While being able to have something else that plays Blu-Rays is an appealing premise, it really doesn't matter. I've got six things that can play DVDs where I live, I don't need another one.
Blu-ray and DVD don't matter too much. But, Nintendo should take the opportunity to take a step forward in the ability to stream from PC like PS3...there is even a chance to do it better than PS3
Okay, so they save a dollar in licensing for DVD, and maybe a few bucks for Blu Ray, right? However, Nintendo then overcharges for the tech regardless, thus still making a tidy profit anyway. But, nah, it is not worth it to add fntional entertainment value to something.
Hey, I am not complaining because I think putting another 'barb' on the hook for this system is bad for consumers. Nevertheless, I find it hysterically funny Nintendo is actually that cheap while raking in cash. It’s like watching a fat woman with a bucket of chicken moaning, “Momma’s still hungry” while grease drips down her chin.
@MysteriousBob: I think because what you're doing is illegal and exactly the opposite of what they said they were going to do "not have to pay licensing fees".
I've lost count of how many things in my house can play DVD's. I get mad when people offer DVD players as prizes for contests.
Makes sense from a technical and financial angle. But then there is the question of "Will I use this box?". I think having those media capabilities is a key to selling the box to users and giving them a reason to turn it on.
I totally agree with MS's bragging from e3, I'd say we use our PS3 about 40% of the time to watch baseball or netflix or hulu or stream GoT from my computer instead of just playing games. I love the fact I can do everything on a single box ATM and dont need to switch the tv's input. If Nintendo's box does not "do everything", then I may just pass.
no DVD, no buy.. even if i have other devices to play DVDs, or even stream videos, theres no reason that i shouldnt be able to play a DVD on a game console this generation, especially the Wii U.
I really don't give a rats ass. And if it makes it cheaper i'm all for it! If you don't have a dvd or bluray player by now, you probably don't need it anyways. I'm just gonna be happy if it turns out great for games, that should really be the biggest concern right now. Either way, how many has bought a dvd player expecting it to play games?
Thank God Nintendo has like the worst anti-hack on its consoles of all time and I will most likely be using a homebrew app to satisfy my movie needs, because as usual, Nintendo is skimping out on something incredibly trivial.
Nintendo wants to use some sort of proprietary media storage?
NO WAY.
Makes sense though, most people that are going to get the WEYOU do already have a way to play media discs of their own choosing.
Also, i find it funny that Nintendo Optical Disc's official abbreviation is in fact, NOD. Iwata is going to shave his head and take over the world. I'm calling it.
My gripe with this is that a lot of people expect video and multimedia to be basic features. First and foremost, games matter, but its hard to convince me to buy a new system when it has less function than the system I already have. Hell, I use my PS3 just as much for multimedia as I do for games, I don't need two games systems when one does everything I want it to. Would DVD playback sell me on the wii u? No, but the lack of it is one more thing that makes me lose interest.
I was going to say that was a terrible decision. But I didn't remember that BluRay is Sony's tech. I wouldn't want to pay Sony anything either if I'm competing with them.
Totally different division so it wouldn't really matter. Only thing they might be at risk to is Sony making some off-cuff remark about them using Sony tech.@Buzzkill said:
People still use physical media?
You must not know many people if you have to ask that question. I am personally tired of having all my DVDs around, I do get tempted to buy another huge hard drive and then trade them all in for cold hard cash.
Even if it doesn't matter, the fact that you have to explain WHY it doesn't matter is enough to hurt sales. This console doesn't have that "next-gen" feeling to it at all.
Stupid. I leave my PS3 on to play blurays and DVDs. It keeps me interested in the service. Sure, I already have a Bluray player, but if the Wii U had one as well I'd be more inclined to use it/buy things for it/be invested in it.
It seems like Nintendo has a constant defeatist policy. Friend codes, shit online, Gamecube mini-discs...it's like everything they do is directed by a half-hearted shrug and Satoru Iwata crying out "Why does it even matter?" before putting a handgun in his mouth.
the wii is the last nintendo console i will buy it was an utter waste of money and i can see the same for the wiiu ,the same old games with the same old story i pass and thay can keep there new controller and new disc system.
More reasons to not care about this thing anymore. When I spend that much money on a box these days I want it to be able to do more than one thing. I'm still really happy with my PS3 purchase even if I barely play games on it, it's a decent home theatre box.
So this so they can use an optional disc format? If this means i won't have to spend as much money on the console then fuck BD's and DVD's, I've already have like 5 other things that can play those formats.
People should just chill out. They could've gone with DVD but that could mean that the storage for the games wouldn't have been as big as a BD and they could've gone with for a BD format, but that would've meant the cost could've been more then it's gonna cost now.
It better be cheaper because of this. I think the real problem is that doesn't this mean that the games won't run on Blu Rays? How is this supposed have better capabilities than the PS3 if it can't hold the same amount of data per disk?
Nintendo is about profiting on sales of each console right from the start. Not having to license the BR badge and certification and everything else it requires was a given, just like with DVDs. For all I know, there could be an actual BR drive in there, ready to get hacked up and playing BRs sort of illegally, if you're into that sort of thing. Makes sense to me, because that's Nintendo over the course of history.
I'll have Xbox and/or Playstation, so if my Wii U doesn't play movies it doesn't really matter. If I didn't have those though, and only had a Wii U, I'd be fucked.
I don't have a standalone DVD or blu-ray player at all.
I don't get it. The Wii CAN play DVDs with homebrew software. I... why not include it as a standard feature? Its baffling.
They never said it can't, it's a DVD drive, after all. but if it can play commercial DVDs out of the box, they're required to pay licensing fees. It's also why the original Xbox didn't play DVDs out of the box, you needed to by the remote that came with the IR dongle that plugged into a controller port. The fees were tied into that.
I'm not really sure why Nintendo gets a free pass for things like this. Imagine the public outcry if the 360 couldn't play DVDs or if the PS3 locked out DVDs and BD movies and only accepted a locked BD game disc, giving the excuse, go buy a standalone dvd/bd player.
DVD playback can't possibly cost them anything. The PS2 had it for pete's sake! How many Nintendo consoles have their been since the PS2 launched? None of them play DVDs.
I wonder if the new propriety disc format they are developing will read in the opposite direction like GameCube discs. They did that to prevent people from easily pirating the games since they wouldn't work in standard disc burners, at least without custom firmware anyways. The advantage to them going with another proprietary format would obviously be that you shouldn't be able to burn the discs with a blu-ray burner or create an image from the disc using a blu-ray disc-drive. I mean I am sure pirates will figure it out but this will hold off all but the most dedicated from create of running pirated software.
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