You May Enter The Virtual Playground

I just watched the recent episode of One Tree Hill. Jaime Lucas Scott, son of Haley and Nathan, celebrated his fifth birthday and when his mom asked him what he would like for his birthday, he replied we. Since his parents were still fresh from a nasty fight which almost resulted to a divorce, I thought the little guy simply wants to have a complete family again hence his answer “we.” It goes to show how little I know of the gaming world. Apparently, what Jaime wants is Wii, the new console from one of the giant names in PC games, Nintendo.

What is it about this game console that caught Jaime’s attention? I did some fishing expedition and here are some of the tidbits I’ve learned about Wii. Let’s start with the way it looks. Compared to other consoles that were launched these past five years, Wii is considered the most compact of the batch. It is eight and a half inches in length and six inches in width. The whole console is thinner than two inches and weighs just about 2.7 pounds. It fits right in the hands either that of a five-year old or a thirty-year old. It was released in a white finish but surely units will be seen in other colors like black. Like Jaime’s reaction, it is indeed “Sweet!”

Now, how does it work? Like previous game consoles, Wii is built similarly as the PlayStation as well as Xbox 360. Due to its angled plastic stand, Wii can be adjusted vertically or horizontally. After setting it in the position you desire, you can go plug in the power supply. The power supply is about the same size as a laptop brick. Once you plugged it in, deal with the audio-video cables and make sure that the console is connected to the telly. There are cables that can be bought separately so that you will be able to enjoy Wii’s 480 pixels resolution in a 16.9 widescreen format.

If you are done with the connection, it’s time for you to set up the controllers namely the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. The latter is a controller resembling a joystick which should be connected with the remote to enable extra game control. There is sensor bar that comes with the whole package. Ideally, you can place it under the TV display. The sensor bar makes the Bluetooth connection possible. You can connect four Wii Remotes simultaneously. This particular item works wonders especially if you fancy playing with the whole family or the entire gang. Let’s go on to the next controller. The Wii Remote is advisable if you are a fan of playing games 30 feet away from the sensor bar. Anywhere farther than that leads to mediocre gaming. Of course, you can’t start your gaming experience unless you put batteries into the Wii Remote. Two AA batteries will do the trick.

Now that your Wii is all set up, there is just one more thing to do before you enter the virtual playground. Arrange your furniture and create enough space for your gaming pleasure. Once the table and the couch are in their rightful place, start Wii-ing.

If you want to know more about the virtual playground, visit iplayground and satisfy your curiosity about PC games. It’s playtime!