Wii Balance Board

Console

First version

The dimensions of the console are 157 mm × 215.4 mm × 44 mm. It is thus significantly smaller than its competitors from Sony and Microsoft. Like the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, it can be operated both vertically and horizontally.

The housing is made almost entirely of a white or black, glossy plastic. The packaging includes a light grey plastic stand, which gives the Wii a slight upward tilt when placed vertically at the front. In spring 2007, Shigeru Miyamoto announced additional color variants of the console as soon as production capacity could meet demand. The console and Wiimote were shown in lime green, silver, black, and red. A black Wii has been sold in Japan since August 2009, but all other color variants are not available yet. Since 20 November 2009, a black limited edition Wii was also offered in Germany.

Second version

In October 2011, the first hardware revision was released, which unlike the first version is no longer compatible with GameCube games and accessories and can only be placed horizontally. On the occasion of the 2012 London Olympics, a light blue special edition bundled with the game "Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics" was available from 18 November 2011.

Third Version (Wii mini)

On December 7, 2012, a third revision of the Wii console was released - initially exclusively in Canada. Called the Wii mini, the device comes in a black/red color combination with a sensor bar, an A/V cable, a Wii Remote including MotionPlus, and a Nunchuck. Compared to the first version, this model also lacks GameCube backwards compatibility, in addition to not being able to connect the console to the Internet and dropping compatibility with S-Video (NTSC), RGB (PAL), and component video cables, as well as SD cards. In addition, this revision is reduced in size. The Wii mini was released in Germany on 15 March 2013, and in the UK a week later on 22 March 2013.

Wii Remote" input device

The control device was introduced in September 2005 and is reminiscent of a remote control, which is why it is called Wiimote [wi:ɪ'məʊt], especially in English-speaking countries. With the help of two reference points in the sensor bar, which is placed at the bottom in front of or on top of the TV, and an infrared camera on the front of the Wiimote, which detects up to 4 infrared sources, the position and location of the controller relative to the screen can be determined. This makes it possible to directly target game objects on the screen.

In addition, the controller contains an acceleration sensor, with which movements and rotations of the controller can be detected and used directly for game control. There are also various buttons and a directional pad.

The communication with the console is wireless via Bluetooth. The maximum distance is 10 meters. If the Wiimote is used to aim at the screen (menu navigation or when playing), the distance is reduced to a maximum of 3 meters (manufacturer's specification) so that the movements can be detected via infrared. The distance to the sensor bar must be at least 1 meter and no more than 3 meters when using the infrared connection.

For additional mechanical feedback to the player, the controller can generate vibration effects. Furthermore, the Wiimote has a built-in speaker. An internal memory allows the storage of user profiles. In addition, self-created game avatars (so-called Mii) can be saved, for example, to take the tennis player from home to friends and play with him there.

Unconventional use of the Wiimote

Since the Wiimote remote communicates with the receiver via Bluetooth, the signal can be processed by any Bluetooth-enabled receiver (e.g. PC). Johnny Chung Lee from Carnegie Mellon University came up with the idea of using the Wiimote as a receiver camera for infrared signals. With his method, any computer can be remotely controlled by an infrared pen and a Wiimote. The infrared signal takes over the function of the mouse pointer.

Wii Balance Board Input Device

The Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus games come with another controller, called the Balance Board. This is a balance body scale that consists of four walkable sensor surfaces. Position and shifts in body weight are sent to the console via Bluetooth to affect gameplay. The Wii Fit game can be controlled mainly with the Balance Board. The maximum body weight must not exceed 150 kg. When using the Wii Balance Board, only a maximum of three other players can log on with a Wii Remote, as the Balance Board occupies the 4th player slot. This means, among other things, that if a fourth Wii Remote is connected, this remote will automatically be switched off as soon as a Wii Balance Board is switched on. In addition, a Wii Balance Board requires four 1.5V LR06 AA batteries.

Online skills

The Wii console was designed to be permanently connected to the Internet (console that never sleeps).

If this function, marketed as WiiConnect24, is activated, the console maintains a constant connection to the manufacturer's servers. This connection is maintained even when the console is idle. Thus, until 28 June 2013, messages could be received and updates to the Wii software could be made on the part of Nintendo.

Multiplayer games are mediated via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. So far, it has been used for Nintendo DS titles (Mario Kart DS, for example). The first Wii title to use Wi-Fi Connection is Pokémon Battle Revolution. The first European game to use Wi-Fi Connection is Mario Strikers Charged Football.

The WiiSpeak (since December 2008) is supposed to allow voice communication between two up to four consoles.

The prerequisite for using the online functions is a sufficiently fast Internet access. The console is already equipped with WLAN. Alternatively, if no WLAN base station is available, the following network connections are possible with additional hardware:

• A Windows PC with the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector takes over the function of the base station. Disadvantage: The connection can only be used when the PC is running and connected to the Internet itself.
• The Wii console is extended via USB with a LAN adapter, which allows the connection of a network cable, for example the Nintendo Wii LAN Adapter. Disadvantage: The Nintendo Wii LAN Adapter does not support a connection via PPPoE.

In February 2014, Nintendo announced that it would be shutting down many important online features of the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS on May 20, 2014. Affected features include online multiplayer, matchmaking, and leaderboards for Wii and DS titles. Wii and DS titles played on the current and backward compatible Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems will also be affected.

Console code

Each Wii console has a unique identifier, the console code. It can be viewed via the console's operating system.

Currently the console code is used in the addressing of the console:

• You can share this code with friends or publish it. The Wii Message Board can be used to register other consoles and then receive and send messages.
• The Wii console is assigned an e-mail address according to the scheme [email protected] (where the number is replaced by the respective console code), so that after an activation e-mail, it is possible to communicate with other participants via the Wii Message Board.

User interface with channels

The main menu (Wii Menu) organises the Wii console's services in the form of "channels".

The similarity to conventional TV channels is intended to lower the inhibition threshold regarding the use of the console among new target groups beyond the usual video gamers by offering these users a familiar environment. Part of this concept is that the main input device, the Wii Remote, is deliberately designed to resemble a familiar TV remote. The Wii Remote's - and + buttons can be used to conveniently switch between channels.

The main menu displays the channels as pages, each with three lines of four large icons. The Wii console comes with the Disc Channel, the Mii Channel, the Photo Channel, the Wii Shop Channel (requires Internet connection), the Weather Channel (requires Internet connection) and the News Channel (requires Internet connection).

• The Disc Channel symbolises the ability to load games via the Wii console's built-in optical drive. If an optical storage medium is inserted, i.e. a Wii Disc or a GameCube Disc, the logo of the corresponding game for the channel is displayed. Selecting this channel will then start the game.
• The Mii channel allows the creation and management of "Miis". These are three-dimensional game characters (see also Avatars), which can be created and changed similar to phantom images from individual prefabricated picture elements (for example eyes, nose or hairstyle). These figures can then be used as game characters in games such as Wii Sports or as signature extensions in the Wii Message Board. It is also possible to save Miis to the Wiimote controller for use on other players' systems. The appearance of the Miis is based on Kokeshi characters.
• In the photo channel, pictures and video clips stored on an SD card can be viewed and modified. Simple games, such as a puzzle with the photos or videos, are also possible. It is also possible to listen to music during a slide show, which is also stored on the SD card.

There are also other channels, although these will only be available once the Wii console has been connected to the Internet and the system software has been updated.

• The Wii Shop Channel (since December 2006, ability to purchase new products discontinued on 31 January 2019) allowed the purchase of new games and software over the Internet. Older games were offered for execution on the Virtual Console, additional channels such as the Internet Channel, as well as games newly developed for Wii under the name WiiWare. The price was displayed in the internal game currency Wii Points. New credit for the Wii Shop Channel could only be loaded until March 26, 2018, and new games and software could only be purchased until January 31, 2019. Downloading of previously purchased items is still possible, but is scheduled to be discontinued later in 2019.
• The Weather Channel (since 19 December 2006, discontinued 28 June 2013) provides weather information for major cities. This can be displayed on an interactive 3D world map.
• The news channel (since 26 January 2007, discontinued on 28 June 2013) offers many possibilities to select and read news thematically and geographically (it is recommended to study the manual, which is accessible via home button). A presentation mode stands out, where the location of the news event is displayed on a three-dimensional animated globe parallel to the headlines. News supplier is the agency Agence France-Presse or The Associated Press, depending on the location.
• The Internet Channel (since April 12, 2007, pre-release version already available since December 22, 2006) is a Wii version of the Opera web browser, with which the user can surf the Internet. The browser supports current Internet standards such as HTTPS, so that even complex or interactive websites such as Google Maps can be used. With the included Flash plug-in (version 7), video files can be played and games programmed in Flash can be played, for example via wiicade.com. The Internet channel has been available again free of charge since September 2009, after having been downloadable free of charge until July 2007. Anyone who has previously purchased the channel for 500 Wii Points (equivalent to €5.00) will be compensated by Nintendo until the end of December 2009 with a freely selectable Virtual Console game originally released on the NES.
• The opinion channel (since 14 February 2007, discontinued on 28 June 2013) allows users to participate in national and international opinion polls and view their results. Each user votes with their own Mii. It is possible to tap on the answer that one believes will be the most common. These predictions are later compared with the actual voting results. The hit rate achieved is then incorporated into various metrics that are intended to help assess human cognition. It is stored in a statistics profile for the Mii. Since users can set their country, region and gender, the evaluation allows the results to be displayed according to these very characteristics of gender, country and region. Finally, users can suggest their own questions with possible answers to Nintendo.
• The Nintendo Channel (since 30 May 2008, discontinued on 28 June 2013) provides information about new products. In addition, demo versions of Nintendo DS games can be downloaded to a Nintendo DS (lite) or to a Nintendo DSi (XL).
• The lucky day channel (since September 9, 2009) informs about the daily horoscope and gives tips about nutrition, relationship and activities. Once the date of birth has been entered and one has uploaded one's Mii, one receives one's horoscope in the areas of love, professional life, learning, communication and finances.
• Games downloaded from the net via Wii Shop Channel are displayed as new Channels. Up until system version 3.4, downloaded channels could only be copied to an SD memory card, like save games, but could not be used directly from it. They had to be copied back to the Wii's internal memory beforehand. With system version 4.0, the SD Card menu made it possible to run channels directly from the SD card. However, the channel's data is also temporarily copied to the console before it is started. A channel can only be used on the console with which it was downloaded.
• The Kirby TV channel (since June 23, 2011, discontinued after running through all episodes) features a new episode with Kirby every Monday and Thursday.
• Some games, such as Wii Fit or Mario Kart Wii, offer the option of installing an additional channel that offers individual functions of the game without having to insert the corresponding CD.
• The YouTube channel (since 12 December 2012, discontinued on 30 June 2017) allows videos from the said online portal to be played. The background is that the old YouTube Flash app for TVs will no longer be available as of 30 June 2017.

Another service of the Wii Menu is the Wii Wall. This is used to write notes to other Wii console users, automatically send messages about newly purchased games etc. to friends' Wiis, and messages from Nintendo itself appear on the wall, such as the announcement that new system updates are now available.

virtual console

In addition to GameCube compatibility, the Wii also has a feature called Virtual Console ['vɜːtʃuːəl 'kə'nsəɔl]. Through the Virtual Console, games for various consoles from the last 20 years, namely NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, PC Engine (aka TurboGrafx), Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive and Commodore 64 so far, can be played through emulation. They are available via Internet download and can be stored in internal flash memory or on an SD memory card. Before buying a Virtual Console title, you can check the Shop Channel catalogue to see if a GameCube controller, Classic controller or Wii Remote is suitable for it. Donkey Kong, for example, can be played with all three controllers.

The Virtual Console service will also be used as a distribution platform for newly developed games, as with Xbox Live Arcade. In this way, smaller games can be sold directly to the customer and do not have to be displayed in stores at great expense.

Billing is based on a points system (Wii Points), which can be topped up with a prepaid voucher (Wii Points Card) or by credit card. Currently, 1,000 Wii Points cost 10 euros. The costs for the games are currently 1,000 points (N64), 900 points (Neo Geo), 800 points (SNES and Mega Drive), 600 points (PC Engine) and 500 points (NES). In this way, Nintendo decouples the possibility of online purchases from the possession of a credit card and at the same time abstracts the costs for possible expansions of the Wii functionality.

Once paid for and downloaded, games can be downloaded to the same console again and again for free if they have been deleted. However, they cannot be exchanged or resold. In case of a possible hardware defect of the console, one has to rely on Nintendo support to transfer the purchased games to a new console.

Multimedia capabilities

The Wii has limited multimedia capabilities:

Images, audio and video files

• Photo Channel: Plays pictures and videos (JPEG format only) from SD card (see Wii Channels). The channel also plays AAC files, but only as background music for slide shows. Playback of MP3 files is no longer possible since December 2007, only playback of audio files in AAC format is possible, supposedly to ensure better quality.
• Internet channel: Video and audio files via the Opera web browser's Flash plug-in by installing converter software on the local server. This procedure even allows Internet radio (streaming media).

No HDTV signal output

The Wii's highest 4:3 screen resolution is 576i mode (default resolution, only NTSC resolution of 480p is possible for full screen). When 16:9 and 480p modes are enabled, the Wii can output a signal of 852 × 480 pixels. An extra shielded cable is required for 480p mode.

An HD-ready TV can be used as a display device for 480p. Much rarer are European tube devices capable of display. Alternatively, one can also use color transcoders from YPbPr to VGA for use with PC monitors.

HDTV is not supported on the Wii primarily for cost reasons, firstly because of the higher development costs for the games, as they would then have to be developed for both SDTV and HDTV, and secondly because it would have made the console hardware more expensive. Another reason is the fact of the still hardly widespread HDTV-capable televisions in Japanese households when the console was released. Nintendo announced that only a successor to the Wii will support HDTV, as by that time HDTV will be more widespread.

In 2013, Shigeru Miyamoto stated that HD would have been great for Wii.

No DVD playback

Two months before the sales launch, the manufacturer announced that the initially announced option to play DVD movies will not be realized. Originally, this function was supposed to be integrated into the console and activated via a dongle. The reason given was that this would allow for a lower sales price and that almost every household had a DVD player.

The reason for this limitation is, according to the manufacturer of the modchip "Wiinja", the quality of the laser lens in the drive of the Wii: This is quickly damaged by constant use, as it is necessary when playing video data.

This restriction can be circumvented by modifying the software, which is not supported by Nintendo and results in a loss of warranty rights (regarding the drive) and the guarantee. Theoretically, it is thus not only possible to play DVDs, but also to display DVD video collections via a connected hard drive.

Firmware updates

GameCube compatibility

The Wii model that replaced the previous model in Germany for the 2011 Christmas trade is no longer backwards compatible with the predecessor console GameCube. GameCube titles can be played on the original version. The Wii's slot-in drive can read the smaller GameCube discs, and there are ports for GameCube controllers and memory cards. To play GameCube games on the Wii, you need a GameCube controller and, to use memory functions, you also need a GameCube memory card. Extra ports are provided on the top of the Wii for this purpose. In GameCube mode, Wii hardware such as the Wii Remote, internal Wii memory slots, SD expansion card, and both USB ports are disabled, and the CPU is downclocked. In addition, hackers have discovered that Gamecube mode runs a different operating system (called MIOS) on the Wii.

Since the Wiimote was originally developed as an accessory for the GameCube, the Wii hardware is essentially an extension of the GameCube hardware. In particular, the main processor and graphics processor are successor models from the same manufacturers. Therefore, the Wii's GameCube mode is implemented by internally disabling the Wii enhancements and reducing the clock speeds. Thus, in this mode, the Wii is a GameCube. This is interesting for the homebrew scene, as it ensures full compatibility of GameCube homebrew software on the Wii.

Hardware expansions for the GameCube such as GBA players or LAN adapters cannot be connected. The Wii's network hardware is also not mapped to the virtual GameCube console, so the GameCube's limited online capabilities cannot be used.

In addition to the ability to play GameCube titles on the console, some Wii games such as Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Sonic Colours, as well as all Virtual Console titles, offer the option to play with an attached Nintendo GameCube controller as an alternative to using the Wii Remote, Nunchuk and/or Classic Controller.

Nintendo DS Connection

With the previous GameCube system, you could connect the Game Boy Advance with a special cable. For some games (Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, for example), you could then use the GBA as a controller and to display additional data, provided you also owned the GBA version of the game. Other games (Fire Emblem, for example) rewarded you for owning both the GameCube version and the GBA version with bonus material (such as extra missions).

In other cases, you could link two games in the same series to get additional items, features, etc. and transfer them between games. (Example: Chao modes from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle or Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut and Sonic Advance (1-3).)

With Wii, a connection to the Nintendo DS via WLAN is possible accordingly. The first game with this feature is Pokémon Battle Revolution. Owners of the DS games Pokémon DiamondandPokémon Pearl can transfer their Pokémon to Wii. Demo versions of Nintendo DS games can also be downloaded via Wii and Nintendo Channel.

Prices and accessories

On 14 September 2006, Nintendo held press conferences in Japan and the USA, and on 15 September 2006 in London, to announce the launch date and recommended retail prices.

In October 2009, the price of the console was lowered by 50 dollars or 50 €. The reason for this price reduction is that Nintendo wants to address new target groups.

Wii Black

The black Wii edition is limited, according to Nintendo, and was released on November 20, 2009.

New Super Mario Bros Wii Pack

The red Wii edition is limited, according to Nintendo, and was released on October 29, 2010.

Mario Kart Wii Pack

The Mario Kart Wii Pack is limited, according to Nintendo, and was released on November 26, 2010.

Wii Fit Plus Pack

The Wii Fit Plus Pack was released on 6 December 2010.

Wii mini

The Wii mini was released in Canada on 7 December 2012. The Wii mini came to Europe on 15 March 2013.

After long speculation about the successor to the GameCube with the project name Revolution [rɛvə'luːʃən], Nintendo presented a prototype of the new game console for the first time in 2005 at the video game fair E³, but still without a controller. After a long period of secrecy, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata showed the controller at the Tokyo Game Show on September 16, 2005. New games were not shown, but only some technology demos. Star designer Shigeru Miyamoto (The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario) made a brief guest appearance at the event.

In 2006, a few days before the start of E³, the final name of the game console was announced. At the E³ press conference, Nintendo showed the game console and controller in action. There were live demonstrations of Twilight Princess, Red Steel and Wii Sports: Tennis. Some new details were released. The controller had gained a small built-in speaker that provides audible support for certain actions (shooting an arrow in Zelda, for example), and there was confirmation that the Nunchuk expansion has its own motion sensor. There were 24 titles for Wii playable at Nintendo's booth. Virtual Console functionality was demonstrated with five playable titles. New add-ons shown for the controller were a gamepad for the Virtual Console and a pistol attachment for the re-release of the game Duck Hunt.

Business strategy

Nintendo's marketing strategy with the Wii, as it did with the portable Nintendo DS, is to expand the video game market to new audiences and avoid competing with rivals that are superior in graphics and processing power. This is referred to as the Blue Ocean strategy. The simple controls of Wii games are designed to appeal more to new customers who were previously unenthusiastic about video games. There is no industry-typical subsidy for console purchases.

Name and logo

In order to appeal to previous non-gamers with the system, Nintendo decided on a non-technical name with the artificial word Wii. Associations with the pronunciation-similar English we (German "we") are intentional and are used in the marketing. The character string Wii in a sans serif, rounded and light grey font is at the same time the product logo, while the two small i's in the advertisement are partly animated like stylized persons. According to Nintendo, the name of the console should be used without artifacts. To prevent the names Wii and Mii from being misused in a slightly different form, the names Aii, Bii, Cii etc. were protected at the Japanese Trademark and Patent Office.

Until the new name was announced in April 2006, the working title was Nintendo Revolution. It can still be found in the order numbers, for example the Wiimote has the order number RVL-003.

In keeping with the console name "Wii" [wɪː], there are avatars called "Mii" [mɪː], with which some games can be personalised. Nintendo has emphasized multiplayer capabilities since the N64 console, and the choice of console name and avatars is intended to emphasize them even more.

Cultural influence

• In early November 2006, shortly before the US release, two episodes of the animated television series South Park aired (episode 12 Go God Go (Eng: God is Dead) and 13 Go God Go XII (Eng: God is Dead II) of the 10th season), which focused on Eric Cartman's agonizing wait for the new console and his attempts to shorten it.
• Shortly after the Wii console's release, a number of reports surfaced on the internet, particularly from the US, claiming that avid players, particularly of Wii Sports (which makes extensive use of the new Wii controller), had suffered various physical mishaps:
• Destroyed TVs by Wiimote impact.
• Injured teammates (including black eyes).
• Regardless of this warning, Nintendo reacted with even clearer warnings and an exchange campaign, in which customers can exchange the Wii wrist strap for an even more stable version. In addition, a protective cover for the Wii Remote has been available since the beginning of October 2007 (shipping from 15 October 2007) to protect it from possible damage.
• The first medical studies on the effects of Wii gaming have been published: On the one hand by the renowned Mayo Clinic, which confirmed a positive health effect through more movement of the players in front of the console. On the other hand, there is also a case study published in the New England Journal of Medicine called "Acute Wiiitis", which highlights negative effects on the musculoskeletal system.