Nintendo will launch its Wii home video game console in the U.S on 19 November, followed by other countries.

The gaming console will be sold as an affordable, mass-consumer product, and the price tag will start at US$249.99. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk controller and a collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc.

Every Wii console includes a series of on-screen "channels" that make up the Wii Channel Menu. The Wii Channel Menu is the starting point for all of the console's functions. The "channels" offer a gateway to a variety of entertainment options.

When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface, letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games. Additional functions allow users to redeem Wii Points and download classic games to Wii's Virtual Console.

Wii comes with a unique control system, whose position can be detected in a 3-D space. The new controller allows users to pinpoint targets in games or move through the Wii Channel Menu. With this one small controller, Wii makes games both easier and more intense than anything previously experienced. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game, players swing the Wii Remote like a racket to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.

Additional information about the list of Virtual Console games and the pricing structure will be revealed in the coming weeks.