Why Everyone Should Get a Wii
Nintendo’s Wii gaming system is taking the world by storm. Wii is quite different from other game consoles like XBOX or Playstation in that it focuses on highly interactive family fun rather than on graphics and visual flashiness. While hardcore gamers who love playing graphics intensive role playing games will continue to use other consoles, Wii appeals to everyone, even people who never thought they’d play a video game. Wii is truly the gaming system for everyone, and is fast becoming the entertainment system that everyone wants to own.
So what exactly is the Wii, why is it so popular, and why should everyone (even you!) go out and get one? There are many reasons. First, the Wii system revolutionizes gaming by using controllers with motion and position sensors so that you control your game actions by using real motion. Want to play a bowling game? You bowl in the game by rolling your virtual bowling ball just like you would roll a real bowling ball. Whether you are playing a sports game or wielding a virtual sword, Wii controller actions are realistic and intuitive. This makes interacting with the Wii completely different from interacting with other game consoles where you must learn an arcane sequence of button presses to do anything. The physical motion aspects of the Wii are the very foundation of why Wii is so different and so much fun.
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The motion tracking in Wii is possible because of two pieces of technology embedded in the system. First, the Wii controller uses tiny accelerometers to measure the motion of the controller itself in 3D. The controller has a wireless (Bluetooth) connection to the console, so the game always knows where and how the controller has moved. Second, the game comes with an infrared sensor bar that keeps track of the pointing direction of the controller, so the game also knows the direction in which the controller points. Both of these features are used together to let players realistically control their game actions and choices.
Because you use real motion to control your game actions, Wii games provide much more opportunity for realistic game interaction. As a result, Wii games focus much more on interactive fun rather than flashy graphics. Graphics in Wii games tend to be pretty cartoonish, which tends to make the games more endearing. Wii games tend to involve some physical activity, like tennis or bowling or boxing or even sword fighting. The standard Wii console system comes with the game Wii Sports bundled in, so you can use the Wii for a fun physical workout even without buying any more games. Of course, if you want to add games, a wide variety of games are available from any number of vendors. These can be downloaded directly onto the Wii, or you can purchase them on disk and load them via the game disk into the Wii console.
The Wii system is also very easy to set up. Simply use the AV cables to plug the Wii into your TV, and use the power cable to connect the Wii to power. The Wii is also designed to be connected to the internet 24/7, which it does automatically if you have your own wireless network. If you have an Internet connection but no wireless network, you can still connect your Wii to a network router if you have one. These days, wireless routers are cheap and easy to install so the easy way to get things rolling is to make sure you have a wireless network with a wireless router, or just go out and get one. This will make your Wii using life much easier and will make using your Internet connection much easier for multiple computers in your house.
The Wii system includes an SD slot for memory expansion. It also lets you play Gamecube games if you are a hardcore Gamecube gamer. This way you can play the interactive Wii games and the hardcore graphics Gamecube games all on the same console.
Two new Wii games are generating lots of excitement. Wii Fit is actually much more than a game – it is really a complete workout system that comes bundled with some accessories (like the Wii balance board) to help you get back in shape. Surprisingly enough, you can really get a great workout and have a bunch of fun at the same time. For this reason, the Wi has become immensely popular in retirement communities – hardly bastions of hard core gamers. The newest sensation from Wii is Wii Music, which lets anyone play a wide variety of musical instruments and satisfy their creative impulses.
The bottom line is that the Wii is just plain great fun for anyone who ever tries it. There are no steep learning curves to overcome, just fun interaction and physical challenges right out of the box. The Wii is very family friendly, allowing the entire family to play and explore together in wide range of games and environments, and in a manner that ever family member, gamer or not, always enjoys. For all these reasons, the Wii is likely to be the hottest gift item around for quite some time, and is likely to be one of the best entertainment investments any family can make.
