Chapter 1. The Wii Arrives

The holiday season of 2006 was not unlike most other holiday seasons, in that there tended to be chaos at shopping malls, in parking lots, and (no doubt) in more than a few homes. In December, one gift captured the imagination of the country—indeed, the continent—and that was the Nintendo Wii.

A rather odd device as current gaming consoles go, with its wireless controllers and simple yet engrossing games and interface, the Wii attracted young and old alike, generating a raging fire of enthusiasm and demand.

In fact, the Wii (Wii is pronounced “we”) is causing a paradigm shift in the gaming community. (I hate using the term paradigm shift, but in this case, I can’t think of a better choice of words.) This gaming system ...

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