Insert Credit writes: “A source close to Nintendo states that the lack of HD support for the Revolution is a strategic move on Nintendo’s part to force developers to cut costs, avoiding HD-compatible textures that ‘no one will ever see.'”
To the power hungry, Nintendo’s lack of HD support for the Revolution has always been bothersome. But I think this really is the smartest move by Nintendo to cut costs and make games more accessiblee. Expect HD support on Nintendo’s sixth generation console though, ’cause surely HD will be more widely used by 2011.
[Source: Kotaku]
Black Adonis
2011 isn’t that far off. Being the Ninty fanboy that I am, I really hope they’re already putting things in motion for a prompt 2011 release. I am fascinated by the complaints about Nintendo’s lack of HD support. Many households haven’t really taken the big step into HD yet and I find it hard to believe that HD support is really a proven strategy to cornering the home console market. I also have trouble believing that all the whiners own HD sets of their own.
Nicholas Roussos
To me, the HD issue is little different than how Nintendo handled online gameplay. For years, Nintendo said online gaming wasn’t ready for the masses and vice-versa. Now, they are saying it is ready and can be considered to be doing online better than the competition.
Anyway, I expect Nintendo will support HD… in the future when it has a higher acceptance rate among consumers. HD like the next-gen DVD fight just isn’t catching on yet. I’m sure it will but only when this gen of gaming has passed.
Wai-Tung Leung
The thing is right, many of the critics of the lack of HD in Nintendo firstly make the arguement highly US centric as if that was the market place that represented the world when in reality it’s not. HDTV is almost to non existance in the everyday household in Europe when compared to it’s years of penetration in the US market.
The arguements by the critics that it is getting more affordable is flawed in that they do not consider relative deprivation and the meaning of the price has for different people from different social economic backgrounds.
So with that in mind Nintendo is making a wise move to shift it to the console that will succeed Revolution in many years time when HDTV penetration is far higher. In many ways Nintendo’s move not to do a lot for multiplayer for the GameCube had valid reason, since when you compare the launch year of GameCube to 2007, broadband has rocketed in subcribers. The climate was right and the launched a very successful Mario Kart DS game. Maybe they do know what they’re doing, but it’s not as obvious as it first seems.
peshue
I think it’s a good move on their part. They want to target normal people to sell their games to, and most normal people don’t know or care that much about hd-dvd or bluray. At this point I don’t think the benefit of HD media is enough to negate its cost.
battles
The thing that suprises me about the whole HD situation is that nobody has mentioned the fact that the Revolution will support progressive scan. While the resolution of progressive scan is lower than HD, HD tv owners will not be left in the cold – imagine playing Revolution on a 56″, plasma screen, computer monitor ..
Anonymous
They say they are tryiny to pass savings onto the consumers. I doubt this will really happen. Sure, it might save some money on the hardware. But as far as development costs for software, I really doubt we will be seeing Madden 07 for Gamecube costing less than its Xbox360 and PS3 counterparts.l
Rollin
Game prices r up to the publisher. The GameCube version of many EA published games cost less to make and even excluded some stuff and still cost the full 50. Titles exclusive to the Revolution will definitely cost less than another platform’s exclusive.
Anonymous
Compare the price of DS and PSP games.
Now compare the cost of development on PSP (on a par with PS2) to the DS (amazingly, lower than the GBA).
I think Nintendo is onto something here.
David
People like to complain about things they have no right complaining about. A friend of mine was griping that some movie he liked came out on DVD, but it was non-anamorphic widescreen. I said, “Don’t you watch movies on a 17″ CRT hooked up to your computer?” It shouldn’t matter to him at all, but still he complained on and on about “future compatibility”. Now three years later, he’s still watching DVDs on that 17″ CRT.
Rollin
I hear that, Mr Invis.
“compare the cost of development on PSP (on a par with PS2) to the DS (amazingly, lower than the GBA)“
PSP development costs are just under GameCube, which in turn is much cheaper to dev for than PS2. And…DS is lower than GBA?! Since when???
I’ve noticed it’s always the Anons that make the most outlandish claims.
InvisibleMan
‘battles’ has very good point: I dare anyone to show us the difference between progressive scan (which the Xbox had) and HD without spending thousands of dollars in equipment (aside from the price of the console). The GameCube already has several games that support 16 x 9 Enhanced TVs, and most people were not aware of it or took advantage of it, even if their TV had Enhanced mode capability! I’m assuming this from the fact that even in most electronic departments, where they are trying to demo DVD players and consoles, they hook them up to widescreen TVs without changing to enhanced mode, and end up with a “squished” display. Check it out next time you go to Circuit City or Best Buy! Presumably, not even the people who sell the equipment know about these features… So why be so adamant at highlighting HD support as a big advantage? For me, it is a “nice to have”, but I still need to buy an HD TV, and I don’t think that will be necessary for another year or so. And the Revo specs seem good enough.
Anyway, what about the sound? Has anyone heard anything about the Revolutio sound output? Will it support 5.1 surround, like the old Xbox? Now, THAT I could use!
mo
“PSP development costs are just under GameCube, which in turn is much cheaper to dev for than PS2. And…DS is lower than GBA?! Since when???” – rollin
Here you go Einstein, just click on my name.
“I’ve noticed it’s always the Anons that make the most outlandish claims.” – rollin
Don’t assume too much, it makes you look like an ignorant f@cker.
That was me who made that original comment, the comments section is a bit laggy/jerky.
Rollin
Haha, Einstein.
First, that article is talking about 20 studios from Japan, exclusively. Second, i was right about Cube and PSP being close. Third, i merely asked for proof on the DS bit.
It wasn’t an asumption, it was an observation.(One that didn’t pertain to just u; and happens to be very true.) You, though, made the assumption that this article of yours meant that this is what it costs everybody to develop for those systems. The sub-header reads: “In Japan, at least”.
Why don’t u chill out, eh? ^_^