Dynacom's Wi Vision: not a Wii, not a vision

The nerve of the Chinese-via-Brazil knock-off industry -- thieving the names of consoles and not even attempting to also steal the look, operation, logos, or games. Enter the Wi Vision, a "game console" meant to evoke thoughts of Nintendo's money-maker by name, though it evokes something decidedly crappier in appearance... like a melting Genesis standing on its side. What about specs, you ask? How does a 240 x 240 resolution, 64 color capacity, NES compatibility, and included 106-game cartridge sound to you? Pretty good right? Oh, don't forget about the wireless controllers and complete lack of fun. Available now (in Brazil) for 269 BR (or around $150).

[eightbt @ Jan 18th 2008 8:32AM]

Actually...I don't think it looks bad at all.

The specs sound terrible though.

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 18th 2008 6:49PM]

Agree. I wouldn't mind if the XBOX 720 or PS4 looked like this

[ErikLindemann @ Jan 18th 2008 8:35AM]

150 bucks for that thing?

One expensive door stop.

[StrangeBum @ Jan 18th 2008 8:37AM]

106 built-in games, NES compatibility doesn't sound too shabby to me. Sure it's a cheap knock-off, and a bit on the pricey side, but just for shits and giggles and maybe vacations and things it wouldn't be so bad (because I'm not the type of guy to pack my Wii on a vacation, my DS will come though).

[michas_pi @ Jan 18th 2008 9:34AM]

One hundred of those games are just re-skins of the first six.

Sounds like hella fun.

[sm @ Jan 18th 2008 9:56AM]

@michas_pi

You're damn right they are. I bought a cartrigde that includes 100 games for my gameboy color and inside it only had super mario and spider-man and they were like really short only 2 stages

[Andre @ Jan 18th 2008 9:03AM]

Overpriced Butt ugly machine.

Cool avatar StrangeBum, Ghost in the shell laughing man series is simply brilliant!

[docarantes @ Jan 18th 2008 9:14AM]

In Brazil? WHY?!!! WHY??!!! WHY??!!! Damn it... I live in Brazil and I think these things may be selling on the favelas or something like that... not on stores where we buy the real WII, PS3 or the 360... I would not use something like that even as a doorstop.

[illusion @ Jan 18th 2008 9:28AM]

Wi-vision... re--vision.... revision.... GET IT!

[Oinquer @ Jan 18th 2008 9:28AM]

bahh Nintendo DS costs 150€ in my country..that thing costs about 100€??? what would i buy....what would i buyyyy....seriously...

[Gel214th @ Jan 18th 2008 9:30AM]

Now, how many people in Brazil can afford a Wii, or any other sort of console? Not many, certainly not many of the masses. Shipping and Duty would be horrendous, just to start. So some company steps in and provides a machine that these kids can play.

Yeah its a knock off, and probably breaks 100 copyrights. But does Nintendo have a strong presence in Brazil in the first place?
Do the people who buy this have the ability to purchase a Wii?
And if so will they instead choose to purchase this knockoff?
No.
So what's Nintendo's loss in this?

Another way to think about it is a game console version of the OLPC.

[Ricardo @ Jan 18th 2008 9:42AM]

Many people can buy consoles here in Brazil easily.

I have a Wii and a PSP. My Wii costed US$ 550. It's expensive, but we have no choice. I personally know at least a dozen people who own current generation consoles.

The real problem here are the extremely high taxes. If it weren't for that this would be one of the richest countries in the world.

Oh, by the way, Nintendo has a factory in Brazil, so they must care about copyright. And this brand has made NES console for several years now, and they probably have always paid Nintendo to be able to do this.

Anyway, this is clearly targeted at poor people who could afford a real console if they weren't so stupid to buy the first thing they see in front of them. With $150 you can easily buy a PS1 here. It's old, but not as old as a NES.

[Matt @ Jan 18th 2008 9:47AM]

Except an NES costs like, 15 bucks on ebay.

[andyo @ Jan 18th 2008 10:50AM]

In Peru, you could buy a new chipped PS2 for about $400 when they were $300 un-chipped here in the US (that's what I did, and it's still running well). I'm pretty sure over there you can buy a Wii or a 360 for not much more than retail price here in the US now. You just need to stay away from actual retail stores. Brazil should have places like that too, at least in the big cities.

[Dudu P @ Jan 18th 2008 12:13PM]

@ Ricardo

Yes, I do own a PSP and I've had a Wii, too (had to sell it because I spending too much time on it). But we're inside the 10% of the population whose *familiar* income is above 1,000 USD, don't forget it.

Brazil is a land of ridiculous high contrasts. It's kinda like if you put a city like NYC inside Serra Leoa.

[Brassen @ Jan 18th 2008 7:30PM]

@ Ricardo

Sorry, but opposed to you, i don't know anybody who has a Xbox, PSP, PS3, Wii...
We could take this discussion for several hours, but this is not the point. Obviously you are part of a minority. Please educate yourself with some updated economic statistics about our country.

One more thing, your statement "The real problem here are the extremely high taxes. If it weren't for that this would be one of the richest countries in the world." is wrong. If our duties were lower (and I agree this must be done) our imports would go up. However our government hasn't made any investment in logistics infrastructure for several years.
Our ports are extremely inefficient and expensive, our roads are nearly destroyed due years of over weight trucks traveling with no inspection and no maintenance, our airports are also inefficient (Forbes magazine just wrote an article about this issue this week). And I am not even going to elaborate on the ridiculous bureaucracy for customs clearance...

cheers!

[Ethan @ Jan 18th 2008 10:05AM]

Woah, I never knew my old modem was actually a games console.

[Magallanes @ Jan 18th 2008 12:07PM]

is it that a xbox360 clone? (at least red ring is included).

[Leandro @ Jan 18th 2008 12:24PM]

It is not right to say that because we are poor, we have to get this kind of crap. In Brazil, Dynacom made lots of video-games like these. There are NEW master system's clones, genesis' clones and lots of NES' clones.

And they are very expensive. Matt is right - it is too expensive.

About new video-game consoles, Nintendo don't care for us, not even Sony. The only 100% LEGAL video-game here is XBOX. I can say that 99% of the video-game consoles came from Paraguay or else by someone that travelled around the world to buy it.

[HeartBurnKid @ Jan 18th 2008 3:19PM]

Actually, it looks pretty cool, in that PC case-modder kind of way... but that doesn't change the fact that it's a $150 Famiclone.

The Yobo FC Twin goes for $50, and it does NES and SNES. Do the math.

[chinabasher @ Jan 18th 2008 4:06PM]

How is this product related with China? It's amazing that engadget uses every chance or non-chance to vent its hatred toward China.

[Ed @ Jan 18th 2008 10:56PM]

"How does a 240 x 240 resolution, 64 color capacity, NES compatibility"

I'm speechless.

[RAFAMP @ Jan 19th 2008 8:54AM]

Welcome to Brazil!

We got a lot of these over here... Search for Polystation...

These are sold in big stores like Americanas, Magazine Luiza... Etc (it's like walmart over here)

[DarkLightConnection @ Jan 19th 2008 8:49PM]

Here on Mexico they sell the PowerStation ON WALMART!

It comes on the WalMart catalog they give you when you enter the store

They also sell the "Gameinis" (a variant of the infamous PC-Kid) on Fabricas de Francia, that's one of the absolute best stores of Mexico.. not everyone buys things at Fabricas de Francia... yet they have every crappy pirate brand you could dream off

I think the US is the only American country where BIG stores don't sell pirate things

[Juvelson @ Feb 14th 2008 5:51AM]

http://www2.dynacom.com.br/2006/mod2x.asp?sv=999952&lg=


a Wii here is R$1500 or about $750. A Wii game disc here is about R$130 or about $62.
PS3 80GB is R$2000 about 1000 dollars and a game disc 160BR about 80 dollars.
XBOX360 is just a bit expensive than the Wii here.

PS2 is just being popular nowadays here in Brazil. You can get one in Paraguay for 150-200 dollars chip included, if you buy the ones that include the importation taxes it goes up to 300-350 dollars and this without the CHIP that let's you play games of different regions. If you need to install the chip, add about 50 dollars more. And all this plus what Ricardo said that only about 10% of brazilian people earns more than 1000USD month.

To our standards this game is "cheap" for a brand new piece of shit. They're just playing with the name of Wii, so misinformed parents buy it. If it was illegal Nintendo would sue it and the Vii because I bet they already heard of it.

It's not like this is a real clone and I would appreciate very much if it was.