Info on the Nintendo Wii

Ken · #1 04-22-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

What does "Wii" mean?

The console was known by the codename of "Revolution" until immediately prior to E3 2006. Nintendo spells "Wii" with two "i"s to imply an image of players gathering together, as well as to represent the console's controllers. Nintendo has given many reasons for its choice of name since its announcement; however, the most well known is:

"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."

According to the Nintendo Style Guide: A Guide to the Proper Usage of Some of Nintendo's Products:

"It is simply Wii, not Nintendo Wii. It is pronounced "we", indicating its all-inclusive nature. The name works best at the beginning of declarative statements. For clarity, it is best to avoid passive verbs and prepositions."

Despite Nintendo's justification for the name, many members of the press, online communities and even game developers reacted negatively to the name change. Some have expressed "fear that the name would convey a continued sense of 'kidiness' to the console", "wish Nintendo had stuck with 'Revolution'", or even made fun of the name for its phonetic similarities to words in English and French. Still, Nintendo defends its choice of Wii over Revolution, and suggests to that those who dislike the name to "live with it, sleep with it, eat with it, move along with it".

Wii Console Design

Wii is Nintendo's smallest home game console yet; measuring 44 mm wide, 157 mm tall, and 215.4 mm deep in the vertical orientation without the included stand (which itself measures 55.4 mm wide, 44 mm tall, and 225.6 mm deep).[4] It is approximately the size of three standard DVD cases stacked together (approx. 4.5 cm x 15 cm x 20 cm). The console can be stood either horizontally or vertically. The front of the console features a slot-loading media drive illuminated by a blue light and accepts both 12-cm and 8-cm optical discs from Nintendo's prior console, the Nintendo GameCube. The ability to load differently sized discs is uncommon in slot-loading media drives, which typically only accept discs of a single size. Two USB ports (at the rear) and one SD card slot (behind a flap cover at the front of the console) are provided.

Nintendo has shown the Wii and Wii Remote in various colors, including silver, lime green, white, black, and red. The console will initially be available only in white.

The systems shown at E3 2006 and in various trailers have several small changes from the original design. Not only has the Nintendo branding on the case been replaced with a 'Wii' logo, but the disc-loading slot has been enlarged slightly, the reset button has been moved from next to the eject button to beside the power button, and the power indicator light has been moved from next to the power button to inside that button. Originally Nintendo suggested that DVD playback would be an option with an additional purchase but this functionality has since been dropped.

Wii Controllers

The primary controller for the Wii uses a one-handed, Bluetooth, remote control-based design with force-feedback capabilities. It features an integrated accelerometer, which allows it to sense linear motion along three axes, as well as tilt. The controller also contains a tracking image sensor, which, in tandem with a sensor bar, gives the controller light gun-like pointer capabilities within 5 meters (approx. 16.5 ft) of the screen. Up to four controllers can be connected at once and operated as far as ten meters from the console. It can be utilized like an NES gamepad when rotated. An internal audio speaker can be used to play sound effects and provides an enhanced depth of sound field. The Wii Remote features 4KB of non-volatile memory. It can run up to 60 hours using only the accelerometer function with two alkaline AA batteries and up to 30 hours when using the precision aim. The buttons on the controller are digital and include a D-pad, A, B, 1, 2, -, +, Home and Power buttons as well as a SYNC button located underneath the battery cover.

The Wii Remote can be augmented by various add-ons. Announced expansions include: the included Nunchuk controller (which also has accelerometer capabilities, but no pointer ability) featuring an analog stick and two additional digital buttons (C and Z), a Classic Controller for playing Virtual Console games and a "Zapper Style" shell for first-person shooter gameplay which also includes a control stick on the top. The first third-party add-on is a steering wheel peripheral that will be packaged with Ubisoft's GT Pro Series and Monster 4x4 World Circuit.

Shigeru Miyamoto has expressed an interest in releasing re-makes of existing GameCube titles, stating that some titles would benefit from the functionality of the Wii Remote. In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Nintendo hopes to allow Wii controllers to be personalized for each gamer. Applications would include different game settings determined by the preferences of the controller that turned on the console. The Wii controller will even allow your dynamic "Mii" Avatar to be saved to the remote, so that custom settings and even the character itself can be used on other Wii consoles.

Technical Specifications

Wii System V.1

CPU: PowerPC based processor codenamed "Broadway" made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process
GPU: ATI "Hollywood" GPU made with a 90 nm CMOS process

Audio: Stereo - Dolby Pro Logic II-capable (Controller has built in speaker)

Memory:
1T-SRAM

Storage:
512 MB built-in flash memory
Expansion available via SD card memory
Slot-loading disc drive compatible with:
8 cm GameCube optical disc
12 cm Wii optical disc
Mask ROM by Macronix
Four Nintendo GameCube controller ports

i/O and Peripherals:
Up to four Wii Remote controllers (connected wirelessly via Bluetooth)
One SD memory card slot
Two USB 2.0 ports
One Sensor Bar port
Two Nintendo GameCube memory card ports
Compatible with optional USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor

Communication:
Ethernet (x1 / 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Wireless Controller (Bluetooth)

Video:
Up to 480p, will work with any TV or projector, and VGA output (Unconfirmed)
Component (including Progressive scan), S-Video, or composite output
16:9 widescreen support

Wii Channels

The operating system interface for Wii is designed around the concept of television channels, with a Wii Menu used to access them. Separate channels are graphically displayed in a grid, and are navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote. The grid is completely customizable and users can place links to different channels or virtual console games in the menu's 48 slots. Some of the major channels include:

Disc Channel

With a Wii or Nintendo Gamecube game disc, the Disc Channel will boot up the game. This channel shows an image (usually the game's logo).

Internet Channel
Similar to its use as the Nintendo DS Browser, the Opera web browser will be available for download, according to Nintendo, and it will be purchased using Wii Points. It will be available as a free download until June 2007 in all regions.

Mii Channel

A June 2006 interview between Wired News and Katsuya Eguchi (producer of Animal Crossing and Wii Sports) confirmed that the custom player avatar feature shown at Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing would be included in the hardware. The feature was described as part of a "Profile" system that contains the caricature and other persistent player information. This application was officially unveiled by Nintendo in September 2006. It is incorporated into the Wii Channel's operating system interface as the "Mii Channel". Users can select from pre-made caricatures or create their own by choosing custom body part shapes, colors, and positioning. For games such as Wii Sports, each player's caricature will be shown as their in-game character appearance. Wii creations can be downloaded to the Wii Controller, and be taken to another Wii.

Virtual Console Channels

When a Virtual Console game is bought through the Wii Shop Channel it will be placed in the main menu as its own channel. The Virtual Console is an online service, similar to Xbox Live Arcade, that allows users to download games not only for the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, but also Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive, NEC's PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 and the MSX home computer. NES games will cost 500 Wii Points / JP¥500 (US$5), Super NES games 800 Wii Points / JP¥800 (US$8), and Nintendo 64 games 1,000 Wii Points / JP¥1,000 (US$10). (approx. €4 to €8 including VAT)

In a financial report issued by the publisher Tecmo, it was stated that the company promised to support the Virtual Console "aggressively", however, no further specifics were mentioned. Approximately 30 games will be released though the Virtual Console between the console's launch and the end of the calendar year, with 10 additional games being released every month after that for at least the next year.

More on the Virtual Console Service

Nintendo has stated the service

"...will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets.

Backward Compatibility
Nintendo has stated that the Wii will be backward compatible with all GameCube software and most peripherals. This backwards compatibility is achieved with the help of the slot-loading drive being able to accept GameCube discs, and a set of four GameCube controller ports and two Memory Card slots, concealed by flip-open panels. Nintendo has stated that the Wii console will not be compatible with the GameCube modem adapter, broadband adapter, Game Boy Player, AV cable, or AC adaptor.

Nintendo DS Connectivity
Wii will support wireless connectivity with the Nintendo DS. Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo was still working out when features using this connectivity would be available, but that it would be soon after the launch of the system, due to the popularity of the Nintendo DS. At Nintendo's corporate policy meeting in June 2006, Satoru Iwata explained that the DS uses its wireless connectivity to communicate with the Wii and that no further accessories will be needed.

The connectivity will allow the player to use functions like the Nintendo DS's microphone and touchscreen as inputs for Wii games. The first example Nintendo has given of a game using Nintendo DS-Wii connectivity is that of Pokémon Battle Revolution. Players with either Pokémon Diamond or Pearl will be able to play battles using their Diamond or Pearl Pokémon on Wii with the Nintendo DS as a controller.

It has also been confirmed that the Nintendo DS will be able to play game demos downloaded from Wii which they would receive from Nintendo, similar to a DS Download Station. The Wii will also be able to update and expand Nintendo DS games.

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.

It is confirmed that the European units will use the PEGI rating system, whereas 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, the BBFC in the United Kingdom (although most video games in the United Kingdom do carry a PEGI rating), or the OFLC in Australia.

Online connectivity
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Wii will be able to connect to the Internet through its built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and through a USB-to-Ethernet adaptor, with both methods allowing players to access the established Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Nintendo has stated that Wii will implement standard Wi-Fi protocols. Just as for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo will not charge fees for playing via the service and the Friend Code system will control how players connect to one another. The service will have several unique features for the Wii, such as the Virtual Console, WiiConnect24 and the Wii Browser. Wii also can communicate and connect with other Wii systems by wireless LAN, enabling local wireless multiplayer on different television sets. Battalion Wars 2 first demonstrated this feature, for non-split screen multiplayer between two or more televisions. Nintendo has announced two Wi-Fi enabled games at LGC 2006 in Leipzig: Mario Strikers Charged, and Battalion Wars 2. Although the Wii features an online mode, Nintendo hasn't provided the programming tools for 3rd party developers yet, meaning that only first party Wii games will be online, at least in 2006.

Wii Connect24

At E3 2006, Nintendo announced WiiConnect24, a feature that will allow the Wii to remain connected to the Internet in standby mode. Some possible uses of WiiConnect24 that were mentioned at E3 2006 include allowing friends to visit a player's village in Animal Crossing and downloading updates for games without having to be actively using the system. It has also been said that it would be possible to download Nintendo DS promotional demos using WiiConnect24 and later transfer it to one's Nintendo DS, similar to a DS Download Station.

Info taken from Nintendo Wii Console › Info + Pre-Order ($249 / £179)