I am tired of people (websites, media, etc) referring to the Nintendo Wii as a “next generation” console. It’s nowhere near next gen. As much as I hate Microshit, at least the Xbox 360 can be called a next gen system. The Wii is just a Gamecube in a new case with different peripherals. Literally. Look it up if you don’t believe me.
The first and foremost feature of a next gen console is support for high definition output, or at the very least compliance with the ATSC standards. The Wii only supports NTSC which is outdated, and obsolete. What this means is you cannot have the Wii connected to new HD television sets, without switching the set to SDTV each time you want to play. For those of you who don’t know, the NTSC format only allows a resolution of 640×480 and limited color capabilities. Whereas the ATSC format allows resolutions up to 1920×1080 and millions of colors (HD).
The second feature required of a true next gen console is online cross-platform capabilities. With a true next gen system, a gamer can play against any other player with the same game who may be on a PC or any other console platform the game has been ported to. The Wii can only utilize it’s online abilities with other Wiis on a peer-to-peer basis. That not only alienates games manufactures, but, coming from an end user perspective, it just doesn’t make sense for a console in the 21st century.
The third feature required in next gen systems is raw power. While both the PS3 and the 360 sport hefty 3 Ghz dual technology processors, the Wii is still fumbling with its measly, Gamecube innards (400-729 Mhz single core).
A forth feature, and last requirement for the “next generation’ label, is a hard drive. The Wii does not come with a hard drive. That is absolutely ridiculous.
Now, don’t misread what I’ve written, I’m not saying the Wii sucks, obviously, it’s a popular system with a load a fun games. What I am saying is that it is nowhere near “next gen” as far as it’s “competition” is concerned. In it’s own inferior way, the Wii is in a class of it’s own.
