Wii Gets DVD Play Back After All (Again) In 2007

The Story.

Wii Will Play DVDs in 2007
Logic circuits failing. Please advise.
by Patrick Klepek, 11/13/2006

Let's get this straight: Nintendo originally unveils Wii with DVD functionality, strips out the feature without telling anyone, and then reveals they'll be releasing a DVD-compatible version in Japan before performing a complete reversal and detailing a DVD-happy Wii coming sometime next year.

We had trouble following that one, too, but it's true. Digital media software company Sonic Solutions, a company focused on software solutions for DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray playback and authoring, announced today that Nintendo has chosen their CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator to be incorporated into a Wii to be released "in the latter half of 2007."

Whether this will become the standard retail Wii or some sort of special edition isn't known, but we can't imagine there's a gamer out there hoping Wii will become their dedicated DVD player, anyway.

Looks like Nintendo just needs eat its fists for awhile now. We already knew it was coming to Japan, but now it seems like it will be the real deal, replacing the older models of Wii systems.

Least, that's how I'm taking it.

I can't believe Nintendo is already going ahead with this plan. In my view, it's already too late. If they wanted the Wii to be DVD (movie) compatible, then they should of added the feature into the Wii before it came out.

So much for "the Wii is meant to play only games" (which wasn't really true in the first place; but people kept saying it anyways). I doubt this will really affect the overall appeal and value towards the Nintendo Wii (considering a huge majority of the average household has some sort of DVD player within it). I wonder how much the increase in price (if at all) will be made when Nintendo comes out with this Nintendo Wii?

Blargh. Well, Crap on that. I don't need a DVD player, though it would be nice. I CAN'T wait till 2007, so Wii 06', here I come.

???

Well, this is not bad in any way, is it? I mean, the Wii playing DVDs is good, isn't it? Sure, the people who want it at launch will not get it, but don't most people have some DVD player in their house? I have a PS2 right next to my Gamecube, and I'm replacing the GC with Wii, so it really doesn't matter for me.

I say this is a bad move for Nintendo. Some people who want the Wii might actually wait until 2007 for this DVD thing, and by then the price is probably going to be lower (unless the DVD player will add value to the system).

I think this is sooo lame. They've already got plans for a "Newer" Wii? So that means all the Wii's we're going to buy are going to be like Nintendo DS's?

Nintendo Wii Lite anyone?

A DVD player can't be the end of it, Nintendo has to be planning something else.

They should have just left it out. I'll be willing to bet money that everyone who will be getting a Wii already has some sort of DVD player.

And who wants to bet that the DVD capability will be in a whole separate console after the first initial Wii's come out, as opposed to a firmware update? (DS- DS Lite anyone?) But it's not a big deal if that happens, it's only a DVD player functionality, not a complete overhaul.

Yeah, if they pull any Wii SP/Micro/Lite crap then I'll be very angry. You don't randomly "upgrade" a $250 piece of hardware, and if you do, at least wait until it's dying out.

This is silly. If they feel the need to add DVD playback, at least make it HD-DVD, because it's a little too late. This might've been a relevant change...5 years ago.

To add insult to injury, Sonic Solutions' software is absolutely hideous.

Originally Posted by F3

To add insult to injury, Sonic Solutions' software is absolutely hideous.

Agreed.

But for me, who is now ultimately screwed into not getting a Wii anytime soon thanks to an upcoming purchase of a laptop, it will be nice having the DVD playback. My household is one of those rare devices where the only DVD player we own is a PS2, since after that, no one else sees a need for anything better. A Wii would give me a second, possibly better DVD player, plus a better oppertunity to sell my PS2 down the line, instead of leaving it with my parents when I go to college.

"CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator"

It almost sound like a piece of software. I wonder if software is all that's needed for DVD movie playback on the Wii. If that's the case, expect hackers to make their own.