Wii.Nintendo.com - In-Depth Regional Wii Coverage

Link: Wii.Nintendo.com - In-Depth Regional Wii Coverage. When I first saw the Wii advertisements, I didn't blink. Just another gaming system that my son and daughter would enjoy, and that I would have fun setting up for them. However, sooner or later, they would lose interest, and it would sit on the shelf gathering dust. The price point of $250 was attractive, given the Sony and Xbox prices of $400 and up.  Little did I know that this Christmas gift would have such an effect on the family, or that it would stimulate my FutureLawyer futurist dreams. Luckily, a family friend with a lot of free time was willing to stand in line at a GameStop over the holidays all night long, and there was a Nintendo Wii under the tree a couple of days ago. Quite simply, this system is going to change the way the general public looks at gaming, the Internet, and the way we connect with the world. The system connects automatically to the home network (if you have wireless WiFi installed), and updates its software automatically. The games and motion sensor apparatus are already familiar to you, but this morning's update contains the Opera Internet browser beta, and is now causing family disputes over who gets to use it. Legacy Nintendo games are available for download at about $5 each. I used the system remote to log in and register the system, and my wife spent an hour on Ebay this morning. The killer app for us professionals, in my opinion, is the Internet browsing capability. You can do real Internet research on this thing, and you don't need a separate computer to do it. Characters you create on the Wii can jump to other Wii systems connected to the Internet, creating the very real possibility that you can connect over TV with other households in the future. The system remains connected to the Internet overnight, much like your home computer, and updates itself, and adds new features. This system, in enough households, could actually be used as a voting terminal, straw poll tabulator, entertainment console, and a million other uses. TV Internet browsing for the masses is not new. However, the combination of family fun, Internet connectivity, and the motion sensor remote will make this the killer system of the year, and a precursor to the systems of the future. Stand in line (or get a friend to do it) and get this system. I have to go now. I am fighting with my son for access to the remote. I want to hit some virtual golf balls, and he wants to kill virtual monsters. May the best man win.