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The Wii U Speculation Thread V: The Final Frontier

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BurntPork

Banned
It'd be nice but as said before seems unlikely at this point given they already confirmed there will be no final launch details at E3. September we'll probably be finding out (hopefully) about lineup, price ect.

They probably have decided on date and a price range, but want to gauge E3 reception before nailing the price down. Then they'll probably announce the price in late July either at the investor meeting or on Nintendo Direct; two months before launch as usual.
 

Roo

Member
I just don't see that happening for performance reasons. Streaming complex 3D scenes to 5 different screens at once isn't free performance wise, never mind whatever Nintendo's plans for things going in the the background OS/overlay. I'd much rather see a updated GCN-type controller.

If they do support at least two, what will be interesting is if Nintendo instead opts to do a screen-to-screen type deal. Could be applicable for a couple types of game ideas for local MP, like me on the TV playing Mario and the wife and her friend playing Poker on the other other screens. But I doubt it'll ever support more than 1 screen for aggressive visual games, and definitely not games which toy with viewpoints.

Fixed for ya.
 

Gahiggidy

My aunt & uncle run a Mom & Pop store, "The Gamecube Hut", and sold 80k WiiU within minutes of opening.
No way. I can't see nintendo seeing that as anything other than a massive unnecessary cost. They'd have to redesign the entire console in order to accommodate the thermal foot print and size of an HDD. The profit margin or loss is going to be razor thin on the Wii U as it is. I see them mandating USB 3.0 support as the bare minimum for externals before I see them putting in a built in HDD.

good news that everybody here and anywhere for that matter WILL love to hear

This confirms it's not a hard drive as guek does not like the idea.


By the way, are SSD drives still prohibitively expensive in consoles? Even small 75GB ones?
 

VAPitts

Member
u guys think i'm probably negative. but whenever i hear the same thing requested a billion times in one thread (Retro developing everything, USB 3.0, 4 Upads) i just know it's gonna be a complaint for the entire new gen.
 
Zelda: Aonuma wants to keep motion controls, but he also likes the idea of putting inventory on the touch screen so idk

So it sounds like we'll perhaps get a medly. Normally, inventory is on the touch screen, but:
* when in battle, use the motion control on the DRC to position your shielf for blocking
* pull back on the DRC to get that fish!
* in long-distance combat, angle of your DRC aims your bow
* shake the DRC to get that weird grabby enemy off you!

There we go. Aonuma gets everything he wants. :)
 

404

Member
2 upads seems like something anyone would love to hear

optical audio port is nice but not really a mainstream concern at all :p
 

Luigiv

Member
well, that would be disappointing because, to be perfectly honest, dolphin emulations look crummy to me. If you don't have the extra geometry to fill up the expanded scene the visuals look hollow.

That's what I want most out of wii u, polygons polygons and more polygons.

I believe you're thinking of PS2 games in PCSX2. Geometry wise Wii games hold up pretty well in HD (at the technically competent ones do).
 

guek

Banned
This confirms it's not a hard drive as guek does not like the idea.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!
HJQJj.gif


if only I could photoshop an internal HDD in there...
 

Thraktor

Member
Yeah I don't see it. Nintendo's financial briefing really made it sound like it would be closer towards the holiday's, and Nintendo isn't releasing price information at E3. Seems too tight. I would say October at the earliest, but November seems most likely.

Nintendo won't announce the price until they absolutely have to (basically whenever retailers have to start putting orders in). Currency markets still have the potential to be quite volatile for the rest of the year, and Nintendo deal in Yen, so they don't want to commit to $/€/£ prices in June only for appreciation of the Yen to wipe out their already slim profit margins before the console even launches. They probably already have a good idea of the Japanese price of the console, but for everyone else they'll wait to see how the currencies behave, and that's true whether it launches in September or November.

So it does match up...but I just have a hard time believing this is going to be southern islands based GPU. lherre is also pretty adamant that we shouldn't expect a monumental leap in power. I guess it could be a modified HD 7750 (820 GFLOPs and a 55w max TDP which could definitely be trimmed down). Still, I have my doubts.

I'm of the opinion that the "Oban" rumour was actually a conflation of a number of different sources that somehow got mixed together. Someone heard that Fab 8 was doing an initial run on console parts involving IBM and AMD, they heard elsewhere that Durango dev kits were coming off the production lines, they heard from yet another source that MS would be using a Southern Islands based GPU codenamed "Oban" in their next console, and they come to the conclusion that what was being made at Fab 8 was a CPU/GPU SoC for Durango with an SI GPU.

The one thing we do know (from official PR) is that Fab 8 did a first run of production chips in January, they were manufactured at 32nm and utilised IBM's eDRAM. This lines up pretty well to what we'd expect for the Wii U's GPU:

- Fab 8 is run by Global Foundries (AMD's manufacturing partner) and also involves Renesas (formerly NEC, who manufactured GC and Wii GPUs)
- The Wii U GPU has eDRAM onboard
- Most people have been expecting a 32nm/40nm chip
- The timing fits
- The quantity fits
- The rumours of Fab 8 making a console chip

It doesn't really tell us much about the console (aside from the 32nm process for the GPU), but it's interesting nonetheless, if true.
 
They probably have decided on date and a price range, but want to gauge E3 reception before nailing the price down. Then they'll probably announce the price in late July either at the investor meeting or on Nintendo Direct; two months before launch as usual.

Hmmmm, I like this theory. I like it a lot.
 

antonz

Member
Oban could easily be based on something like a 7570 or 7670 too which is an OEM Card. It doesnt have to be based on a mainstream card.

7570
480 SPUs
640 GFLOPS
650MHZ clock

7670
480 SPUs
768 GFLOPS
800MHZ clock
 

Conor 419

Banned
I'm glad it's not a HDD, Nintendo are being smart by allowing you to use external memory.

I really hope it's the ability to upscale Wii games, or some other crazy shit.
 

Gahiggidy

My aunt & uncle run a Mom & Pop store, "The Gamecube Hut", and sold 80k WiiU within minutes of opening.
I believe you're thinking of PS2 games in PCSX2. Geometry wise Wii games hold up pretty well in HD (at the technically competent ones do).

Actually, it's games like Arkumn City on PC, where I think the console versions look better as the geometry doesn't match the super high textures on the PC.
 

THE:MILKMAN

Member
I wonder if these final dev kits resemble what the final retail version will look like?

And that it has changed a lot from previous dev kits?

Not sure if everyone here would like the Wii U we saw last year to change much though?
 
Streaming complex 3D scenes to 4 different screens at once isn't free performance wise

This rationale bugs me. Streaming complex 3D scenes to 4 different screens at once for splitscreen gaming on the far slower Nintendo 64 wasn't free performance-wise, either, but it had gameplay advantages that outweighed the costs.
 

efyu_lemonardo

May I have a cookie?
This rationale bugs me. Streaming complex 3D scenes to 4 different screens at once for splitscreen gaming on the far slower Nintendo 64 wasn't free performance-wise, either, but it had gameplay advantages that outweighed the costs.

two Upads plus a widescreen TV is 3 points of view, 4 if you decide to split the TV screen which is definitely possible. Seems like more than enough..
 

Conor 419

Banned
He becomes a Member in two weeks. That's not a horrible amount of time to wait.




That's my baby. I've already mastered the necessary nooks and crannies of the GIMP to be worthy of this honour.

Woah chums, I bagsied Wii U Spec 6 in the last thread?

Hmm, you can have it but can I have some input?
 

DavieC726

Member
So it sounds like we'll perhaps get a medly. Normally, inventory is on the touch screen, but:
* when in battle, use the motion control on the DRC to position your shielf for blocking
* pull back on the DRC to get that fish!
* in long-distance combat, angle of your DRC aims your bow
* shake the DRC to get that weird grabby enemy off you!

There we go. Aonuma gets everything he wants. :)

That would be the extent I would want motion control to be like in the U Zelda.

Skyward Sword was fun when it came to combat, but the Wii was all about the remote where as the U is about the tablet. I wouldn't want to switch between the two every so often. I am perfectly fine going back to pressing a button to swing the sword.
 
He becomes a Member in two weeks. That's not a horrible amount of time.

And in these two weeks someone else will leak the rest of the info he has saved up.

The info given so far has been good and has opened up speculation. It is what matters for this thread. It gets people thinking for themselves even if some get annoyed.
 

guek

Banned
I'm of the opinion that the "Oban" rumour was actually a conflation of a number of different sources that somehow got mixed together. Someone heard that Fab 8 was doing an initial run on console parts involving IBM and AMD, they heard elsewhere that Durango dev kits were coming off the production lines, they heard from yet another source that MS would be using a Southern Islands based GPU codenamed "Oban" in their next console, and they come to the conclusion that what was being made at Fab 8 was a CPU/GPU SoC for Durango with an SI GPU.

The one thing we do know (from official PR) is that Fab 8 did a first run of production chips in January, they were manufactured at 32nm and utilised IBM's eDRAM. This lines up pretty well to what we'd expect for the Wii U's GPU:

- Fab 8 is run by Global Foundries (AMD's manufacturing partner) and also involves Renesas (formerly NEC, who manufactured GC and Wii GPUs)
- The Wii U GPU has eDRAM onboard
- Most people have been expecting a 32nm/40nm chip
- The timing fits
- The quantity fits
- The rumours of Fab 8 making a console chip

It doesn't really tell us much about the console (aside from the 32nm process for the GPU), but it's interesting nonetheless, if true.

Yeah it lines up. I guess I don't like being too optimistic when it comes to nintendo hardware. Until we hear officially that it's a 32nm process, I'm banking on 40nm
 

IdeaMan

My source is my ass!
I'm betting it's expandable RAM.
:p

Just my opinion, i already know all the hindrances/problems/bad marketing move/questions/XXX that it would generate, but i would love if Nintendo planned an advanced expansion pack including a boost of memory and a graphical processor (like those external graphic cards for laptops, etc.), scheduled for like 3 years in the lifespan of the system. The novelty will come from the fact that Nintendo would already charge the consumers for this expansion, from the Wii U price, and users would receive this piece of hardware automatically (if they choose to fill a request when they first go online with their personal address) or could go retrieve it at retailers with a ticket. All this to avoid the discrepancy implied by expansion pack only include in certain games.

Just a way to catch up some of the technical gap with their competitors while still launching first. They won't need to do it, Wii U is primarily an experience, and it will be power-wise efficient and powerful enough for Nintendo and a lot of third-parties needs, but my techie-me would like to see that.
 
And in these two weeks someone else will leak the rest of the info he has saved up.

The info given so far has been good and has opened up speculation. It is what matters for this thread. It gets people thinking for themselves even if some get annoyed.

I've been following these threads on and off since the first one and I'm still puzzled. I understand that they're fun for discussion purposes, but is there any other reason to give any legitimate consideration to Ideaman's rumor posts?

Just trying to follow the conversation here, not trying to light any fires.
 

shnord

Neo Member
I started out by reasoning that USB 2 wouldn't be that bad. I eventually came around in circles and now I agree. Mainly because it would be a pain in the arse if there was a discrepancy in performance between disk purchased titles and DD titles due to the variations in read speeds. This is the biggest issue I can see.

However, it may be alleviated to some degree if Nintendo puts in fast flash ram that can match or outperform the drive (I'm not sure if that's economical). In this case DD titles can use that to help with loading.

Either way, there's always going to be discrepancies if you have two main storage mediums on a device. Let's just hope that the fastest one is not the optical disk.
I mentioned this before but the disc drive is probably around the same speed as a USB 2.0 HDD, which in itself is 2x faster than the 360 disc drive and 3x faster than the PS3 disc drive.
 

IdeaMan

My source is my ass!
I like your info you give, but you're getting to sound a bit pretentious. You don't have a duty to perform.

"nurture the speculation", you can add after "as everyone on this thread". I already praised the participation of everyone here :)

And in these two weeks someone else will leak the rest of the info he has saved up.

The info given so far has been good and has opened up speculation. It is what matters for this thread. It gets people thinking for themselves even if some get annoyed.

You totally got the point :)
It's better than spoon-feeding the thread by revealing all that i know in 5 lines, it's more fun, better entertainment, more hype-building for E3, and above all, more interesting to see the ideas and reasoning developed.
 

efyu_lemonardo

May I have a cookie?
I bet the new feature in devkit 5 that will make us all happy is this:

RUMOR - Wii U controller range may have gotten a serious boost - range shouldn't be limited to a single room - possibly not even just a single floor.
 

Linkup

Member
I wonder if these final dev kits resemble what the final retail version will look like?

And that it has changed a lot from previous dev kits?

Not sure if everyone here would like the Wii U we saw last year to change much though?

Aren't you talking about the debug unit they send out to reviewers and such? Dev kits are usually not the form factor of the system. I'm just thinking of those Wii systems with a green front to them.

Anyway, delays usually means something went wrong so it's strange that your so positive about it Ideaman.

4 pads is rendering to five sources, going to need more than Oban for that! 2 at most.
 

IdeaMan

My source is my ass!
I wonder if these final dev kits resemble what the final retail version will look like?

And that it has changed a lot from previous dev kits?

Not sure if everyone here would like the Wii U we saw last year to change much though?

No these dev kits are like big DVD player, or more old VHS recorder/player. Big bland box, far bigger than the Wii U case we saw at E3 2011.

And yes, it was implied in my post, the boxes changed between V4 and those ones, aesthetically (from the outside) if it's what you wondering :)
 
Going back to the original Oban rumor, we have this snippet:


And Ideaman did say nintendo supposedly told devs to expect v5 kits at the end of march/beginning of april.

So it does match up...but I just have a hard time believing this is going to be southern islands based GPU. lherre is also pretty adamant that we shouldn't expect a monumental leap in power. I guess it could be a modified HD GFLOPs and a 55w max TDP which could definitely be trimmed down). Still, I have my doubts.

It seems to make sense. SA's source simply heard about the AMD and IBM joint chip and jumped to conclusions.

As for the GPU, if it was taped out that late in the game, I see GCN as a very real possibility. Maybe I'm headed for a heartbreak, but the benefits in power consumption and predictable performance seem like something Nintendo would be interested in. The HD7770 has a 640:40:16 core config, which may make sense of the early dev kits. If they downclocked it to around 600 Mhz and used DDR3 instead of GDDR5, seems to me the TDP would be in WiiU's ballpark even with the slightly larger process node.
 
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