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What Happens After I switch it on? - Discover the Simplicity of the Wii Screen

October 12th, 2007

You've probably heard a lot about the Wii. The first thing most people hear about is its unique remote controller, or 'Wii-Mote', and the Nunchuk attachment. The console itself never tried to compete with the graphics or horsepower of its contemporaries - the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 - but don't let that fool you. The Wii console packs more horsepower than its predecessor, the GameCube, and also is more powerful than the previous Xbox. Anyone who has played on either of those knows that means the Wii is no lightweight. The Wii was never designed as a graphics heavyweight but as a new and innovative gaming system which would change the way people played their games, and what gaming consoles meant to their users.

 

These concepts, which people recognise in the Wii-Mote, are also reflected in the Wii Menu environment. When you switch on your Wii you will see a screen which looks like a grid of rectangles. This is the Wii Menu. If you count the rectangles you will see there are exactly 12, each rectangle represents what is called a 'Wii Channel'. The Wii Menu holds the Wii Channels. It a bit like the desktop on your computer, with icons for the different programs - the Wii Menu is the desktop and the Wii Channels are the programs.

 

With your Wii Remote you can select any of these Wii Channels to use them. In fact, you can also move them around and change them; you can download more, replace them, delete them or restore them. Just like on your home computer. The only Channel you cannot move is the Disc Channel - this is the rectangle on the top left of the grid. The Disc Channel is a direct link to your games; by selecting it you will go immediately to whatever disc is in the Wii disc drive and any games stored on your Virtual Console, otherwise known as the 'VC'. Basically if you need to know where your games are, this is the place to remember! Once selected it will be quite simple, you will be given to option to open either the game on your disc drive or open any of the games stored on your Virtual Console.

 

Any of the other rectangles on the page with pictures in them also have Wii Channels stored in them and can be selected and used or played with. Nintendo promises to continue updating old ones and creating new ones which you will be able to download. So one of the main Channels to remember is the Wii Shopping Channel - this is where you can buy games for your Virtual Console, or buy and download new Channels. Other Channels include the Internet Channel, the Weather Channel, the News Channel, the Photo Channel, the Mii Channel and unique services such as Message Board. Together these amount to something similar to your home computer, but far more integrated with your games and entirely accessible through Remote control. The Wii really is more than a games console.

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