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Digital Foundry "we can now finally rule out any next-gen pretensions for the Wii U"

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sTeLioSco

Banned
91


-It was ballpark speculation at the time based on what we had eyeballed at the event, but the final GPU is indeed a close match to the 4650/4670, albeit with a deficit in the number of texture-mapping units and a lower clock speed - 550MHz. AMD's RV770 hardware is well documented so with these numbers we can now, categorically, finally rule out any next-gen pretensions for the Wii U - the GCN hardware in Durango and Orbis is in a completely different league.

-All of which may lead some to wonder quite why many of the Wii U ports disappoint - especially Black Ops 2, which appears to have been derived from the Xbox 360 version, running more slowly even at the same 880x720 sub-hd resolution

-While there's still room for plenty of debate about the Wii U hardware, the core fundamentals are now in place and effectively we have something approaching a full spec. It took an extraordinary effort to get this far and you may be wondering quite why it took a reverse engineering specialist using ultra-magnification photography to get this information, when we already know the equivalent data for Durango and Orbis. The answer is fairly straightforward - leaks tend to derive from development kit and SDK documentation and, as we understand it, this crucial information simply wasn't available in Nintendo's papers, with developers essentially left to their own devices to figure out the performance level of the hardware.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-wii-u-graphics-power-finally-revealed
 

Router

Hopsiah the Kanga-Jew
Yep.


Mario and Zelda are still going to look great though. That's all most people care about.


*edit*

No wonder there was so much confusion from developers regarding the systems abilities last year.
 
Wow

For me though the biggest barrier to entry is still the lack of must have games. Which when it comes down to it is all that matters.
 

Daedardus

Member
The Wii U is just two Wii's ducttaped together, and the Wii is basically two Gamecubes ducttaped together, so tell me, why doesn't anyone complain PS4 and Xbox3 are based on the Gamecube architecture.

(joke, joke)
 
Doesn't matter to me - we'll have gorgeous looking nintendo games which don't necessarily have to be next gen graphic quality but I am sure this will be something for brand loyalist to get excited about.
 

Pooya

Member
as we understand it, this crucial information simply wasn't available in Nintendo's papers, with developers essentially left to their own devices to figure out the performance level of the hardware.

that 3rd party relations, I'm sure 3rd party developers love this.
 

tkscz

Member
I thought it was said in the WiiU GPU thread to NOT make a thread about this? Oh well. I never listened to DF before (on any subject) and this isn't changing my mind.
 

hwy_61

Banned
Ouch. So, what do third parties do, then? Are they willing to make 2 different versions of their games, like the Wii? Doesn't look good.
 

Des0lar

will learn eventually
Wii U to get good first party games and mostly mediocre third party stuff.

Please act surprised.
 

Binabik15

Member
u voluntarily submit yourself to such idiocy?

Nope.

I could care less about the generational labeling of consoles, but not a LOT less.


I bet there'll ALSO be tons of posts about "wah wah but Zelda HD will still be awesome and PS360 graphics Mario will be GREAT". Because suddenly "HD" graphics are good additions to franchises, but any more than that is just putting graphics over gameplay. Lol.
 
Not being picky, but this:
The answer is fairly straightforward - leaks tend to derive from development kit and SDK documentation and, as we understand it, this crucial information simply wasn't available in Nintendo's papers, with developers essentially left to their own devices to figure out the performance level of the hardware.

Is purely an assumption unless they've had hands on with the development kit and papers.
Which they haven't. Just saying.
 
1080p native games?! Nope.

:'( dreams shattered. Maybe next gen.

Although while the budget for games on Durango and Orbis average with 30million+, nintendo is laughing in the safe zone.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
aren't they reporting less than our own dissection thread has already worked out?

I'm still confused by why there is so much chip space not accounted for. Can't be for Wii mode stuff, that'd take a tiny amount of space.
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Yeah this needed its own thread because I was already getting funny looks for discussing it in the 'local shop for local people we'll have none of your kind here' threads. Some people are still holding out odd hope for the rest of the chip thats not been 100% matched to have a new magical graphic/power boost genie contained within. Acceptance still seems a fair way away for the worst afflicted.

But for the rest of us; there we go. No you really probably wont be seeing Durango or Orbis developed games on the WiiU due to the hardware just not being good enough. Keep the port begging contained from now.
 

tkscz

Member
aren't they reporting less than our own dissection thread has already worked out?

I'm still confused by why there is so much chip space not accounted for. Can't be for Wii mode stuff, that'd take a tiny amount of space.

Why yes, yes they are. What's your point?
 
So where does WiiU land on this complex diagram?

Wii <----------------------------<PS360>----------------------------------------> Orbis/Durango
 

Wiz

Member
Not a good thing to hear. At this point, the Wii U just needs to prove itself by delivering quality software, then all the talk of "not next-gen" will cease.
 
aren't they reporting less than our own dissection thread has already worked out?

I'm still confused by why there is so much chip space not accounted for. Can't be for Wii mode stuff, that'd take a tiny amount of space.
That's correct. The Die thread has much more info.
 

Liamario

Banned
I don't think anyone is surprised by this; and I don't think people bought the console expecting anything else really.
If you bought the console for massive quantities of high quality 3rd party support, I'd be very surprised.
Nintendo games will look and play well and that's all the fans care about.
 
So this essentially only matters to Nintendo's third party prospects right? First party games could be scrawled on a dirty napkin and they would sell the same amount, if not more than the previous installment. That is until certain people complained about the aesthetics being to "napkininy" and they revert back to the old boring art style.
 

schuelma

Wastes hours checking old Famitsu software data, but that's why we love him.
I strongly believe that Nintendo's first party stuff will look very very impressive, but it also seems apparent that this system was not made with Western 3rd parties in mind and that with possibly a few exceptions ( maybe some Ubisoft and WB properties), Western 3rd parties will ignore it.

Nintendo better have a lot of Japanese 3rd party support and collaborations in the pipeline.
 
why are people still so stubborn to accept this? It doesn't mean the wii u won't have great looking games.

Nintendo this gen, just like they have the entire video game history, will make incredible looking games. In HD.

It's not that bothersome at all to me. All that is really important for me is that it's in motherfucking HD so I can actually have decent looking Nintendo games on my 55 inch TV for once.
 
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