Friday, November 10, 2006

Wii to function without TV, after all?



Nintendo has published an advertorial (an advert that is meant to look like a regular article) in British women´s magazine Prima, which is either full of misleading formulations - or hints at a long-suspected Wii secret.

UK: Resistance has the scans.



The article is aimed at mothers and talks about how Wii can encourage them to spend quality time with their kids:
It´s tempting to sit them in front of the TV while you get cosy on the couch, lost in a good book - but now, thanks to Nintendo, you don´t have to. (...)

Turn off the TV and get active in your own home with the revolutionary Wii.


Though quite short, the article tells us to forget, even switch off our television sets twice. Most likely just a figure of speech to exaggerate the difference between passively watching television and actively playing Wii. But what if it were actually true? What if you actually could switch off the tube in order to play Wii?

Now, I am well aware that it is very unlikely that a British women´s magazine would blow the lid off such a huge secret. But do consider that this is not an editorial article but written by Nintendo (or Cake, their British PR agency). Also, consider that we have come across plenty of possible hints at the Wii not necessarily needing a TV to display images.

Let us remind ourselves of what Shigeru Miyamoto told Business Week pretty much a year ago:

It's convenient to make games that are played on TVs. But I always wanted to have a custom-sized screen that wasn't the typical four-cornered cathode-ray-tube TV. I've always thought that games would eventually break free of the confines of a TV screen to fill an entire room. But I would rather not say anything more about that.

Also, the ending of the TGS 2005 clip, where the player turns off the television set with the Wiimote, has been the source for similar speculation:



Those could very well just be coincidences. In fact, that is the most likely explanation. But when I read the quotes from above advertorial, I could not help but remember Miyamoto´s quote. The fact that the article is entitled ´Game On!´ is a further reminder of past speculation.

Source: UK: Resistance
Thanks to: Joystiq, Deadlock17

44 comments:

  1. Grasping at straws for a new secret are we?

    It's simply the wording, the term TV or television is referring more to the media that is television rather than the device.

    There will be no "without TV" stuff at least this generation. Besides it would be pretty awful, unless they look to the Dreamcast method of taking your games on the road. Afterall they have the means in the DS.

    I'm certain there are no more secrets regarding visuals. From here on in it's all about online and connectivity.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi there Andreas.

    I like the thinking of your second opinion mostly to my weet dreams of something that seems to not be there at al... ^^*
    and ss always. The revelations tends to stick to thier "normal" bounds or in another words - more to reality. :|

    But consider this that many do exercise more, now days. Think. What if you have a "game/software" that turn you tv/monitor surrounding etates into a virtual gym that utilise wiimotes movments when attached to a virtual "regular" gym tools or for that matter - your body parts, and count the acutally calories been burned. And all this can be dune without 100% interacting with the tv/monitor?

    And while you do exercise, you could choose to looks at pretty pictures wih music to yor liking. And this does not either have you interacting with the tv/monitor to 100%

    Facts: Wii

    Plays - MP3 (sound/music), fast loading Pictures via Mii channels

    Use - WiiMote that can fuction without the tv/monitor on

    Tool for - Hospitalized and in health concern familys, children, moms, dads, brothers, systers, grandmamma and dads (goswill businesses from Nintendo.
    ...not to speak of what the military bases could use with this kind of inexpensive toy.

    /Silver

    PS: Still like your Blogg man

    ReplyDelete
  3. euh again "rolls eyes"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why in IGN'S Wii Playground Videos posted yesterday @ http://uk.media.wii.ign.com/articles/745/745202/vids_1.html

    Do they say they aren't allowed to show us the Wii machine?

    (Is in one of those 4 videos we hear them say it, either the Madden or COD3 one)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, for fucks sake...this is just getting retarded now.

    I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but what do you suppose these are for?

    http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/740/740530/matt-blog-20061109015349323.jpg

    This blog was good, but you have to learn when to speculate and when to let it drop.

    I'm getting a seriousgamer007 vibe...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous.

    I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but what do you suppose these are for?

    http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/740/740530/matt-blog-20061109015349323.jpg


    Those are component cables (where you have three separate video signals instead of one). You can get them for every console. Nothing to see here.

    This blog was good, but you have to learn when to speculate and when to let it drop.

    You don´t read my posts, do you?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks, but I know what component cables are for: mainly, a television. Something that you hint may not be necessary.

    And what makes you think I haven't read your posts?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous.

    Noone ever doubted that Wii will work with a television set. And you obviously have not read my post because you appear to suggest that I think it likely that Wii will work with anything else, which is entirely wrong:

    Though quite short, the article tells us to forget, even switch off our television sets twice. Most likely just a figure of speech to exaggerate the difference between passively watching television and actively playing Wii. (...)

    Those could very well just be coincidences. In fact, that is the most likely explanation.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Please guys, it's over, Fal' you had a good run, we appreciate your blog and your input, but now let it go, it's over !

    ReplyDelete
  10. Andi alter schieb dir keinen Film.
    What you see is what you get.
    Come to terms with it.

    Dein Blog war früher deswegen so unterhaltsam WEIL es eben was zu spekulieren gab verstehst du aber irgendwann reichts dann auch mal...

    Schau mal, du hast doch end die connections!

    Nutze deine connections!

    Warum spezialisierst du dich nicht einfach auf exclusive interviews z.b. ?


    Funk halt mal bei Ubi durch und interview einen vom Red Steel team zwecks Zukunft oder was auch immer!


    Alter wenn ich deine connections hätte sprich RTL2 allein schon würd ich den ganzen Tag nur noch Interviews rauslassen!

    Shift lanes!



    -IALS

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Anonym.

    Why in IGN'S Wii Playground Videos posted yesterday @ http://uk.media.wii.ign.com/articles/745/745202/vids_1.html

    Do they say they aren't allowed to show us the Wii machine?


    The reason is simple: In the very end, Matt says that they have yet to receive the final units. So the game (it is the Madden clip, by the way) is running off a debug unit. Though pictures of it have circulated already, all media are asked not to share pictures or footage.

    Filming Red Steel at Ubisoft Paris in April, we were forbidden to film the dev kits, as well. This is normal procedure.

    Hi D-Bone

    I hope this post was intended as a reflection and not as further speculation.

    Can you please clarify Fal?


    I honestly do not understand what you mean by reflection and speculation - and I do not understand a number of comments here.

    It is quite simple. We know that there is another secret yet to be revealed and we have come across a number of quotes from Nintendo and third party execs that suggest some kind of portable use for Wii. So there is a possibility that the Wii may have some use without a television set.

    At the same time, this is not a likely scenario. I myself cannot easily imagine what kind of display could be used aside from a television screen or computer monitor. But that is what this blog is for: to speculate about what could be, on the basis of the hard evidence before us. So what difference do you see between speculation and reflection? We are simply talking about what is possible, albeit unlikely.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Es is fast schon ein tragi-komödie mit deinen Spekulationen.

    Is echt nicht bös gemeint aber is dir überhaupt schon aufgefallen dass sich absolut nichts worüber du spekuliert hast als wahr herausgestellt hat?

    Ab jetzt bitte nur noch interviews!


    Danke.


    -IALS

    ReplyDelete
  13. UPS einEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE natürlich

    ReplyDelete
  14. the keyword here is "unlikely" . thanks

    ReplyDelete
  15. By the way Kid mind telling me whoms sample this song is using?


    http://youtube.com/watch?

    v=52y_IgEUMAc


    =)

    -IALS

    ReplyDelete
  16. The conclusion of Cartmans quest for the Nintendo Wii.
    South Park episode

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks to me like it was written by someone who doesn't know what he/she's talking about. The magazine calls it a "virtual games console". I'm thinking that the author was just completely confused with all the terminology and quickly wrote this without a true understanding of the system, probably because of a print deadline and sudden surge in similar magazines running stories on the system.

    -fyter

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Anonym.

    the keyword here is "unlikely" . thanks

    Never said anything else. Ever.

    ReplyDelete
  19. HA HA wusst ichs doch Return of the Kid


    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL



    Der Flaffi is echt der lustigste hier im Raum.

    Erinnert mich schon ein bißchen an Uwe Boll der immer alles rechtfertigen muss

    HUHUHUHUHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

    :)



    -IALS

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey Andi alda,


    Sag mir mal bitte warum es absolut nichts in Deutschland gibt was auch nur annähernd an sowas rankommt (No match in Germany):


    http://youtube.com/watch?

    v=Sy9iN954_co&mode=related&search=



    Hip Hop is total untergegangen.

    Die Leute spacken nur noch ab.
    Nur noch Elektro Techno pseudo beats.
    Kein Wunder das Hip Hop so belächelt wird.
    Ich mein klar Hip Hop is halt ne junge wilde Musik und Rap an sich is halt auch auf dauer etwas anstrengend und nicht jedermanns Sache aber mein Gott halt ich bin damit aufgewachsen genauso wie unsere Eltern mit rock n roll aufgewachsen sind...


    Aber weißt einfach die Geschwindigkeit der Rhytmus etc.
    90 bpm. Das is Hip Hop für mich.

    Aber egal..Ich komm grad auf meinen Laber film ...


    -IALS

    ReplyDelete
  21. "...but do consider that this is not an editorial article but written by Nintendo (or Cake, their British PR agency). Also, consider that we have come across plenty of possible hints at the Wii not necessarily needing a TV to display images."

    The fact that you even mildly entertain this should be incredibly embarassing for you.

    Like I said, you have to learn when and when not to speculate. This is certainly a 'when not' situation.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonym.

    The fact that you even mildly entertain this should be incredibly embarassing for you.

    The fact that you rule out even the slightest possibility that a number of comments (by Miyamoto and Wada, for example) actually make sense should be and is incredibly embarrassing for you. It is possible, however unlikely it might be.

    ReplyDelete
  23. perhaps, i know the answer!

    take a little look at my bloG!!!!!!!

    www.sebastians-world.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. OMG !!! you guys are talking about a console that launch in a week , and you still believe in a "SECRET" !??, this is turning to madness , a psychodrama called "Wii still has a secret !".

    ReplyDelete
  25. OMG so much jerks why can't we speculate huh!? whats your problems? how would you like it if i said for you to stop doing something you like or do. You people are so selfish if you dont like what your reading stop. And reggie says no secrets he knows of what if NCL hasnt told him everything yet? ever thought of that?

    ReplyDelete
  26. THEORETICALLY YOU CAN PLAY WITH THE TV OFF. hINT: WIIMOTES HAVE SPEAKERS.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I don't understand all the negativity. The likelihood of further secrets is slim, yes. Falafelkid never denied that, in fact, he has taken a skeptical approach to this rumor and usually does.

    Before E3, I really believed the Wii was hiding a secret that involved an innovation in display. Why not? There were quite a few cryptic quotes from Nintendo that seemed to indicate as much:

    "We invented the current way a console is played - in front of a television and holding a controller - but maybe that image will change."

    This ad seems to spring from that same philosophy, implying that the television might not be involved at all. Its somewhat clearer now, however, that Nintendo was referring to the active manner in which the games are played (not sitting in front of a TV) rather than the way the game is displayed.

    I simpy don't believe in any of those rumors anymore, its just not possible at this juncture. However, a long time ago I remember reading that some developer somewhere said they were doing things with the wiimote that didn't necessitate visual output. The thing that immediately jumps to mind is some sort of laser tag. It would certainly be possible (though probably not in its present form): the wiimote (gun) and sensor bar (target) would emit and detect infrared signals for the actual gunplay. The wifi capabilities of the console (to talk with the wiimote) could be used to tally hits and the like while the wiimote speaker (or the TV for that matter) could declare the winner. Do I think the Wii will employ anything of the like? Hell no. But theres nothing wrong with imaginative speculation. Thats what meaningful contribution is about, an open mind.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Now, I could be wrong, maybe there's an attachment, but the Wii doesn't have a screen built in, and the Wii Kiosk only has one screen on it. I have just seen the demo station. There's no screen on the Wii, and there's only one screen on the demo station too(a while ago, you were speculating on this). The demo station also will in a way require a credit card, but only as colatteral for the controllers, as they are not tied down. You could probably give them something of yours to hold for the controllers that's not a credit card.

    I'll have a more in depth review of the Kiosk later today if you want it, because when I was there before, they were still waiting for a Nintendo Rep to come set it up.

    ReplyDelete
  29. "THEORETICALLY YOU CAN PLAY WITH THE TV OFF. hINT: WIIMOTES HAVE SPEAKERS."

    But haven't we already seen how the Wii boots up? Don't you have to go through the UI to pick a channel to play a game? How can you do this without a display?

    ReplyDelete
  30. In my opinion I don’t think there will be a secret regarding the Wii hardware (software & online support could be possible ). Besides you can go to any GameStop now and play the Nintendo Wii for yourself and from what I see there does not seem to be any sign of hardware changes.

    Now there very well could be secrets regarding wiiconnect24, Wii channels and so on… Uneless they release an add-on later on down the road.

    ReplyDelete
  31. SIMPLE GUYS

    NINTENDO ON

    ReplyDelete
  32. In other news:

    The PS3 sold out of all 80,000 units on day one; not really a surprise but it shows that there are people wiling to pay insane prices for hardware.
    Link


    Link2

    ReplyDelete
  33. You know i remember back in e3 2005, Nintendo said that their going to play a game with us. Like a puzzle and that it was going to be a mystery.

    But the funny thing is not once have nintendo officials said that the game is over.

    They did not even stumble over all the rumors and have a life at the N game. Not once, they just have not said a thing. The reason they have not spoken is because just maybe the game has not ended.

    What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  34. you guys need help.

    ReplyDelete
  35. When did matt same the game was over?

    and also matt casamina is not a nintendo official.

    Reggie, Iwata, miyamoto and Perrin have never said the game is over.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Last week didnt Reggie put to rest any rumours of a last secret in an interview. It was online.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Reggie only said there were no more secrets in the box. I see no reason why the final secret would be revealed at launch even. The Wii will do well enough without any other secret, but just in case things don't go as well, Nintendo could have held something back. Some high profile releases are due in 2007, including Mario Galaxy, Disaster: Day of Crisis and Project HAMMER, and the "secret" could come at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous said...
    ...uhh...Matt??


    Dude, you're in the wrong blog. This isn't Osoko Tanaka ;)

    ReplyDelete
  39. It will work with the TV off at my house. It'll be hooked up to my projector.

    ReplyDelete
  40. falafelkid, you should say something about how the Wii is allowing certain games to have custom soundtracks using the SD card slot and the users own music. Here is a link to IGN for help.
    http://wii.ign.com/articles/745/745360p1.html

    ReplyDelete
  41. I was just gonna say that the customizable soundtracks is probably the last secret even though it has been speculated for a little while.

    ReplyDelete
  42. lol?
    do you honestly think this is worth an article?

    this is not worth to be mentioned. its nothing special. its been around for YEARS in pc-gaming. this is nothing special to talk about.

    msa

    ReplyDelete
  43. "The fact that you rule out even the slightest possibility that a number of comments (by Miyamoto and Wada, for example) actually make sense should be and is incredibly embarrassing for you. It is possible, however unlikely it might be."

    Translation: 'You're an idiot if you don't believe there's still a secret...even though there probably isn't one.'

    Yeah, okay...sure pal.

    ReplyDelete