Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with VentureBeat on the heels of last week's DSi announcement, and while he didn't drop any major bombshells, he did put the kibosh on those Wii HD rumors, saying that they were "pure rumor and speculation" and that Nintendo wouldn't show off upcoming models to devs as the rumors claimed. Reggie also downplayed the talk that Nintendo is going head to head against Apple, saying that Ninty's always "viewed ourselves as competing in a larger entertainment space." That's the end of that for now, we suppose -- but Reggie didn't close the door on either rumor entirely, and his closing comment that Nintendo's good fortunes "makes us the most paranoid people in the world"certainly keeps possibilities open. Hit the read link for the full interview.

Now that the big three have been out for quite some time (though securing the white one is still somewhat problematic, we hear), we figured it was a good time to throw this question out for folks finally looking to make their pick and snag a console:

"I've got a satisfactory HDTV now that I enjoy HD programming and Blu-ray movies on, but I'm getting the itch to pick up a console as well. Obviously, the only two out there that can really support HD gaming are the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, though I'm not ruling the Wii out completely. I know the PS3 would seem a no-brainer if I didn't already have a BD player, but removing that from the equation, which is likely to suit the HD lover best?"

Drop those gamepads and get over here -- this fellow needs some advice! Does the gameplay on Nintendo's unit trump the woefully underpowered hardware? Is the Xbox 360 superior to the PS3 graphically? Sound off however you'd like, just keep the fanboy comments to yourself.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

For Wii owners not located in Japan, get ready to weep. Why? Because users in the aforementioned nation now have access to an incredibly fascinating new channel and you, well, don't. Details on the TV Guide Channel are still a bit fuzzy (read: lost in machine translation), but based on what we've pieced together, users can surf through shows on the EPG, share their favorites with friends, see how popular a program is (using demographic data, too) and even receive an e-mail / SMS alert 30 minutes prior to a flagged show's start time. Best of all, however, is the ability to use your Wiimote as a television remote. You heard right -- owners can use their Wii controller (via the sensor bar) to dictate volume, switch channels and flip back and forth between their shows and the TV Guide Channel. Now, how long must the rest of the free world wait? Check out the gallery over on Classic for a few more looks at what you're (probably) missing out on.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

We know what Nielsen found, but now we're interested in doing a little super-scientific research of our own. For all the gamers out there, what kind of television is your console(s) connected to? Still rockin' the RCA tube set circa 1991? Just upgraded to a snazzy new flat-panel? Check out the options below and toss in your vote, or if you don't see anything you like, sound off in comments, capiche?

We're all about keeping things nice and well kempt, and if you're the type who's sporting a house full of consoles, you know precisely how difficult a clean wiring solution is to maintain. Helping to clear out that rat's nest of cabling is XCM -- those same folks who brought us the XFPS -- which is delivering the Multi-Component Cable v2 to simply that cord conundrum. Sporting a trio of connectors, this single device can simultaneously connect to your Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, and reportedly your dusty PS2 as well, and plugs into your TV set via component outs. As you might expect, a simple flip of the toggle switch changes the console you see on screen without you having to risk your life climbing atop the television. Currently, the device is still stuck in "preview" mode, but XCM promises to have a full list of specs and availability details ready soon, and if you can catch a video sneak peek after the jump.

Okay, so it's probably not exactly shocking, especially considering the skyrocketing sales of RPTVs in the most recent quarter, and the (presumed) riots over cheap LCDs and plasmas on Black Friday. But the fact still remains that even though Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are off tooting their own (console-based) horns, consumers are still eying those big screen televisions above all else. Reports suggest that TVs don't seem "very complicated, and they're not terribly expensive," which makes sense considering the plummeting prices of HDTVs over the past few months. Notably, the holiday's dust collectors are none other than "DVD players / recorders," presumably including those still pricey HD DVD and Blu-ray units. So if a svelte new set is atop your holiday wish list, rest assured, you're not alone.

The Nintendo Wii might max out at a 480p resolution, but plenty of HDTV owning gamers will be picking one up at launch. Unfortunately, component cables for the console (not included -- although even some high priced consoles don't have them either) won't be available on store shelves at launch either. With the cables not listed as arriving until December at popular videogame retailers, the only sure option is to order now from Nintendo's website and spend extra on shipping. If you're asking yourself why cables are so important when the system is at best EDTV anyway, remember the lessons learned from the last generation. PlayStation 2 and Xbox games (and other sources) are considerably clearer on HDTVs when using component connections as compared to S-Video or composite cables, and early reviews of the Wii show the same trend. Remember, friends don't let friends game in 480i.

Read - Wii component cables available online now, in stores December 5
Read - PSA: Use the right cables for your TV

Finally, someone who gets it. While some (Nintendo) seem to believe HD comes at the expense of gameplay, Tetsuya Mizuguchi believes that the increased resolution can give games even more emotional impact. He remarks on a feeling that many of us have had, when watching a movie we've seen over and over, watching it again in HD can give an entirely new feeling. Sure playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on NES was (and is) fun, but this is 2006. High definition allows you to appreciate lumping up opponents faces in Fight Night Round 3 in ways the SNES never could. Even simple games like Geometry Wars are even more inpressive on HDTVs, there's nothing like having millions of multicolored geometrical shapes chasing you on an enormous screen with no blurring whatsoever. In the interview with Games Industry Mizuguchi goes on to add that he thinks other elements like 5.1 surround sound and particularly online connectivity combine with high-def as a new frontier for gaming.

This is the man who created such classics as Sega Rally, Lumines, Rez, Manx TT and others. He understands the importance of good gameplay, but instead of shrugging off HD as a niche product with little value, he's willing to acknowledge the possibilities and look for ways to enhance gamers experience, rather than limit it.

Here's a quick summary of an opinion piece passed on to us from one of our eagle-eyed readers:

Nintendo knows better than both Sony and Microsoft when it comes to high definition: HD is a failure, and Sony will lose because of it.

While this is little surprise from a Nintendo fansite, it does bear looking into. Nintendo has publicly stated that they don't care about HD, and they think gameplay trumps graphics. Some of the other blogs on this network might have more to say about the gameplay side; we'll focus a little on the high-def issue here: Does HD have any affect on console sales? Assuming that Microsoft's console was bundled by default with an HD DVD add-on, the cost would be about the same for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. Both of these consoles also tout their high-resolution games as a selling point. According to the article, Nintendo made the right choice by completely bowing out of the competition to create higher-resolution gaming. Naysayers claim that not many people own HDTVs anyway, and so why add the cost of the hardware to the console price.

Of course, by that definition HD Beat caters to the early adopter crowd too, according to the market research quoted in the piece not many people have the technology to view high definition, so it doesn't make sense to produce anything relating to it. Yet for the past few years, all the major television networks have -- with the exception of reality and news programming -- produced their programming in HD. Satellite, cable, and phone distributors have spent billions of dollars launching new satellites and building new infrastructure to provide for it. All the movie studios are picking sides in a major format war to get revenue from it. And every electronics manufacturer has built or licensed new products to extract profits from it.

So, welcome yourself to our "exclusive" club, and ponder this: Does HD matter when it comes to the big picture of console sales, and entertainment in general? Or do things like cost, gameplay, and content matter more than high definition?

[ Thanks Jason Unger ]

Nintendo is adding a digital tuner to their beloved DS over in Japan. No word if they plan on releasing it over here in the States, but let's hope they do. Japan is saturated with more over-the-air digital signals and a different system then we have though. This brings back fond memories of the Game Gear and their TV tuner. That tuner was of course a normal NTSC tuner that pulled in a nice snowy picture; but boy was it sweet! Come on Nintendo, release an ATSC tuner over here.