Alternate history: Nintendo makes the Wii a generation earlier

[SvennoJ]

If the Wii released in 2001 it would have been at least on par in price with PS2, not $100 cheaper.
You would still need a separate controller for those 3rd party games adding cost to the Wii. (But yeah maybe $249/$299 with dual analog controller)

It would not have BC with N64, just like the GC, while PS2 played all PS1 games. Sony had all the momentum coming off the PS1 (101 million vs 32 million N64)

3rd party publishers weren't happy with Nintendo coming off the N64, it would take time for the Wii to gain momentum and get that 3rd party support, still hampering initial sales while PS2 would still get an early lead and start with a big momentum, especially if PS2 still launched a year earlier than a 2001 Wii.



Wii would still face an uphill battle in 2001, while in 2006 the PS3 was deeply unpopular and double the price of the Wii for the 'cheap' model.

N64 hurt GC as much as the kiddie stigma, the Wii in 2001 would have faced the same issues. Wii in 2006 had full BC with GC adding momentum from the start just like Switch benefited from WiiU's library out of the gates.


For the Wii to be a runaway success in 2001, the N64 era would have had to be very different as well.

PS2 launch line-up was pretty strong
https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/10/28/the-ps2-launch-titles

GC was
https://gamerant.com/gamecube-launch-title-retrospective-luigis-mansion-super-monkey-ball/

So yeah, Twilight Princess would have to have been ready for 2001 as well as well as many other launch titles.


The Wii's success is very much a product of its time. Bigger TVs making the Wii pointer more manageable and more fun to play from further away, gamers more matured and more ready to play video games with their parents and grand parents, and of course the price difference with arrogant Sony focusing on Blu-Ray rather than games at the time.

The Wii in 2001 would definitely have done better than the GC, but PS2 would still be far ahead.