Wiil Wii Sii DVD On The Wii?
History shows that Nintendo has never suffered from its consistent failure to pony up the latest technology in any of its systems: the N64 was loving cartridges while the PSOne was spinning CDs; the PS2 and Xbox sported DVD playback, but the Gamecube eschewed it as a trivial feature for a console; and the DS lacked the PSP’s aggressive multimedia capabilities, but that didn’t stop it from soaring high while the cumbersome but fully-loaded PSP tanked. Even the Wii doesn’t clue in with DVD playback, a feature that at this point comes standard on just about everything but raffia chianti bottles. Nowadays, DVD support is hardly the selling point it was in the last console generation – Sony and Microsoft have moved on to a bigger and higher-definition pissing contest. Given the Wii’s “appeal to everyone” angle, it’s still surprising that they don’t include the simple ability to play movies, especially given that they are now two moves behind the big boys; but this attitude has helped Nintendo in the past, so who can say.
Engadget reports a rumor that Nintendo is planning a 2007 release of a premium Wii console in Japan that finally offers up DVD playback. That’s great, I guess – you should be able to play a DVD on any piece of equipment that takes the standard DVD/CD disc, but it’s disheartening to hear even a rumor that yet another next-gen console might be launched with a less than full roster of talents, only to be followed by an “upgrade” a year or so later. What do we think?
tiny dancer
Posted to Video Games on 30 October 2006
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: dvd, nintendo, wii
I think the lack of DVD playback at this point in time is just ridiculous. I doubt it would cost that much more to include it and I’m sure that some people would appreciate having it in their console.
The Wii interface and the Wiimote would’ve lent itself very well to video playback.
I’d like an add-on, just because I usually have 1 console device plugged into a “game machine”. Then, when the kids want to watch “Balto: The Wolf that Should Die because he’s annoying” or “Mary Poppins 14: Choke on that spoonful of sugar already”, I can do so. Or when I plug the console into the TV in my bedroom with my wife. Sometimes I just want to sit back and play some FF, sometimes my wife and I want to watch “Underworld Evolution” and slo-mo Kate Beckensale in her hot leather one piece outfit.
I don’t want an add-on. I’m sick of add-ons. Computers are for add-ons, not consoles.
Agreed. NO Add-ons. The 360’s wifi add is already a pain. gamecube had a version that played DVD’s didnt it? This will probably be a Jap-only thing. They are already selling a 79 dollar system on a premium price, amazing how little it would have cost them to include dvd playback with 480p output.
Hmm this Next / New Gen war is interesting. All new systems look great on paper, but, just like the 360, I have the feeling they will prove to be disapointing… Fingers crossed..
I’m pretty sure the ability to play DVD’s is something they can add with a firmware update. Of course, since I’ll actually be plugging it INTO my DVD player to display it on my old-ass TV, it’s really kind of a moot point for me.
Incidentally, the Gamecube with DVD playback was called the Panasonic Q. No one bought it. So much for DVD playback being the killer feature. See also: the Sony PSX, which combined a PS2 with a Tivo type of thing. Most people (read: not Sony fans) just couldn’t care less about playing video games on their DVD players or movies on their consoles.
I am Wiilly in love with the title! Anyway, although it would be nice to have a DVD feature, I think that is where Nintendo really shows its greatness. I mean, really. If the PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, and Xbox 360 really need the DVD feature just to have more sales, than we all know that Nintendo will do better, if not, just as good as the other consoles. Nintendo has succeded in the past, and they will overcome this time around too.