Games industry analyst Michael Pachter believes that Nintendo will make the jump to high definition pretty soon.

Nintendo needs to recapture the market for core gamers and overcome the image it’s cultivated as a console for parents and children, said the analyst, speaking to AFP.

“Nintendo has to overcome that,” said Pachter of the lack of hardcore titles in development for the Wii from third-party publishers.

“A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I’m absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming.

“Businesswise, they can’t have people saying that their machine is a toy for my mom,” he added.

“Nintendo has to overcome that,” said Pachter of the lack of hardcore titles in development for the Wii from third-party publishers.

“A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I’m absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming.

“Businesswise, they can’t have people saying that their machine is a toy for my mom,” he added. - Gamesindustry.biz

It would make sense businesswise, because right now the HD market is dominated by the Xbox 360 and the PS3. It’s one of the common reasons why the latter consoles are considered more for the hardcore gamer as better visuals seems to mean more spectacular games these days (it doesn’t mean that games with lesser visuals can’t be good, of course, because if that was the case I wouldn’t be so supportive of the independent games community). The hardcore gamer almost certainly has access to a HD TV and inevitably wants to get the most out of it, something the Wii just doesn’t offer right now. Plus, the developers that produce gamers for the core market don’t seem that willing to take a step back in the graphics department, which is another reason we don’t really see many of their games on the Wii. A HD Wii, then, would most likely result in more games for the core market. Besides, HD TV’s are becoming so common in everyday use that, pretty soon, every TV will be HD and a severe reduction in picture quality won’t sit well with the mainstream audience once they get used to something.

If Nintendo can grab both the casual and hardcore audiences then they’ll be more successful than ever. Right now they’ve shown that a console can still be successful if it’s not on the bleeding edge of technology but that advantage simply won’t last forever because, as they say, technology marchers ever forward. I don’t even believe HD TV’s are the bleeding edge anymore so Nintendo have some catching up to do. Nintendo may say that a console doesn’t need so much technology but the problem with this is that the 360 and PS3 are the standard now and developers will already be working on the next advancements.

Don’t fret though shoppers! Keep buying those Wii’s for now as it will probably be a few good years before Nintendo announces anything.

Pachter “absolutely convinced” Wii HD is on the way - Gamesindustry.biz