Wii U to be quickly outdated?

[him over there]

I'd just like to interject here... *ahem* why in the world does anybody care, like at all?

if you don't care then why are you getting involved?

Go away unless you have something meaningful to say. "OMG who careeeeeeeeeees?!??!" doesn't contribute to the discussion.

I'm not simply going to say "OMG guise who cares GAWD?!" I honestly want to know at this point why graphics are still important at this point in time. I know graphics have always been extremely important but I think we are fast approaching diminishing returns. Every game out looks amazing and to go anymore beyond that just seems superfluous.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

I really hope that they do a new IP.

Agreed, they didn't do much (or anything) new last generation except the Mii series of games. They need to make something new. Even if it was 1 new IP that would be something.

Yeah, a new IP would be nice. But really, I'll buy the next 3d Mario, or the next Zelda because I know that EVERYTHING but the innovation side will be amazing. Super Mario Galaxy didn't really innovate much, but by fucking god was it an amazing game. Anyway, I really doubt that sony or Microsoft will make any new IPs soon looking at the games they showed off at E3, sure the Last of Us and Beyond are new but really they are just the same formula as other games the same devs have made with new additions and tweaks. Same with a lot of other stuff.

 

[Treblaine]

Secondly, totally alienating your fanbase with shovelware, then begging them to come back with a system that barely has better specs then a Xbox 360 is shameful.

The WiiU is way better specced than 360 and PS3. Inform yourself, dude.

It's a 3-core Power-PC architecture CPU around 3.2GHz. That describes both the WiiU and the Xbox 360. Graphics of both are MAXED at 1080p and typically 720p for high graphical detail. They are virtually identical.

But importantly EVERY multi-platform developer knows how to eek out the very best performance out of the Xbox 360, but that won't be the case with the WiiU.

WiiU is DEFINITELY much lower spec than typical gaming PC you can buy these days.

Pretty much all of the consoles will be worse than the average gaming PC today.

The WiiU is rumoured to have much more RAM than the current gen Xbox which was a major bottleneck and it's also meant to be much faster. The GPU will also be much newer and more powerful. They think it will be a Radeon HD 4800 chip which is about 2-3 generations ahead of the xbox's GPU though nothing apart from it being from AMD has been revealed.

On the topic of CPU. Firstly, we don't know anything official apart from they both use the PowerPC architecture. Secondly, even if they were both tri-core chips the WiiU will likely use a newer generation chip and will probably be more powerful overall.

It's a bit early to be jumping to conclusions.

Finally, we know it will support 1080P natively which is more than the xbox was designed to do. 1080P support was an afterthought on later revisions and as far as I know, it used in little to no disc based games.

RAM isn't that simple. It's far subtler. The point is developers know how to pack Xbox 360's RAM very well. And new architecture due to unfamiliarity you need two doubling to be as good out the gate, so 2GB of unfamiliar architecture is as good as 512MB of memory you know. Remember the PS3 is on-paper better than the Xbox 360 but take a gander at John Carmack's keynotes on developing for the Xbox 360 how it has such advantages in limited specifications.

There is no evidence of a Radeon 4800. Leaks very likely to be from actual developers using the dev-kit version of WiiU point to a lower power integrated CPU-GPU chip of power and capability almost identical to the Xbox 360. That also makes sense from minimising manufacturing costs.

Nope. It says MAX resolution of 1080p, that is THE SAME as Xbox 360 as a few games can hit 1080p native. Max resolution is not the same as typical native resolution. You can hit up to 1080p with simple polygon shapes or very low framerate, but for good framerate with good graphical detail it has to be dialled down to 720p which is what the leaked WiiU specs state. For example my OLD graphics card from 2007 could max resolution at 2560x1600 but could only really play most games on high settings and with good framerate at 1080p native. I know graphics technology, I have selected components to build and upgrade several of my own PCs for almost a decade now, I know what these tech-specs actually mean.

I think it IS safe to jump to conclusions that it is bad when only a few months from launch and even at E3 they refuse to reveal the specs. They did for the Wii. Every console manufacturer does this at the E3 before their system's launch. Nintendo has no excuse to be so secretive with the public they intend to sell this system to. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE ARE SAVING TO BUY!!!

 

[him over there]

I'd just like to interject here... *ahem* why in the world does anybody care, like at all?

if you don't care then why are you getting involved?

Go away unless you have something meaningful to say. "OMG who careeeeeeeeeees?!??!" doesn't contribute to the discussion.

I'm not simply going to say "OMG guise who cares GAWD?!" I honestly want to know at this point why graphics are still important at this point in time. I know graphics have always been extremely important but I think we are fast approaching diminishing returns. Every game out looks amazing and to go anymore beyond that just seems superfluous.

I never said graphics were important, if you look earlier in the thread I even said those very words.

For me good hardware enables developers to have good AI, good physics and to show more things on screen at 1 time.

I'm sorry then, From what I saw most of the argumement was about graphics but that's mostly because I skimmed. My fault. However I think that there isn't going to be much in the way of problems. Even if it is soon outclassed it doesn't mean it won't be at all good. Every console is outclassed eventually, every pc needs to be updated eventually. As long as the Wii U has a significant start up library and functional online I think it will work out.

 

[dragongit]

I'd like to point out for the record. Yes, technically the PC is capable of being more powerful then any of these consoles combined, even in the next generation. 2 $500 graphic cards and a thousand dollar CPU will leave anything Sony and Microsoft can make in the dust.

One problem however, you'd be hard pressed to find a game or developer that needs these specs to push it to that limit. Outside of a few select MMOs perhaps, but even that is questionable. I have a Radion 5850, a single one, and I can run most games released reasonably well. Somtimes I turn off AA but in the middle of action I hardly notice if characters have sharp edges. Point is no matter how advanced your PC is, the power of the current console generation will dictate how games are made all around.

My point is that if Microsoft and Sony do create a large enough gap between the Wii U and their next generation, that will be the bar set for the standard of almost all games to be made. If the Wii U is unable to keep up then it will loose third party support. I will have a following of loyal Nintendo fans and companies who wish to sell novelty games, but any innovations when it comes to sheer processing power and graphics may be left to the other two to pick up.

Nintendo will live, I haven't doubted that fact. Enough people have shown they are willing to buy the Wii U, I'm just saying I'll save up my money instead for the PS4. Even if I don't have a well paying job, saving 30-50 dollars a month I might save up enough by the time it's released, whenever that is.

 

[MiriaJiyuu]

Keep in mind it will recognized as a console with a tablet extension, not a tablet.

Funny thing is, I don't think that will happen. Certainly not for the average casual gamer who isn't up on current tech and consoles. In other words, the exact sort of person you described earlier in your post, and the same sorts of people that made the Wii so successful originally. Expecting them to look at the Wii U and recognize that it isn't just a tablet with some extra buttons and analog sticks gives them too much credit.

Your probably right about the average casual gamer not seeing it for what it is, they never do anyway. It all depends on how Nintendo markets it, and the way they're marketing now, it will be seen as another tablet.

 

[Treblaine]

Your source don't contradict mine, it corroborates it. 768MB of RAM is not significant.

PC games are taking advantage of 16GB of system RAM and the graphics are really showing, with resolution and frame-rate. Any next gen system can't merely be a little better, they must be 5-10x better and surpass the best of PC gaming at that time.

Never are they actually quoted saying: "WiiU is far ahead of the current generation." But rather:

"(WiiU is) one of the best-looking versions"

PC is one of the versions of the game they are making.

Can you show me 5 games that use 16GB of RAM?

Unless you somehow bog a game down with an ungodly amount of mods or run it off a RAM disk then I would fail to find any. The most any game has used for me was just over 3GB with X3: Terran Conflict.

Also, no console is going to match PC gaming, ever and you would be foolish to ever expect it to. Is your complaint that a £200-£300 console cannot match up to a £500+ PC?

OK, somewhat of an exaggeration as they don't really "need" 16GB but they'll use it if you've got it. Yeah, mainly with mods and extra stuff running in the background like FRAPS (gotta get that Youtube Money).

But PC gaming is definitely using way more than 512MB of RAM typical on consoles or the 768MB that WiiU most likely has. Typically 4-8GB of RAM and NO ONE is suggesting WiiU is having that for production models.

When the Xbox 360 came out it in fact DID match and slightly exceed the best PC systems you could get at the time, but that was WAY back in 2005 and only for about a brief period, by 2007 the midrange 8800GT had already left 360 in it's dust but everything points to WiiU not even beating midrange PC hardware from almost 5 years ago.

 

[TK421]

OK OT, the problem is that you are thinking of the Wii U as a next gen console, when it is really the proper entry into THIS console generation by Nintendo.

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with this. The WiiU will have slightly better capabilities than my 360 and PS3 do, but when the next Xbox and PS4 come out, it will be surpassed.

I also agree with the many people who say that Nintendo has their fingers in too many pies. They are trying to appeal to every audience, and therefore aren't investing very much into any specific audience. I can't speak for the casual gamers or children, but this will alienate most of the hardcore gamers, just like the Wii did.

The fact that the only new gimmick of the WiiU is a tablet, and most casual gamers already have a tablet will hurt as well. Most casual gamers don't even use their Wii anymore, if they even bought one in the first place, because it's much more convenient to play games on their phone/tablet.

Bottom line: In my opinion, as long as M$ and Sony don't royally screw us, or come out with obscenely overpriced systems, the WiiU will be left in the dust because of lack of the casual gamer support they had last round, and the fact that they are again alienating the hardcore.

 

[TK421]

I'd like to point out for the record. Yes, technically the PC is capable of being more powerful then any of these consoles combined, even in the next generation. 2 $500 graphic cards and a thousand dollar CPU will leave anything Sony and Microsoft can make in the dust.

One problem however, you'd be hard pressed to find a game or developer that needs these specs to push it to that limit. Outside of a few select MMOs perhaps, but even that is questionable. I have a Radion 5850, a single one, and I can run most games released reasonably well. Somtimes I turn off AA but in the middle of action I hardly notice if characters have sharp edges. Point is no matter how advanced your PC is, the power of the current console generation will dictate how games are made all around.

My point is that if Microsoft and Sony do create a large enough gap between the Wii U and their next generation, that will be the bar set for the standard of almost all games to be made. If the Wii U is unable to keep up then it will loose third party support. I will have a following of loyal Nintendo fans and companies who wish to sell novelty games, but any innovations when it comes to sheer processing power and graphics may be left to the other two to pick up.

Nintendo will live, I haven't doubted that fact.

I quite agree. 2 years is a whole lot of time in the realm of graphics cards and RAM capabilities, and I see this as a probable issue for the WiiU. It won't fail, but it certainly won't win out either.

Enough people have shown they are willing to buy the Wii U, I'm just saying I'll save up my money instead for the PS4. Even if I don't have a well paying job, saving 30-50 dollars a month I might save up enough by the time it's released, whenever that is.

Amen Brother!!

 

[MiriaJiyuu]

I'd like to point out for the record. Yes, technically the PC is capable of being more powerful then any of these consoles combined, even in the next generation. 2 $500 graphic cards and a thousand dollar CPU will leave anything Sony and Microsoft can make in the dust.

Sorry going to stop you right there. I got a GTX 550Ti for $130 and a AMD PhenomII 965 for $150, that's $280 to outclass a PS3 or 360 easy. My monitor is more expensive, and I can still run most games at full settings. including many new releases from November. This is not addressed specifically to you, I'm just tired of people saying you need a $4000 gaming rig to play games on PC. You don't, about $1200, some ingenuity and knowledge on how to put a computer together will get you pretty far.

One problem however, you'd be hard pressed to find a game or developer that needs these specs to push it to that limit. Outside of a few select MMOs perhaps, but even that is questionable. I have a Radion 5850, a single one, and I can run most games released reasonably well. Somtimes I turn off AA but in the middle of action I hardly notice if characters have sharp edges. Point is no matter how advanced your PC is, the power of the current console generation will dictate how games are made all around.

You speak the sad, sad truth. PC exclusives are few and far between but are often beautiful when done properly.

My point is that if Microsoft and Sony do create a large enough gap between the Wii U and their next generation, that will be the bar set for the standard of almost all games to be made. If the Wii U is unable to keep up then it will loose third party support. I will have a following of loyal Nintendo fans and companies who wish to sell novelty games, but any innovations when it comes to sheer processing power and graphics may be left to the other two to pick up.

Nintendo will live, I haven't doubted that fact. Enough people have shown they are willing to buy the Wii U, I'm just saying I'll save up my money instead for the PS4. Even if I don't have a well paying job, saving 30-50 dollars a month I might save up enough by the time it's released, whenever that is.

Probably 2014, and I'm doing the same, by the time it releases $10-$20 from every paycheck would cover most of it, though it may be worth it to wait until they get a few models in to avoid hardware issues.. In which case it better support backwards compatibility on later models .

I think this generation it will be the CPUs that determine the bar, not the GPUs. Depends on whether we increase resolution beyond 1080p.

 

[bojackx]

To me it just seems like a bigger, more powerful Nintendo DS, so the idea of it is definitely outdated...

Words can not describe how foolish that statement just was.

It has two screens and one of them is a touchscreen. Exactly what does the Wii U bring that's at all revolutionary or innovative?

Also, stocks for Nintendo fell by around 10% when the Wii U was announced, so a lot of other people think it's a big load of crap too.

 

[Squidbulb]

]
I also agree with the many people who say that Nintendo has their fingers in too many pies. They are trying to appeal to every audience, and therefore aren't investing very much into any specific audience. I can't speak for the casual gamers or children, but this will alienate most of the hardcore gamers, just like the Wii did.

So what? That worked before, it could work again. The "hardcore" (God I hate that word) market is very small in comparison to the "casual" market, and some of them are so biased and close-minded that they refuse to see anything made by Nintendo as anything other than "kiddy" so probably won't buy it anyway. If you're talking about the self-proclaimed "hardcore" who as far as I can see are the only ones who use that word, then a lot of them are just immature morons who'll stick to their preferred console no matter what shit they put out.

 

[Treblaine]

Your source don't contradict mine, it corroborates it. 768MB of RAM is not significant.

PC games are taking advantage of 16GB of system RAM and the graphics are really showing, with resolution and frame-rate. Any next gen system can't merely be a little better, they must be 5-10x better and surpass the best of PC gaming at that time.

Never are they actually quoted saying: "WiiU is far ahead of the current generation." But rather:

"(WiiU is) one of the best-looking versions"

PC is one of the versions of the game they are making.

HA!

You expect Sony and Microsoft to be able to release $300 consoles that offer 10x the graphics power of current consoles, and outperform $2000 gaming-rig PCs... in this economic climate?

You may not have noticed, but there's a bit of an economic downturn around the world, right now. Sony tried releasing a $600 console before the world economic crisis, and it still nearly sank them. They're not going to try that again when consumer spending power is low and heading lower.

No... expect a next Gen console to be around $400 and be around 10x the power of the current gen. As was the case with the Xbox to Xbox 360 and the PS2 to PS3.

An economic downturn does NOT mean you can get away with selling a current gen console (which is what WiiU seems to be) as if it was a next-gen console. Do we really need another consoles of VERY similar capability as PS3 and 360 this late in this cycle? This shouldn't be compared to the Dreamcast as Dreamcast WAS MUCH MORE powerful than the PS1. This is more like he Atari Jaguar that tried to pretend it was a 32bit console to compete with the Playstation. It wasn't.

If there is an economic downturn then don't make any new console AT ALL! Just keep focusing on the Wii and 3DS. You are suggesting Nintendo should have it both ways of not releasing a new console yet releasing a new console.