Nintendo's new generation console has been designed from the beginning to be affordable and so as a result it will be cheaper than any competitor. Unlike either Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3, Wii will also come packed with a game - or, depending upon how you view it, multiple games. Wondering what we're talking about? Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

What's in the Box?
The Wii system comes packaged with one Wii-mote, one nunchuk attachment, a Wii stand (which supports the system in its vertical position), an AC adaptor, a composite audio/video cable, a sensor bar, a sensor bar stand, and two AA batteries for the controller. In the US and Europe, Wii will also come bundled with a copy of Wii Sports, a five-game compilation (on one disc) that features such titles as Wii Sports Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf and Boxing. In Japan, however, Wii Sports will be sold separately for approximately 4800 yen.

The Price
Wii will retail for $249.99 in the US, ?179 in the Europe and 25,000 yen in Japan.

The Release Date
Wii is scheduled to release first in America in order make the Thanksgiving time frame, which Nintendo considers critical for the US market. The console will go on sale in the US on November 19 - two days after Sony releases PlayStation 3.

Wii will release in Japan on December 2.

The console will go on sale in Europe on December 9.

Finally, Wii will launch in Australia on December 7 for $399.95.

Wii Console Numbers
Although Nintendo is releasing Wii after PlayStation 3, the company is not worried about the competition. When quizzed on the subject, company executives dismissed PS3, saying that not only was it an altogether different videogame console, but that Sony wouldn't have enough units ready this holiday to provide a worthy challenge. Whereas around 400,000 PlayStation 3s are expected to hit in America this November, NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime recently confirmed that it would "absolutely" have more Wii systems ready from day one.

Nintendo expects to ship 4 million Wii units globally by the end of the year, with North American territories (America, Canada and Mexico) getting the largest chunk.

Games and Controllers
Nintendo will be pricing its Wii games at $49.99 and is recommending that its third party contributors do the same. This is $10 cheaper than many games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Players will be able to separately buy additional Wii-mote and nunchuk controllers, as well as the classic controller, as soon as the system launches. The Wii-mote will cost $39.99. The nunchuk unit will cost $19.99. And the classic controller will cost $19.99.

What do Wii game boxes look like?

We've included an official Wii box art for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on this page. Check it our for yourself.

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