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The Wii (pronounced as "we", in English) is the fifth home video
game console of Nintendo, successor to the Nintendo GameCube, and part of the seventh generation
of gaming systems (Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3).
What makes the console unique 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. And also the WiiConnect24,
which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode.
The Wii was released between November and December (2006) in Japan, Australia / New Zealand, North
America and Europe.
The console was known by the code name of "N5"(being the fifth home video
game of Nintendo), later change to "Revolution" and finally "to
Wii, not Nintendo Wii."
The name Wii was chosen because they wanted something that was short, to the point, easy to pronounce,
and distinctive.
The Wii Remote is a controller that uses a combination of accelerometers and
infrared detection to sense its position in 3D space. This design allows users to control the game using physical
gestures as well as traditional button presses. The controller connects to the console using Bluetooth, and
features rumble and an internal speaker.
Backward compatibility, Nintendo DS and Online connectivity:
The Wii console is backward compatible with all official Nintendo GameCube software,
Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards, Nintendo controllers, Nintendo GameCube Game Discs and GameCube Action
Replay, which will work with GameCube games. Peripherals can be connected via a set of four GameCube controller
ports and two Memory Card slots concealed by flip-open panels.
The Wii is also compatible with older nintendo systems games downloaded from internet through the
WiiConnect24, such as; the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES),
the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES),
the Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive games.
The Wii system supports wireless connectivity with the Nintendo DS without any
additional accessories. The connectivity allows the player to use the Nintendo DS microphone and touchscreen
as inputs for Wii games.
Through its built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi or through a USB-to-Ethernet adapter the Wii unit is able to
connect to the Internet, allowing players to access the established Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection service. The service for this console includes; the Virtual Console, WiiConnect24, Internet
Channel, Forecast Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Mii Channel,
Photo Channel and the News Channel.
Technical specifications:
Processors: – CPU: PowerPC based "Broadway" processor(729 MHz) , GPU: ATI "Hollywood" GPU(243 MHz).
Memory: – 88 MiB main memory, 3 MiB GPU texture memory.
Video: – 480p (PAL/NTSC), 480i (NTSC) or 576i (PAL/SECAM), standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen,
RGB SCART (PAL only), S-Video (NTSC only), composite output, or D-Terminal.
Audio: – Stereo - Dolby Pro Logic II-capable, Built-in speaker.
Storage: – 512 MiB built-in NAND flash memory, SD card memory, GameCube Memory Cards.
Ports and peripheral: – Up to four Wii Remote controllers, Nintendo GameCube controller ports (4),
Nintendo GameCube Memory Card ports (2), SD memory card slot, USB 2.0 ports (2), Compatible with optional
USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor.
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