Wii U Discussion - Yes, it has nice water - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Wii U Discussion - Yes, it has nice water

Are you getting the Wii U? This poll is closed.
Yes	9031	65.25%
No	1191	8.60%
Maybe	808	5.84%
I'm an idiot	460	3.32%
Waluigi	1603	11.58%
Waa	748	5.40%
Total:	13841 votes

[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Note to Angry Catterpillar: The OP indicates that the Wii IR sensor bar doesn't come included in the Wii U Basic box. Nintendo's official website says that it is.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 01:52

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 05:34

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

For launch, assuming I can afford it, I'd like to get ZombiU and either Mario or Rayman depending on the buzz.

backtracking a bit, I don't want to start another argument about whether the Wii U is a stupid console for babies or whatever, but something bears repeating for the new thread: The Wii's dearth of certain big budget titles of particular genres aren't so much a matter of graphics as they are of feasibility. Games like Assassin's Creed and Dead Rising and HD Call of Duty explosion fests could not be made on the Wii, either because it wasn't powerful enough, didn't have enough storage space, or the control options weren't adequate. The Wii U can run these sorts of games, and it can run them, judging by the specs, better than the 360. It has an abundance of control options out of the gate, and it has plenty of storage for the average user and easy expandability. Unless and until the next console cycle popularizes a new style of game that can't be done, then the Wii U can still get ports of those big games, maybe with some graphical bells and whistles turned off, but not a paltry imitation like Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 01:57

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Neo Rasa posted:

One thing they really need to do is make that new pro controller a standard with all SKUs some time next year.

I don't see why they need to do that. The Gamepad has all the functionality of the pro controller and then some, so it makes a lot more sense to only sell the pro controller to people who really want or need it.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 02:13

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

MUFFlNS posted:

Nintendo has had an abysmal history in regards to third party support for their consoles that goes back three console generations. Having delusions that it will be different this time is foolish. It's like people trying to insist that the next Sony/Microsoft consoles won't be more powerful than the Wii U, these will be the same people who insisted the difference between the Wii and the PS3/360 wouldn't be much either and look at how that turned out.

Nintendo have currently positioned themselves where because they're first out the gate, they can wrangle a lot of quick ports from third parties who are willing to test the waters with the Wii U for minimal cost and effort. Will Nintendo still have smooth sailing once the next PlayStation and Xbox release? Chances are very slim, and if you're expecting third party publishers to prioritize the Wii U just because it has a bigger install base, you need only look at the Wii to see that simply doesn't work. Third party games sell terribly on Nintendo consoles which is why publishers abandoned Nintendo.

You're right on the level of buying a Nintendo home console primarily for third-party support doesn't make any sense, but the reasons Nintendo's third party support has been lacking in the past haven't been consistent. On the N64 it was because of storage--Nintendo's decision to use carts. On the Gamecube, Nintendo had generally drat good third party support for most of the system's life. It was only towards the end that there were cracks.

With the Wii, the issue isn't just computing power, but data storage, control options, and no firmware support for serious online play. Storage and control options are covered. Online details aren't fully known, but there's definitely a greater focus on it. The only issue the Wii U will have once the other two launch is computing power, and the deficit likely won't be as great compared to the one between the Wii and 360 because making another huge leap like that would be prohibitively expensive. Hell, for the PS3 it was for the first several years.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 02:44

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

kater posted:

I don't know. Having only 1 gb of useable RAM could possibly leave it worse off than the Wii was, depending on the rumors and the tide.

What are the current rumors? Even to be proportional to the difference between Wii and the rest of 7th gen, they'd have to have at least 5GB. At that point it's diminishing returns because no game yet created has used that much RAM, even on PCs where configurations with 16GB are common on high-end gaming machines.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 03:21

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Bobnumerotres posted:

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/09/13/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-wiiu-trailer

drat, the Ayane segments look like they could have come from an Xbox game. She looks like she's made of plastic and the environments are really sparse.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 07:18

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Sony and MS would be fools not to set their Next Gen specs at a level that makes it an immediately noticeable upgrade from the Wii U. The big question is how will developers respond. Using the gorgeous lighting and particle effects possible on UE4 and Fox Engine is one thing, but utilizing the extra power for gameplay impossible in the current gen isn't a given. There will absolutely be the Assassins Creed 7s and the GTA6s that simply won't function on the Wii U, but by that time the Wii U should be cheap enough that it's an 'and' rather than 'or' console like the Wii is now. Plus there are some genres that are prohibitively expensive to develop with cutting edge graphics, at least early in a console's life cycle. Final Fantasy 10, for example, was extremely linear and it wasn't until Final Fantasy XII that Square really had the PS2 going at full throttle.

I'm not exactly optimistic that developers won't abandon the Wii U once the next generation is at full swing, but there are still too many variables to make the call.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 18:40

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

zenintrude posted:

...For all intents and purposes a 3DS is equivalent to a Dreamcast...

The 3DS is actually closer to Gamecube than Dreamcast. It has slower CPU than the GC, but a comparable GPU that can do some lighting effects in hardware.

Handheld development is different in general. Developers on Sony's handhelds tend to be sub AAA studios trying to make pared down ports/sequels of AAA games without the level of talent the original developers had, whereas Nintendo's handhelds have generally gotten more unique games due to being significantly less powerful.

Of course the 3DS sort of breaks the trend, at least until this Novemeber, by being comparable enough to the Wii to get Wii ports and Gamecube sequels.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 19:09

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Louisgod posted:

I think there's a difference between architecture and engines, though, even though they go hand in hand in a way. I know it seems like I'm trying to twist the narrative to fit my points, but do you or others honestly not see the WiiU being the home to dumbed down ports or at least home to ports from the current generation like it's already becoming (ME3, Batman, etc.)?

That's not necessarily an indicator of the future. Of course EA and WB want to throw out some basic ports of existing games to get something on there in time for launch, especially on an untested console from a company with a historically underwhelming attache rate for AAA third party titles. They're not like Ubisoft, willing to risk a bunch of money making a new exclusive title.

If the trend continues well into next year, then there may be cause to worry.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 19:18

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Bobnumerotres posted:

His point was that it wouldn't matter if UE4 wasn't on the U. But it does matter, a lot, unreal engine is kind of a big loving deal.

Of course it's going to run on the U though, like others have said they're just bluffing, they need those royalties and won't say no to money. They lose absolutely nothing by licensing it to a game that fails.

They never said that they wouldn't license UE4 to the system anyway, right? What they said they said that they weren't personally going to make any UE4 games for it. Optimizing the engine for the Wii U themselves would cost them money, but if someone else wants to foot the bill it's no skin off their backs.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 20:23

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Hamburglar posted:

I am not sure why some people want a power switch though because the drive will only run when the Wii is out of standby mode. They do not get power when the WiiU is off or in sleep mode. If anything, I'd think hard drives that plug into a wall would use more electricity, since it's not being powered by the WiiU; a device that's already plugged in and on.

The hard drive currently plugged into my Wii still has the power indicator light on even with the system in sleep mode. I don't think the drive is running, but electricity is definitely flowing.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 23:47

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Bombadilillo posted:

I didnt know this was a complaint. Isnt that what all the match adjustments are for? Turn of items and its more skill based? Whats the specific complaints?

Well that's sort of the problem. Tournament play functions on stripping out items and making stages very simple and static, but that by it's very nature unbalances the game towards fast-moving high-damage characters. And then some characters managed to end up with chain combos that are very hard to break. Without items there's no chance of a Starman or Bob-omb coming by the wreck the combo. A lot of people also hated that Brawl added tripping. I mean, disproportional hate to the effect it actually has on the game.

There are several pretty decent mods that try and make the game more balanced. And there are also mods that seem to exist entirely to make it Melee 2.

For actual Wii U content: the biggest thing they need to get right is netcode. Online Smash Brothers has seemed like a no brainer since they announced the Gamecube had a network adapter, but that had no online, and even when Brawl did it was laggy as hell.

Chaltab fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Sep 18, 2012

# ¿ Sep 18, 2012 19:21

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

FFS, if I were to see someone doing that I'd probably tackle them. If you're not going to use the machine there are a billion charities that could use that $300.

# ¿ Sep 18, 2012 19:50

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

I think Pikmin is one of those things where, as Miyamoto once said, they'll forgive that the game was late, but not that it was bad.

# ¿ Sep 18, 2012 21:28

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

fivegears4reverse posted:

Playstation All-Stars (which is nothing like Melee or Brawl)

You know, I'm not mad at Sony making the game, but it's pretty much exactly like Smash Bros except with Sony characters. The method of getting kills is different, but the pacing is functionally similar.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 02:01

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Launching the system at $500 for the cheaper version didn't help. Granted that was, mindbogglingly, a decent price for something that had all the functions of a game console AND could play BluRay in 2006. But then the economy completely broke down and I'm not sure they can do that again.

I don't think any mass market TVs display at resolutions above 1080p do they?

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 03:25

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

MacGyvers_Mullet posted:

Performance and nice visuals have never really been Nintendo's main selling point, much less so in the current generation systems.

To be fair, performance is something Nintendo is a stickler for usually. A lot of their Wii and Gamecube games run at 60 most of the time, and those that don't tend not to drop below 30. That's one of the reasons they tend to hold up a lot better graphically than many PS2 and Xbox1 games.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 21:33

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

To return to the Wii U Smash Brothers thing for a minute, but not the 'Melee was better/Brawl is too casual' stuff: what other possibilities do you think an HD console and/or the Gamepad bring to the series?

I could see, especially considering the Namco-Bandai collaboration, something like TTT2: using the Gamepad to edit and customize your brawler. Something I've wished they'd implemented years ago is a different way of handling clones. Instead of giving them huge stat adjustments and different movesets, they're essentially another form of alternate costume. You pick Mario, switch him to Doctor Mario, so he's re-textured and has slightly different stats, but isn't a stand alone character. Also, allow reskins to change the name. Instead of making a Peach texture that looks exactly like Daisy, make the game actually call her Daisy.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 22:36

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

We know the OS can do video calls, so there's certainly software present for voice chat. All Nintendo really needs to do is make it Friends Only or With Strangers depending on the ESRB rating of the game in question.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 19:53

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

It's Brian Ashcraft. Take anything he says with a few barrels of salt.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 20:27

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Liku posted:

I'm in the same boat as you; I love when a controller has some heft to it. Hell, I like the added weight my Power Pak+ put on my 3DS. Don't like how light the Classic Controller or SixAxis controllers are, they feel so cheap.

To be fair, the Classic Controller IS cheap. All the expensive stuff is in the Wiimote, and even the joysticks aren't very solid compared to the Gamecube versions.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 23:14

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

The CCPro feels a bit sturdier just because the grips make holding it more natural. It makes using the sticks feel better. And the Z button placement is vastly better. I don't think it weighs enough more to be noticeable, though I haven't used a straight non-bootleg (don't ask) version in several years.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 23:22

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Sega should really bring back Pocket Kingdom for 3DS or Vita. More games need to get all meta like that.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2012 03:56

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Vaerai Archon posted:

No the character models are all a much higher polygonal count and the textures are a higher resolution. While DQ8 had cell shading, the models were not that smooth and refined.

Also it's not much of a knock against the Wii U considering the basic geometry was built to work on the Wii, even if that version never sees release.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2012 07:48

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Iacen posted:

This is pretty interesting. Eurogamer has talked about the CPU with Akihiro Suzuki who's producer on Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper:

_Source

Have they confirmed whether or not the Wii U's processor can do Out-of-Order Execution? I'd heard that this could make up some of the deficit.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2012 19:23

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Agrias120 posted:

...The environmental sound wasn't very good so you couldn't use it as a reliable clue for gauging how far away something was...

You were playing it at a public event full of dozens of people, weren't you? It probably works better without all the ambient noise.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2012 16:30

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

raito posted:

Ugh, now I'm reminded that GCN controller compatibility isn't there. Guess that's a reason to keep my Wii.

Not sure if I even want GCN games on the eShop without that controller. Some of those games were built for that controller alone (more likely with how Nintendo works, controller was designed for games). Hopefully they come out with a port or maybe a brand new Wavebird you can use with the Wii U. I can't imagine playing Super Mario Sunshine without that - Pro controller can't work because of stupid digital triggers.

It's really weird that Nintendo pioneer of analogue controls as they were, seems to have abandoned analogue for anything but sticks after the Gamecube.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2012 22:31

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

If I can make it through Skyward Sword I doubt anything on the Wii U will stop me.

I just hope the charging cable is long enough that I can play with the Gamepad plugged in, incase of long sessions.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2012 04:57

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Some of the puzzles, tightropes, and other stuff sent some sharp pains through my wrist. Seriously, those boss key puzzles can go to hell.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2012 05:29

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

I think digital prices will eventually have to come down, though that doesn't necessarily mean with the Wii U, or Sony and MS next consoles either. Game developers have a hard enough time convincing me to pay $60+ for a retail copy of a game: there's no way in hell I'm paying that for a version I can't even resell, lend, or give away.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2012 22:57

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

I really hope COD:BlopsII is a better indicator of Activision's level of confidence in the Wii U market than that.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2012 14:33

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Monster w21 Faces posted:

I don't think it was a lack of confidence. I think it was a case of the Wii not being up to much hardware wise and them not being willing to dedicate enough peoplepower to craft a unique Wii experience.

http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Activision_games

Wipeout is a Wii U game, though, right?. It only looks like poo poo because it's shovelware, not because of the console.

What I'm saying is, I hope shovelware isn't Activision's main line of Wii U support. They had some success with the Wii versions of the Call of Duty games, but if they don't do well this cycle, Activision may as well decide not to waste money optimizing for the Wii U's extra RAM/slower processor set up.

So I've not really cared to check out the Infinity Ward Call of Duty games since Activision pissed off the founders and they quit, but I've heard Treyarch's efforts have been pretty good, particularly Blops and World at War.

# ¿ Sep 26, 2012 19:05

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

I got the sense that once Activision pissed off Infinity Ward and they left, that's when the series sort of tanked and started seeming like 'warporn'. Granted, I can't confirm this since I haven't played a Call of Duty since CoD3.

(I also was under the impression that since then, Treyarch's iterations have been better than IW's)

# ¿ Sep 28, 2012 19:39

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

There was a mission in COD:Blops1 that let you blow up the Earth so I'm sure there will be plenty of other craziness in the sequel.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2012 00:53

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Babylon Astronaut posted:

Zach Parson's article:
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/raul-menendez-99.php

I could take Parsons a lot more seriously if he weren't actually arguing that The Dark Knight is pro-fascism. Faux populism is a real thing and it drives all sorts of bad things, from Glenn Beck to right-wing militia groups.

(Not to excuse the hiring of Oliver North, which is indeed really hosed up.)

# ¿ Sep 30, 2012 00:21

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Liku posted:

Man that thing looks really loving chintsy, is it basically just a Classic Controller unteathered?

Well, it has click-able sticks.

# ¿ Oct 1, 2012 03:23

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

just a butt posted:

30 FPS, based off of someone on 2ch who got to play it.

Capcom: Never optimize. Never put forth effort.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2012 19:11

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Well there are clearly improvements... It's in 1080p and everything has shadows now like in 3G. But if Call of Duty can run at 60FPS then surely so can an upscaled Wii game.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2012 19:44

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

AngryBooch posted:

Call of Duty isn't even 720p. It's 600p or something. The only 1080p 60 fps game I can think of off the top of my head is Perfect Dark Zero. So that's what games on this level of hardware look like running 60 frames at that resolution.

Perfect Dark Zero was a first gen Xbox360 game that began development on Gamecube, so I'm pretty sure a heavily optimized game made now could get away with it and look better than that. Obviously to get away with it and look up to par with modern stuff it would have to be on a much more powerful console.

Or developed by one of those teams that seem to laugh in the face of console limitations.

Of course it's kind of irrelevant to my original point: Capcom makes lazy HD ports

Chaltab fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Oct 4, 2012

# ¿ Oct 4, 2012 20:17

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 05:34

Chaltab: Feb 16, 2011; So shocked someone got me an avatar!

Bobnumerotres posted:

It's not as simple as optimizing they'd have to re-animate every single thing in the game.

Oh, that makes more sense. Also, we actually have a Dolphin emulator thread here, somewhere. You can talk about emulation as long as you don't discuss/link to piracy.

# ¿ Oct 4, 2012 21:56

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