There are probably many people who remember being surprised in the winter of 2006, looking at the sophisticated white casing that resembled a home appliance, and thinking, “Is this really a game console?” While the mainstream design for game consoles at the time was undeniably “console-like,” the Wii's appearance felt not so much like an anomaly but rather a new standard. The vertical stand style, in particular, was a pioneer in creating the feeling that it was “stylish just by being there,” and every time the glowing disc slot signaled the arrival of a message, it made you feel a sense of the future.

What was truly innovative about the Wii was its operability. The sensation that movements like holding the Wii Remote and swinging or twisting it toward the TV were directly reflected in the game—this fundamentally overturned the common sense of gaming at the time. Its flexibility allowed for conventional control styles simply by holding the remote horizontally, and combining it with the Nunchuk made complex two-handed actions possible. From an era of playing only with buttons to an era of enjoying games by moving the body, the Wii turned the player's physical self into “part of the controls.” It is difficult to put into words how great an impact this change was.

The fact that people who were previously unfamiliar with games naturally reached for the Wii—that is the greatest achievement of this hardware. Even those who thought “sports games seem difficult” must have been instantly captivated by the simplicity and exhilaration of the controls when they tried bowling or tennis in “Wii Sports.” Furthermore, the release of “Wii Fit” even changed the image of “games = the cause of lack of exercise.” The sight of people performing fitness and yoga while standing on the Balance Board, which resembled a weighing scale, was already part of a “new lifestyle.”

Another unique experience provided by the Wii was the presence of the avatar creation feature, “Mii.” This feature, which allowed for detailed customization from the face's outline to hair and expressions, went beyond the scope of a mere avatar and drew the players themselves into the game world. A culture of sharing Mii characters that closely resembled celebrities and characters online was born, and many people must have felt as if they were actively participating on the television screen. In particular, the footage of Mii characters marching in an orderly fashion in the “Mii Parade” remains in memory as a unique sight symbolizing the Wii's worldview itself.

A key characteristic of the Wii is that it was a console that reached not only “gamers” but also “non-gamers.” The sight of families gathering in the living room, laughing while enjoying table tennis, parents and children trying fitness challenges together, and even grandparents attempting brain training had become completely commonplace—that was the “family scene” the Wii created. This atmosphere could not be replicated by any other game console, and it speaks to the depth of the Wii’s influence on the era.