Nintendo Wii "Official" Launch Date/Price/Details

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Nintendo Wii "Official" Launch Date/Price/Details

Post by Vuldari »

Sources - Wii.IGN.Com -- Wii.Com

Nintendo Wii Launch Date: (USA) - November 19th, 2006

Suggested Retail Price- $249.99

Box Includes:

- Wii system

- 1 Wiimote (+2 AA batteries)

- 1 Nunchuck expansion

- Sensor Bar (+Stand)

- System stand (for vertical display. Will also run horizontally)

- AC adapter and AV cables.

+ Wii Sports paked in FREE.


( System Input/Output includes: Component, Composite and S-Video display - 4:3 and 16:9 [up to 480p], Sterio and "Dolby Pro-Logic II" audio, 'IEEE 802.11' wireless, USB 2.0 LAN, and SD card. )


The Main interface uses what they call the "Channel" system, where you have up to 40+ channels for:

-Drive Bay
(whatever is in the disk drive. Wii game, GameCube game, etc.)

-Music Channel

-Video Channel
(Can view and EDIT videos in real-time in Wii Media editor)

-Photo Channel
(Photo Album/ Slideshow. Can insert memory card from digital camera dirrectly into system. The Coolest Photo/Video Viewer I've ever seen. You can turn photo's and even playing video into puzzles on the fly.)

-Web Channel
("Opera" browser must be purchased and downloaded seperately using "Wii Points"*)

-News Channel

-Weather Channel
( View virtual globe and check on current weather conditions and forcast in your aria or anywhere on Earth. )

-"Mii" Channel
(Create and customize a simple 3-D Avatar to be used in titles like Wii Sports, WarioWare, and other uses like message boards, etc. You can save your "Mii" onto the controllers built-in memory and take it to a friends house)

-- ...and other channels can be assigned to your favorite Vitual Console games for quick-play.



* "Wii-Points": Wii points, as I understand it, is how you buy extra features and games, etc. on the Wii system. 100 "Wii-Points" = $1

-NES games are 500+ Wii-Points. ($5+)

-SNES games are 800+ Wii-Points. ($8+)

-N64 games are 1,000+ Wii-Points. ($10+)

...I'm not quite sure how you purchase Wii-Points. In a store like CellPhone Minutes?...dirrectly online by Credit Card?...Both?...




I was really hoping it would be $199.99 or less...but since it comes with a packed in game (or SET of games rather...Golf, Baseball, Bowling, Tennis, Boxing, Airplane) I guess it makes sense. Then again...it seems the systems DVD and Music CD playback may have been dropped, as neither has been mentioned in the latest reports. (Though Music Playback, via the memory card port has been confirmed).

...also...Nintendo said that, ulike thier competetors, they are NOT selling thier systems below cost. So they will actually make a Profit from each console sold.
Thats buisness for you. :|



I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm allready putting some extra money away to make sure I can pick one of these baby's up this November (along with some choice games, Like Zelda).


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Post by Ashkin-Tyr »

It is unfortunate that the Nintendo Wii is not priced as low as the rumors but all those added features seem to make up for that.

----

I will be waiting for its release so I may purchase it along with Twilight Princess.
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Post by Fenrir »

will there be a better controller released?
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Post by Vuldari »

Fenrir wrote:will there be a better controller released?
Image

Not Possible. (Well...highly unlikely anyway)

The "WiiMote" ROCKS!!!


(However, for playing Virtual Console Games and GameCube games, you can plug in GameCube controllers, or use the "Classic" controller.

Also, some Games that just are not well suited for the WiiMote, such as SSBB, will use the Classic controller or GameCube Controller instead. [Sold Seperately] )


Image
"Classic" Controller
Image
WiiMote (+ Nunchuck )
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Post by Neybulot »

Nice, a Wii topic! :o I'll be getting a Wii for christmas. Everyone knows the Opera browser will be free until June 07 right? I can't wait for 3 things.

1. Wii Opera Browsing
2. Playing some great games.
3. Creating a Mii avatar.

What's everyone else looking forward to?
Phear me! (Gotta get a better siggy.)
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Post by Vuldari »

Neybulot wrote:Nice, a Wii topic! :o I'll be getting a Wii for christmas. Everyone knows the Opera browser will be free until June 07 right? I can't wait for 3 things.

1. Wii Opera Browsing
2. Playing some great games.
3. Creating a Mii avatar.

What's everyone else looking forward to?
Games...lot's of games...

Old Classic Games...

New Awesome Games...

New Wierd Games, that use the controller in very strange ways...but are fun/funny as tossing cows. (See "Rayman Raving Rabbids")


I like that the browser will be free for a while, but I'm wondering how annoying it will be if you have to enter url's by pointing and clicking on letters on the screen. ...using a message board would be a nightmare unless they offer USB keybord support...which I've not heard anything about, for or against.
(I hope so)


I'm exited about the "Mii"s too. They are a little simpler looking than I would like, but It's understandable. Super-Complex character generation would be intimidating to new gamers, and there would be too much pressure to make your's look as awesome as someone elses...which would turn many away from ever making one.

I wonder what kinds of crazy wierd things they are going to be used for as time goes on. Right now, I know they will be used as playable characters in ALL "Wii Sports" games (Including Boxing...so you can punch the #$%& out of your friends and family's Mii's), as Well as "WarioWare", and at least one other not fully announced game as well.

All developers will be encouraged to incorperate "Mii's" into thier games (those games that are appropriate for them, that is) wherever they may fit, so it will be fun to see what kinds of uses they may come up with.


I must say...the Wii has the most inviting and satisfying secondary functions I've ever seen. The Photo Viewer, Weather and News Channels, as well as The Callendar Message Board are all things that have existed in similar form on Computers for years...
...the difference is, they look so much more convinient and welcoming on the Wii, and now I think I will actually USE them.

(I wonder if they will offer adaptors for use of differend kinds of portable media besides SD cards, which only Some cameras use, or even the possibility of external hard-drive support through the USB 2.0 ports. ?)


I'm allready pinching my pennies to pick one up on day one.

I plan to buy "Zelda: Twilight Princess" (Duh) and Probobly "Exite Truck" right away, as well as whichever other games I've been looking forward to that are available on launch day, such as "Rayman Raving Rabbids".

("Mario Galaxy" is supposed to be available shortly after, but sadly, we will have to wait a while longer for "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" and "Super Smash Bros: BRAWL", both slated for 2007 release.)
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Posting from my game console

Post by Vuldari »

This is mosty pointless, but I just had to do this at least once...

I am posting this message from my Wii Opera browser.

(which is extremely slow using the pointer to type instead of a keyboard)
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Post by Morkulv »

A lot of people I know that bought it are disappointed. The gameplay must be REALLY GREAT to compensate the extreme lack of good graphics of that machine.
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Post by psiguy »

Graphics are'nt the be all end all of a good console. It's how they utilize the graphics into an entertaining game.
The playstation 3 is not bad at all considering that its graphics seem 10x better than the xbox 360 and hyper realistic to watch. But Nintendo's Wii has integrated graphics with entertainment superbly. I hope I save enough $$$ to get a Wii of my own after christmas.
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Re: Posting from my game console

Post by geekboy1500 »

Vuldari wrote:This is mosty pointless, but I just had to do this at least once...

I am posting this message from my Wii Opera browser.

(which is extremely slow using the pointer to type instead of a keyboard)
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? (the opera browser I mean)

I have looked on the Wii shop channel and cannot find it. It still says that the opera browser will be coming soon

LUCKY :D
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Re: Posting from my game console

Post by Vuldari »

geekboy1500 wrote:
Vuldari wrote:This is mosty pointless, but I just had to do this at least once...

I am posting this message from my Wii Opera browser.

(which is extremely slow using the pointer to type instead of a keyboard)
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? (the opera browser I mean)

I have looked on the Wii shop channel and cannot find it. It still says that the opera browser will be coming soon

LUCKY :D
(posting from my Wii console again)

Last night, after midight, my message light came on and when I checked it I had a message from Nintendo saying the trial version is available.
(the "forcast" channel launched a few days ago)
As you would expect, it's functions are very limited. No multiple windows or tabbed browsing, no "cut and paste", and some kinds of links don't seem to work yet... such as Deviantart.com's for some reason.

The only video plugin avalable right now is RealPlayer, though .WMV and .mov support is comming.
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Post by Vuldari »

Strangely, it will play back videos on Youtube even more smoothly than on my pc, but displays animated gifs slow and choppy.
(I've already watched the Freeborn teaser on my tv.)

I've just discovered a new limitation too. The text editing field is small. It would not let me add any more to my last post.

This IS a Beta trial version, so maybe some of these things will be fixed in the final, paid version.

On "Graphics"... I would be lying if I said I wasn't dissapointed with the visuals of most of the launch games. The Wii has more power than the original X-Box...it's capable of much better than the N64 graphics seen in the FarCry port.

I don't know what you are talking about when you say the PS3's games look 10x better than 360's. What are you looking at?... the old CG teasers? Gears Of War looks as good or better than almost every game available for PS3 right now.

(wow...this is tiring and slow to do wihout a keyboard)
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Post by Vuldari »

Morkulv wrote:A lot of people I know that bought it are disappointed. The gameplay must be REALLY GREAT to compensate the extreme lack of good graphics of that machine.
In Zelda, ExiteTruck and Rayman, the controls really do make it worth it. (And those games actually look not half bad. Zelda is just beautiful)


On the other hand, my brother bought FarCry for Wii, and I can honestly say that just about everything about it sucks.


Heck yeah, I'm a little disappointed...but the games I most care about are shining, and I know developers will get out of this lazy slump and start showing us what the hardware can really do between spring and holidays next year, 2007 and beyond. (which, admitably, will never rival what you see on PS3 or 360...but should look a heck of a lot better than what we are seeing now.)


My Wii Console is not "The only Platform I will ever want or need". It can browse the internet now...but it will never replace my PC for that purpose. Eventually, I will be able to play games Online with my friends...but there undeniably are things that just work better on PC's and other platforms.

The graphics WILL get better...but they will never set records, (except maybe in 'artistic design' in future games).


It is quite clear, (and Nintendo has made no denial to this point, even back in E3 2005), that the Wii was not built to be a system Parallel to a PS3 or a 360 or a Home Gaming Rig PC.

It is an alternative. It is something else.


You can't play "Resistance: Fall of Man" on the Wii...

...but you can't feel like you are really holding your sword in one hand, and your shield in the other like in Zelda, on the PS3 or 360...or milk a cow and slap bunnies in the face (Rayman)...or switch between using the controller as a steering wheel one moment, a gun the next, and a fly-swatter after that, then boxing gloves...a sword...a hammer...a classic NES controller...a golf club...and so on... (WarioWare: Smooth Moves) on any other system. It would take a dozen different 3rd party motion controllers for the other systems to do all that.


The Wii's full potential has not been realized yet. The patient and faithful will be rewarded.


There will always be reasons to want to Own and play one of the Other consoles for the games that THEY are built to play the best...but the good stuff on the Wii is as fun as Nintendo promised it would be, and so I do not regret laying down the cash for it and waiting in the cold for 3 hours to get one at all.

Totally worth it. Image
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Post by Morkulv »

Vuldari wrote:
Morkulv wrote:A lot of people I know that bought it are disappointed. The gameplay must be REALLY GREAT to compensate the extreme lack of good graphics of that machine.
In Zelda, ExiteTruck and Rayman, the controls really do make it worth it. (And those games actually look not half bad. Zelda is just beautiful)


On the other hand, my brother bought FarCry for Wii, and I can honestly say that just about everything about it sucks.


Heck yeah, I'm a little disappointed...but the games I most care about are shining, and I know developers will get out of this lazy slump and start showing us what the hardware can really do between spring and holidays next year, 2007 and beyond. (which, admitably, will never rival what you see on PS3 or 360...but should look a heck of a lot better than what we are seeing now.)


My Wii Console is not "The only Platform I will ever want or need". It can browse the internet now...but it will never replace my PC for that purpose. Eventually, I will be able to play games Online with my friends...but there undeniably are things that just work better on PC's and other platforms.

The graphics WILL get better...but they will never set records, (except maybe in 'artistic design' in future games).


It is quite clear, (and Nintendo has made no denial to this point, even back in E3 2005), that the Wii was not built to be a system Parallel to a PS3 or a 360 or a Home Gaming Rig PC.

It is an alternative. It is something else.


You can't play "Resistance: Fall of Man" on the Wii...

...but you can't feel like you are really holding your sword in one hand, and your shield in the other like in Zelda, on the PS3 or 360...or milk a cow and slap bunnies in the face (Rayman)...or switch between using the controller as a steering wheel one moment, a gun the next, and a fly-swatter after that, then boxing gloves...a sword...a hammer...a classic NES controller...a golf club...and so on... (WarioWare: Smooth Moves) on any other system. It would take a dozen different 3rd party motion controllers for the other systems to do all that.


The Wii's full potential has not been realized yet. The patient and faithful will be rewarded.


There will always be reasons to want to Own and play one of the Other consoles for the games that THEY are built to play the best...but the good stuff on the Wii is as fun as Nintendo promised it would be, and so I do not regret laying down the cash for it and waiting in the cold for 3 hours to get one at all.

Totally worth it. Image
FarCry isn't meant for Nintendo. For XBox and PC are good (although I recommend FarCry: Instincts (XBox-version), because the PC-version gets a bit more boring I think.
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