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Added by Gauss on 9.06.2012 |
| 'The somewhat sullen attitude that the Wii U is just the Wii all over again' |
TIME Techland made an interesting article about some of the criticisms based on what we know about the Wii U...
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After the disappointing Nintendo E3 press conference this year, and the numerous Wii U 'issues' and more as reported by the media, TIME Techland decided to run an article examining some of the Wii U key features.
They say that the "sullen attitude" from traditional gamers that the Wii U is just the Wii all over again and the dismissive assumption that Microsoft and Sony next-gen consoles will blow the doors off Nintendo’s system, are erroneous as we’re at a point in game hardware design where what’s under the hood matters less than at any point before.
So, they ran an analysis and exposed some criticisms based on what we know about the Wii U:
- Processor and Graphics.
Even if, as some have said, the Wii U is only “as powerful” or “slightly more powerful than” current-gen systems, I don’t see the problem. I never hear anyone complain that iPad games don’t look as good as PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 ones, for instance, or that PC games — now crunched by more than half-a-decade more powerful hardware than either the Xbox 360 or PS3 — are in any way superior because their visuals are more advanced.
I think the same will apply to Wii U games when compared to whatever Microsoft and Sony have up their sleeves, graphically speaking. It’s a point I’ve raised before about contemporary visuals in games: We’re far past the point of abstraction-by-limitation, and games that want to simulate reality do such a good job of it on today’s systems that fussing over photorealism is a core crowd fetish, still stuck in the “mine’s bigger than yours” mindset.
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- Storage.
But let’s talk about a design choice Nintendo made that really does seem odd on its face: the Wii U’s marginal internal storage.
Nintendo’s Wii U? A fractional 8GB of flash storage. Isn’t that a problem?
It would be, if the Wii U didn’t support storage upgrades, much as Microsoft did with its original no-hard-drive Xbox 360 or currently does with its entry-level 4GB model. Word is Nintendo will allow you to grow the Wii U’s storage via flash memory sticks or external hard drives via USB (the system has four USB ports). As a functional sticking point, therefore, it isn’t one.
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- The GamePad.
It’s definitely not your garden-variety gamepad, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it’ll be the go-to controller when it comes to this game or that one. But here’s the thing gamers balking at the controller don’t seem to understand: Nintendo is offering more controller possibilities than any console-maker in history.
As my colleague Harry McCracken notes, the Wii U GamePad can be “a Wiimote with a touchscreen,” “a second screen which may or may not mirror what’s being shown on the TV,” “a complement to the Wiimote,” “a tethered gaming handheld,” “a window into a virtual world,” “a social-networking device” and “a fancy universal remote.”
And that’s just the GamePad itself. Nintendo’s going to support all of the older Wii peripherals, as well as something new it’s calling the Wii U Pro Controller. If you’re a core gamer balking at the size of the Wii U GamePad, therefore, stop fretting — Nintendo has you covered.
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According to them Nintendo’s trying to enliven the home gaming experience with a two-screen angle, not trying to subvert the iPad.
This is about melding the Wii and DS experience, not doing a me-too tablet. Nintendo knows iPads make terrible game controllers when it comes to games that require fine motor input and precise control. And the impact of the tablet market’s growth on what Nintendo’s hoping to achieve with the Wii U will be next to zero.
If Apple ever gets serious about console-style gaming — and according to recent comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook, it has no plans to — then we’ll see, but at present, I detect nothing about Nintendo’s approach that feels anything but forward-looking.
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And finally, he concludes that the wave-off accusations that the company is just “pulling another Wii” are "missing some pretty obvious and salient points".
What do you think? Are we overreacting? Only time will tell...
Also, don't forget to check out the full article below!
Maxconsole:
All news about Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft gaming devices
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TIME TechLand
Why the Wii-U isn't the dinosaur some are making it out to be
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