With the details of the Wii's pricing and release date coming at next weeks Nintendo press event in NY, IBM has confirmed that the first batch of microchips for the Wii have been shipped to the console fabrication facility in East Fishkill, NY.
Nintendo's Sr. Managing Director/GM stated, "The first chips are in our possession. Today's milestone marks the final stage of our drive to reach both core and nontraditional gamers with an inviting, inclusive and remarkable gaming experience."
Earlier this year, IBM (makers of the GameCube's Gekko processor) signed a multi-year deal to produce the Wii's ‘Broadway' microprocessor. This chip is based on IBM's Power Architecture and features their Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology. The SOI technology "helps deliver to Nintendo a generous improvement in processing power while achieving a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption."
While there have been rumors that Nintendo may have been receiving these chips as early as July, a release date in October/November is not out of the question if these rumors hold to be true.
Stay tuned to MyGamer.com for all the Wii news as we get it.
By David Mackiewicz (dmackiewicz@forumwizard.net)