Nintendo have received the first shipment of microprocessors for Wii. Today Genyo Takeda, Nintendo's senior marketing director, issued a statment which read : "The first chips are in our possession. Today's milestone marks the final stage of our drive to reach both core and nontraditional gamers with an inviting, inclusive and remarkable gaming experience."

The Wii's CPU has been custom-made by IBM and is based on the PowerPC architecture that was seen in the Gamecube. The processor chip, codenamed 'Broadway' is a faster version of the Gamecube’s processor and IBM claim that it will reduce the amount of energy consumption by 20 percent. IBM have signed a a multi-year contract with Nintendo to produce the chips, in a deal that is rumoured to be worth as much as $1 billiion.

IBM are unsurprsingly chuffed to bits that their processer will feature on this year's hottest new console."When millions of gamers take the controls of Wii this holiday season, the IBM logo will once again be front and center on this innovative new product," said IBM director of technology, Ron Martino.