HD Wii By 2011? 245
1Up noticed an interesting post up at WhatTheyPlay which put together some public information with more from private sources suggesting that the next version of the Wii console is planned for 2011. Quoting:
"Unlike previous console transitions from Nintendo, the new system will be presented as a true successor to the Wii, and is being dubbed by those that have seen the presentation as 'Wii HD.' There is no indication if this will be its eventual name, but the nature of the transition has been characterized as similar to 'the shift from Game Boy to Game Boy Advance,' where familiar, key elements were left intact while the core hardware was made more powerful. It is expected by all those that we have spoken to on the subject that the new device will retain the Wii name in part."
Dear Nintendo (Score:5, Insightful)
As long as you have good Zelda and Metroid games (even though the last ones have been made by Retro Studios) to go with your new console, I'll buy it.
Storage? (Score:4, Insightful)
Is this version going to come with a hard drive standard?
I can't imagine their 'next' generation console will get left behind in the console download race.
Digg (Score:5, Insightful)
Please, this isn't news, speculation can hardly ever be taken serious, and this belongs on Digg, not Slashdot.
Re:Wii Too (Score:5, Insightful)
Nintendo loves their postfixes, that's for sure, so why isn't it feasible that they wouldn't just call it exactly what it is - the "Wii HD"?
Anyone who looks at it, even "Casual" gamers, will know exactly what it is thanks to all the marketing both Sony and Microsoft (and to a lesser extent, Toshiba) put into the whole "HD" thing.
Re:480p Wii Sucks (Score:5, Insightful)
That resolution is really only necessary if you're going for realistic. And this is exactly where Nintendo isn't. The XBox's and PS's are, but not the Wii. High resolution just isn't necessary for cartoon-y stuff. So, don't criticise them for choosing technology that suits there needs, but doesn't live up to what /you/ *think* they should be doing.
Btw, I have a 32" LCD HDTV and Metroid looks amazing and Zelda looks good as well (though Zelda is _not_ supposed to look as good as Metroid).
Majority of households still don't have one. (Score:3, Insightful)
Sorry to say this, but the majority of households still don't have an HDTV.
Despite the fact most electronics stores carry them exclusively, relatively few can afford to spend circa $1k on one of these things.
The overall market share is still small.
Explain to me why anyone should be paying for resolution they won't see until panels drop to the 300 dollar mark some 5+ years from now?
Re:Let me guess... (Score:3, Insightful)
My vote is for the Nintendo "About Fucking Time".
Seriously, the Wii is only good for party games; the graphics are so ugly that I can't bring myself to buy anything for it that isn't for 4 people.
Re:Storage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let me guess... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Majority of households still don't have one. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sounds disappointing so far (Score:5, Insightful)
The SNES was just a more powerful NES by most counts
By most counts, yes, but not by some of the counts that matter the most. The SNES was the first console to have shoulder buttons on the controllers, the first to have the diamond-shaped 4-face-button configuration still found on PlayStations and Xboxen today, the first major home console to use wavetable synthesis for audio and bitmap scaling/rotation for graphics.
the N64 was, yet again, another Cartridge system when everyone else was using optical media, it was just a bit more powerful
It also introduced analog controls back to the home console for the first time since the Atari 2600's paddles. (Yes, Atari 5200 and Vectrex had analog joysticks standard issue, but you can count the number of titles that used the analog capabilities on one hand.)
I'm actually kind of surprised at how little credit for innovation you're willing to give Nintendo. I don't think most gamers see it the same way you do.