Wii

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Nintendo Wii prototype

Wii (pronounced "we") is Nintendo's seventh generation video game console, their fifth home console, and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. Until Nintendo announced the console's official name on April 27, 2006, the official codename of Wii was the Nintendo Revolution.

Wii is unique in that the console's controller, the Wii Remote, or "Wii-mote", can be used as a handheld pointing device as well as detecting motion in three dimensions. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumbling device to provide sensory feedback. The console is confirmed to have a stand-by feature entitled WiiConnect24, enabling it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power.

Nintendo unveiled the system under the Wii codename in 2005 at its E3 press conference. Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's President, revealed a prototype of the system's game controller at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show during his keynote speech in September. [1] It was released worldwide in December 2006.

Confirmed hardware and technology

Nintendo has announced that IBM has been working with the development of the CPU, codenamed "Broadway." IBM was previously involved with the development of the processor in Nintendo's current system, GameCube. Nintendo has also announced that Canadian graphics card maker ATI Technologies is involved with the GPU, which is codenamed "Hollywood". Before the GameCube's release, ATI had bought ArtX, the company responsible for the GameCube's GPU and whose members were made of former Silicon Graphics employees involved with the Nintendo 64. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also announced that the Wii will be backward compatible with GameCube games and have built-in Wi-Fi for online playing, provided by Broadcom Corporation [2]. Nintendo has announced they will provide an optional PC-compatible wireless router for use by consumers that do not already have access to a wireless connection. The accessory is reportedly compatible with both the Nintendo DS and Wii. While no ethernet port is planned, Nintendo has suggested ethernet may be possible for the system with USB via an adaptor. MoSys, whose 1T-SRAM memory technology was used in the GameCube, will again provide the random access memory technology for Wii.

Nintendo has gone on record as stating that the Wii will use standard DVD/CD size optical discs. Nintendo would not be specific when asked about which format would be used. It will also have the ability to play DVD movies with an undisclosed add-on (most likely a hardware dongle). Presumably this is to avoid paying royalties and lower the cost of the system. While all Nintendo consoles to date have expansion serial ports, none have been announced for Wii. Other information states that Wii will be able to hook up to a computer monitor as well as a TV, dating back in May 2003. However, Nintendo has confirmed that at this point in time, they are not supporting HDTV output for the Wii, however, 480p will be standard. [3] This may mean that the system will be unable to output HDTV at all, or it may mean that HDTV support will be at the developer's discretion.

Nintendo also has said the console will be "sleek", approximately the thickness of two DVD cases (pictures are of the prototype, which is three DVD cases large), considerably thinner than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will stand both horizontally and vertically. This new industrial design will also address remarks regarding the GameCube's unique look which some have complained does not fit in amongst most home entertainment components. [4].

Controller

The Nintendo Wii controller, unveiled at Tokyo Game Show 2005, is shaped like a simple television remote control and operates like a mouse in three-dimensional real-space.

The controller is a major departure from the last 20 years of console design. Two sensors near the television allow the controller to sense its position in three-dimensional space; other sensors in the controller itself allow it to sense its tilt and yaw. Players can thus mime actions (and receive "rumble pak" style vibration feedback) instead of simply pushing buttons. An early marketing video [5] showed actors miming such actions as fishing, cooking, drumming, conducting an orchestra, shooting a gun, sword fighting, and performing dental surgery. To communicate with the sensors, the Wii's controller uses Bluetooth technology. [6]

A digital directional pad is positioned at the top of the controller face, with a large GameCube-styled A button directly below it and a trigger on the underside acting as the B-button. Below the A button is a row of three small buttons: Start, Home, and Select. Underneath the three buttons is a small speaker. Near the bottom end of the controller are two additional buttons labeled 1 and 2, suggesting that users can turn the controller 90 degrees and use it like a classic NES or SMS controller. Beneath these buttons are four lights which indicate what player number the controller is being used for--at present, up to four players are expected to be able to play on a single Wii console.

The controller can also slip inside or attach to peripherals through a proprietary port on its bottom end. A tethered peripheral with an analog stick and two shoulder buttons (labeled Z₁ and Z₂) will, according to Satoru Iwata, be bundled with the free-hand controller (letting the user play games "nunchaku-style").

A "shell" peripheral is also slated to release for the Wii that will be "very similar in style and form to the Wavebird" [7]. The official name for this is the "Classic-Style Expansion Controller". According to Iwata, it is meant for playing "the existing games, virtual console games, and multi-platform games" The controller was first unveiled at E3 2006. [8]

Nintendo promises a wide variety of peripherals ranging from dance mats to analog game controllers. Peripherals may be cheap enough to be bundled with games much like the rumble pack, expansion pack, and microphone for Star Fox 64, Donkey Kong 64, and Mario Party 6, respectively.

Known specifications

• Processors:
  • IBM PowerPC CPU "Broadway": ~729 MHz (1.5x faster than the GameCube's "Gekko")
  • ATI GPU "Hollywood":
    • Upgraded version of the GameCube's GPU
• Memory:
  • 88 MiB 1T-SRAM by MoSys
  • 512 MiB built-in flash memory
    • Stores Wii game save data, downloaded channels, and firmware updates.
• Ports:
  • Two USB 2.0 ports.
  • Proprietary Sensor Bar port (provides power to the Sensor Bar)
  • Wii Multi-AV Out (not compatible with earlier Nintendo AV cables)
  • 2× Nintendo GameCube memory card slots for GameCube compatibility
• Controllers:
  • Up to 4 Nintendo Wii Remotes
    • Extension controllers for Wii Remotes:
      • Nunchuk
      • Classic Controller
      • MotionPlus (revealed E3 2008)
  • 4× Nintendo GameCube controller ports, used for GameCube games and some Wii games
• Media:
  • Slot loading optical disc drive compatible with both 12 cm and 8 cm proprietary optical discs (again, for GameCube compatibility) as well as standard DVD discs.
  • 2× front loading SD memory card slots.
• Networking:
  • Broadcom 802.11g wireless module
  • Optional USB Ethernet adapter (Asix AX88772 chipset)

Features

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 gameplay could be achieved without HD and that abstaining from the technology would help keep the cost of games down. In reaction, major Internet based magazines like IGN.com organized letter writing campaigns to protest against Nintendo regarding the decision and urging consumers to take action [9]. A website called 1080up.org was also formed specifically for lobbying Nintendo to include the feature but so far nothing clear has come from it.

Backward compatibility

The Nintendo Wii is designed to be compatible with Nintendo GameCube software and most peripherals. Standing vertically, the top of Wii has four GameCube controller ports that will allow the system to be compatible with ordinary GameCube controllers, Nintendo's wireless Wavebird controller, the DK Bongos, the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable, and the Dance Dance Wii Mario Mix dance pads. It also features two memory card slots that should be fully compatible with all generations of GameCube memory cards ("Memory Card 59", "Memory Card 251", and "Memory Card 1019") and the Nintendo GameCube Microphone. The Nintendo Wii is designed to accept the tiny Nintendo GameCube discs through the same slot-loading disc drive that will accept standard-sized Wii game discs and DVD movies; this is a first for slot-loading disc drives, which typically only accept discs of one standard size. However, it is unclear if it will have the high-speed port required for use with the Game Boy Player accessory, but is unlikely because of the difference in the Wii's and the GameCube's size (a rectangle against an almost quadratic footprint with different measures).

Virtual console

Nintendo has announced that Wii will have the ability to play all the Nintendo-produced Nintendo 64, SNES/Super Famicom, and Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom games; the software may be recompiled or emulated but will be offered via the Nintendo online download service. Satoru Iwata refers to this feature as the "Virtual Console". According to a Japanese press release, "all downloaded games will be stored on the 512 flash memory built into the system."[10] To prevent illegal copying, downloaded games will feature a proprietary DRM system. Games from the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 will also be included.

Nintendo announced that the downloadable games may be redesigned. It was also sa id that although the gameplay would stay the same, it would be possible "that with Wii, we may be able to see the old games with new looks." Some 3D games may "look sharper when played on Wii." [11] If the technical aspects of Wii also go well, "[Nintendo is] discussing the possibility of having older games like Mario Party playable online."

Although no specifics have yet been released, there will be fees associated with the "virtual console" feature. Nintendo has suggested that they may give some of the downloadable games away with Nintendo products or through other special offers.[12] It is also unknown what specific titles will be available or whether other third-party developers may release their older games for the Wii, although it has been said that Nintendo is in talks with these developers for this purpose. Yuji Naka, the designer of Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega, said in an interview with Famitsu, "It's also great that we'll be able to play Famicom and other games via download. I hope Sega games will be playable as well." He also said similar in a recent interview with Nintendo Power. It has been announced that Sega games will be available on the Virtual Console. Among the Sega titles now available is the first Mega Drive Sonic. Currently, Nintendo could release more than 200 potential titles (and if, like it has been rumoured, the Wii is indeed compatible with the Game Boy Player accessory, then Nintendo's entire back catalogue could be playable on the system, barring the DS).

Some see Nintendo trying to pattern the most successful strategy used by the music industry against illegal music downloads. Since computers have been powerful enough to emulate past-generation home consoles and the Internet provided an easy, fast, and widely accessible distribution path for ROM images (a file which contains the data for a game which can then be played via an emulator), illegal ROM downloading has been common among a segment of fans of old games. The music industry's most successful method of reducing illegal music downloading has apparently been to offer consumers a way to download music legally for a small cost. If Nintendo is successful at utilizing this model, they may be able to reduce illegal ROM downloading and open up a new revenue stream. This backward-compatibility feature also stands as a new unique selling point against the Wii's competitors.

The unveiling of the new controller has also shed some light on the functionality of the backwards compatibility; specifically, when held sideways, the controller resembles the NES controller.

List of Sonic Games for the Wii

• Sonic and the Secret Rings
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
• Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
• Sega Superstars Tennis
• Sonic Unleashed
• Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) (Virtual Console)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) (Virtual Console)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Virtual Console)
• Sonic Spinball (Virtual Console)
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Virtual Console)
• Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Virtual Console)
• Sonic & Knuckles (Virtual Console - upcoming)

See also

• Nintendo GameCube
• Nintendo DS

References

• Information on Nintendo's Wireless Router
• Information about system titles in development
• Nintendojo news update Press release with post-E³ information about Wii.
• N-Sider, October 2004 in-depth FAQ
• Gyration, September 24, 2001 Press release involving Nintendo investment
• IGN GameCube FAQ
• Game Informer interview with Reggie Fils-Aime
• IGN: Wii Technical Specs - May 25, 2005
• IGN - E³ 2005: Wii Not Final Name
• "IGNcube's Nintendo 'Wii' FAQ"
• EGM interview transcript provided by Nintendojo
• Interview giving high hopes for controller in the crowded gaming industry August 20, 2005

External links

• GameSpot: The Wii Revealed
• IGN: Wii Controller - The Possibilities
• Video of controller usage
• Gamer Within's Impressions of the Wii Controller
• Nintendo Genre Innovation Strategy
• Slides from the TGS Keynote announcing the Wii controller
• Responses from developers
• 1up: The Wii Begins Now
• Namco/Bandai
• Koei