Nintendo looking into holographic storage?
by JC Fletcher 
{ Jul 31st 2008 at 9:45AM }
Holographic storage is a technology that we totally don't understand well enough to explain. Apparently, it's a method of storing data in which data is stored throughout the whole volume of a medium, rather than just the surface, allowing for more storage space on a disc. Basically, storage media with multiple-terabyte capacity.Nintendo's name has shown up as a joint applicant on a patent application by InPhase Technologies for a scanner to read such holographic discs. Is Nintendo planning to solve the hard-drive issue with massive overkill, or are they planning to introduce a new format for their next system's games -- with massive overkill? Maybe nothing will come of this. Or maybe nothing will come of this for a long time.
[Via NeoGAF]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
elgroucho @ Jul 31st 2008 10:16AM
jeez, that was fast. I saw this on GAF just before i came here.
supa_s @ Jul 31st 2008 10:19AM
Interesting. It would be awesome if they used it to solve their storage problem but it would be a whole lot better if they used for a massive overkill nxt gen.
Light @ Jul 31st 2008 10:25AM
This stuff is cool. Think of reading an entire cube for terrabites of data.
Talk about next-gen.
Tristan @ Jul 31st 2008 10:32AM
LOl and nintendo's low cost philosophy is supporting this pricey technology!?
iMeh @ Jul 31st 2008 10:39AM
a literal GAMECUBE!!!
Garu @ Jul 31st 2008 10:49AM
Cool! I'm going to buy this right after they come out with the N64 Disk Drive!
=0
JC Fletcher @ Jul 31st 2008 10:58AM
So 1999?
time @ Jul 31st 2008 10:58AM
Next-gen, if ever.
Dan Davis @ Jul 31st 2008 11:19AM
Yeah, there's no way this is coming to the Wii.
SyNNeR6x3 @ Jul 31st 2008 11:34AM
With Our beloved Ninty you never know. Chances are it's not "next-gen" as they can't even keep up with "current-gen" demand for the Wii. I believe that Nintendo will ride the smooth steady wave of Wii for quite sometime making the iphase not "overkill", but simply one if the single smartest moves Nintendo will announce all year. =)
Feba @ Jul 31st 2008 11:46AM
This would be an asinine way to add to the Wii's storage. Even if it were possible to make and ship the technology, why? We simply do not need that much space. It would be much cheaper for everyone to release USB hard drives and a firmware patch. Heck, even a 1TB drive would be significantly less expensive. Look at SSDs-- those still cost a ton of money. I wouldn't expect holographic media to be affordable anytime soon either.
SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 3:19PM
Or maybe, we don't need that much storage space YET! O_O
DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!
o_o Who knows, maybe they'll do some insane thing with the DS-to-Wii connectivity that'll need a lot of space. Then maybe they'll go into overdrive with VC and WiiWare releases! And with that much space, games like FFCC: MLAAK will finally be able to download ALL of the DC content! And then the world will end! END!
...I'm just being optimistic. :)
SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 3:21PM
...DC content?
Downloadable Content content?
Wow, that sounded odd.
Stick to DC.
SoshiKitai @ Jul 31st 2008 4:21PM
Wait... what happened to the "L" in DLC??
DLC! I MEAN DLC!!!
*blows up*
White Rose Duelist @ Jul 31st 2008 12:07PM
If the Wii or Nintendo's next-gen system has this, it will just mean Square-Enix will release a game for it with 70 hours of cutscenes to fill the disk.
CJLopez @ Jul 31st 2008 4:32PM
MGS 5 and 6, anyone?!!!
Ng0zT @ Jul 31st 2008 12:16PM
I know exactly whats going on here.
they are making massive online storage space that will be split among the people who use WiiConnect24.
nintendo themselves said that nothing with storage space can connect to the wii unless its an sd card and those only go up to 8 gigs. too bad i cant use wiiconnect24/wfc :(
Garu @ Jul 31st 2008 12:49PM
That's a very interesting suggestion!
Arex @ Jul 31st 2008 2:08PM
How is that any different than their current "solution" of having people delete and redownload their already-purchased games from the shop channel?
Mr Khan @ Jul 31st 2008 1:10PM
Putting aside the ridiculous expense of this technology, it would still be overkill on a console where even a 20 GB HDD would be massive overkill
I quite like Ng0zT's idea, though. Massive online-side storage space through the passive connection that is Wii Connect 24 could open up the space issue in a way we couldn't have imagined
It would be like the old idea that some have put forth about streaming the games, except that instead of doing so from Nintendo's overstressed and often too-slow VC servers, you would do so from a massive remote storage bin.
Peter S @ Jul 31st 2008 1:27PM
I'm familiar enough with the basics behind the technology to say that this is highly unlikely to be current-gen technology. It's cool, but rewriteable holographic storage just isn't ready for mass market yet. They could possibly be looking at this for delivering their games, though.
Major advantage besides the insane amount of storage is that holographic data is written throughout the medium. That means that one scratched/lost section can still be read from other parts of the storage.
darksamus @ Jul 31st 2008 2:41PM
I heard a rumor regarding this very sort of thing in regards to Ninty and holographic tech about a year or so back. Guess it was true. The HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) would fit for Ninty quite well, since it has tons of storage capacity,very fast access speeds, and because no other game companies have explored this idea yet. HVD is still pretty expensive tech, but the Wii and DS have rolled in enough to make HVD doable, IMO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc
Tristan @ Aug 1st 2008 2:44PM
It wouldnt be much affordable to consumers as of this time I dont think. Maybe for 2012 when they reveal that new Nintendo Console (or modified console).
zeldazeppelin @ Jul 31st 2008 2:48PM
yes this would be awesome. even if its a little overkill
KaBob799 @ Jul 31st 2008 5:37PM
Depending on how they used it might not be overkill. Games like spore which have a ton over usermade content would finally be possible and I'm sure that given enough time and space developers would make games that use that space well.
If Nintendo does go with PS3 quality graphics next gen this type of storage would be very helpful.
raindog @ Aug 1st 2008 6:44PM
They were filing motion-sensing patents back in like 2001 or 2002, at least 4 years before the release of the Wii (but after Gyration, whose technology they licensed, already had their product on the market.) I don't even know if it's realistic to expect this technology to show up in the Wii's immediate successor.
Zachary @ Aug 1st 2008 8:21PM
Honestly, I think Nintendo's just signed on to keep this technology out of Sony and Microsoft's hands. I couldn't imagine Nintendo making this type of gamble; it'd be too forward and probably not work as well as anyone'd like (Virtual Boy).
Also, think of their strategy with the Wii and the original Game Boy. They've proven that low cost easily beats high performance. When other companies (Sega, Sony) attempt to use pure power, Nintendo makes smaller, quieter, more comfortable, and more cost/energy-wise consoles. It worked with the Game Boy, and it's working with the Wii and the DS.