I finally caved…I caved and bought a Wii.  Perhaps it was because I have not had a gaming system since the Nintendo 64, perhaps it was due to the overwhelming press circulating the rarity of finding one, or perhaps it was simply due to the fact that I have a housemate with a giant television, which is perfect for the Wii's motion sensing controls.  Regardless of the reason, I soon found that one of Wii's main selling points was a boldface lie.

The lie comes in the form of the price.  Now, I am not referencing the dishonorable price gouging performed by 3^rd-party retailers, because I found my Wii at a Blockbuster for the stated retail of $249.99.  No, I am talking about the price of the many peripherals and accessories that I must purchase to fully enjoy my Wii.  When all is said and done (i.e. purchased and banked), I will have spent well over the retail price of a PS3.  Wasn't the reason that I was purchasing the Wii because I am not an avid gamer, and I wanted something simple, cheap, and fun?

To curb my Wii-related spending, I composed a list of the exact things I need to get the most out of my Wii, without any extras.

• The Wii itself – a pretty obvious choice, comes with one of the remote controllers as well as one of the nunchuck controllers – $250
• 3 Additional Wii Remotes – because I'm unfortunate enough to have friends – $120
• 3 Additional Nunchucks – because I'm unfortunate enough to have friends that want to play boxing – $60
• At least one Classic Controller – for playing any downloaded SuperNES or Nintendo 64 games – $20
• Charging Station – the controllers are nefarious for eating through batteries like a dieter at a buffet, so rechargeable batteries are necessary – $30
• 3 Games – Three games should offer enough variety, and you can easily find them used at this point; also, the download system for the Wii offers some great retrogames at cheap prices – approx. $100

So there you have it: almost $600 for every neccessity for a 4-player experience.  There are plenty of bells and whistles for the Wii that you absolutely do NOT need to enjoy your gaming experience, and these can really rack up the price.

• Wii Zapper – it's plagued by a 2-handed design that is sure to frustrate – $20 each
• Wii Classic Controller Grip – honestly, it's just a hunk of plastic made to resemble the Nintendo 64 controller of old – $5 each
• Wii Wheel – It's so much easier to play with the regular controller – $10 each
• Wii Fit Yoga Mat – it's just a neon green yoga mat…Really, Nintendo, really? – $30 each
• Pretty much everything else that has come out since the initial controllers

I am still quite satisfied with my choice in console as most of The Bivings Group predictions about the PS3 came true, but I wish more effort went into making quality games and downloadable content as opposed to additional hunks of plastic gilded as "accessories".