IBM has said that it had reached a significant milestone as the microprocessor supplier for Nintendo by completing the shipment of 50 million processors for the Wii game system, which has tremendous worldwide sales momentum.

“We are proud to have achieved this important milestone in supplying the microprocessor for Nintendo's Wii system, which has brought millions of new consumers to the gaming experience. IBM has a long, successful relationship with Nintendo combining silicon technology with game system creativity to deliver winning products,” said Brian Connors, vice president of games and power platforms for IBM Microelectronics.

The Broadway chip is based on IBM's Power Architecture and features IBM's silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. IBM's Power Architecture is a semiconductor design platform that offers clients scalability and design customization, while SOI can offer improvements in both chip performance and reduced power consumption, providing energy savings advantages. Microprocessors based on IBM's Power Architecture and SOI technology span applications including, gaming, consumer electronics, networking, computer storage and servers.

IBM first began supplying the processors for Nintendo's Wii in 2006, as part of a multi-year, custom microprocessor design and production agreement. The chips are manufactured at IBM's advanced chip fabrication facility in East Fishkill, N.Y. IBM partnered with Nintendo to develop and manufacture in volume a custom-designed, high-performance microprocessor to support Nintendo's goals of participatory game play and a compact, energy efficient console.

"We value IBM's ongoing technology contributions and commitment to Nintendo. IBM's Power Architecture provided a flexible platform for developing a custom processor to enable the Wii console's unique design, and IBM has been a valued partner for the processors in support of the growing demand for the Wii,” said Genyo Takeda, general manager of integrated research and development at Nintendo.

Tags: IBM, Nintendo, Wii