Home Consoles
SNES
Nintendo felt obligated to release a 16-bit game console to compete with rival companies. The SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) was released in 1991; its SuperFX enhanced cartridges continued to sell well, even after competitors released 32-bit consoles (Mazurowski and Watcher).
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GameCube
The highly anticipated GameCube was launched in 2001. It no longer used plastic-encased cartridges, but rather miniature optical discs. By using a linking cable, a player could connect the Game Boy Advance to the GameCube to unlock functions such as transferring items ( "GameCube: It's Stylish, but Does It Have Enough Power?"). |
Wii
Wii U
The Wii U brought gaming to a new level with its multifunction controller.
Stand alone consoles have been facing competition from the rising wave of smartphones and tablets. However, Satoru Iwata believes, "The chances of consumers buying our software would be less and less if what we make isn't so much different. We have to make games that smartphones or tablets can't do" ("Nintendo Suffers Ahead of Wii U Launch"). (Nintendo 'Wii U' - E3 2011 Presentation.)
(Interview with Reggie Fils-Aime.)
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The sleek, compact form of the Wii console was one of the features introduced in 2006. It introduced the use of motion control. The Wii-Mote controller applied Bluetooth technology to communicate user movements onto the screen. Nintendo veered from traditional sedentary gaming to transform any living room into an active, entertaining, family-fun environment.
Nintendo made the Wii "backwards compatible" meaning people could insert and play GameCube games (Mazurowski and Watcher). (Shigeru Miyamoto's Intro - E3 2012).
(Nintendo 'Wii U' - E3 2011 Presentation.)
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