Next Nintendo Wii Console to go Beyond HD

[Nipun Mohta]

Nintendo Wii gaming console kind of blurs lines between casual gaming and hard core gaming. Amongst rumors about the next Xbox console or PlayStation console, there is some update from Nintendo too. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's president for America region, in an interview with Kotaku shed light on plans about the next Wii console that would go beyond HD.

Of all three gaming consoles, Nintendo Wii is the only one after Xbox 360 that is devoid of High Definition content support.

Xbox 360 did have HD DVD support before Blu-ray won the HD battle. Besides that, Wii lags behind the Xbox 360 and PS3 on grounds of horse power. No wonder HD optimized game titles remain devoid from even ported to the Wii platform.

Many technology analysts and gamers have been pleading Nintendo to work on a more powerful and HD-ready Wii console.

Here's what Fils-Aime had to say to them:

"The fundamental issue in the logic flow is that gosh it's such an opportunity to take HD capability and link it with the Wii. And what we have said, repeatedly, is that that's not the way we at Nintendo do things. The way we at Nintendo do things is, you know, when we will move to a new generation, it's because there are some fundamental things the [current] console cannot do. What that says is that simply the addition of HD capability will not be the next step for us. There will be more to it. There will be additional capability. There will be additional elements, and, given that, it is far into the future."

Clearly, Nintendo is not looking forward to a step-higher or enhanced version of next Wii console. When asked about the time frame for next Wii to release, Fils-Aime did not share any dates or details.

Nintendo surely aims for the next Wii console to be revolutionary and not evolutionary - like slimmer, lighter or with HD. If the consoles could get slimmer, and less power hungry, then those things could have been considered earlier. Yes, we're so pointing at PlayStation 3. In the price slashing spree, Nintendo too slashed price of Wii in September.

Source

[Klownicle]

Isn't it japen that wants to have the SuperHD before everyone else anyways?

The new format has a resolution of 7680 ? 4320 pixels, four times as wide and four times as high (for a total of 16 times the pixel resolution) as existing HDTV, which has a maximum resolution of 1920 ? 1080 pixels. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will be starting a public-private partnership to develop technology for SHV in the hopes of setting an international standard for Super Hi-Vision in addition to broadcasting with it beginning in 2020.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080114TDY01305.htm

[Nick Brunt]

"Nintendo surely aims for the next Wii console to be revolutionary and not evolutionary"

I think that sums up Nintendo pretty well. They've done well out of it.

[Richard Hammond]

I hate these public figures talking crap. People want HD then HD is what the people should get, when will these idiots realise that.

[AgentGray]

when the people isn't a tiny minority of their customers and the majority can tell the difference between SD and HD? and have HDTVs in their houses?

[OOOOOOOO]

I hate these public figures talking crap. People want HD then HD is what the people should get, when will these idiots realise that.

Nintendo's next console WILL have HD as at that time, HD will be the standard. It's still not the standard, but it's becoming the standard. So stop being so narrow minded about that ... :) I hooked up our new Wii next to my PS3 and I gotta say, with the component cable, set to RGB, the visual output is really good!

But yeah ... what theyr'e saying is sure, they'll have the basic stuff like HD but they will move past that and have a new feature or features that will blow the competition away. Like the Wii did.

[Richard Hammond]

when the people isn't a tiny minority of their customers and the majority can tell the difference between SD and HD? and have HDTVs in their houses?

So because mom and dad buy consoles to play Wii Sports everyone else should have to suffer with SD picture quality, the Wii looks dated compared to the current gen of consoles as it is, when the next one comes out and they dont jump to HD because it doesnt add anything other than better picture quality its just going to look even more dated.

This just smacks of, omg if we add HD we will have to beef the console up, we cant just repackage the previous gen console with a new control method slightly overclocked again.....

[spacer]

Nintendo Wii gaming console kind of blurs lines between casual gaming and hard core gaming.

No, it doesn't.

[Ridlas]

Beyond HD? So like 7680?4320 ?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I think it'll go HD next year, or early 2011, as 2010 will be a tough year for the Wii with the PS3/360 so cheap, packed with good software and importantly the launch of Natal and PS3 Wand which will show off better, or at least "fresh" motion technology vs the Wii.

GT5 and Halo Reach will decimate software sales next year, not to mention FF13 creeping in as well.

[seta-san]

i can't see. SuperHD surviving. alot of people still don't have a normal hd-tv. With normal consumer electronics people do-not have a high tolerance for short technology cycles. we stuck with stand tvs decades and people expect more than a couple decades to enjoy their 1080p tv before being shuffled off to the next tech.

[Joel]

So because mom and dad buy consoles to play Wii Sports everyone else should have to suffer with SD picture quality

Mom's and dad's who bought the Wii outnumber you by probably more than 100,000:1. Yes, their (lack of) voice is louder than yours.

[Master Shake]

I would really like a decently priced "super wii" with HD and improved motion controller. Hopefully it will be able to play Wii games in HD with aa and af. The motion control has a lot of potential with "high end" games. I would love to see something like MW2 work right with it.

[FloatingFatMan]

Wasn't the Wii meant to be revolutionary too? Instead it turned out to just be an overclocked GameCube with a gimmicky controller and a silly name. :p

[Syanide]

Wasn't the Wii meant to be revolutionary too? Instead it turned out to just be an overclocked GameCube with a gimmicky controller and a silly name. :p

+1

[Richard Hammond]

Mom's and dad's who bought the Wii outnumber you by probably more than 100,000:1. Yes, their (lack of) voice is louder than yours.

Nintendo couldnt have known how well the Wii would take off, they chose not to put HD in despite the other next gen consoles would have HD graphics purely so they could squeeze as much money out of people as they could, they even used previous generation hardware just slightly overclocked.

[Smigit]

The sooner they get a more powerful console out the better IMHO. I'm sure they are in no rush but it'd be nice to see something with a bit of grunt under the hood. Graphics may not be everything but third parties are clearly having trouble gaining traction on the Wii's hardware and many good games simply aren't all that viable to be ported to it because of the hardware. I don't think Nintendo has to beat sony or MS in the graphics department but it'd have been nice if they had at least been closer as perhaps then third parties would have done a better job out of the machine.

It's easy to say that 3rd parties should take a leaf out of Nintendo's 1st party titles but when you are shooting to hit as wide a market as possible it probably makes sense to focus on the PS3, PC and XBox which can produce a relatively consistent experience and skip the Wii if any console has to be passed over for technical reasons.

As it is, my wii gets very little use as with many many other people due to the game lineup. It's a shame really but I find that for the most part only the 1st party titles interest me and anything else I can get a better version (not just graphically but online support ect) for on my 360 or PS3.

The next Nintendo machine better actually try when it comes to online support too. The Wii is a joke in that regard.

[buckboii]

The Wii can't compete with Sony/microsoft. By the time wii comes out with a better version, both sharks will have better plans for a newer better console, upgrade.

[Sikh]

While this is all good and all, it still yet doesnt play dvds... and most games are in dvd format, so idk.

Says much for a "revolutionary" device.

[M_Lyons10]

Isn't it japen that wants to have the SuperHD before everyone else anyways?

Wow, I hadn't even heard of that technology... It feels like we just made the move to HD... LOL

[coresx]

He probably just means 3D.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

when the people isn't a tiny minority of their customers and the majority can tell the difference between SD and HD? and have HDTVs in their houses?

you know that somewhere around 60% of US households have an HDTV now, right?

but yes, i am tired of those people that "cant tell the difference b/w SD and HD." :rolleyes: "dvd is fine! it looks the same as blu-ray!"

The Wii can't compete with Sony/microsoft. By the time wii comes out with a better version, both sharks will have better plans for a newer better console, upgrade.

what? the Wii sells huge numbers... what are you talking about?

[Rudy]

Wasn't the Wii meant to be revolutionary too? Instead it turned out to just be an overclocked GameCube with a gimmicky controller and a silly name. :p

Well the "overclocked GameCube" managed to sell more consoles than Sony or MS :rolleyes: It must be something about the "gimmicky controller and silly name"

[FloatingFatMan]

Well the "overclocked GameCube" managed to sell more consoles than Sony or MS :rolleyes: It must be something about the "gimmicky controller and silly name"

I cannot be denied that Nintendo consoles have, and always have, had some incredibly fun to play games that have always relied far more on the gameplay rather than the graphics. It's actually something that the other consoles tend to lack to some extent. The Brain Training ones were a brilliant hook to catch the older generation, and the Wii Fit is another brilliant hook to catch people who want to get fitter but can't afford a gym. Plus, I cannot deny that the wealth of party type games on the Wii is fairly impressive.

That said, I know about 8 people with Wii's, and none of them use their Wii's very much, if at all. They've all since bought either 360's or PS3's and play games on those WAY more than they do their Wii's. I've asked them why on various occasions, and the answer I generally get is because they just can't get the top rated games on the Wii.

Basically, the Wii is a great machine for party games, or family games; but when it comes to the hardcore gamer, they're going for the other two consoles much more, because they can play the games they want.

[Sikh]

^ And thats the thing, people get the wii thinking "oh yeah im gonna have fun" realize its a party system and it RARELY gets taken out every month let alone a year.

Yes the Wii sold a lot because of what was advertised, but I can tell you about 25% of those people from the actual whole number dont use it anymore, and i think thats not saying enough.

All I know is, within a year of me working at my store, weve sold 400-500 wiis and 350 came back traded or they dont play it anymore and want to get something else but keep the wii because they dont get enough money for it.

Hell we have 28 wiis traded in within 3 weeks last/this month. Its sad.