The "crap" gap is narrowing each gen. I wouldn't be so confident in this point being a game changer.
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Eurogamer expose: how powerful is the Wii U really? (Information from developers)
- Thread starter specialguy
- Start date
I laughed way too hard at "crap gap". Dunno why.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Wii lead in sales because it attracted a tremendous amount of people that never buy gaming machines. Are these people still playing Wii? Are they interested in buying another console? If not then the U is going to have a rough road ahead.
Sounds like slang for a bum crack. Made me titter too.
Mr. MondayNight
Member
I'm saying that it could be used as a cost cutting measure if it is truly needed I'm not trying to knock the Wii U in anyway.
I don't think it would be more expensive to downgrade from the PS4/720 it will essentially be removing a few assets that the Wii U may not be able to use anyway scalability is what these Engine makers are advertising right? who's saying it won't be cheap and easy to scale the engine to the Wii U.
Proelite
Member
I actually work for Microsoft.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
I'll simplify it then.
The last time the successor to the market leading console of the prior generation launched a year ahead of its competitors (of which MS and Nintendo were and Sega wasn't) we had a blowout generation. This was spurred in no small part by a massive amount of 3rd party wares.
That's all I was saying.
snowdog1971
Banned
Eurogamer have been quite clever in that they've mixed up comments from a named developer which are pretty vague and subjective with 'specs' from an anonymous developer.
All 3 consoles next gen are going to be in the same sort of ballpark in terms of power, like they were last gen. You'll end up with the 720 being around twice as powerful as the U and this won't be a problem at all with regards to up-ports and down-ports being transferable between all 3 consoles.
And seriously, anyone saying that the U won't be able to run UE4 has absolutely no idea what they're talking about as far as game engines these days are concerned.
I think it does make sense for Wii U to benefit from the current-gen HD engines developers have spent years making for 360 and PS3, but I imagine devs are already starting the process of crafting next-gen engines and scalability be a savior for Wii U. However, Unlike Wii, Wii U's not going to have much of an advantage with cheaper development costs. Although, Wii U having modern shader support will be probably be a lot more convenient for third-parties to port games to it combined with architecture that's apparently easy to program for. Hopefully, Wii U versions of third-party next-gen ports won't be that inferior despite how they can offer compelling exclusive non-essential features.
Bullshit!
Sony knows how to do bullshots. Don't expect any sorry ass wiiU pikmin reveal crap.
Sony will bring the big guns. One enormous screen showing looped footage of Optimus prime from the transformers movie playing air hockey with gollum from LotR with a million photorealistic spectators watching while dragons fly over head fighting the death star. All proclaimed by Sony to be running in real time without even using the CPU because it's busy powering nuclear submarines and firing nukes.
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
Ummm no...
All signs point to a fairly significant gap between Wii U and the next Playstation & Xbox power-wise, what remains to be seen is if that gap is big enough to make a difference to 3rd parties or not.
I expect we'll see a repeat of last gen. Wii U for Nintendo games, PS/Xbox for multi-platform games, and I'm OK with that.
I disagree yes, to each platform its own strengths. Wii U is a good place to host original games, new takes on traditional genres and local multiplayer games. I can't wait to play RE on a next next-gen platform, as well as seeing a crazy Zack & Wicky sequel, or even a RE inspired by Zombi U features. I'm not a one console future guy, creativity can find its way through several paths.
The red Nintendo logo is just pleasuring to see.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
That's a lot of caveats when trying to compare RAM totals. And kind of disingenuous. The Xbox had the highest RAM total of the generation. Wii has exactly 14MB more RAM than the highest of the prior generation. WiiU will have at least double the total amount and 32MB of eDram.
So at least double the RAM of the prior generation 3.2x the amount of eDram as the prior generations king, a newer featured more powerful GPU (remember it will be crunching a lot more pixels and polygons), and a shitty CPU.
It will more or less be the same.
Though I expect series like Assassin's Creed (if it continues into next gen) to find their way to WiiU. Compromises will have to be made. But some of the biggest series I expect to find on all three consoles. In varying capacity.
MadeInBeats
Banned
Hahaha
I just don't see how people get these 'signs'. I mean, you might be right of course but the next PS/Xbox are both still one big mystery that it is impossible to say there is going to be a (big) gap.
And even if there is a big powergap, then publishers might still choose to go with WiiU as the lead for their multiplatform games.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
It's not like we have a large sample size here. Predicting future trends based on past trends in an industry still in its infancy isn't going to yield accurate results.
Could you elaborate on this?
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
We've seen the next-gen engines, we're had first looks at 'high end' PC games that are coming to the next-gen consoles, and we've seen lots of footage from the WiiU, all of which looks on par with PS360.
As the last part, they could have done that this time, they didn't.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Just go by GPU flops and RAM totals.
MS and Sony's GPU's are in the area 3-4x as powerful as WiiU's (while having a newer featureset), their RAM totals are 4-5x as large as WiiU.
They will have a larger ratio over WiiU than WiiU has over PS3/360.
I agree.
Which is why my range of WiiU success is wide. I can see it selling 20 million units before either MS or Sony's consoles launch on the back of a successful NintendoLand, and the markets love of NSMB. I can also see it failing to sell 10 million units in it's first year. If NintendoLand doesn't catch, and NSMB begins to see franchise fatigue.
Pretty much this. You can't account for all the artificial hype it received from the media/celebrities as well this time. A screen on a game pad is probably not as "cool" as motion controls were to those people.
But, to hardcore ninty fans, this doesn't matter much, as they want their usual zeldas and marios, and they'll only get them there. So they're a sale. Not sure on the "casuals".
But, what is a little worrying is for those who will only buy a Wii U and are hoping they'll receive ports this time. If those specs come true, it's probably going to be a rough road for them. Devs already don't like ninty, and despite it selling like mad, most of them aborted the system all together, or threw in a smash and grab for cash shovelware title. I'm sure they also do their "market research" on those who buy said systems, and it's probably not packed with those people who like "CoD".
And finally, some devs will shy away their big budgets and IPs because they won't get the visuals and gameplay they want out of it compared to the specs of the other machines (PS, Xbox, PC). A pride thing.
All these factors will work against ninty again, just they might not catch the eye of the casual this time like they did the start of this gen to boot.
I wouldn't bank on "sales" to win them over once again. Look at this gen. They didn't "not get the memo", they didn't develop on the Wii for a reason(s). Saying "maybe they'll make Wii U lead and upscale ports", not going to happen. Especially if they can't use the same engines.
What about the type of RAM and having an underclocked pitcairn as ps4's gpu?we still know a lot less about them than we do about the wiiu
You really don't think there's a leak?
Eurogamer posts their article 5-6 hours after Emily Rogers says 1 to 1.5GB of ram available for games on that site NintendoGo.
Like I said, the timing is too weird.
Also the system is in mass production. right now. There's even been reports/rumors of problems associated with production. You don't think any leaks will come?
Part of the Xbox 360 success was CoD. Will all those people buy a new machine to play the next entry of CoD on Xbox720/PS4? Will Kinect 2.0 appeal to people again? Each system had a niche that brought people to them this generation.
I, for one, don't believe we'll see hardware sales close to what this generation has brought for any of these consoles.
Well, it's the first next gen console that launches. If publishers invest in pushing the power of WiiU for their multiplatform titles and in turn port these over to the next gen PS/Xbox and it proves to serve them well, it might become standard next gen. Who knows.
Good one, have you considered stand-up?
As far as I know, nothing is set in stone yet for next gen, so why not?
VivaPapaya
Banned
Nintendo should just say that their new processor, the N5, is made from custom made metal and that it is "screaming fast". Combined with the new "Epidermis" Touch technologie this would satisfy most of the people screaming for specs.
it works for Apple..
it works for Apple..
specialguy
Banned
True, I'd look at the gen as more of a pantheon though. I'm comparing Wii to GC in which it was at least 50% better at everything (since it was basically just clocked 50% higher), which I'm not sure I can say of Wii U vs PS360 (then again, it's still in the air). You're right if you compare Wii to Xbox it may not be better at all. But then you have to throw PS2 in there where Wii looks quite strong again. Lets say Wii was a major improvement on 2/3 of that generation, while still being in the ballpark.
clutch.as.it.gets.
Member
88+3= 91MB. You forgot 3 MB GPU RAM (for textures).
Speak for yourself.
I'm a fan of Zelda and Metroid and I don't like the idea of seeing two of my favorite series getting stuck in ancient last gen specs.
specialguy
Banned
It is? Where did I miss this info?
There still seem to be naysayers who arent accepting the 1GB thing, or letting off the 2GB thing (they apparently believe 1GB (!) is set aside, or Eurogamers info is bull, or whatever). So to really settle this one has to be cracked open. At that point we can finally definitively say IT HAS THIS MUCH RAM.
EDRAM is not used in the same way as regular RAM. I dont consider them additive. The 360 is a 512 MB system not a 522 MB system.
There was actually a long, way over my head debate on B3D once if the 360's 10MB EDRAM "saved" some of the 512MB regular RAM. I guess the debate ended as inconclusive.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Reportedly none are using anything other than DDR3 in the RAM department. So depending on clock speeds (of which WiiU will likely have the biggest limitation) that's a loss for WiiU.
And last I knew Sony was targeting a 1.8 teraflop 2011 derivative GPU. Versus WiiU's likely 600 gigaflop 2009 derivative..
Relaxed Muscle
Member
I can see it happening for Japanese games,in the case of western developers? no chance at all.
http://www.computerandvideogames.co...te-delayed-to-december-across-europe-sources/
Also NintendoGo had info about it last night.
Silas Lang
Member
Yeah same here.
Eh it could go either way. There are more people in the world with the income to buy consoles(combined worldwide sales for this gen outnumber last gens). Then again we are in a worldwide economic downturn that isn't looking to recover soon.
If anything I see it being the same as this gen in third party leaves the WII-U behind and the majority of third party games are released on the Sony and MS next gen consoles.
I would be shocked if the Wii-U is priority in the third party releases and I just don't see it happening.
Yeah I'm just guessing and speculating of course. But publishers do go where the money is (this gen is a weird one, you'd think they would jump on the successful Wii-boat but they didn't..) and if WiiU gets a fairly successful head start it might make the difference.
Yeah I guess this might be the most common scenario but I'd like to think anything is possible, including WiiU as lead for multiplatform titles. I guess I just like surprises hehe
BurnOutBrighter
Banned
Yeah multiplatform games will look best on it... until the 720 and PS4.
I hope the Wii U doesn't drag down the multiplatform standard for the other two new consoles.
I hope the Wii U doesn't drag down the multiplatform standard for the other two new consoles.
BakedPigeon
Banned
I just don't really understand where the Industry is going when Nintendo can build a machine that is pretty much a system from this generation with a little more power just to churn out some more Mario and Zelda games. Don't you want something more Nintendo?
Same goes for MS and Sony. I don't expect their next generation consoles to be anything more then glorified low end gaming computers that run apps.
Nothing that has not been discussed or said before, but its depressing as a gamer who enjoys PC and consoles.
Same goes for MS and Sony. I don't expect their next generation consoles to be anything more then glorified low end gaming computers that run apps.
Nothing that has not been discussed or said before, but its depressing as a gamer who enjoys PC and consoles.
The you almost have to root against Nintendo for that.
If Nintendo gets out to an incredible start and games like zombieU or assasins creed 3 sell amazingly on the the wiiU, third parties may gravitate their development to Nintendo first until Sony and Microsoft prove with sales they should do otherwise,
IIRC the PS4 leak pointed at GDDR5, if it was true.
The gpu is an underclocked pitcairn and it is most likely using RAM faster than ddr3
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=477540
Ue4 not targeted at the wiiu says otherwise
Relaxed Muscle
Member
While weird, third parties had their reasons to left out the Wii. And right now the conditions for that to happen again are becoming a reality.(like underpowered console among other reasons)
And the fact almost every third party western game are just ports from the atual gen are very telling.
Wii U will follow the path their started with Wii. Nothing bad with it, but I don't know why people are expecting otherwise...