Wii release date, price and other info

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6157685.html?tag=latestnews;title;1

since the Wii seemed to be well liked around this place some news i dug up.

for the lazy ones:

A complete rundown of the Wii's technical specifications--quoted directly from Nintendo--is below:
WII Launch Date and MSRP: Nov. 19, 2006, in the Americas at an MSRP of $249.99.

Color: White.

Size: About 8.5 inches long, 6 inches wide and less than two inches thick (157mm x 215.4mm x 44mm).

Controls: "Up to four Wii Remote controllers can be connected at once using wireless Bluetooth technology. The wireless signal can be detected within 10 meters of the console. Both the Wii remote and Nunchuk controllers include a three-axis motion sensor. The Wii Remote controller also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port, and can be used as a pointer within 5 meters of the screen. The Wii Remote controller has a power switch, plus pad, A, B, Minus, Home, 1 and 2 buttons. The Nunchuk controller includes an analog control stick and C and Z buttons."

The Look: "The Wii console features a compact design that...can be displayed either vertically or horizontally."

Media: "A single self-loading media bay will play single- or double-layered 12-centimeter optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8-centimeter Nintendo GameCube discs."

Channels: "The Wii Channel Menu is the main gateway for a variety of...interactive multimedia, entertainment and communication functions."

Communication: "The Wii console can communicate with the Internet even when the power is turned off. The WiiConnect24 service [content and game updates] even if the system is idle. Users can connect wirelessly using IEEE 802.11, or with a USB 2.0 LAN adaptor. The Wii console also can communicate wirelessly with the Nintendo DS."

Virtual Console: "The Wii console will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The Virtual Console also will feature a 'best of' selection from Sega Genesis titles and games from the TurboGrafix 16 console. It also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers."

The Specs: "The Wii console has 512 megabytes of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability. A bay for an SD memory card will let players expand the internal flash memory. Design was optimized with state-of-the-art processing technologies that minimize power consumption, keep the console compact and enable the 'sleepless' WiiConnect24 mode."

CPU: "PowerPC CPU (code-named "Broadway") Made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM."

Graphics Processing Unit: "Being developed with ATI."

Other Features: "Four ports for Nintendo GameCube controllers. Two slots for Nintendo GameCube memory cards. An AV Multi-output port for component, composite, or S-video."

Click to read more...

 

[baseballer1100 5,000+ posts]

oooo i like.

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

the thing that really intrests me over everything is that i hear they're releasing the SDK for increadibly cheap, so that independant game makers and such can have a chance.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Dang, $250... that's pretty sweet.

nG

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

the thing that really intrests me over everything is that i hear they're releasing the SDK for increadibly cheap, so that independant game makers and such can have a chance.

yea i think the license to make a game is like 20 grand or something like that maybe cheaper

 

[revrider1 5,000+ posts]

Dang, $250... that's pretty sweet.
nG

x2, I didnt think it would be this cheap...

 

[cpierce 5,000+ posts]

After reading up some more on that site about the Wii it definitetly looks like it will be something good. Think I might have to pick one up! On that site it showed them in like 6 different colors...I wonder when they may be released

 

[wilzyx 5,000+ posts]

welp, unless the 360 drops to $250 it seems like im gettin the wii

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

the only major downfall of this system however is the lack of graphical power.... i think it was compared to be a little better than the first xbox

 

[SAG3 5,000+ posts]

:360:

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

the only major downfall of this system however is the lack of graphical power.... i think it was compared to be a little better than the first xbox

Well in that respect you'd have to claim that the GCN was only half as capable, graphically, as the Xbox. That's not true, not in the slightest, they use totally different architectures. It's like saying a Honda will outpower a 2 ton tractor because the Honda has a 180 HP engine and the tractor only has an 80 HP engine. .

Wii can and will compete with the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the graphics department. You simply don't need a lot of processing power when all you're doing is keeping a steady >30fps on a screen that's not even at a 640X480 resolution and you don't have some lousy operating system like Windows ******* up processing power in the background. Only when you get into the 1080 HDTV (and 720HDTV for more intense games) that you'll see a notable difference.

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

Well in that respect you'd have to claim that the GCN was only half as capable, graphically, as the Xbox. That's not true, not in the slightest, they use totally different architectures. It's like saying a Honda will outpower a 2 ton tractor because the Honda has a 180 HP engine and the tractor only has an 80 HP engine. .
Wii can and will compete with the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the graphics department. You simply don't need a lot of processing power when all you're doing is keeping a steady >30fps on a screen that's not even at a 640X480 resolution and you don't have some lousy operating system like Windows ******* up processing power in the background. Only when you get into the 1080 HDTV (and 720HDTV for more intense games) that you'll see a notable difference.

developers, even nintendo themselves admited that the graphical power of the Wii will be inferior to the rest of the next gen competition...nintendo's focus was not on graphics, but the ingenuity and ease of use the system has so anyone can pick up and play. If they had focused on both, it would have costed Nintendo MUCH more to make therefore raising the cost on the consumer. I mean a system with the PS3's graphics and hte Wii's features/functions and stuff would be freakin sweet, but cost an arm and a leg.

 

[iLL-Faded 10+ year member]

amazon released pre-orders and it was sold out in secs. http://www.gottadeal.com/ scroll down a lil and you'll see

 

[flakko 5,000+ posts]

oh snap!

gungrave eh? i saw the first 6 episodes, then i stopped lol

 

[saywhat? 5,000+ posts]

its not always about the graphics. video games used to be made to have fun playing..............nintendo has, and is doing this today. Nothing has to look like a real person from arm pit hair to sweat, if your having a blast playing.