“With the video-game market becoming dangerously vertical, Nintendo has introduced its new Wii console as an answer to gamers looking for a more satisfying experience — and as a must-have on every gadget lover’s Christmas list,” Robert Holmes reports for TheStreet.com.
Holmes reports, “After its Nov. 19 debut in North America for $249.99, game players flooded stores searching for the console. If you weren’t able to snatch one, don’t worry — Nintendo should have ample units available by year-end. ‘We are on track to ship four million Wii systems worldwide by the end of the calendar year, and demand seems ready to account for every one of them,’ says Anka Dolecki, public relations director at Nintendo of America. ‘The early returns indicate that we’ve made a very positive first step in our goal of both giving current gamers a new way to play, and nonplayers a reason to get into the game.'”
Holmes reports, “By comparison, Sony officials previously warned that only 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles, which launched just days before the Wii, would ship by the end of this year — half of what Sony had previously forecast.”
“The real genius behind the Wii, though, is the way it plays,” Holmes reports. “This is where Nintendo has been the most innovative in the video-game wars: The new console comes packaged with the Wii Remote control (or Wii-mote) and Nunchuk attachment. The Wii-mote resembles a television remote control, simplistic in design when compared to the complex controllers of the PS3 or the Xbox. The intuitive controls make it easy for anyone to pick it up and play games immediately.”
“Instead of button mashing and complex sequences of combinations, players must use motions to control characters on the screen. For example, when playing Wii Sports (the free game bundled with the system), characters are controlled by making motions with the Wii-mote,” Holmes reports. “Over Thanksgiving, I brought my Wii system home for a real challenge — my family. Not only did my sister enjoy playing a few rounds of tennis, both of my parents joined in. Even my grandmother bowled a frame. The Wii truly is a video-game system to enjoy together, and the price makes it the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list.”
Full article here.
Not Apple-related, but may be interesting to some MDN readers. We’re following the story of Nintendo’s Wii for pretty obvious reasons.
Related articles:
Nintendo beefs up Wiimote’s strap after controllers go flying – December 08, 2006
Ars Technica review: Nintendo Wii – November 28, 2006
Nintendo sells over 600,000 Wii consoles at launch – November 20, 2006
PC Magazine Editor’s Choice: Nintendo Wii is ‘fun, engaging, wildly innovative’ – November 14, 2006
5 must-have Nintendo Wii launch games – October 09, 2006
Nintendo’s Wii on Toys ‘R’ Us hot holiday list – September 26, 2006
Nintendo to launch Wii in Japan on December 2nd, priced around US$200 – September 14, 2006
IBM ships first microchips for Nintendo Wii – September 10, 2006
Can Nintendo’s Wii end up number one in market share? – July 18, 2006
Nintendo Wii wins E3 ‘Best of Show’ award – June 01, 2006
Nintendo’s Wii steals show at Electronic Entertainment Expo – May 12, 2006
I’m leaning towards #3 Won Hong Lo.
Here’s an interesting chart of gaming console sales.
It’s wild to see PS2 outselling the NEW XBOX360.
By the way tht’s not the real Ampar, he’s funny.
Got my Wii ready for xmas day opening and family fun!
Who cares about console graphics? And even if you did, Xbox 360 and PS3 graphics are not as good as a top end Mac/PC graphics card anyways. And they’ll look dated in a couple of years too when laptops have better graphics.
Wii is now officially fastest selling console in UK, entire launch supply was gone in less than 12 hours. It’s the “must have” present for xmas 2006.
I’d rather have a Wii than take a Zune.
What are the obvious reasons. why all the nintendo news?
I’ve already got the Wii (after hours of waiting in line at your local Wally World store)
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Apple is awesome. Nintendo is awesome. Enough said.
Man, I gotta pick up one of these for Christmas…