Incremental Wii Upgrades?

Quillion

Quillion

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Absolutely completely speculation on my part, but could Nintendo be attempting to borrow a page from their own book on portable systems?

They're releasing an underpowered system (compared to the competition) and making a profit on Day 1. What if they plan incremental upgrades, much like the GBA to the GBA SP and the DS to the DS Lite? Could we see a more powerful Wii in two years for a similarly low price? Maybe with more internal memory, or an HD upconverter to upconvert existing Wii games? Not making the original Wii obsolete, but overshadowing it?

Without the requisite 5-7 years to make the investment back, they could upgrade this thing every couple years. When HD televisions have a high saturation rate in 2008 for example, they release an upconverting Wii.

Why have a five year lifecycle at all, when you're getting most handheld customers to buy a new one every two or three years? Keep the price low and the product fresh.

Just a thought.
 
People are willing to buy updated handhelds because they are seen as "toys." No one bought the PSTwo if their original PS2 worked properly. Furthermore, few consumers would be willing to shell out another $250+.

If anything expect to see updates to the Wii's firmware via WiiConnect24.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']If anything expect to see updates to the Wii's firmware via WiiConnect24.[/quote]
OH now its a PSP?
 
[quote name='martin8me']OH now its a PSP?[/quote]

In one of the Iwata Wii interviews, a developer said that they can update the Wii OS in the future.
 
Neither the GBASP or DS Lite were more powerful than their predecessors, so those are horrible examples. If they made a more powerful system in a few years it wouldn't be an upgraded Wii, it would just be a completely new system.
 
[quote name='PenguinMaster']Neither the GBASP or DS Lite were more powerful than their predecessors, so those are horrible examples. If they made a more powerful system in a few years it wouldn't be an upgraded Wii, it would just be a completely new system.[/quote]
The only benefit of which would be to run more powerful games. Which then could not run on the previous iteration. So it would be changing it to a two-year console lifecycle, which no one would buy.
 
[quote name='BlaqRenaissance']In one of the Iwata Wii interviews, a developer said that they can update the Wii OS in the future.[/quote]

Cool i think i might totally go buy a Wii! but the thing is........the launch titles SUCK!
 
[quote name='botticus']The only benefit of which would be to run more powerful games. Which then could not run on the previous iteration. So it would be changing it to a two-year console lifecycle, which no one would buy.[/quote]
Many DVD players can upconvert from 480p to 720p or even 1080i. Why couldn't Nintendo make a Wii with that capability?

[quote name='PenguinMaster'] Neither the GBASP or DS Lite were more powerful than their predecessors, so those are horrible examples. If they made a more powerful system in a few years it wouldn't be an upgraded Wii, it would just be a completely new system.[/quote]
I understand that the handhelds are not more powerful, they're relatively minor incremental upgrades in hardware. Smaller, lighter, brighter screen, etc. Why not similar minor incremental upgrades in the Wii? Four gigs of internal memory, ability to upconvert existing Wii games, faster wireless networking, DVD playback, etc.

[quote name='EcoFreak'] People are willing to buy updated handhelds because they are seen as "toys." No one bought the PSTwo if their original PS2 worked properly. Furthermore, few consumers would be willing to shell out another $250+.[/quote]

Nintendo is shooting for the toy image with the Wii. They've gotten millions of people to buy the upgraded DS, why on earth wouldn't they try the same strategy with the Wii?
 
[quote name='Quillion']Absolutely completely speculation on my part, but could Nintendo be attempting to borrow a page from their own book on portable systems?

They're releasing an underpowered system (compared to the competition) and making a profit on Day 1. What if they plan incremental upgrades, much like the GBA to the GBA SP and the DS to the DS Lite? Could we see a more powerful Wii in two years for a similarly low price? Maybe with more internal memory, or an HD upconverter to upconvert existing Wii games? Not making the original Wii obsolete, but overshadowing it?

Without the requisite 5-7 years to make the investment back, they could upgrade this thing every couple years. When HD televisions have a high saturation rate in 2008 for example, they release an upconverting Wii.

Why have a five year lifecycle at all, when you're getting most handheld customers to buy a new one every two or three years? Keep the price low and the product fresh.

Just a thought.[/QUOTE]

Upconverting would be pretty lame, considering most new TVs can do a pretty decent job anyway, and upconverting doesn't make the quality better, it just compensates for errors caused by viewing lower resolution images on fixed pixel display devices/electronics. There wouldn't really be a noticable improvement, if any.

Many DVD players can upconvert from 480p to 720p or even 1080i. Why couldn't Nintendo make a Wii with that capability?
Click to expand...

Cause that's more of a patch for people with TVs with crappy upconversion, it really don't do much for game quality. Upconversion is nothing close compared to actually having a higher rendering resolution.
 
Many DVD players can upconvert from 480p to 720p or even 1080i. Why couldn't Nintendo make a Wii with that capability?
Click to expand...
With current technology, most upscaling devices will lag the image. The end result is you get the sound first, then see the action later. Games require very precise frame rates and audio, otherwise the experience is ruined. Only the newest of the new upscaling chips mitigate the effect, which isnt very many. Also, it isnt a simple "Why cant Nintendo make the Wii upscale a 480p image to 720p".

I understand that the handhelds are not more powerful, they're relatively minor incremental upgrades in hardware. Smaller, lighter, brighter screen, etc. Why not similar minor incremental upgrades in the Wii? Four gigs of internal memory, ability to upconvert existing Wii games, faster wireless networking, DVD playback, etc.
Click to expand...

Since when has any hardware revision ever did anything more than a visual repackaging? Do you realize how such actions could impact their user base?

I imagine the 360 is going to be the first console in history that is going to upgrade their drive (HD-DVD, unconfirmed as of writing, but very likely) in a revision. It has been noted several times though, that no games would be made on a HD-DVD disc, so the point is redundant.

If they did, they would split their user base. That is exactly the reason why such addons usually fail (32X, 64DD, Stellaview, etc.).Hardware revisions limited to cosmetics never impact the gameplay on either system it is played on.
  • Faster wireless networking is redundant, since the Wii is packed with 802.11g
  • 4 GB of internal memory is redundant, since you can buy a 4 GB SD card.
Nintendo is shooting for the toy image with the Wii. They've gotten millions of people to buy the upgraded DS, why on earth wouldn't they try the same strategy with the Wii?
Click to expand...
I see the DS as a sleek machine in the same vein as iPod, the Wii is no different. It doesnt scream "toy", it screams sexy living room center piece.
 
The analogy to the GBA is not valid. The GBA remained identical from the developer's perspective. More games appeared that were hard to play ont he original unlit GBA screen but by and large it was the same platform so far as coding went.

If an upgraded Wii requires developers to support it separately, it is effectively a new platform. A better comparison is the N64 with RAM Expansion Pak installed. To take full advantag eof the added RAM frequently meant the game was markedly lacking without it, if it didn't require it to be played at all. A lot ofdevelopers wouldn't consider supporting it because it represented a far smaller installed base. It wans't until a first party game required it AND was bundled with it that many third parties would even consider its use in their games.

Yet that was an uprade that could added in a few minutes to all existing N64 units. There would be no known way to do a similar upgrade to the Wii. It just wouldn't be of any value until Nintendo was prepared to launch it atheir new lead platform.
 
Changing the Wii's looks, maybe, the core system no. they can just pack it with a SD card in the futurue.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']People are willing to buy updated handhelds because they are seen as "toys." No one bought the PSTwo if their original PS2 worked properly. Furthermore, few consumers would be willing to shell out another $250+.

If anything expect to see updates to the Wii's firmware via WiiConnect24.[/quote]
I can't add too much that hasn't already been stated, but you are wrong about no one buying a PSTwo if their original PS2 worked properly, I know several people who did.

Size and screen were the major factors in the handheld redesigns, but the Wii can't get much smaller, and there is no screen to replace, so a redesign wouldn't make sense. The only "redesign" we are going to see in the future will be the release of different colors, nothing that affects functionality. As far as upconverting, you can spend $60 on the component cable that will give you 480p, but that's as far as it will go.
 
The OP has an interesting point.

The only problem in hardware upgrades is that if later games were to take advantage, people with Wii 1.0 might not be able to play. That is, the upgrades would complicate things.

I'm not putting anything past Nintendo. I think the GBA and DS taught them some new tricks, and I think one of the tricks is that they have a good feel for the hardware improvements gamers are willing to pay for. Stating that "THERE IS NO WAY NINTENDO WOULD DO THIS" ignores the fact they have changed as a company in terms of strategies and R&D while maintaining their ability to run almost every endeavor in the black.
 
[quote name='Xaijin']With current technology, most upscaling devices will lag the image. The end result is you get the sound first, then see the action later. Games require very precise frame rates and audio, otherwise the experience is ruined. Only the newest of the new upscaling chips mitigate the effect, which isnt very many. [/QUOTE]

What? I understand this can be a problem, but I have a Samsung DirecTV HD Tuner that I got used on eBay for $30 (came out like in 2001 I think), and it upconverts video inputs to 720p or 1080i perfectly. It works perfectly for rhythm games, the true test of this balance. Granted, it was a $600 device when it came out, but stuff that old can handle it, I don't think the ability to have audio and video in sync is a new feature.
 
Finally some good feedback!

I wasn't using upconversion as the only possibility, just the first obvious drawback of the console.

Just think about it, by decreasing the size 30%, and including a brighter screen, they managed to get nearly everyone to rebuy the DS. Why couldn't they do something minor and similar? Why wouldn't they try?

Also, we may see a shorter life cycle, why not? The primary reason we're in a five year one now, is that it takes that long to develop a new console and get your return from the prior one. Using slightly outdated technology, Nintendo could release the "Second Generation Wii" In three years, maybe even competing on a level field, or surpassing, the PS3/360. The key is making that profit from day one.

Just speculation.
 
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