The Wii introduced Nintendo’s motion-controlled Wii Remote gameplay in 2006.
Nintendo released the console in North America in November 2006 and in Japan and other regions shortly afterward. Its primary controller, the Wii Remote, detected movement and pointed at the screen through an infrared sensor system. Players could swing, tilt, or aim the controller depending on the game.
The console was originally developed under the project name Revolution. Nintendo chose the final name Wii to emphasize a friendly, accessible identity and a social experience. Wii Sports became one of the system’s defining games because it demonstrated motion controls through tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing.
The Wii U followed in 2012 and used a controller with a built-in touchscreen. That successor is sometimes mistaken for the original motion-control console, but the Wii introduced the Wii Remote concept to a mass audience.