ATI, Pixart Report Wii Chip Orders Growing

According to a new information compiled by IT news site DigiTimes, orders for chips manufactured by both ATI and PixArt Imaging, including those used by the forthcoming Wii console, have increased. Specifically, the report cited a Chinese-language Commercial Times report that indicated that ATI, which supplies the Wii's graphics chip, has seen a growth in contribution from its consumer electronics business to 20 percent, a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Additionally, the report also noted that Pixart Imaging, manufacturer of the remote sensor chipset for the Wii, expects that its orders may reach a million units in August. Nintendo has stated as recently as last week that it will not announce the Wii's official release date until September. However, this latest news would seem to add weight to previous reports that Nintendo could conceivably ship the Wii as early as October, and that, as expected, the console has a considerable manufacturing lead on Sony. The PlayStation 3 is expected to ship worldwide in mid-November. In other chip-related news, the report also noted that according to the Commercial Times, Xbox 360 chip manufacturer Silicon Integrated Systems has experienced an increase in orders as well since July, which could mean that Microsoft is not only making strides to meet customer demand for the Xbox 360, but is also making an added effort to increase the console's installed base, in preparation for the launch of both Sony and Nintendo's next-generation platforms later in 2006.