Wii Unites the World

What's it all about?

The Wii (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Wii
Manufacturer Nintendo
Type Video game console
Generation Seventh generation era
First available North America November 19, 2006
JP December 2, 2006
AU IT December 7, 2006
EU December 8, 2006
CPU IBM PowerPC-based[1] "Broadway"
GPU ATI "Hollywood"
Media 12 cm Wii Optical Disc
8 cm Nintendo GameCube Game Disc
System storage 512MB Internal flash memory
GameCube Memory Card
Secure Digital card
Connectivity Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
USB 2.0 x2
LAN Adapter (via USB)
Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
WiiConnect24
Virtual Console
Wii Channels

Units sold Worldwide: 1 million+ as of December 7, 2006[2]
United States: 476,000 as of December 1, 2006[3]
Japan: 823,311 as of December 24, 2006[4]
Europe: 325,000 as of December 13, 2006[5]
Australia: 32,901 as of December 10, 2006[6]
Backward
compatibility Nintendo GameCube
Predecessor Nintendo GameCube

The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun "we," IPA: [wiː]) is a video game console released by Nintendo. The console was previously known by its project code name of Revolution, and is the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. Although Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3,[7] as part of the seventh generation of gaming consoles it competes with the other two on some levels.

A distinguishing feature of the console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. Notable among the console's internal features is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power.

Nintendo first mentioned the console in the 2004 E3 press conference and later unveiled the system at the 2005 E3. Satoru Iwata revealed a prototype of the controller at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show.[8] In the 2006 E3, it won the first of several awards.[9] By December 8, 2006, the console completed its launch in three key markets.