Is 'Wii Hifi' Nintendo's next big thing?

[shaunj66]

Is 'Wii Hifi' Nintendo's next big thing?
Rumour

Rumours are a-buzz on the internet with hints on Nintendo's next version of the Wii. No it's not the "Wii 2", it's supposedly called "Wii Hifi" and here's how the rumours began:

The journalist from gameblog.fr are on a leash recently. After implying that they already saw Metal Gear Solid Rising running at Kojima productions, and leaking Mizuguchi's next game code name (Child of Eden), they are now affirming that Nintendo's next console will be called Wii HiFi. According to what game developers told them, it will be announced at the right end of Nintendo's E3 conference, and it is planned to release around November 2011. Here are the details that have leaked so far:

• It should be on par with the 360
• It should not be called Wii 2 but Wii HiFi
• It will be very online-oriented this time
• Community aspects will be a big component
• It should be out around November 2011

Source

 Discuss

 

[Gore]

hah! I hope so, and I hope it makes PS3 prices drop.
not interested in owning it.

 

[Maplemage]

Awesome I hope it looks cooler then the original Wii, like more DS connectivity and a chat thingy instead of the sending mail all the time, and a better design of the wii.

 

[Deleted_171835]

I'm not really interested in this. Seems like more of a minor update to the Wii instead of a next-gen console.
Perhaps, I'll be interested if I see more...(if it's real).

I do find it mildly annoying that this is being released (supposedly) in 2011 when I just got a Wii (late '09).

 

[Thoob]

• It should be on par with the 360 - HD?
• It should not be called Wii 2 but Wii HiFi - Why "HiFi"?
• It will be very online-oriented this time - No more friend codes?
  
• Community aspects will be a big component - Proper voice chat?
• It should be out around November 2011 - A year before predicted new Xbox and PlayStation seems a bit poor timing...
  

 

[Juanmatron]

F-A-K-E.

 

[chrisrlink]

watch it be unhackable or as hard as the PS3 at least reason: •It will be very online-oriented this time

 

[Auyx]

I call bull this may happen next E3 but I cant see Ninty doing this now the timeing is all wrong. Surely we would have herd some more substantiated clames before this ala the 3DS. Crappy website trolling for hits.

 

[Yoster]

sweet, but I hope this leak, if thats what it is, doesnt cause N to compromise the reveal.

 

[monkat]

Don't have an HDTV. Don't care.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

It would be a stupid move for Nintendo to release this as a redesign as opposed to an entirely new generation. If it's on the level with the 360 or greater, then it's an entire generation seperated from the Wii, and it should be considered as such.

If not, then it would create a 2-tier range of games within the same generation... Nintendo wasn't stupid enough to release very many (in fact, only 2) DSi-exclusive cartridges, because they recognized that the sheer number of existing DS Phats and Lites in the market would cause those customers to be alienated if a ton of supposed "DS" games started coming out that wouldn't work with their system. The same would happen with the Wii, as it also has a massive installed userbase... these people have little interest in an HD version of the console, mostly because Nintendo worked so hard to appeal to the "casual" gamers that don't care as much if their console matches the resolution of their TV.

If they were to really release something like this, it would just be a silly attempt by Nintendo of trying to have it both ways. They can't do it.

 

[nl255]

It would be a stupid move for Nintendo to release this as a redesign as opposed to an entirely new generation. If it's on the level with the 360 or greater, then it's an entire generation seperated from the Wii, and it should be considered as such.

If not, then it would create a 2-tier range of games within the same generation... Nintendo wasn't stupid enough to release very many (in fact, only 2) DSi-exclusive cartridges, because they recognized that the sheer number of existing DS Phats and Lites in the market would cause those customers to be alienated if a ton of supposed "DS" games started coming out that wouldn't work with their system. The same would happen with the Wii, as it also has a massive installed userbase... these people have little interest in an HD version of the console, mostly because Nintendo worked so hard to appeal to the "casual" gamers that don't care as much if their console matches the resolution of their TV.

If they were to really release something like this, it would just be a silly attempt by Nintendo of trying to have it both ways. They can't do it.

The way I heard it was that the Wii HD was just going to be a regular Wii with a built in upscale and possibly a modified system menu to support changing the upscaling options. In other words, fully compatible except for system menu hacks and the system menu IOS (both of which would be fixed quickly).

 

[monkat]

They should of called it the HiiFii

 

[yuyuyup]

they should call it the Revolution X and release Revolution X HD and Revolution X 2

 

[_Chaz_]

Sounds nice.

I like the aspect of higher quality graphics and such, but what about the games? Will there be another SSB on this thing?

 

[Sonicslasher]

They should of called it the HiiFii

The Nintendo "Hee-Fee"? Doesn't quite sound right

 

[DEagleson]

More like Nintendo's next generation cash cow.

They could just do a refresh of the Wii software with improved menus, online accounts (Like Xbox Live or PSN) and support for USB pens to use as storage just like they have with the SD menu.
Just one sad thing about this would be the possibility of zero homebrew support.

 

[highanimalhouse]

If this is possible or even likely, I don't see Nintendo doing it in 2011. 2012 or 2013 maybe....but not anytime soon.

Plus, there are still games that Nintendo said would see release or rumors of release for the rest of this year and for 2011. Metroid Other M, Zelda Wii sequel, Xenoblade in the US, Wii Party, Pikimin 3 possibly at E3, remakes of old NES/SNES/N64 games on the system, Gamecube games with New Play Control (like Geist, Super Mario Sunshine, etc.), maybe a new F-Zero/Starfox/Kirby/PilotWings, and anything else I haven't thought of.

Even if Nintendo releases/develops this as a system or system add-on (which I'm inclined to think of it as) they are doing this to combat homebrew/piracy. Basically, Nintendo is seeing what Microsoft and Sony does with their networks and is trying to copy it.

I think it's going to be a peripheral or update disk at first. That's all. Then when the new Wii finally comes out, it'll have those features already built in.

EDIT: I can think of only one game that would guarantee a system seller with this: Super Smash Bros. Brawl 2.

 

[coolbho3000]

Xbox 360 level does not cut it for 2011. If this is indeed true, I was hoping Nintendo would do something to raise the hardware bar, as they are rumored to be doing with the 3DS.

But again, these are all rumors.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

It would be a stupid move for Nintendo to release this as a redesign as opposed to an entirely new generation. If it's on the level with the 360 or greater, then it's an entire generation seperated from the Wii, and it should be considered as such.

If not, then it would create a 2-tier range of games within the same generation... Nintendo wasn't stupid enough to release very many (in fact, only 2) DSi-exclusive cartridges, because they recognized that the sheer number of existing DS Phats and Lites in the market would cause those customers to be alienated if a ton of supposed "DS" games started coming out that wouldn't work with their system. The same would happen with the Wii, as it also has a massive installed userbase... these people have little interest in an HD version of the console, mostly because Nintendo worked so hard to appeal to the "casual" gamers that don't care as much if their console matches the resolution of their TV.

If they were to really release something like this, it would just be a silly attempt by Nintendo of trying to have it both ways. They can't do it.

The way I heard it was that the Wii HD was just going to be a regular Wii with a built in upscale and possibly a modified system menu to support changing the upscaling options. In other words, fully compatible except for system menu hacks and the system menu IOS (both of which would be fixed quickly).

Releasing that kind of fakeHD thing and branding it as something "new" or worthy of note would be just as bad, though. Upscaling will only get you so far, anyway, and isn't a substitute for real HD. If Nintendo wanted HD gaming, they should've built it into the Wii. Now that it's all over and done, they'd be better off waiting until their next generation console to go HD. The Wii has component output... if Nintendo wants an official upscaling deal, they should just sell a peripheral that you connect between your Wii and HDTV that upscales the signal.