Wii HD Could Crush PS3 Comeback, Says Pachter

[Keane Ng]

Wii HD Could Crush PS3 Comeback, Says Pachter

Though Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has predicted that Sony will push ahead of Microsoft in five years' time, that's not going to happen, he thinks, if Nintendo puts out an HD-enabled version of the Wii.

Games industry Nostradamus Michael Pachter has some more fortune telling to do. Last time we checked in with Pachter he was predicting that the PS3 would steal second place [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92788-Analyst-Sony-Will-Take-Second-by-2015] in the console race from Microsoft by 2015, but now he's adding a disclaimer to that crystal ball vision. If Nintendo puts out an HD-capable upgrade to the Wii, he says, it could undermine the PS3's chances for a comeback.

"In our view, if Nintendo can offer such a device by year-end 2010, it will be in a position to seriously damage Sony's chances of a comeback this cycle," he said. So sure is Pachter of this that he's even coined his own word for this magical money printing box: the Wii Plus HD. "We would expect publishers to support such a move, given that the cost of porting an Xbox 360 game to the new Wii Plus HD format would likely be lower than the cost of building a ground up Wii game (we estimate under $5 million)."

With its cost-effectiveness and established popularity, the Wii Plus HD would be such an attractive proposition for consumers and publishers that it could figure not just as a huge success, but the absolute end-all-be-all of consoles.

"Should Nintendo be able to convince publishers like EA and Take-Two that the Wii Plus should be supported by the entire EA Sports catalog and by the next installment of Grand Theft Auto, it should be in a position to successfully convince consumers that the Wii Plus is the last console they will ever need to purchase," Pachter said.

You heard it here first, folks. The last console you will ever need to purchase. Agree, or disagree?

[Via Destructoid [http://www.destructoid.com/pachter-wii-hd-could-seriously-damage-ps3-comeback-138050.phtml]]

Permalink

 

[Pendragon9]

Yep. And now this entire thread will be filled with "omg this guy is totally right! I feel bad for doubting him! Sony sux!!!11!1"

If someone makes such a post, just know I called it.

 

[toasterslayer]

i hope not.

 

[Cousin_IT]

first time I think ive seen an analyst entering the realm of theorycrafting since afaik there isnt a Wii HD?

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

I think he needs to keep rubbing his crystal balls.

 

[tenlong]

If i wanted a hd game system i play a 360 or ps3. I play the wii for games that only the wii can do . I don't play the wii for state of the art graphics. On side note has this guy ever been right?

 

[ActionDan]

I disagree. I'm sorry but I just don't like the Wii controllers. I much prefer Controllers such as PS3/360 or even better, Keyboard and Mouse.

 

[jamesworkshop]

hardly surprising considering how much the current Wii is smacking the PS3 around, personally im thinking whats going to happen with PCs considering how cheap it is now, to 2013 onwards which will completly outstrip the consoles in the hardware area

 

[m_jim]

You heard it here first, folks. The last console you will ever need to purchase. Agree, or disagree?

Hahaha...hoo boy. That's a good one. Where to start?
1) The people driving the sales of the Wii aren't graphics whores, they're soccer moms and little kids. They won't care about HD.
2) You still can't control most modern day chart-toppers (your CoD's, Halo's, Metal Gear's, God of War's, etc.) with the TV remote controller.
3) The moment the Wii starts getting a steady flow of the dark, mature titles that serious gamers today want, the soccer moms will see that it is just another dirty videogame machine and stop buying into its manufactured charm.
4) There is a market for games that the Wii can't or won't deliver, so while it might stay in the lead, it won't be the only horse in the race.

EDIT: count this as "disagree"

 

[uppitycracker]

Honestly, I see no reason why Nintendo WOULD put out a HD console. The Wii itself is fine for what it is, nobody that buys those games expect the best graphics. And hell, they would honestly be a waste given the style that the Wii tends to go. And no, I'm not just talking about hte shovelware, I'm referring to the bigger hits as well. Nintendo has bigger things to worry about with their console than adding HD support, although the reduced port costs I could see being a plus, but with how hard they would have to rework the games for the motion controls and all that jazz, I just don't see it being viable enough of an option for Nintendo to consider it.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Yep. And now this entire thread will be filled with "omg this guy is totally right! I feel bad for doubting him! Sony sux!!!11!1"

If someone makes such a post, just know I called it.

What website did you think you were on? Most will disagree, followed by some kind of Wii bashing.

As for myself, people have been telling me how the benefits of a HD compatible Wii is axiomatic, but I still don't understand. A handful of games would truly look better on the Wii would they not? Surely a higher definition would mean that it would point out the shortcomings visually also? If a lot of developers put half assed work in Surely a higher output would make games look worse.

Perhaps someone should fill me in before I continue, am I not right?

Also the lower porting cost is interesting, it makes his claims hold some kind of weight. But I don't think there will be such an upgrade of a console. The Wii doesn't look like a console designed to last a decade in my eyes.

 

[Talendra]

With its cost-effectiveness and established popularity, the Wii Plus HD would be such an attractive proposition for consumers and publishers that it could figure not just as a huge success, but the absolute end-all-be-all of consoles.

Yes, because upgrading the hardware of the Wii to make it HD capable would obviously cost no extra..
If they could offer a more powerful Wii and keep the price down, I am sure they would have.
On another note, I actually like not having HD, it moves games visuals to be more artistic rather than relying on realistic graphics.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

You heard it here first, folks. The last console you will ever need to purchase. Agree, or disagree?

Hahaha...hoo boy. That's a good one. Where to start?
1) The people driving the sales of the Wii aren't graphics whores, they're soccer moms and little kids. They won't care about HD.
2) You still can't control most modern day chart-toppers (your CoD's, Halo's, Metal Gear's, God of War's, etc.) with the TV remote controller.
3) The moment the Wii starts getting a steady flow of the dark, mature titles that serious gamers today want, the soccer moms will see that it is just another dirty videogame machine and stop buying into its manufactured charm.
4) There is a market for games that the Wii can't or won't deliver, so while it might stay in the lead, it won't be the only horse in the race.

EDIT: count this as "disagree"

Disagree with pretty much everything you said there.

If 2 is supposed to mean that you can't play first person shooters on a Wii-Remote, Call of Duty came out already, along with a wealth of FPS. Other games don't have to use the Remote, they can use the classic controller.

For 3, they are already flowing in. The sales are still coming in despite releases of MadWorld, House of The Dead Overkill, Resident Evil 4, Manhunt 2, and so on.

4 Well no sh*t in a sense. That's what console variety is there for in the end, and it's good. That part is where Pachter is full of his usual horse manure. And there are quite a few people who didn't buy MadWorld because it didn't have a higher television output, something I didn't understand.

With its cost-effectiveness and established popularity, the Wii Plus HD would be such an attractive proposition for consumers and publishers that it could figure not just as a huge success, but the absolute end-all-be-all of consoles.

Yes, because upgrading the hardware of the Wii to make it HD capable would obviously cost no extra..
If they could offer a more powerful Wii and keep the price down, I am sure they would have.
On another note, I actually like not having HD, it moves games visuals to be more artistic rather than relying on realistic graphics.

Agreed, and more of these need to come.

 

[dcomproductions]

first off the wii HD is like saying the fat anorexic. it just doesn't work. and no one would buy it just because it looks good, thats wat went wrong with the gamecube and killed nintendo. second, i doubt the wii could ever beat the ps3 since the fact of the matter is the wii has maybe 3 games that are good that aren't just the same thing as the stuff on the NES. thirdly, by then there will be a ps4, an xbox 720, and i don't know if nintendo will continue to make systems after the wii

 

[m_jim]

Disagree with pretty much everything you said there.

If 2 is supposed to mean that you can't play first person shooters on a Wii-Remote, Call of Duty came out already, along with a wealth of FPS. Other games don't have to use the Remote, they can use the classic controller.

For 3, they are already flowing in. The sales are still coming in despite releases of MadWorld, House of The Dead Overkill, Resident Evil 4, Manhunt 2, and so on.

4 Well no sh*t in a sense. That's what console variety is there for in the end, and it's good. That part is where Pachter is full of his usual horse manure. And there are quite a few people who didn't buy MadWorld because it didn't have a higher television output, something I didn't understand.

A word of explanation...
2) The Wii got a gimped version of Call of Duty that received much worse scores than its counterparts. Red Steel was a disaster by all accounts. Metroid, while a first person game, is hardly a traditional shooter by any stretch of the imagination; I would file it under the "First Person Adventure" category. As for the classic controller, don't you remember game reviewers always griping about how awkward Gamecube controllers were for non-GC exclusive games?

3) I was going to mention MadWorld, but I was trying to keep it short and sweet. I left out Manhunt because they replaced all of the grisly kills with lens flare. This is the first wave of mature titles and rather sparse at that. And while MadWorld is certainly a violent spectacle (if not particularly mature), I would hardly say that the stream of adult titles is "flowing" yet.

4) *sniff* You don't need to be so mean. I was trying to point out that of course the Wii HD isn't the last console we will ever need.

 

[jamesworkshop]

first off the wii HD is like saying the fat anorexic. it just doesn't work. and no one would buy it just because it looks good, thats wat went wrong with the gamecube and killed nintendo. second, i doubt the wii could ever beat the ps3 since the fact of the matter is the wii has maybe 3 games that are good that aren't just the same thing as the stuff on the NES. thirdly, by then there will be a ps4, an xbox 720, and i don't know if nintendo will continue to make systems after the wii

What the Wii has already stolen the fastest selling console title from the PS2 (which did outsell the PS3 one month)
2010 would mean the PS4 is still 5 years away same with 360 according to microsoft however I don't see a HD Wii Nintendo has expressed no interest in doing it but they will certainly make a new system someday how else could they continue as a business

 

[m_jim]

4 Well no sh*t in a sense. That's what console variety is there for in the end, and it's good. That part is where Pachter is full of his usual horse manure. And there are quite a few people who didn't buy MadWorld because it didn't have a higher television output, something I didn't understand.

One more thing...
Let's not forget the Wii's abysmal online infrastructure. Friend codes? No voice chat? I applaud Nintendo for going Wi-Fi, but their online system is even worse than Sony's. Regardless of all the cute minigame collections that the Wii has, the PS3 can let you get online, duke it out with strangers, and deliver then necessary smack talk.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Disagree with pretty much everything you said there.

If 2 is supposed to mean that you can't play first person shooters on a Wii-Remote, Call of Duty came out already, along with a wealth of FPS. Other games don't have to use the Remote, they can use the classic controller.

For 3, they are already flowing in. The sales are still coming in despite releases of MadWorld, House of The Dead Overkill, Resident Evil 4, Manhunt 2, and so on.

4 Well no sh*t in a sense. That's what console variety is there for in the end, and it's good. That part is where Pachter is full of his usual horse manure. And there are quite a few people who didn't buy MadWorld because it didn't have a higher television output, something I didn't understand.

A word of explanation...
2) The Wii got a gimped version of Call of Duty that received much worse scores than its counterparts. Red Steel was a disaster by all accounts. Metroid, while a first person game, is hardly a traditional shooter by any stretch of the imagination; I would file it under the "First Person Adventure" category. As for the classic controller, don't you remember game reviewers always griping about how awkward Gamecube controllers were for non-GC exclusive games?

3) I was going to mention MadWorld, but I was trying to keep it short and sweet. I left out Manhunt because they replaced all of the grisly kills with lens flare. This is the first wave of mature titles and rather sparse at that. And while MadWorld is certainly a violent spectacle (if not particularly mature), I would hardly say that the stream of adult titles is "flowing" yet.

4) *sniff* You don't need to be so mean. I was trying to point out that of course the Wii HD isn't the last console we will ever need.

Right:

A gimped version of a title does not mean that modern titles cannot be played on the Wii. Scores don't matter about whether the game is playable or not. What you said was 'You still can't control most modern day chart-toppers (your CoD's, Halo's, Metal Gear's, God of War's, etc.) with the TV remote controller. '

Which, in a sense, is nonsense. Call of duty still played fine. The Conduit has some of the best controls to date. Medal Of Honour Heroes 2 as well and Red Steel 2 is coming, which seems to have promising control. If you are trying to say that the Wii can't play games on the other consoles because of it's controller, for the most part this isn't true, at least for the titles you stated (the FPSs I mean, the controller is practically made for shooters)

Even when they do flow in, the crowd that don't like such titles won't refuse to buy the console because of that. The Manhunt 2 thing was done for all versions wasn't it? Also it was mainly to do with the stigma of that game being a little too immersive in killing, and the murders being a bit too much, and it getting an AO rating because of it.

Yeah sorry, I'll do that from time to time, I get carried away. Of course we are both correct on that field. ~_~

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

4 Well no sh*t in a sense. That's what console variety is there for in the end, and it's good. That part is where Pachter is full of his usual horse manure. And there are quite a few people who didn't buy MadWorld because it didn't have a higher television output, something I didn't understand.

One more thing...
Let's not forget the Wii's abysmal online infrastructure. Friend codes? No voice chat? I applaud Nintendo for going Wi-Fi, but their online system is even worse than Sony's. Regardless of all the cute minigame collections that the Wii has, the PS3 can let you get online, duke it out with strangers, and deliver then necessary smack talk.

I'll say this much. Indeed it is worse than Sony's. However voice communication is there, it's in the Wii-Speak device. Friend codes are not necessary to play games online, but they hinder you from certain things like communication depending on the game (see The Conduit), it just seems that Nintendo thought that they could eliminate abuse and paedos. They were wrong on both counts.

The component itself is fine, it just seems to be poorly implemented at times. Mario Kart is seamless, for example, and so was Medal of Honour. Smash Bros can be bad but the problem with this is that it's four different connections. A fix can be made but it will have to be server wise. So if anything, Sony's is less trouble, but I wouldn't call it much better.

Also the minigame collection part confused me.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Wait, Nintendo is already in first place, isn't it? Wasn't the issue whether or not Sony would over take Microsoft? How does Nintendo factor in?