A Wii Plus HD would cost as much as a 360 or PS3. The lack of true HD support is one of the things that cuts the cost of the system. Giving it true HD support would throw it's price tag right in the ring with the PS3 and 360. I don't see it doing that well.

I highly doubt it will be the last console you will buy.

I doubt this is the last console standing even with this contraption.

Since when has the 360 been beating out the Wii in console sales?

If the Wii gets HD support I just might pay attention to it again.

It's hard enough to make predictions with exhisting tech. I'd hate to speculate the what-ifs behind tech that is only theoretical at this stage. Lets talk again when there is a WII HD.

Programmed_For_Damage:
I think he needs to keep rubbing his crystal balls.

I think he needs a kick in the crystal balls. (Had to be said, too good a set-up)

Nintendo knows what the Wii is: a big, gimmicky toy, not a serious gaming system. And Nintendo seems to be fine with that. Thing is, if they do try and pull this off, the hardcore gamers won't care because the PS3s and Xbox 360s will, at that point, already have motion-control things of their own, so it won't be worth it for that. And really, that's all the Wii has going for it.

Besides, if Nintendo had ANY intention of being on-par with Sony and Microsoft, graphics-wise and whatnot, they would have done so in the first place. Nintendo wouldn't hold out, they'd do it the first time around. But like I said, the Wii is what it is, Nintendo planned it to be just that, and they're fine with it.

ChromeAlchemist:

MoH H2 was released in 07 I believe, possibly 08. The controls were fairly customiseable, and the aiming was pretty much spot on. RS2 fair enough. Call of Duty 5 came out on the Wii, and Modern Warfare 2 is rumoured, and is possible considering that a modified CoD engine exists for the Wii thanks to CoD 5. It can and will get it's share of multiplat games, it seems.

What I always see on adverts is that, but what I always hear from Nintendo is that they want EVERYONE to play their console, not just families, everyone. I believe it is family friendly in the sense that it caters to that section of gamers as well, not that it doesn't have 'any of those nasty murder simulators' like the others. I doubt they would tune out because of a section of games, if that were the case then Natal will die on it's back (and I don't think it will).

And oh yes, all in good fun ;¬)

Okay, you I'll give you that point. I think we are dancing around the wrong issue, though. What would be the true advantage of a High Definition Wii? The video output is limited by the horsepower of the system, which comes nowhere close to the PS3/X360. Twilight Princess and Okami both looked good, but for entirely different reasons than the new God of War, for example. For them, artistic direction, not visual fidelity, was the key. Trying to compete with two machines that outperform it, technologically, is a totally different problem.

If Nintendo wanted to fully exploit an HD machine, they would have to increase the power of their machine, yes? Then, they would have the twofold problem of 1) building hi-res games that wouldn't run on old Wii's and 2) trying to get early adopters to upgrade to a new system. I think that if Nintendo tried to break into the HD market, it would be more trouble than it is worth.

Keane Ng:

You heard it here first, folks.

[Via Destructoid]

Nice...

What is this dude's job? Is it just to make totally unfounded claims about videogames? If so, how do you GET that job? Seriously...

dcomproductions:
first off the wii HD is like saying the fat anorexic. it just doesn't work. and no one would buy it just because it looks good, thats wat went wrong with the gamecube and killed nintendo. second, i doubt the wii could ever beat the ps3 since the fact of the matter is the wii has maybe 3 games that are good that aren't just the same thing as the stuff on the NES. thirdly, by then there will be a ps4, an xbox 720, and i don't know if nintendo will continue to make systems after the wii

The gamecube didn't kill Nintendo. Despite having the lowest sales, it acutally had the highest profit margins of the last generation, simply because it was much cheaper to produce but still cost the same compared to the other consoles. Also, Sony has no plans to release a ps4 anytime soon, they're still claiming the ps3 will last two console generations.
The Wii would need a few other things besides HD to convince me I didnt want other consoles. First, it would have to actually start using the classic controller for games where it's appropriate, instead of shoehorning Wiimote gimmicks into games where they don't belong. The Wiimote is a great controller for some things, but most games are still better with a standard controller, and in any case the Wiimote could use some improvement in response time and accuracy.

"The last console they ever need to purchase"? That'd be kind of a stupid move on Nintendo's part then wouldn't it? Consider that they sorta like selling consoles.

Yes, because the thousands upon thousands of minigame collections on the wii need to be seen in HD. And the people who play wii are going to buy it because graphics are sooooooooo important to them.

This guy is an idiot.

Why exactly should I care for HD games on the Wii since the majority of titles on it that are not nintendo produced are pure crap? Graphics do not make the console. First Nintendo adds something to the controller to actually make it work better, something like the 32X and then adding new graphics engine and keeping the same horrible library, like the Atari Jaguar. Unless you are a granny, a 5 year old child or a soccer mom, even if they knew that HD upgrades are coming, they would not care. I fail to see how this would make someone not owning a Wii, wanting to buy one. I already have HD and seeing it is on the PS3, there is nothing else I need graphic-wise. And how exactly will HD ruin PS3's comeback? A price cut, along with a Emotion Engine software update would kill this article's statements. And even on the X360's side, they have XBLA, which the Wii cannot hope to reach by just making graphics better. Pure idiocy is on today's menu for Mr. Patcher.

Keane Ng:

On another note, I actually like not having HD, it moves games visuals to be more artistic rather than relying on realistic graphics.

Thoroughly agreed - I'd take Okami or Windwaker over Halo or Gears Of War anyday, I'm a sucker for stylised graphics and originality ^_^

Jsnoopy:
This guy is an idiot.

Voice your opinion but choose your words a little more respectfully, there's no need to get abrasive :|

Edit - I own a Wii and have been gaming for 20 years and graphics are important to me, just probably on a few more levels than you care to appreciate.

Keane Ng:

"In our view, if Nintendo can offer such a device by year-end 2010, it will be in a position to seriously damage Sony's chances of a comeback this cycle," he said. So sure is Pachter of this that he's even coined his own word for this magical money printing box: the Wii Plus HD. "We would expect publishers to support such a move, given that the cost of porting an Xbox 360 game to the new Wii Plus HD format would likely be lower than the cost of building a ground up Wii game (we estimate under $5 million)."

Um...Why is this person talking about porting 360 games? Porting, if I understand it properly, means that the game already exists, and the manufacturers adjust it so it will work on a different console. That means it's not a new game. If it isn't a game exclusive to the 360, the PS3 probably already has it. If it is exclusive, the Wii isn't going to get it anyway. Also, anyone with a 360 or a PS3 will have either bought the game or passed on the game. What does it matter if the Wii gets it or not?

Additionally, Blu-ray has won the next generation DVD race. HD is dead. Why the hell would it help if Wii had HD capabilities? Shouldn't it be Wii Plus Blu-ray? There are just so many things wrong with this, I think Mr. Patcher needs to get kicked in the head.

I'll preface this comment by saying that I own the Wii, the PS3, and the Xbox 360.

*ahem*

The idea of the Wii and the PS3 fighting for any sort of supremacy conjures imagery of some form of gimped-out special olympics boxing as far as I'm concerned. Neither of them has successfully offered me anything that I could consider quality gaming outside of one or two titles. Of course, they're welcome to have at it as much as they like, as long as they don't drool on my 360 in the process.

It red-rings often enough already without the added water damage.

Analysts are NEVER right. It's absolutely hilarious. They think they get the masses, but most of them are old bastards that don't even play video games.

What the Wii needs isn't a HD upgrade: rather, it needs to be upgraded completely. As in: integrate WiiMotion Plus into all further controllers, give the Wii a graphics power boost, and get Gamecube controllers back in the game.

I know that someone's going to jump me for being a "graphics whore" or something, but it's painful to play some games on the Wii and think about how much better they would look on a 360 or PS3. Some games (Madworld, No More Heroes, Super Mario Galaxy, SSBB) can get away with it thanks to their unique art styles, but others (TWILIGHT PRINCESS) made me shudder as I played. Sure, I still had fun, but all the time I found myself looking at stuff and thinking: "Damn, that's ugly for a game released this generation!"

The MotionPlus is what the Wii should have had in the first place, and I think that it's sort of ridiculous to ask people to get it now. It feels like it's late to the party, and when I watched the E3 conference there didn't seem to be much to say about it other than it was coming with Red Steel 2. Yay?

I also want Nintendo to bring back the Gamecube controllers and get people to make games for them. Sure, some games work well with motion controls, but in other cases the good ol' controller is far superior.

This (Patcher, or Pachter, or whatever) dude is really starting to grind my gears in an unpleasant fashion.

phwbt:
Um...Why is this person talking about porting 360 games? Porting, if I understand it properly, means that the game already exists, and the manufacturers adjust it so it will work on a different console. That means it's not a new game. If it isn't a game exclusive to the 360, the PS3 probably already has it. If it is exclusive, the Wii isn't going to get it anyway. Also, anyone with a 360 or a PS3 will have either bought the game or passed on the game. What does it matter if the Wii gets it or not?

And people with no console will purchase? Remember, his argument is about what people in the future will be buying. He's essentially saying that they'll be buying mostly Wiis, followed by PS3s, and only a few Xbox, unless the Wii comes out with high-defintion display, in which case they won't buy PS3s either. (Of course, he seems to be ignoring the idea that Microsoft doesn't look to be standing still, either.)

Additionally, Blu-ray has won the next generation DVD race. HD is dead. Why the hell would it help if Wii had HD capabilities? Shouldn't it be Wii Plus Blu-ray? There are just so many things wrong with this, I think Mr. Patcher needs to get kicked in the head.

I believe he means HD as in high-definition display, not HD-DVD.

Fightgarr:

Pendragon9:
Yep. And now this entire thread will be filled with "omg this guy is totally right! I feel bad for doubting him! Sony sux!!!11!1"

If someone makes such a post, just know I called it.

Yes because its so absolutely commonplace for people on this forum to talk like that.
I don't know if you've realized this isn't fucking Youtube comments.
OMG PS3 suxxors!!one!

Sarcastic or ironic, I called it.

Kwil:

phwbt:
Um...Why is this person talking about porting 360 games? Porting, if I understand it properly, means that the game already exists, and the manufacturers adjust it so it will work on a different console. That means it's not a new game. If it isn't a game exclusive to the 360, the PS3 probably already has it. If it is exclusive, the Wii isn't going to get it anyway. Also, anyone with a 360 or a PS3 will have either bought the game or passed on the game. What does it matter if the Wii gets it or not?

And people with no console will purchase? Remember, his argument is about what people in the future will be buying. He's essentially saying that they'll be buying mostly Wiis, followed by PS3s, and only a few Xbox, unless the Wii comes out with high-defintion display, in which case they won't buy PS3s either. (Of course, he seems to be ignoring the idea that Microsoft doesn't look to be standing still, either.)

But if these people wanted the games that would be ported, why wouldn't they already own a system that can play them? I get where you're coming from, but if this is to happen in a few years, I'd be willing to bet that Sony and Microsoft could simply drop the prices of their consoles to, at the very least, match a new Wii Plus HD. I just think there's something wrong with his logic.

Kwil:

Additionally, Blu-ray has won the next generation DVD race. HD is dead. Why the hell would it help if Wii had HD capabilities? Shouldn't it be Wii Plus Blu-ray? There are just so many things wrong with this, I think Mr. Patcher needs to get kicked in the head.

I believe he means HD as in high-definition display, not HD-DVD.

Yeah, you're probably right. I still think he needs to get kicked in the head though!

jamesworkshop:
hardly surprising considering how much the current Wii is smacking all competition around

Fixed.

First you get the money, and so on and so forth.

I don't really see the Wii HD doing well, Unless the Wii HD is the next console.

In that case THEY REALLY REALLY NEED TO CHANGE THE NAME BACK TO THE REVOLUTION!

Well, this whole argument, it's retarded.

Cause like, the Wii and the PS3 fill different Niches.

The Niche of the Wii is to be good with kids and old people.

The ps3 is for people who want something a little more mature.

just cause somethings HD doesn't mean its more or less accessible or hardcore though i hate using that term.

Fuck that. I want Nintendo to develop a new Wii remote with Motionplus actually INSIDE IT. That'd actually make mine and Yahtzee's most common complaint about the thing actually resolved.

Aries_Split:
Well, this whole argument, it's retarded.

Cause like, the Wii and the PS3 fill different Niches.

The Niche of the Wii is to be good with kids and old people.

The ps3 is for people who want something a little more mature.

just cause somethings HD doesn't mean its more or less accessible or hardcore though i hate using that term.

The Wii's niche that you mentioned is starting to close up a bit more. Games for the thing worth trying out are starting to grow, so give it maybe... a year, and hopefully that niche will change a bit.

Indigo_Dingo:
Since when does one denote the other?

Increasing the performance of the Wii would mean it would cost more to make, therefor not making it as cost effective.
Nintendo are not going to pay more to build the console and still charge you the same amount.

If you mean the artistic graphics vs realistic, it is just that the less power means that they do need to be more arty to make the visuals look good. It is just my preference and I don't offer it as a reason for the Wii to not go HD, just as an aside to the main topic.

tenlong:
If i wanted a hd game system i play a 360 or ps3. I play the wii for games that only the wii can do . I don't play the wii for state of the art graphics. On side note has this guy ever been right?

This. The audience the Wii is marketed to the most, are the people that aren't that interested in super-HD video games.

Man, this is like a little kid not doing enough research and then just scribbling some stupid and rushed answer to a homework question. I expect more from analysts.

Good luck with that....

Programmed_For_Damage:
I think he needs to keep rubbing his crystal balls.

Or even better, don't make up fairy tales at all.

ChromeAlchemist:

orannis62:
Wait, Nintendo is already in first place, isn't it? Wasn't the issue whether or not Sony would over take Microsoft? How does Nintendo factor in?

I just don't know any more. Pachter is back to talking out of his ass it seems.

Wouldn't that mean he stopped doing that in the first place?