Wii is a game console that brings families together in the living room and puts a smile on everyone's face. It is a console that inspires communication. Players wield an entirely new controller, the Wii Remote, in intuitive ways. In this, the developers sought a controller that both experienced gamers and people never before interested in games could use. Features of the console include WiiConnect24, for a new experience every day (through a constant Internet connection maintained in standby mode); Wii Channel, for non-game content useful in everyday situations; and the Wii Virtual Console, which, through the Wii Shop Channel, enables users to purchase games they enjoyed on previous consoles, as emulated on the Wii.

For the Wii console, we sought a design that feels at home in interior environments, a unit that no one would mind putting by their TV. Put the rectangular console lengthwise on the parallelogram-shaped stand, and it protrudes at an angle. In this way, it resembles some object of art, intended for display. But it is also practical, because discs are easier to insert. In the Wii Remote, we wanted a design that entices even non-gamers to try games, which can easily be played with one hand.

With the Wii as the center of attention, the cheers and shouts of excitement just keep coming. Familiar titles such as tennis, golf, and bowling are immersive. The impact from hitting a virtual ball, for example, travels up one's arm from the remote. As friends or family members watch players and the screen, emotions swing from elation to momentary disappointment (after a player's mistake) and back. Unlike previous consoles, the Wii succeeds in offering an intuitive playing style accessible to players of all ages, abilities, and interests, and in this way, the game console has evolved to a communication tool, with physical gaming as the medium. Obviously, these are virtual games, but it is significant that the developers bring interactive design to life in ways that are not too complex. The product styling is neutral and simple. It is at once a game console, a source of information, and a means of communication, all in a unit that will probably fit unobtrusively in one's living room. By focusing intently on isolating the exciting elements of hardware and software, the designers have created a breakthrough in this category. [Akiko Moriyama, A12 unit leader]