Wii with DVD playback for Japan delayed
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jun 30th 2008 at 11:57AM }
The Japan-only DVD Wii was originally expected to be released in the country sometime late last year, but given the company's general inability to keep up with Wii demand, at this point Nintendo has time to sit around like Winnie the Pooh and think about the Wii's next hardware iteration. As long as the cash keeps flowing, what's the rush?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mr.ESC @ Jun 30th 2008 12:03PM
I wanted a Red Wii back in 2006 but that never happened, whatever happened to the colored Wiis Nintendo?
Anyway are those models just for Japan?
FOXHOUND @ Jun 30th 2008 12:13PM
I got tired of waiting and just bought a new shell and drive-light. :\ Save for the initial read trouble on SSBBRAWL, the system's pretty effin' durable(new case or not)...
...thank you for recycled Playskool™ plastic! :D
ChooChooCharlie @ Jun 30th 2008 4:28PM
Seriously. My original plan was to wait for a solid blue Wii. Glad I ditched that idea.
Grog @ Jun 30th 2008 12:03PM
Why does there have to be a separate model?
I would be interested to hear from someone with a bit more technical know-how on the subject. My main question is "Why isn't this just a firmware/software upgrade?" It seems to me that the drive is capable of reading the media with just a little effort put toward reading and a UI for playing.
Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Jun 30th 2008 12:09PM
Wii discs != DVDs
Beside Nintendo's too greedy to play the DVD Forum a royalty for using the format.
Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Jun 30th 2008 12:09PM
And pay them too. :\
CJLopez @ Jun 30th 2008 12:50PM
Actually Wii Disc == DVD
Smash Brothers Brawl is a DVD9 format, a double layer DVD, thats wii, with a chip, you can read DVD movies on the Wii
Grog @ Jun 30th 2008 1:14PM
My understanding, as mentioned above, is that the Wii uses DVD-format discs even if Nintendo has their own proprietary way of storing the information. It seems to me like it should be a relatively simple matter to set up a "DVD Channel" that you can purchase for $10-20 that covers the licensing fees and the software/firmware download.
Game over?
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:18AM
There are certain hardware requirements to get DVD certification, such as laser quality, the physical properties of the disc drive loading mechanism, and a chip that does CSS handshaking.
Nintendo did not want DVD certification for some reason (take a wild guess), and thus adding DVD playback is not as simple as a firmware update... unless your Wii is chipped. Hell, even the Gamecube has all the hardware required to play DVDs if you use a larger aftermarket case.
born2kill @ Jun 30th 2008 12:08PM
greedy bastards
Squirtforce @ Jun 30th 2008 12:09PM
I'm holding out for the laserdisc wii. Or maybe one that can play all my mix tapes.
michas_pi @ Jun 30th 2008 2:17PM
I'm waiting for the Betamax and HD-DVD versions.
JonFitt @ Jun 30th 2008 2:53PM
Nintendo is surfing the razor's edge of technology again.
Kye - WiiDSixty DF @ Jul 1st 2008 5:14AM
1st Nintendo employee: Do you think we should make it able to play DVDs at launch?
2nd employee: No. That's just too out there right now. Next thing you know people will be wanting all sorts of futuristic things; like online play WITH voice chat.
Strike Man @ Jun 30th 2008 12:11PM
Aside from any DVD-specific MPEG-2 decoder boards that might be added to a new model, exactly what technical reason prevents the current Wii systems from playing DVDs in the first place?
Hell, I don't see why Nintendo doesn't make a quickie software decoder and throw it up on the Wii Shop channel for something like 500 points. It may not do the job of a standalone player, but like the Opera browser, I'm sure it could at least be considered functional.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:24AM
I think Nintendo's rationale is that any profits earned from such a channel wouldn't make up for the pennies of extra hardware they'd have to add to satisfy the DVD consortium's already-cracked CSS.
Either that, or they feel that the more time people spend playing movies, they'll spend less time buying games. I hear that was a real big problem on the PS2 -- just look at those terrible sales figures.
Aero @ Jun 30th 2008 12:18PM
Sometimes Nintendo just pisses me off. They sometimes make useless excuses for everything. Like why they didn't make the Wii high defintion. They said that not that many people have high definition tvs in the country so why make the Wii HD at the moment. On the other hand, the only way the Wii can connect online is through a wireless router, and doesn't have an Ethernet port on the console. Not everyone has wireless network at home these days either.
Undead Priest @ Jun 30th 2008 12:50PM
Except for that part where there's a wired adaptor for those who don't have a wireless connection.
http://store.nintendo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=117712¤cy=USD&catalogId=10001&tranId=0&lastAction=setCurr&storeId=10001&languageId=-1&categoryId=62707&ddkey=http:SetCurrencyPreference
4MyFriends @ Jun 30th 2008 1:09PM
Wii wasn't made to support High Definition resolutions because it couldn't handle graphics in 720P. If you are going to bitch, at least fucking educate yourself before you open your mouth.
Dale @ Jun 30th 2008 1:44PM
@4MyFriends: It's logical to assume that if Nintendo had wanted to support HD, they would have built hardware to output at 720p or greater. They would have had to.
Therefore, your being a dick to Aero is unjustified. The Wii doesn't output to 720p resolutions because, as he says, Nintendo didn't think the market was there for HD.
Tiptup300 @ Jun 30th 2008 2:21PM
The wii doesn't have real online, so it balances it self out.
Mr Khan @ Jun 30th 2008 3:14PM
Statistically, the Wii is capable of pulling 720p, Xbox did it, PS2 did 1080i even for one game, i just imagine that it's not a function that they wanted to build into the hardware
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:28AM
720p is an issue of memory bandwidth, not polygon power. Realistically, all you really need is a faster texture engine and faster memory. You don't need to redesign the whole GPU.
NATO_Duke @ Jun 30th 2008 12:18PM
Wow! You don't have DVD players in Japan yet? Thats crazy!!!!!
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:32AM
I find it amusing that people glorified the space-saving properties of the Wii, while at the same time, fans say you can just buy a stand-alone DVD player. Hey, how about a network dongle and an external power supply while we're at it?
Plus, uh... having to change cables or fiddle with video inputs. Not everyone has a $500 receiver to handle 5 different video and audio sources.
meist3r @ Jun 30th 2008 12:20PM
From my point of view in perspective of the current market situation they simply don't want to put the investment in it. Yes @Grog it would be possible to implement a software DVD playback (as long as the Wii drive reads the same standards as regular DVD drives) but there is a ton of licenses involved to put something like DVD decoding into a device. You need to license the decryption, an audio decoder, a video decoder, write a UI that doesn't break any patents and so on.
"given the current demand for the Wii, the company's priority is still on that model"
Translated into non-business speech that reads:
Because we sell the old one like sliced bread and our supply-and-demand scheme worked so perfectly in most regions so far we are not going to waste money on developing and manufacturing a new hardware set that would involve changes in the production facilities and investment of several tenthousand dollars. Also we would like to get rid of all these money printers as long as people still pry them from our fingers and certainly won't risk sending potential customers into a waiting period until we are able to supply the enhanced model.
@Mr.ESC: Why does hulu.com only work in the US? There is certain interest behind limiting varieties to a specific market. It's bad for the people that want these versions, it's fantastic for the import vendors and it's overall good for the game companies because they get international press and divert some attention toward their global endeavours instead of having the focus on all the mistakes and downsides they make in a different environment.
It's all theory but compared to the news it holds up.
Brandon @ Jun 30th 2008 12:21PM
Why would anyone care to get a DVD Wii? Who doesn't have a DVD player at this point. And besides its so cheap now to get one that upconverts, why would anyone want one that can only output at standard def in this day and age?
Seems pointless to me, equally as pointless as not being dvd capable to begin with.
ill trooper @ Jun 30th 2008 3:21PM
Bad argument. I was just on a trip and I brought the Wii so we could all play at the motel, and having it play DVDs is a glaring omission from it's capabilities.
I won't go on and on here, as I've complained about it a lot in past Wii/DVD threads:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/14/dvd-enhanced-wii-also-hits-us-latter-half-of-2007/
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/30/rumor-enhanced-dvd-capable-wii-coming-in-07/
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:41AM
Why buy a [crappy] $30 DVD player and a $250 console when you can get both for $250?
Seems pretty logical to me. But it's oddly normal for Nintendo fanboys to demand that they not get certain features, because Nintendo deserves to make money for not giving a shit.
MC Double Def DP @ Jun 30th 2008 12:29PM
is there really a demand for this?
Xoviet chiK @ Jun 30th 2008 12:29PM
This doesn't make any sense. It's like Nintendo wants people to buy two Wiis, one now and one in a few months after supply has caught up and they release the DVD player.
If people really care about a Wii DVD, then why not release it? Why put all your effort to ensuring the supply of the would-be old model, when the new DVD playing model would still be in high-demand (if not higher, with the early adopters potentially buying a second Wii).
Why not kill two birds with one stone, and meet both crowd's Wii demands by releasing the DVD playing Wii?
Dovi @ Jun 30th 2008 1:11PM
Because then people buy two Wiis...
DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 30th 2008 12:33PM
Man, talk about genius. Nintendo did all the right things this gen (cost saving/business wise) and are dragging those money bags all the way to the bank.
I have to say, who the hell needs their Wii to playback DVDs? it's really useless, and Nintendo was smart pocketing the $$ they would have had to shell out on royalties.
MS and SONY would not have been able to get away with the same thing though... pushing their consoles as all around entertainment and media devices means that movie disc playback is a given.
Pretty Obvious @ Jun 30th 2008 1:57PM
Nintendo once again givig it to the consumer. Come on.. even the pS2 played DVD's when it launched. WTF.. I knew this was gonna happen when the Wii launhed.
Wait about a year or two, release a new model Wii like they do with the Gameboy's and DS and BAM!!! A million more idiots will flock to buy this outdated system that now in 2008 plays DVD movies.. Ugh.
Slayer @ Jun 30th 2008 2:12PM
I don't think that many people are going to buy another wii just for dvd playback. Who doesn't own a dvd player of some sort at this point.
LawlFull§ @ Jun 30th 2008 3:06PM
I was waiting for a black wii too,SSBB was released and I got a normal white wii with a black knight case.
Korova *of the highlands* @ Jun 30th 2008 3:15PM
Its an unproven technology and will require further testing.
Hence, the delay.
Do you want something that works later or anything whatever now? Huh?! I didn't think so.
aristokrat @ Jun 30th 2008 6:29PM
There is nothing unproven about any of the technology in the Wii. If I can by most of the parts for it at Radio Shack, you can't use that argument.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:43AM
Gamecube can play DVDs with homebrew.
What's unproven about Gamecube?
Mr Khan @ Jun 30th 2008 3:17PM
Colors were certainly a pipe-dream, i have a hard time believing that they haven't even gotten around to different colors. While hardware differences could cause trouble, a different color wouldn't require much upgrading in the manufacturing department
Its been 1.5 years, and no inkling of the colored models shown back at E3 06
skyrous @ Jun 30th 2008 8:19PM
Nintendo went through that mess with the Gamecube, they had multiple colors and people would be looking for a specific color which made the process of getting one that much harder especially right after launch when they were hard to find anyway. When I bought mine the sales lady at best buy said they only had black and would that be ok? I didn't care
Different colors are a given once they're able to meet demand. but until then it would just be an extra layer of confusion. If they put half their production lines over to making a black model how much harder will that be to find. There will only be 50% as many black Wii's (and 50% fewer whites) and if your looking for a particular color how hard is that going to be? To this day the only time I've seen a Wii in the store is the day I picked up my pre-order.
Eric @ Jun 30th 2008 7:53PM
If Nintendo would release a DVD channel, I'd gladly download it. I would even pay 500 points for it, just for the convenience of eliminating one device I have to connect to my TV this fall in my dorm.
But I'm not going to pay $250 for another Wii just for the DVD player.
randomshagz @ Jun 30th 2008 9:23PM
I smell Power Glove all over again.
randomshagz @ Jun 30th 2008 9:24PM
I smell Power Glove all over again.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 2nd 2008 6:44AM
I smell trigger-happy shagz.
IcedOmega13 @ Jul 1st 2008 3:13AM
I likes monies
theclaw @ Jul 1st 2008 6:53AM
The answer is legal reasons. Nintendo used a "almost DVD" format for Wii games so they wouldn't have to pay fees.
They could add DVD movie playback to current Wii systems via software, but that'd be illegal. The system isn't certified as compatible with DVD discs by the DVD group.