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The Wii Takes NYC 264

Posted by Zonk from the more-wiinfo dept.
The news came in late from Japan, with details on the North American launch. This morning, Nintendo's New York press conference expanded our understanding of what's going to be happening on November 19th. 1up has coverage of the event, as well as Japan's virtual console pricing, the opening lineup details for Japan, and news that the ex-FFXII director is excited about the Wii. Hopefully this will mean innovative support of the platform by Square/Enix. Over at Gamespot, they have their own conference coverage, as well as a rundown on the system's media functionality and first-hand comments from the engineers that built it. Finally, for a bit of analysis, Next Generation explores what the return of the pack-in (the inclusion of Wii Sports with the console) means for the industry at large.
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The Wii Takes NYC More

The Wii Takes NYC

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  • Roping non-gamers in (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Hitto ( 913085 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @10:47AM (#16104404)
    So with the weather channel, news channel, internet browser and picture viewer/editor, Nintendo's goal is to rope totally-non-geeky people to buy something that does what a PC does better, but that's easy to use and affordable. Then, if mom of grampa wants to try out a game, it's just a click away.

    Can't say how it will turn out as my crystal ball is at the dry cleaner's, but I think this could work. I mean, I don't live in a very tech-literate country (france), but I know more than a few people who'd want to give the "digital lifestyle" a try. And yeah, I know peter moore coined that term first.

    As a casual gamer, I can't say I care about those addons. Hey, it's free, and it could be good, but it also means some people were out coding this instead of a mario game. But it's an interesting strategy nonetheless.
    • I found the list of those features interesting as well. A lot of them are things offered on modified Xbox consoles that a whole lot of people complained were included with the Xbox 360.

      My biggest concern is resolution. Weather is ok but viewing text news and web browsing on a TV in 720x480 (or worse: interlaced 640x480) probably wont be a very pleasant experience for the eyes. I completely agree with Nintendo's reasons for not supporting HD resolutions but without HD text is either impossible to read or

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by LWATCDR ( 28044 )
        Actually I wouldn't worry about it. Nintendo did yet another brilliant thing, they went to Opera for the web browser. Many people consider Opera the best browser available on mobile devices like cell phones. Guess what :) They use tiny low resolution screens.
        Man that gives me an interesting idea :)
        Any way I hope they open up the channels for developers like Microsoft did with the XBox. I would love to try to homebrew a few apps for the Wii.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by digidave ( 259925 )
      I gave my mom an old computer with Ubuntu Linux on it as her first ever computer. She browses the web a little bit and uses email a lot. A Wii might be a perfect replacement when that computer dies.
      • You need a minimum of 800x600 to browse the web functionally today and many sites demand 1024x768. An SDTV display is simply not up to the task of web browsing and the Wii doesn't do HD. The Wii's web browser is a gimmick that will not be useful on sites not designed for it.
  • Why did they choose to launch is so briefly after the PS3? They're basically ceding copycat Sony the honor of "first console with a motion sensing controller as a standard feature". (other than the one you know about that no one's heard of, of course) Did they really need an extra week or so to get their act together? I doubt it.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
      Don't worry. Considering how few PS3's will actually ship, you won't be seeing one on a store shelf until well into next year. You'll have to go to ebay to see one.

      -Eric

  • Mii (Score:5, Funny)

    by Alzheimers ( 467217 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @10:53AM (#16104474)
    Capitalizing on just how hip irony is, they create a virtual version of Samuel L. Jackson. After character creation, you can transfer your "Mii" to your Wii-remote, so that you can take them with you wherever you go.

    Can Snakes on a Wii be one step closer to a reality?

  • Pack ins (Score:3, Insightful)

    by slim ( 1652 ) <john@hartnupBLUE.net minus berry> on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:01AM (#16104563) Homepage
    The pack-in analysis is kinda interesting.

    If they enjoy Wii and Wii Sports for a few weeks, and then allow it to gather dust, like so many other toys, the company's gambit will have failed, and it will need to fight it out as an also-ran third place player.

    Well, it's a risk I guess. But I imagine that anyone vaguely social who bought the basic Wii package on its own, would be out buying one or more extra controllers very shortly thereafter. It looks like a game that cries out to be played multiplayer. ... and once you're in a buying pattern...

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by cowscows ( 103644 )
      The general mindset of owning a game console is that you'll end up buying more games for it in the future. Nobody who's buying a Wii for games is going to somehow forget that there are more games than the one that shipped in the Wii box. If they enjoy Wii and Wii Sports for a few weeks, doesn't that create a greater chance that they'll go buy some extra games than if they had never bought a Wii to begin with?

      I don't understand what the problem is. If someone goes to buy one and doesn't purchase another game

  • What?!? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by thatguywhoiam ( 524290 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:01AM (#16104568)
    A weather channel? Displaying digital photos? Opera browser?

    This stuff is great. Seriously. I like that they are doing this.

    However. I never, EVER want to hear from the Nintendo fanboys about how their favourite console eschews all the 'useless bells and whistles' to focus with laserlike intensity on pure gameplay.

    Obviously not. They are as eager to pack on the feature-creep as Sony and MS.

    (and to reiterate - i like these features, and I have defended Sony and MS for them. Just stating the common N-fan counterargument is that it was all extra fluff that distracted from the point of the thing.)

    • Re:What?!? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by twistedsymphony ( 956982 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:12AM (#16104671) Homepage
      I think the difference is when the feature boost the cost of the console. Nintendo can add things like weather and browsing without boosting the consoles price... Blu-Ray is costing Playstation fans a boatload weather they like it or not.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by ElleyKitten ( 715519 )

      However. I never, EVER want to hear from the Nintendo fanboys about how their favourite console eschews all the 'useless bells and whistles' to focus with laserlike intensity on pure gameplay. Obviously not. They are as eager to pack on the feature-creep as Sony and MS.

      Well, this Nintendo fangirl is grumbling. Happy now?

      Ok, I'm not terribly upset about it, but these things seem kinda useless to me. I (and probably many people who are buying Wiis instead the higher-end consoles) have a cheap TV so I do

      • Well, this Nintendo fangirl is grumbling. Happy now?

        Um, no. I'm not really looking to piss off Nintendo users.

        Ok, I'm not terribly upset about it, but these things seem kinda useless to me. I (and probably many people who are buying Wiis instead the higher-end consoles) have a cheap TV so I doubt I'll be able to see the internet in any functional form on it. Plus, lack of keyboard can't be fun. Weather Channel? Don't most people get that with cable anyways? Photo display? Whatever, I have a computer. I ho

        • Um, no. I'm not really looking to piss off Nintendo users.

          I was teasing. Sorry if I didn't use the right emoticons or something. :-0

          Well think of it this way: its totally optional. I kind of picture this functionality as being vaguely Mac OS X/Dashboard-like in execution. That would be alright, a little customizeable 'desktop' that maybe you look at when you turn it on, before the game loads or whatever. But your point is well-taken; there will be N fans who are not pleased that N is even spending any t

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Bishop ( 4500 )
        The weather and news are largely useless. Especially for gamers. But these features are not for gamers. These "channels" are part of Nintendo's marketing plan to make the system more aproachable to the rest of the family.

        Nintendo's (American) marketing strategy is interesting. The pictures on the website look like something out of Ikea or Apple's play book. Pictures of hip 20 and 30 year olds, and their families. The website has a clean almost stark look. It seems aimed at the more adult 20-30 year old crow

  • wii.com updated (Score:4, Informative)

    by oscartheduck ( 866357 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:02AM (#16104578)
    Just to make sure everyone noticed, wii.com [wii.com] just updated to English too.
    • A Wrist-strap for the Wiimote [wii.com]

      I was just watching the video, wondering how many of these things were going to get broken when the removal of centripital forces from your hand allows the device to go flying towards the TV. Now I feel much safer.

      To quote Mel: Swing Away!
    • Watching the videos, I'm concerned about the significant jitter in the display of the Wii pointer. Assuming the videos on Wii.com show the pointer at its best, I'm afraid of how good/bad the common case is going to be.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by |/|/||| ( 179020 )
        Well, we'll have to try it out first. I watched the videos, and it looks like the problem is that the user is holding his/her arm out straight (see the character creation video, specifically). It's pretty tough to keep your hand steady like that -- you'd be a lot better off with your hand in your lap and just moving your wrist. Once people have some practice I bet they'll be able to move the pointer as smoothly as a mouse.

        Like I said though, we'll all have to try it before we know for sure.

        Assuming the v

  • still supprised at the $250 price tag. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by giblfiz ( 125533 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:04AM (#16104602)
    I honestly think that if Nintendo had released at a $200 price tag they would have simply covered every gamer out there, as well as the broader audience that they are shooting for. At $250 its so easy to say "well... I could drop an extra $50 and buy a xbox 360 core system" (even though its a striped down hunk of junk compared to its real older brother)

    So the thing I'm curious about is if they are trying to do this in order to make bank on the release. (Nintendo always tries to turn a profit on the console as well as the games. What an insane business model) and then once the period where they sell out instantly every time a shipment comes in is over they will drop the price, hopefully causing another huge wave of adoption.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dolson ( 634094 )
      Most bundle packages cost extra. The Wii will likely come in a package without the game, just not at launch. And probably it'll be $200 when it does come out.

    • ...even though its a striped down hunk of junk compared to its real older brother

      The core system really isn't that bad at all. There are 4 accessories that make up the difference between the core and premium versions 1. the hard drive, 2. the headset for voice chat, 3. the HD video cables, and 4. a wireless controller instead of wired.

      Considering the Wii 1. has no hard drive, 2. has no headset, 3. has no HD video cables, and 4. may or may not ship with a wireless wii-mote. I'd say the Core version could

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by timster ( 32400 )
        There is no wired Wiimote. The Wiimote has been wireless only from day one. Nobody has ever even suggested that a wired Wiimote would even exist.

        Also, the Wii comes with wireless networking built-in. I don't think that's true of the XBox 360 Core. And don't forget that the Wii has backwards-compatibility which XBox Core does not.
        • Apart from the wired remotes that were used with prototypes etc. (I think IGN or someone may have had a report about them being given to developers, and I think the E3 presentation shows one, at least for the Red Steel bit).

          Although I don't think Nintendo ever intended to release them to the public.
        • I guess my confusion came from all of the conference footage I watched where they used a wired wii-mote; if what you say is true what I saw was probably just an early prototype.

          Reguardless of the feature differences between the Wii and the Core I think the biggest differences are in the games, they both offer distinctinctivly different gaming experiences. Basically my point is that it makes the Core more desirable to non-gamer gift givers this holiday who don't know much about the differences. And it als

      • Considering the Wii 1. has no hard drive, 2. has no headset, 3. has no HD video cables, and 4. may or may not ship with a wireless wii-mote. I'd say the Core version could be VERY appealing to would be Wii buyers.

        I thought the wiimote was only going to be wireless (except for some early demos). Would be rather awkward with a wire, but I could be wrong.

        Anyways, I don't think those things matter to most Wii buyers. The Wii is pushed at casual gamers, and those who like to play silly fun multiplayer games

      • You also have to take into account that the Wii comes with IIRC 256 megs of intenal flash memory, so it's a free memory unit right there. How much do those go for in the 360?
    • You're for some reason working under the assumption that people think the 360 is better to begin with.

      I wouldn't pay for a 360 *even if it was the same price* as the Wii.

      I have been holding out specifically for the Wii. The Wii looked totally revolutionary from the beginning, and is just getting better and better. Nintendo seems way ahead of MS in creating a media portal with the Wii - the 360 has no free browser, weather listings, news service, photo editor, etc. All these features,along with the media pla
    • "well... I could drop an extra $50 and buy a xbox 360 core system"

      Except then you'd still need to buy a game.

      The thing is, we all had our expectations for a $200 Wii set by previous Nintendo console launches, which have always been $200 in the States. However this was the price without a game. Game bundles were either more expensive or came well after launch. So I can't say I'm surprised at all with the price. $250 is what I would have guessed if you'd asked me what the Wii launch price would be if it
  • I forsee myself as being the exact demographic that Nintendo wants. People that don't have the time to play lots and lots of games, but still need something to distract them every now and then. People like me (Or at least me, I can't speak for others) don't necessarly want to spend a load of money on something that HAS to be cutting edge to find a nice distraction from studying, work, etc. But rather something that provides a nice distraction, is fun to play and isn't overly complex (Unless I want it to be,

  • The suprising news though is.... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by kinglink ( 195330 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:20AM (#16104751)
    US will get the Wii November 19th.

    Japan will get it December 2nd.

    Now figure that one out.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by actor_au ( 562694 )
      The Christmas market isn't as important in Japan as it is in more Christian Western nations? That would be my guess. I think new years is a big deal in Japan so a slightly later release date still gives time for Japanese Consumers to get a Wii for their children.

  • Interesting feature. Al Roker would be proud.

    If it's anything more than a glorifed version of the Weather Channel webpage (and closer to the real weather webpage [weather.gov], complete with other [noaa.gov] departments [noaa.gov]), I'll be impressed and probably use it. Otherwise it's probably just a feature I won't use.

  • What should it be compared to? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by decadre ( 980513 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:22AM (#16104768)
    I notice that a lot of people seem to compare the Wii's price to that of the PS3... Yes the PS3 is *very* expensive, but the x-box 360 core isn't much more than the Wii..

    The core you say? But thats crap, it's missing so much! It depends, if you compare it to the Wii (games aside), the controller is (more or less) all that the 360 doesn't have (this is of course a big lacking), on the other hand the 360 has pretty impressive horse power (games like dead rising show how horse power when properly applied can be more than just nice graphics, getting all of those zombies on one screen requires some oomph).

    So is the price really that amazing? The Wii is nothing special hardware wise, sure Nintendo is taking a profit, good for them, and MS makes a loss on the 360, but what does the consumer care? All they see is $250 vs $300...

    Now what about the controllers? You have to buy the parts *seperate?*... Being in australia that $20 and $40 will probably be a sales price of $95 AUD total... That is almost twice what we were paying for game cube controllers.. How can you justify that? Sure the controllers are innovative, but then again as mentioned the 360 is powerful, loss or profit aside, the public sees the price. Really tho, just how much can it cost to make a controller?..

    As a small credentials check, I have owned just about every nintendo platform there is (virtual boy aside...), so I definately don't want to bash them, but really, as someone who is approaching the Wii from a gamers perspective, I have to wonder if it is all it is really cracked up to be. $250 is cheap for this generation, but it is still a lot of money, the game cube launched for $200, 5 years ago (to yesterday), and the Wii's hardware isnt *that* far ahead of it, I would have thought that it could all be manufactured for much less.. Well, I am sure it is, but Nintendo really is being a little greedy here ...

    As a final note, maybe its worth it, as in one of their major markets (japan), and hell, in europe, they really are only competing against the PS3 unless some major things change with the 360. Being in a country with US like tastes (finding game cube games here in australia is hard, EB is about all that stock them these days), it is frustrating...

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by MindStalker ( 22827 )
      Well on a slightly different note, it seems that the games that use the nunchuck seem to be the types of games you would play singleplayer. The multiplayer/party games seem to be wiimote only. So you could get away with just buying one extra wiimote, and wait on the extra nunchuck till you need it.

      Maybe thats just me.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Chris Burke ( 6130 )
      the game cube launched for $200, 5 years ago (to yesterday)

      Without a game.

      No, I don't really think Wii Sports is worth $50, but the point is that this is not the same launch package as previous $200 Big-N consoles.

  • No sugar coating = respect from me (Score:3, Interesting)

    by spyrochaete ( 707033 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:30AM (#16104863) Homepage Journal
    Q: How many games will support Widescreen aspect ratio and how would you compare the visuals to other next-gen systems?
    A: Most titles will support widescreen. Nintendo has a different paradigm for what turns on the consumer. "If you want power, you're going to go somewhere else."

    How many other companies would be as forthright as this? Nintendo friggin rocks. As I was playing Monkey Island 2 with SCUMMVM last night I realized how little cutting-edge graphics matter in the construction of an outstanding game. I haven't been this excited about a console since the SNES. I'm getting in on the ground floor with an extra wiimote and Warioware.

  • I want to clarify a couple of things (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Frag-A-Muffin ( 5490 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:34AM (#16104916)
    Cuz the kotaku thread got out of hand. Too many clueless people. Here's my take on the launch:

    1) The date. Everyone was hoping for an early release (me included!) but I'm assuming the business strategy is to go after the poor schmucks that won't be able to get a PS3. The PS3 launches only 2 days before it, and there will be VERY few of them. (Half of which will be bought up by people only to be put up on ebay :\ ) What they also do is avoid being over-shadowed by the PS3 launch (say if they were to launch a few days before the PS3).

    2) a) Pricing. They said it would be under $250. When companies say that, it'll probably be $249.99. Which it basically is :) I'm sure they contemplated $199, $229, but decided for launch, they could probably get people to pay $249, but they'll also include a game. That's a business decision, which for the most part makes sense. It'll probably sell out at launch anyhow.

    2) b) For those of you saying "$250? Pshaw, XBOX 360 Core is only $300. People will think it's only $50 more and buy a 360". Right, let's compare a 360 Core system that comes with nothing. To a system that comes with a game, and ahem .. wifi. Take a look at the cost of the wifi adapter for the 360. Now let's do some stupid math (as people generally like to do when comparing apples to oranges) and deduct the cost of a 360 wifi adapter ($100+!) from the Wii. That makes the Wii console $150. Wait, it still comes with a game. The game won't be full priced (as confirmed by the Japanese press conference last night). So say $25 for the game. That brings the console down to $125. Less than half the price of the 360?! See, I can do stupid math too! :) My point is, $250 pricing should have been expected, and I myself was predicting $249 with 2 controllers and Wii Sports. I Was close. The price is fine. It's still $50 cheaper and comes with a game. THAT'S what non-gamers will see. ("Wow, this system is newer AND it's cheaper AND it comes with a game!")

    • It's only including one controller, though, right? And it kind of sucks that the controllers are $40 each, not including the nunchuck attachment.

      Which means that I'll need to pay $250 for the console + $120 to get 3 extra controllers + $20 to get an extra nunchuck = $390, and then probably an extra $40 later when more complicated 4 player games start requiring them. (I'm assuming Wii Sports doesn't require the nunchuck, but I could be wrong...)

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Frag-A-Muffin ( 5490 )

        It's only including one controller, though, right? And it kind of sucks that the controllers are $40 each, not including the nunchuck attachment.

        Yes it only includes 1 controller and 1 nunchuk attachment. They'll be sold for $40 and $20 respectively. Which does seem a little steep, but it's certainly NOT your regular same old controller. A lot of tech is in that wii-mote. Remember, a lot of the innovation for this generation console from Nintendo is in that controller. So to get it down to $40 is in fact, q

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by xtracto ( 837672 )
      Pricing. They said it would be under $250. When companies say that, it'll probably be $249.99. Which it basically is :) I'm sure they contemplated $199, $229, but decided for launch, they could probably get people to pay $249, but they'll also include a game. That's a business decision, which for the most part makes sense. It'll probably sell out at launch anyhow.

      Darn, for me, this $250 price tag only means that I will have to pay something like £190 (~$358.817 USD xe.com) for the darn thing... I *am*

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by VJ42 ( 860241 )
        You never know, we may get a £150-£170 priced Wii yet, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and am just hoping that Nintendo dosn't pull the $1 == £1 trick.
    • You're making some assumptions here: 1. people want wifi, I'm sure there are a percentage of people who don't already have wifi, so they'd have to buy a wifi router, you didn't figure that into your costs 2. people want the pack-in game, sure it's a "free" game, but if it really was $25, how many people would actually buy it? I would have preferred to get $25 credit toward downloading games Given that the Wii is really a Gamecube++ and the fact that I don't feel like I got my money's worth from my curre

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Shados ( 741919 )
        I agree with you, except on one thing :) You're only half right about the wifi thing. From my understanding, the USB adapter for Nintendo DS will work with the Wii...and a lot of people have those too. Its not a perfect fix, mind you, but I know I have one, and Im not buying a Wifi Router (if only because the Nintendo DS is WEP only, so even if I had a Wifi Router... I wouldn't want to have to configure it in WEP mode >.> )

  • Pricing summary for the lazy: (Score:4, Informative)

    by oneiros27 ( 46144 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:36AM (#16104948) Homepage
    Of the multitude of links, there wasn't one to Next Gen's summary [next-gen.biz]. Here's a further condensed report:

    $250 : main system, 1 Wii-mote, 1 nunchucks, Wii Sports

    $40 : extra Wii-motes
    $20 : extra nunchucks

    $50 or less : new Nintendo made games (no cap on third-party games)
    $5 : downloadable NES games
    $8 : downloadable SNES games
    $10 : downloadable N64 games
    $?? : Opera browser ...

    and the gamecube version of Zelda:TS will come out ~3 weeks after the Wii version; Metroid Prime 3, not 'till 2007.

  • Wii System Interface (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Bones3D_mac ( 324952 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:38AM (#16104968)
    For anyone that hasn't yet done it, check out the Nintendo Wii [wii.com] page and watch the demo videos of the system interface. Amazing stuff and surprisingly intuitive. Combined with a decent web browser, this could not only be a killer game console, but could well be that perfect balance between entertainment center and household information hub.

  • I really want my FRIENDS to buy this (Score:3, Interesting)

    by GrayCalx ( 597428 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @11:53AM (#16105162)
    Hopefully I'm not bashing anyone because obviously its just how i feel. But the Wii is the console I really really want my friends to buy. I want to go over there and I want to sword fight for an hour and then I want to come home and settle into some Dead Rising on my 360... and heres why.

    I think the wii-mote is a really cool idea. Similar to ideas in the past, the power-glove, the fishing-rod, the gun. But so much more so and can definitely be used in interesting ways. My apparent (i haven't touched anything yet) problem with it is that when i want to play video games I want to sit down on my couch, put my feet up and unwind. I fear that with the wii-mote you'll be forced to move around! Oh no. What if i just want to sit there but the sword game I'm playing requires me to be all active and crap.

    Eh maybe it won't be a problem, but as i said, I really want my friends to get one.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by cowscows ( 103644 )
      I anticipate that many of the future Wii games, particularlly the more complex ones that appeal to more serious gamers, will require about as much effort to control as does any game that uses a computer mouse. Meaning some minor arm and wrist movements.

      Imagine sitting on your couch and pointing at things on your TV with a laser pointer. When you're 10 feet away, you only need to turn the pointer a few degrees to get it to move much further across the screen. While Nintendo's promo videos show people playing
  • FTF NextGen A:

    The in-game bundle is a good marketing ploy, with $250 a great price for this product. The gamble is on the consumer's behavior after the console gets home.

    I don't see how this is a gamble. If Nintendo is selling the system at a profit (and I'm sure they will be) then they've made some money. It might only be a couple of bucks, but it's still profit - even if it gets thrown in the trash the moment it gets home.

    If you look at the competition's model, they're gambling way more that their custome

  • Do people realize that you WILL be able to use a NORMAL controller for the games too? So even if the wiimote stinks, the system will still be a good buy. If the wiimote gets old, or tiring, or even if it doesn't work right... it's not going to be the only control option!
    • But the normal controller (barring the remote + nunchuck combo) isn't in the box. If developers want to do a game for the system, they're probably going to have to make it work with the standard controller. I do wonder how many developers will bother creating a second control system as well?

  • Based off the movies on wii.com [wii.com], this thing will probably set Japan aflame in numbers similar to the DS and DS Lite. Further comments below...

    • The interface looks relatively easy to navigate, though I wonder how long I can hold that controller out in front of me.
    • The Mii Channel is another step in the development of online personas. Yahoo! Avatars [yahoo.com], anyone? Regardless of how similar it is, this will definitely draw in the chick clique. Being able to take "yourself" in a remote is a bonus. How Westerners pic
  • so... I know this is really jumping the gun... BUT how possible do you think using the Wii as a music/video player would be? Couldn't you just stream it through opera from a local apache server or something... and hell they've already said opera will support ajax, maybe you could look pretty doin' it. Just a thought.
  • OK they keep talking about how "We ARE using state of the art technology, but we are applying it to POWER CONSUMPTION instead of SPEED."

    Ok, I understand the desire to get out of the more-and-more-and-more-quote-realistic-unquote-gra phics race. I completely do. Suspension of disbelief occurs for me in a game of atari pitfall.

    But why am I supposed to care about power consumption of my game console? The only explaination they give for this is that now its possible to leave the Wii on 24/7, opening exciting
  • I see a lot of people saying, "what??? $60 for the Wii Controller?" and I just wanted everyone to think about this for a second. For one, the Wii comes with a Wiimote and Nunchuck, so ditto for single-player games. As for multiplayer games, there has not been a single multiplayer game announced that uses the Nunchuck, in fact, I doubt there will ever be one from Nintendo. The point of the Wiimote is it's momentary usability, and an attatchment just makes that clunky in party situations. Down the line, if we

  • Whoa! Wii to be Region-Free! (Score:4, Informative)

    by Optic7 ( 688717 ) on Thursday September 14, 2006 @01:49PM (#16106523)
    I think this will be huge. Supposedly developers will have the ability to make their games have a region lock if they want, but it seems like it won't be used by Nintendo themselves.

    Wii to be region-free [1up.com]

    This thing is starting to look like it has all the ingredients to be a big success.

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