Regrettably, the recent findings from an NPD Group survey aren't shocking in the least -- you know, considering
how many people think all content is magically in high-definition with the purchase of an HDTV -- but the news is disheartening nonetheless. Reportedly, "only 30-percent of
Xbox 360 owners were aware of the HD graphics capabilities of the machine," and while the figure did rise on the Blu-ray-packin'
PS3, it still stopped at just 50-percent. Meanwhile, aficionados like ourselves are panicking over whether or not our new console actually
includes an HDMI port. Regardless, this disappointing survey could be seen as proof that gamers still care about gameplay first and foremost (or simply ignore the extras), and while you aren't likely to find us letting up on Nintendo anytime soon for
shunning HD on the Wii, maybe the
world's not ready for all that, anyway.
[Image courtesy of
Xbox360Fanboy, thanks Rob]
posted Aug 9th 2007 4:24PM
Ha, the picture is amazing. This is just another sign that format war anything is far from over because the majority of the consumers still have no idea what is going on.
If HD DVD and Blu-Ray are still going at it a year from now things might get a little bit more interesting once consumers become more aware of how HD televisions work. Also, the move to ATSC will help push along their education. That is, if the government and others actually decide to make an effort to explain to people what is going to happen. Otherwise this is going to get a whole lot worse.
Um... I hope that box under the TV just belongs IN the bathroom, rather than the horrible thought he's using it AS a bathroom... O.O
An even worse thought, if so he has so many boxes he had to label it to remind him what was in it.
Perhaps, but don't forget, the format war will not likely be decided by consumers, but by retailers and corporations.
Wow. I haven't seen a VCR in 7 years.
I thought it was a toaster!
"Alex @ Aug 9th 2007 5:05PM
Wow. I haven't seen a VCR in 7 years."
HAHAHA... that's funny.
whats a VCR???
lol joking
"And only 40% of PS3 users aware of its Blu-ray player."
Interesting...
Many PS3 owners don't have HD sets. Probably some HDDVD and BD player owners don't have HD sets.
Kevin Murphy: "Many PS3 owners don't have HD sets. Probably some HDDVD and BD player owners don't have HD sets."
I know a guy that owns an XGA projector that bought the XBox HD-DVD add-on. Normally, that would give a marginal improvement to the image, but the screen is basically just a wavy white sheet.
I really don't see the point in buying an X360 or a PS3 if you don't own an HDTV. They are expensive consoles and most of their benefit that I see is from the HD output.
I'm in pain watching this. At least microsoft gives you components and HDMI cables $ony just gives you composite so a lot of people think that is enough since "papa $ony" says so.
Yeah even though they give you the extras microsoft still cant give reliability.
Wow! Now that's a gamer on a budget!!!
Just show nintendo in fact knows what they are doing.
The NPD study is crap. It was an online survey and asked about the "last 10 times you used ____" ... in the last 10 times I used my xbox, I played 1 HD-DVD movie (that I just finished watching) and ignoring that (since it was just 3 hours ago), I hadn't watched a movie in a couple of weeks. So I'd then get counted as someone who "doesn't use the HD functionality" in my xbox (or ps3)? Absurd.
Doesn't bother me half as bad as those people who insist that 4:3 programs get stretched to "fill the whole screen." same stupid asswipes that thought letterbox was giving you "less picture"
Yeah, there are some sorry looking tv's running xBox 360 these days... Look at what this poor chap has to put up with on youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT4tpcctnWI
I use my VCR to keep a visible clock in my home theater rack.
I do cable I knew about hd for years,I got a 30in samsung crt hd tv and my xbox 360 plays on that with my hd dvd add on
I don't put much stock at all into this survey. I'm sure there are some gamers out there, perhaps younger ones who's consoles were bought by parents, who don't realize why their XBox360's connector cable has a switch on it that says "HD"... but I don't think it'd be over 5% IMO. And PS3, even less simply due to its price and the fact that Sony marketing has really pushed the PS3's Blueray support onto the masses.
LOL - no idea where that picture came from, but thats awesome!
Did you ever notice that grocery stores sell DVDs in "full screen"? Bet you that the stores know exactly what they're doing. No black bars there!
Well, PC gamers have this tendency to turn down/off all of the visual effects they can and then set the screen to the lowest usable resolution in an attempt to get the best performance.
Obviously that is an indication that game play is more important than visuals.
And really, just ask anyone who is old enough to have started on 8-bit systems. The majority of them will tell you how much they miss the games because the game play is superior than most of the shiny crap that is out there now.
I am not bashing anything specifically, but the more time spent making a pretty game, the less time spent making a GOOD game.