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[Manp]

Somehow i doubt it

tHQ will go bankrupt soon anyways.. Why would they care what THQs management cares or thinks.. THQ will reach some GAFers but to be honest WiiU was finished before it launch according to GAF just like Wii

it has nothing to do with what THQ management thinks. a developer say something about a Nintendo product that launched only a few days ago and that may put it in a bad light. the next day the publisher of said developer is already rewording the whole thing in an attempt at damage control while not openly going against their developer.

call it good neighborhood... but knowing how business work i think somebody at THQ's HQ definitely got that call.

 

[Ydahs]

So even though the CPU is weak, the other components potentially make up for it. Sounds like the architecture demands for a certain approach during the engine's design, not after. So I guess the main issues now is that current engines aren't built to support such architecture.

So, that means Nintendo, Shinen and a few other developers will be the only companies really pushing the WiiU's hardware, since I can't see many western developers (outside of Ubisoft and maybe Activision) spending a lot of resources on a Nintendo platform. I think it'll have decent support from Japan, though they don't really put as much emphasis on technology to begin with.

From a graphics point of view, I guess I'm content (though somewhat disappointed) with the above as I'll likely get a PS4 anyway (or just use my gaming PC) but gimping the CPU might not have been the best choice for western developers who always to try to push the graphical boundaries.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Again, okay? Not seeing the problem here.

Its basically him saying "If I really wanted to, I could gut this engine to run on anything, even Wii U, or an Ipad". Not exactly reassuring.

 

[captainraincoat]

Zelda oot gave me one of the best gaming experiences of my life and the hardware it was on at the time was not as cutting edge as the competition....i would love to see what they come up with on that hardware

People need to stop concerning themselves with the specs and look at the games that nintendo are capable of...they now have the hardware to do some mindblowing things
i could not care less if the games look like uncharted or minecraft

 

[grimshawish]

"WII U IS WEAK BUT WE DIDN'T MEAN TO EXPRESS IT THAT HARSH SORRY GUYS"

They must be regretting the two Wii's duct-tapped together that they sent to Reggie's office.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

it has nothing to do with what THQ management thinks. a developer say something about a Nintendo product that launched only a few days ago and that may put it in a bad light. the next day the publisher of said developer is already rewording the whole thing in an attempt at damage control.

call it good neighborhood... but knowing how business work i think somebody at THQ's HQ definitely got that call.

Doubt it.

Negative sentiment toward Nintendo from THQ only hurts THQ. Even if THQ wants nothing to do with Nintendo it benefits them to keep that lane open just in case.

Its basically him saying "If I really wanted to, I could gut this engine to run on anything, even Wii U, or an Ipad". Not exactly reassuring.

And i'm saying, if THQ wanted to, Metro Last Night would be on Wii U, power claims be damned.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Doubt it.

Negative sentiment toward Nintendo from THQ only hurts THQ. Even if THQ wants nothing to do with Nintendo it benefits them to keep that lane open just in case.

Well I believe Nintendo is very upset with THQ and is sending in their Ninjas. Mark my words, THQ will not be around much longer.

 

[nickcv]

Zelda oot gave me one of the best gaming experiences of my life and the hardware it was on at the time was not as cutting edge as the competition....i would love to see what they come up with on that hardware

People need to stop concerning themselves with the specs and look at the games that nintendo are capable of...they now have the hardware to do some mindblowing things
i could not care less if the games look like uncharted or minecraft

while i could agree with you this thread is about specs, you cannot pretend people will talk about something else.

it's kinda like entering a sales thread and saying "who cares about sales, look at the games!"

 

[TheD]

And i'm saying, if THQ wanted to, Metro Last Night would be on Wii U, power claims be damned.

Yeah, it would just be cut down or running like a dog with one leg............

 

[nickcv]

So even though the CPU is weak, the other components potentially make up for it. Sounds like the architecture demands for a certain approach during the engine's design, not after. So I guess the main issues now is that current engines aren't built to support such architecture.

So, that means Nintendo, Shinen and a few other developers will be the only companies really pushing the WiiU's hardware, since I can't see many western developers (outside of Ubisoft and maybe Activision) spending a lot of resources on a Nintendo platform. I think it'll have decent support from Japan, though they don't really put as much emphasis on technology to begin with.

From a graphics point of view, I guess I'm content (though somewhat disappointed) with the above as I'll likely get a PS4 anyway (or just use my gaming PC) but gimping the CPU might not have been the best choice for western developers who always to try to push the graphical boundaries.

exactly

Yeah, it would just be cut down or running like a dog with one leg............

read the quotes... it stated that they could make it run fine... change graphics? probably. but no performance issue that would make the game just barelly playable.

 

[Dinokill]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

 

[ASIS]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know wha the fuck they are talking about.

Go on...

 

[LeleSocho]

i could not care less if the games look like uncharted or minecraft

Then get out of this thread, this is a thread about tech talk if you aren't interested why are you even here?
stop doing damage control only because you like the console.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Those games are also very graphically intensive, complicating matters.

iOS and Android games hardly push the hardware they are on so it's far more easy to port games there, the games on ps360 push the hardware to their limits so they are optimized a lot for that hardware so when a new console come out unless it's noticeably more powerful it's hard to port.

Smartphone games are also using only about 10% of the power the Wii U has at its disposal, and there a quite a few games from different developers that look amazing. I'm talking Infinity Blade level graphics on multiple Android devices.

Then again those games are probably not CPU bound in the first place, so maybe that's the real issue.

 

[KillerTravis]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

I am too, that doesn't make me an expert on the topic.

 

[Ydahs]

exactly

Yep, though it's the second block in that quote that worries me the most. Nintendo had to make it easy for developers, not hard.

They might get lucky and have the 720 follow a similar design, but I don't see that happening considering Microsoft is heading towards a media-centric platform which needs a good CPU.

 

[grimshawish]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know wha the fuck they are talking about.

Care to explain?
Those of us who don't even claim to know anything don't really know what your saying with this; whose it aimed at and what exactly do you see the situation being?

And am no doubt there are more/equally experienced people who'll disagree with your views; but thats normal, and life.

Its nice to share.

Yep, though it's the second block in that quote that worries me the most. Nintendo had to make it easy for developers, not hard.

Meh. Nintendo sold the biggest selling console last gen; third parties didn't count - its kind of a big ask for them to make their development more difficult.

 

[Jackpot]

This is "the Wii is 2 gamecubes duct taped together" all over again. And in both cases the original statements have been correct.

 

[ozfunghi]

PROTIP

"console power" and "having a blast" arent mutually exclusive

i can have a blast in something that looks like 1995 graphics that doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit from looking better

PROTIP

Reading Comprehension: That's not what he said. He never claimed console power to get in the way of having a blast. He claims it doesn't get in the way of having a blast.

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

You being a computer engineer student has nothing to do with stupidity of mankind.

 

[LeleSocho]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

I'm all in for being called idiot as long people teach me on where i am wrong, please explain.

 

[Raytow]

So the WiiU has been set to JUNK status?

 

[zoukka]

P
Reading Comprehension: That's not what he said. He never claimed console power to get in the way of having a blast. He claims it doesn't get in the way of having a blast.

Something got in the way of games on Vita.

 

[neoanarch]

Reading about the IBM chips is so goddamn fascinating. The Curiosity rover is running off a Gecko/Broadway variant with radiation hardening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAD750

 

[Log4Girlz]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

Neither do the devs commenting on the CPU. They know nothing.

 

[grimshawish]

So the WiiU has been set to JUNK status?

No.

 

[Ashler]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

I LOL'ed.

 

[Dinokill]

A smaller CPU with the same CMOS process(45 nm) does not means its weaker than a bigger CPU.

 

[Log4Girlz]

A smaller CPU with the same CMOS process(45 nm) does not means its weaker than a bigger CPU.

Does in this case.

 

[Osiris]

I LOL'ed.

So did I, but then the first system hardware I worked on as a field engineer had a ferrite core memory system. LOL

 

[SolidSnakex]

Third parties need to stop the graphics circle jerk for at least one generation for their own sake, or more and more will strain themselves to death like so many before.

This may happen with Japanese devs, but it has no chance of happening with Western devs. With that said, one of the most surprising things about the Wii U so far is the lack of Japanese support. There are very few upcoming Japanese third party titles even announced for the console.

 

[nickcv]

Yep, though it's the second block in that quote that worries me the most. Nintendo had to make it easy for developers, not hard.

They might get lucky and have the 720 follow a similar design, but I don't see that happening considering Microsoft is heading towards a media-centric platform which needs a good CPU.

i think that this will be the situation:

- huge devs will be developing for wii u, because they have the actual resources to port games
- indie devs will be developing for wii u, because of the approach nintendo is having with them

nothing in the middle, except for those exclusive games.

maybe, if the wii u will reach full penetration in japan (like the 3DS now) we could have several japanese developers focus on the platform.

 

[Dinokill]

Does this case? Are they using the same architecture? The same design?. Stop counting the numbers of transistors as indicative of performance.

 

[flattie]

Being a Computer Engineer student I have to say that most people here don't know what the fuck they are talking about.

Oh, the irony.

 

[mrklaw]

Zelda oot gave me one of the best gaming experiences of my life and the hardware it was on at the time was not as cutting edge as the competition....i would love to see what they come up with on that hardware

People need to stop concerning themselves with the specs and look at the games that nintendo are capable of...they now have the hardware to do some mindblowing things
i could not care less if the games look like uncharted or minecraft

you're right, and of course they should. But you're also allowed to be disappointed at what could have been

 

[wsippel]

Neither do the devs commenting on the CPU. They know nothing.

Well, the Broadway ISA is a bit unusual. If you have no experience with PowerPC assembly and Broadway's unique quirks (and only a handful developers do), you'll not get great performance out of those things. A compiler can only do so much.

 

[Neff]

The standalone CPU is weak, but not the big deal it seems in relation to its HD counterparts due the modern architecture and buffed, feature-laden GPGPU, all of which is discounting the potential 'life-ring' of EDRAM. People are up in arms because the architecture and power-prioritising is being compared to an engineering agenda that is 7 years old at least. Wii U is definitely competitive power-wise, but it's also competitive commercially, meaning that it doesn't have the resources to burn which consumers and even maybe developers expected. People are just going to have to be creative to get performance, as they always have.

The fact that Arkham City AE suffers hiccups is most certainly a result of being crafted on a goddamn ancient engine fine-tuned to run optimally on the hardware it was designed for (seriously, how Rocksteady got Unreal3 to look as good as it does on PS3 of all things is mindblowing). I'm surprised AC runs on Wii U as well as it does.

Likewise, a Wii U game that was developed alongside its PS360 cousins actually turned out better than either in the form of Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed.

I'm not saying that these results are defining examples of the Wii U's pecking order status, but I do feel that the obvious is being overlooked because it's more fun to assume Nintendo have fucked up royally.

I'm not at all worried about Wii U's apparent lack of muscle given that the first batch of games are certainly no slouch when it comes to performance, and developer understanding of the beast is only going to exponentially improve.

 

[MYE]

I'm hoping that at least one good thing comes out of the amazing obsession I'm seeing over the Metro devs comment.

Early peek at RETRO's game!!! Go, go, go

 

[LeleSocho]

Wii U is definitely competitive power-wise

for how much? 12-18 months?

 

[farnham]

Doubt it.

Negative sentiment toward Nintendo from THQ only hurts THQ. Even if THQ wants nothing to do with Nintendo it benefits them to keep that lane open just in case.



And i'm saying, if THQ wanted to, Metro Last Night would be on Wii U, power claims be damned.

really. i understand they will be gone before next year if no investor shows up. why would they care for nintendo in such circumstance? they might be gone soon.

 

[Neff]

for how much? 12-18 months?

I honestly believe it doesn't matter, since next gen is currently looking extremely risky and niche from both a developer and consumer perspective.

I wouldn't be surprised if PS360 stuck around a lot longer than expected, either.

 

[Goodlife]

really. i understand they will be gone before next year if no investor shows up. why would they care for nintendo in such circumstance? they might be gone soon.

Nintendo is cash rich...... worth a shot, surely?

 

[wsippel]

really. i understand they will be gone before next year if no investor shows up. why would they care for nintendo in such circumstance? they might be gone soon.

Nintendo is a potential investor, so they obviously should care.

 

[grimshawish]

A potential investor also doesn't like to see a culture in a company thats bad for business.
THQ devs firing off at what are potential partners isn't exactly a feel good sign.

You just don't bitch like this. Its bad for business and makes people distrust you.

 

[Ormberg]

Why on God's green earth did they go with 45nm for their CPU node? Nintendo, I am dissapoint.

 

[GeekyDad]

Does THQ need to clarify such statements anymore? I thought they sailed off into the sunset as a gaming company...

 

[Crazypanda_85]

Am I the only one who thinks that the Wii U not being uber-powerful as being a good thing? If I was a developer and if the Wii U had a good install base after 6 months or so, I would love to develop for it. Since it doesn't require anything more extreme from where things are now, which would make development easier and cheaper than it would be for future consoles.

One of the biggest concerns developers have for the future consoles is the cost of development vs the projected returns they can make on each game. If Nintendo does better by it's third party devs (promoting games that are not only Nintendo titles), this could be what helps them stay relevant and successful.

 

[MYE]

I'm more surprised at how someone on the inside thinks its maybe a good idea to throw negative attention in the direction of one of the hands that might feed them.

Regardless of intention or honesty, that Metro dude was fucking dumb to say that.

Am I the only one who thinks that the Wii U not being uber-powerful as being a good thing? If I was a developer and if the Wii U had a good install base after 6 months or so, I would love to develop for it. Since it doesn't require anything more extreme from where things are now, which would make development easier and cheaper than it would be for future consoles.

One of the biggest concerns developers have for the future consoles is the cost of development vs the projected returns they can make on each game. If Nintendo does better by it's third party devs (promoting games that are not only Nintendo titles), this could be what helps them stay relevant and successful.

Watch Japan back this system like crazy.
Maybe Square-Enix can finally nurture a normal development cycle with this "old tech". They are shit as it is, I can only imagine how much worse they would be on the PS4/NeXtbox.

 

[Krilekk]

Even if they totally screwed up this time they will sell their 30 million consoles in five years. That's their natural fan base and nothing will change that. They are profitable with the first game (although they probably mean first Nintendo game) so there's no big risk involved. The real challenge for Nintendo will be to get back to the hardcore crowd after having told them for six years that they are irrelevant and casual gaming is the new way.

 

[MYE]

Even if they totally screwed up this time they will sell their 30 million consoles in five years. That's their natural fan base and nothing will change that. They are profitable with the first game (although they probably mean first Nintendo game) so there's no big risk involved. The real challenge for Nintendo will be to get back to the hardcore crowd after having told them for six years that they are irrelevant and casual gaming is the new way.

What? lol

When did they say this? Link please

 

[Coolwhip]

Even if they totally screwed up this time they will sell their 30 million consoles in five years. That's their natural fan base and nothing will change that. They are profitable with the first game (although they probably mean first Nintendo game) so there's no big risk involved. The real challenge for Nintendo will be to get back to the hardcore crowd after having told them for six years that they are irrelevant and casual gaming is the new way.

Why? Is Apple desperate about the 'hardcore crowd' too? Of course not. Nintendo will be perfectly happy with just the casual gamers, since it's the biggest audience aswell.