Hardware DVD-enhanced Wii hits Japan "latter half of 2007"

[Jax]

A couple weeks back, the UK's Edge Magazine revealed the Wii would be getting a DVD-enhanced variant in Japan, sometime in 2007. Today, Gamasutra reports "California technology company Sonic Solutions have announced that Nintendo has chosen to use the company's software to allow a 'future version' of the Wii console to play DVD movies."

Interesting. With a DVD drive already built into every Wii, it seemed logical that a software solution was all that was needed to implement DVD playback on the Wii. Ostensibly, the reason for Nintendo's decision to not include DVD playback was the format's onerous licensing fees relative to the already high market penetration DVD players currently enjoy. Instead of releasing a "future version" of the console to the Japanese market exclusively, why not sell the DVD playback software via the console's online store to recoup the licensing fees?

Source: Joystiq

 

[Hypnotoad]

They did the same thing with the Gamecube back in the day. Months after the original rollout, the "Panasonic Q" was introduced to Japanese buyers. It was just basically a shinny silver Gamecube which had a region free dvd player built in. Came with a remote too.

 

[jumpman17]

Oh boy! Now I can play DVDs on yet ANOTHER device. As if the 3 DVD players, DVD recorder, DVD-ROM, portable DVD player, and a PS2 wasn't enough for me.

 

[nunofgs]

Oh boy! Now I can play DVDs on yet ANOTHER device. As if the 3 DVD players, DVD recorder, DVD-ROM, portable DVD player, and a PS2 wasn't enough for me.

/me smacks jumpman17 in the face

There is no such thing as too many DVD playing devices!

 

[Opium]

It's also coming to the US late 2007.

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