The History Of The Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii was conceived soon after the release of its predecessor, the Game Cube in 2001. Nintendo's main focus while designing the Wii was creating a new form of player interaction. Nintendo decided that improved speed, power, and graphics was not all a new video game console should be. Knowing that Microsoft and Sony would focus on improving these aspects of their systems, Nintendo's decision to develop something more proved to be a good one. The basic design and control interface were completed by 2005 but Nintendo did not take the infant control interface to the E3 convention that year, choosing to wait to unveil their latest console until it had been further refined. The Wii remote was first shown to the public at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show.
The Wii was first known by its code name "Revolution" and was not officially given the name Wii until just prior to its reveal at the 2006 E3 convention. Nintendo official shave stated thet the console's name is just Wii not "Nintendo Wii" which makes it the first video game console released by Nintendo not to bear the company name. Nintendo gave the console the name Wii because it is easy to pronounce in all languages. They also say the the two lowercase i's next to each other are supposed to resemble two people standing next to each other and symbolize the Wii's ability to bring people together. The name Wii also sounds like the word we wich further emphasizes the console is for everyone. Even though after the announcement of the official name Nintendo met with criticism, they stuck with the moniker Wii. Some people thought the name sounded too childish and in America it led to many pubescent jokes but Nintendo was unfazed.
Even with a funny name, the Wii met with more success than even Nintendo anticipated during its launch. In September of 2006, Nintendo announced the release dates, prices and console distribution numbers for America, Japan, Australia, Asia and Europe. Nintendo planned to release 6 million consoles at the launch and even thogh it seemed like plenty the demand for the Wii console heavily outpaced the supply. Severe shortages were felt in the UK and many online and retail stores were unable to fill preorders. The entire supply of consoles set for release in the US was sold out in the first day or so and shortages after the initial release were felt there as well.
Now that the initial excitement has died down is it easier to get a Wii although procuring one can still prove challenging. Almost a year after its release people still have to search stores and online to get their hands on a system or patiently wait until new shipments arrive. The Wii has outsold its competition and proven that more speed and better graphics is not the only way to improve on video game consoles. The Wii is truly a console for everyone and Nintendo hit a home run with the Wii's innovative design.
