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2006 - 2013
Nintendo Wii
“Please use the wrist strap.”
- Birth year
- 2006
- Shutdown year
- 2013
- Lifespan
- 7 years
- Peak era
- 2006-2010
- Company
- Nintendo
- Category
- Devices
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On Video
"Wii would like to play" TV advert from 2006
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- Ye Olde Commercials
- Added:
- January 22, 2018
- Length:
- 0:30
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
The Wii put a motion-sensing remote in everyone's hand. Instead of competing on raw power, Nintendo made a console that grandparents could bowl with, and for a few years living rooms everywhere filled with people swinging at virtual tennis balls.
Released in November 2006, it was Nintendo's first console with built-in internet connectivity, with the Wii Shop Channel, Miis and a set of channels that felt like a tiny operating system. Wii Sports, Wii Fit and its balance board became cultural events, and the console sold more than 100 million units.
Nintendo ended Wii production in Japan in October 2013 as attention moved to the Wii U.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Wii Sports bowling at family parties
- The Mii Channel music
- Wrist straps and the occasional broken television
- Wii Fit telling you your Wii Fit age
The Story
- 2006 The Wii launched in North America on November 19.
- 2008 Wii Fit and its Balance Board reached North America and Europe.
- 2011 The Wii was discontinued in Australia as the Wii U approached.
- 2013 Nintendo stopped selling Wii consoles in Japan on October 20.
How It Died
Nintendo discontinued the Wii in 2013, ending production in Japan on October 20, 2013, as it shifted to the Wii U.
What Replaced It?
Memories
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