Wii doesn't play DVDs?

thelordofcheese

mcgarnicle wrote:

I think they are targetting non gamers as they have stated on numerous occassions. Do you think they are targetting internet forum users? Hardly a large market there. They don't have to target geeky internet types, chances are most people here made their minds up whether or not to get a Wii before it had even been announced. I know I had.

The people they claim to be targetting are people that don't have PS2s, Xboxes or 360s, they are targetting people who don't play games. These people would probably be keen on the idea of being able to use DVDs on the system.

I'd say the opposite, the people who don't play games would already have a stand alone DVD player, seeing as the DVD's have become quite standard. If they havn't gamed before they wouldn't have a hybrid DVD/Games system. I don't see the DVD capabilities of the Wii, or lack thereof, being of much concern.

Wertz

the_syco wrote:

Its a proven fact that playing your games like this can damage your games and DVD's. IE: not flat is bad.

My 5+ yr old PS2 has been sitting upright since the day it came out of it's box...on a flat unmoving surface. The 30+ games I've played in it are flawless with regards to scratches; even GTASA plays flawlessly. It's used regularly.
I'd argue that people standing it on end don't use a stabilising stand and/or have it on an unlevel surface.

As for DVD playback on the Wii?
Why? When the PS2 came out, DVD players were pretty rare and a LOT more expensive than what they are today...the DVD playback thing was a big selling point for me back then (like the PS3 for BD DVD playback will be) but after about 2 years when DVD players came down in price I bought one and have never used the PS2 playback feature since (it's fairly crap BTW)

The N64 or GC never played DVDs (well panasonic made a GC that did, but that was horribly expensive) so why should they start with the Wii, especially when as has been mentioned a DVD player now costs <50 notes and will probably play compressed formats too.

To the OP; get a cheap ass DVD player and put it under or on top of your telly....it won't break, they're designed for use like that.
I got my auntie one last christmas for £20stg; it's about the size of an argos catalogue and has better features than the one I got myself 3 years back which cost 6X that...

crybaby

no big deal, i always thought the ps2 was fairly noisy to be using for a DVD player, you can get DVD players for 39.99 at the moment

CiDeRmAn

Said time and time again, Dvd functionality would be a slight sweetener to an otherwise very tempting Nintendo pie but not really needed.
Dvd players coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes one is sure to suit, anyhow, whats the deal with getting rid of the PS2 to facilitate the purchase of the Wii? Its not like you are going to get anything close to the asking price of a Wii if you sell the PS2 and games, just hold onto it and get a scart adaptor to plug them both into your TV, or perhaps parental pressure is forcing you to choose between them, the world can be so cruel, aren't I glad I got out of the house in '89 ! Now I can have as many machines as I like, as long as my wife lets me!, or should that be "lets mii"?

shinzon

Recon wrote:

Dear Customer, thank you for your e-mail.

No the Wii is a games console not a home entertainment system.

Kind regards,

Your Nintendo Team

Tbh i dont think thats at all bitchy, you asked a question they answered it plain and simply, i for one h8 long rambling e-mails about how it wont play dvds, maybe its just me but i prefer one wod answers to questions i ask

You asked they answered tbh, no bitchiness there that i can see

Shin

zAbbo

Are Nintendo supposed to list the features it doesn't have ?

What a strange request.

You also need to stop buying cheap bedroom furniture.

GrumPy

Someone PLEASE move or lock this thread. It's not even in the right forum, and the discussion has sprawled pointlessly onto 4 pages!

Fidelis

zabbo wrote:

Are Nintendo supposed to list the features it doesn't have ?

What a strange request.

You also need to stop buying cheap bedroom furniture.

Terrifically constructive post, right there :rolleyes:

How is it a strange resquest? Consoles have had DVD playback in the past, and the Wii was originally supposed to have DVD playback, so how was it a strange request?

It's sarcastic muppets like you that have degraded this thread into every second post being "I have too many DVD players already".

monument

Irish GrumPy stay on topic; the topic is not 'is this thread in the right place' or 'what has it become'.

skywalker also stay on topic; topic is not Irish GrumPy or his name.

General warning: Any personal abuse from now on will be followed by a ban.

As always, do not reply to this post, you may be banned if you do.

Recon

All I was commenting on was: the reply I got from the "nintendo" support staff, which I think most people agree was quite rude. And I had my reasons for wanting the Wii to be able to play DVDs.

Whether people agree with my reasons or not it doesn't matter, I'm still prefectly intitled to have them and express them. As for people talking cheap shots at me for not wanting to have numerous devices on the floor of my room (to play games, dvds, music or whatever) I'm sure you'll find somebody to love you eventually.

So thanks to anyone for posting a constructive reply on this topic and I'll ask no-one else to reply to it and for a mod to lock it whenever they can.

Thanks.

chump

I don't think it was rude.
Concise really.

Punctuation could have been better, but to be fair I'm quite impressed they didn't issue a standard generic email pointing you to an FAQ of sorts - the kind these kind of queries deserve! YEWAH.

I personally would like if it was a dvd player too, but at the end of the day I don't really care.
What would be very kool, would be if the wireless functionality could connect wireless to your laptop/pc and stream movies/sound etc. from it. I'd like that.

ambro25

Fidelis wrote:

I simply like the idea of eventually having most devices in one. e.g. phone + mp3 player + credit card, like in Japan. Or in this case, console + DVD player + media centre. The convenience of having a single device to cater for most of my needs, within reason. Wishful thinking, I suppose.

Very. Nintendo wants you to buy their Wii, same as Sony with their PS3, Microsoft with their XBOX, Aldi with their Tevion DVD players, Motorola with their V3x, Archos with their PVRs, etc, etc. See where I'm going? They are all independent business out to make a buck (not meant in a cynical way, just matter-of-factly), the trick is for you to decide what you want/need most and balance those wants against (i) what's out there to cater for them (ii) your budget and (iii) external factors (such as room size in your case).

Convergence, for that's what you're on about here, will always be curtailed by the respective imperatives of the various businesses manufacturing and selling 'converging devices' : their own killer app (software or hardware) is what makes them stay alive and makes you want theirs more than the competition - anything after that is a trade off, i.e. what they can't afford not to have (in Wii's example, connectivity) vs what they can (in Wii's example, DVD playback)... and all the better if they can retrofit it later.

It's the "trojan" PS2 principle in reverse: PS2 had a much-improved market penetration because it had DVD and household equipment at the time in DVD players was low (kill 1 bird with 2 stones) then, Wii is hoping for a much-improved market penetration because it's so much cheaper than the competition (whereby don't bundle DVD as an extra cost) now. How much would 360 or PS3 cost without DVD and/or HD?