Next-gen & HD

HD is only resolution and storage thingy. it has nothing to do with the game itself. Xbox had already HD games and had DVD like PS2. But haw many games really filled a DVD or used the HD res on it? yeah....

An IGN article caught my attention just now (:O), talking about the different outlook of the 'big 3': Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo; on HD technology.

'The Definition of the Future'

It made me feel that while Sony and Microsoft have chosen to go all out and push HD technology, trying to convince the world with PR that HD is what you really need, Nintendo do have a valid point in being reluctant to take it up.

HD is gonna be expensive both computationally and cost-wise. The games will look better, but it only maintains that challenge to balance quality content with issues like eg frame rate. Games will tend to be just as rushed and just as compromised as many current-gen titles.
Nintendo on the other hand are completely free to add that quality content with no worries about frame rate due to better hardware running computationally similar SD software. There will be practically no issue of hardware restrictions for their developers, so they can be as creative as they like. Consumers get creative games that are arguabley just as immersive in SD, for much less money.

However, Sony and Microsoft have so much money themselves to throw at hardware r&d and production, that they could well bring HD games that run at 60frames and have no harware restrictions, passing the benefits on to developers and consumers. They'll be crucial players in bringing about the prophecised HD era. Nintendo could just be making a perfectly valid excuse for copping out of this one because they know they dont have enough money to compete with these two monoliths! Instead they'll cater for the smaller, more short term but substantially cheaper market.

Personally I agree with Nintendo for now, and I really hope their 'Revolution' of putting games before technology and world domination is a success. Im not willing to pay a lot for HD if it isnt gonna bring in the games. And although Im really excited to see fully immersive HD games in the future, I cant help thinking its still a bit early to be forcing the world to spend their hard earned cash on the next big thing. But who knows maybe the sheer scale of $ony & M$s projects will prove me wrong.

Thanks for reading!

I think HD would come, one way or another, and devellopers just need to understand that we don't want rushed games, if they have a standard of HD quality to live by, they will have to cope with it or else ppl will be dissapointed, and yes that's where nintendo might stand stronger, they let the HD pass by so that the games look better anyways and very good for their standard.

I like your find, choupolo

Tanks! Yea Im sure Nintendo will embrace HD eventually, when they think they can afford the cost of making HD hardware good enough to produce the necessary game quality. Sony and MS reckon they can now, but Im not so sure. They plan on selling their systems at a loss, which they will try to gain back from software sales, whereas Nintendo will make a huge initial saving by staying SD.

I've no doubt that Nintendo are exploiting their underdog status to the max as well in order to get consumer support and make that saving count!

what about GTA:SA that packed the dvd to the max kami?? yeah off course HD is only capable of making better resolution, but you still have to make the resolution not go pixely, so that's some more work right there in design and such

Well I was thinking that if $on¥ and M$ were gonna make HD at 1080p and 1080i standard, along with all the extra shaders and anti-aliasing to create the snazzy fx, the harware they will have to mass produce to run it all is bound to be very expensive. Its a task of trying to reduce next-gen PC standard hardware into a cheap living room console about 5 times cheaper, and someone will have to bear the cost at some point.

Cost cuts here mean developers may not be given enough power to work with (however many FLOPS they promise!), and that means skimping on game quality. Blu-ray will have no problems storing it all, but again apparently the cost of manufacturers changing to the blu-ray production process is also gonna be expensive. Add to that the fact they expect you to go and buy an HDTV in the near future...

Just seems theres a lot of money involved in the transition to 'true HD' for consoles atm, and I dont blame Nintendo for choosing not to get involved at this point. But $on¥ and M$ reckon they've got enough! Just have to wait and see.

EDIT: Sry, just realised i've made the same point 3 times, haha! :dennis:

Originally posted by Choupolo@Jun 13 2005, 07:00 PM
Well I was thinking that if $on¥ and M$ were gonna make HD at 1080p and 1080i standard, along with all the extra shaders and anti-aliasing to create the snazzy fx, the harware they will have to mass produce to run it all is bound to be very expensive. Its a task of trying to reduce next-gen PC standard hardware into a cheap living room console about 5 times cheaper, and someone will have to bear the cost at some point.

Cost cuts here mean developers may not be given enough power to work with (however many FLOPS they promise!), and that means skimping on game quality. Blu-ray will have no problems storing it all, but again apparently the cost of manufacturers changing to the blu-ray production process is also gonna be expensive. Add to that the fact they expect you to go and buy an HDTV in the near future...

Just seems theres a lot of money involved in the transition to 'true HD' for consoles atm, and I dont blame Nintendo for choosing not to get involved at this point. But $on¥ and M$ reckon they've got enough! Just have to wait and see.

EDIT: Sry, just realised i've made the same point 3 times, haha! :dennis:

hehehe, good edit, but couldn't you just have edited away your text??

good point... :P well i did add an all important ¥ isntead of a Y!! I'm so clever! :dennis:

super change Choupolo nice find

on topic, I don't think we will be able to run away from HD anyway, it'll come, whatever may happen and these consoles might even speed up the process