3DS has the wow factor for gamers and non gamers (even Nintendo haters)

[LordTheNightKnight]

archbrix said:

LordTheNightKnight said:

archbrix said:

LordTheNightKnight said:

They are. They change the style, not the substance. And the intial audience interest for HD movies and and games, and the interest for 3D movies, has worn off, proving they are gimmicks (before you bring up motion controls, they are play standards, and sales for games that use them well are still strong, same as the DS touch screen which works for loads of games on mobile devices).

The term "gimmick" can mean ingenious or an imortant feature that's not immediatly apparent.  But I believe you mean it as it's other more commonly used meaning, a marketing trick (given the @bolded in your post).  In this sense, HD is clearly NOT a gimmick.  HD hasn't worn off at all.  Maybe for you personally, but every satellite and cable provider thirves on providing HD programming and blu-ray is increasingly popular (even within digital distribution it's popular).  Just because standard definition remains the choice for many, HD is far from being just a quirky novelty; not when every single TV sold today is HD.

1. Yes, that is the context I meant, as others were using it in that context as well.

2. Releasing is not sales. And sales of blu-ray as well as standard DVD has been down.

The point for HD is that it's not a sales booster anymore, and wasn't that much to begin with. So I maintain that even 3D won't go away, it won't be a boon much longer.

Well, 3D I'll grant you is another matter.  In its present form, the glasses needed for TVs/movies provide too much of a barrier for a lot of people.  The technology needs to advance past glasses and to where you have a perfect view from any angle, although I believe it will pretty soon (that's why I believe a handheld is the perfect place for glasses-free 3D currently).

But on HD we'll have to agree to disagree.  While you could be right about blu-ray sales, the HD adoption rate in general keeps increasing through cable and satellite providers, over-the-air HD broadcasts and the fact that any new TV sold today is at least 720p.  Even Nintendo has stated that their next home console will be HD, based on the fact that they've waited for the adoption rate to be high enough to justify it.

What I mean is that those are HD support by companies, not that people are buying things for HD. I mean reported Netflix use is higher on the Wii than on the other systems, for one thing. So while HD isn't a sales killer, it's not a killer app. It's more lika  cool extra for most people. That's all I meant.