1st April? No checked my calendar its still July. Workable Holographic storage solutions currently start at 10000$ and no even the Wii2 will not use it.

The technology is only expensive because nobody has mass-produced it. Before Sony and everybody began mass-producing the blu-ray player, it cost just as much.

Since nobody has stepped forward to actually push production of this concept, it's going to be ridiculously expensive.

Also, as nobody has done so, I'd really like to see where you guys are getting your numbers. Sounds like you're just pulling them out of your asses and you really haven't taken the time to know what the hell you're talking about.

Anyhow, here's some fun information about holographic storage:

(1) As it uses light instead of magnetism, electricity, etc, to store and relay its information, it is MUCH faster than current conventional storage concepts. Conventional storage has to read one bit at a time (which it may do VERY quickly, but it's still one after another after another). Holographic storage, however, can read millions of bits at once, therefore exponentially speeding things up.

(2) Holographic storage is theorized to be able to store "tens of terabits" per cubic centimeter (in other words, one hell of a lot in a tiny space). Currently, inPhase Technologies has reported 500GB per cubic inch, but that was two years ago and they've surely made progress since then. Even so, 500GB in a cubic inch of space = TITANIC.

(3) The concept has been around for over forty years, with actual examples of the tech existing as far back as the late '90s. It's taken a while to reach commercial plausibility mainly because it's such a drastic difference from standard technology.

(4) Nintendo and inPhase have filed a patent together for some sort of holographic storage technology. With that said, we may be seeing a holographic storage solution released for the Wii, with Nintendo's next console using holographic storage for everything. If Nintendo does this, it'll mean two things. One, they'll be the pioneers of this revolutionary tech. Being such a big company in such a big market means huge influence. If Nintendo really does utilize this, and they're able to keep costs minimal, this technology will see guaranteed public acceptance. Two, since they'll be the pioneers of the tech, if they do it right, Nintendo will become tenfold the company they are today. This tech alone could very possibly cause Nintendo to grow to compete with Sony and Microsoft at the worldwide corporate influence level - far beyond just their videogame divisions.

See, it all depends on who utilizes it first. If done right, marketed right, produced right, etc, Nintendo could set the standard behind commercial holographic data storage. That would result in THEM owning a part in all holographic storage sold in the future. And if they market and produce it right, making it practical enough for the everyday consumer, then worldwide acceptance is guaranteed.

This is potentially big. This is potentially very big.

According to Nikkom 'Could get the HVCard.. $1 a piece at 30gb... but then the readers cost $1,800.. reader/writers are even more expensive'

This is why Nintendo are investing money into the format, to get that $1,800 cost down to a reasonable level and as I previously mentioned, the next generation will not start until at least 2012 which is 4 and a 1/2 years away at a minimum..

Nintendo aren't the type to cut a platforms life short unless they have to and I'm sure with Wii selling the way it is, it'll be no different.. I'm sure Nintendo in collaboration with InPhase could get the $1,800 cost down to a much more Nintendo-Friendly price in that time frame.

HV card is not so usefull for distribuition becuase unlike vinyl records , Cd ,DVD and Blu-ray it cant be stamped.
To write the card requires a lengthy process - much like compact casette and VHS tape, wich is partly why these formats are replaced by optical disks.

First, I want to say I don't think it is happening but I wanted to add in something to support puffy's theory.

It hasn't seen any attempts at true mass production yet.  When they are being built 1 by 1 in a lab they are going to cost a lot more than production...

Besides holographic storage will go really great with that holographic projector.

Edit:  Stephen700 is my new arch enemy for having a similar name. (jk)

 Perhaps but Nintendo seems to like solid state media formats and this will definately help with their fight against piracy

EDIT:

The technology is only expensive because nobody has mass-produced it. Before Sony and everybody began mass-producing the blu-ray player, it cost just as much.

Since nobody has stepped forward to actually push production of this concept, it's going to be ridiculously expensive.

Also, as nobody has done so, I'd really like to see where you guys are getting your numbers. Sounds like you're just pulling them out of your asses and you really haven't taken the time to know what the hell you're talking about.

Anyhow, here's some fun information about holographic storage:

(1) As it uses light instead of magnetism, electricity, etc, to store and relay its information, it is MUCH faster than current conventional storage concepts. Conventional storage has to read one bit at a time (which it may do VERY quickly, but it's still one after another after another). Holographic storage, however, can read millions of bits at once, therefore exponentially speeding things up.

(2) Holographic storage is theorized to be able to store "tens of terabits" per cubic centimeter (in other words, one hell of a lot in a tiny space). Currently, inPhase Technologies has reported 500GB per cubic inch, but that was two years ago and they've surely made progress since then. Even so, 500GB in a cubic inch of space = TITANIC.

(3) The concept has been around for over forty years, with actual examples of the tech existing as far back as the late '90s. It's taken a while to reach commercial plausibility mainly because it's such a drastic difference from standard technology.

(4) Nintendo and inPhase have filed a patent together for some sort of holographic storage technology. With that said, we may be seeing a holographic storage solution released for the Wii, with Nintendo's next console using holographic storage for everything. If Nintendo does this, it'll mean two things. One, they'll be the pioneers of this revolutionary tech. Being such a big company in such a big market means huge influence. If Nintendo really does utilize this, and they're able to keep costs minimal, this technology will see guaranteed public acceptance. Two, since they'll be the pioneers of the tech, if they do it right, Nintendo will become tenfold the company they are today. This tech alone could very possibly cause Nintendo to grow to compete with Sony and Microsoft at the worldwide corporate influence level - far beyond just their videogame divisions.

See, it all depends on who utilizes it first. If done right, marketed right, produced right, etc, Nintendo could set the standard behind commercial holographic data storage. That would result in THEM owning a part in all holographic storage sold in the future. And if they market and produce it right, making it practical enough for the everyday consumer, then worldwide acceptance is guaranteed.

This is potentially big. This is potentially very big.

This is an interesting way to look at it and I'm sure that this high amount of storage would lend itself well to that Ultra HD I've been hearing about but that's a long way off and is Nintendo a company that would be interested in having a media standard? I would have thought they prefer keeping it an in house standard due to piracy but if there is a major amount of cash and brand name power to be made who knows what they may do..

This whole thing is just bizarre. I honestly hadn't even heard of holographic media until right now.

This is essentially something like a CD or DVD, right, but one that uses light to transfer information, and the disks are rewritable? How far off am I? This doesn't at all sound like a storage solution for the Wii, but a possibility of a replacement for game media for the next gen.

Although it's funny, reading the Wikipedia article, the way the holographic drive operates sounds interestingly similar to the way the Wii optical disk drive works. Reading at an angle, and the like.

This is not storage solution for the wii it is investing in the thing that might topple blue ray in 7 -10 years time. I mean come on if you look at the specs you could easily us this as hard drive solution for totally virtual system or use it as the new disk media to create bigger games that since graphics take up a lot space on a disc the more polygons are in them.

In short this move is like when the first people invested walmart when it started. They didn't if think was going to be a staple of reatil stores in the future but they sure did hope.

INteresting... needs to read about this

For some reason I doubt this will happen, money comes to mind.