View Full Version : Wii in HD?
shopkins
03-28-2009, 10:27 PM
Interesting Kotaku link.
http://kotaku.com/5187762/how-your-wii-games-would-look-in-720p
These do look slightly better to me if you watch them in HD quality. I have no intention of messing with this, so I guess it's a what-could-have-been kind of thing. I've played Wii a lot at my brother's house, but one of the things that's discouraged me slightly from buying my own is that it doesn't look that great on all the HDTVs I've seen it running one.
TheDomesticInstitution
03-28-2009, 10:44 PM
To be fair, the youtube quality sucks so these videos aren't a great representation. On the other hand, as an owner of a larger screen HDTV, there is a pretty big visual difference in playing games in 720p the PS3 vs. the 480p output of the Wii. I don't mean to say that graphics are the most important thing in gaming, but for a current gen system is 720p too much too ask?
Of course, Nintendo wasn't banking on graphics or power to sell it's system. It gave us a unique controller and a game library with the sensibilities of Popcap games. Apparently, thats what the world wants.
Kitsune Sniper
03-28-2009, 11:03 PM
Of course, Nintendo wasn't banking on graphics or power to sell it's system. It gave us a unique controller and a game library with the sensibilities of Popcap games. Apparently, thats what the world wants.
Don't worry, the Wii Too will probably have 720p when everyone else is already at 2048p or something. :p
Clownzilla
03-28-2009, 11:36 PM
I really haven't missed 720P on the Wii as much as I thought I would. Maybe I'm just like the "casual gaming" heard but I find the control the focus of this system and the graphics are just an afterthought. My wife, friends, and I absolutely have a blast with this system and have not even mentioned the lack of graphics. I must say though, it is nice to have my 360 and PC to fall back on to get my "graphics" fix but I understand that the Wii has its special purpose in my home.
c0ldb33r
03-28-2009, 11:46 PM
On my wii, I found the difference between 480i and 480p to be pretty amazing.
Comparing the wii's 480p to the xbox 360, I don't notice a huge difference.
TheDomesticInstitution
03-28-2009, 11:52 PM
On my wii, I found the difference between 480i and 480p to be pretty amazing.
Comparing the wii's 480p to the xbox 360, I don't notice a huge difference.
Really? You see a bigger difference between 480i and 480p than between 480p and 720p? For me it's the opposite.
maxlords
03-29-2009, 12:33 AM
I find the Wii at 480p still doesn't look all that hot. I'm running a 40" 1080p TV though, with the X-Box on component at 1080p and the PS3 on HDMI at 1080p. You can REALLY tell the deficiencies in the graphics on most Wii games. Mario Galaxy still looked damned good though. Zelda did too...most of the time. Once in a while I was like...oh..that could look nicer...
swlovinist
03-29-2009, 01:29 AM
I see the difference, and agree with others that it would be nice to have that support. I predict that the second version of the Wii or the "Wii HD" or whatever they decide to do next will support it. I cant wait.
maxlords
03-29-2009, 01:34 AM
The only downside would be the games we already own that are only in 480...
joshnickerson
03-29-2009, 07:49 AM
I'm still using the 15" SDTV I had back in college to play my Wii, so I could care less about 480/720/1080/3849.8 resolution, but that article is an interesting read.
Maxlords, my thoughts are that if the current Wii games were played on the Wii Too (hey, I like that name, Kitsune), they would probably be up-rezed, sort of like how a N64 game looks so much better on the Wii than its original system.
Phénix
03-29-2009, 08:40 AM
Or maybe they will re-release all the games a second time with HD settings, so we will have to buy each game 2 times to appreciate them in full HD beauty LOL It seems that Nintendo loves doing shit like that, re-release all their stuff an infinite number of times.
rpepper9
03-29-2009, 12:27 PM
Or maybe they will re-release all the games a second time with HD settings, so we will have to buy each game 2 times to appreciate them in full HD beauty LOL It seems that Nintendo loves doing shit like that, re-release all their stuff an infinite number of times.
Nintendo is the King of re-releasing their games. And they will keep doing it untill it is not profitable, which will probably never happen.
Red Warrior
03-29-2009, 01:25 PM
I always thought that Metroid Prime 3, Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario Kart Wii looked great in 480p, so I never really missed 720p. However, none of that matters since the Wii controls with such a horrible delay on my HDTV that I had to downgrade it to the analog set. Now my 360 gets sole possession of the HDTV. At least with an HDMI hookup, it actually controls the way it's supposed to.
Don't worry, the Wii Too will probably have 720p when everyone else is already at 2048p or something. :p
I know you were probably joking, but what I can't understand is why so many people think the next Nintendo system will again be the least powerful, like 720p or something. Nintendo has NEVER been the least powerful system except this generation. I can't wait until about a year from now, when the first info on the next systems should be leaking.
chicnstu
03-29-2009, 01:55 PM
so many people think the next Nintendo system will again be the least powerful, like 720p or something. Nintendo has NEVER been the least powerful system except this generation. I can't wait until about a year from now, when the first info on the next systems should be leaking.
Yeah, nobody knows what Nintendo will do. With the way Microsoft has been admiring Nintendo's strategy, Microsoft could end up with the least powerful console next generation.
Iron Draggon
03-29-2009, 02:16 PM
I really haven't missed 720P on the Wii as much as I thought I would. Maybe I'm just like the "casual gaming" heard but I find the control the focus of this system and the graphics are just an afterthought. My wife, friends, and I absolutely have a blast with this system and have not even mentioned the lack of graphics. I must say though, it is nice to have my 360 and PC to fall back on to get my "graphics" fix but I understand that the Wii has its special purpose in my home.
AGREED! if you don't "get" that play control is the focus of this system, then you don't "get" this system! it wasn't made to please all the graphics whores!
I see the difference, and agree with others that it would be nice to have that support. I predict that the second version of the Wii or the "Wii HD" or whatever they decide to do next will support it. I cant wait.
I can't wait for Wii HD either.
Or maybe they will re-release all the games a second time with HD settings, so we will have to buy each game 2 times to appreciate them in full HD beauty LOL It seems that Nintendo loves doing shit like that, re-release all their stuff an infinite number of times.
not as much as Sega does!
Nintendo is the King of re-releasing their games. And they will keep doing it untill it is not profitable, which will probably never happen.
yeah, they'll still be whoring out Mario when he celebrates his 100th birthday!
j_factor
03-29-2009, 03:47 PM
I know you were probably joking, but what I can't understand is why so many people think the next Nintendo system will again be the least powerful, like 720p or something. Nintendo has NEVER been the least powerful system except this generation. I can't wait until about a year from now, when the first info on the next systems should be leaking.
How was the NES not the least powerful system?
Rob2600
03-29-2009, 04:28 PM
How was the NES not the least powerful system?
SMS > NES > 7800
j_factor
03-29-2009, 09:10 PM
I guess.
How was the NES not the least powerful system?
The 7800 had some advantages (on-screen sprites being one of them), but overall the NES is considered better. I don't believe the 7800 could do SMB. Also, the XE Game System is inferior to the NES, if you want to call that a system.
j_factor
03-30-2009, 01:36 AM
Well then... the Game Boy was the least powerful, wasn't it? :p
And is the XE really inferior to the NES? I don't really know anything about that hardware, but the games look pretty good compared to the NES games of the time.
Probably not the best comparison, but here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9lnohQl6pw) is a video showing the SMS and Famicom versions of Space Harrier, and here (http://www.vimeo.com/846540) is a video of the (homebrew) Atari 8-bit conversion.
poloplayr
03-30-2009, 05:57 AM
I know you were probably joking, but what I can't understand is why so many people think the next Nintendo system will again be the least powerful, like 720p or something. Nintendo has NEVER been the least powerful system except this generation. I can't wait until about a year from now, when the first info on the next systems should be leaking.
There is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING which speaks in favour of Nintendo not going for the least powerful console in the next generation but EVERYTHING in favour of it being along the same strategy as the Wii. Or have you completely missed what has happened in this generation??
Well then... the Game Boy was the least powerful, wasn't it? :p
And is the XE really inferior to the NES? I don't really know anything about that hardware, but the games look pretty good compared to the NES games of the time.
Probably not the best comparison, but here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9lnohQl6pw) is a video showing the SMS and Famicom versions of Space Harrier, and here (http://www.vimeo.com/846540) is a video of the (homebrew) Atari 8-bit conversion.
Looks like the SMS version is far ahead of both. :) The XE GS is essentially an Atari 5200 (1982) with a little more RAM. The 5200 being equal to an Atari 400, while the XEGS is equal to an 800 I believe.
So where does 1987's Action Max fit into this? :)
8-bitNesMan
03-30-2009, 01:21 PM
AGREED! if you don't "get" that play control is the focus of this system, then you don't "get" this system! it wasn't made to please all the graphics whores!
I can't wait for Wii HD either.
You sir are a walking contradiction :)
Rob2600
03-30-2009, 01:22 PM
is the XE really inferior to the NES?
See for yourself:
Fight Night (Atari 8-bit):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/fight-night/screenshots/gameShotId,249490/
Punch-Out!! (NES):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/mike-tysons-punch-out/screenshots/gameShotId,49092/
Decathlon (Atari 8-bit):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/activision-decathlon/screenshots/gameShotId,150171/
Track & Field II (NES):
http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/track-field-ii/screenshots/gameShotId,83484/
There is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING which speaks in favour of Nintendo not going for the least powerful console in the next generation but EVERYTHING in favour of it being along the same strategy as the Wii. Or have you completely missed what has happened in this generation??
You're speculating. Just because it's far and away the most popular, you think they will copy the strategy, but that logic is flawed. Nintendo knows lots of game companies won't even make a Wii version, and how it upsets loyal Wii owners like myself to get a PS3 as an alternate system. I don't believe.
Also, the NES extremely popular, and was inferior to the SMS (while ahead of the 7800), yet Nintendo chose to go the most powerful next generation with the SNES (not counting the extremely high-end Neo-Geo).
Rob2600
03-30-2009, 01:35 PM
the NES was extremely popular, and was inferior to the SMS (while ahead of the 7800), yet Nintendo chose to go the most powerful next generation with the SNES (not counting the extremely high-end Neo-Geo).
Don't forget, the N64 was the most powerful, too. The GameCube was also more powerful than the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. If anything, I agree with you that the Wii is the exception to Nintendo's norm, as far as home consoles are concerned.
Also, it's been pointed out many times that usually the most powerful console of any particular hardware generation isn't the most popular; the SNES vs. Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 is the exception. (2600 vs. Intellivision ... NES vs. SMS ... SNES vs. Neo Geo ... PlayStation vs. N64 ... PlayStation 2 vs. Xbox and GameCube ... Wii vs. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ... Game Boy vs. Lynx, TurboExpress, and Game Gear ... DS vs. PSP)
j_factor
03-30-2009, 05:51 PM
I don't think you can really bring up the 16-bit era or the Playstation generation because in both cases, each system had its advantages and disadvantages. It wasn't a clear-cut case of one system being completely superior, like the SMS and Xbox.
poloplayr
03-30-2009, 07:12 PM
You're speculating. Just because it's far and away the most popular, you think they will copy the strategy, but that logic is flawed. Nintendo knows lots of game companies won't even make a Wii version, and how it upsets loyal Wii owners like myself to get a PS3 as an alternate system. I don't believe.
Also, the NES extremely popular, and was inferior to the SMS (while ahead of the 7800), yet Nintendo chose to go the most powerful next generation with the SNES (not counting the extremely high-end Neo-Geo).
Why is 'that logic flawed'?
The fact that some gamers choose to get a 'second system' (myself included) has not impacted Nintendo the slightest in their current market strategy.
And it is completely irrelevant to draw any similarities to the 8/16 bit generations because the market landscape, the economy and the consumer base is not the same. The industry has changed - for better or for worse - and empirical track records going back 10-15 years bear little or no relevance in Nintendo's current strategy.
Nintendo has proved they do not HAVE to compete with hardware specs and beat the competition to a pulp. Any company choosing to change this strategy and at the same time a) alienate the "new consumer base" b) alter the brand/price point c) play with profit margins for no reason is utterly stupid. And the current Nintendo may be gutsy but they are not stupid.
maxlords
03-31-2009, 10:13 PM
Does this make anyone else want to cry a little?:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/31/emulator-runs-wii-games-in-720p-while-we-wonder-what-might-have/
There's a walkthru on how to set up your PC to do it, but you have to have a pretty decent system to run it. I'm REALLY tempted cause I can't play Prime 3 corruption with the Wiimote, but I bet I could with a mouse! :D
Icarus Moonsight
04-01-2009, 10:23 AM
Does this make anyone else want to cry a little?:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/31/emulator-runs-wii-games-in-720p-while-we-wonder-what-might-have/
There's a walkthru on how to set up your PC to do it, but you have to have a pretty decent system to run it. I'm REALLY tempted cause I can't play Prime 3 corruption with the Wiimote, but I bet I could with a mouse! :D
The successor to the Wii could totally do that for current Wii titles also if Nintendo wanted it to... We're gonna have to play wait-n-see as usual. :D Either way, I'm not swayed by the promise of HD visuals. It's all the same to me, really.