HD Wii By 2011? [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

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."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
</img>


More...

[Graham Mitchell]

Hopefully Nintendo will take advantage of this by not using the 2-polygon Mii's for every game.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Hopefully Nintendo will take advantage of this by not using the 2-polygon Mii's for every game.

Wii owners don't care about polygon counts or HD. Everyone knows this.

[heybtbm]

A high definition, more powerful Wii? Sounds interesting. Add a decent hard drive and I'm sold.

If this truly hits in 2011, I'm sure I'll find one around 2014 or so.

[mailman187666]

A high definition, more powerful Wii? Sounds interesting. Add a decent hard drive and I'm sold.

If this truly hits in 2011, I'm sure I'll find one around 2014 or so.

ha ha, better pre-order one now so you can actually get yours by 2014.

[Rob2600]

The Wii was released in 2006, so a new console in 2011 (five years later) is normal.

[rbudrick]

I still have not seen a damn Wii in a store!

-Rob

[norkusa]

I still have not seen a damn Wii in a store!

-Rob

I've seen six!

[slip81]

Wow great idea, Wii HD in 2011, 6 years behind the other consoles. Are they going back to cartridges too?

[BHvrd]

Wow great idea, Wii HD in 2011, 6 years behind the other consoles. Are they going back to cartridges too?

At this point that may be a good idea.

[Rob2600]

Wii HD in 2011, 6 years behind the other consoles.

Behind in terms of what? The majority of Americans still don't own HDTVs.

[slip81]

Behind in terms of what? The majority of Americans still don't own HDTVs.

In terms of power and technology, the other two systems are both capable of doing more than the Wii when it comes to visuals, audio, processing. I like the Wii controls, would it have killed them to make it a little more powerful so third party developers wouldn't treat it like a leper and we could get things like Brothers In Arms, Bioshock, Oblivion, Midnight Club etc on the system?

Here's a ProTip Nintendo; by 2011 720p ain't gonna be a big deal anymore. Hell, 1080p won't even be that jaw dropping since the PS3 and all of its Blu-Ray glory will have been on the market for 5 years by then.

I can see they're next announcement now "2011, the successor to the Wii will support Dolby Digital." WOW

[Rob2600]

Here's a ProTip Nintendo; by 2011 720p ain't gonna be a big deal anymore. Hell, 1080p won't even be that jaw dropping since the PS3 and all of its Blu-Ray glory will have been on the market for 5 years by then.

In the grand scheme of things, very few people own a Blu-ray player. Yes, you own an HDTV and a Blu-ray player, but right now, you're in the minority. Blu-ray may have defeated HD-DVD, but plain old regular DVDs are still outselling Blu-rays by a wide margin. Blu-ray amounts to what, 8% of home video sales?

By 2011, HD will finally be mainstream. In 2011, an HD game console will be cost effective. More people will own HDTVs and more people will be buying HD movies..but in 2006, HD in the Wii just wasn't worth the added cost.

[slip81]

I don't own a blu-ray player, still not totally convinved that the format is going to stick around.

But really, was not including the power to do 720p and making it the cheapest thing really that necessary? I know it's selling really well and is a commercial success and all, but to me it's a lot like a band selling out, yeah, they make more money, but usually it's at the expense of it's integrity. The Wii may be the best selling thing since sliced bread, but really, you can't argue that companies are mainly just overloading the system with crap to make a quick buck.

I'm sure if it was more advanced it would have opened up doors for third parties allowing them to produce, or at least port more quality games over.

[boatofcar]

Here's a ProTip Nintendo

Last time I checked, Nintendo was making money hand over fist. Pretty sure they don't need any "ProTips."

[Trebuken]

I belive nearly half of homes in America have HDTV's now, and it is expected to be approaching 80% in 2011. Other nations may be on a different pace. I would guess Japan would be ahead, Australia behind and Europe being a mixed bag...

Of course they will need HD for their next console, I think it is more critically that they make a competitve effort to get some CPU/GPU power under the hood. Many of the Wii owners will have grown up by then and will start to care about polygon counts and HD.

I want the next Nintendo console to launch with something as amazing as Mario 64 was with the N64...

[Rob2600]

I think it is more critically that they make a competitve effort to get some CPU/GPU power under the hood. Many of the Wii owners will have grown up by then

Most Wii owners are grown up already.

[Trebuken]

.

Most Wii owners are grown up already.

hehe...did not word that correctly; sounds insulting that was not intended. I just meant that Wii owners will be expecting more from their gaming experience than they are getting. Nintendo's goal with the Wii is to attract more people to gaming, and they have succeeded, but in a couple years those gamers are going to see the Wii as the 'softcore' system that it is and want a more adult experience than it generally provides...

[boatofcar]

.
in a couple years those gamers are going to see the Wii as the 'softcore' system that it is and want a more adult experience than it generally provides...

How do you know that? There are plenty of "adult experiences" out there in gaming, and the Wii is still the leader in console sales.

[swlovinist]

A Wii in 2011 sounds about right. The system will probably be backwards compatible, be cheaper than its competitors, and sell really well. The people who like Nintendo franchises and Nintendo products will buy it and be overall happy. Others who like other consoles better will continue to trash on Nintendo for being the console leader and having eveyrone making games for them.