HD Wii - Is It Coming? Depends Who You Ask

I don't know if this would be possible. But couldn't they make a small device that can upscale the current Wii signal to an HD signal? Like a VGA Box only diffirent.

Of course the next Nintendo console will be HD. The question more or less is, when this console will arrive (probably not in the next two or three years, the Wii is still very healthy) and wether this will be a Wii successor or an entirely new idea.

LOL. That's hilarious. If you want HD, get an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. They take better advantage of it anyway.

I don't think "moving to HD appears to me a natural flow" and "there is no Wii HD" contradict each other. Nintendo would have to be pretty close minded to think that they will never have to go HD and there is a very, very good chance that their next console will be HD.

There was another bit said about HD consoles. Miyamoto said something along the lines of "HD is generally a better thing but some HD content is simply upscaled from lower resolutions. I don't think that's better. Also, for a game like Wii Fit there is no reason for a HD console but on the other hand it makes sense for a game like Pikmin". If I was going to read into this then maybe Nintendo plan on keeping the Wii around for a while but are going to add a "second console" (like they did with the DS) that does HD but is backwards compatible with the Wii. The Wii will stay for casual games and the other console will be for the games that "need" higher specs and HD..... it wouldn't be the first time.

There was also a lot of talk (from Iwata I think) about how they are aware that developers want more from their system. They also talked about how making life easier for developers is one of their primary concerns when developing hardware (that was where Iwata reluctantly used the N64 as an example of bad design). The two don't necessarily intersect but they are fairly close. Read into that however you want!

@story
take note that nobody said WiiHD

I agree with skywake.

HOWEVER, Reggie does have a track record for strongly denying things that happened not all that long thereafter, yes? Plus, it's quite possible he has no idea what's going on behind closed doors in Japan. He only needs to worry about what they tell him.

So basically, I don't think his statement in any way disproves the info from the Nintendo meeting, but the meeting info does in no way confirm a simple HD Wii to be coming. Which makes this news piece worth very little, really.

hmmm maybe Nintendo's next system is 3D or they could jump over it and head onto 3D, with HD capabilities

We have an HDTV, but when viewed on a 720p 26" television screen from all the way across the living room, the difference is not noticeable at all. We've yet to invest in BluRay for that exact same reason. And on some occasions, blocking artifacts on HD broadcasts that sometimes occur when there's a high amount of ambient motion onscreen (fireball type explosions that fill up the whole screen yield an excellent example of this) looks plain horrible, like the blockiness of a Jpeg that's been saved at 10% quality factor.

Reggie is probably talking about the fact that Nintendo is going to release an HD version of the Wii, while NOJ is talking about using HD in a future console.

Reggie denies everything until the day before it happens.

He's talking out of his rear.

Nintendo said future Consoles, they didn't say Wii. Wii games aren't made in HD. I suppose it would be like upscaling them but its not going to happen.

OMG, Reggie denying things...I think that's all he knows how to do at this point.

I see Nintendo releasing a version of a Wii that upscales to HD and outputs HD made games.
Doing so wouldn't cut out the audience that probably won't buy another system when it comes around to that time.

This is the stupid spot Nintendo put itself. Most of the people that bought a Wii aren't core gamers, and therefor don't give a %^&* about a new system when this one is fine for them. So they have to release a system with at least backwards compatibility.
I just picture a Wii with HD output and prays a bigger flash memory the next logical progression for Nintendo.

Until now I thought Wii HD was a reasonably commonplace name for the Wii follow-up, hence the article. I guess not, though.

mjc - care to show the other inaccurate news stories? I'd be interested to read them.

WII. That's what I'm hoping for. II means 2 in roman numbers, and the title being all upper-case could indicate the high resolution... Or something. WII sounds epic though, doesn't it? "But wouldn't that be confusing, when you oogle etc.?" Nope, because only the logo would look like that, the actual name would be W2!
What do you think, people?

I think an upscaling Wii would make sense as a quick next step... but only if there is a way to transfer our WiiWare purchases and games saves to the new console. Without that, they might as well produce an entirely new, and NOT backward compatible console, because backward compatibility will be somewhat irrelevant if we can't move our WiiWare and saves.

Seriously guys, there will be no upgrade of the current Wii to HD. There would be too many compatibility issues with the existing titles from a technical point of view.

The next console will be HD but it will not be a Wii. It will also not come out when the idiot Pachter claims the WiiHD will come. Contradiction: RESOLVED!

Seriously guys, there will be no upgrade of the current Wii to HD. There would be too many compatibility issues with the existing titles from a technical point of view.

Are you sure about that?
There is already an emulator, that can turn the actual titles to better resolution (for now only Super Mario Galaxy). Here is a picture:

More info:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3175080
http://www.cubed3.com/news/12669

So, the games are already HD, only the hardware is weak in the Wii.

They were talking abouty the next console. Not the wii.

Honestly, this Wii HD is getting annoying. Why HD would make a game better? Pretty, maybe but not better. .Besides they have already said in that same conference that they will focus in more software and the WM+.

i don't understand why everyone cares about hd so much do we must see very muscle on the hero or nosehairs and backgrounds that look more real really the next true evo for games is 3d that looks real. and everyone keeps forgetting that nintendo has never cared about being in top graphics but care about good games and they always give that

@opeter
I am very much sure of that. The PC emulator requires multiple times the processor and graphical power on the Wii to be able to run some of the games decently at a higher resolution. If Nintendo took that approach they would have design highly powerful and expensive technology to emulate it.

Remember, the Wii is already a GameCube that has been stretched to it's limits. So pushing it any further would mean totally new hardware, and you'll get that in time, just not as a upgrade to the current Wii.

for great games, graphics don't matter as much, but for the mediocre and average games, graphics can go a long way towards better immersion.
I recently finished Cursed Mountain, and it really would have benefited from stronger visuals.
It's also frustrating that late gen ps2 and cube games can look better than wii games.

If the Wii was in HD, then we'll be able to see the Wii games in 720p.

The next system will be called: Virtual Super Wii 64 DS LX Boy HD

@StrikerJ: you forgot "Entertainment Cube" at the end.

Honestly I don't believe Reggie. Nintendo is back in the position they were in with N64 being cartage and rest of the industry was with CDs, as well as GC being mini disc and very little networking capabilities when the rest of the industry were with DVD and full networking (online playability). HD is the only place they can go, especially with more and more households having HDTV in their house.

I have to kind of agree with the complaints here, that it's a little disconcerting to see such a gossipy piece on NL here. I don't care, really, but it's clear from their words that the guys at N are just talking generally about research and possible future console directions while Reggie is specifically addressing rumors about an HD upgrade to the current Wii.
I see no contradictions here! Take this penalty! * bam*

I sent them an e-mail once about tons of things and mentioning a bit about that i heard of the wii HD, and they said they had no idea what i was talking about...

They gotta wait for the next step (3D?) before going HD, so they can be one step behind again.

@32: I lol'd.

I think that the HD Wii isn't necessary to be honest. People who buy a Wii, including myself, aren't expecting graphics, we buy Nintendo for the gameplay they cherish... Now, I'm in the debate whether to get a 360 or PS3...any help?

@Viral: PS3 Slim. 360 crashes and they charge you for online connectivity... A PS3 is 3rd on my wish list! After loads of Nintendo games and money for a Macintosh... So yeah, it's gonna take a while for me... But you go buy one!

@Prosody: Well, I think Reggie meant it in the way most people here are reacting to it, with the "Wii HD" being an incrimental upgrade. "Wii HD" is also one of the terms sometimes associated with the theoretical next Nintendo console, but the lines between the two seem to be extremely blurred right now.

@Ren: Love the Ace Attorney reference.

@Viral: PS3, no question. For the reasons RyuZebian mentioned, plus it just has better exclusive software (obviously, this is matter of opinion...at the very least it has MORE exclusive software coming up).

I hope there's a Wii HD. Maybe I would play it.

I love the picture of the guy, it looks like he got busted. Like someone found a pair of panties in his glove compartment.

Nintendo's going to need more than a Wii HD at this point. They should just market two home consoles; one for casuals and one for real gamers, with HD, and some processors that can keep up with the PS3 and 360. I mean, it's not like most Nintendo teams will support 'em, but at least their Mario and Zelda guys can actually push themselves. And they could keep all their experimental, fun-but-ugly casual-focused titles on the Wii, and all the interesting, content rich, gorgeous action-adventures on this newer system. That way they could keep earning money from their Wii Sports crap-a-thons and use all that money to keep funding games like Mario Galaxy:)