It took Microsoft this long to figure out that fancy schmancy graphics aren't what sells? How long has the Wii been out again?

I don't know. SDTV is so ass, anything that helps to push users into the HD upgrade serves the common good IMO. Frankly, the industry should start refering to Low-DefTV to help the consumer understand the situation.

This restriction lifting probably only applies in practice to the 'clock or masturbatory aid' segment known as community games, so they can churn out junk that looks like double-junk on HD screens without stressing themselves overmuch.

But we are all supposed to have hdtvs at this point, but there's no way the gaming industry could have saw this recession coming(92% of the rest of planet earth sure didn't) and the industry just anticipated what would happen if we continued down our normal buying habits.

But from what I understand hdtv sales have been on the rise, this might end up biting them in the ass, if they were gonna do this last year seemed like a better time.

@Stahlbrand Excatly...

@PhazonYoshi It was 632 or something like that. Stretched to 720p. Call of Duty games are like this also. Though I think 680 something.

It's noticeable. Maybe not to someone who's use to SD but it's definitely noticeable. They usually turn it down to add other effects like bloom and all that. These old cards in these consoles just can't handle it.

Also just to point out to everyone, since I notice the cluelessness. They will all still be 720p either software/hardware upscaled.

I can show most of you why this doesn't matter:

Google Modern Warfare 2 600p

Take your pick of articles.

@doos
But it will also allow them to release even more visual drek like Spectral Souls--
"Spectral Force 3 also failed to engage visually. While graphical flair may be less important in a strategy RPG title, I couldn't help but think this looked like a game on the one of the previous generation of consoles. Think of a higher-resolution Gamecube title and you'll be on the right page."

http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-spectral-force-3-98769.phtml

@doos
But it will also allow them to release even more visual drek like Spectral Souls--
"Spectral Force 3 also failed to engage visually. While graphical flair may be less important in a strategy RPG title, I couldn't help but think this looked like a game on the one of the previous generation of consoles. Think of a higher-resolution Gamecube title and you'll be on the right page."

http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-spectral-force-3-98769.phtml

Not sure why it double posted, but just to be clear, I actually liked Spectral Souls 3 (X360), but I have PS2 games that look significantly better.

HDTV's are actually getting pretty cheap now. A 720p one could be got for around $400 easily, but those are becoming less common because the manufacturing costs are so cheap there's little reason to not make them 1080p anymore (even though none of the consoles can run games at that resolution). I've seen $600ish 42" 1080p TVs showing up at brick and mortar retailers, and I bought one online for that a year ago. And if you just want the hi-def for consoles and don't watch TV (I haven't in years, hello internets), you can pick up a 20+" computer monitor that has HDMI inputs for under $200.

I think this move is to prepare for the onslaught of Natal Shovelware ported over from the wii. Prepare yourselves for Carnival Games 3!

WastedYears:

The fact is that this will change very little for quality games/developers. It's not like the devs for 'AAA' titles are suddenly jumping for joy thinking 'Finally, we don't have to look GOOD anymore!'

There is still going to be demand for games that look pretty and developers are going to cater to that demand, not even because it's a demand, but because they want to release a quality of product.

People still play COD4 on both systems and neither of them ran natively at 720p.

There are a few big name (and some not-so-big-name) titles that ran natively in Sub-HD on the 360:

Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty 4, Conan, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fifa 2006, Fifa 2007, Ninja Gaiden 2, Project Gotham Racing 3 and Tomb Raider Legend.

GTAIV ran sub-HD on the PS3 as I'm sure a variety of other games did.

It doesn't make a difference to me.

Okay, yes, $300-600 might get you an off-brand, near-obsolete 720p TV, but I still don't think that validates the argument that "you can afford a game system but not a TV."

$300 will get you a console that you know is the top of its generation. It's still a lot of money to spend on a TV that you know isn't up to scratch.

Meh, wish they would have kept their standards. After buying an HDTV a few years ago, I kinda don't want developers to slack off and make a game in 480 instead of 720/1080. Halo 3 kinda bugged grapically IMO. It had some nice bloom effects and vibrant colors, but those human characters looked like ASS. Especially Sgt. Johnson(shudders). Gears of War set the standard for 360 games graphically IMO. Anyway, getting off topic.....

@Gen Eric Gui. "I've never seen an HDTV that had a significantly better picture over an SDTV"

Are you kidding? You must be blind, or you weren't looking at HD content on a HDTV.

Once you go HD you never go back.

@ Jim

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9230708&type=product&id=1218063831450

You were saying? And I don't really see how 720p is near-obsolete when you have all these people saying that most current games render at less than that. Besides, 720p on a screen that small is just fine. If you're going 40" or 50", then you want a 1080p set.. but otherwise, most people won't be able to see the difference.

Fact: High Definition television cause sterility.

Fact: This isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Next Gen just became pussy lowest common denominator Gen... awesome... maybe we should do everything in stereo instead of 5.1 mixes because you know, a bunch of people who don't drive the industry with early adoption should be supported.

I understand not everyone has the money to get a tv like that, or even an interest...but really that's what the Wii and PSPs and DS' are for. Go play those...use your computer... pirate or something while the rest of us build this juggernaut of awesome into something that will continue to grow and offer us the awe inspiring moments that we all kinda need from day to day hahaha

Ahhhhh we're all fat losers aren't we?...k maybe just me... :)

It's weird that there's alot of people saying graphics don't matter considering the fact that that's one of the main complaints of the wii. I'm sure if this was the ps3 people would be freaking out...... Whatever I own all three so I couldn't care less about this (I don't even buy 360 games with multiplayer or other online components, The last I bought was the original gears).

I like HD and I think it's good for things to look better but I also understand that SD does not look nearly as bad as some make it out to be. There are two HD TVs in my house and two SD ones and a majority of things can look just as good on an SD TV or in SD.

@Milo128

A marority of Wii developers don't really give a fuck and will release any thing they churn out. On the other hand this is just people complaining about SD which still looks better than half the shit on the Wii.

A 32" HDTV is a decent size and should only cost around $450. I can see a huge difference between wii and ps3/360 games, and yes, the text in dead rising is perfectly legible.

wow, you guys are hilarious. God forbid there could someone who does not care about entertainment resolution!?!

the 360s two biggest games, halo 3 and cod4, were both well under 720p, and everyone still had a fun time. 360 and ps3 were the first HD consoles, you cant expect them to handle 1080p easily even in the most demanding titles, the GPUs just werent available at an affordable price at the time (2005, when the consoles were being spec'ed) that said, this is why i try to play as many games on my pc as possible. modern warfare 2 will run at 600p on 360 and ps3, but will run at 1200p on my pc. i will have 3.5 times the resolution. ouch.

and 300-600 will get you a very nice HDTV. The base model Sony and Samsung LCD TVs are made of the same parts and made in the same plants in china as the vizios and westinghouses, they just charge you for the prestige. Off brand LCD HDTVs have come a long way. A month ago, I got a 37" Sceptre for 450 after tax and shipping. Sceptre is in the monitor business, and they tried their hands at HDTVs. The two are nearly identical, and I love my sceptre monitor and my sceptre hdtv.

Some poorly known brands that get good customer reviews and good professional reviews are olevia, westinghouse, and sceptre. but with a little research, you shouldnt fear off brand names, because many of them are as good as the big boys, but much cheaper.
vizio started off as a no name, but built up a reputation as a good middle of the road brand. now they charge middle of the road prices, but the quality of the tvs was always good. vizios quality didnt improve, their brand recognition did, and is reflected in the price.

When I first got my 360, Halo 3 was pretty much the only game I actually could play without feeling like I was stumbling around blind without any directions. A big part of this is probably the lack of complication with the game. My general rule of thumb is that if people are shooting at you, you're going the right way.

I managed to get through Mass Effect later, but things like Timeshift and Assassin's Creed were unplayable because I simply could not read the tiny, tiny text instructions. Eventually I picked up an HDTV, and found out some of those games that had been collecting dust for a year were alright. Some of them still sucked though.

So this is great news, can't believe it took them this long to figure it out.

Jim, why are you always so forgiving of 360 inadaquacies? HD doesn't hurt SDTV's image quality, but DOES stand out like a sore thumb on HDTV's when the game isn't.

Sure, maybe everyone doesn't have an HDTV yet, but they're infinitely more affordable--about the price of an SDTV just four years ago for a 22".

Don't let them off the hook. It's downgrading something that doesn't need to be.