Final Wii specs lack DVD playback

At E3 2005, Nintendo showed off its next-generation console, then code-named "Revolution." Besides being the successor to the GameCube, the machine was to be the first Nintendo console to offer the potential for DVD playback. (Note: Panasonic did make a DVD-playing GameCube known as the Q for sale in Asia.)

Games for the Revolution, which has since been rechristened the Wii, would come on discs the same size as DVDs, and not the smaller, proprietary-format discs used by the GameCube. So when the console was first announced, Nintendo said that the console was capable of playing DVD movies, although it would require an "attachment" to do so.

The possible inclusion of DVD support was a major change of course for Nintendo, which had previously derided attempts by rivals Microsoft and Sony to bill their consoles as online-enabled multimedia devices. But when Nintendo announced a whole host of functions for its next-gen device today, many industry-watchers felt the company had finally embraced the concept of a console being used for forms of entertainment other than games.

Then, a funny thing happened. Nintendo released the final specs for the Wii--and nowhere did it mention anything about DVDs. In fact, the company described the console's disc drive as: "A single self-loading media bay will play single- or double-layered 12-centimeter optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8-centimeter Nintendo GameCube discs."

The omission of any mention of DVDs led some to believe that Nintendo had decided to abandon any attempt to have the Wii support DVD playback. As it turns out, those skeptics were right. Today, Nintendo confirmed to GameSpot that the Wii will have no DVD playback and will not have an option for a DVD dongle or add-on in its current form.

"They were originally considering an external [DVD] attachment," a rep for the company said of the Wii's designers. "But because the price of DVD players has dropped so much and they have become so commonplace, Nintendo saw no need to create extra hardware options that would drive up the cost for consumers."

That said, other than the multimedia features, the Wii remains largely the same as before. It will still sport four GameCube controller ports, two GameCube memory-card slots, two USB 2.0 ports, and an SD Card slot. Its IEEE802.11 Wi-Fi capability will let it communicate wirelessly with the DS handheld or the Internet, and it still doesn't have high-definition video output, though it will support component and S-Video output.

A complete rundown of the Wii's technical specifications--quoted directly from Nintendo--is below:

WII Launch Date and MSRP: Nov. 19, 2006, in the Americas at an MSRP of $249.99.

Color: White.

Size: About 8.5 inches long, 6 inches wide and less than two inches thick (157mm x 215.4mm x 44mm).

Controls: "Up to four Wii Remote controllers can be connected at once using wireless Bluetooth technology. The wireless signal can be detected within 10 meters of the console. Both the Wii remote and Nunchuk controllers include a three-axis motion sensor. The Wii Remote controller also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port, and can be used as a pointer within 5 meters of the screen. The Wii Remote controller has a power switch, plus pad, A, B, Minus, Home, 1 and 2 buttons. The Nunchuk controller includes an analog control stick and C and Z buttons."

The Look: "The Wii console features a compact design that...can be displayed either vertically or horizontally."

Media: "A single self-loading media bay will play single- or double-layered 12-centimeter optical discs for the Wii console, as well as 8-centimeter Nintendo GameCube discs."

Channels: "The Wii Channel Menu is the main gateway for a variety of...interactive multimedia, entertainment and communication functions."

Communication: "The Wii console can communicate with the Internet even when the power is turned off. The WiiConnect24 service [content and game updates] even if the system is idle. Users can connect wirelessly using IEEE 802.11, or with a USB 2.0 LAN adaptor. The Wii console also can communicate wirelessly with the Nintendo DS."

Virtual Console: "The Wii console will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The Virtual Console also will feature a 'best of' selection from Sega Genesis titles and games from the TurboGrafix 16 console. It also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers."

The Specs: "The Wii console has 512 megabytes of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability. A bay for an SD memory card will let players expand the internal flash memory. Design was optimized with state-of-the-art processing technologies that minimize power consumption, keep the console compact and enable the 'sleepless' WiiConnect24 mode."

CPU: "PowerPC CPU (code-named "Broadway") Made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM."

Graphics Processing Unit: "Being developed with ATI."

Other Features: "Four ports for Nintendo GameCube controllers. Two slots for Nintendo GameCube memory cards. An AV Multi-output port for component, composite, or S-video."