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[DragonKnight]

We will see console announcements AT LEAST from microsoft next e3. It's time and it would be the perfect excuse for them to integrate it with Kinect if they are serious about it

Edit: I mean we already got developers working on their next gen wares as confirmed by Epic and twice by Ubisoft. We can bet other developers are following suit behind the scenes. And the PS4 is already in development and im positive that the 720 has long since moved past its planning stages.

 

[Phife Dawg]

The resistive touch screen of the 3DS is great, I rarely use the stylus with that. If the tablet's screen is of equal quality I will be pleased.

Multi touch is a no-issue for me. It's only necessary for games on i-devices because of lack of buttons. Maybe there are some clever uses to it in some newer games but I have stopped DLing games on my touch some time ago.

 

[USC-fan]

We know for a fact that the WiiU will be using the most advanced CPU available today. The GPU is also custom. When both are incorporated into a closed environment we should see some really impressive beyond 360/ps3 games. The problem is

--why should any developer spend extra resources to utilize this power? What are the incentives when 100million people will buy the 360/ps3 versions.
--is this enough power to ensure third party support even when the 720/ps4 drops?

And the goal was not to get ps3/360 third party support. The goal is to get AAA third party support regardless of what systems are on the market.

Where do you get the "CPU is the most advanced cpu available"? here is from the IBm press release. Notice the energy saving design, doesnt sound high end....

"The all-new, Power-based microprocessor will pack some of IBM's most advanced technology into an energy-saving silicon package that will power Nintendo's brand new entertainment experience for consumers worldwide. IBM's unique embedded DRAM, for example, is capable of feeding the multi-core processor large chunks of data to make for a smooth entertainment experience."

I think we can agree is most likely is more powerful than x360/ps3 but how much more is the question.

Based on Reggie interviews it seem he was talking about 360/ps3 third party games. No one knows anything about next gen from ms/sony so i find it hard to think they are designing the system to compare with those.

 

[Alexios]

Notice the energy saving design

Eh, that's pimped for almost every tech product these days, it's more or less a must to appear green even if you aren't. However I agree we don't know shit for a fact and shouldn't get ahead of ourselves only to end up with some gimped custom version that is technically part of the series but isn't half as good as its best...

 

[AceBandage]

Where do you get the "CPU is the most advanced cpu available"? here is from the IBm press release. Notice the energy saving design, doesnt sound high end....

"The all-new, Power-based microprocessor will pack some of IBM's most advanced technology into an energy-saving silicon package that will power Nintendo's brand new entertainment experience for consumers worldwide. IBM's unique embedded DRAM, for example, is capable of feeding the multi-core processor large chunks of data to make for a smooth entertainment experience."

I think we can agree is most likely is more powerful than x360/ps3 but how much more is the question.

Based on Reggie interviews it seem he was talking about 360/ps3 third party games. No one knows anything about next gen from ms/sony so i find it hard to think they are designing the system to compare with those.

The reason Reggie is focusing on 360/PS3 ports is because that's all there is right now. Why would he focus on systems that aren't out?
They're making a system that can easily handle current gen engines.
However, this doesn't exclude it being considerably more powerful. Nintendo doesn't want the same situation to happen as with the Wii again. They'll want to put it within range of whatever Sony and MS can make for their next system.
They are also making the system with third party input. Third parties are going to say exactly what they want and Nintendo will try to incorporate is all into the Wii U. And this includes hardware.

 

[DragonKnight]

Where do you get the "CPU is the most advanced cpu available"? here is from the IBm press release. Notice the energy saving design, doesnt sound high end....

"The all-new, Power-based microprocessor will pack some of IBM's most advanced technology into an energy-saving silicon package that will power Nintendo's brand new entertainment experience for consumers worldwide. IBM's unique embedded DRAM, for example, is capable of feeding the multi-core processor large chunks of data to make for a smooth entertainment experience."

I think we can agree is most likely is more powerful than x360/ps3 but how much more is the question.

Based on Reggie interviews it seem he was talking about 360/ps3 third party games. No one knows anything about next gen from ms/sony so i find it hard to think they are designing the system to compare with those.

The WiiU CPU is what powered IBM's Watson, the supercomputer that dominated Jepordy a while back. That CPU is the most advanced CPU that IBM currently has. It was in the WiiU CPU and GPU thread.

And for the second part you just answered your own question. Why would reggie talk about next gen games when the competition isn't even in the next generation yet? I mean he can't just straight up announce next gen games that aren't even revealed yet.

And if the NGP is any indication, the PS4 will be bleeding edge and will sell at a loss. I always go Sony and Nintendo anyway so no matter how powerful or powerless the WiiU is when the competition drops is really a moot point for me.

 

[USC-fan]

Every part that people have been guessing would still make the system cheap to produce.
Also, no way is the PS4/720 3-4 years away. No freakin' way. 2 years MAX.

You just said a 5770 that draw 70-80 watts and cost over $100 retail. Thats more power than the xbox 360 s and its 3x bigger.

You guys are going to be for a huge let down if you really think it have all this stuff in that small box.

 

[AceBandage]

You just said a 5770 that draw 70-80 watts and cost over $100 retail. Thats more power than the xbox 360 s and its 3x bigger.

You guys are going to be for a huge let down if you really think it have all this stuff in that small box.

Nintendo isn't going to be getting off the shelf parts...

 

[DragonKnight]

You just said a 5770 that draw 70-80 watts and cost over $100 retail. Thats more power than the xbox 360 s and its 3x bigger.

You guys are going to be for a huge let down if you really think it have all this stuff in that small box.

And to add to what Ace said do you remember the Xbox and the GCN? Look how very similar they were in performance. For nintendo, small does not equal weak.

And here's that WiiU CPU thread:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=432965

And just to note I share your skepticism but Nintendo would have to straight up be boneheaded to put out something marginally more powerful than the current competition. However, unless they start money hatting don't expect developers to tap into the WiiU hardware until the competition drops the ps4/720. For now, sadly, it will be ports galore.

And improvements to the console's innards was confirmed by the DarkSiders devs. Improvements don't sound like downgrades to me.

 

[USC-fan]

The WiiU CPU is what powered IBM's Watson, the supercomputer that dominated Jepordy a while back. That CPU is the most advanced CPU that IBM currently has. It was in the WiiU CPU and GPU thread.

And for the second part you just answered your own question. Why would reggie talk about next gen games when the competition isn't even in the next generation yet? I mean he can't just straight up announce next gen games that aren't even revealed yet.

And if the NGP is any indication, the PS4 will be bleeding edge and will sell at a loss. I always go Sony and Nintendo anyway so no matter how powerful or powerless the WiiU is when the competition drops is really a moot point for me.

No no no. You are basing this off a poor written article by engadget.

Look at the press release with the article, never does it even mention the watson who used 2880 POWER7 cpus.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/ibm-puts-watsons-brains-in-nintendo-wii-u/

Seems silly to compare it to that. It my be power7 core but it still a custom chip...

The reason Reggie is focusing on 360/PS3 ports is because that's all there is right now. Why would he focus on systems that aren't out?
They're making a system that can easily handle current gen engines.
However, this doesn't exclude it being considerably more powerful. Nintendo doesn't want the same situation to happen as with the Wii again. They'll want to put it within range of whatever Sony and MS can make for their next system.
They are also making the system with third party input. Third parties are going to say exactly what they want and Nintendo will try to incorporate is all into the Wii U. And this includes hardware.

Where is nintendo saying all this stuff? I have not heard one thing other then the wiiu is comparable to the current gen.

Seems like you are hoping they think this way and that is not based on fact or anything they have said.

 

[AceBandage]

No no no. You are basing this off a poor written article by engadget.

Look at the press release with the article, never does it even mention the watson who used 2880 POWER7 cpus.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/ibm-puts-watsons-brains-in-nintendo-wii-u/

Where is nintendo saying all this stuff? I have not heard one thing other then the wiiu is comparable to the current gen.

Seems like you are hoping they think this way and that is not based on fact or anything they have said.

Iwata has said over and over that they need third party support to stay relevant. To do that with the Wii U, they have to make sure it's at least slightly future proof.

As for getting developer input, that comes from third parties themselves.

Working so closely with Nintendo was new to the software company. Riccitiello said he visited Japan several times to work on understanding the new platform.

He also appeared onstage during Nintendo's press conference, something he has never done before at E3, the industry's biggest annual convention.

"This is the first time we've worked so closely with Nintendo," he said.

And even Reggie has said that they are working with third parties to incorporate all their ideas into their system. This isn't being designed like the Wii or the GameCube in that it's strictly for Nintendo.

 

[wsippel]

No no no. You are basing this off a poor written article by engadget.

Look at the press release with the article, never does it even mention the watson who used 2880 POWER7 cpus.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/ibm-puts-watsons-brains-in-nintendo-wii-u/

Seems silly to compare it to that. It my be power7 core but it still a custom chip...

Of course it'll be custom. You don't need four double precision FPUs per core in a console, let alone decimal floating point units.

 

[USC-fan]

Iwata has said over and over that they need third party support to stay relevant. To do that with the Wii U, they have to make sure it's at least slightly future proof.

As for getting developer input, that comes from third parties themselves.



And even Reggie has said that they are working with third parties to incorporate all their ideas into their system. This isn't being designed like the Wii or the GameCube in that it's strictly for Nintendo.

You are reading A LOT into his statement and also reading between the lines. if it was that more powerful dont you think they would say it and not its comparable to current gen?

 

[AceBandage]

You are reading A LOT into his statement and also reading between the lines. if it was that more powerful dont you think they would say it and not its comparable to current gen?

They aren't saying ANYTHING right now, though.
No developer is allowed to say anything about the power other than it allows for easy ports.
Nintendo's concern isn't with pleasing forum fanboys by going "Our system is the most powerful console ever made!"
They wanted to show off the controller and they showed off some early tech demos on early dev kits.

 

[wsippel]

You are reading A LOT into his statement and also reading between the lines. if it was that more powerful dont you think they would say it and not its comparable to current gen?

Nintendo didn't say anything, and 3rd parties are not allowed to say anything.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Nintendo could have released direct feeds of the fucking Samaritan demo running on the thing and you'd still have people claiming it looked worse than PS360, and was just barely more powerful. I think the people who don't want to see Nintendo have powerful hardware are just not going to accept whats in there.

(Yes I know this can't run the Samaritan demo I was using it to make a point, the PS4/720 won't be able to either.)

 

[USC-fan]

Nintendo didn't say anything, and 3rd parties are not allowed to say anything.

They aren't saying ANYTHING right now, though.
No developer is allowed to say anything about the power other than it allows for easy ports.
Nintendo's concern isn't with pleasing forum fanboys by going "Our system is the most powerful console ever made!"
They wanted to show off the controller and they showed off some early tech demos on early dev kits.

huh? Just google search....

Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, admitted that some game footage at Nintendo's E3 press conference was taken from Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games.

Why did Nintendo think this would be appropriate, you ask? Fils-Aime insists that Wii U games will be "comparable" to the graphics and game play of Xbox 360 and PS3 games once it releases.

http://www.dailytech.com/Wii+U+Anno...red+Xbox+360PS3+Game+Footage/article21851.htm

 

[Luckyman]

I mean why would Epic make a tech demo for this thing if it wasn't? Nintendo doesn't moneyhat or beg do they?

Come on. Epic has not made any techdemo for this. If they had it would have Epic Unreal technology logos all over.

Eurogamer on Zelda and Wii U power

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-vs-e3-nintendo

It's a good demo, but as Oli says, it's very difficult to see this as anything other than affirmation that Nintendo's technical vision of the next generation is to effectively match the rendering performance of what's in the marketplace already. Once again, the platform holder is relying on ingenious controller-based concepts rather than cutting-edge tech.

 

[Eradicate]

The whole "comparable" talk has little to do with the power and more to do with easing the minds of gamers. The Wii could not deliver power comparable to the PS3/Xbox 360 because it truly was a weaker system than the two. He is saying that the Wii U, at the absolute very least, matches the power of those systems and that the GAMES THEMSELVES will look just as good. Unless the developer added new effects and everything just for the Wii U, the games couldn't look better in the same way that if you could play Mario Galaxy on the PS3 it wouldn't look better.

 

[Hex]

Will we finally see the vitality sensor?

 

[Betta Lines]

if you could play Mario Galaxy on the PS3 it wouldn't look better.

Yes it would...

 

[plank]

Will we finally see the vitality sensor?

No. :/

 

[Hex]

The whole "comparable" talk has little to do with the power and more to do with easing the minds of gamers. The Wii could not deliver power comparable to the PS3/Xbox 360 because it truly was a weaker system than the two. He is saying that the Wii U, at the absolute very least, matches the power of those systems and that the GAMES THEMSELVES will look just as good. Unless the developer added new effects and everything just for the Wii U, the games couldn't look better in the same way that if you could play Mario Galaxy on the PS3 it wouldn't look better.

Huh?
Yes it would, yes it very much would.
Whether it was the PS3 or the 360.


Reggie is being smart and trying to set realistic expectations so smart people will be happy.
People are already running around with their expectations all over the place and they will be disappointed.

 

[Eradicate]

But how so, if there were not new things programmed into it to make it look better? Xbox games do not look better played on the Xbox 360.

Also, I do realize he is trying to set realistic expectations and all, but he isn't saying that the Wii U will be only just as powerful as a PS3 or something.

 

[Hex]

But how so, if there were not new things programmed into it to make it look better? Xbox games do not look better played on the Xbox 360.

Have you seen Mario Galaxy on the Dolphin?

 

[Eradicate]

Have you seen Mario Galaxy on the Dolphin?

OK, that does look really amazing, haha!

But, is this more a matter of upping the resolution more so than making the game "look better?" This all looks great, don't get me wrong, but is it just a matter of moving from an output forced at 480p to a computer making it go 720p or 1080p?

Speaking hypothetically, if the PS4 was just a PS3 with a faster CPU and better GPU, and it didn't up the resolution like what the Dolphin does, would Resistance "look better?"

These are just honest questions, because I'm not all positive on the hardware aspects of things. I'm honestly not trying to get into a graphics argument or start up something unrelated to the thread. When I hear this about "looking better," I guess I'm not thinking about resolution. I don't even have an HDTV. In my experience in what I've personally seen, Xbox games don't look better on a Xbox 360 and Gamecube games don't look better on Wii. Any answers you have along these lines are welcomed!

Because this is all unrelated to the thread, feel free to ignore my ramblings.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

The WiiU CPU is what powered IBM's Watson, the supercomputer that dominated Jepordy a while back. That CPU is the most advanced CPU that IBM currently has. It was in the WiiU CPU and GPU thread.

The WiiU is not "Powered by Watson" because Watson is not an architecture. Wastson and WiiU might be powered by the same architecture, but the architecture itself isn't necessarily super advanced. Watson was impressive because of it's software, NOT because of its hardware (and is by no means even close to the most powerful supercomputer on earth).

 

[J-Rock]

I really wish we had some Retro news.

I can't wait to see what they do on Wii U.

 

[wsippel]

huh? Just google search....

http://www.dailytech.com/Wii+U+Anno...red+Xbox+360PS3+Game+Footage/article21851.htm

Better idea: Instead of looking at weird summaries, watch the actual interview. The summary is slightly misleading.

 

[AceBandage]

I really wish we had some Retro news.

I can't wait to see what they do on Wii U.

Star Tropics. It's already confirmed.

Spoiler

 

[wsippel]

The WiiU is not "Powered by Watson" because Watson is not an architecture. Wastson and WiiU might be powered by the same architecture, but the architecture itself isn't necessarily super advanced. Watson was impressive because of it's software, NOT because of its hardware (and is by no means even close to the most powerful supercomputer on earth).

Power7 definitely is "super advanced". And while the system running Watson really is by no means the most powerful supercomputer on earth, Blue Waters, also Power7 based, will definitely be up there.

Not that it really matters, as WiiU neither uses an off-the-shelf Power7 nor 30,000 cores.

 

[AceBandage]

Power7 definitely is "super advanced". And while the system running Watson really is by no means the most powerful supercomputer on earth, Blue Waters, also Power7 based, will definitely be up there.

Not that it really matters, as WiiU neither uses an off-the-shelf Power7 nor 30,000 cores.

Says you!

 

[USC-fan]

Better idea: Instead of looking at weird summaries, watch the actual interview. The summary is slightly misleading.

its from *THAT* game trailer interview. Go listen that what he says....

Misleading? lol
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-nintendo/715143

 

[lwilliams3]

its from *THAT* game trailer interview. Go listen that what he says....

Misleading? lol
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-nintendo/715143

The interviewer next asked if the games will look better than the 360/PS3 version. Reggie said that it will depend on the individual developer. In other words, Nintendo is covering themselves in case there are developers that do not bother to improve the graphics of their ports.

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

Wanted to post in a new thread but was afraid of getting the Vita syndrome

Tons of Reggie news – keeping controller costs low, third-party importance, “robust” online, much more

“Reaction has been very positive, not only to the journalist side. We have spent time with the analysts, the publishers. I make it a point whenever I have a break just to walk the floor and the reaction is extremely strong [among the show attendees]. People are excited, people are waiting to get their hands on it, people are getting into line twice and that’s true whether it’s for Wii U or for Nintendo 3DS as we have had lines back up. So the reaction has been very strong.”

More @ Games Beat via Nintendo Everthing

 

[J-Rock]

John Carmack talks Wii U

GS: Have you had any chance to look at the Wii U at all?

John Carmack: They made a big presentation to the ZeniMax companies and I said, "Do I want to fly up there?" This was just last month or something. But I said, "No, I really need to stay here and just work on Rage right now." But you know the technology level on there brings it up to parity with the other consoles, which is nice for us. Previously, the Wii was not a target. Id Tech 5 was just not suitable for the Wii at all. We seriously talked about possibly using the iOS Rage technology that I built for that for a Wii game. It would fit perfectly from a technology standpoint, and I think would have been really pretty cool as a Wii game, but we decided that it wasn't the right time to jump into the Wii market.

But now that we're looking at another platform that is eminently suitable for the technology, I'm sure we're going to try and bring it up on there. But it will become a market question of do we think that there will be people there that won't be served by one of the other SKUs? If you're going to have a serious hardcore game on there, the Wii is usually the hardcore gamer's second or third console. Even if we could have shipped Rage in full glory on the Wii, it probably wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense because people that want Rage probably also have a PC, 360, or PS3 that could do the game better justice.

So we'll be seeing how the market plays out on there. I'm kind of excited about the touch-screen aspect on there. I think that probably has broader general utility for games than most of the motion control stuff, where you really have to design a game around motion control and you can't just tack it onto a finely crafted FPS. But I think the DS has really shown what the extra little touch screen can do--almost any game can do something useful with that.

LINK

 

[ksamedi]

John Carmack talks Wii U



LINK

That Carmack quote makes me sad we rarely see exclusives that play to the strengths of a system anymore.

 

[Alexios]

where you really have to design a game around motion control and you can't just tack it onto a finely crafted FPS.

Meh. Yes you can, John, with great results to boot, better than tacking on console controller support onto a finely crafted FPS...

 

[Eric C]

Question for people that held or saw this in person at E3.

What size are the buttons and d-pad on the controller? Are they small like 3DS/DS buttons, and d-pads? Or are they more like Classic Controller or SNES size?

 

[nVidiot_Whore]

John Carmack talks Wii U

Interesting that he basically repeats Nintendo's own claim.

But you know the technology level on there brings it up to parity with the other consoles

Keeping expectations low myself.. either way.. it's a buy at the very least for Nintendo's properties, and the best 3rd party games.

 

[Exuro]

Question for people that held or saw this in person at E3.

What size are the buttons and d-pad on the controller? Are they small like 3DS/DS buttons, and d-pads? Or are they more like Classic Controller or SNES size?

You can get a good idea from the Zelda Wii U videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arHNcSMXaBk

Dpad looks great in size while the face buttons look a little small.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Carmack sounds uninformed on the system, if not short sighted.

 

[nVidiot_Whore]

Carmack sounds uninformed on the system, if not short sighted.

Well he clearly hasn't used the hardware.. many others haven't either.. but his words echo Nintendo's, so I'm unsure how uninformed he is.

Short sighted I guess you could have that opinion... not sure what you are referring too though?

 

[Jackano]

So I went a little far more in the Wii U press assets and here are some troughts (sorry no guts discussion, neither touch screen cheapness, I think both are great and it's utopian to hope for more in the cost range):

- I'm still not sure if the controller use WiFi or bluetooth. For instance I think it's still bluetooth but I can't get the maths work in term of transfer rate (60 800x500 pics per second are a lot of bandwhich). I'm not a tech expert so what I'm missing? From what I understand, even if bluetooth manage to be Ok on the transfer rate for one controller, I understand Nintendo's problem with multiple new controllers setup...

- Sound jack output on the top of the controller, just alongside an "AC adaptor"... No mini-USB for charging? And the console itself have 4 USBs plugs? Could change in the final form, but here is again the protectionnist Nintendo.

- Finally it seems that the front-facing camera is a little more than 0.3Mpx. Will probably be 0.6 or 1Mpx but it will be better than the DSi/3DS ones.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Well he clearly hasn't used the hardware.. many others haven't either.. but his words echo Nintendo's, so I'm unsure how uninformed he is.

Short sighted I guess you could have that opinion... not sure what you are referring too though?

Mostly just him saying his company will take the wait and see approach, which is quite silly but also quite common.

 

[nVidiot_Whore]

Mostly just him saying his company will take the wait and see approach, which is quite silly but also quite common.

Why is it silly? Their next big game is due the end of this year.. iD doesn't exactly churn out a lot of titles and is a small company.. so as he said, he is focusing on his current efforts... which is a game due out in a few months.

Getting a game out early in a console's lifespan is a bit of a double edged sword. The userbase is small, lowering potential... but the lack of games can make for quite a few sales.

His point being that Rage would already have reached most of it's sales potential, and that people buying Wii U who would want Rage would have already played it.

Unfortunately iD isn't the engine company it once was.. iD Tech 5 isn't exactly selling to tons of 3rd parties.. if it was I'm sure they'd have more motivation to port. Epic and others have taken the wind out of iD's smaller sails.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Why is it silly? Their next big game is due the end of this year.. iD doesn't exactly churn out a lot of titles and is a small company.. so as he said, he is focusing on his current efforts... which is a game due out in a few months.

Getting a game out early in a console's lifespan is a bit of a double edged sword. The userbase is small, lowering potential... but the lack of games can make for quite a few sales.

His point being that Rage would already have reached most of it's sales potential, and that people buying Wii U who would want Rage would have already played it.

Unfortunately iD isn't the engine company it once was.. iD Tech 5 isn't exactly selling to tons of 3rd parties.. if it was I'm sure they'd have more motivation to port. Epic and others have taken the wind out of iD's smaller sails.

Yeah, I forgot to say that I understand his company is a bit smaller now. I just don't see any reason not to put a port onto the system or something, especially if you've already done everything on weaker consoles.

 

[Stumpokapow]

So I went a little far more in the Wii U press assets and here are some troughts (sorry no guts discussion, neither touch screen cheapness, I think both are great and it's utopian to hope for more in the cost range):

- I'm still not sure if the controller use WiFi or bluetooth. For instance I think it's still bluetooth but I can't get the maths work in term of transfer rate (60 800x500 pics per second are a lot of bandwhich). I'm not a tech expert so what I'm missing? From what I understand, even if bluetooth manage to be Ok on the transfer rate for one controller, I understand Nintendo's problem with multiple new controllers setup...

It will be neither, it'll be a proprietary wireless setup.

 

[Eric C]

You can get a good idea from the Zelda Wii U videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arHNcSMXaBk

Dpad looks great in size while the face buttons look a little small.

OK, assuming the circle pad is the same size as on the 3DS.

It looks like the D-pad is about full console size. But the A B X Y might as small as on the 3DS and just spaced further apart from each other, I'm not sure though.

 

[Jackano]

It will be neither, it'll be a proprietary wireless setup.

That I was fearing a little. Those AMD tech videos that were foolding around a few weeks ago are not involved then? Neither the promising ZigBee thing?
They better work hard, I can't see this thing properly works if we can't have 4x multiplayer with 4x the new controller!