Pachter 'absolutely convinced' Wii HD is coming

by Chris Greenhough { Oct 7th 2008 at 4:25PM }

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes that Nintendo is preparing the duct tape for a new Wii that will feature high-definition visuals. Speaking in an AFP piece about Wii's bid to appeal to "hardcore" gamers, Pachter insisted that Nintendo needs to overcome the technical gulf that exists between its console and those of rivals.

"A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I'm absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming," stated Pachter, who thinks the console needs to shed its "toy for my mom" image. Ouch. If you're currently experiencing déjà vu, that's probably because Pachter made this exact same prediction more than a year ago, when he estimated a Wii upgrade to be "two to three years" away.

For the record, we non-analysts at Wii Fanboy still think that's too soon for an upgraded version of a system that continues to fly off shelves -- and developers seem to agree.

[Via videogaming247]

Tags: analyst, hd, michael-pachter, pachter, wii-hd

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ Oct 7th 2008 4:32PM

You go, Pachter. It must be hard making predictions when Nintendo said 2 years ago that their next console would be HD.

Chris Are @ Oct 7th 2008 5:03PM

I know, right?! His only prediction is that it's coming soon- w/in the next year or so. In the mean time, his publication gets more hits regardless of whether he's right or not. Ass.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 7th 2008 5:23PM

Seriously. Here's the article from May 11, 2006 where Miyamoto clearly states that the next console will be HD.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/707/707800p1.html

Sonic_13 @ Oct 7th 2008 5:30PM

Combine the above article I posted with the more recent comments that the next console won't be a giant leap like GCN-->Wii, but more of a refinement like NES-->SNES and suddenly you have what Pachter is suddenly "predicting" (despite the fact that it's all fact already stated by Nintendo).
The only exception is the 2011 part, but considering consoles tend to renew every 5 years, the math (2006 + 5 = 2011) isn't that hard...

Jeff @ Oct 7th 2008 4:44PM

I think saying that Nintendo will eventually put out an HD console is about as obvious as saying that eventually there will be a higher resolution TV set.

it's just a little of a foregone conclusion.

TwEE @ Oct 7th 2008 5:11PM

Exactly

Orion @ Oct 7th 2008 5:14PM

How much does that guy get paid? Can I get half if I offer better, less-obvious predictions?

Of course the next system will be HD, and will certainly have motion control like the Wii. The question is WHEN, and his last prediction does not address that.

As far as getting rid of the "toy for my Mom" image, while it may tick of "hardcore" gamers, if you owned Nintendo and you made that much money by cornering the casual market in the console world, would you "shed" it that fast? I wouldn't.

The "hardcore" gamer might shout and cry more, but Nintendo proved there are less of them than the non-gamer out there, which is why their sales on systems are higher. Makes game releases often boring as hell for me (especially this year), but I'd be damned if I didn't do the same thing.

Roddie @ Oct 7th 2008 5:15PM

Seriously, nobody cares what Pachter thinks. Wii Fanboy is better than this; we don't need his guesses cluttering up the site.

guttertalk @ Oct 7th 2008 5:28PM

The question isn't whether it will be high def and more powerful to support high def, but it's a question of when.

MBJ @ Oct 7th 2008 5:36PM

Well, I got sick of waiting for Nintendo to release a hard drive so I went ahead and picked up a PS3 yesterday. I'm a huge fan of music games (Rock Band and Guitar Hero) and I was fed up with not being able to play the best versions of these games. I know that the upcoming versions are supposed to have DLC but I just don't believe that the SD card "solution" will be up to par with a built-in 80 GB hard drive.

I'm not abandoning Nintendo by any means. They're still the top game maker by far in my opinion. In fact, I didn't even buy a game with my PS3, I got a Bluray movie and made plans to pick up LittleBigPlanet, Rock Band 2, and Guitar Hero: World Tour later this month. In the mean time, I'm enjoying Wario Land: Shake It! and de Blob.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 7th 2008 5:49PM

Go away troll!

It's very obvious that you are a troll only here to cause trouble considering that your lengthy comment has absolutely nothing to do with this post and everything to do with how you switched to PS3.

MBJ @ Oct 7th 2008 6:17PM

Look, I'm not trolling. Did you even read the second part of my post? I'm just saying that while some games can benefit from features like high def graphics and a hard drive, it's not necessary in order to make a great game. I hate most of the games on the PS3 because I'm not into first person shooters, realistic racing games, or sports games. I basically got a PS3 to play HD movies, music games, and the occasional PS3 exclusive title. I didn't "switch" to the PS3, I added it to my console collection. Pardon me for saying anything remotely pro-Sony or critical of Nintendo.

Gewurz Man just wasted 200 Wii points @ Oct 7th 2008 6:20PM

With the lower priced 360s, I've been contemplating going that route just for GHWT and RB2. But, I'll give the Wii version of GHWT a chance first and go from there.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 7th 2008 6:31PM

It still has no relevance to this post and I see the second part of your statement as nothing more than fake sincerity to make it seem like you aren't trolling.

AltCtrlPwn @ Oct 7th 2008 7:45PM

@sonic_13:

Shut up please.

A quick profile view and you'd see that he isn't trolling at all, and that you're a moron.

@MBJ:

Pretty much the same here in regards to the PS3, although I also got it for the other games that the Wii is missing (good FPS, MGS4 . . . ).

time @ Oct 7th 2008 7:51PM

accidental troll is accidental

let's leave it at that

Haohmaru @ Oct 7th 2008 8:03PM

Awesome, MBJ. PS3 has plenty of good games that'll give you even MORE to play while waiting for Punch Out!, Sin and Punishment 2, et al. Nothing wrong with going multi-platform.

Sonic_13... stop trolling, please. kthx.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 8th 2008 1:08AM

I wasn't trolling and it appears you (MBJ) aren't either. I called you a troll because I didn't understand the point of your "I got a PS3" story in the context of this thread and believed it posted just to stir up console-war debate and conflict. I still don't understand, but you were clearly just expressing your favorite games, which no gamer should be criticized for regardless of system those games are on.

I obviously reacted in the wrong way and I don't know why. I'm sorry for this and I hope we can forget this and go on commenting in peace.

Mr Khan @ Oct 7th 2008 5:41PM

This is like if i had said in 1998 "I am absolutely sure a disc-based Nintendo home console is coming"

But the "toy for the mom" image is exactly what Nintendo wants to cultivate. Toy for mom, toy for dad, toy for the little 'uns, toy for the core gamers.

They do need to work on treating their core userbase better, but its really just the little things that would satisfy a lot of us. The only really big overhaul they need to make is to their online structure, otherwise its just about throwing us some more bones in terms of speedier (and more) localization, cooler perks for Club Nintendo, etc

CJLopez @ Oct 7th 2008 5:50PM

Actually, i'm more concerned on the name this new console will take.

I mean, we have already 2 console being renamed almost on release date, with the gamecube preivously named Star Cube and the Wii was Revolution.

When you ask? does 2011 sounds good? What about 2012?? Sound reasonable.

And man, good thing WiiFanboys have humor. Taking how the next nintendo console will be 4 ductaped togherter gamecubes, xD

Or better yet, 4 ductaped togheter Wii's, who knows

time @ Oct 7th 2008 7:52PM

Star cube? I though it was the Dolphin.

Metayoshi @ Oct 8th 2008 6:29AM

Gamecube was codenamed Project Dolphin, while the Wii was codenamed Revolution. Just look at the hardware models for each system: DOL-001 and REV-001 respectively.

Star Cube was a rumor where Project: Dolphin was going to end up being officially named Star Cube, but really ended up becoming Gamecube. Star Cube was an officially registered trademark from Nintendo suggesting that Star Cube was going to be Project Dolphin's name at one point. But just before Space World 2000, they decided on Gamecube.

I'm actually more excited on the next codename for Nintendo's next gen console than I am with the actual name. Dolphin and Revolution are overall just better names than Gamecube and Wii in my opinion, though I can understand Nintendo's choice on naming the Wii.

Source: http://cube.ign.com/articles/083/083749p1.html

r-deezy @ Oct 7th 2008 6:15PM

Oh jeez... based upon his track record, I guess that means this has around 5% chance of coming true.

Dawn @ Oct 7th 2008 7:06PM

pachter: "toy for my mom" image.

whatever pachter. videogames (wii,ps2/3,xbox360) are toys. period! people can say that videogames are made for adults and played by adults all they want. but that the end of the day, videogames are TOYS! we're all just a bunch of grown men and women who play with electronic toys. at least nintendo is honest about it.

i never take this videogame stuff serious. it's suppose to be fun. that's why i always laugh at the people on neogaf and other gaming related blogs/forums/sites.

fraxyl @ Oct 7th 2008 9:46PM

heh... should put a picture of Woody and Buzz there.

VIDEO GAMES! ARE! TOYS!!!

ZombiePikmin @ Oct 7th 2008 7:24PM

Ok yeah the next console could be coming in 2011, BUT a WiiHD (just an upgrade) is more then welcome. Who knows maybe the WiiHD will have a hardrive. All am saying is new console NO major upgrade Perhaps, And remember $$$

WE WANTZ UR MONEYZ
-Reggie Fils-Aime

time @ Oct 7th 2008 7:54PM

I would not buy a rehashed Wii with HD tacked on. I'm waiting until they have decent online play and a hard drive.

...never mind, I would totally buy a rehashed wii. I guess they have me in their pocket.

Knoxximus @ Oct 7th 2008 9:03PM

Yeah, I mean, that would be like buying a rehashed Gamecube with a motion controller.

...oh, wait...

Full Disclosure: I own all three consoles. This was not trolling, but an attempt at humor.

^_^

TheOverlord#2 @ Oct 7th 2008 9:10PM

What Wii HD should have: a Hard Drive, either 360/PS3 level graphics or a little bit better(if that's possible right now?), Virtual Console kept with all games released on Wii for the VC on it, being able to transfer over Virtual Console games, either a game controller or 1:1 motion controls from launch, DVD or Blu-ray support, movie, TV show, and music downloads on the Wii HD's Shop, a more robust online experience(Chat with friends, one Wii HD Friend Code for all games, etc.), and Wii & GC backwards compatibility
PLEASE!?!?(Nintendo should take up the 360's SKU model and release a cheaper Casual system(arcade)(just basic features and having Wii Sports built in maybe??) and a more expensive Hardcore system(Core/Elite)(w/ all features listed above))

KaBob799 @ Oct 7th 2008 9:49PM

I bet he took one look at DSi and thought "Hey I bet they do that to the wii also". But there will be no Wii HD this generation, theres a reason that companies don't go around majorly upgrading consoles graphics halfway through the generation.

KaBob799 @ Oct 7th 2008 9:50PM

Also, the DSi didn't even improve graphics so he really hasn't done much thinking on this at all. Mid-generation graphics improvement has never been done.

Covarr @ Oct 8th 2008 12:32AM

Why do you guys keep reporting on Pachter? Everything he says is either wrong, or obvious to the point that it may as well have been announced already (and often this is the case). He says nothing useful whatsoever.

Deozaan @ Oct 8th 2008 4:24PM

"A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I'm absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming,"

So does that mean he thinks Nintendo isn't *already* positioned well?

This whole thing is a lot like saying, "Another Legend of Zelda title would really position the series well among first-party Nintendo titles, which why I'm absolutely convinced there's another LoZ title coming!"