Wii

Wii (/wiː/ WEE) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube, and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

The Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, focused on appealing to a broader audience through innovative gameplay, rather than competing with Microsoft and Sony on raw computational power. Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda led development, which was initially codenamed Revolution. The Wii emphasized new forms of interaction, particularly through its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which featured motion-tracking controls and could recognize gestures and function as a pointing device. The Wii was Nintendo's first console with native Internet connectivity, enabling online gaming and digital distribution via the Wii Shop Channel. It also supported wireless connectivity with the handheld Nintendo DS console for select games. Early models were backward-compatible with GameCube games and accessories. Nintendo later released cheaper versions: the RVL-101, without GameCube compatibility, and the Wii Mini, which removed features such as online connectivity and SD card storage.

Because of Nintendo's reduced focus on computational power, the Wii and its games were less expensive to produce than those of its competitors. It was extremely popular at launch, and was in short supply in some markets. Wii Sports, a pack-in game, became the Wii killer app while new entries in the Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and Metroid series helped boost its popularity. Within a year, the Wii became the best-selling console of the seventh generation and a social phenomenon in many countries. Total lifetime sales of the Wii reached over 101 million units, making it Nintendo's best-selling home console until it was surpassed by the Nintendo Switch in 2021. As of 2022, it is the fifth-best-selling home console of all time.

The popularity of the Wii's motion-controlled games led Microsoft and Sony to develop the Kinect and PlayStation Move. The Wii achieved Nintendo's goal of attracting a broader audience to video game consoles, but it also alienated core gamers. In an attempt to recapture this key demographic, Nintendo released their next home console, the Wii U, in 2012, which failed. The Wii was discontinued in October 2013, though the Wii Mini continued production for a few years, and some of its online services persisted until 2019.

Shortly after the release of the GameCube, Nintendo began conceptual development on its next console. According to game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, the company decided early to not aim to compete on hardware power, instead prioritizing new gameplay experiences. The project was initially referred to by the placeholder name "GameCube Next" (GCNext or GCN). Nintendo originally envisioned pricing the console at around US$100 (equivalent to $178 in 2024).

Miyamoto cited the unconventional input controllers of Dance Dance Revolution as an inspiration for developing new kinds of controllers. On September 24, 2001, Nintendo began collaborating with Gyration Inc., a company that held several patents in motion-sensing technology, to prototype motion-based input devices using Gyration's patents.

After succeeding Hiroshi Yamauchi as Nintendo president in May 2002, Satoru Iwata acknowledged that the company had fallen behind industry trends, particularly in online gaming. He also wanted Nintendo to develop hardware and video games that would appeal to all demographics. Internal market research revealed that Nintendo's prior focus on unconventional hardware had made its platforms more difficult for third-party developers to support, weakening its competitive position. One of Iwata's first major initiatives in response was the development of the Nintendo DS, a dual-screen handheld console with a touchscreen, to revitalize their handheld console line.

In 2003, Iwata met with Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda to discuss the company's market strategy. He directed Takeda to "go off the tech roadmap" in designing the new console, emphasizing that it needed to be accessible, especially to non-traditional audiences, including mothers. He also wanted backward compatibility with earlier Nintendo games to reduce household clutter. Takeda led hardware development, while Miyamoto focused on designing a new controller, leveraging Gyration's motion-sensing technology. Iwata proposed using motion controls as a means to simplify the gaming interface and expand its appeal. An initial prototype was completed within six months.