Nintendo recently announced its newest addition to the Nintendo gaming line, the Nintendo Wii (pronounced “we”). Like the Gamecube, Nintendo has developed the Wii to have a petite design which is no bigger than a few stacked CD cases. Though the system may be small, the entertainment and originality it brings is anything but petite.
Nintendo executives have announced that the Wii will be roughly two to three times more powerful than the Gamecube. Along with more power, the Wii has many features that put it ahead of the rest of the gaming systems that have recently come out or will be coming out in the future. With the ability to play DVDs, as well as having a specially customized IBM CPU, an ATI graphics chip, 512MB of onboard flash memory, two SD memory card slots, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in support for Wi-Fi access.
The Wii will be fully capable of online play, as well as being compatible with Gamecube games. However, one of the largest advantages this system will have over others is the fact that players will be able to download and play games from all past Nintendo systems, including NES, SNES and Nintendo 64.
Also, new to this system is the way game play will be controlled. Nintendo has thrown the traditional controller out the window and adopted a new wireless controller that looks more like a remote control. The controller is completely movement-sensitive in all directions, allowing gamers to control on-screen action by waving the controller through the air. For example, a tennis game Nintendo demoed at E3 required you to swing the controller back and forth like it was a real tennis racquet. Hit the virtual ball from below and you perform a lob. Twist your wrist as you hit the ball and you impart spin. For more complex games, the Wii has an attachment to the remote control-like unit which allows more sensitive movement in games like platforms or shooters.
The Nintendo Wii has been announced that the price of the Wii will not exceed $250 in America, or ¥25,000 in Japan. The company plans to ship six million systems to retailers around the world between its launch in the fourth quarter of 2006 and the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2007. An exact launch date will be announced in the future.
