This will be the official thread for Nintendo Wii facts and news. Caution: The word MIGHT is said a lot. So don't get mixed up. Also I must of updated this thing like 20 times, so check the 'Edited last' and see if I added anything.
The Nintendo Wii
IGN's pic
Wii is the final name to the console code-named Revolution. The colors are also prototypes, white(and I think black) are the only real known colors.
Facts:
1) Release and Price. Sunday, November 19th. $249.99. 2 days after PS3. 4 million console available in 2006. Way better than Sony's 400K.
You get:
1 Wii
1 Wii remote
1 Nunchuk controller
1 AC adaptor
1 AV cable
1 stand
1 support plate (?)
1 sensor bar
1 sensor bar stand
2 batteries (AA)
1 WiiSports
Compare prices:
-Xbox 360: $299 Core system and $399 Premium
-PlayStation 3: $499 Stripped version and $599 Complete
Packaging(From Gamesarefun.com, who got it from Famitsu)
2) ATi's 'Hollywood' graphics chip and IBM's 'Broadway' core processor is powering this machine. IGN has gotten the specs on the console's first development kits(which are upgraded by now) from developers, and here's the quote:
"Revolution[Wii] will build on GameCube's configuration of 24MBs 1T-SRAM and 16MBs D-RAM (40MBs) by adding an addition 64MBs of 1T-SRAM. The result is a supply of memory in Revolution[Wii] that totals 104MBs. That number does not consider either the 512MBs of allegedly accessible (but hardly ideal) Flash RAM or the Hollywood GPU's on-board memory, said to be 3MBs by sources.
Wii's Broadway CPU, developed by IBM, is an extension of the Gekko CPU in GameCube. It is a PowerPC CPU. Made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM.
3)Controller. At TGS '05, Iwata-san unveiled the Wii's Controller, named the Wiimote.
Looks simple but contains:
* Remote control design: constructed to appeal to a wide variety of potential players
* 3D Pointing: Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward. The remote-like peripheral, which has been called the "free-hand style controller" and "pointer" by Nintendo, interacts with a sensor bar placed above, below, or near televisions. The bar contains two sensors that communicate with the controller using
Bluetooth technology. The sensors read the pointer's every move in real-time space. The nunchuck-style add-on also has the motion sensor so it's two different motion sensors in your hands.
* Tilt Sensitive: Controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side. If you ever played Warioware Twisted, Yoshi's Topsy Turvy or Kirby's Tilt and Tumble, you know what I'm talking about, but those 3 mentioned games are 2D tilting(left and right only) with this it's 3D with front and back and everything in between.
* Buttons Included: Has a trigger(B) on its backside, A, 1 and 2 buttons, and a D-Pad. Also has Start, Select, Home(which might work like the 360's guide button), and the power button. What's nice about these new systems is that you can turn them on and off through their controllers now.
* Multifunctional: Has an expansion port which can be used with different types of controller peripherals.
*The first is an analog stick/trigger unit that Nintendo has dubbed the "nunchuck-style controller." It is also motion sensitive and has a Z and C trigger with an analog stick.
*Also a Shotgun attachment is used for Dunk Hunt 2
Nintendo has also indicated that it might like to explore other expansions. It used Donkey Kong style bongos and a light gun as examples. Also you and one other person can use 2 freehand controllers as an interface. A demo used it as drumsticks.
* Wireless: Looks like it takes AA batteries like the Wavebird.
* Rumble Built-in. Included standard in all the controllers.
*And the coolest thing ever. A power button on the controller, that's not just for the controller, it's a console shut off switch so all that bending over just to turn it off isn't needed.
*BUT!! you need a sensor bar on top or bottom of your TV. It's about 20cm long and has detectors on the tips.
Here's a pic of the old Wiimote with the analog attachment:
IGN's pic
Here's the Shotgun attachment
-GameSpot's pic
Also, Nintendo is making a controller to work well with SNES and N64 games that you download. Looks like a SNES/PS2 crossover.
-GameSpot's pic
4) Built in with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. With a router, you can play games online, and seen with the instant success with the DS, it won't be a problem. And Nintendo will make their games free to play online, but third parties have the right to charge(which most won't). It will be like the DS with Friend Codes for your buddy list.
5) Backwards compatible. There are 4 GCN controller ports and 2 GCN memory card slots on the top of the console.
Also by using the Wii's 'Virtual Console', you can download Nintendo-made NES SNES and N64 games, MSX, SEGA Genesis games and Turbografx games with a small fee. Also new and original games can be put on it.
Surprisingly, full pricing details are here. NES games will be available for 500 Wii points, Super NES games for 800, and Nintendo 64 for 1,000. A 2000 Wii points card can be had at retail for $20. About 30 titles will be available at launch, 10 more every month after December. Payment is by a Wii points card or use a credit card. Much like the Xbox 360's Marketplace(actually exactly).
Here's a list of developers for the VC:
IGN's pic
6) Not only will it's pretty blue lit disk loader accept GCN disks, the Wii will use 12 cm optical disks which can store 4.7GBs of data on a single layer or 8.5GBs when double-layered on a single-side. This is a massive jump from the 1.5GB capacity of GameCube discs and more than enough storage capacity for any non-high-definition game. It can no longer play DVD movies like i was originally supposed to do.
7) The console lays horizontally and vertically like every next gen. It's size @ E3 was a little smaller than 3 DVD cases stacked together. It also has a light gray base to put the console on. It's less than a quarter of the size of the Xbox.
8) The system boasts 512 megabytes of internal flash memory for Virtual Console downloads, might not sound a lot, but older games were in the kilobytes. Also, it has two USB 2.0 ports in the back. No Hard Drive but it might be able to connect to an external PC hard drive via USB 2.0 and you can save the older games and game saves. Also, Easy expansion: A bay for an SD memory card will let players expand the internal flash memory(it's holds 2 SD cards in the front flap). It can hook up to a TV or computer monitor. Unlike the Xbox 360 and PS3, Nintendo will not support High Definition with their console, 480p(Progressive Scan) will be default, which is what big time GCN games use. Nintendo did this to cut costs on the console, consumer and developers' cost to develop games. It will also have Parental Controls.
9) Will never turn off or never go offline. How long does the PS2 take to start a game? 30 seconds... A minute? Nintendo wants this startup obliterated. With WiiConnect24, it will stay on standby if the console's 'off.' It will go right to the game when it's back on. It won't take a hit on your electric bill either. When it's on standby, it'll drain as much as a mini lightbulb. Also with WiiConnect24, it won't get off the Nintnedo Wi-Fi Connection, eliminating wait times for connecting online. With this, a game like Animal Crossing can truely have people in their town while that person who owns it is asleep. Also the Wii will d/l demos(Wii and DS) and updates automatically when it's off. If the little white power light is blinking it means Nintendo sent them something.
10) You can browse online and the Wii will have various channels. Nintendo has the Opera web browser for the Wii and DS(DS one sucks).
-The browser will be on the Flash ROM of the console, making it technically possible to launch it on any Wii at any time. It will be shipping standard with the system..
-Opera once shipped with ads built into its user interface, but has since lost them. The Wii version will also be ad-free.
-"Opera will be integrating its unique rendering technologies to compensate for the lower resolution of TVs."
-Opera for Wii will support all the standard web technologies that the desktop version does, such as AJAX. Whether or not plugins such as Flash will be supported or not is undetermined.
- Also Wii-users can watch stuff through channels, the console will also have many multimedia functions. There will be a photo channel that will allow users to use the Wii to display digital photographs on television from SD memory cards form digital cameras.
11) Connects to the DS wirelessly. It will prob be used like the GCN/GBA connectivity, but without the GCN/GBA wire(The reason it failed really).
-Satoru Iwata has confirmed that via the Wii's download service, which is used for downloading classic Nintendo games for a fee, users will also be able to download Nintendo DS game demos. These demos can then be transmitted by the user onto their DS systems via the "Download Play" option.
-The DS can be used as a touch screen controller for the Wii
-DS software can be expanded using the Wii (this seems to include bonus elements like playing DS software through the television -- see below for an example)
-Iwata gave one clear example for the second area of the service, announcing Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii in the process. This title will link up with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. You start off by inserting the Pearl or Diamond cartridge into your DS and Pokemon Battle Revolution into your Wii. The DS then acts as a controller as your Diamond and Pearl Pokemon battle it out on the screen in 3D. You will have a full set of battle options when fighting this way, including player versus player, player versus CPU and Wi-Fi (Pokemon Battle Revolution is being developed as the first Connectivity title between the DS and Wii. It is also the first Wi-Fi enabled game.)
12) Launch: Games. As of now, these are confirmed:
Excite Truck
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wii Sports (bundled with the console itself)
Call of Duty 3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Rapala Tournament Fishing
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
World Series of Poker
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
Elebits
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
THQ
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Barnyard
Cars
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
Far Cry: Vengeance
GT Pro Series
Monster 4x4: World Circuit
Open Season
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
13) Channels: The Wii Channel Menu will be the first screen shown on the television, as it easily integrates itself as part of people’s everyday lives.
-Disc Channel: This channel allows users to play either Wii game discs or the entire library of Nintendo GameCube™ discs.
-Photo Channel: This channel allows users to take digital pictures stored on an SD memory card and display them on their television screens. Users also can manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. They can draw, add stamps, and copy and paste. They also can change the “mood” of photos by brightening them, converting them to monochrome, inverting the color or changing them to stark black and white. Users can even add an MP3 tune to their slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for people to edit their digital pictures. Users also can send their pictures to other Wii consoles by attaching a photo to the Wii Message Board.
-Forecast Channel: Users who have connected their Wii console to the Internet can access free local weather forecasts just a few seconds after turning on the Wii console. The WiiConnect24™ service automatically updates local weather information. Users can view forecasts for cities around the world on a 3-D globe.
-News Channel: Users can access breaking news with the touch of a button. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel and organizes it in a variety of topical categories. Users can see where news is happening by viewing the location of news stories on a 3-D globe.
-Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console™. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.
-Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user’s home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii Points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program (“What was that actor’s name again?”). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.
-Wii Message Board: Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. Users can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. They also can use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside the home as well. Even better, people can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming messages targeted at software, such as a new map or weapon for a game. Games can constantly be updated, thereby extending their playability.
14) Mii Channel
"Mii" channel, which lets you create your cartoon-like avatar to represent yourself within games like WiiSports. To demonstrate the flexibility of the Mii character-creation utility--which lets you pick hair styles, skin color, facial features, and so on. The second component of the Mii concept is transporting your Miis elsewhere, since they're stored on your remote. Head to a friend's house, play tennis with your controller, and you'll see your Mii pop right up in the game.
15) Extra info.
*This is Nintendo's last console...... without High Def. Nintnedo announced that their console after Wii will be HD compatible. *Nintendo expects to sell at least 60 million Wii's. Triple the GameCube's. 6 million by March 2007. 4 million by December 31st 2006.
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I'll Modify if anything comes. And I modify A LOT.
Last Updated 9/14
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