[Red Moon]

CHINESE COPIES TAKE THE WII

GAMERS desperate for Nintendo Wii consoles have been offered a cut-price alternative – the “Chintendo” Vii.

The new console comes in the same white casing as Nintendo’s hit machine and also has a strikingly similar motion-sensor “Vii” remote.

The Vii comes with the Olympic-themed “Vii Sports” game preloaded as well as 11 other titles including bowling and a fishing game.

And costing just £65 from a Chinese online retailer, the machine sells at £135 less than the cheapest Wii package.

But not everyone is so excited about the “new” games console marketed by Chinese firm LetVgo and dubbed “Chintendo”.

Reviewers say the graphics fall well short of those of the original console and complain that the machine doesn’t have a DVD drive.

One Asian technology website even dismantled the machine to see what was inside.

The site claimed that while the Nintendo console is crammed with sophisticated electronics, the Vii box is largely empty save for one small circuit board.

Last week, Nintendo revealed it was considering pulling its UK TV adverts for the Wii in the run-up to Christmas because it is battling to meet demand.

But in China, a TV ad for the Vii is getting airtime.

It features Singapore athletics star James Wong, who touts the console as a good way to exercise.

Wong, an ex-national discus thrower, says: “Getting children into the habit of exercising regularly is the best thing parents can do for them.”

Lax copyright laws mean China has become famous for cloned technology products as well as DVD and CD piracy. Other game consoles released in China in recent years include the Polystation and the Polystation 2.

The Trading Standards Institute last night warned Brits against buying goods like the Vii over the internet.

“We are seeing a lot more unsafe counterfeit goods on sale. They look like the real thing but often under-perform,” said a spokesman.

A spokesman for Nintendo said the company had “absolutely nothing to do” with the Vii.

Source: Daily Star