The New Console Debates

[Wiseguy]

Thats bogus, why would microsoft do that to the market[while having good sales] if they relesed it now i think it would go the way of the dreamcast,lauched 3 years before and under hyped, a lack of third party devalopment all because [well i think.....] the market was'nt finished with the current generation.

I dunno, I'm inclined to think there is some truth to this rumor.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/04/warner-bros-goes-blu-ray-exclusive/

With blu-ray seemingly on the way to win the "format war" with hd-dvds, Microsoft might be feeling the need to ungrade prematurely to a console supporting full digital distribution (where you download High Definition content directly through the interent). That's my theory, anyway.

 

[knightzy]

but where i live, thats a extra 20 bucks because of blue ray discs,i have a wii and support micosoft over sony,but i think blue ray discs are'nt all great look at the ps3 it is getting killed at it has the best hardware and definiton,i prefer the wii on a hdtv with 480p

 

[Wiseguy]

but where i live, thats a extra 20 bucks because of blue ray discs,i have a wii and support micosoft over sony,but i think blue ray discs are'nt all great look at the ps3 it is getting killed at it has the best hardware and definiton,i prefer the wii on a hdtv with 480p

I don't really care about hd-tv personally but here's what I think it means for the consoles:

Both Sony and Microsoft are banking on using the inevitable upgrade to Hd-Tv to their advantage - much like the ungrade to dvds helped the PS2 earn its installed base. So far (and I think, for the forseeable future) not enough people own or care about hd-tv to make a difference. But four or five years from now? The need to upgrade to High Defintion is definitely going to increase demand for consoles that also happen to be High-Defintition DVD players (ie: the 360 or PS3.)

The problem is that now with Warner Bros only releasing their movies on Blu-ray, Microsoft is left with a HD-DVD player that won't play the vast majority of movies people want to watch. Rather than let Sony take the whole pie for themselves, I fear that Microsoft will kill their console early and upgrade to a newer model with an HD format that can more effectively combat Sony's Blu-ray player.

I'm not saying that it's DEFINITELY going to happen, but its a possibility gamers should consider when buying a 360.

 

[knightzy]

hmmm i guess so but i th8ink there will be a bit of backlash why dose'nt microsft just update the 360 with a blue ay player in it? killing this gen too early will wreck the whole war

 

[Wiseguy]

hmmm i guess so but i th8ink there will be a bit of backlash why dose'nt microsft just update the 360 with a blue ay player in it? killing this gen too early will wreck the whole war

I definitely agree that it would be a very dumb move that would alienate gamers. I hope Microsoft will see reason, but if that rumor about them already making games for their next console is true...

 

[Crimson King]

I thought it was planned to release on the exact same day as Brawl before this change, not three weeks after it.

February 22th WAS the release date according to Kotaku.

And I don't think NMH is that big of a deal to put a sizeable dent in Brawl sales, seein as it's Brawl we're talking about, but I don't see why they wouldn't wait until after Brawl to release it.

The issue isn't NMH hurting Brawl, but Brawl utterly annihilating NMH. When I get two huge games, and one is even slightly more fun, the other game gets ignored.

My take on it is I think they should spend a little time to develop their piss-poor operating system, and stick with online gaming on the PC rather than make yet another console that we all have to buy even though they could have just made them for computer.

Yep, because the most profitable, most widely used, and most versatile operating system is terrible. Christ I hate people with that mindset. Windows has so far been the best operating system as it's easier to find compatible software for. Linux may be open-ended but it's too much work for a lot of people to find decent software for it.

but where i live, thats a extra 20 bucks because of blue ray discs,i have a wii and support micosoft over sony,but i think blue ray discs are'nt all great look at the ps3 it is getting killed at it has the best hardware and definiton,i prefer the wii on a hdtv with 480p

Blu-Ray already smashed HD DVD with another two major studios going Blu-Ray only. The PS3 was declared the best Blu-Ray player on the market right now. Main reason? It upscales all Standard DVDs to 1080p which is exactly why you'd buy Blu-Ray. Trust me, HD is the future, not Enhanced TV (480p).

I don't really care about hd-tv personally but here's what I think it means for the consoles:

Both Sony and Microsoft are banking on using the inevitable ungrade to Hd-Tv to their advantage - much like the ungrade to dvds helped the PS2 earn its installed base. So far (and I think, for the forseeable future) not enough people own or care about hd-tv to make a difference. But four or five years from now? The need to ungrade to High Defintion is definitely going to increase demand for consoles that also happen to be High-Defintition DVD players (ie: the 360 or PS3.)

The problem is that now with Warner Bros only releasing their movies on Blu-ray, Microsoft is left with a HD-DVD player that won't play the vast majority of movies people want to watch. Rather than let Sony take the whole pie for themselves, I fear that Microsoft will kill their console early and upgrade to a newer model with an HD format that can more effectively combat Sony's Blu-ray player.

I'm not saying that it's DEFINITELY going to happen, but its a possibility gamers should consider when buying a 360.

For the love of god: it's UPGRADE!

 

[Wiseguy]

For the love of god: it's UPGRADE!

You mean a new 360 model that supports a format other than HD-TV? That would be a smart solution. Upgrading to an entirely new system when the one they have now is so popular would be pretty dumb.

That rumor on 1up I linked to points to the later, but of course it's just a rumor. I'm just throwing a theory out there for why it could possibly be accurate.

 

[knightzy]

they could not just be doing it for that how about kicks as well?? stirr it up? microsoft has billions of dollers at it's disposol here remember.

 

[Wiseguy]

they could not just be doing it for that how about kicks as well?? stirr it up? microsoft has billions of dollers at it's disposol here remember.

Care to rephrase that?

 

[knightzy]

to show people that they can throw there weight around and a shift into a new gen would put pressure on sony and nintnedo to keep up and develop new software

 

[RDK]

to show people that they can throw there weight around and a shift into a new gen would put pressure on sony and nintnedo to keep up and develop new software

I'm actually somewhat thankful for that. I'm inclined to think that if Microsoft and Sony didn't do such bang-up jobs with online gaming, then Nintendo would have no reason to even foray into online. Friend Codes do take it up the ***, but it's better than nothing.

Also, competing console companies in the gaming market make it so one developer doesn't monopolize the industry and become complacent with making crap games.

 

[knightzy]

suppose so freind codes are for the little kiddies so they don't get stalked by bad guys so there is a reasons for these things, crap games you say that sounds like sonic team at the moment.

 

[Crimson King]

You mean a new 360 model that supports a format other than HD-TV? That would be a smart solution. Upgrading to an entirely new system when the one they have now is so popular would be pretty dumb.

That rumor on 1up I linked to points to the later, but of course it's just a rumor. I'm just throwing a theory out there for why it could possibly be accurate.

No, I meant the entire post you spelled "upgrade" as "ungrade" which seemed quite intentional after the 4 time.

 

[Red Exodus]

Putting in FCs is such a pain, my arms got tired from reaching up over my couch because I can't be bothered to run back and forth from my couch to my computer desk. Really, what was nintendo thinking? Putting it in was cool for the first 3 minutes but after that it turned into a chore that I just wanted to come to an end.

I'm also wondering when Nintendo will support hard drives, it's help them out a lot of in terms of worrying about how much space downloads take up.

 

[knightzy]

maybe but the wii can take sd i think it could take a flash drive for the usb port.

 

[knightzy]

maybe insted of killing the 360 how about a add on for it with a blue-ray player on it?

 

[Wiseguy]

No, I meant the entire post you spelled "upgrade" as "ungrade" which seemed quite intentional after the 4 time.

No, not deliberate. I just suck at the English language. Which is bad, because its the only one I know.

Putting in FCs is such a pain, my arms got tired from reaching up over my couch because I can't be bothered to run back and forth from my couch to my computer desk. Really, what was nintendo thinking? Putting it in was cool for the first 3 minutes but after that it turned into a chore that I just wanted to come to an end.

One high tech solution might be to write down all the friend codes on what we tech heads call a "piece of paper" and then take that to your couch where you can input your friend codes.

But what do I know? I've yet to suffer through the mind numbing, exhausting, soul crushing hell of having to input an 8-digit number into my Wii.

I'm also wondering when Nintendo will support hard drives, it's help them out a lot of in terms of worrying about how much space downloads take up.

It's yet to be a problem for me, since I still have plenty of memory space after downloading 21 Virtual Console games. I'll probably wind up getting a SD card for added space as well, if only to store my Brawl maps.

 

[RDK]

I'm also wondering when Nintendo will support hard drives, it's help them out a lot of in terms of worrying about how much space downloads take up.

That's what soft mods are for.

One high tech solution might be to write down all the friend codes on what we tech heads call a "piece of paper" and then take that to your couch where you can input your friend codes.

But what do I know? I've yet to suffer through the mind numbing, exhausting, soul crushing hell of having to input an 8-digit number into my Wii.

He DOES have a point, though. It's tedious to keep all my Friend Codes in a Word doccument and have to refer back to it every time someone gives me theirs.

 

[Wiseguy]

He DOES have a point, though. It's tedious to keep all my Friend Codes in a Word doccument and have to refer back to it every time someone gives me theirs.

It's a slight hassel, sure. But you only have to do it once for each friend. After that, you can play with them much as you want with zero hassel. Maybe I'm crazy, but FCs seems a small price to pay for the ability to play Brawl in a free and safe online enviornment.

 

[blazer787]

but wich is easier to remember, 8-16 digit codes for every game or
b) Kong14 or blazer787☻☻

 

[Crimson King]

Yea, I agree with the general consensus that Friend codes are a horrible idea. I laughed when I saw them on the DS, but figured it was just a test, and I was quite depressed when I saw it on the Wii.

 

[lonejedi]

Yea, I agree with the general consensus that Friend codes are a horrible idea. I laughed when I saw them on the DS, but figured it was just a test, and I was quite depressed when I saw it on the Wii.

I agree, I thought for sure they were just going to use Wii codes which would be the same for everygame. I guess Nintendo needs to work on somethings. Im confident that Nintendo will learn from EA on how to run online. MoH has no friend codes, and playing online is very easy.

 

[Wiseguy]

I agree that friend codes are a nuisance, but I think people exagerate how much of a problem they are. I sort of see them as a necessary evil (protect kids from predators, yadda yadda.) I see the lack of a headset as a much bigger concern.

 

[blazer787]

I agree that friend codes are a nuisance, but I think people exagerate how much of a problem they are. I sort of see them as a necessary evil (protect kids from predators, yadda yadda.) I see the lack of a headset as a much bigger concern.

so instead of seeing a fake gamer name and playing a game with no comunication or way to play again, we got friend codes to "save the inocent"

 

[Red Exodus]

FCs are worse than people say, it takes forever for two people to get connected, I did it yesterday and it took about 30 minutes, I spent another hour trying to get my Metroid friend vouchers from someone.

I'd have to say the worse thing is that FCs are impossible to memorize, so when someone asks you for your FC you either have to turn on your Wii or hope you have it down somewhere like on the 'Wii:' section under your avatar like on this site.

I'm pretty sure on PSN and XBL all you have to do is tell someone 'my GT is Red X or my PSN name is Red X'. I thought FCs weren't as bad as they say but I was wrong.

Yeah, yeah I sound like I'm whining but this is my personal experience.

 

[Wiseguy]

so instead of seeing a fake gamer name and playing a game with no comunication or way to play again, we got friend codes to "save the inocent"

Stupid innocent. I hate them sooo much...

Yes, XBL is much more user friendly. Yes, it is a pain to trade friend codes. But after you and your friends have jumped through those hoops, you never have to do it again - you can simply see which of your frinds are online and jump into a match with them.

FCs are worse than people say, it takes forever for two people to get connected, I did it yesterday and it took about 30 minutes, I spent another hour trying to get my Metroid friend vouchers from someone.

I'd have to say the worse thing is that FCs are impossible to memorize, so when someone asks you for your FC you either have to turn on your Wii or hope you have it down somewhere like on the 'Wii:' section under your avatar like on this site.

I'm pretty sure on PSN and XBL all you have to do is tell someone 'my GT is Red X or my PSN name is Red X'. I thought FCs weren't as bad as they say but I was wrong.

Yeah, yeah I sound like I'm whining but this is my personal experience.

I see where you're coming from, and I definitely agree that FCs are worse than gamer tags for the likes of you and I. But with sites like Wifiwars.com springing up, its getting easier to find people to play with. And since the actual enjoyment of playing your game isn't impacted once you've imput those bothersome digits, it's managable.

 

[greenblob]

I wouldn't mind FCs so much if people were online when I am. With FCs, I often have to schedule a match days beforehand.

Their security argument is invalid. What's wrong with a system similar to the one we have for MoH:H2?

 

[greenblob]

Ugh.. Sorry about the double post.

 

[blazer787]

Stupid innocent. I hate them sooo much...

Yes, XBL is much more user friendly. Yes, it is a pain to trade friend codes. But after you and your friends have jumped through those hoops, you never have to do it again - you can simply see which of your frinds are online and jump into a match with them.

but you can't see what there playing, who there playing with, invite them to games, chat, message, ect.

 

[Wiseguy]

I wouldn't mind FCs so much if people were online when I am. With FCs, I often have to schedule a match days beforehand.

Their security argument is invalid. What's wrong with a system similar to the one we have for MoH:H2?

How exactly does MoH's system work? I've heard good things...

but you can't see what there playing, who there playing with, invite them to games, chat, message, ect.

No, but that's not the fault of friend codes is it? That's just Microsoft having a superior online enviornment.

 

[lonejedi]

so instead of seeing a fake gamer name and playing a game with no comunication or way to play again, we got friend codes to "save the inocent"

Im going to ask a general question here blazer, do you even own a wii, much less played many games for the Wii? Everything you say is just rehashed complaints that everyone says. Obviously Nintendo needs to get a head set, and they are prob close to releasing info on one. Thats what I think anyway.

 

[knightzy]

pretty much lonejedi,I'll say they will release it with a game like they did with d/p for ds,i think it could be with mario kart at this time

 

[greenblob]

How exactly does MoH's system work? I've heard good things...



No, but that's not the fault of friend codes is it? That's just Microsoft having a superior online enviornment.

It's basically the lobby system without chat.

 

[Wiseguy]

Im going to ask a general question here blazer, do you even own a wii, much less played many games for the Wii? Everything you say is just rehashed complaints that everyone says. Obviously Nintendo needs to get a head set, and they are prob close to releasing info on one. Thats what I think anyway.

I think Reggie mentioned recently that there is one in the works, but they are still deciding on a periferal. I heard Youko mention it on the SMYN podcast.

It's basically the lobby system without chat.

That does sound easier. How do you find other people online, if not with friendcodes?

 

[Reno>]

Quote:
Originally Posted by greenblob
Wii Fit will be big in that it will be the next Wii Sports.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crimson King
A series of shallow mini-games that really is nothing more than a tech demo?

Whammy


Quote:
Originally Posted by blazer787
sad thing is, those make up about 3/5 of the wii's library

Zing


Quote:
Originally Posted by greenblob
Even sadder is that it'll probably be one of the most successful games on the Wii.

Ba dum cha

That guy had a great point, we should reflect more on how true these statements are in regard to the current state of the Wii.

thanks for the post you opened my eyes, bro.

 

[Wiseguy]

Why do people hate Wii Fit? Watch these trailers and try telling me it isn't pretty neat.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28886.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28373.html

 

[OnyxVulpine]

Heres a question... I got mixed information so I would like to ask here.

Well first my 360 got a Red Ring of Death.. and our DVD player is broken, all we have left is our PS2 which plays DVDs pretty badly.

So do PS3s upconvert DVDs? And do 360s?

I know the 360 looks a lot better than the PS2. And since Bluray and stuff me n my bro were thinking about getting a ps3 just for the heck of it and use it in case our 360 dies again as well a Bluray playback :D

-Onyx

 

[blazer787]

i think so

 

[Crimson King]

Heres a question... I got mixed information so I would like to ask here.

Well first my 360 got a Red Ring of Death.. and our DVD player is broken, all we have left is our PS2 which plays DVDs pretty badly.

So do PS3s upconvert DVDs? And do 360s?

I know the 360 looks a lot better than the PS2. And since Bluray and stuff me n my bro were thinking about getting a ps3 just for the heck of it and use it in case our 360 dies again as well a Bluray playback :D

-Onyx

Yes, PS3 upconverts all the way to 1080p and the quality is quite good. If you are going based off media capability, go with PS3. Over the last 2 weeks, HD-DVD has lost support from WB, Paramount, Universal, and New Line Cinema. HD-DVD is dead in the water, and the PS3 was ranked the best Blu-Ray player on the market based on price and quality of video. Not too shabby. But, I have yet to get a Blu-Ray DVD as since normal DVDs upconverts I have no reason to spend the extra 10-20 bucks.

 

[Cashed]

Not to turn this into a format war discussion, but Paramount stated that they are staying true to their HD-DVD exclusivity and Universal has to remain exclusive until at least May, when their exclusive agreement is up, which they may or may not renew.

But yes, Warner Brother's announcement was the turning point, HD-DVD is going to die now. Go ahead and get a Blu-Ray player.