How Nintendo could make the Wii worthwhile, stuff it into a handheld
Those of you who are regular readers of Blorge and the Gamer site especially should know that I am no fan of the Wii. But, in somewhat of a roundtable discussion we had today, I discovered how Nintendo could make the Wii more attractive to those who are currently “turned off” to it.
I can’t start right into that without saying something about the DS. I like the concept of the DS but in certain situations the touchscreen just doesn’t work out. Besides the fact that Nintendo could use more first and third person action games and start getting away from “cartoony” games or those pointless “mini-games” which I had the misfortune of witnessing for myself, the DS like the Wii is weak in the hardware department.
There are several distinctions of hardware we need to look at, powerful for a home console and powerful for a handheld console. The Wii, is weak hardware wise, no one tries to dispute that but so is the DS so there is only one thing to do.
Take the internals of the Wii, reengineer it to within reason and fit it inside a handheld unit. I doubt it could be as small as the DS is but it could certainly be portable, there’s no doubt in my mind about that. Sony fit what equates to PS2 hardware in the PSP and Nintendo should be able to do the same.
Of course, the whole concept of the Wiimote will have to get tossed because that just wouldn’t work for a portable console.
If Nintendo would do this, make a portable Wii and sell it at a reasonable price (say no more than $390) I’d buy it, it’s really the only way I would be on board with the Wii, it’s just too weak to serve as a home console and I know you don’t want me to revisit the Wiis weak points (no-HD out, et al).
About the only problem I see is the Wii’s 1.5GHz PowerPC-based processor producing heat but there are low power, fanless x86 processors that run at 1.0GHz so it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch and I’m not a hardware engineer but it certainly seems possible.
As for a name, I’m thinking WiiWonder as in “we wonder why Nintendo didn’t do this in the first place.”
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31 Responses to “How Nintendo could make the Wii worthwhile, stuff it into a handheld”
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November 17th, 2007
Still on about graphics and processing power, huh?
Admit it, if you had a choice, you would probably buy a PS2 over a Wii, right? Even though the graphics are worse? If there’s no reply, I’ll take it as meaning “Yes, I would buy a less-powerful yet fun-because-of-games PS2 over a better-graphics Wii.”
November 17th, 2007
No, I wouldn’t buy a PS2 because I already have one… but I don’t really play it any more because of the graphics…
November 17th, 2007
This is the strangest arguement for or against the wii I’ve ever seen.
Either its fun or not, whether on a tv or portable.
Its like saying, the geo metro car, is slow but if it’s engine were in a motorcycle I’d buy it.
And also, I’m sick of the whole graphics arguement. I don’t give a crap, I don’t have an HD tv, nor do I have hundreds of dollars to invest in somethig that would take advantage of a xbox 360 or ps3.
Yeah, someday I might save up for that nice HD screen and surround sound and throw down 600 for a ps3, but for now, the games graphics are good and the gameplay rocks. This is the best nintendo by far I’ve ever played.
Zelda, Mario, Metriod etc etc are by far the best games I’ve played in a long time.
November 17th, 2007
I watched somebody play Heavenly Sword at the PS3 kiosk at the local Gamespot. The textures were gorgeous, the animations remarkably fluid…and the gameplay reminded me of when I brought home the first Dynasty Warriors years and years ago.
When is enough going to be enough? Don’t you find it at all alarming as to how desensitized you become to a given console generation’s graphical prowess or whatever you want to call it? Hell, I remember when I thought the Colecovision was the shizz.
Have fun with your graphics. I’ll be looking forward to your essay on why the Star Wars prequels still sucked in spite of all that gorgeous CGI.
As Billy Crystal used to say, “is better to look good than to feel good!”
November 17th, 2007
Yes Sony managed to squeeze hardware approximately as powerful as a playstation 2 into a handheld at the same time Nintendo squeezed out a handheld somewhere between an N64 and a Dreamcast. However the cost of that power was a $100 higher price tag even with the hardware being sold for a loss, half the battery life, and a relatively low-quality optical game media compared to solid state flash media. There is simply no way that Nintendo having a third handheld on the market, especially one priced significantly more than a PSP would make business sense, especially when games would be prohibitively expensive. It would be a mistake of the calibur of the Nomad. If you want to see what a machine built around the x86 hardware you propose would look like, take a look at the EEE PC, a machine with at best 3 hours of battery life, and a form factor that is far from the pocketable size preferable for a handheld.
You’re not entirely incorrect though, Nintendo chose the hardware that they did and the form factor that they did because they have the handheld market at the back of their minds. You’re a few years too early though, don’t expect to see a handheld built off of the PPC750/R400 based hardware of the Wii till they can produce the chips on at least a 33nm process and get the price down to at most $150. Another benefit of waiting a few more years is that the cost of flash media will come down more, making 4 and perhaps even 8gig games profitable at the same level as DS games are currently. Coincidentally the hardware and the storage media needed for what will in essence be a portable system somewhere between the Wii and the Gamecube should by all accounts be available in time for the next generation of handhelds.
Oh and an x86 handheld from Nintendo makes no sense at all, since PPC hardware, especially the 750 series that Nintendo uses, is ideally suited for the low voltage/low wattage world of handhelds. Perhaps that will be their next console hardware platform though, as they have a business relationship with AMD thanks to their use of ATI hardware and AMD’s upcoming ‘fusion’ CPU/GPU design which seems well suited for a console.
November 18th, 2007
Why didn’t they do that in the first place? Because it would be completely moronic in a business sense. So you will never buy a Wii or DS….so what? For every one of you they have tapped into about a thousand other people that wouldn’t buy an overpriced handheld system that offered nothing new to the gaming community.
I also find it funny that you mention the PSP when discussing this. How well has the PSP done exactly? Oh that’s right, last place, losing support and, most importantly, losing money.
Your idea here is, quite simply, the worst idea for a product imaginable. It is too expensive and lacks everything that has made the Wii and DS the top sellers in both of their markets. Are you really that self-important that you can’t see that, while you may not like it, the Wii and DS were great ideas and will continue to be successful for years to come. If you cannot then there is no point in discussing this as you are so deluded that it would make all of my points moot.
November 18th, 2007
You sir, are an idiot.
Wii – Wiimote != Wii.
You can’t take the wiimote out of the Wii, that’s like taking the wheels of a car. Wtf is the point?
Last time I checked Nintendo is dominating the handheld market already and it’s still racing ahead in the console market.
The reason: innovation. Now lets just say your idea had gone through. Well, lets think for a second: the PSP looks better then the DS… how do the sales compare? Last time I checked (actually a few months ago
) the PSP had… HALF the sales of the DS. hmm…. so if Nintendo make a good looking handheld with graphics better then psp, and ds, but no innovative featurs and just sports the old D-pad and 4 buttons we get… oh, another lame handheld that will get pwned by the DS.
Good plan… lets release something 3 years AFTER our current product, that will not pass it in sales. In doing so lets lose millions of dollars of NO REASON.
Go become an hero you halo fagboy.
Oh, and look at portal… not the best looking game on the PC, but holy shit I haven’t seen a game create a fanbase that fast in EVER. you know why? fun gameplay, innovation.
November 18th, 2007
Not really sure I can go along with the graphics argument. I mean since Crysis is now out and dx10 hardware is affordable can we just start saying PS3 and 360 are essentially boring pieces of ancient crap? Of course not, because they’re a different experience, fun in their own way.
Because let me tell you man, the difference between Crysis and Halo in control AND graphics is seriously LOL.
I mean holy crap, when did you start gaming? 2000? What the hell is up with the Sony generation thinking they have the whole thing figured out. “I don’t like those cartoony games, I only mature games for adults I’M 15 BTW!!!”
Nintendo has been around for 30 years in the console business for a reason, and as much as your ilk loves to bag on Nintendo at least give them the respect they deserve for putting out some of the best games ever made on a consistent basis.
For the record, I have a PC, a 360, and a Wii. Anyone who buys a console for graphics is functionally retarded, especially with the biggest tech jump in the last 10 years (complex calculation thanks to dx10).
I love my PC for cutting edge tech, my 360 for stuff like Dead Rising and Forza 2, and my Wii for playing with friends. You know, friends: real living breathing ones? As in a group of people who actually physically come over to your home and play games? As far as social consoles and pure fun goes, Nintendo has always had that market cornered with an cartoony fist.
November 18th, 2007
You wonder why Nintendo didn’t do it in the first place? Cause their original plan is kicking the tail out of its competition already.
November 18th, 2007
wow cartoony? Zelda TP??? play it yet? I love the wii. Using the wiimote feels natural. Member when you first started playing you moved your remote to try and control the character… I have ps3 360 and the wii and the wii gets used daily whereas the 360 for halo3 which loses peralis after like a day as my pc looks better and is better for fps with my mouse duh. The ps3 collects dust now and am about to sell it at a local swap shop. I might keep the 360 as it plays all my regular xbox games and if microsoft releases something cool for it like halo4. My heart literally falls for the wii tho it is sexy like my mac and is hella fun to play you know fun what games are meant for in the first place.
November 18th, 2007
Could be the games you enjoy playing, Jonathan. I swear that I’m not trying to insult you or put you down, but I think that maybe the reason you like graphics is because you like first-person shooters a lot–so since there’s nothing unique, updated graphics sounds like a reasonable argument.
Something to consider: Have you ever tried other games? Many of the games I liked and disliked came from trying them out. I tried: Super Smash Bros., Halo 2, Guitar Hero 2, Tony Hawks, PGR3, Fusion Frenzy, Super Mario 64…an d little by little, I found that I hated most PS3, XBox and XBox 360 games, but enjoyed PS2 and Nintendo Games.
So, my point is, if you tried those games and didn’t like them, then you have perfectly good reason to want better games of the ones you want. Hey, if I liked first person shooters, which I don’t, I would want a smoother frame rate, better looking towns and people, more holes being made in the walls–basically better graphics, which is what you were stating.
But no matter how much you hate Nintendo Stuff, please stop putting it down and saying it’s a terrible thing. Based on your interests, it just was not made for you–it was made for other people. The XBox 360 and PS3, which you enjoy, was made for you, but the Wii was made for an entirely different set of people. (Besides, most people agree that the graphics are GOOD ENOUGH)
I swear that if you were to purchase a PS4 with 4096 resolution with nothing but first-person shooters, I would not point out all it’s flaws and say that it’s idiotic to purchase one. I would say, “Hey, it’s your thing, enjoy.” Please leave us to what we enjoy. Live and let live.
There’s nothing wrong with opinions, but it SEEMS like you’re saying that we are losers for doing something we enjoy–if that’s correct, try to work on that.
November 18th, 2007
The Broadway processor is clocked at 729 MHz, and could probbly draw less than 1W of power if Nintendo and IBM put their minds to it. I think the main problem is the GPU from ATI.
November 18th, 2007
I must agree that the Wii’s hardware is weak, but who ever said it was a bad thing. If you think hardware capabilities is the most important thing for a home console, then you sir, are NOT a true gamer.
May I quote a saying from the creative and intuitive mind of Will Wright:
“The only next gen system I’ve seen is the Wii – the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement.”
I myself will someday purchase a PS3 and XBOX360 because there will be alot of games that are worth buying for them. The point I’m trying to make is that Nintendo are not going in the wrong direction.
November 18th, 2007
Thanks Henriok, I was just going to say that. This writer is completely f*cked in the head. Make a wii in to a portable and sell it for a reasonable price($390). Is he trying to sound like he has a lot of money or something? No one would pay that for a portable and Nintendo definately wouldn’t charge that. Also, what the f*ck is a portable wii w/o a wiimote. This guy is just plain stupid.
November 18th, 2007
You know, I am paid to write these articles by Microsoft. I am really trying to make the wii look silly, so I throw a really deep, incorrect, but silly argument at it. I mean I totally for got about the processor speed, so I guess it shows how much I know. I also didn’t graduate high school. So don’t expect too much guys. I try my best and need my Microsoft money. You can get double cheeseburgers with that.
November 18th, 2007
This guy is an idiot.
November 18th, 2007
There are good reasons I don’t normally read blogs. This guy is a prime example. And what’s with this, “I’m paid to write… by Microsoft.”, bullsh*t? I seriously doubt anybody pays you for much of anything. If this is truly part of Microsoft’s grand scheme, it’s no wonder they are losing so much money on their hardware ventures. If Microsoft does pay you to drool over your keyboard, I don’t think they will after you’ve showed us all your ass like this. Say “bye-bye” to the double cheeseburgers.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot…. Idiot
November 18th, 2007
idiot
November 18th, 2007
I don’t think he wrote that comment Thomas and you call the writer an idiot. Methinks you are going with the popular thing to look cool with people. Like why do you think he is an idiot.
November 18th, 2007
Er… I don’t get what the writer’s trying to say at all here…
Why is stuffing the Wii into a handheld a good idea when you wouldn’t be able to use the pointer or tilting functions of the Wiimote? Isn’t that the whole point of the Wii and why millions of people all over the world adore it so much. And wouldn’t that just turn it into a PSP clone, which is constantly being beaten in every way by the DS. Maybe I’m missing something but I just don’t understand your logic…
November 18th, 2007
Of course it wasn’t really him. I was running with the joke. Regardless, the author is still an idiot. Many have already pointed out the evidence. The article was neither informative nor entertaining. Some of just want to, god forbid, make reading it interesting and worthwhile.
November 18th, 2007
I wish some of you guys would take lessons in the correct usage of the English language.
It should be turned off from not “turned off to”
And that’s only for starters.
November 18th, 2007
Hey, guys, if the site is being paid for articles like this, you’ve gotta write what you’ve gotta write. If you don’t like it, read google news or something.
November 18th, 2007
It’s good to see that you are finally admitting your anti-wii bias schlaffer.
November 18th, 2007
Oh, another thing, it’s interesting that Microsoft isn’t doing the best, but is still trying to put down other game machines.
1. It wants articles that put down the Wii, becuase “our machine is better”, but Microsoft is trying to adopt the Wii’s strategy–FINALLY–is it finally admitting that the Wii is more successful than they are? I think Microsoft has only been trying to keep it’s reputation by appealing only to those who want the best technology–that’s not the way to win customers.
2. We need not be reminded of how many Microsoft products have been defected–is a good counsel determined by graphics and gameplay? Only part of it. Whatever happened to “Your potential, our passion” with the XBox 360?
Since Microsoft receives such pleasure from putting other counsels down, I’ll say this: It’s stupid for Microsoft to brag if it has nothing to brag about. Saying “we have the best graphics with HDTV” is nothing to brag about to people who don’t want to purchase one. Saying “We have the best hard-core games, and only hard-core games” is nothing to brag about to those who love casual games.
Sure, as I mentioned above, the XBox 360 arcade is coming out–but will Microsoft be persistent with it?
November 19th, 2007
LOOSER! I believe Wii is more than worthwhile.
November 19th, 2007
LOOSER! I believe Wii is more than worthwhile as is.
November 19th, 2007
LOOSER! I believe the Wii is more than worthwhile as is.
November 19th, 2007
hehe
November 20th, 2007
Just a word of advice, Jonathan, and this has nothing to do with your article writing. You really need to be careful how you defend yourself. You were simply saying that the reason you’re doing this is because you’re getting paid to do it–but I’m very sorry to say that you picked the wrong words in your comment to defend yourself with. I found at least two things, maybe more, that people could use against you (but haven’t yet) based on how you defended yourself. No offense, I’m just saying be careful. All you really needed to say was “I get paid to do this.” Besides, no matter what you say, there will always be some people who don’t like what’s you write–you can’t make everybody happy.
November 22nd, 2007
FAIL!