Why the Wii U is Powerful Enough

Still doubting the power of the Wii U?

It’s no secret that the Wii U and Nintendo have been consistently under-fire regarding the power of the system. I have seen countless and countless of ridiculous statements such as “It’s the Wii all over again” and “the Wii U is a last-generation system”. These notions, along with many others, were always silly to begin with and stemmed from nothing more than inflammatory fanboy logic, but after E3 2013 and seeing what Nintendo has to offer, now they are blatantly illogical.

[PopRocks359]

The resolutions speak for themselves. A significant number of the Wii U games coming out toward the end of the year are confirmed to be running in full HD at 60fps. That's more than can be said for the 360/PS3 and much of their library.

Obviously the Wii U won't necessarily match up to the PS4/Xbox One. But if developers actually take advantage of the hardware the games can still look pretty nice and be rendered well. Mario Kart 8 and Sonic Lost World are no InFamous Second Son or Quantum Break, but they still look pretty damn good to me and they are rendered in full.

[LOL_WUT]

That's all that was needed to be said IMO.

Hopefully all 3 consoles get pushed to their limits and none of this gimping stuff just to accommodate one another. ;)

[PopRocks359]

No it isn't, you insufferable troll.

The 3DS clearly doesn't match the Vita in graphical prowess and yet remains a primary contender in game sales while the Vita remains at Wii U sales numbers in all but a few weeks in Japan. And mind you, the 3DS has some pretty good looking games as well.

The point I'm making here is that the Wii U is capable of making good looking games WITHOUT being on par with its upcoming competition. The games coming out between this year's end and next year are enough to prove that.

[mikeslemonade]

If your serious about your games then WiiU is not powerful enough.

[JackOfAllBlades]

Wii U? Powerful ? http://tinyurl.com/pok3jc9

[extermin8or]

In fairness PopRocks359: that is the handheld market and doesn't work the same way as the main console market. The vita deserves to do so much better than it's doing, though it really is worth its price point... and if more people bought it the games would just get better and better :(

[Prime_28]

If all you care about is power then you're not a gamer, sorry. ;)

[SilentNegotiator]

What games are going to be full HD at 60fps, poprocks? Include reliable sources, too, please. (no ports or 2D/2.5D games)

[Megaton]

You can't point to the handheld market, PopRocks. Nintendo has owned it for decades. Sony has been their only real challenger, and a lackluster one at that. Nintendo runs the handheld game.

[_QQ_]

@mikeslemonade "If your serious about your games then WiiU is not powerful enough." In that case neither is PS4/Xboxone since they are Desperately,Severely, even disgustingly underpowerd compared to PC.By your logic if you are serious about your games only High end PCs are enough. don't give me the $$$$ excuse because if you are serious about your games you should have money for it.

[Ju]

Then why even bother? Keep the Wii, or the PS3 for that matter, right?

[dantesparda]

Oh man, Wii U fanboys are just the most pathetic bunch of them all, sad really.

[SilentNegotiator]

Lots of disagrees, no reliable sources. Go figure, that's because you guys are assuming that sites like WiiUDaily are reliable sources, even though they've already been caught lying about ZombiU's "1080p" resolution.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Agreed. The Wii U has the power ("enough power" is completely subjective anyway)

My personal (albeit shared by many people I can imagine) opinion is that Nintendo is doing the Wii U a disservice by not pushing the Wii-U's power.

They've failed to highlight why the tablet is a must-have control option (and no, Nintendo Land tech demos don't cut it).

And they've failed to really show off the power of the system. Project X is the only game shown for Wii-U that makes me honestly say "okay, not only does that look amazing, but it looks like something that's a bit too much for the PS3 or 360 to pull off".

[PopRocks359]

Not to mention the ramifications that have come from their damn insistence on NOT pushing for online multiplayer or really any sort of online advantages the Wii U has over the previous Wii.

As a fan, it's all nothing short of frustrating.

[Prime_28]

Dude the console is only 7 months old and this is Nintendo's first time developing for a hd system. We all know it takes at least a year into a console's lifecycle to really see what it's capable of i.e. Gears of War/MGS4.

[brich233]

I think the real problem with the Wii U is, that it would cost developers more to try and find ways to optimize games for 1080p 60Fps.

[ColinZeal]

Please tread lightly, these lands are full of Nintendobots...

[PopRocks359]

Please tread lightly, these lands are full of strawman arguments...

[deadeyes]

One good thing is that since the 360 is supposed to hang another 5 years will hopefully allow us some good ports if developers are too lazy. l wish more developers where like Ubisoft. We are getting the ps4/xbox1 version of Watchdogs, not the 360/ps3 version !

[_QQ_]

Really? please tell me why, Mr.tech expert tell me how that works, please don't leave out any details.

[showtimefolks]

PopRocks359

easy for you to say, for those publishers spending the money on wiiu and using it to its max well the end result usually means 3rd party games sell poorly on nintendo home consoles

Nintendo fans have no issue buying next zelda,mario ssb etc, but for 3rd party games most if not all nintendo fans own a 2nd console

no matter the spin nintendo it its core fans put on wiiu end of the day its a system you want to buy to play 1st-2nd party titles, not many will buy it to play 3rd party games

also that doesn't mean wiiu won't or cant be successful, its just means nintendo should expect it to outsell xboxone or ps4

[Movieworld]

most if not all nintendo fans own a 2nd console?

Nonsense. I am a Nintendo fan and I never owned a Playstation or Xbox in my life. On the Wii U I have purchased Resident Evil Revelations, Call Of Duty Black Ops 2, Assasins Creed 3, Injustice Gods among us, Mass Effect 3, Need For Speed Most Wanted U and FIFA 13. Hell i'm even top of the online seasons league! Wii U so far has been a system i've got to play all those cool 3rd party games on and great first party titles too like New Super Mario Bros U.

[Zebaz08]

@Movieworld, top of the online seasons league? How big is the wiiu online community for those games? 1000 people? xD

[Gameratheart]

What 3rd party has spent money developing a wiiu game? None. Not even need for speed, and that's the most effort I've seen. Not one game has been an exclusive, high budget game... Except for zombie, which is as low budget as it gets, every game released for the wiiu was an old game. Releasing an old game on wiiu is the same thing as re releasing an old game on the ps360... No one will get it... No one buys the wiiu 3rd party games, for two reasons. 1: why would I buy a game on wiiu for $60 when I can most likely get it for $20-$30 on the ps360??? 2: releasing an inferior version of a game, like madden, and call it new... Look, wiiu owners aren't stupid. That's why we aren't buying those stripped, overpriced, old games.... Games that are made with actual effort, and are good, sell. End of story.

[PrimeGrime]

To be fair the Wii U obviously has a newer video card. So why even compare its full HD games to older games on PS3 and Xbox 360? There is a reason most games ran at 720p simply because the graphics chips weren't as good as they are now. Most those games were still more graphically demanding as to why they probably did also.

Before people think I am downplaying the Wii U please read all of my comment first.

My thing is why keep comparing it to such old consoles. They are truly old now, doesn't seem to do much in sake of point making per say.

Also no offense but it seems the most graphically demanding games the Wii U has coming are Beyonetta 2 and X which aren't confirmed yet to be running in 1080p/60fps. Need For Speed would be another but we know for a fact it runs at 720p.

Knowing the rest of the games on Wii U it isn't surprising at all that most the games on it are running at 1080p. I know people will take that negatively but it really isn't meant to be negative.

You are right, they look great no doubt for what they are not saying that but realistically would you expect otherwise this late in the game? If it couldn't that would be more surprising to me if it couldn't run games like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros in 1080p by now. I am not downlplaying the quality of Wii u games but graphically most those old games are pushing it much more.

Not to say Wii U isn't getting some heavy hitters but those are most likely running at 720p also just like on old systems. I can't say that the PS4 and Xbox One will run every game in 1080p either so again it isn't meant as some insult to the Wii U.

I guess I just look at both sides. I am not one to ever see a glass half empty or half full. I just see a glass.

I mean I hope games like Bayonetta 2 and X would be 1080p but if Need For Speed on Wii U can only run at 720p. I highly doubt that they will, not being negative, just being realistic.

[Concertoine]

Bayonetta 2 is confirmed to run at 1080p, and considering all platinum's games are 60fps and its an action game, its probably 60fps.

[WhiskyWhiskers]

AC3 runs at 720p also on Wii U.

[PrimeGrime]

@Concertoine

Sorry meant to put 1080p/60fps on that part. I couldn't go back and edit cause my editing time had ran out but I was going to edit that part at the bottom there.

You are right though, so sorry for the confusion.

[LonDonE]

EXACTLY!! agreed 100%
people don't realise that running in 1080p is not the same as rendered in native 1080p!!!
allot of xbox 360 games run in 1080p, but that is up-scaled, and not native, and so until they confirm all these games are native rendered in 1080p it pointless to speculate!

The thing is, to be honest with you, like the guy above said, Nintendo games like mario kart,or 3d mario,or smash bros are never technically very demanding, they don't have insane polly counts etc, they do still look AWESOME! but a different kind of awesome, like say look at the last of us, that game is a technical marvel, and to think it looks and plays that well while running on a 7 yr old console, and with half the amount of ram of the wii u, that my friends is impressive!

Dont get me wrong, bayonetta 2 LOOKS INCREDIBLE! i doubt PS3 could have ran it at 60fps 1080p, and obviously a console which only came out last year, that's to be expected!
And so does X, to me that game is going to be most likely the best looking open world rpg we have all ever seen on console so far!

Take mod nation racers, or little big planet karting, these games compared to mario kart on wii u, are only 30fps, mario kart on wii u is 1080p at 6ofps so obviously wii u is more powerful, in came out only last year, and so has newer tech in it, sheesh!
The games Nintendo showed at E3 2013 were technically impressive, but they were not the most graphically demanding games ever made, although gorgeous in their own way.

I am happy people are finally realising that wii u is more then capable enough!
And 1080p at 60fps first party Nintendo games, is more then a good enough reason to go out and buy a wii u!! people have to also bear in mind this is Nintendo's first hd console, and so its a learning process for them! they will get even more better at it, just imagine their games are already running at 1080p 60fps, granted we don't know if its native or up-scaled, but regardless that's impressive in its own right!

Imagine in year 3, 4 or 5? wii u should have some astonishing games!!! just look at what the PS3 achieved with the last of us, and imagine what could be possible on wii u, with a more powerful gpgpu and double the ram!

[WiiUsauce]

Bayonetta 2 has already been confirmed to have been running in full 1080p, and 60fps. The game looks better than anything on PS360, the Wii U is powerful enough.

[Zebaz08]

@WIIUsauce, Uncharted, GOW,TLOU ad many others say hello

[SilentNegotiator]

Can someone provide a *reliable* (AKA Not NintendoLife or WiiUDaily, regularly lying about games being 1080p, like ZombieU) that says Bayonetta 2 is 1080p. I can't find anything.

[LOL_WUT]

@SilentNegotiator The reason why Pops or anyone hasn't posted a link to back up their claims is because no such game exists for the Wii U. ;)

[paulcek]

@LOL_WUT & @SilentNegotiator
Here's a link for the list of next-gen games confirmed to run at 1080p and 60fps. The news was from GamingBolt, not a Nintendo website.

http://n4g.com/news/1298890...

The 3 Wii U games on the list were Wind Waker HD, Bayonetta 2, and Smash Bros

[SilentNegotiator]

*RELIABLE* source.

GamingBolt is not reliable and they don't give any evidence or official quotes.

Now when a source like Eurogamer says that SSB is 60fps (as they have), I don't need evidence or an official quote; they're reliable with their reporting and have a substantial history.

[Qrphe]

If Nintendo PURPOSELY didn't talk about the resolution of a game, it's probably because it's not worth to talk about (we DID get 720p screenshots full of aliasing after all). 1080p is a selling point that should definitely be talked about (like they have with Smash and WWHD).

Don't you all remember how Wii U launch games were 1080p?
http://www.nintengen.com/20...
http://wiiudaily.com/2012/0...
http://mynintendonews.com/2...

Keep on believing rumors, you'll only get disappointment in the end.

[Legend_Killer]

Gamecube vs PS2 = specs dont matter, Sony sells more
N64 vs PS1 = specs dont matter, Sony sells more
Wii vs PS3 = specs matter, even tho Nintendo sells more
Wii U vs PS4 = everybody emphasizes on specs cos they cant underestimate Nintendo's power to push a console when they're ready (from DS and 3DS)

they'll always look for Nintendo's weakness and press on it. and Sony and Microsoft go free even if they're in the same boat. GTFO!!! fanboys

[ape007]

tell i did not just see that?

comparing wii to ps2 ? srsly

1-ps2 was a complete nextgen experience, mgs2 nuff said

2- ps2 has tons of games, wii can't even come close to the collection of games on the ps2

[SilentNegotiator]

"Gamecube vs PS2"
Small spec difference.

"N64 vs PS1"
Small spec difference and CD was very important to Ps1's victory because it made it a lot more popular to develop for.

"Wii vs PS3"
Not even chasing the same audience.

"Wii U vs PS4"
Large spec difference and Nintendo isn't chasing the casual audience anymore.

[ChickeyCantor]

@ SilentNegotiator

"Small spec difference. "

Eh, Gamecube could actually push more polygons and process textures higher than 8-bit. It also supported multi textured materials. Which was hardly used by developers. The CPU/GPU were also clocked higher. Not to mention the high speed ram bandwidth at the time.

"Small spec difference and CD was very important to Ps1's victory because it made it a lot more popular to develop for. "

Again small spec difference?

N64
CPU : 93.75 MHz
Graphics card : 62.5 MHz

PS1
CPU : 33.8688 MHz
Mind you 3D calculations were also done on the CPU. ( floating point operations were pretty garbage, hence the shaky graphics )

Tell me, how is this a small difference back in the 90's?
( yes the CD format did have the upper hand but the specs were by no means small. )

"Large spec difference and Nintendo isn't chasing the casual audience anymore."

They always will chase the casual audience. Their first console was called Famicom.

[Triforce079]

The reality is no 1 except devs on big projects like X and Baayonetta2 ect will have an idea on how powerful the wiiu gpu is because its a memory intensive design something unique and new only time will show the real power no 1 can say wiiu gpgpu is less powerful than ps4's it's not viable we have to wait and see basically,with ps4 and xbox1 you can say how powerful they are because their basically stock chips but wiiu is unique in that its got cutting edge cache and memory in edram ect.

[wishingW3L]

"no 1 can say wiiu gpgpu is less powerful than ps4's".

Get real dude. PS4's GPU has 1152 cores while the Wii U's has less than 400 (1.84TFLOPS vs 350GFLOPS). On top of it the architecture of the PS4's GPU is much more modern and efficient because it uses GCN 2.0. XD

And GPGPU is not a "thing" is just a form of programming the GPU. Real GPGPUs like the Larrabee don't exist.

[Hicken]

LOL_WUT is right, though.

It's not as big a deal that the Wii U outperforms the current gen's consoles. What IS a big deal is that the Wii U will be drastically outperformed by its same-generation competitors.

That's why you can argue that it ISN'T powerful enough. I doubt it'll be as bad, but it's almost a repeat of the current gen, with multiplats being completely different games for the Wii than the HD consoles. Will devs want to take the time- will publishers want to spend the money- making a version of the game for Wii U that doesn't translate over well to the other two- who should play well with each other- and that runs the chance of being as unsuccessful as most third party ventures are on Nintendo consoles?

They're already complaining about dev costs being too high- which is a lie- even while they come up with new ways to milk each title. If they can't expect a reasonable return, why wouldn't they continue their current trend of giving the Wii U very little support? That's less money to spend and, frankly, less risk for them to take.

[Polysix]

It is NOT JUST about Frame rates and resolution!!! Yes those games are 1080p 60fps but why? cos they are SIMPLE LOOK cartoon coloured games.

If they had anything like 'the last of us' you can bet it wouldn't be at 60fps and probably not 1080p either!

Compare like for like if you are going to discuss this issue sheesh!

[millzy102]

how about the fact that Mario kart 8 looks and performs better than any kart racing released, sonic allstars racing is not 1080P 60 frames, little bigbigplanet karting not 1080p 60 frames and why is ki no Kimi also a cartoonie game is not in 1080p 60 frames why because ps3 simply can't do it. are these relevant comparisons for you

[R00bot]

Just because the graphics look cartoony doesn't mean they're not using much power.

[Polysix]

never said JUST because they look cartoony they don't use much power, but the fact is they are hardly pushing the envelope hence the fact they can easily run at 60fps 1080p! Even wipeout hd ran at 60fps/1080p on 8 year old hardware (PS3) because it was within the limits graphically.

When Nintendo release a metroid prime for Wii U that looks photo realistic we'll see if it can run at 1080p 60fps. Not that they would of course.

Just can't get through to Ninty hardcore fans at all.

@Millzy - I wasn't comparing Wii-U to PS3 specifically (or current gen kart games) obviously the Wii-u has a bit extra power, not disputing that, I'm saying that the only reason it's fast NOW is because it's effectively running 'last gen' games! Come PS4 time the Wii-U is going to look ridiculously outdated and/or slow as hell if it tries to compete graphically with PS4!

I would HOPE it does perform faster than PS3 as it's 7 years newer ffs!! :)

[THEMIGHTYDOOVDE]

@Polysix You're waaay overestimating the PS4/XBO graphics!

The graphical jump from 7th to 8th gen isn't going to be nearly as big as your making out. Wii U will probably struggle with new engines that come out in 3-4 years time, but for now the Wii U is able to run the engines that the PS4/XBO will be using for the next 2 years.

Yes, they'll have to be downscaled but good developers will find ways to make the most of the Wii U hardware.

[blackbirdi]

does the wii u has any game on the scale of uncharted or GOw ? for sure not ....all the game they will came out at the end of the year are not on pair with the stuff on 360 and ps3 for simple reason the wii u game have not huge levels so it s normal that they will be full HD at 60 fps ....what they have mario 3d world ? mario kart wii u ? this games have small level with less details comparing AAA titles on ps360

[bass4g]

erm... x. That's bigger (especially seeing as that's all explorable not just background).

[greenlantern2814]

When people compare the wiiu to the ps3/ 360 you really only make the point that it is not a next gen console. And then further say it won't compete with Xbox1 or ps4 basically confirms the it is not next gen comments.
But the wiiu is a next gen system since it is the new Nintendo system since next gen is just a term that means a new system.
But there are short comings 2 gb of ram compared to 5 on Xbox1 and 7 on ps4. And 32 GB HD compared to 500 gb HD for both the other systems.
Nintendo themselves can and always take full advantage of their systems but other devs never seem to.

[millzy102]

the ps4 also includes mandatory game installs (much like the ps3) the Wii u does not, so the only reason for someone to buy an external hard drive on Wii u is if there big on downloading, if your someone like me who prefers retail games instead of downloads you will probably never need more memory where as my ps4 is getting full of data just from game installations (my ps3 has filled 160GB just on game installs where my Wii u has none.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

"The resolutions speak for themselves. A significant number of the Wii U games coming out toward the end of the year are confirmed to be running in full HD at 60fps. That's more than can be said for the 360/PS3 and much of their library. "

Pretty good for ports from a 7 year old console.

Can it run witcher 3 looking likr this in 1080p 60fps?
http://www.youtube.com/watc... what I want to know.

Nintnedo just need to play nintendo games. Nintendo fans have no interest in bf4 or the division it seem.

I wonder will wiiU get a 360 port of watchdogs? or a next gen port?

[bass4g]

next gen port confirmed (it might be a bit downscaled but we don't know that yet).

[Blacklash93]

Witcher 3 is not 60FPS. It's "aiming" for 30, as the developer stated.

[jcnba28]

Well said, bubble for you.

[I_am_Batman]

It's a Nintendo console so it's powerful enough for what it is. We reached a technical level where all games can look good. It's not like Nintendo is trying to make a photo realistic Mario game. It's more about art style than realism. However it is way less powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One so it's hard for Nintendo to attract third party devs.

[NewZealander]

the wii u is doing seriously badly here in new zealand, some shops have decided to stop selling nintendo products completely, sad to say it but nintendo need to get back in the game, unless they can hang with the big boys they might not see next generation.

[TechnicianTed]

New Zealand has a population of around 4 and a half million people, so the market is so small I doubt they're worried too much.

Besides, they've made so much from the Wii, and the 3ds and the ds, that they will have more than enough money to keep them afloat if the Wii U isn't successful.

All these foolish doom and gloom comments about Nintendo going out of the console business is quite laughable really.

[assdan]

@techniicianted. Why would it be a bad idea to get out of the console business? Have you seen 3 of their 4 past consoles? 2 sold horribly, one sold well, and the other is selling horribly right now. Maybe they should stay in hand held, but getting out of consoles might be smart. I think they might be better off if they went third party.

[TechnicianTed]

So you call selling over 30 million for the n64 horribly? In business it's called 'Making a profit'. The Gamecube sold over 20 million, which also made them a healthy profit.

More importantly for myself, both the N64 and Gamecube had some classic games made for them, you might have heard of some of them as they are hailed as some of the greatest and most influential games ever made.

The first syllable of your name sums you up well.

[Knushwood Butt]

Hang on, I thought graphics aren't important.

Oh, I'm thinking about Wii games, not Wii U games...

[Qrphe]

Only two 1st party games are confirmed to be FHD. Everything else seems to be just rumors.

[PopRocks359]

Yeah, turns out you were right. I was hearing about a number of games being full HD/60 fps, but only a couple were indeed confirmed. That's my bad.

I know Mario Kart 8, Zelda Wind Waker HD and Smash Bros. are supposed to be 1080p. I've heard Bayonetta 2 is as well. Sonic Lost World I've heard is 60fps, but no idea on full HD.

[assdan]

Good for the wiiu, it can outperform a 7 and 8 year old console. That's the best argument I've heard, and no one cares. That legend of zelda didn't really look amazing, have you ever played LBP?

[Need4Game]

Let WII U play GTA5 to show its Power.

[busytoad]

nintendo is smart they know it coming for 360 and ps3 and wii-u version will look like shit compared to them. They know how to fool theit customers ands its with their lame tablet wannabe touch pad lol.

[jairusmonillas]

Wii U is weaker than PS4 and Xbox One, plus doesn't have the support of 3rd party games. It's pretty much gamecube 2 all over again for Nintendo.

[TripC50]

I've seen you before... In the Patcher says Nintendo is in trouble article.

You don't like Nintendo do you... were you beat up by italian kids in overalls as a child?

Stop hating on Nintendo because of your past friend. I can work through this with you.. I was beat up by a drunk plumber and his pet gorilla one time... Those rolling barrels still haunt my dreams.

[ape007]

but the 1st party lineup is something no proud gamer can miss

[Concertoine]

the gamecube was a powerful system, no one could call the gamecube underpowered. maybe compared to an xbox, but it was a leap beyond the ps2.

[Triforce079]

Its weaker in raw power ghz and MHz,it's not less capable basically look at all the E3 games did one console stand out in graphics ?? the short answer is no,were ps4 games 1080p/60fps short answer no,all i'm saying is if ps4 is more powerful so be it,it's not more capable I much prefer a game like watchdogs on wiiu running on 2 screens glorious.....and next gen,ps4 same game running on tv with a souped up ps3 controller ?? Hmmmmmmm very much the same experience you get on ps3 and ps2 and ps1.......in the end with adverts on real games ect wiiu will sell bucket loads.

[DarkHeroZX]

Watch dogs on PS4 and X1 support smart glass.

[worldwidegaming]

lets just play who tool is bigger.
it sounds stupid but you know its not how big it is
but how you use it! look down the next time when you start
spouting nonsense*(unless your Mr ed then sorry!)
Its weaker but you know I am enjoying my PS3 right now and that's weaker too. Last time I checked "the last of us" was made for the PS3.
lets grow up and answer the real questions.
Where are the games? what features and exclusives does Nintendo bring to the table besides the usual IPs?

[TripC50]

I like you. Not because of the Mr. Ed comment but because you seem like a true gamer. And I'm in a loving mood. Lets be bubble buddies.

[CrimsonStar]

Who cares about power , I'm a gamer I only care about games . And by the way pikmin 3 looks freakn awesome .

[TripC50]

I like you too. Almost everybody on in this article comment section has at least one endearing quality to them.

[Prime_28]

Bubble for you my friend.

[paulcek]

Thank you for saying that! :D Graphics never sell a console, games do.

[grimmweisse]

So much potential, but unfortunately it's up to 3rd party developers to help the console flourish. Nintendo's first party titles are good and all, but if they want to see the same kind of sales like the Wii, they need heavy 3rd party titles and support for the system.

Until then, I am fearing that it might go the same way as the gamecube.

[Steelmanner]

Well they are getting titles like: Watchdogs, Batman Orgins, and Assassins Creed IV. I just think people don't realize that and end up getting those titles on other systems before they see it on the Wii U.

[grimmweisse]

Ubisoft is probably the biggest support of the Wii U from 3rd party developers, it would be nice to see others major developers on it.

I am glad to see titles like you mentioned making to the console, but like you said undoubtedly most people will choose those titles on other systems. Because they are not really systems sellers as most gamers will probably already have a PS3 or 360.

If the Wii U can get more killer titles like Bayonetta 2, then it should make it a more stable platform.

[greenlantern2814]

All the games you mention are also on ps3 and 360 as well.

[TechnicianTed]

'All the games you mention are also on ps3 and 360 as well. '

Well duh, they are talking about 3rd party games.

:/

[Kevlar009]

As long as the WiiU can handle things like Open World environments and destructable environments on a wide scale then there shouldn't be anything to hold back a port besides profitability. If the WiiU can play BF4 with only a drop in FPS and some graphical cutbacks then it will have all the power I could want. It won't be PS4/X1 material, but in essence it would be the same game.

The WiiU has at least twice the power of the PS3 and not too long ago BF3 was regarded as a technical achievement on consoles. Also the idea behind the WiiU is the gamepad gives every game more ways to interact with the player and itself. I love the potential of putting all information on the gamepad and clearing up the screen for a more clean visual experience

[Parapraxis]

"WiiU has at least twice the power of the PS3 "
Got a source for that? I haven't played anything on my WiiU that makes me believe that for a second.

If anything the PS4 doesn't even have twice (and more) the power of the PS3....so saying that the WiiU does, is a bit insane.

[Steelmanner]

I think everyone needs to remember that the console with the best hardware almost never wins the generation. Look at basically every generation of gaming consoles, the xbox was the most powerful but the PS2 easily won. Also, the PS3 is the most powerful but the Wii destroyed it. I know as a gamer that I look for the experience not the graphics, and I think my Wii U is giving me a lot in that department. However, I feel it will be a bit until the rest of the community sees this. Probobly not until, when Smash Bros. and the untitled X come out on the console, as well as other.

[ape007]

"Honestly, after seeing the likes of Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros, and Monolith’s ‘X’ (all of which are going to look even better by the time they launch), can one sit there and say these games are not visually appealing? Of course they don’t look as good as some of the PS4/X1 games we’ve seen so far, but they look damn pretty regardless and that’s pretty much all that matters"

agreed 100%

[TripC50]

In my opinion the Wii U is fine on power.

What it needs is games. Even one game can make it a success. I had a dream the other night about a system selling game. Pokemon Z in 2015 on the Wii U . Now that would sell systems. and thats all the Wii U needs to end up being at least mediocre and not a disaster . One killer game.

[busytoad]

wii-u cant match a xbox 360 game in graphics let alone a ps3 game lol. srry but nintendo focused on gimmics aka the tablet wannabe touch pad and failed.

[TripC50]

You are incorrect

[Ninte]

The wii u is fine, As long as the games keeps coming and getting the support then thats enough for me because i'm here to play games i like to play.

[Parapraxis]

But that's the thing, the games aren't coming from 3rd parties, and Nintendo themselves are being way too slow.
They are shooting themselves in the foot.
Less games = less consoles sold, less consoles sold = less 3rd party support, less 3rd party support = less console sales, less console sales = less games sold, rinse and repeat.

[Sincere0121]

Please do your research before typing a comment. The games are coming from 1st and 3rd Party.

The trending phrase "Wii u has no 3rd party support" is just a phrase thrown around by fanboys who clearly know nothing and just hate for no reason because the Wii U is better than their favourite consoles.

[Indo]

The Wii U is just powerful enough

[Indo]

Wii>360/PS3>WiiU>XBON E>PS4>PC

[leemass24]

nothing to see here just a blind fanboy..........

[BosSSyndrome]

Agree 100%.
Great article.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Its powerful enough to make nintendo games.

Everything else will be next gen.

Sony devs already using 4gb ram. WiiU can only win DK, mario fans. They will NEVER have the hardcore gamers. The people who want something like the last of us or gt6 cant find much from nintendo.

[millzy102]

pc games like crysis 3 use 2 to 4 gig ram depending on setting but yet they fit that into the 256mb video ram the ps3 has why because of something called compression if you think the size of ram drastically effects games your wrong. you can tell who are the undereducated kids on this site if you don't even know what compression is.

also if you've looked at monolith x and still think the Wii u is underpowered you are pure blind fanboy not a gamer, I shown my mate the trailer and he thought it was a ps4 (I deliberately started it after the Nintendo logo) and now he's is buying a Wii u for only that game and he has never owned a Nintendo before so yes Nintendo can get the hardcore player, however in my opinion your not hardcore just because you play mature games, you have to play lots of different genres from different age ratings to be hardcore gamer, besides everyone can play uncharted even my Mrs finished them all but she can't play Mario as its too hard so which is the real hardcore

[R00bot]

The only reason devs are already using 4gigs of ram is because they thought "oh great! We have lots of ram to work with!" and then didn't optimise their games to run well with little ram because they didn't need to. They could probably have run their games with less ram, provided they took some time to optimise their game, and still had a game that looked as good as it did.

Trust me, the Wii U will have no trouble keeping up with the Xbone and PS4 until the devs start having to optimise their games a lot more, until then with a little optimisation and maybe a few downgrades the Wii U can quite easily run the same games as the other two consoles.

[R00bot]

Indeed the PS4 games are currently easier to make because the need for optimisation is not as prominent, but that will change as PCs get more powerful and the devs have to optimise for consoles. Of course, it'll get harder to make good looking Wii U games too, much harder, in fact.
It's at the end of the generation that I expect we'll see the biggest difference in graphics between the wii u and the other consoles, but for now it's fine.

[NeoTribe]

Now well see an article, "why wii u is not powerful enough". Just wait for it...

[Run_bare]

Wii U is not powerful enough in comparison to the upcoming PS4 and X1.

Nintendo need to go down for them to be able to learn. Even today, there are only a handful of games on Wii and Wii U that is even worth mentioning and they are all First Party.

[AKR]

"The whole “Wii situation all over again” notion has virtually been debunked at this point, as nobody in their right mind ever compared the Wii’s graphics to the HD twins’ to prove it was a stronger system than the original Xbox. Not to mention that the Wii was not even an HD system to begin with, meaning the gap between it and PS3 and 360 was guaranteed to be pretty wide in the first place. But with the leap between this generation and the next, we’re not doing any format jump. We’re going from HD to HD, automatically making the gap smaller than what it was with the Wii."

============================= ==============================

That's what I've been saying this entire time. It's utterly stupid to look at launch titles for a system and believe that it's all that it can do. Compare early PS360 games to the ones that we're getting now. Tell me - How many launch titles for those systems look anywhere near HALF-AS-DECENT as current games like The Last of Us, or Crysis 3 - for example?

Consoles are like wine - they get better with age.

The more devs get accustomed to the hardware, the more they're able to squeeze out of the system. There's no rocket science, or unanswerable algebra equation there. It's common sense.

Look at Wii - No, it wasn't HD at all - but it did have some pretty good looking games anyway:

- Sonic Colors
- Xeneoblade Chronicles
- Mario Galaxy 1&2
- Skyward Sword
- SSB: Brawl
- Fishing Resort (Yeah - I know, but it looks surprisingly good)
- Go Vacation (marginally better than the average Wii title)
- Rodea the Sky Soldier (Never released - but still looks good)
- Jett Rocket (A WiiWare title that looks 85% better than the average retail Wii title)
- FAST: Racing League (Same as Jett Rocket)
- Rayman Origins (A multiplat title that looked almost as good as it's HD counterparts)

...Now - If beautiful games like that could grace the Wii - which was basically a slightly advanced GameCube, still only capable of 480p max - Then what about Wii U which can do full 1080p at 60 frames?

PS360 can't even boast that very much. There are few titles which are rendered in TRUE HD and run at a silky-smooth 60 frames. Many of the PS360s titles are UPSCALED to 720p and 1080p, but are rendered in sub-HD (540p).

Yet, the Wii U can do NATIVE 1080p. How's that for a "last-generation system"?

People also seem to be forgetting that the mass majority of consumers who purchase consoles could care less (or don't even understand) how much RAM it has, what GPU and CPU it's using, etc. All they want to do is play awesome games - some of which the Wii U has and with others coming along the way. Tell me - which generation has had the most powerful system win? Let's look at it from the first 3D systems, on-ward:

- PS1 (5th-Gen)
- PS2 (6th-Gen)
- DS (7th-Gen ~ Handheld Division)
- Wii (7th-Gen)

All are the weakest in their gens - but they all whopped the competition.

I'm not saying that means a definite win for Wii U - but what I AM saying is that there is yet to be a generation where the console with the most bleeding-edge tech has won. Yes, more power means better physics, fancier visuals, and bigger worlds - I know. But does that mean that great-looking and fun-filled games can't be created on the weaker consoles?

NO.

- I rest my case. -

[millzy102]

are you deliberately forgetting bayonetta 2 is full hd 60 frames and is a graphics and cpu intensive game it runs and looks better than last gen bayonetta also you can't compare uncharted to monolith x there is a lot more happening in monolith x than uncharted as it is a seamless open world not a corridor shooter. you need to compare it to a seamless open world rpg and it looks better than anything released in that genre so far.

also gt5 IS NOT NATIVE 1080 HERE'S IS A LINK TO A BREAKDOWN OF THE game read it and weap

https://www.google.com/url?... http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

[greenlantern2814]

I love you Nintendo fans, making comments about
The wiiu is more powerful than the ps3/ 360: you know the current gens not the next gens
Bayonetta 2 is a killer game, that will sell systems and you base this on what how well the first one did. But it didn't.
32 gb HD is good enough because you can just buy an existential HD, yes you can spend more money to compensate for the short comings of the wiiu. And all the games that have come out that are on the wiiu and ps3/ 360 you all use those as see this makes the wiiu next gen because AC3, COD, batman all look the same as the ps3 versions
Nintendo makes good games but not good hardware. If you love Nintendo games that fine you should they are good often great games but their system is weak and to say otherwise is delusional.

[Kennytaur]

I'm not impressed with the Wii U specs, but I wasn't expecting Mario Kart, Bayonetta and Smash Bros to be 1080p. The little box can still deliver some amazing experiences. I'll buy one when there's a new Zelda game out.

[Trago1337]

God, Sony fanboys are annoying.

At the end of the day, it's gonna come down to the games and how they advertise them, Power truly is irrelevant to the average consumer.

THAT's what's gonna matter. Notice why the Wii U is not selling very well. NO ADVERTISING, and no big games. If power was so relevant than why did half of you pick a PS2 over an Xbox? Exactly, because the PS2 had games you like.

Same thing applies this Gen.

[TongkatAli]

Were graphics crazy amazing during the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox ? No. It matters now because of how tech has progressed.

The Wii U is going to have amazing looking games, but not comparable to PS4 and X-box One. That simple, if it doesn't matter to you, good. I prefer gameplay and 2D Art is my favorite graphics for a video game.

Also the difference between PS2, Gamecube and X-box weren't big. You know big ? Also it depends on the game. I remember how amazing MGS2 looked on the PS2 and had no idea the Gamecube and Xbox were stronger at the time.

[ajax17]

It's just as powerful as Nintendo needs it to be. Unfortunately most 3rd party developers don't see it that way. And whether Nintendo likes it or not, they will have to do a small price drop this holiday to compete with the PS4 and Xbox One.

[Blacklash93]

X and Bayonetta 2 and such looked great. It's not going to compare to games on next-gen specs, but it's still capable of rendering pretty visuals and hosting ambitious games.

I've yet to see anything in this next-gen tech that actually enhances the games beyond visuals. Horsepower doesn't equal quality; that lies in the designers and programmers' hands.