news via popular science

While a few zany folks preferred to mindlessly operate on a PlayStation 3 without any tact whatsoever, the steady-handed folks over at Popular Science went by the books when they gingerly took apart Nintendo's latest. But alas, not everyone is so gentle (or considerate) when it comes to enjoying new toys, and the folks over at SmashMyWii shaved a few minutes off their uncasing time by going at it with a large foreign object instead of a minuscule screwdriver. We're reserving comment on which method we prefer most, but we do applaud both the tender care and rage expressed in each unique scenario. Nevertheless, snagging a Wii should've been slightly (and slightly we stress) easier than dodging bullets or quitting your job in order to (hopefully) get a PS3, but we're sure there's still quite a few of us sitting home empty handed -- so if you're craving an inside look at the Wii which you don't yet have (or don't want to dissect yourself), be sure to hit the read link for some well-captured Wii pr0n, and peek after the break for the painfully humorous slaughtering.

as you can see over at popular science there have been conducting wii-otopcy as they call it.

disection of wii screens via comment ...

news via popular science

While a few zany folks preferred to mindlessly operate on a PlayStation 3 without any tact whatsoever, the steady-handed folks over at Popular Science went by the books when they gingerly took apart Nintendo's latest. But alas, not everyone is so gentle (or considerate) when it comes to enjoying new toys, and the folks over at SmashMyWii shaved a few minutes off their uncasing time by going at it with a large foreign object instead of a minuscule screwdriver. We're reserving comment on which method we prefer most, but we do applaud both the tender care and rage expressed in each unique scenario. Nevertheless, snagging a Wii should've been slightly (and slightly we stress) easier than dodging bullets or quitting your job in order to (hopefully) get a PS3, but we're sure there's still quite a few of us sitting home empty handed -- so if you're craving an inside look at the Wii which you don't yet have (or don't want to dissect yourself), be sure to hit the read link for some well-captured Wii pr0n, and peek after the break for the painfully humorous slaughtering.

as you can see over at popular science there have been conducting wii-otopcy as they call it.

disection of wii screens via comment ...

news via popular science

While a few zany folks preferred to mindlessly operate on a PlayStation 3 without any tact whatsoever, the steady-handed folks over at Popular Science went by the books when they gingerly took apart Nintendo's latest. But alas, not everyone is so gentle (or considerate) when it comes to enjoying new toys, and the folks over at SmashMyWii shaved a few minutes off their uncasing time by going at it with a large foreign object instead of a minuscule screwdriver. We're reserving comment on which method we prefer most, but we do applaud both the tender care and rage expressed in each unique scenario. Nevertheless, snagging a Wii should've been slightly (and slightly we stress) easier than dodging bullets or quitting your job in order to (hopefully) get a PS3, but we're sure there's still quite a few of us sitting home empty handed -- so if you're craving an inside look at the Wii which you don't yet have (or don't want to dissect yourself), be sure to hit the read link for some well-captured Wii pr0n, and peek after the break for the painfully humorous slaughtering.

as you can see over at popular science there have been conducting wii-otopcy as they call it.

disection of wii screens via comment ...

news via arnnet

Nintendo's Wii console will do more to challenge Microsoft's Xbox 360 this holiday shopping season than the long-awaited PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment, according to analysts.

U.S. customers got their hands on Sony's PlayStation 3 on Friday, but the console is suffering from a lack of supply as well as a hefty US$599 price tag for the 60G-byte model. Sony also offers a US$499 version with a smaller hard drive. However, the US$299 Nintendo Wii, though not targeted at hard-core gamers like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, will give Microsoft's early-to-market Xbox 360 a run for its money.

The Wii will reach customers in the U.S. on Sunday. Microsoft released the Xbox 360 last November for the 2005 holiday shopping season with a US$399 or US$299 price tag, depending on which version is purchased.

"Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii," said David Mercer, a vice president with U.K. research firm Strategy Analytics. "The price point will be very tempting even for consumers that many have not even thought of buying a console. As a general holiday present, Nintendo will do well."

Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, agreed that the Wii will be a successful holiday seller. "But people will still be buying a lot of Xbox 360s this year," he said. "There are more games for them, and they are significantly less expensive than the PlayStation 3. And they're available. They're in a really good spot."

That's good news for Microsoft, which has a lot to prove with the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. The company has projected it will sell 10 million consoles by 2007. By the end of September, Microsoft said it sold 6 million worldwide, which means it must sell 4 million in the last three months of the year.

In addition to introducing new Xbox titles for the holiday season to bolster 2006 sales, Microsoft also released an external HD-DVD drive for the console and will begin allowing users to download movies to their Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live online marketplace on Nov. 22.

Holiday competition from the Wii aside, Microsoft should try to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's two main weaknesses this holiday season -- lack of availability and cost -- to prove it can stick it out against the PlayStation 3 over the long haul, Mercer suggested.

"There's a lot of loyalty to the PlayStation brand," he said. "People who want the [PlayStation 3] but can't get ahold of one are the people Microsoft should be targeting."

Even though Sony will be lucky to sell 1.5 million of its projected 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season, the Sony console should outlast its competition over the long haul, Mercer added.

"In the long term, there's no question the PS3 is a superior system," he said. "It's designed to be going strong in five or 10 year's time. We just don't see the Xbox 360 having that kind of sustainability." ...

news via arnnet

Nintendo's Wii console will do more to challenge Microsoft's Xbox 360 this holiday shopping season than the long-awaited PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment, according to analysts.

U.S. customers got their hands on Sony's PlayStation 3 on Friday, but the console is suffering from a lack of supply as well as a hefty US$599 price tag for the 60G-byte model. Sony also offers a US$499 version with a smaller hard drive. However, the US$299 Nintendo Wii, though not targeted at hard-core gamers like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, will give Microsoft's early-to-market Xbox 360 a run for its money.

The Wii will reach customers in the U.S. on Sunday. Microsoft released the Xbox 360 last November for the 2005 holiday shopping season with a US$399 or US$299 price tag, depending on which version is purchased.

"Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii," said David Mercer, a vice president with U.K. research firm Strategy Analytics. "The price point will be very tempting even for consumers that many have not even thought of buying a console. As a general holiday present, Nintendo will do well."

Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, agreed that the Wii will be a successful holiday seller. "But people will still be buying a lot of Xbox 360s this year," he said. "There are more games for them, and they are significantly less expensive than the PlayStation 3. And they're available. They're in a really good spot."

That's good news for Microsoft, which has a lot to prove with the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. The company has projected it will sell 10 million consoles by 2007. By the end of September, Microsoft said it sold 6 million worldwide, which means it must sell 4 million in the last three months of the year.

In addition to introducing new Xbox titles for the holiday season to bolster 2006 sales, Microsoft also released an external HD-DVD drive for the console and will begin allowing users to download movies to their Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live online marketplace on Nov. 22.

Holiday competition from the Wii aside, Microsoft should try to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's two main weaknesses this holiday season -- lack of availability and cost -- to prove it can stick it out against the PlayStation 3 over the long haul, Mercer suggested.

"There's a lot of loyalty to the PlayStation brand," he said. "People who want the [PlayStation 3] but can't get ahold of one are the people Microsoft should be targeting."

Even though Sony will be lucky to sell 1.5 million of its projected 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season, the Sony console should outlast its competition over the long haul, Mercer added.

"In the long term, there's no question the PS3 is a superior system," he said. "It's designed to be going strong in five or 10 year's time. We just don't see the Xbox 360 having that kind of sustainability." ...

news via arnnet

Nintendo's Wii console will do more to challenge Microsoft's Xbox 360 this holiday shopping season than the long-awaited PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment, according to analysts.

U.S. customers got their hands on Sony's PlayStation 3 on Friday, but the console is suffering from a lack of supply as well as a hefty US$599 price tag for the 60G-byte model. Sony also offers a US$499 version with a smaller hard drive. However, the US$299 Nintendo Wii, though not targeted at hard-core gamers like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, will give Microsoft's early-to-market Xbox 360 a run for its money.

The Wii will reach customers in the U.S. on Sunday. Microsoft released the Xbox 360 last November for the 2005 holiday shopping season with a US$399 or US$299 price tag, depending on which version is purchased.

"Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii," said David Mercer, a vice president with U.K. research firm Strategy Analytics. "The price point will be very tempting even for consumers that many have not even thought of buying a console. As a general holiday present, Nintendo will do well."

Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, agreed that the Wii will be a successful holiday seller. "But people will still be buying a lot of Xbox 360s this year," he said. "There are more games for them, and they are significantly less expensive than the PlayStation 3. And they're available. They're in a really good spot."

That's good news for Microsoft, which has a lot to prove with the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. The company has projected it will sell 10 million consoles by 2007. By the end of September, Microsoft said it sold 6 million worldwide, which means it must sell 4 million in the last three months of the year.

In addition to introducing new Xbox titles for the holiday season to bolster 2006 sales, Microsoft also released an external HD-DVD drive for the console and will begin allowing users to download movies to their Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live online marketplace on Nov. 22.

Holiday competition from the Wii aside, Microsoft should try to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's two main weaknesses this holiday season -- lack of availability and cost -- to prove it can stick it out against the PlayStation 3 over the long haul, Mercer suggested.

"There's a lot of loyalty to the PlayStation brand," he said. "People who want the [PlayStation 3] but can't get ahold of one are the people Microsoft should be targeting."

Even though Sony will be lucky to sell 1.5 million of its projected 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season, the Sony console should outlast its competition over the long haul, Mercer added.

"In the long term, there's no question the PS3 is a superior system," he said. "It's designed to be going strong in five or 10 year's time. We just don't see the Xbox 360 having that kind of sustainability." ...

news via engadget



We've had our Wii kicking around the office for a little while now, but we had to hold off on answering your many questions about it until last night when they rolled out their launch update. Trust us, it definitely changed some answers, so let's get to the FAQ. Oh, and thanks for the questions. Feel free to leave your followups in the comments.

1. How loud is the Wii?

We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.

2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?

Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.

3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?

Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.

4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?

If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.

5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?

The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.

6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?

Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.

7. What are the load times for the games?

Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.

8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?

Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.

9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?

Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.

10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?

Not at all! It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.

11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?

Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.

12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?

Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.

13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?

Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.

14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?

That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand (in case you didn't want to use the larger plastic variety in box).

15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?

They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two ...

news via engadget



We've had our Wii kicking around the office for a little while now, but we had to hold off on answering your many questions about it until last night when they rolled out their launch update. Trust us, it definitely changed some answers, so let's get to the FAQ. Oh, and thanks for the questions. Feel free to leave your followups in the comments.

1. How loud is the Wii?

We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.

2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?

Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.

3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?

Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.

4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?

If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.

5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?

The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.

6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?

Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.

7. What are the load times for the games?

Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.

8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?

Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.

9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?

Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.

10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?

Not at all! It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.

11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?

Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.

12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?

Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.

13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?

Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.

14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?

That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand (in case you didn't want to use the larger plastic variety in box).

15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?

They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two ...

news via engadget



We've had our Wii kicking around the office for a little while now, but we had to hold off on answering your many questions about it until last night when they rolled out their launch update. Trust us, it definitely changed some answers, so let's get to the FAQ. Oh, and thanks for the questions. Feel free to leave your followups in the comments.

1. How loud is the Wii?

We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.

2. Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?

Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.

3. Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?

Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.

4. Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?

If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.

5. Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?

The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.

6. When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?

Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.

7. What are the load times for the games?

Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.

8. Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?

Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.

9. How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?

Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.

10. Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?

Not at all! It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.

11. How decent is the callibration for the Wii?

Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.

12. Is the sensor bar really that distracting?

Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.

13. What happens if you put a disc in upside down?

Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.

14. In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?

That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand (in case you didn't want to use the larger plastic variety in box).

15. How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?

They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two ...