The Wii's Brain Exposed

Jon Stokes, at the Opposable Thumbs column, discusses a final revelation of the Wii's technical prowess. Though it's been assumed since the early days of the marketing push that the Wii is basically a super-charged GameCube, a post to Acer's Hardware boards would seem to confirm that. Not, as Mr. Stokes says, that that is a bad thing: "I'm no longer nearly as upset about the implications of this move as I was back in August. In fact, thanks in large part to my DS Lite, I've gone from being disappointed at Wii's underpowered hardware to actually anticipating the new console. I plan to pick one up when they become generally available, and I'm even hoping to hook my (nongamer) wife on it."

Comments

If true, there is one problem

[Control Group]

First off, let's recognize that this still isn't confirmed - while it's a supposition with some good reasoning, it's not like the Big N has come out and told us the specs for the hardware. But, assuming that Hannibal is right, I have one complaint about the Wii: $250 is too much.

Yes, I know that I paid $400+ for my 360, and I know that the PS3 is going to be $580. I also understand that there was a ton of R&D on the Wiimote, that Nintendo's business plan includes profit on the consoles themselves, and that the price is determined by the market, not by the cost to produce.

But I also know I've paid $200 for each previous Nintendo console (except the NES...I didn't pay for that one, so I don't actually remember what it cost). I also know that technology gets cheaper over time - particularly microchips. A process shrink is neat, but shouldn't make the thing cost more, it should make it cost less. So the $250 is more than I've ever paid for a Nintendo console on the one hand, and an increase where there should have been a decrease on the other.

All that being said, I'll still probably pick one up at launch, or as soon after as I can manage. So in that sense, it's clearly not a problem from Ninty's point of view. But I'm vaguely irked by the price (again, assuming this supposition is accurate), and I don't think Nintendo's in a good position to withstand ill will.

Re:Supercharged!

[Golias]

Wiimote aside, what an underpowered console means for games is that you might as well buy a cheap used console from the previous generation and game makers might as well keep developing for the previous generation consoles.

Give it up, AC. Wii fanboys will not see reason on this issue.

It's not a vastly underpowered (for the current generation) game system being sold for more than the parts are worth (when the competition is selling hot new tech at a loss), propped up by a gimmicky controller.

No, it's not that at all. It's a REVOLUTION!

BILLIONS of people who never had any interest in gaming before are going to want to buy this thing to play games because it's... uh... so cheap, and the controls are... uh... so intuitive. Yeah, that's it, intuitive. You can play bowling games where you move your arm just as if you are bowling!!! That's so awesome!!! Forget the fact that the main competition for capturing the "casual" game market is those $20 joysticks that are pre-loaded with arcade classics. This thing will let you go online and play all those classic NINTENDO games which they never played. How can they resist getting sucked into the nostalgia which being able to play the original Super Mario Bros. will surely inspire in other people???

To say otherwise is to be bitchslapped by fanboys abusing their mod points until your IP is banned, as happened to me last time I dared to say the emperor has no clothes. (And is probably about to happen again... just watch.)