I haven’t played a video game in almost a decade. But as an interaction designer, the Wii can’t be ignored.

By now, you’ve heard the die-hard Wii lovers touting its innovative motion-sensoring controller and cutesy interface. Once you’ve held the controller in your hand and actually played a Wii game, it’s difficult to disagree with the fanboys. I’ve become one of them.

Unlike the Playstation 3 which emphasizes raw specs and features, the Wii focuses on joy and fun. Much like the Apple iPod, the Nintendo Wii is successful because its branding and interaction design resonates emotionally. In the end, the Xbox and PlayStation systems are just vacant piles of circuits and plastic.

Update (Jan 21): I didn’t get to Circuit City early enough, it sold out before it opened. :-(