Wii

Wii
Developer(s)	Nintendo ATI Technologies
Release Date(s)	North America November 19, 2006 Japan December 2, 2006 Australia December 7, 2006 Europe December 8, 2006
Price(s)	$250 USD $150 USD
Colors	White Black Red
Units Shipped	97.18 million
Best-selling game	Wii Sports (79.60 million)

The Wii is a video game console developed and released by Nintendo. Released on November 19, 2006, the Wii is a seventh-generation console, competing against the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system.

In 2012, the system was succeeded by Nintendo's Wii U.

History

With the production of the GameCube, Nintendo developers began work on their next production, the Wii. The team at Nintendo believed that what set the GameCube off was that the project was designed to be a more powerful system; this was what was believe to be the GameCube's biggest setback. In doing so, the team began work on a more innovative idea, and thus, the Wii was to be made.

The system was codenamed the Nintendo "Revolution." This name lasted throughout the early years of the production into the year of the Wii's release, where it was changed with the Electronic Gaming Expo detailing its release. The Wii was initially designed to be not only revolutionary, but also a device used for the whole family. The name of the console was meant to represent two people standing side-by-side, and the games Nintendo specifically designed for the Wii were those that were focused on family bonding.

The Wii was announced for a release in several regions on September 14, 2006, and was to have no less than thirty-three titles on the market at launch. In the United States, the Wii was labeled a price of $249.99 USD but afterward received several price drops in other nations. The Wii's launch was very successful, making $190 million USD by its first week. The system now has sold more systems than its competitors, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Technical specifications

CPU: PowerPC-based Broadway processor, made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, reportedly† clocked at 729 MHz[168] GPU: ATI Hollywood GPU made with a 90 nm CMOS process,[169] reportedly† clocked at 243 MHz[168] ^† None of the clock rates have been confirmed by Nintendo, IBM or ATI. Memory: 88 MB main memory (24 MB internal 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package, 64 MB external GDDR3 SDRAM)[170] 3 MB embedded GPU texture memory and framebuffer Ports and peripheral capabilities: Up to 16 Wii Remote controllers (10 in standard mode, 6 in one-time mode,[171] connected wirelessly via Bluetooth) Nintendo GameCube controller ports (4) Nintendo GameCube memory-card slots (2) SD memory-card slot (supports SDHC cards, as of system menu 4.0) USB 2.0 ports (2) Sensor Bar power port Accessory port on bottom of Wii Remote Optional USB keyboard input in message board, Wii Shop and Internet channels (as of 3.0 and 3.1 firmware update)[172] Mitsumi DWM-W004 WiFi 802.11b/g wireless module[173] Compatible with optional USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adapter "AV Multi Out" port (See "Video" section) Built-in content ratings systems: BBFC, CERO, ESRB, ACB, OFLC (NZ), PEGI, USK

IBM Wii Broadway CPU

ATI Wii Hollywood GPU Storage: 512 MB built-in NAND flash memory Expanded storage via SD and SDHC card memory (up to 32 GB) Nintendo GameCube memory card (required for GameCube game saves) Slot-loading disc drive, compatible with 8 cm Nintendo GameCube Game Disc and 12 cm Wii Optical Disc Mask ROM by Macronix[174] Video: Custom "AV Multi Out" port supporting composite video,[175] YPBPR component video,[176] S-Video (NTSC consoles only)[177] and RGB SCART (PAL consoles only)[178] 480p (PAL/NTSC), 480i (PAL/NTSC) or 576i (PAL/SECAM), standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen[179] Audio: Main: Stereo – Dolby Pro Logic II-capable[180] Controller: Built-in speaker Power consumption: 18 W when switched on[181] 9.6 W in standby with WiiConnect24 standby connection[181] 1.3 W in standby

Accessories

Wii Remote

The Wii Remote, often nicknamed the Wiimote, is the standard controller for the Wii. It is rectangular in shape and closely resembles a television remote. It consists of eight buttons as well as a directional pad. Unlike previous controllers, the Wii Remote includes a power button which can be used to turn the console on or off.

Wii MotionPlus

The Wii MotionPlus is an expansion device used with the Wii Remote. When it is attached to the Wii Remote, it adds additional control to the character on screen. When the player makes a movement, the Wii MotionPlus matches that movement on screen.

Alongside with the Wii MotionPlus, the Wii Remote Plus was released with a built in Wii Motion Plus, which decreases the need to change attachments used for the Wii Remote.

Nunchuck

The Nunchuck is the primary attachment to the Wii Remote, and comes packaged with the Wii. It includes only two buttons and an analog stick. Much like the Wii Remote, the Nunchuk also includes motion sensors.

Wii Classic Controller

The Wii Classic Controller is a Wii accessory used for playing older Nintendo games on the Wii. Besides the double analog sticks, the button layout resembles a Super Nintendo Entertainment System's controller. The Classic Controller can also be used to play Wii games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In 2009, the Wii Classic Controller PRO on its Japanese website. The Classic Controller PRO is larger than the Classic Controller.

Classic Controller Pro

The Classic Controller Pro is a controller that was released on August 1, 2009 in Japan, November 20, 2009 in Europe, and on January 25, 2010 in North America. It is an improved version of the Classic Controller. It's designed after the Gamecube controller. The Classic Controller Pro's new features are the handles on each side, the cord being on the top instead of the bottom, and the Control Sticks being farther away from each other. The Classic Controller Pro comes in three different colors, black, white, and gold. The gold version is included in the game pack of GoldenEye 007. The Classic Controller Pro is included with every Wii in Japan since it was released there on August 1.

Wii Balance Board

The Wii Balance Board is a controller for the Wii that is used in various games such as Wii Fit and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Unlike the Nunchuck or the Classic Controller, it is a completely separate controller from the Wii Remove. The board is able to measure weight, balance, and movement that the player makes while using the board.

Wii Wheel

The Wii Wheel is an accessory for the Wii and was designed specifically for Mario Kart Wii, however, the attachment is still compatible with other racing games. The Wii Wheel is included with the purchase of Mario Kart Wii, but is not included in the purchase of a Wii. Without a Wii Wheel, a player can use the Wii Remote held sideways to race in the game.

Wii Zapper

The Wii Zapper is an accessory for the Wii that is used for shooting games. It was released on October 25, 2007 in Japan, November 19, 2007 in North America, December 7, 2007 in Europe, and December 13, 2007. It is a shell that makes the Wii Remote and Nunchuk together look more like a gun. In North America, it was included with Link's Crossbow Training, and in Japan, it came with Ghost Squad, and later Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles on November 15, 2007. It got its idea from the NES Zapper.

Wii Speak

Wii Speak is a Wii accessory that allows the user to chat with other Wii Speak users from nearby, or all over the world. The users do not need a headset or microphone, but can simply talk while standing in front of their television. Wii Speak was revealed at E3 2008 with Animal Crossing: City Folk, the first game Wii Speak was usable on. There were only a few games to be released that used this feature:

• Animal Crossing: City Folk
• The Conduit
• Endless Ocean: Blue World
• Monster Hunter Tri