Wii Graphics clearup

[jackwanders]

The problem with HD is you Americans absolutley SWEAR HD is the norm in the rest of the world, or will be in coming years. I live in the Dominican Republic, a third world country with a lot of poverty. I am probably in the upper 1% of the social spectrum though, and so are all of my friends. But out of all the people I know..only 4 or so have HDTVs (myself included). That's not so many, you know? And whenever I go traveling, I notice most HDTVs are in the stores hehe and not in people's homes. Just because the US is so close to being 100% HD doesn't mean the rest of the world is catching on..Nintendo is appealing to a wider fanbase.

Quoted for veracity.

I feel like a broken record player here. According to a lot of Neowinians, you'd think the entire world will soon consist of 17 year olds with 42" HDTVs that need to play "hardcore" games and wouldn't be caught dead with a game that might make them seem anything less than "mature".

HDTV adoption is not going to go nearly as quickly as some people seem to think it will. Sure, all TV signals will be digital by 2009, and the amount of HD programming is sure to climb. But that doesn't mean that in 2009 everyone will have an HD set or even a digital TV. You're going to see a lot of people keeping their SD sets and getting converter boxes to convert the digital signals to analog.

Let's look at the introduction of color TV. In 1950, the first color TV hit the market. In 1967, most broadcasts were in color. In 1972, half of all US televisions were color sets. Half. It took 22 years for 50% of households to adopt color television sets. That's 5 years after most broadcasts were in color. Even though new technologies are coming out faster than they did in the 60's, I don't think people are adopting them at a faster rate. Even allowing for some increase in the adoption rate, we're looking at around 2010 before even half of Americans have an HDTV. And that's pushing it, because B&W to color was a huge change. SD to HD is arguably a less major transition. Videophiles will of course say it's massive, but regular joes may not even know what HD is yet. And look at broadband internet access. If I asked all the "HDTV will be the norm in 2-3 years" people what percentage of Americans (not even getting into the rest of the world) had broadband internet, I'd put good money on the bet that nearly all of their guesses would be high. There's still a good portion of the country that doesn't even have access to cable or DSL and still must use dial-up.

Anyway, back on topic. If Nintendo created the Wii as an HD console, the price would probably be around $400. At $400, a few things happen. First, they enter direct competition with Microsoft. When someone goes to buy a new console, they now have the option of getting a Wii or a 360. They're the same price. That will result in a loss of customers. Also, you'll have people that wouldn't pay $400 for any console. Another loss of customers.

At a possible price point of $199 (source), Nintendo now taps into an entirely new market. The Wii becomes almost an impulse buy. And now, they're no longer in competition with Microsoft. If someone has $200 to spend on a console, the 360 no longer enters into the equation at twice the price.

And finally, and I've said this a number of times now, people will not shy away from the Wii due to graphics alone. If someone wants to play any Nintendo exclusive, they'll be just as happy playing it at 480p as they would at 720p. And at $200, many may pick up the console if only for a single game (like Twilight Princess or SSBB). If someone isn't interested in Nintendo exclusives and wants HD, they'd get a 360 or a PS3. But even if the Wii had HD, they'd probably get a 360 or a PS3 anyway for other reasons (HDD support, more extensive online play, etc). For the Wii to compete on that level, they'd have to add even more hardware and pump up the price even more.

Edited May 17, 2006 by Jack31081

[JiveMasterT]

Personally, the lack of HD support is fine with me. My consoles go in my room and I have a 24" CRT in there that I use to play games on. I don't plan on getting an HD TV in the next 5 years unless I am forced to.

Think about it though - most consoles are used in kid's rooms where there is an average or hand me down TV. Most of the market does not have HD TVs and don't plan on getting on unless they need to.

Also, the point about the Dominican Republic is moot... I reasonably doubt that Nintendo is thinking "hey, let's make our console for a 3rd world country that is covered in poverty. Yeah those people will definitely get a Wii instead of dinner for the next 6-8 weeks."

[Union Jack]

Wii will rock you, game over

[Riz360]

Nope, the US is really the only place where HD is making any real headway.

As for broadband, the UK was basically the only other industrialized nation that could compete with the US on the pure crappyness of broadband service. But I think the UK is improving faster now.

I'm a student that works part time in the Audio + TV dept at John Lewis, and last week we were informed that in the UK 1 HDTV is being sold every 15 seconds. Which does'nt surprise me considering how many we sell.

The HD Set top boxes are another matter entirely, the box costs ?299-?399 + ?10, so demand is'nt very high for the boxes yet.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I'm a student that works part time in the Audio + TV dept at John Lewis, and last week we were informed that in the UK 1 HDTV is being sold every 15 seconds. Which does'nt surprise me considering how many we sell.

The HD Set top boxes are another matter entirely, the box costs ?299-?399 + ?10, so demand is'nt very high for the boxes yet.

And at that rate, it will take 28 years before every person in England has a HDTV set, that's still 14 years until half the population has a HDTV (maths are based on 1 set every 15 seconds, or 5,760 sets a day, population at 60,441,457 according to the CIA)

while HDTV is cool, it still costs a bundle over here, and a lot of SDTV (e.g. the max res of the screen is 480p) sets are marked as "HD Compatible".

And all of our sets are 4:3 SDTV, next one will most likely be another SDTV, but 16:9, or spend a bit (e.g. a couple of grand) and get a 720p one.

Edited May 17, 2006 by The_Decryptor

[Edge00]

I work at a major electronics store in the U.S. And to be honest I wish that HD was catching on faster than it is. I don't see people replacing working SDTV's with HDTV's just because of a change in resolution and aspect ratio. Rather, people buying HDTV's are buying them because their old tv stopped working or because this is their first tv (Younger crowd). I would say that for every HDTV I sell, I still sell 2 SDTV's. The price is the biggest inhibitor. To step into an HDTV is going to run you in most cases no less than $1000, but on average probably more like $2000 for a nice tv. This is because most hdtv's are newer technology (plasma, lcd, lcd projection, DLP, LCoS). Most people just are not interested in spending that much money on a tv, just for the sake of having the latest greatest, when they have a perfectly working tv at home. Yeah 2009 all broadcasts are supposed to be digital and hd, but I'd be surprised if half of the tv's in america are actually hd capable.

If Nintendo's Wii has games that support the widescreen format (even some GCN games do this) then it won't matter what the resolution is. Have you ever played a PS2 on a HD 46" tv? I have and it looked like crap, but my roomate (whose tv and ps2 it was) didn't care one bit. PS2 has been looking like crap for a long time, and yet it is still the most predominate console at least here in the states. Games, in the end, are what sell consoles, not tv's.

[undu]

And at that rate, it will take 28 years before every person in England has a HDTV set, that's still 14 years until half the population has a HDTV (maths are based on 1 set every 15 seconds, or 5,760 sets a day, population at 60,441,457 according to the CIA)

while HDTV is cool, it still costs a bundle over here, and a lot of SDTV (e.g. the max res of the screen is 480p)sets are marked as "HD Compatible".

And all of our sets are 4:3 SDTV, next one will most likely be another SDTV, but 16:9, or spend a bit (e.g. a couple of grand) and get a 720p one.

I DO think that there will be 1 or 2 TVs per home, not 1 per person, maybe you should redo the calculations...

I live in Spain, and nor any of my friends nor me have got a HDTV, still i don't know at what rate they are being sold here, but I suspect it's not very high.

I don't really care that much about "crisp n' clear" graphics as long as the game is fun to play, I guess I'm used to play old games, anyway :p

[LaNcom]

I'm a student that works part time in the Audio + TV dept at John Lewis, and last week we were informed that in the UK 1 HDTV is being sold every 15 seconds. Which does'nt surprise me considering how many we sell.

The HD Set top boxes are another matter entirely, the box costs ?299-?399 + ?10, so demand is'nt very high for the boxes yet.

It's very similar in Germany (Fifa worldcup gets aired in HDTV and free to air, the best possible marketing). But I still consider Nintendo's choice absolutely correct. Most guys watch DVDs on their HDTV sets and are very happy with the image quality, it's all they need, and Wii has the same resolution at a higher framerate. Image quality is better than DVD or DVB, and I think that's really enough for this generation.:) :)

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I DO think that there will be 1 or 2 TVs per home, not 1 per person, maybe you should redo the calculations...

...

Well, if you cant tell me how many sets per house people will buy, i'll try it. ;)

I know my calculation was very general, but it shows that the transition to all HDTV wont happen over night, or even for the next few years.

[mikebeech]

I don't mind if the Wii doesn't have amazing graphics, it's going to be a heck of a lot different playing style then anything i have ever been on so it should be fun. If i want to admire HD goodness i shall play my 360. :)

[Wolvereen]

BTW, I don't think I have read yet if the Wii will offer Progressive Scan (480p)?

And at that rate, it will take 28 years before every person in England has a HDTV set, that's still 14 years until half the population has a HDTV (maths are based on 1 set every 15 seconds, or 5,760 sets a day, population at 60,441,457 according to the CIA)

Also, there's a flaw in the post above. Technology never advances in a linear fashion, it always increases logrithmacly. THat is, as time advances, the number of people buying new tech will increase with greater and greater number....

[Edge00]

Yes it will offer 480p.

[SnowRanger13]

Umm just because Xbox360 and PS3 are focusing on HD dosen't mean it won't play on a SD TV it dosen't mean Wii is trying to be more world supportive. I mean yeah but not having HD it makes the console cheaper and more affordable for people to buy and that probaly has a big out come on the worldwide sales. But its a feature on X360 and PS3 that makes games look a lot better then last gen and they want people that have HDTVs it to be able to use it for all games. Yes lots of people dont have HDTVs yet but thats the way the market is going and few years down the road HDTVs will be able to be bought fairly cheap so it will become more afordable for people.

I think the Wii is very inovated and should be a lot of fun but it's graphics arn't going to compare to the other systems.

I think all three game systems are going to do well I don't go out and bash and try and put other systems down. I will be buying a PS3 at release because personaly its what I want the most. You know why I want PS3? More games that I like and have been playing the past few years are going to be on the PS3. Probaly mostly Final Fantasyt (huge FF fan). I probaly will eventually buy a Wii to because it is definitly creative and will be lots of fun.

I'm looking forward to see what all X360, PS3, and Wii have to offer.

[diamonds]

Im not big on console games anymore, but I wont buy an xbox360 nor will I buy a ps3. But the Wii, however, I will buy. Im a hardcore nintendo fan from the 8bit days, and can still remember the first time i played Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. If what I read somewhere about all the previous nintendo games being able to be downloaded and played on the Wii were correct, then im sold. I LOVE playing Excite bike and rc pro am on my pc, and will love it even more back on a console and a tv. Thats the selling point that got me.

[jackwanders]

BTW, I don't think I have read yet if the Wii will offer Progressive Scan (480p)?

Also, there's a flaw in the post above. Technology never advances in a linear fashion, it always increases logrithmacly. THat is, as time advances, the number of people buying new tech will increase with greater and greater number....

As I mentioned in my post, just because technology itself advances at a faster rate doesn't necessarily mean that people adopt it at a faster rate.

when this nation went from radio to b&w tv to color tv, everyone had a radio, and then everyone had a b&w tv, and then everyone had a color tv. the gap between the technologies was large enough where people were able to buy the next technology when it came time to buy something new.

the same no longer applies. Just because technologies are coming out at a faster rate doesn't mean people are going through their current products at a faster rate. In fact, it means that people are skipping 'generations' of technology.

If the average TV lasts for 8 years, and new TV technologies are coming out ever 2, it means that the average consumer will jump from tech 1 to tech 4. it doesn't mean that they will suddenly be buying a new tv every 2 years.

does that make sense?

[Gfunk4life]

How many people play games on their PC at 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 anymore?

i use 800 x 600 but only because i use it for online games to see far(every thing is close up) but yea the higher the better. i dont know if the wii is better then the xbox, not xbox360.

and yet it is still the most predominate console at least here in the states. Games, in the end, are what sell consoles, not tv's

thats not true all the way, the PS2 was said to be very very powerful, able to controll a missle :whistle:

[Spartan_X]

A former MSGS guy working @ Nintendo told me they're no using HD as a marketing pitch for the Wii becuase they are all about the controller but that the ATI GPU on the Wii is on par or a bit above with the power of nVidia GPU on the original Xbox. So, this means the Wii will be capable of doing 480i/p and 720p on 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio but it will be up to the game developer to use any of those features because they will not force them to go the SD way. Nintendo will also support progresive scan in every first party game just as they do right now with the GameCube and they will also sell a set of component/optical audio cables for those who want to take the Wii to the next level.

So, no need to worry about the graphics on the Wii cuz Nintendo will reveal more stuff about this topic near the system launch. :happy: :yes:

[Chanser]

Not long to go I guess. :)

[Shadrack]

If the Wii maximum resolution is 640x480 you can count me out! That is a pretty sad resolution that was more or less max out on last generation consoles.

It will be a lot cheaper then XBox 360 and PS3. The games will be fun, but it will look really "fuzzy" on my screen compared to the games I play on my xbox 360.

[Joel]

If the Wii maximum resolution is 640x480 you can count me out! That is a pretty sad resolution that was more or less max out on last generation consoles.

It will be a lot cheaper then XBox 360 and PS3. The games will be fun, but it will look really "fuzzy" on my screen compared to the games I play on my xbox 360.

Did the Gamecube look "fuzzy"?

[LaNcom]

If the Wii maximum resolution is 640x480 you can count me out! That is a pretty sad resolution that was more or less max out on last generation consoles.

It will be a lot cheaper then XBox 360 and PS3. The games will be fun, but it will look really "fuzzy" on my screen compared to the games I play on my xbox 360.

720x480, probably. Anyway, do you watch movies on your HDTV? If so, do you use DVDs? Do they look "really fuzzy" on your screen? Wii games will look pretty much the same...

[fascist]

Im getting the impression the wii is basically just a gamecube with a controller. I dont see why they just didnt release a controller for the gamecube and then there is your wii. Maybe i'll wait and see but at $250 I dont think I will be buying it.

[Trong]

People are trying to say that the Wii isn't next gen but is next gen really defined by it's graphics? Apparently, a whole lot of people think that the next generation is supposed to be better than the next but take humans for example. Every generation until now has been having longer life expectancies. Next gen is just the next batch, whether they are better or not.

[S7R1K3R]

People are trying to say that the Wii isn't next gen but is next gen really defined by it's graphics? Apparently, a whole lot of people think that the next generation is supposed to be better than the next but take humans for example. Every generation until now has been having longer life expectancies. Next gen is just the next batch, whether they are better or not.

Well Said!!

[Xerus]

Im getting the impression the wii is basically just a gamecube with a controller. I dont see why they just didnt release a controller for the gamecube and then there is your wii. Maybe i'll wait and see but at $250 I dont think I will be buying it.

Because there cant be an attachment for Wii Connect 24, virtual console, opera, nintendo wifi, and who knows what else. If you only consider graphics, then yes, the Wii is a mere upgrade of gamecube with a new controller. But where does that leave xbox360, and ps3? You can apply this logic with any console if you ask me.