Top 10 2008 Nintendo Wii Unique Facts

To everyone looking for another one of my famous Top 10 2008 Wii/DS Games Lists, I hate to disappoint, but this article is not one of them. I’m taking a short break from my Top 10 2008 Nintendo Wii and DS games lists to post a Top 10 list of a different kind.

What do you REALLY know about the Nintendo Wii gaming system? It’s time to find out the true extent of your knowledge about the console! These are the Top 10 2008 Nintendo Wii Unique Facts!

Fact #10 – Memory Card Limits

The maximum expanded storage via Wii SD Memory Card is 2 GB.

Fact #9 – Wii VS GameCube

Based on system specifications alone, the Wii is approximately 50% to 100% more powerful than its predecessor, the GameCube.

Fact #8 – Energy Consumption

The Wii consumes only 18 watts of power while turned on and only 1.3 watts while in Standby mode (which is when the Wii is turned off).

Fact #7 – Bluetooth Not Only For PlayStation 3

Believe it or not, the Wii Remote actually uses Bluetooth technology to send its signal to the LEDs within the Wii Sensor Bar.

Fact #6 – Wii Console Colors

Although the Wii is currently only available in Polar White, it will soon be made available in Onyx Black, Metallic Silver, Lime Green and Crimson Red. These others colors will hit store shelves after the easing of supply limitations. It’s important to note, however, that aside from the color, there is no difference in hardware or system updates when compared to the Polar White version.

Fact #5 – Wii Sales Surpass Record Numbers

As of September 30, 2008, the Wii has sold more than 6.91 million units in Japan, more than 15.19 million units in North America, and more than 12.45 million units in the other regions of the world. This makes the total number of Wii systems sold thus far exceed the 34.55 million mark. As of November 1, 2008, the Wii has sold 13.4 million units in the United States, almost two million more than X-Box 360 and over twice the number of PlayStation 3 units sold.

As you can see from the stats, the Wii is clearly dominating the video game market right now, outselling both Microsoft’s X-Box 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Fact #4 – Lawsuits Aplenty

Nintendo has been sued by more than one company with regards to patent infringement, physical injury whilst playing with the Wii Remote, defective wrist straps – well, let’s explain it one lawsuit at a time.

Interlink Electronics filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nintendo over the pointing functionalities of the Wii Remote, claiming “loss of reasonable royalties, reduced sales and/or lost profits as a result of the infringing activities” of Nintendo. Law firm Green Welling LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo for its “defective wrist straps.” A Texas-based company called Lonestar Inventions has also sued Nintendo, claiming that the company copied one of Lonestar’s patented capacitor designs and used it in the Wii console.

Anascape Ltd., a Texas-based firm, also filed a lawsuit against Nintendo for patent infringements regarding Nintendo’s controllers. A July 2008 verdict found that a ban would be issued preventing Nintendo from selling the Classic Controller in the United States. Nintendo is free to continue selling the Classic Controller pending an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

On August 19, 2008, Hillcrest Laboratories Inc. filed a complaint against Nintendo with the U.S. International Trade Commission. The complaint alleges that the Wii Remote infringes on three of its patents. A fourth Hillcrest patent for graphical interfaces displayed on television screens is also alleged to have been violated. Hillcrest seeks a ban on Wii consoles imported to the U.S.

The term “Wii Remote” has been rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO claimed that the word “remote” is commonly used and therefore should not be patented. The USPTO will accept Nintendo’s trademark filing if the company disclaims the word remote in the term.

Fact #3 – Best-Selling Games

Ironically, as of September 30, 2008, the best-selling game of the Nintendo Wii has been Wii Sports, most likely because it comes pre-packaged with the Wii itself. The second-best selling game as of September 30, 2008 is Wii Play. This shows that the majority of Wii owners play the Wii with friends and family, since both of these games focus on the family-friendly aspect of the system.

Fact #2 – Nintendo Wii Playing DVDs

Nintendo plans to release a version of the console with DVD-Video playback capabilities. This new model will use the CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator software engine by Sonic Solutions. After announcing the DVD version for 2007, Nintendo delayed its release to focus on producing the original console to meet demand. Although software will be used to enable DVD-Video functionality, Nintendo has stated that it “requires more than a firmware upgrade” to implement and that the functionality would be unavailable as an upgrade option for the existing Wii model.

Fact #1 – Ageless Gaming

We already know that Nintendo has been advertising the Wii to all kinds of people, regardless of their age and gaming experience, but further proof of this was shown when in the United Kingdom, pensioners as old as 103 have been reported to be playing the Wii. In fact, a report by the British newspaper “The People” stated that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has also played on the console. It just goes to show you that even if you’re old or famous, it’s not uncommon for you to play video games!

Other Great Facts

Have an interesting fact regarding the Nintendo Wii? Feel free to post a comment and let others know!