AMN’s Nintendo Wii FAQ

There are a lot of rumors and questions out there about Nintendo’s new-generation console (as Nintendo calls it), Nintendo Wii. With that in mind, we’ve put together our in-depth and comprehensive FAQ (frequently asked questions) about Wii.

In it, you’ll find a constantly updated list of the most frequently asked questions about the system with detailed answers. Hopefully, this will clear up any confusion about Wii. Additionally, any time new information comes to surface, you’ll be able to find that information right here. So, if you’re unfamiliar with Wii, then this is a great place to start learning about Nintendo’s highly innovative system.



Q: What is Wii?

A: Wii is Nintendo’s next-generation (or new-generation, as Nintendo calls it) home console.

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Q: Why is it called Wii, and how do you pronounce it?

A: Below is direct verbatim from Nintendo on why they named their next-gen console Wii and how to pronounce the name.

“Introducing Wii.

As in “we.”

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games… and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.”

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Q: When was the name Wii announced, and who announced it?

A: The name “Wii” was announced April 27, 2006 by Nintendo of America.

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Q: When is Wii going to be released?

A: Wii will be available in the following territories on the following dates:

North America (November 19, 2006)
Japan (December 2, 2006)
Europe (December 8, 2006)

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Q: How much will Wii cost?

A: Wii will cost $249.99 in North America and come with a free copy of Wii Sports.

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Q: What do you get when you purchase Wii?

A: The Wii package comes with the following items: Wii console, Wii Sports, Wii free-hand controller (with strap), nunchuck attachment, Wii AC adaptor, Wii A/V cable, Wii console stand, sensor bar, sensor bar stand and two AA batteries

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Q: Is it Wii or Nintendo Wii?

A: The official console name is Wii.

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Q: Did Wii ever have a codename? If so, what was it?

A: Yes, at one time, the console was codenamed Nintendo Revolution. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata first referred to the console as “Nintendo Revolution” at the company’s pre-show conference at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, held in Los Angeles, California, on May 11, 2004.

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Q: What did Satoru Iwata have to say about Wii (or the then-named Revolution) at E3 2004?

A: “Different also defines our approach to our next home system. It won’t simply be new or include new technologies. Better technology is good, but not enough. Today’s consoles already offer fairly realistic expressions so simply beefing up the graphics will not let most of us see a difference. So what should a new machine do? Much more. An unprecedented gameplay experience. Something no other machine has delivered before.”

“The definition for a new machine must be different. I want you to know that Nintendo is working on our next system and that system will create a gaming revolution. Internal development is underway.”

“I could give you our technical specs, as I’d know you’d like that, but I won’t for a simple reason: they really don’t matter. The time when horsepower alone made all the difference is over.”

“Work on Revolution is well underway. When you see it you will be excited because you will experience a gaming revolution.”

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Q: How long has Wii been in development?

A: Nintendo has said in the past that it started thinking of ideas for its next-generation console –Wii – right after it released its current-generation console, Nintendo GameCube. It was around this time that the initial design for the system began.

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Q: Will Wii be more powerful than GameCube?

A: Although Nintendo has said that hardware and technology is not all that matters, Wii will still be a capable console, and at the very least, it will be more powerful than GameCube.

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Q: What are Wii’s technical specifications?

A: Nintendo has yet to officially announce the final Wii hardware specifications. However, between many statements from the company’s president, Satoru Iwata, we can deduce a basic idea of how powerful the system will be.

Nintendo has in the past said that the goal with Wii is to create a small, quiet and affordable console. This statement from Nintendo probably reflects the system’s overall power.

Even better, in late 2005, IGN’s own Matt Casamassina reported on a list of rough system specifications. Below, we’ve included both the unconfirmed CPU and RAM numbers coupled with official information from Nintendo.

  • 729 MHz CPU, codenamed Broadway and developed by IBM (unofficial)
  • 80 MB of high performance 1T-SRAM (unofficial)
  • 512 MB internal flash memory storage space
  • Backwards compatibility with Nintendo GameCube games.
  • Wii software itself use proprietary 12cm discs that can be dual-layered for up to 8GBs of storage capacity.
  • Two USB 2.0 ports located on backside of the console
  • Does not feature an Ethernet jack. Wii connects to the Internet using 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi wireless
  • One component/digital out located on the backside of the console allows Wii to connect to a PC monitor
  • GameCube dock station features inputs for four GCN controllers and two GameCube memory cards
  • Utilizes up to four wireless controllers
  • Two front slots for 512MB flash memory cards (or SD cards)
  • Custom-built ATI-GPU, codenamed Hollywood – details to be announced at a later date
  • Nintendo online download service allows you to download NES, SNES, N64 and other classic games

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Q: How does Wii compare to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in regards to horsepower and specifications?

A: While it’s hard to say for certain, since Nintendo has yet to release official Wii specifications, Nintendo’s new-gen console is definitely the least powerful of the three systems. Developers and publishers alike have often compared the system’s power to that of Xbox or GameCube, rather than Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. In fact, one developer said Wii is more like an Xbox 1.5 than Xbox 360 when it comes to the system’s horsepower.

For comparison, we’ve included both the official Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 specifications below.

Xbox 360
Symmetrical three-core IBM-developed CPU clocked at 3.2 GHz
512 MB of RAM
ATI Xbox 360 GPU 256-bit 2D/3D graphics acceleration
20 GB HDD Capacity

PlayStation 3
Cell CPU clocked at 3.2 GHz PPE and 7, 3.2 GHz SPEs
512 MB of RAM (256MB XDR Main RAM at3.2GHz and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM at700MHz)
RSX GPU at 550MHz
60 GB HDD Capacity (optional)

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Q: What do we know about Wii development kits?

A: Developers are currently using development kits based off GameCube architecture. Along with these systems, Nintendo has supplied eligible developers and publishers with Wii controllers.

Final Wii system development kits (SDK) will be available to developers and publishers this summer.


Wii development kit

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Q: How much do Wii system development kits cost?

A: Wii development kits are priced at $1,700 U.S..

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Q: What is Wii’s media format?

A: Wii uses a proprietary 12cm disc that can be dual-layered for up to 8 GBs of storage space.

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Q: Does Wii feature a slot-loading device or disc tray?

A: Wii is the first Nintendo console to feature a slot-loading device, rather than a disc tray or disc compartment, as seen in GameCube.


The Wii features a slot-loading drive


The Wii features a slot-loading drive

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Q: Will Wii play DVD movies?

A: At one time, Nintendo said Wii would be able to play DVDs through a dongle device that must be purchased separately. However, at its Wii Preview 2006 event, the company said the system would no longer play DVD movies. Nintendo vice president of marketing and corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan said that most consumers today already own a DVD player and by not including one in Wii, it helps bring down the cost of the system.

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Q: What makes Nintendo Wii so “revolutionary?”

A: In short, the Wii’s remote-like controller, referred to as the “free-hand controller” or “Wii-mote” by Nintendo, is what makes the system so unique.

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Q: What’s so revolutionary about the Wii-mote?

A: Quite a bit. For starters, the controller is in the shape of a remote – just like the one you’ve been using to switch between channels on your TV set for years. However, this is just an aesthetic surprise. There’s a lot more to the equation.

By setting up a sensor bar on top or in front of your TV, you will enable the Wii-mote to act as a 3D mouse in real-time. That means you can move the controller up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards, and all around your room, and the sensor will detect where in the room you and the controller is, thus sending the information to the Wii system itself. Likewise, you can also twist the controller and the sensors will detect the movement. The controller can also be pointed at any place on your TV screen, and the system will detect the information. This enables a seemingly endless amount of new game types. Imagine, for instance, how it will affect the first-person shooter genre.


The Wii free-hand controller is just like a remote

In addition to being used in this sense, the controller can also be held sideways, in a similar fashion to how you hold a Super Nintendo controller.

The controller features a number of facial features, including two A buttons, one B button, one B trigger, select, home, start, power and the d-pad.

Finally, you can also plug a number of add-on peripherals into the controller.

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Q: How much do the Wii controller, Wii nunchuck controller and Wii classic controller cost?

A: The Wii free-hand controller will cost $39.99; the nunchuck $19.99 and the classic controller $19.99.

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Q: What’s the difference between the “free-hand controller” and “Wii-mote?”

A: Nothing. They are the same thing. Free-hand controller is the term that Nintendo uses to describe the remote-shaped controller, while Wii-mote is a term coined by Nintendo fans across the internet to described it.

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Q: Is the Wii-mote wireless, and if so, what kind of batteries does it use?

A: Yes, the Wii controller is wireless. The controller uses AA alkaline batteries and has a life of between 30 and 60 hours, depending on whether or not its pointing functionality is being used. When it is, it has a 30-hour battery life. When just the accelerometer is being used, the life is 60 hours.

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Q: Does the Wii-mote have a speaker or microphone on it?

A: The Wii-mote features a speaker on it that can create sounds that will better immerse you in your gaming experience. For instance, in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, whenever Link uses his bow, you can hear arrows whizzing by you, just like if you were firing a bow in real life.

The Wii controller, however, does not feature a microphone. Some rumors persist that it will, but Nintendo has not made an official announcement yet.

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Q: What does the Wii sensor bar look like?

A: It is flat and very thin, making it easily blend in on top of your TV, center speaker or anywhere near your TV. See a picture below.


The Wii sensor bar

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Q: What kind of peripherals can be plugged into the Wii-mote?

A: The most spotlighted attachable peripheral for Wii is by far the nunchaku device. Essentially, this is a left-handed one-handed controller with an analog stick and a number of trigger buttons. This allows you an analog stick for games that require one, such as Super Mario Galaxy and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

The nunchaku controller also feature a built-in acellerometer allowing it to sense it being tilted left or right, or being moved up, down, left, right and in a number of other directions as well. You should note, however, that this device cannot interact with the Wii sensor bar, so it cannot be used as a pointer as accurately as the free-hand controller can be.

Also exciting, on display at E3 2006, Nintendo had a gun-shaped peripheral that that the Wii controller fit into, allowing you to use the Wii-mote and gun model like a light gun. They called this peripheral the “Zapper.”

Ubisoft is also bringing a steering wheel peripheral out. The Wii-mote fits snuggly into the middle of the device and allows you to play racing games with a steering wheel. Any games that use the same control scheme as GT Pro Series (Excite Truck does) will work with the device.


The nunchaku add-on device


A picture of the light gun-esque “Zapper” as seen at E3 2006


The steering wheel attachment from Ubisoft

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Q: How will you play third-party games that feature complex control schemes with the Wii-mote?

A: Developers will either have to make-do with the number of buttons between the Wii-mote and nunchaku controller or they can require that you use the Wii’s classic-style controller, which looks much like a mix between a Super NES and PlayStation 2 pad.

Q: What happened to the “shell” controller?

A: Nintendo decided not to implement the idea of a shell controller that the Wii-mote could fit into. Instead, at E3 2006, it revealed the Wii classic controller.

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Q: How will you play classic games on the virtual console with the Wii controller?

A: You do not use the Wii-mote to play games downloaded through the virtual console service. Instead, you use the classic controller, which was revealed at E3 2006. See a picture of it below.


The Wii classic controller

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Q: Will there be any connectivity between Wii and Nintendo DS?

A: Yes.

Nintendo has not officially announced any kind of connectivity yet, but Shigeru Miyamoto told Kotaku in an interview that the functionality is built-into Wii, and it just has to be taken advantage of.

According to Miyamoto, Nintendo is still coming up with ideas on how to use the functionality. One example Miyamoto referenced involved using the DS touch-screen and microphone in a Wii game. Meanwhile, another idea involves downloading content from your Wii to your DS, editing it, then uploading it back to your Wii.

Nintendo doesn’t know when this kind of connectivity will be available, but because of the DS’s widespread success, it says it wants to have Wii and DS connectivity functionality available at launch or soon after.

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Q: Will Wii support online play?

A: Yes, and it will use a completely wireless and free-of-charge service.

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Q: What if I don’t have a wireless network set up at home?

A: Nintendo told Famitsu, a popular Japanese gaming magazine, that it plans to release an USB adapter for PCs that will allow those without wireless networks at home to use their PC’s high-speed internet connection to get online with Wii by broadcasting a wireless signal from the adapter on your PC to the Wii itself.

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Q: What’s the name of the Wii’s online service?

A: No official name has been given for the online service, but the company refers to its DS service as “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.” It is possible Wii’s service will go by the same name.

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Q: Will there be a charge to play Wii games online?

A: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said in June of 2005 that all Nintendo-published video games will not feature any charge to be played online. However, Iwata went on to say that some third parties might charge to play their games online. No price ranges have been mentioned in regards to online fees from third-party developers and publishers.

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Q: What is WiiConnect24?

A: WiiConnect24 is Nintendo’s always-on broadband service for Wii. It allows Wii to remain connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Nintendo has revealed two features for WiiConnect24, thus far: its Weather Channel and News Channel. The former allows users to look at weather, worldwide, using the system’s built-in user interface. Meanwhile, the latter allows them access to constantly updated news articles on the Internet.

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Q: Will Wii support high-definition (HD)?

A: No.

However, Nintendo has confirmed that the system will output in 480p (progressive scan), so the system will be able to use component cables.

“It is accurate that at this time we will not support high-definition [on Revolution],” confirmed Nintendo of America’s vice president of corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan, in early 2005.

“Nintendo’s Revolution is being built with a variety of gamers’ needs in mind, such as quick start-up time, high power, and ease of use for development and play. It’s also compact and sleek, and has beautiful graphics in which to enjoy innovative games. Nintendo doesn’t plan for the system to be HD compatible as with that comes a higher price for both the consumer and also the developer creating the game. Will it make the game better to play? With the technology being built into the Revolution, we believe the games will look brilliant and play brilliantly. This can all be done without HD,” she went on to say.

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Q: Will Wii feature backwards compatibility with GameCube?

A: Yes, it features a docking station that allows GameCube optical discs to be inserted into the system.

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Q: What kind of games will you be able to download with the online downloadable game service?

A: You will have access to games from the following systems: Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, TurboGrafx/PC-Engine, Hudson CD-ROM^2 and Sega Genesis.

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Q: Will you be able to download third-party games or just Nintendo-published games through the service?

A: Nintendo plans to make available many different Nintendo classic games with the help of this program. However, the company would like as many third-party developers and publishers to make their games available through the service.

Satoru Iwata said in June of 2005, “We hope to establish a format where both Nintendo and [third-party] software makers will be able to make a profit by using the resources from our past.”

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Q: How much will Virtual Console downloads cost?

A: Nintendo plans to charge between $5 and $10 for each Virtual Console game.

You will be able to purchase Virtual Console games online with a credit card or purchase a Wii Points Card at retail stores and use it to purchase games through the service.

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Q: Will the system feature a hard disc drive (HDD)?

A: No. It will not feature a hard drive.

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Q: How do you store your game saves?

A: The system features SD card slots allowing you to use SD cards like memory cards.


Wii’s SD card slot

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Q: How will you store downloadable games from Nintendo’s downloadable game service?

A: Wii has a built-in 512 MBs of flash memory that will store downloaded games. With the use of SD cards, it might be possible to expand the storage space in which you can store games.

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Q: How many games will be available at Wii’s launch, and what are they?

A: Around 20 games are expected to be available at launch.

No official list of launch games is available, but we’ve come up with an unofficial list of games you can expect on launch day or near launch day, based off Nintendo’s statements in the past.

  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [Nintendo]
  • Wii Sports [Nintendo]
  • Rayman Raving Rabbids [Ubisoft]
  • Red Steel [Ubisoft]
  • Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz [SEGA]
  • Madden NFL 2007 [Electronic Arts]
  • Marvel: Ultimate Alliance [Activision]
  • Call of Duty 3 [Activision]
  • Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam [Activision]
  • Trauma Center: Second Opinion [Atlus]
  • Disney’s Chicken Little: Ace in Action [Buena Vista Games]
  • Blitz: The League [Midway]
  • Happy Feet [Midway]
  • The Ant Bully [Midway]
  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab [THQ]
  • Disney/Pixar’s Cars [THQ]
  • Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 [Atari]

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Q: How many games are in development for Wii and what are they?

A: Over 40 Wii games are currently in development. You can check out a full list of all announced games by clicking here.

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Q: What companies have pledged their support for Wii?

A: A huge amount of developers are onboard with Wii and have projects in the works. Below is a short list of some of the bigger companies that have pledged support to the console.

  • Nintendo
  • Intelligent Systems
  • Game Freak
  • Retro Studios
  • Hal Laboratory
  • SEGA
  • Capcom
  • Ubisoft
  • Activision
  • Electronic Arts
  • Retro Studios
  • THQ
  • Square-Enix

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Q: What does Wii look like?

A: The console is roughly the size of three DVD cases stacked on top of each other. When powered on, it features a blue light in the front of the system. It can function lying down horizontally or standing up vertically. A dock will be released that allows you to stand the system up vertically. Nintendo has not announced what colors the system will be available in at launch, but it most often spotlights the white and black versions of the console.

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Q: What does the Wii-mote look like?

A: The controller looks much like a remote that is used with a TV set. However, it features a number of facial buttons and an add-on port as well. Look below for a picture of the controller.

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Q: What does Wii’s user interface (or UI) look like?

A: Below are some pictures of the Wii user interface (the UI is not final and is still undergoing development).


Wii user interface (click to enlarge)

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Q: What is Wii Channel and what channels does Wii have?

A: Wii Channel is the main menu you see when you boot up Wii. Read on to see descriptions and videos of all the revealed Wii channels.

Wii Channel: This is the main menu for Wii, allowing you to access the Opera Web Browser, Weather Channel, News Channel, Photos Channel, Mii Channel, your current game and possibly more. You simply point and click to go to the channel you want to.

Wii Menu video

Mii Channel: Here you can create your very own character or avatar using a simple built-in application. You can select your avatar’s face, hair, size, clothing and more.

Mii Channel video

News Channel: With an Internet connection you can browse the day’s breaking news via text article updates. We’ll update when we know what companies and outlets will provide this content.

News Channel video

Weather Channel: Using the Wii-mote, you can search the world’s weather. The system features a 2D model of Earth, allowing you to pan around, looking at different cities, states and countries’ weather. An Internet connection is required for this channel.

Weather Channel video

Virtual Console Channel: Here you can browse all your purchased Virtual Console games by pointing with the Wii-mote and selecting what you want to play.

Virtual Console Menu video

Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.

Wii Photo Channel: Here, you can view your photos (stored on your SD card) and share them with your friends over the Internet. What’s more, there is a cool puzzle scrambler mini-game that scrambles your photo into a puzzle, allowing you to create puzzles out of your favorite pictures.

Photo Channel video

Wii Message Board Channel:The Wii features a built-in message board where you can post messages to friends and family. Nintendo sees the message board as something similar to a refrigerator where you leave messages, notes and more for your friends and family to see. You’ll even be able to send messages to your friend’s cell phones. Not only can you share text messages here, you’ll be able to use your SD card to upload photos to your Wii and share them with the world.

Wii Internet Channel: Opera Web Browser: The already-announced Opera Web Browser comes built-into Wii, but you must purchase the software by using Wii points before you can use it. Further, it requires your own Internet connection, not provided by Nintendo.

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If you have any Nintendo Wii information you see our FAQ is missing, feel free to shoot us an e-mail, so that we can update it.

Stay tuned for more Wii information as it is announced. This FAQ will be updated regularly.

FAQ last updated by Phillip Levin on 09/22/2006