The seventh-generation home video game console called the
Wii
was announced by Nintendo in 2004. While the Nintendo Wii
was in the concept phase during 2001, the console did not
complete it's major launch until December, 2006. The Wii is
Nintendo's fifth generation console and faces stiff
competition with the Sony PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Several features set the
Wii apart from the other video game
consoles. One distinguishing feature is it's wireless
controller giving the Nintendo Wii the ability to detect
movement in three dimensions. This controller operates as a
remote control that can be used as a handheld pointing
device.
Another distinct feature of the Nintendo Wii is a function
of the console called WiiConnect24. This feature allows the
Wii system console to actually receive messages and updates
over the internet while it is in the standby mode. Also, all
of the Nintendo GameCube games are all compatible with the
Wii system.
Not many people know that the future of the Wii game console
depended on the 2005 success of the Nintendo DS. Developers
at Nintendo were influenced by the design of the DS.
However, they did not want the two gaming systems to be
identical. Some of the important factors in the design were
price, movie playing, graphics, fun, and game library.
While the late 2006 launch itself was successful, the
Nintendo Wii
game system console remained in short supply
during 2007. By the end of 2007, Nintendo of America's
president, Reggie Fils-Aime, expressed that even though
approximately 1.8 million Wii systems were produced each
month, demands still outpaced supply and agreed to increase
production in 2008. In June of 2008, Nintendo reported sales
of almost 11 million Wii console units in the United States.
By December of 2008, Nintendo Wii was producing 2.8 million
units per month worldwide.
In the early development phase of naming the Wii, Nintendo had several
ideas. Until April of 2006 and just prior to the product
launch, the Wii was known by the name "Revolution". The name
was changed to emphasize the meaning of "we" and that the
community of people that would play the game meant that the
game is for everyone. It also was short and to the point.
The two lower-case letters "ii" actually represent two
people gathered together, side by side. Sharing the fun.
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Between April 2008 and March 2009, Nintendo reported a rise
in sales, with operating profits at an all time high. The
Japanese market tends to be the leading indicator in global
markets and saw the Wii sales drop by 47% during this same
period. Therefore, forecasts for 2010 indicate that game
console sales will drop. While this may be discouraging news
for Nintendo, it means consumers are the winner. In
September 2009, Nintendo announced its first U.S. price drop
for the Wii, reduced from the original price of $249.99 down
to the
new price of $199.99!
