Topic: Wii U in Review (News & Rumor Consolidation)

[Ymeegod]

"Coaxial is still king.  All TV's support it all boxes support it"

No, it's only SD and it's the lowest quality.  You already have an EDTV output (component) and HDTV (HDMI) so you're really only need an HDMI input to enjoy.  The singal comes from an coaxial cable but then cable box uncompresses and removes the encryption from the cable box from there to get 1080P you'll need an HDMI cable or USB 3.0 (which should have enough bandwidth to carry 1080P).

Also, you do realize since E3 nintnedo already posted the specs for the system and neither an coaxial input or output was listed? 

[NWR_insanolord]

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

[Chozo Ghost]

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

I meant: "do they have the willpower to pull this off"? From a technical standpoint I know they could do it in theory, but would they have the WILL necessary to make it happen? Any smoker or obese person has the ability to quit or diet, but not all of them have the willpower and that's why they fail.

The way I look at it, "Capability" is a subset of what you are able to do and what you are willing to do. Nintendo undoubtedly has the able part, but are they also willing?

Another good example I should have used would be the Gamecube's modem thing. Nintendo had no technical problem putting that hardware out there, but they had zero willpower to actually make use of it. Is that coaxial input/output things we are seeing in that picture going to end up just like the Gamecube's network adapter thing? Something that physically exists, yet might as well not exist considering how unused it is.

[NWR_insanolord]

Okay fine, if you change the definition of capable then you're right, they weren't capable.

[Chozo Ghost]

If someone isn't willing to do something it effectively means they are incapable of doing it. It doesn't matter what kind of obstacle prevents you from doing something. Even if its something that exists only in your mind (willpower), then it still makes you unable to do it.

[shingi_70]

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

Wouldn't you consider being able to do something but not doing it. (Mp3s,dvds,blurays) a detriment to the platform.

[NWR_insanolord]

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

Wouldn't you consider being able to do something but not doing it. (Mp3s,dvds,blurays) a detriment to the platform.

Not necessarily. Even in 2006 most people already had more than enough devices that could play DVDs or MP3s, and so it probably wasn't worth the extra cost to include features most people wouldn't use.

[Adrock]

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should or need to.

I get why Nintendo is still holding off on the DVD/Blu Ray playback thing despite their fight to stop the issue of "alone together." If you have a disc in the system, you reduce the chances of someone playing a videogame with the GamePad even with digital downloads.

On a related note, I wonder if you can run Netflix and play a game at the same time.

[Ceric]

"Coaxial is still king.  All TV's support it all boxes support it"

No, it's only SD and it's the lowest quality. 
...

Wrong.  I get full Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and 1080P crystal clear picture from... wait for it... My Coaxial cable connected to my Antenna.

[shingi_70]

I don't think so. Have they announced how much ram the wii u will have andhow much the os relefates to the os.

[nickmitch]

"Coaxial is still king.  All TV's support it all boxes support it"

No, it's only SD and it's the lowest quality. 
...

Wrong.  I get full Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and 1080P crystal clear picture from... wait for it... My Coaxial cable connected to my Antenna.

There aren't any 1080p broadcasts in the US. Either way, coaxial cables can do it. The older cables couldn't because they existed in the past. Newer ones are notably thicker and can do it.

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

Wouldn't you consider being able to do something but not doing it. (Mp3s,dvds,blurays) a detriment to the platform.

Not necessarily. Even in 2006 most people already had more than enough devices that could play DVDs or MP3s, and so it probably wasn't worth the extra cost to include features most people wouldn't use.

The "all-in-one" device still holds a ton of appeal. It may not be needed but it's still a strong selling point.

[NWR_insanolord]

I seriously doubt the Wii having DVD playback would have had any meaningful impact on sales.

[nickmitch]

DVD by itself? Probably not. DVD and Blu-Ray? Quite possibly.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think there are enough people that care about Bluray for it to be worth it. Stuff like Netflix and Hulu are way more important to the average consumer, and they don't require licensing fees to include.

[Chozo Ghost]

Let's not forget Nintendo is the same company that pulled MP3 playback from the Wii, and never allowed DVD playback even though it was a simple feat to pull off. With that both being said, what makes it likely they would be capable of pulling off something like this?

There's a difference between not being capable and being capable but choosing not to do it, and the examples you gave are of the latter.

Wouldn't you consider being able to do something but not doing it. (Mp3s,dvds,blurays) a detriment to the platform.

Not necessarily. Even in 2006 most people already had more than enough devices that could play DVDs or MP3s, and so it probably wasn't worth the extra cost to include features most people wouldn't use.

By the same token, a lot of people today also have cable boxes and DVRs... so doesn't the same logic apply?

[NWR_insanolord]

Probably. The universal remote stuff is cool, and if they can hook up to the cable box to get it to work with that as well it would be neat, but replacing the box or the DVR itself seems unnecessary.

[shingi_70]

Probably. The universal remote stuff is cool, and if they can hook up to the cable box to get it to work with that as well it would be neat, but replacing the box or the DVR itself seems unnecessary.

It may seem that may but for most tech companies its the goal. And there are some benefits on the consumer end aswell.

[Ymeegod]

Ceric there is no 1080P OTA in the US at this time, most likely it's just 720P upscaled by your TV's internal tuner.

[shingi_70]

http://m.kotaku.com/5920676/smartglass-could-make-wii-u-a-better-sports-console-too

No more cartoony madden.

Smartglass and wii will benefit each other tjough the way irs worded makes it seem like wii u is a testong ground for smartglass.

[BlackNMild2k1]

While this seems to be included I dont see it being a bog selling point. Not sure if any of the the cable guys will throw there support behind it. That and it would probably have leaked that nintendo were in talks woth the big guys. Comlare that to microsoft who has been pretty open and have partnerships with Uverse,Fios, comcast, and working on one with time warner already.

You should read the post after the OP
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=37892.msg735614#msg735614 <-- Reply #1
that was rumored a long time ago.

Under Feb 2012:
Nintendo to make Wii U a media centerpiece!?

That a d using thr Wii U as a TV remote has to be one of the dumb but late to the party.

I'm not 100% sure what you were saying there, but it sounded negative towards the idea I'm most excited about. uNiversal gMote.

If Nintendo is finally willing to accept the non-gaming applications of it's technology, then that can only mean great things for those of us that want to use it nor more than gaming. I would love to have more reasons to pick up my wiimotes, such as turning on the TV, changing the channel.... and then what the hell, maybe I'll play a game since the controller is already in my hand.

Nintendo has been trying to find a way to bring gaming into your everyday life, and MS has been trying to find a way to take over the livingroom before Sony realized what they were capable of if they pooled all their resources into one product.
Nintendo may have done both by turning the controller into the centerpiece of your living room.
Now the Wii U is an integral piece of your entertainment center and is used to do everything from watch TV, surf the internet, and play games, together, alone, or alone together.
So where you see "dumb, late to the party", I see ingenious and very forward thinking.

[shingi_70]

I don't mean to sound negative. Its just that I find controlling the the tv with the gamepad kind of odd when they have a remote which is argubly the best possible thing for that. That and more and more yourbeingable to control stuff with your phone that the idea of using a big gamepad doesn't seem as cool. And the living room thing is more about the services avaible and how you acess them.

That and going from voice/touch to just touch seems like a major downgarde.

[Evan_B]

I really do see the Wii U as a "coffee-table device" because it can do so much to interact with the TV and turn it from being a cable receiver into... well, a media center. That Nintendo would kind of take the idea of the television being the central place a family gathers and try to integrate all these functions into their console to emulate that idea... it's a very ingenious concept.

Iwata's Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct really nailed it- with tablets, smartphones, and laptops, you have a lot of portability, but not a lot of connection. But the TV can really be a gateway to connectivity, and Nintendo intends to nail that down. All of their media features- Netflix, Hulu, Internet... it's all an attempt to make the TV into a communication device. Hell, video-chatting with people on the TV screen is probably one of the smartest ideas they came up with- Skype and whatnot may be nice, but being able to have someone up on the TV screen must be very connecting. And you can stream that video to your tablet and pick it up to go.

Nintendo seems to be taking all the elements of a PC and merging them with a game console to truly create a home entertainment system. It could be just as uniting as a family console as it could for individual gamers. Its an attempt to bring something very "high tech" in nature, and interconnectedness of all your house features, to a single device.

[Ceric]

Ceric there is no 1080P OTA in the US at this time, most likely it's just 720P upscaled by your TV's internal tuner.

Nickmitch answered it I put P instead of I.

[shingi_70]

But for the most part all of what you have said with the expection of the tablet (one could argue) the xbox does all of that already and.

 http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=6-fYzpcuYeU
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7y_sXD165w
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AkA8jtN-yNs
 
And there is the possability of gettting a skype app for wii u (though if microsoft was smart they would keep it xbox only)

But having the wii u tablet does bring in new possabilites to the table. Depending on how well the wii u can multitask say I'm playing mario and people come in to use netflix. I switch to netflix and let it play on the tv while I finish mario on the tablet.

[Evan_B]

But for the most part all of what you have said with the expection of the tablet (one could argue) the xbox does all of that already and.

 http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=6-fYzpcuYeU
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D7y_sXD165w
 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AkA8jtN-yNs
 
And there is the possability of gettting a skype app for wii u (though if microsoft was smart they would keep it xbox only)

But having the wii u tablet does bring in new possabilites to the table. Depending on how well the wii u can multitask say I'm playing mario and people come in to use netflix. I switch to netflix and let it play on the tv while I finish mario on the tablet.

I know this, but again, I think it's about multitasking, as you said. And it's also about the Wii name being one that a lot of casual gamers respond to. They may not take advantage of all the possibilities that the xBox or PS3 has to offer, but the friendly OS and image of Nintendo may convince them to do otherwise.