There is no doubt the Wii’s little 730Mhz processor and 243MHz GPU can’t fully render high definition lighting, textures, models, or resolutions. It’s just how Nintendo viewed the market when building the hardware before 2006. Big N research and development believed that the home console market users didn’t own/use a high definition display. However, coming up on the Wii’s third birthday it’s clear that a very large percentage of the electronics market have adopted higher resolutions into their homes.
Satoru Iwata commented on the increased HD market and what it means for the Wii.
If we have an opportunity to make a new console, it will probably support HD because it is now common throughout the world. However, as far as the Wii is concerned, we have not found a significant reason to make it HD-compatible at this time. What is the significant meaning to the users? I don’t think we should do it unless we find that reason. If we decide for other reasons to make new hardware, then HD is one of the things we would naturally add.
Do we as users find HD capable visuals meaningless? I think not. Just look at Sony and Microsoft’s newly announced camera tracking controls. The hardware operating in those rival consoles are able to handle more advanced motion tracking, physics engines, scanning, and more. You may not need mind-blowing amounts of HD visuals to have a fun gaming experience, but stronger hardware that can handle stronger design tools can equal a much more enjoyable experience.
Will the Nintendo’s next home console support high definition output? Probably. Does Nintendo see HD as a valuable tool for the current Wii system? No. Will this stubborn attitude towards new and helpful technology endure? Always.
Thoughts? Comment below.
