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Nintendo May Consider A 3D Wii Console
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - by Ray Willington
Is it really any surprise? It shouldn't be. 3D is going mainstream,
and that means entering product segments that it hasn't entered
before. Like gaming. Sony was the first major gaming company to
confess that they would be producing 3D titles and supporting 3D
playback via the PlayStation 3, and now Nintendo seems to be following
suit. The company recently showcased a new 3D version of the popular
DS gaming handheld (the 3DS), but taking 3D to the portable sector may
not be enough.
If 3D truly takes off, and worldwide 3D TV adoption soars along with
the demand for watching 3D content in the home, Nintendo may feel the
need to produce a 3D home gaming console. What's unique is that
Nintendo has been completely dismissive of any talks of a Wii 2, or a
Wii HD. The Wii has continued to sell well since its launch, so
there's been no immediate need to think about an upgrade or a
replacement. The only notable change we have seen to the Wii since it
was launched in 2006 is the addition of a black color model and the
Wii MotionPlus controller add-on. No "slimmer" console, no "upgraded"
console, none of that.
So, why would Nintendo suddenly take seriously the thought of a 3D
Wii? It's hard to say. The company has long since ignored the demand
for a true HD gaming system; while the Wii does support component
inputs, there's no 1080i game support at all, and the CPU/GPU is far
too weak to push the same level of graphics as those seen on the PS3
and Xbox 360. So if they've managed to ignore that demand for so long,
why even pay attention to 3D, which has yet to prove itself as a
viable market path yet?
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata was recently quoted from talks at E3,
shedding a bit of light on those very questions: "If you display a 3D
image, the image quality becomes extremely bad, so we'd probably do it
with the next system. We're thinking that the timing should be once
the 3D television adoption rates crosses the 30% mark. We're looking
at the adoption trends. In 3D, it's easier to get a sense for
position. In a game where the stages extend into the screen, it's
surprisingly easier to control [compared to non 3D]. This is
functionality for making games more pleasant to play, not just for
show. It allows us to realize images that are close to what you see in
your daily life. In the future, 3D will become the mainstream of
gaming."
And remember, this is from the CEO. It's clear that he views 3D as a
good opportunity, but it's difficult to say why he doesn't view true
HD gaming the same way. It's possible that Nintendo is simply happy
catering to their market, which generally doesn't include "hardcore
gamers," and he feels that 3D can benefit both hardcore gamers as well
as the casual gamers that buy so many Nintendo products. Will the 3D
Wii come before the HD Wii? Time will tell.
http://hothardware.com/News/Nintendo-May-Consider-A-3D-Wii-Console/
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - by Ray Willington
Is it really any surprise? It shouldn't be. 3D is going mainstream,
and that means entering product segments that it hasn't entered
before. Like gaming. Sony was the first major gaming company to
confess that they would be producing 3D titles and supporting 3D
playback via the PlayStation 3, and now Nintendo seems to be following
suit. The company recently showcased a new 3D version of the popular
DS gaming handheld (the 3DS), but taking 3D to the portable sector may
not be enough.
If 3D truly takes off, and worldwide 3D TV adoption soars along with
the demand for watching 3D content in the home, Nintendo may feel the
need to produce a 3D home gaming console. What's unique is that
Nintendo has been completely dismissive of any talks of a Wii 2, or a
Wii HD. The Wii has continued to sell well since its launch, so
there's been no immediate need to think about an upgrade or a
replacement. The only notable change we have seen to the Wii since it
was launched in 2006 is the addition of a black color model and the
Wii MotionPlus controller add-on. No "slimmer" console, no "upgraded"
console, none of that.
So, why would Nintendo suddenly take seriously the thought of a 3D
Wii? It's hard to say. The company has long since ignored the demand
for a true HD gaming system; while the Wii does support component
inputs, there's no 1080i game support at all, and the CPU/GPU is far
too weak to push the same level of graphics as those seen on the PS3
and Xbox 360. So if they've managed to ignore that demand for so long,
why even pay attention to 3D, which has yet to prove itself as a
viable market path yet?
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata was recently quoted from talks at E3,
shedding a bit of light on those very questions: "If you display a 3D
image, the image quality becomes extremely bad, so we'd probably do it
with the next system. We're thinking that the timing should be once
the 3D television adoption rates crosses the 30% mark. We're looking
at the adoption trends. In 3D, it's easier to get a sense for
position. In a game where the stages extend into the screen, it's
surprisingly easier to control [compared to non 3D]. This is
functionality for making games more pleasant to play, not just for
show. It allows us to realize images that are close to what you see in
your daily life. In the future, 3D will become the mainstream of
gaming."
And remember, this is from the CEO. It's clear that he views 3D as a
good opportunity, but it's difficult to say why he doesn't view true
HD gaming the same way. It's possible that Nintendo is simply happy
catering to their market, which generally doesn't include "hardcore
gamers," and he feels that 3D can benefit both hardcore gamers as well
as the casual gamers that buy so many Nintendo products. Will the 3D
Wii come before the HD Wii? Time will tell.
http://hothardware.com/News/Nintendo-May-Consider-A-3D-Wii-Console/