[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales 

Optical audio is nice, but honestly I don't think it really translates into much better audio quality in real-life.

It is not QUALITY is it about analog not supporting 5.1 unless you have pretty recent recievers and even then it is a hack.

Optical would output 5.1 or higher with one cable all digital.

[zro]

I'd rather it had 5.1 digital audio, but that's certainly not a requirement for me.

Though it would be 5.1.1 more rightly.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

This will be my new line to everything goMac says

YouTube - Excuse me, Princess!

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker 

This will be my new line to everything goMac says

YouTube - Excuse me, Princess!

(at the clip)

Excu(ooooooo)se me, princess!

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by starman 

Optical audio is important IF ANYTHING because stereos nowadays have multiple inputs and it's that much easier to hook it up. With analog it could get messy.

True, but how many people are hooking their game systems into their stereos? I note that the big third-party cable makers have not yet seen fit to start producing bundles of video/audio cables with optical audio, the way they do with S-Video/analog or even Component/analog. Some have taken to selling dedicated optical audio cables, but no bundles.

Nintendo's market research is good, but the cable makers' market research is probably better. If they don't see profit in these bundles, then what reason is there to believe IGN's assertion that "everyone is using optical"? If that were really true, then wouldn't the cable makers have jumped on the bundling opportunity?

[ajprice]

The PS2 has had optical audio since it came out, as far as I know, and I don't know anyone who has used it. A lot of the reason behind Nintendo not going for the latest and greatest tech with the Wii is because its going for the wide audience, not the traditional gamer or techie who is more likely to have HD or optical audio. Most of the target 'family' buyers for the Wii wouldn't know what an optical audio plug was, the standard audio does the job, so why confuse and alienate people?

[ort888]

You don't have to use the optical cable. How would it confuse or alienate anyone?

Not including digital audio is lame. LAME!

[starman]

Optical cable bundles would be VERY expensive and since I was able to use the optical cable from the Xbox with my 360, I'm happy there was no bundle, or it's $50 I would have wasted.

[starman]

Originally Posted by ajprice 

The PS2 has had optical audio since it came out, as far as I know, and I don't know anyone who has used it. A lot of the reason behind Nintendo not going for the latest and greatest tech with the Wii is because its going for the wide audience, not the traditional gamer or techie who is more likely to have HD or optical audio. Most of the target 'family' buyers for the Wii wouldn't know what an optical audio plug was, the standard audio does the job, so why confuse and alienate people?

But that's a STUPID reason. Why alienate people like me that use optical for EVERYTHING? My friggin' TiVo has it. My DVD player has it. My 360, PS2, Xbox, and my Mac Pro. So.....what, Nintendo thinks they're special? Would it kill them to support BOTH? Just because the optical jack is there doesn't mean you HAVE to use it. Just like with the PS2 and the TiVo.

[starman]

By the way, if there's no market for optical inputs, why does this get such rave reviews? I own two of them:

Amazon.com: Universal System Seletor Pro - Silver: Computer & Video Games

From:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archi.../t-363624.html

"Plug-wise, I only wish it had optical on every port, otherwise I am satisfied with how much stuff I can plug into this. "

[zerostar]

Originally Posted by starman 

By the way, if there's no market for optical inputs, why does this get such rave reviews? I own two of them:

Amazon.com: Universal System Seletor Pro - Silver: Computer & Video Games

I also own this and that is why I wish the Wii had optical audio... on well

Love the ethernet switching! I control some ethernet cams around this house with this too! hahaha

[ort888]

IGN: 480p a Go For Wii Launch

Component cables only available online.... AGAIN?!?!?

Durrr...

[icruise]

Originally Posted by starman 

By the way, if there's no market for optical inputs, why does this get such rave reviews?

Nobody is saying that no one uses optical outputs. The question is, how many people use them? I would be pretty surprised if anywhere near a majority of gamers use optical outputs for their systems. I don't. These kinds of features cost money and Nintendo obviously decided that it wasn't worth it for them to add it to their system.

[starman]

Ok, you don't. Pelican thinks most people do.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by ajprice 

The PS2 has had optical audio since it came out, as far as I know, and I don't know anyone who has used it. A lot of the reason behind Nintendo not going for the latest and greatest tech with the Wii is because its going for the wide audience, not the traditional gamer or techie who is more likely to have HD or optical audio.

Well count me then.

Optical is not "The latest and greatest" it is as old as the CD.

If the PS2 had it 6 years ago why wouldn't something that is "Twice as powerful as the cube" not have today?

[zro]

Because the majority of people do not use it. Without it, that majority of people are also not going to have to pay for something they won't be using.

Why is this so hard to understand??

[icruise]

Originally Posted by starman 

Ok, you don't. Pelican thinks most people do.

Why on earth do you think the very existence of a product like this means that "most people use optical outputs"? Pelican also sells 7" LCD screens for the PS2 and FM tuners for the PSP. Are we to believe that "everyone" is using LCD screens with their consoles and listening to FM radio on their PSPs? These are niche products, just like optical output switchers.

[goMac]

I was thinking about switching to optical, but I just couldn't see it. All my computers are optical out, and I was thinking about picking up an amp that accepted optical, but I decided it just wasn't a big enough priority.

I'll probably move to optical next year, and it will be nice, but I won't get angry over a device not having optical output.

[Dark Helmet]

Ooops, Nntendo not selling Zelda for GameCube in US stores either.

Wonder why, no other game gets this treatment.

GameCube Zelda:TP won't be at retail in US either - Joystiq

[icruise]

It's kind of weird that they're releasing it for the GameCube at all, really. Actually your link doesn't say whether it will be sold online. I guess it's possible it's getting pulled completely.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by goMac 

I was thinking about switching to optical, but I just couldn't see it.

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

It's kind of weird that they're releasing it for the GameCube at all, really. Actually your link doesn't say whether it will be sold online. I guess it's possible it's getting pulled completely.

How is it weird? Since day 1 it was developed as a cube title and they swore it would stay on the cube and not move to the Wii, released in 2005. Then they announced that it was still going to be a cube title when it came out i March 2006 and it will work through backward compatibility on the Wii when it ships. Then they said it was still a cube title with one SKU but if you played it on the Wii the graphics would be boosted and you can use motion control. Then it was going to be two separate SKUs and the Cube version would not be widescreen nor would motion control work if played on the Wii with BC and the ship at the same time. Then it is not in stores in japan and the cube version comes out a few weeks after the Wii one (last minute bug checking I am sure). Now it isn't going to be in any US stores either.

So ya... that is weird.

Nintendo is really trying to push the Cube Is DEAD.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

It's kind of weird that they're releasing it for the GameCube at all, really.

Well, they have been promising to do so for years.

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by goMac 

I was thinking about switching to optical, but I just couldn't see it. All my computers are optical out, and I was thinking about picking up an amp that accepted optical, but I decided it just wasn't a big enough priority.

I'll probably move to optical next year, and it will be nice, but I won't get angry over a device not having optical output.

Once again with your 14" TV I can see why not.

[icruise]

It's weird because under normal circumstances companies want to bring out their new blockbuster titles on their NEW systems.

[starman]

Stupid. Just stupid.

Looks like it's just FF XII until I can actually GET a Wii (read: when I CARE enough to chase one).

[starman]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

It's weird because under normal circumstances companies want to bring out their new blockbuster titles on their NEW systems.

They said FOR YEARS it would be on the GC. Now they pull the plug a month early? That's sleazy.

[icruise]

Well, keep in mind that all of this is simply based on entries in some retailers' computer systems. It could mean nothing.

[ort888]

They didn't pull it. This is far from an official source.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

But it is confirmed that it is only available online for Japan though right?

[icruise]

I believe so.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

Once again with your 14" TV I can see why not.

No, tv gets upgraded at the same time as optical. 1080p HDTV.

I just don't have enough space for one right now and I'm moving next summer, so really, whats the point of buying a big tv just to have to move it anyway. I just don't want to bother with buying a tv for here where there is no space for it, only to have to move it, worry about it being moved, and then move it into a new place.

Plus I'm moving to Oregon, where there is no sales tax.

[im_noahselby]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

How is it weird? Since day 1 it was developed as a cube title and they swore it would stay on the cube and not move to the Wii, released in 2005. Then they announced that it was still going to be a cube title when it came out i March 2006 and it will work through backward compatibility on the Wii when it ships. Then they said it was still a cube title with one SKU but if you played it on the Wii the graphics would be boosted and you can use motion control. Then it was going to be two separate SKUs and the Cube version would not be widescreen nor would motion control work if played on the Wii with BC and the ship at the same time. Then it is not in stores in japan and the cube version comes out a few weeks after the Wii one (last minute bug checking I am sure). Now it isn't going to be in any US stores either.

So ya... that is weird.

Nintendo is really trying to push the Cube Is DEAD.

Nintendo did the same thing with Dinosaur Planet. DP had a long N64 development and seemingly right near the end of this title's development Nintendo pulled the plug, changed some elements and released it as a GameCube exclusive. I've been saying from the very beginning that this new Zelda game would likely be canned for the Cube, but we'll see.. You can never really predict what Nintendo will do in this industry.

Noah

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by im_noahselby 

Nintendo did the same thing with Dinosaur Planet.
Noah

That wasn't as dramatic though.

Nobody cared about Dinosaur planet as an N64 title and they canned it something like a year before the cube version and turned it into "Starfox Dinosaur planet". I actually liked it though.

Zelda has been a Cube title for years and Nintendo said it wasn't going wii. Now a month before they want to nail it into everyone's head that the cube is dead, buy the wii.

There is no other reason to ship it weeks after the Wii one ships, cripple the aspect ratio and only sell it online in Japan.

[Dark Helmet]

New motion-sensing tech is Wii-beater? - Joystiq

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

New motion-sensing tech is Wii-beater? - Joystiq

Ultrasound-based? Forgive me for being skeptical. The first remote controls operated on similar principles, but they quickly switched to IR because the latter was more reliable. Ultrasound-based remotes were so unreliable that for a while it was a cliche for sitcoms to joke about it.

We'll see how it works, but I'm skeptical. Blocking excess light out of a room is a lot easier than blocking excess sound.

[zro]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet 

That wasn't as dramatic though.

Nobody cared about Dinosaur planet as an N64 title and they canned it something like a year before the cube version and turned it into "Starfox Dinosaur planet". I actually liked it though.

Zelda has been a Cube title for years and Nintendo said it wasn't going wii. Now a month before they want to nail it into everyone's head that the cube is dead, buy the wii.

There is no other reason to ship it weeks after the Wii one ships, cripple the aspect ratio and only sell it online in Japan.

So what? Really, so what? Buy a Wii or STFU already.

[icruise]

Let me ask SWG and Starman this. Since you seem to think that Nintendo has dropped the ball on nearly every aspect of the Wii, what would YOU have done for Nintendo's next-gen system? Keep in mind that you can't have a laundry list of features without paying for it.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

Let me ask SWG and Starman this. Since you seem to think that Nintendo has dropped the ball on nearly every aspect of the Wii, what would YOU have done for Nintendo's next-gen system? Keep in mind that you can't have a laundry list of features without paying for it.

This post isn't a direct response to the above question, but I'm going to throw in my two cents...

The Wii has done the following right.
1. Excite the public. The mainstream media has strongly covered the Wii, while the PS3 is largely going ignored.
2. Nintendo has gone out on a limb and put out something different. The Wii is an original idea that has given the gaming industry a jolt. Let's face it: XBox 360 and the PS3 are not giving us anything revolutionary; they're giving us what we expected out of the next generation. The Wii is a fresh direction, and people are responding.
3. Aesthetic design. The Wii is the most visually appealing of the three. The PS3 and 360 are huge, while the Wii is teeny and beautiful. The 360 is nice-looking, in my opinion, but the PS3's design has really disappointed me.

What I think the Wii missed:
1. HD. HDTVs are becoming more affortable and are starting to take their place in the homes of the average American. They're a hot item, and people want to use them to their full potential. Nintendo might've missed out on this one.
2. Graphics. Okay, if the games play incredibly, this won't matter. But let's face it...it doesn't look much different than the Gamecube or XBox as far as the visuals are concerned. I wasn't expecting XBox 360 graphics, but I was expecting something more than this.

Like I said, if the games deliver, then the HD and and graphics complaints will fade away (except for the extreme fanboys). The Wii is exciting people, and that's what counts

I love my 360, and it will likely be my console of choice, but I'm planning on getting a Wii sometime next year, especially if the system is a success. The PS3 I'm avoiding like the plague.

That's all for me. Jawbone, over and out.

[Gamoe]

Apart from going a different route in respect to console philosophy and control scheme, it seems to me that Nintendo has been going towards producing and encouraging games that offer some additional educational value rather than just entertainment, and I like that very much.

[JoshuaZ]

Still ticked off about it being region coded.....

Super ticked off....

Josh SMASH!

[icruise]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales 

Apart from going a different route in respect to console philosophy and control scheme, it seems to me that Nintendo has been going towards producing and encouraging games that offer some additional educational value rather than just entertainment, and I like that very much.

Eh, what games actually have educational value? The closest I can think of are Brain Age and Big Brain Academy (both for DS) but they're really just pseudo-scientific brain exercises.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

Eh, what games actually have educational value? The closest I can think of are Brain Age and Big Brain Academy (both for DS) but they're really just pseudo-scientific brain exercises.

Well, as I said, it seems to me that they're headed more in this direction, and yes I base my perception partly on the release of these games and their apparent success so far. Also, what I've read in numerous interview on Nintendo.com, which emphasize family playing and so on, also seem to suggest this direction.

I may be wrong, but I'd really like to see Nintendo publish games with some actual real-world value to them (education). For example, a "space game" which uses real stars, constellations and known planetary features. Don't get me wrong-- I want it to be exciting and entertaining, but if Nintendo can put in some educational value, it'd be better for it.

It'd be great to not only say that you've finished and mastered a game but to say you've learned something cool and/or useful and applicable to the real world on the way. Educational titles don't have to be boring or just for kids, and I think Nintendo is taking this to heart with Brain Age and Big Brain Academy (the former of which I've heard is coming for the Wii). But, I'd be really happy if they make entertaining *games* with this type of value as well.

[Hawkeye_a]

Great idea Gabriels. A planetary/inter-galaxy quest with actual information on different stars, constealltions and systems woule be amazing. Bring into the mix...3D graphics, and a 3D pointing device in the outer space environment would be awesome. i'd buy it.

On a side note, Just saw a commercial on free-to-air for the Wii this morning in Australia (21st October).

Cheers

PS>> Josh....i agree. region coding S-U-C-K-S

[icruise]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

Let me ask SWG and Starman this. Since you seem to think that Nintendo has dropped the ball on nearly every aspect of the Wii, what would YOU have done for Nintendo's next-gen system? Keep in mind that you can't have a laundry list of features without paying for it.

I was seriously asking this question. From what I read in this and other threads, a lot of people seem to think that Nintendo should have basically done the same thing that Microsoft did: create a next-gen system with HD, hard drive, etc instead of going for the more unconventional approach that they have adopted. And actually, I agree that all of those features would be very nice. I really like my Xbox 360 (aside from a few minor issues) and it would be cool to have a next-gen system like that with games developed by Nintendo.

But I'm afraid the truth is that Nintendo would have trouble competing if their system had the same price and features as the competition. This is partially because their core market skews younger than the market for the other systems, but also just because they've had trouble getting AAA titles. There are a lot of games that you can play on the PS2 and Xbox, but not on the GameCube. As much as I love Nintendo's first-party games, if I could only have one system, it wouldn't be a GameCube or a Wii.

So I think they're trying to compete in two ways: by being cheaper than the other guys (admittedly, this didn't work that well with the GameCube, but then again the difference in price wasn't so huge then), and by changing the way we play games, to encourage non-gamers to get involved. I don't think that's a bad thing. Assuming the remote works reliably, they may be on to something.

And before someone suggests that they should have made a system with the Xbox 360's features AND the Wii's motion sensing features, I should point out that it would probably make the system cost MORE than the Xbox 360, and I don't think Nintendo would have had a chance in that case.

[Chuckit]

The problem with the Wii is that a fully multiplayer Wii doesn't cost that much less than a fully multiplayer Xbox, and it doesn't have a hard drive, good graphics or good Internet capabilities. That's kind of Wiik. If it were actually significantly less, I'd be more impressed. But the freakin' sell-your-firstborn controller prices really need to be factored in. Just three controllers (including nunchuks) puts the price of a Wii above the price of an Xbox 360 (I'm not even talking Core here).

So at least for my dollar, they are not competing by being cheaper.

[icruise]

Well, we've had this discussion before. The nunchuck/wiimote combination is only slightly more expensive than an Xbox 360 wireless controller. More expensive than the wired ones, it's true, but most people seem to prefer the wireless. So the Wii still has a ~$100 price difference.

That said, I think the price difference is more psychological than anything. If you can say that your machine is $249, while your competitor's is $399, it may resonate with some people. True, the Xbox Core machine is only $50 more than the Wii, but you have to include the fact that you can't save your games without a rather expensive (and small capacity) memory unit. Speaking of which, is Nintendo really not including any kind of memory card with the Wii? You'd think they would include a cheap 32MB SD card or something.

[ort888]

The Wii has 512megs (I think) of internal memory. Plus it uses standard SD cards, which are cheap as hell.

[icruise]

I didn't realize that could be used for storing saved games, etc. Nice. And of course I already have some old SD cards lying around that I can use if need be.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Icruise 

So I think they're trying to compete in two ways: by being cheaper than the other guys (admittedly, this didn't work that well with the GameCube, but then again the difference in price wasn't so huge then), and by changing the way we play games, to encourage non-gamers to get involved. I don't think that's a bad thing. Assuming the remote works reliably, they may be on to something.

I agree. This is a prime example of how healthy, fair competition breeds innovation. Nintendo is actually at a disadvantage compared to M$ and Sony-- as they don't have nearly as many business venues to fall back on and subsidize their gaming systems. So, Nintendo is trying to innovate their way to the top, which I think is great.-- It's somewhat similar to how Apple's business strategy as well.

Originally Posted by Icruise 

Speaking of which, is Nintendo really not including any kind of memory card with the Wii? You'd think they would include a cheap 32MB SD card or something.

I don't know, but I don't believe so. I'd much rather they not include an SD card. I'd rather not have to pay for a smallish SD card, when I'll still go out and buy a 512 MB-1 GB card instead.

I would have appreciated included component cables instead. If they're not expensive, I won't be upset though. One site I read quoted Wii component cables at $10, which I'm relatively okay with, but another quoted them at $30, which I think is way too expensive and rather disappointing.