''Wii'' is a series of
simulation game
Simulation video games are a diverse super-category of video games, generally designed to closely simulate real world activities. A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such ...
s published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
for the
game console of the same name, as well as its successor, the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
. After a seven-year hiatus, the game ''
Nintendo Switch Sports
is a sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the latest entry in the ''Wii'' series of games and the fourth game of the ''Wii Sports'' sub-series, as well as the first to replace the "''Wi ...
'', described officially as "a new iteration of the ''Wii Sports'' series," was announced, the first game to drop the "''Wii''" from its title.
These games feature a common design theme, with recurring elements including casual-oriented gameplay, casts consisting mostly or entirely of
Mii
A Mii ( ) is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis c ...
s, and control schemes that simulate real-life activities.
The ''Wii'' series was conceived by Nintendo executive
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...
to package and sell similar
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
prototype games in a single package.
Gameplay
The Wii uses motion sensors in its
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
to allow gameplay that incorporates physical movements by the player to control action within the game. For example, in the Baseball game included in ''Wii Sports'', the player holds the controller like a baseball bat and swings it in order to hit the ball in the game. However, in ''
Wii Chess'', on the menus and in actual gameplay, the control scheme makes use of the
D-pad
A D-pad (short for directional pad or digital pad; officially referred to by Nintendo as a +Control Pad) is a flat, usually thumb-operated, often digital, four-way directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern vid ...
on the
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
instead of the Wii Remote Pointer.
Games
''Wii'' has become one of the
best-selling video game franchises, with each ''Wii'' game selling millions of copies. ''Wii Sports'' in particular is regarded as the fourth
best-selling video game
This is a list of video games that have sold the highest number of software units worldwide. The best-selling video game to date is ''Minecraft'', a sandbox game released by Mojang in May 2009 for a wide range of PC, mobile and console plat ...
of all time, as well as the best-selling single console game of all time. By June 2009, ''Wii Fit'' had helped the
health game genre to generate collective revenues of $2 billion, most of which was grossed by the game''
s 18.22 million sales at the time. The largest subset of the franchise is ''Wii Sports''.
''Wii Sports''
''Wii Play''
''Wii Fit''
''Wii Party''
Other titles
Software
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wii (Series)
Wii games
Wii U games
Nintendo franchises
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 2006