be offered via the Virtual Console download service. While not all of the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx games will be offered, the "best of them" will be.[14] This gives the companies a pool of over 1000 Sega Genesis games to choose from. [15] Besides Sega and Hudson, Satoru Iwata stated that "a number of different publishers are now interested in participating in this virtual console system".[16] Moreover, while the gameplay will be the same for all of the retro titles offered via the Virtual Console, Nintendo has stated that some of the games may be improved with sharper graphics or better framerates.[17] In addition, gamers may be able to download games that were not originally released in their region, and some multiplayer games may be playable online, if it is technically possible.[18] The Virtual Console service will not be used exclusively for retro games, however. Nintendo has stated that they are interested in using the service to distribute new, original content.[11]

According to a Japanese press release, "all downloaded games will be stored on the 512 [MB] flash memory built into the system, also any USB based storage device might be able to be used.[19] To prevent illegal copying, downloaded games will feature a proprietary DRM system.[20]

Parental controls

The Wii will feature parental controls, prohibiting young viewers from viewing inappropriate content. This allows parents to set the age level of the system, and 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 age level setting, the game will not load unless the user correctly enters a password to override the setting. For instance, a game carrying an ESRB rating of M for Mature, which is intended for those over the age of 17, will not play on a system that is set to only allow games rated E for Everyone (ages six and older).

This will be found in all systems released around the world; it is confirmed that the European units will use the PEGI rating system[21], North American units will use the ESRB rating system[22], units for the Japanese market will presumably use the CERO rating system, German units will use the USK system, and Australian units will use the OFLC system.

Games and developer support

Games

Main article: List of Nintendo Wii games
  • Many games featuring Nintendo's classic franchises, such as Mario[23], The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Super Smash Bros., have been announced. Additionally Nintendo has announced that it is in the process of developing an entirely new and original franchise to be added into the Nintendo universe alongside the Wii (similar to the introduction of Pikmin alongside the GameCube).
  • A recent interview between Game Informer and Senior VP of Nintendo, George Harrison reveals that about twenty games will be out on the release of the Wii. A third of the titles will be developed by Nintendo.[24]
  • The game Red Steel has been confirmed to be released onto the Wii and several other games, such as Raid Over the River, Sadness, and Orb, are planned to be released with the system on or near the release date.
  • In the June 2006 issue of Nintendo Power magazine, it was confirmed that Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam will be available exclusively for the Wii. [25]

Developer support

Wii unveiling

A near-final Nintendo Wii console will be unveiled at Nintendo's pre-E3 press event, which is slated for 9:30 a.m. Pacific time on May 9, 2006. The venue will be the Kodak Theatre—home of the Academy Awards—in Hollywood, California.[4] Nintendo and AOL are holding a contest that will give the winner the opportunity to be the first consumer to play the Wii, on stage at the conference.[1]

Rumors and speculation

Price

While the price of the system is not yet announced, rumors are abound. Each of the past four generations of Nintendo consoles have launched at $199 (USD). This has led to speculation of a $199 launch price for the Wii as well. Due to the technology, a price of $249 is also likely. A small number of others speculate the launch price to be as low as $99 (USD) in order to undercut competition.[27]

Hardware and specifications

  • Nintendo has hinted that not every major feature of the Wii, and specifically its controller, has been revealed. According to Nintendo of Europe's Jim Merrick, they "have not shared everything that there is to know about Wii or its controller."[28]
  • An Ars Technica journal entry speculates that the controller may use a combination of IR and ultrasound to function, much like some existing, similar products such as "virtual whiteboards"[29] and Nintendo's investment in Gyration, Inc.[30] may also give a clue as to some of the technology used.
  • Ars Technica has also speculated that the Wii's CPU may be based on that "Xenon" chip in the Xbox 360. Since the "Broadway" chip is being developed by IBM, it is possible that it is simply a low-cost version of the Xenon, using only one or two cores instead of the three in the current Xbox.[31]
  • IGN.com claims to have received information from third-party game studios regarding the hardware specifications. Among their claims:
    • The Broadway CPU runs at 729MHz according to Nintendo specifications.
    • The Hollywood GPU runs at 243 MHz and is actually an integrated "system-on-a-chip" that includes "GPU, DSP, I/O bridge and 3MBs of texture memory."
    • The system RAM is divided into 24MB of "main" 1T-SRAM and 64MB of "external" 1T-SRAM; access speed for both banks is the same.
    • The console runs on an extension of the Gamecube Gekko CPU and Flipper GPU architectures.[32]
  • Nintendo has filed a patent for a method of playing games for older less capable systems on a more capable system.[33] It seems likely that this relates to Nintendo's 'Virtual Console'.
  • The Wii will have connectivity with the Nintendo DS. Nintendo Power magazine has said this is likely in its July 2005 issue. A reported interview with Shigeru Miyamoto seems to confirm this.[34]
  • AMN, citing "sources close to Nintendo," claims that the "nunchaku" add-on will feature accelerometers to detect tilt. [35]

Games and developer support

  • Mr. Miyamoto said in an EGM interview that he is thinking of making a Pikmin game for Wii.
  • NGC Magazine claims that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, when inserted into the Nintendo Wii, will utilize its native "free-hand" controller. This claim gained further support after Nintendo of Europe's interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, in which he stated, "...because Revolution can run GameCube software, when you play Twilight Princess on Revolution you can take advantage of the Revolution controller."[36]
  • It has also been hinted that older games, such as Kid Icarus, will be reintroduced on the Wii as well.[37]

Absence of "true" high-definition support

Online arguments commenced when Nintendo of America's Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Perrin Kaplan, announced there would be no HD support for their upcoming system. Kaplan stated beautiful graphics and innovative game play could be achieved without HD and that abstaining from the technology would help keep the cost of games down.

It has been confirmed that the Wii will support 480p (a.k.a. EDTV, currently the native output of a standard NTSC DVD), as did the GameCube (only on units made before 2003), and will not support (720p/1080i). Regardless, the support of 480p will still mean an improvement in graphics quality when properly hooked up to and viewed on an HDTV set (or any digital [non-analog] set, i.e. DTV or EDTV sets), when compared to viewing on an analog (480i-only) television set.

Miscellaneous

  • A book possibly intended for university graduate recruitment entitled "The Nintendo Book" contains images of the Wii controller in various stages of developement as well as photographs of Nintendo Wii case mouldings. It is a free publication possibly used for company recruitment containing amongst other things an introduction of Nintendo and its president (Satoru Iwata) and financial and sales figures for the preceding year.[38]


  • Rareware titles most likely will not appear in the Wii's Virtual Console lineup depending on current licensing and Rare's permission.[citation needed]


  • The word "Wii" has an unfortunate homophone for those in England, where "wee" is a euphamism for urine.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Anoop Gantayat (January 18, 2006). "Iwata Discusses Revolution Launch". IGN.
  2. ^ a b Satoru Iwata. "TOKYO GAME SHOW 2005 : TGS FORUM Keynote Speech". Retrieved 2006-03-15.
  3. ^ a b Ellie Gibson (November 1, 2005). "Rev specs may not be released". Eurogamer.
  4. ^ a b "http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140464.html". Gamespot News. November 28, 2005. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Nintendo Reveals Early Details About Revolution". Nintendo. May 13, 2005.
  6. ^ "TGS 2005: Revolution Teaser Video". Retrieved 2006-03-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Shawn White (January 11, 2006). "Interview Exclusive: Revolution Report Talks with ATI about Hollywood". Revolution Report.
  8. ^ "Nintendo's Compact Console Will Turn the World of Gaming on Its Side". Nintendo. May 17, 2005.
  9. ^ Interview with Jim Merrick (2005-10-20). "Poetry in Motion". CUBE Issue 51. Highbury Entertainment. pp. 12–17.
  10. ^ "IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ". Retrieved 2006-03-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  11. ^ a b "GDC 06: Beth Llewelyn On the Record". Retrieved 2006-03-23]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  12. ^ "More Revolution Bits And Pieces". Retrieved 2006-11-09]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "Iwata: Revolution downloads not free". CNET. June 8, 2005.
  14. ^ "GDC 06: Revolution to play Genesis, TurboGrafx games". Retrieved 2006-03-22]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  15. ^ "Nintendo, Sega team for gaming iTunes service". Retrieved 2006-03-24]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Nintendo president vows cheap games". Retrieved 2006-03-30]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Patrick Klepek (21 June, 2005). "Nintendo Remaking Classics". 1up.com. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Miyamoto and Iwata Talk Revolution". IGN. July 25, 2005.
  19. ^ "Revolution to support external HDDs & other 3rd party storage devices". Joystiq. March 29, 2006.
  20. ^ "Brand New Revolution Details Revealed". Retrieved 2006-03-17]. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  21. ^ "Revolution To Feature Parental Controls". Planet Gamecube. November 16, 2005.
  22. ^ John Scalzo (November 16, 2005). "Revolution ponies up parental controls". Gaming Target.
  23. ^ Tim Surette (June 16, 2005). "Mario done gleaming the 'Cube". Gamespot.
  24. ^ Shawn White. "Harrison: Approximately 20 Launch Titles". Revolution Report. {{cite news}}: Text "April 8, 2006" ignored (help)
  25. ^ Shawn White. "Downhill Jam". Revolution Report. {{cite news}}: Text "April 20, 2006" ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Q: Which developers have pledged support for Revolution?". Retrieved 2006-03-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  27. ^ "Nintendo Revolution Report: What We know". Gamespot. {{cite news}}: Text "Auther: Sarju Shah" ignored (help); Unknown parameter |Date= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ Dominic Shiels (September 16, 2005). "New Revolution Details Surface Courtesy of Nintendo of Europe". DS Revolution.
  29. ^ "Inside the Revolution controller (maybe)". Retrieved 2006-03-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  30. ^ "Nintendo's Investment In Gyration". Retrieved 2006-03-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  31. ^ "Waiting on a Revolution: a look ahead at the next-generation console wars". Retrieved 2006-04-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  32. ^ Matt Casamassina (March 29, 2006). "Revolution's Horsepower". Retrieved 2006-03-29. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  33. ^ Taho; Sagahiro, Akasaka; Hideya, Murakawa; Teruki (October 18, 2005). "Game information storage medium and game system using the same". United States Patent.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ "Frequently Asked Nintendo Revolution Questions". Revolution Report. Retrieved 2006-03-19.
  35. ^ "Nunchaku Controller Feature Revealed". Retrieved 2006-04-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  36. ^ Nintendo of Europe (March 15, 2006). "Miyamoto in Paris - exclusive interview!". Nintendo of Europe.
  37. ^ Matt Casamassina (May 19, 2005). "E3 2005: Shigeru Miyamoto Interview". IGN.
  38. ^ "Nintendo of Japan marketing report pictures". gamesarefun.com. Retrieved 2006-02-10.

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