Nintendo says its newly named Wii console is about the width of three stacked DVD cases and will play single- or double-layered 120mm optical discs, as well as 80mm Nintendo GameCube discs. The Wii system comes with 512MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability. The console contains wireless Internet connections with IEEE 802.11b/g, or with a USB 2.0 LAN adaptor.
Wii will run on a PowerPC CPU, code-named 'Broadway', that was developed with IBM, and will include an ATI graphics processor. Nintendo did not commit to a launch date or price -- saying that Wii would launch in the fourth quarter of 2006 and its price would be named later.
Most of the interest surrounding Nintendo's Wii system has been about its new wireless controllers. It's a two-handed motion-sensitive system that allows players to mimic actions on-screen with the movement of their hands. Gamers can throw balls or thrust their swords by using the motion of their arms instead of just pressing their thumbs.
The wireless Wii Remote can be waved, it rumbles and even contains a speaker.
The Nunchuck controller complements the Wii Remote and eliminates some of the odd movements needed in the current generation of joysticks. For example, if you are a quarterback in an American football game, you can evade tacklers with the Nunchuck controller and throw a pass with the remote.
Nintendo didn't show this off at E3, but it appeared on their Japanese site. It's a 'classic' controller for the Wii, which was previously announced but not revealed until now. It features two analogue sticks and all the legacy buttons from previous Nintendo consoles. This will make it easier to play back-catalogue games from the Wii's online store and cross-platform games that aren't designed for the Wii's motion-sensor control system.
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