Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said this week that he believes that although high definition video has no “significant meaning” to users of the extremely popular Wii, the next Nintendo console will certainly be HD-compatible.
“If we have an opportunity to make a new console, it will probably support HD because it is now common throughout the world,” Iwata says. “However, as far as the Wii is concerned, we have not found a significant reason to make it HD-compatible at this time.
“What is the significant meaning to the users? I don’t think we should do it unless we find that reason. If we decide for other reasons to make new hardware, then HD is one of the things we would naturally add.”
Iwata also spoke out about the new Sony and Microsoft motion-based control systems.
“We don’t have any information about when they would introduce these things and at what kind of price,” he added. “Until we know exactly what they will do, it’s harder to understand what we would need to do.
“What Nintendo has to do is make software that takes advantage of the Wii MotionPlus and make efforts to make the public understand the benefits of the Wii MotionPlus controls. As the pioneer of motion-sensing technology, what Nintendo has to do is provide new surprises in the next and two years from now.”
Result for: sensing technology
A federal jury has ruled in favor of a small Texas gaming company Anascape, announcing that Nintendo will have to pay the company $21 million USD for infringing patents while designing controllers for the Wii and Gamecube consoles.
The lawsuit was originally filed in late 2006 and was filed against Microsoft as well. The software giant however decided to settle the case out of court before the trial began.
Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta added that the company is looking to appeal and “expects the court to reduce the award significantly.”
The patents infringed had to do with the designs of the Wii Classic, WaveBird and Gamecube controllers. Scibettra added the company was pleased that no infringement was found having to do with any motion-sensing technology, such as the Wii and Nunchuck controllers.
