Wii U can't play DVDs or Blu-rays

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

For someone who doesn't really care about Nintendo, someone can't seem to stop talking about it.

:whistle:

I think Nintendo has the right idea. It's like Nintendo is getting back to basics. It's not a jack-of-all-trades, it just plays games. Fine by me.

Getting back to basics? :blink: The Wii was about the most basic you could get. How more basic do you want, a joystick that plugs into a TV and just plays pong? If anything they're trying to go forward, trying to tell us they'll have an online network similar to PSN/XBL, going HD, telling us they're seeking out 3rd party exclusives, etc. They aren't going back they're trying to go forward and trying to play catch up in areas they're hands down beaten :whistle:

They're telling us they care about the hardcore and that Wii U online can compete with rivals, and you wonder why the hardcore are commenting? If they had no interest in this hardcore market and said they didn't give a **** and just wanted to release a Wii HD for mum, dad and the kids, we wouldn't care, but they're trying to appeal and they're getting feedback on their efforts.

You can't say you're actively seeking share from a market then run away saying "shutup" if that market isn't giving you complete praise for your efforts.

Nintendo made an effort to bring Netflix to the Wii, that alone tells you they are simply not just "in this for the games" like so many of you try to claim. They seen what MS and Sony were doing with media functionality, the importance of an all in one box, and tried to get in on the pie. They want to be the console of your living room, each of the big 3 do, it's the only way to flourish in such a competitive market.

They're saving money for themselves. That's it. There is no major point to this other than that. Yes, Nintendo wants the WiiU to be THE piece of hardware for your room. That way, you're not using and buying up stuff from competitors. But, they like money better and they know their fanbase will, as you can see, justify whatever the eff they do so why bother? Why be a good student when you get the same grade and do the minimum requirements?

We got people here complaining that the WiiU is getting bombarded lately. Well why? Because we haven't heard a single good piece of news about the hardware. It's like when republicans bitched about Bush getting reamed left and right. Well, duh, he made bad decision after bad decision. It's not bias, it's just that there's little news about this system that's good for the consumer. And I ask the same question to apologists that I asked about my former president, why are you defending this? Why are you not interested in your own self interest and the interests of consumers like you?

Example:

Read this and please make sense of it for me -

good.

there's a video store i go to that specifically asks you not to put their dvds inside xbox 360s or playstation 3s, as--at least according to them--they have a history of ****ing them up.

i am completely fine with my game machine playing games. i would not expect my dvd player to play mario galaxy.

Who wrote this, Reggie? Even he would never say something like this because it's too transparent.

Can't be said much better.

[sc302 Veteran]

Really? Don't own a 360, just curious. Can't just tap into whatever network you have in the house and hit whatever through that?

Not exactly...xbox360 connects to the microsoft xbox live service directly (once connected through an internet connection), then if you want to access netflix you have to pay microsoft to allow access to netflix.

http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevicesDetails?pdid=5

"To watch instantly on your Xbox, you need the following:

A high speed Internet connection

An Xbox Gold LIVE membership

A Netflix unlimited plan

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/netflix/?cid=NetflixRef

Setup Overview

1. Upgrade to Xbox LIVE Gold.

Have an Xbox 360 and a broadband Internet connection? Get ready for a whole new world of games, entertainment,and fun?upgrade to Xbox LIVE Gold.

2. Become A Netflix Member.

Become a Netflix Member and rent as many DVDs as you want, or instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your Xbox 360 console for one low price. Imagine -- no late fees or due dates ever again.

3. Retrieve Your Activation Code.

Once you have subscribed to Xbox LIVE Gold, download the Netflix application on your Xbox 360 console and retrieve your activation code.

4. Enter Your Activation Code.

Go to Netflix.com/activate and get started. Simply enter your code to access thousands of movies, documentaries and TV shows.

----------------------------------------------

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Live-Month-Gold-Bonus/dp/B000B9RI00

Only 55 additional dollars per year to go gold on top of whatever I pay for netflix and my internet connection. FU microsoft.

[madd-hatter]

For someone who doesn't really care about Nintendo, someone can't seem to stop talking about it.

:whistle:

I think Nintendo has the right idea. It's like Nintendo is getting back to basics. It's not a jack-of-all-trades, it just plays games. Fine by me.

Win.

[green_link]

Netflix is US only

wrong, we have netflix in canada

[dead.cell]

I don't like Nintendo these days either, but I'm certainly not going to run around and try to make every small thing the "next big issue". :rolleyes:

Seriously, this bit of news doesn't surprise me in the least, especially if Nintendo is going to be using their own custom disc format (as far as I know anyway, please correct me if I'm wrong).

And even with the Playstation 3, the ability to play Bluray movies is something that just makes me say, "Oh, neat." And that's about the end of it. I don't go looking to see if there's a port in the back I can stick my dick into just to show my crazed affection for a piece of hardware...

[compl3x]

Aren't Nintendo making their own proprietary discs and drives? I would imagine creating a whole new tech when blu-ray already exists would add to the price of building the system ( but I don't really know anything about the economics of building a gaming console).

I think this issue is more about expectations, and consumers expect any new hardware to be atleast able to play DVDs. It's not so much about already owning devices that can do those things, it's that those functions are so basic to not have them seems silly.

[neoadorable]

this isn't perfect, they should offer at least DVD, but then Nintendo specifically wants to keep this a gaming console and not go the multimedia route Sony and MS seem to prefer. i don't think this is going to be a big problem. even if the Wii U only gets 60% of the Wii install base to upgrade in the first three years, that's already a huge coup.

[c3ntury]

Considering the original Wiis DVD functionality could be enabled when the console was softmodded, I suspect they've just disabled it here, but why I have no idea.

[remixedcat]

my wii is collecting dust and my "media device" is a HTPC and I can use any of the streaming sites.

[Crisp]

Will you be able to play media via file? Such as a USB stick, or NAS.

[Rudy]

I really don't see why they should pay licensing fees for me to have yet another device that can play dvds and blu-rays......which I NEVER use :/

[etempest]

Kinda surprised at not playing dvd's however, it's not a deal breaker for me.

I actually wasn't expecting Nintendo to embrace blu-ray, so had no expectation of it either.

[TheLegendOfMart]

They dont pay it, they pass the cost down to you by pricing the console higher.

[PNWDweller]

I have at least 3 DVD capable devices I can plug into my TV if I wanted to watch a DVD, so we don't really see a need for DVD capability on the Wii which I must admit, I did look for when I softmodded mine (By the way, Softmods don't work anymore on the newer Wii's from 2009 and newer). We don't really play DVD's unless it is for our daughter which likes her shows. For our Movies, we tend to do Netflix on the Wii anyway, which is a better option for us with the occasional Redbox rental for the new releases.

I think Nintendo's reasoning might be the fact that the consumer can pick up a DVD player quite cheaply (Less than $30 now), and Blue Ray's are starting to go down in price so they are going to be commonplace very soon. I was at our local Big Lots store last night and they had a Blue Ray player (Samsung I think) for $59. While I probably wouldn't buy that brand, it is a sign that costs are starting to drop to a more manageable price point.

I have a friend who bought a PS3 (original) for the Blue Ray capabilities and saw the opportunity to combine the equipment into one unit. Have the Games and Blue Ray and he is done. I can see the value of that coming into play, but again, by the next year or two, Blue Ray is going to be in most homes via the players.