What Makes the Nintendo Wii So Different From Its Competitors?

The Nintendo Wii is a radical departure not only for Nintendo, but for video gaming across the board. Nintendo took a gamble but it obviously paid off, since it is now the number one selling video console.

What makes the Wii different? We can highlight two areas: how the games are played and who the target market is.

Wii gameplay is nothing short of a gaming revolution. For over twenty-five years, gamers were forced to hold a small gamepad or joystick. Both types of the traditional controller were prone to create hand and fingers cramps. Certain kinds of controllers with fairly sharp corners, most notably the Nintendo NES, were proned to drill gouged-out areas on the inside of gamers' hands. Apparently the games were so intriguing that they ignored the pain and kept playing!

A common feature of the traditional controller is they require quick movement of the players' thumbs and in some cases, fingers. While the Wii controllers also contain a few buttons that are controlled by thumbs and fingers, the primary movements are enacted by hand movement. This is a much more natural type of play that is very satisfying to many people.

This new style of controller lends itself very well to certain types of gameplay, most notably sports such as baseball or tennis. Nintendo has constructed their system so the controller is held and operated in a fashion very similar to the method in which the actual sport is played. So when you are a batter in a baseball game, you must hold the controller in a position as you would a baseball bat. When hitting a tennis ball, you merely flick your wrist just like you would with a tennis racquet.

This leads to the next area which makes the Wii stand out. With this product, Nintendo is targetting people who have not traditionally played video games while at the same time, creating a system that current gamers can appreciate and enjoy. Not everyone can get the hang of grasping a controller with both hands, and for both those types of people, the Wii is a perfect choice.

Nintendo's newest console and it's Wii Remote technology remain unrivaled, and for the most part, unchallenged. The exceptions are that of Sony's PS3 "Sixaxis" controller, and that was a last-minute deal, just months before the PlayStation 3 was released and not long after the Wii's motion-sensing technology was announced. The Sixasis controller incorporates some of the motion-sensing aspects of the Wii but retains the old familiar controller style.

Also, Microsoft recently announced the development of an Xbox 360 "Remote" that is reported to showcase the same technology as the Wii remote. What this next Xbox "Remote" will deliver in terms of gaming experience remains to be seen.

Nintendo is not sitting on its heels and continues to blaze new trails. For example, a reported new technological enhancement will plug into the Wii remote and provide more accurate sensing. This will lead to a better gaming playfield for everyone as Sony and Microsoft try to catch up.

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