You know I had to do something in regards to the new Wii
U- so here it is. I have some concerns about it, and at this point we don’t
know enough information in order to make an informed decision. Let’s start with
an overview of what we do know about the U. I am getting a lot of my
information from Gizmodo.com, so I recommend heading over there to check out
their excellent Wii U article.
The Wii U is combining Nintendo’s mastery of touch screen handhelds with the prowess of a current generation console machine. The controller features a touchpad that is said to revolutionize how you play games. It features its own sensor bar, and has motion detection built in.
What’s genious from an engineering standpoint is that they are using semi-last gen technology in the new design. The tablet isn’t the only controller- in fact you will still use motion controls. This excites me and worries me at the same time- Nintendo has capitalized on excellent 1st party games that use great motion controls, and it worries me because designers are still slow on the motion controls. Fortunately, the rival KINECT and MOVE systems are familiarizing publishers who neglected NINTENDO in the past.
We don’t know anything about the power of the system yet. What we do know is that it is on par with current generation systems. To my knowledge, it is using an IBM multi core processor. That’s all I’ve got for ya.
One thing that was complained about in the past was storage space on the Wii. This time around, the U will support external storage. Good way to break it too, probably. To my satisfaction, there is a HDMI port. In terms of backwards compatibility, it is compatible with everything your WII had, with the exception of Gamecube games. That is a let down, but we also have to acknowledge moving towards the future here.
One thing I really do like about the potential of the system is this: although it is not a tablet computer- it may as well compete with them. I can see myself sitting in the living room using the tablet to search the internet on my TV. The potential to stream Netflix or other services is there too- and in HD. I would imagine there is huge potential for a catalog of retro games, too (like Wii’s virtual console).
Because Nintendo has a strong line of video games, if they can capture the third party market- it may be advantageous to keep with this system for a couple of years. Even if the competition moves to the next generation- Nintendo has a key advantage- good games with decent specs at an affordable price. To the budget gamer and the casual gamer- this is a good prospect.
The Wii U is combining Nintendo’s mastery of touch screen handhelds with the prowess of a current generation console machine. The controller features a touchpad that is said to revolutionize how you play games. It features its own sensor bar, and has motion detection built in.
What’s genious from an engineering standpoint is that they are using semi-last gen technology in the new design. The tablet isn’t the only controller- in fact you will still use motion controls. This excites me and worries me at the same time- Nintendo has capitalized on excellent 1st party games that use great motion controls, and it worries me because designers are still slow on the motion controls. Fortunately, the rival KINECT and MOVE systems are familiarizing publishers who neglected NINTENDO in the past.
We don’t know anything about the power of the system yet. What we do know is that it is on par with current generation systems. To my knowledge, it is using an IBM multi core processor. That’s all I’ve got for ya.
One thing that was complained about in the past was storage space on the Wii. This time around, the U will support external storage. Good way to break it too, probably. To my satisfaction, there is a HDMI port. In terms of backwards compatibility, it is compatible with everything your WII had, with the exception of Gamecube games. That is a let down, but we also have to acknowledge moving towards the future here.
One thing I really do like about the potential of the system is this: although it is not a tablet computer- it may as well compete with them. I can see myself sitting in the living room using the tablet to search the internet on my TV. The potential to stream Netflix or other services is there too- and in HD. I would imagine there is huge potential for a catalog of retro games, too (like Wii’s virtual console).
Because Nintendo has a strong line of video games, if they can capture the third party market- it may be advantageous to keep with this system for a couple of years. Even if the competition moves to the next generation- Nintendo has a key advantage- good games with decent specs at an affordable price. To the budget gamer and the casual gamer- this is a good prospect.
Here are my concerns.
1) Lack of third party support. I know that Nintendo is addressing this, but their promises are not backed up by a good 5 year track record. My needs as a gamer have changed. I like single player games which may have a multiplayer component. I like puzzle games, the occasional arcade game, the oddball game, but mostly action adventure games, RPGs, and shooters. The Wii showed off a lot of demonstration games that merely showed off capabilities that very few outside of Nintendo capitalized on. No one wanted to spend the extra coin to develop on a different system. Publishers like it cheap: port to multiple consoles and rake in the easy dough.
2) Nintendo’s target audience. We don’t know who exactly Nintendo is targeting with the U. Hints at last year’s E3 said that it was for the dedicated fans. We will have to wait and see if Nintendo holds to their promise. If they are targeting just casual gamers, then the system is going to leave out a lot of potential for people like me that have been dug into games for the past 20 years.
1) Lack of third party support. I know that Nintendo is addressing this, but their promises are not backed up by a good 5 year track record. My needs as a gamer have changed. I like single player games which may have a multiplayer component. I like puzzle games, the occasional arcade game, the oddball game, but mostly action adventure games, RPGs, and shooters. The Wii showed off a lot of demonstration games that merely showed off capabilities that very few outside of Nintendo capitalized on. No one wanted to spend the extra coin to develop on a different system. Publishers like it cheap: port to multiple consoles and rake in the easy dough.
2) Nintendo’s target audience. We don’t know who exactly Nintendo is targeting with the U. Hints at last year’s E3 said that it was for the dedicated fans. We will have to wait and see if Nintendo holds to their promise. If they are targeting just casual gamers, then the system is going to leave out a lot of potential for people like me that have been dug into games for the past 20 years.
3) Cost. To get this new system, I am going to have to
shell out a few hundred dollars for it. For that price, versus a PC, I need
compelling reasons to buy it. The hardware needs to be decent, but above all,
the games must reign supreme. Proprietary only titles won’t cut it anymore- I
need a damn good reason to play the Wii U over another console.
4) Multiplayer. I am not big on internet multiplayer, but it would be nice to have a comparable system to Xbox Live. The problem is- Nintendo traditionally, and I say the word “traditionally” with emphasis- does not like their consoles going online.
What are your thoughts? Concerns, comments? Drop a line below.
4) Multiplayer. I am not big on internet multiplayer, but it would be nice to have a comparable system to Xbox Live. The problem is- Nintendo traditionally, and I say the word “traditionally” with emphasis- does not like their consoles going online.
What are your thoughts? Concerns, comments? Drop a line below.
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