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As Nintendo chief Miyamoto says about the Wii'

'The hardware is basically a GC. We've upgraded our development tools to new versions but, you can still use GC programs as they are. With that in mind, I thought we could remake GC titles for the Wii and modify them to work with the Wii remote so that they're more fun to play.'

This statement been making its speedy journey around the web, with the predictable result.

'i tuld u tha Wee sux0rs!' 'Thus proving the Wii is infact.. a repackaged gamecube' 'Rofl @ Nintendo'

The argument need to be split in half to avoid confusion. Lumping the two arguments together ends in a negative situation, where neither of the debating parties can influence the opposition.

Firstly, The Wii is GameCube 1.5?

Miyamoto, in his cute little 'Wish we had an international auxillary language to stop english speaking 'l33t' gamers from mocking our consumers' way, was accurate with his statement. The hardware is similar to the GameCube. WAIT! Don't go running away just yet, for here is a word equation that will float your boat.

The Nintendo Wii hardware is similar to the Gamecube, as A gaming PC is similar to a Windows 95 word processing computer.

What! Says you, but my 'uber el33tzo0r' Gaming PC has 4 GB of Ram! It has 6.7 Gigahertz of processing power! THINK. Instead of thinking about the technological specifics of 'hardware capabilities', when the above statement is made, one is referring to the style in which hardware and software are created. The Architecture of the device.

Going out on another tangent, Nintendo would not be stupid enough to make the GameCube mistake again. The GC was not a high point for flailing Nintendo. Why now, riding on the success of the Nintendo DS, an innovative handheld device that has taken the world by storm, would Nintendo choose to release an updated version of a failure?

Wii Vs Xbox360 Vs Playstation3

To be blatantly honest, the next-gen console battle will be fought between the Xbox360, and the Playstation3. Unfortunately for Sony and Microsoft, they have launched products capable of the same types of activities, with the same types of controls and the same types of games. It's a marketing battle to see who will triumph. But for those looking for new, innovative [ie: Not BluRay] technology with an element of fun and a totally unique experience will choose the Wii. There is nothing else on the market to compete with it.

So who would buy the Wii? Just little kids right? Nintendo has many different demographics to target. From the very young, to the very old. The DS has opened the eyes of previously video game free generations, and inspired those just entering the market, as well as gameboy fans looking for a quality handheld. Half-core gamers want something fresh. they want to play with their friends and have fun. They don't want to shell out big bucks for a gaming system, but would be happy to pay a much lower price for entertainment.

You can not compare consoles on specifications alone. You must use implementation examples to compare things. On paper, the Playstation 3 is the strongest console. Better than the Wii, better than the Xbox360. But does it have quality games? Will there be many games? Will Sony finally be able to create a game that creates a third of the hype that Halo does? Until all consoles have been released internationally, it is futile to argue over which console is 'superior' and which will succeed.

The Nintendo Wii is not a Game Cube. As the old saying goes, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Both are in the same general class, yet there are fundamental differences that make comparing them pointless.