Wii Want High-Def (How About You?)
Wouldn't it be nice if you could play Zelda: Twilight Princess in glorious 720 or 1080p instead of a blurry, jaggy 480? How about Metroid Prime 3? Super Mario Galaxy? Kitty Luv?
Okay, skip Kitty Luv. Or don't and mark your calendar. (Who names these things?) In any case, no one can really deny the fact that the Wii looks best when you're poised a half dozen feet away and paying as little attention to the visual trimmings as possible. Unless you're squinting or half-blind, close inspection of any Wii game reveals a lot of blah compared to the crisp organic fantasy-scapes in a game like Overlord (Xbox 360) or what I've seen so far of Factor 5's eye-boggling Lair (Playstation 3).
So how about a high-res version of the Wii?
I tease because I love, but seriously: Always provocative Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggests Wii-to-the-power-of-2 could in fact be zipping our way as early as 2009.
"Consumers may hope for improved graphics, and my guess is that Nintendo will comply," said Pachter in an email to GamePro.
"In two or three years, commodity prices for graphics processors and CPUs may decline to the point that a High Definition Wii could be introduced. If so, Nintendo will likely introduce one," he added.
Fans though we are, GamePro's not wrong to finger the contention dogging Nintendo's wunder-console that consumers will flock to better looking A-list games when the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 finally spit out more than an annual handful. What's more, the worldwide market for HDTV is expected to grow to nearly 148 million households over the next four years, spurred by demand for flat-screen TVs, sports-driven content, higher availability of HD content, and more competitive pricing for HD services. Consumers are going to want something that shows off their newest $1000-plus toy.
My own caveats about the value of an Xbox 360 or PS3 in terms of total ownership expenses only hold up so long, as each of us gradually pieces together Dolby 5.1 systems with high grade digital receivers, studio-quality speakers, and finger-thin organic light-emitting diode screen living room centerpieces. A high-definition Wii might make perfect sense in two years, when the HD market's not as dodgy and dithering between Blu-ray and HD DVD standards.
Imagine: A backward compatible Wii2 that enhances older Wii games (just as compatible Xbox games look twice as sharp on the Xbox 360), plays some form of high-def media, and can compete tolerably well CPU/GPU-wise with the Xbox 360 and PS3. I sometimes wonder if Nintendo, with its habit of introducing new Gameboy iterations every couple years, might not have the better philosophy by in essence giving us more of less.
Could it be another manifestation of the so-called "long tail" effect?
PC World's Marketplace
PC World's Free Whitepapers
tech news tech blogs community & forums laptop prices software reviews downloads
"Wouldn't it be nice if you could play Zelda: Twilight Princess in glorious 720 or 1080p instead of a blurry, jaggy 480..." Truly who cares? What gamers really want is quality gaming... Yes great graphics are a bonus but if the game play is awful and it uses the same graphics engine as every other game out there. Then is that something that gamers are really going to spend there money on? Gen X gamers grew up on good games with 8bit graphics. Yes we have came a long way with hardware in console machines but we have taken way to many steps back in game play and content for the sake of better graphics. This article should have mentioned the lack of quality games on the market, this article should have said who cares how many versions come out what makes the Wii such a success is the game play. The writer should have pointed out how bad PS3 and Xbox 360 are doing despite their robust graphics engine. Once again some novice tries to speak up for those of us who actually like games.
I think what he means is that the wii already kicks ass in games, why not kick ass in graphics too? That way the ps3 and xbox360 will be beaten on both fronts.
Exactly right nmanguy. I love the Wii, and I'd love it even more in true HD (and... I totally didn't intend that to rhyme).
The Nintendo project is called evolution and it does not stop there!
He points at the PS3 and Xbox graphics in comparison, my intention was solely pointing out how much better the Wii is then both of those systems. The reason the Wii is so affordable is because of their lack of graphics, which was Nintendo?s intent. To provide an awesome game experience without sinking money into an avenue that would not pay off as much as game would. The market shows their move was the right one. The others are forced to cut their prices to keep up, mean while the Wii is still selling strong. I think this article should have praised Nintendo for their brilliant move towards better game play, an less focus on the standard norm... which is lets inundate the consumer with razzle dazzle but actually give them nothing. Well we do and we should... I would much rather the Wii stays just like it is and they continue to create better games. I don?t care about HD I don?t care about Blue-Ray, I want game play. Until we all speak in unison it will never happen.
Nintendo is weird, don't get me wrong I've love Nintendo ever since the golden years, however it seems to me that they are making games for the general audience. Nintendo should join the "cool kids" every once in a while, and make higher-end iterations of the Wii Console to satisfy the the other market Nintendo constantly ignores, THE GAMERS! Most third-party developers who look at the Wii, can't truly develop quality next-gen games, because it simply lacks the power and capabilities as its other two rivals. I have a Wii, and I think it is great for parties and stuff, but pretty much the only games I am exited for are, "Super Smash Bros.: Brawl", "Metroid Prime 3", and maybe "Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles". Nintendo should truly consider "Upping the Ante" on there console, although it will be difficult, with practically every Wii selling out as soon as they hit shelves, it is an attribute I believe Nintendo will need if it expects to dominate the gaming market, like in years past
I don?t think Nintendo has to try to hard to get a bigger portion of the market. With Nintendo?s push towards gaming innovation and Sony and MS pushing towards hardware innovation. Nintendo will win by default many consoles have pushed towards being a complete home system. All have failed ask yourself what is the definition of insanity ?trying the same thing over an over, expecting different results". All Nintendo needs to do is keep pushing the envelope on game play with every competitor focused on GPU they will do just fine. True enough I would like to see more single player games (with great game play of course). I think what Nintendo notices is that gamers are tired of being feed the same ole rubbish Sony and MS has yet to figure it out. They think we want more Ads in our games... um wrong. Thanks to the economy and the state that gaming is in gamers are becoming more aware of the amount of trash on the local retailers shelves.