E3 2011: Nintendo Press Briefing and Liveblog
The last of the Big 3 take the stage as Nintendo's rumored to show off its next console, "Project Cafe."
The last of the Big 3 take the stage as Nintendo's rumored to show off its next console, "Project Cafe."
The Wii is the latest home video-game console from Nintendo, originally hyped as the Nintendo Revolution. Released in 2006, the Nintendo Wii is the first home video-game console to use motion controls as its primary input method. The Wii Remote, which looks similar to an average television remote, uses a combination of infrared sensors and accelerometers to track Wii gamers' movements while playing Wii games.
While the Wii doesn't equal the other competing home video-game consoles in powerful technology, it makes use of many other peripherals that can be purchased separately in order to interact with specific games in innovative ways. Some of the peripherals exclusive to the Nintendo Wii are the Wii Nunchuk, adding a joystick and another accelerometer to the Wii Remote; the Wii Zapper, combining the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a gun-like shell; and Wii Speak, a microphone allowing voice chat.
One of the more significant peripherals for the Wii is the Wii Motion Plus, a small addition that connects to the bottom of the Wii Remote, allowing far more precise motion tracking with specific Wii games. Some Wii Remotes now on the market incorporate Wii Motion Plus into their design. Another peripheral is the Wii Balance Board. Similar to a regular body scale, the device uses pressure sensors to detect the gamer's position and movement. Games like Wii Fit make use of the Balance Board to create experiences that mix traditional gaming with exercise regiments.
Many gamers consider Nintendo to be more than just a video-game company. The company originally manufactured playing cards in Japan, but today Nintendo is sometimes credited with single-handedly revitalizing the video-game industry when it released their first home video game console in America, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), known as the Famicom in Japan.
Much of the credit for Nintendo's success is attributed to legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who created some of the highest selling and beloved video-game franchises in the industry's history. The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and many others are attributed to Miyamoto. While the Wii doesn't attract as many video-game developers as it competitors, much of the appeal of the Wii and previous Nintendo consoles is that they are the only consoles where gamers can play the latest installments in the Zelda or Mario franchises.
Miyamoto, who still works at Nintendo, was instrumental in designing the Wii and its most essential peripherals, which he said were influenced by trying to lead a healthier lifestyle and a desire to appeal to people who are not gamers and are intimidated with traditional and complicated game controllers.
GamePro.com covers all matters related to the Wii and the Nintendo brand. With Wii news, Wii reviews, Wii previews, Wii videos, features, interviews, and an active community of gamers, GamePro.com is where you'll find everything you want to know about Wii games and hardware, along with the unique GamePro perspective, which comes from our passionate staff and more than 20 years of experience covering the video-game industry.
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