Wii

The Wii (IPA: /ËˆwiË/) is Nintendo's fifth home video game console, and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. Until its official name was announced on April 27, 2006, it was previously known by the codename Nintendo Revolution.

The system is unique in that the console's controller, or "Wii Remote", can detect its relative orientation in three-dimensional space; the controller also contains a speaker and a rumbling device for additional feedback. The console is confirmed to have a stand-by mode so that it can receive messages and updates when it is not in use.

The system was unveiled at Nintendo's 2005 EÂ³ press conference, and the system's game controller was revealed at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata during his keynote speech in September. In an interview with Sankei Shimbun, Iwata confirmed that the Wii will be released in North America no later than Thanksgiving 2006 (November 23). Internationally, Nintendo is considering attempting a launch with no more than 14 weeks of difference between the first and last launching regions.