Oui, We Wii. Wheee!

While this blog will focus mostly on IT, this specific blog entry is about the Nintendo Wii. Ok, so what does the Wii have to do exactly with IT? Well, nothing really. I just happen to like the Wii for certain included features and I thought I would discuss them in this blog.

Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii is the newest gaming system by Nintendo. At first glance, the case doesn't look like much. It looks a bit like a glorified external CD/DVD drive that you could buy for $50. But, it isn't. Nintendo finally got their gaming system right on many levels that actually matter. The one, and only one, thing that is lacking on this unit is high res graphics. The best resolution that this unit is capable of is 480p (equivalent to an NTSC DVD player). That doesn't sound so bad until you compare it to a 1080p signal from a Blu-Ray disk or the PS3. So, while the graphics are acceptable, they don't look great. But, graphics aside, what makes the Wii worth considering is two-fold. First, it has a unique controller system that finally makes sense, is ergonomic and has a unique input system. Second, the system comes preloaded with a firmware that is actually useful out of the box (mind you, it also requires a connection to the Internet). Not to mention that it also ships with WiiSports.

Compatibility with GameCube
Amazingly, the Wii appears to be completely compatible with GameCube games and GC controllers. I wasn't aware of this until I actually got a Wii. So, if you previously owned a GameCube and still have some old games lying around, you can play them once again if you happen to have a GameCube controller (it's required). The Wii has slots to hook in old GC cards and controllers under flaps on the top (if the unit is standing vertically).

The pricepoint of the Wii at ~$250 is really what's driving this unit into the homes. That is, compared to the $700 pricepoint of the PS3. While it doesn't compare graphically to the PS3, it more than makes up for that in its unique controller input system. The PS3 pales in comparison with its feeble attempt at a sensor in the controller. The controller system in the Wii lends itself to much more diverse and interactive games getting people off the couch and making them active. The PS3 doesn't do this, unless you count Dance Dance Revolution.

Controllers
The unique wand style remote (looks like a TV remote) and combines with the Nunchuk (a small hand controller attached to the wand by a wire) to create a full features controller system. The wand itself appears to connect to the unit by both Bluetooth and infrared. The wand controller has a small speaker from which audio can be played in unison with the system. This is actually quite unique. When playing tennis in WiiSports, the smack noise from the ball comes out of the small speaker on the remote. The Nunchuk controller gives two additional buttons and an analog controller for much more precise movement. Not all games require the Nunchuk. The wand requires a sensor bar that you hook up to the Wii and place either just above or just below your TV. This is what accepts the input from the controller wand. When you point the wand at the TV screen, it acts like a laser pointer and the hand (pointer) moves around on the screen based on where you point it. The Wand also has vibration feedback so that you know when you're over a button or for other purposes.

Comparing this controller system to the PS3, there is no comparison. Sony removed the vibration feature from their remote system due to Sony's loss of a lawsuit by the company who created the vibration system. So, no feedback on the PS3 (a step backwards). Worse, they tried to add an up, down, left right, and in and out sensor, but this system is so not useful as to be pointless in any game that uses it... which is why most games that enable it also give a way to turn it off.

Wii Sports
Wii Sports is a game that comes bundled with the basic Wii. It has titles like Tennis, Baseball, Bowling and Golf. Each of these games requires holding the wand remote in a specific fashion to do whatever the sport requires. So, in Golf you hold it like you would a putter. In Bowling, you hold it like you would a ball (and then swing and release like Bowling). These games play extremely well. Unfortunately, the graphics are nothing to write home about, though. But, for the lack of the graphics, the game play is what makes this game.

Channels
If you've used an Nintendo DS, then the Wii's interface might look a little familiar. It has a similar type of interface, but much more advanced compared to what's on the DS. This is similar to what Sony did from the PSP to the PS3. But, on the Wii, Nintendo now offers a new concept of channels. Think of a channel as an application or program (as it would be on the PC). Each channel contains a specific type of content. Like, for example, the Wii comes preloaded with a News channel. So, when you click on it, it's like reading a newspaper (requires wired or WiFi internet access). The articles appear as though they are on a page and a globe shows where in the world the news is. This news feature completely outshines PS3 by a mile. There is nothing even similar on the PS3. Of course, you could read news with the PS3's web brower. But, keep in mind that the browser on the Wii is separate from the news channel.

Web Browser
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the included browser on the Wii is powered by Opera. Unlike the PS3 web browser written by who knows. While much of the standard Internet fare works well in the Wii browser, including Flash content (mostly), there are clearly Windows-only content that doesn't work (just as it doesn't work on the PS3 either). So, don't expect to play WMA audio files or WMV video files on the Wii (or the PS3). Overall, for browsing, pages load very fast and render very well with no surprises. On the PS3, the browser is very very slow to render and doesn't always render the page properly. The Wii's browser choice was a smart one. Unfortunately, the browser doesn't come shipped on the unit. You'll have to have access to the Internet and then download it from the shopping channel. As of this writing, downloading the browser is, however, free.

Overall
For the $250 price, the Wii is a great offering from Nintendo. It's not the best gaming system out there as far as graphics go. Sony is clearly the winner for graphics. Howwever, I think Nintendo has proven with the Wii that graphics aren't everything. Gameplay and usability go a long way to satisfying gamers. So, Sony needs to take a card from Nintendo's deck and consider these aspects when designing advanced consoles. Clearly, it was a consideration in the PS2, but not in the PS3.