The question of the day, “Do HD graphics matter to gamers?” If you’re currently rolling with a PS3 or Xbox 360 and you’ve got HDMI and or sweet component cables you’re probably saying, “duh, of course they do.” What about everyone else, those Wii consoles for instance, there are so many of those. What about gamers that do not know what HDMI means?
Let’s face it, an estimated 21-million people are still using over the air TV broadcast signal and a large portion of those think that their TV is high definition because it doesn’t have an analog dial anymore. Recent Nielson ratings are showing most gamers are still pushing PS2 hardware, which isn’t high definition.
In the US, HDTV sales only reach 25-30% of the population. Couple this with the fact that one in five HDTV owners can’t tell the difference between standard definition and high definition content and you’ve got roughly 20% of the population utilizing HD. Looking at the number of gaming consoles out there and the rate of uptake, it’s clear that a large majority of gamers are not using HD resolutions for their gaming needs. (loot-ninja)
We’d like to think 1080p looks much different than 480p but some people don’t seem to notice because, honestly, they just don’t care. We’d also like to think a PlayStation 3 buyer would be aware of the HD content and already have equipment at home to take advantage of the system. Although there are no solid facts to state otherwise, there must be a group of individuals that have purchased a PlayStation 3 and are rolling with SDTV (ghetto).
High definition graphics matter to people who want a true HD experience. Wii gamers don’t care about high definition because they’re focused on the game play environment or are just following the wave of hype and desire to own the infamous white box. The Xbox 360 gamers may go either way, a gamer wants to own the system because they can get a lot of cool new games for it secondary to the HD experience. The hot games just don’t get designed on the Xbox classic or PS2 anymore. We’d presume a PS3 gamer really wants to play a high definition game because the cost of the console is more and you’re getting a Blu-ray player all bundled into one.
HD graphics matter to us, we see the difference, respect the detail and use the HD portion of the console as an excuse for paying so much for the technology. The United States, as a whole, isn’t fully ready or equipped (mentally) for a full HD experience. When will they be prepared to experience high definition at its fullest?
My guess, five years after Nintendo makes the transition to 1080p. Nintendo is capitalizing on the “average Joe” and the average consumer is still catching up on the high definition. Hell, many gamers are still playing the dial-up game!
Maybe we need to start a new government funded orgnization: The No HD Left Behind Act. Everyone should be in HD.
Gamertag has posted what they claim is a flyer sent to developers advertising the “Project Cafe” (the alleged placeholder name for the next-gen Nintendo console) SDK, with some interesting claims:
According to the press release:
Well, I got the same rumor, about a new console being developed by Nintendo, targeted for 2012. I am not the console expert, so please feel free to bash me for the following:
While I think the new console to be the real deal, I also think 2012 is a bit too soon. The market for 3DS was not yet properly exploited.
Now, about the SDK, Nintendo was not the most license friendly company. That lead (obviously) to a poor game library. Was that enough to wake up Nintendo? Is this the reason for having such a friendly SDK?
I say yes, that is a good reason. Actually, that is also a good lesson being taught here by MSFT.
However, from “making a friendly Nintendo SDK” to making an “easy to port SDK for all consoles” there is one more thing needed: access to the ins and outs of all consoles. Why would MSFT and Sony give Nintendo access to their technology? How would that benefit them?
Could it be an anti-competition scheme involved, where all developers settle for similar products with just little differences, only to impose a certain price level across the board?
To me, the SDK raises more questions than the piece of hardware.
Well, Nintendo confirmed it.
“Nintendo confirmed it.” 😀 The anti-competition scheme? 😀
Well it’s like there useing old ideas again. I remember they trying this with the Game cube and micro GBA’s . I’m sure its better tech this time around and I hope they have the “hard core” in mind this time around.