A Nintendo HD Console is finally Coming
I haven't played a Nintendo gaming system in a long time. I have a Wii, but my kids are the ones that play it. I'm surprised that it's taken Nintendo this long to developed an HD console, but it looks like it's finally going to happen.
According to multiple inside sources Nintendo will unveil their new HD console at E3 this year, possibly even sooner. According to Game Informer "this new home system is capable of running games at HD resolutions. There are conflicting reports, however, as to whether its graphics will be comparable to those on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – meaning it could surpass or fall short of those systems. Either way it will offer competitive specifications."
Is it possible that Nintendo will actually have games that will look good? It's hard to believe it will be better than Xbox360 or Playstation 3. From what I've noticed Nintendo is currently working at a little above Playstation 2 graphics on the Wii. Who knows though, maybe Nintendo will surprise the hell out of us. An anonymous source went on to say that, "Nintendo is doing this one right. [It's] not a gimmick like the Wii."
So what does that even mean? Beyond better graphics what else will they will unleash with the new HD console? What kind of controls will the system support and what level of software and infrastructure will Nintendo provide for online gaming? There's still a lot unknown, but it seems like they are taking Nintendo in the right direction. This will be more than just a HD Wii system.
Moving to HD will only help Nintendo in getting in on some more multi-platform action, adding more triple-A titles like Portal 2 or Mortal Kombat to their games. This will help strengthen Nintendo's poor relationship with the third-party publishers/developers. Apparently they are already showing off the new system to publishers to help get them interested and "allow them plenty of time to start developing titles in anticipation of the system's reported late 2012 launch." Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently admitted that they need to do a better job with its publishing partners saying,
We need to decrease the concern that only Nintendo software can sell well on Nintendo platforms and third-party software cannot sell in the same volume. We feel a need to have closer ties with our third-party developers from the beginning.
I would love to see nintedo create something that will blow gamers away, but it's been such a long time, and the brand name isn't as popular as it used to be in the 80's and 90's. The report also says that "Nintendo is trying to embrace the western gamer and will likely launch a new brand with this console." So that should help.
Nintendo has yet to confirm any of this so it's all rumor and speculation for now. Of course these rumors and speculation make complete sense. Wii sales are also down, so this new HD system is very much needed to ensure Nintendo's survival. I guess we'll find out what happens when E3 rolls around this summer.
What do you al think about this new Nintendo HD gaming system?