470°

What the new Wii U specs tell us about Nintendo

Digital Trends: Even though the Wii U is scheduled for release in roughly five weeks, we still know next to nothing about what Nintendo has put under the hood. Sure, we can make a few educated guesses based on what we’ve seen (and we can flood the world with plenty of uneducated guess as well), but we haven’t heard much in terms of technical specs. And by much, I mean anything at all. For all we know, the console could be so high-tech that it becomes self-aware. Then, not content to simply play Mario games with you, it will hack into NORAD and then ask if you want to play a game. When it then displays “Global Thermonuclear War,” feel free to sweat.

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Shok4226d ago

Just a heads-up, this isn't about the actual NUMBER specs (GFLOPS, RAM, GHz, etc.), it's about the hardware specifications, as in, fan size, heat sink, chip architectural, etc.

darthv724225d ago

over the generations to the point where we feel entitled to such information.

Many dont realize this but the reveal of specifics was meant to be a one up to the competition. Not the consumer.

Yeah I liked the days of specs on the genesis and snes, etc. But when it really comes down to the end of the day. All those numbers mean squat if the onscreen results do not meet expectations of the person playing.

My expectation is simple. i want a game that will entertain me for hours at a time. The graphics are just icing on the top but not an absolute requirement.

Seems the tech savvy people out there just wont settle for NOT knowing what they are getting. That is sad. The key to any platform is entertainment. If you feel you are getting that then it shouldnt matter where or how it gets there.

pangitkqb4225d ago

This was a fascinating article. I love Nintendo still after all these years.

decrypt4226d ago (Edited 4226d ago )

The specs just confirm that Nintendo knows:

Console gamers... dont care about graphics.

The few that do can easily be fooled by comments like:

"so and so game will use 100% of hardware" except on release of sequel they will say oh we really mean it this time. Those sort of statments from pr reps are enough to fool most of the console gamers.

Nintendo knows most console gamers have no clue about hardware hence it doesnt really matter what they sell to the kids.

telekineticmantis4226d ago

We all care about graphics, don't kid yourself.

HammadTheBeast4226d ago

PC gamers have no lives at all. Go play League and enjoy the hacks. Also, some people have real lives then to care about every specific thing. In the end, it's about fun.

Also, I apologize in advance to any real PC gamers who don't act like ****.

bothebo4226d ago (Edited 4226d ago )

@HammandTheOne

Yes it is about fun, but graphics help enhance that. Let's get one thing straight, if a Nintendo fanboy Cries "It's not about graphics or hardware" their argument just all legitimacy. Why? Maybe because they buy new hardware to play sequels? If Mario was fun in the 1980s why buy a Wii U or any other Nintendo system if you are already having "fun" (NOTICE: Sarcasm alert)? I'm just using your logic.

SirBradders4225d ago

Yea but raw power doesn't just enable better graphics it enables bigger and better experiences hence when the next gen Xbox and ps3 comes out imagine how huge and detailed open world games will be and the interactions that can be possible in them. Wii u is a no brainer for me I lost interest in Nintendo when my balls dropped.

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DeadlyFire4226d ago

Only thing this tells me is that the CPU is actually an APU with GPGPU embedded with the CPU on same chip.

Pillsbury14225d ago

Genesis does what nintendont.

optimus4225d ago

You mean like get out of the hardware business?? ...all i know is Nintendo is still Playing With Power... Sort of speak. ;p

Pillsbury14225d ago

@optimus

That was an old slogan used by sega stating it had more power than Nintendo. Nintendo still outsold sega because of one thing: fun factor. I believe the wii u will bring the fun factor along with the innovation, it doesn't need to be the most powerful. They have miyamoto instead, something no ultra super high end super computer can replicate.

Rated M for mature

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MNGamer-N4226d ago

Who cares. If the games are fun and enjoyable, that is what matters to me.

RubyToTheMax4226d ago

Well hardware does limit what a console can do. Even if the console has fun and enjoyable games, it wouldn't be satisfying if it can't product nice visuals and eye candy. Because we as consumers, want more and more. I'm not satisfied with playing or owning outdated consoles.

But who's to say the Wii U isn't lacking? For Nintendo, this is a big step up from the Wii.

The only question is... Is the Wii U ready for PS4/XBOX 720? Two consoles notorious for pumping out great hardware.

Stroke6664226d ago

nintendo is in a league all their own. there is no reason for them to compete or be ready for the next psbox. I've played many games that didnt have great graphics but were fun as hell and the graphics took nothing from gameplay. good graphics are like grated parmesan, if the spaghetti taste like shit w/o it then it'll taste like shit with parmesan with it lol. good graphics are nice to have but its not a selling point in my opinion.

deafdani4226d ago

I take it you're implying Sony and Microsoft are notorious for pumping out great hardware? By great, you mean "powerful"?

Because that wasn't the case with Sony at all, until the PS3. The PS1 was weaker than the N64 (although it had some clear advantages thanks to it using CDs instead of cartridges), and the PS2 was weaker than the GameCube.

Just something I found worth noting. I expect the next consoles from Sony and Microsoft to be more powerful than the Wii U, but to what extent? I don't know. Many people seem to take for granted that they will blow the Wii U out of the water, but here's the thing... we don't really have any way to know until they're actually announced.

legendoflex4225d ago

This is what "hardcore gamers" said about PC vs. NES.

cee7734225d ago (Edited 4225d ago )

@deafdani

you do realize the playstation launched 2years before n64 the playstation was powerful for its time even then ps1 had superior sound bigger games and longer games more exclusives its competition was originally the saturn same with ps2 its comp was the dreamcast we know how that went the rest is history

deafdani4225d ago

@cee773

What's your point? Nothing about what you said actually contradicts what I said. I didn't state that Sony's past consoles were the weakest of their respective gens, I stated they weren't the top dog when it comes to hardware until the PS3. Big difference.

And if you look at my post, I stated that the PS1 did in fact have some clear advantages over the N64 thanks to the CD format. By that I meant, yes, bigger games and superior sound and the other things you mentioned.

Also, the Wii U is going to be released a good year or two before Sony's and Microsoft's next consoles. So, it's not that different from the PS1 - N64 scenario in that regard, is it?

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LOGICWINS4226d ago

"Who cares. If the games are fun and enjoyable, that is what matters to me."

If thats all that matters to you, then I guess theres no reason for you to buy a Wii U. You can get a PS2 or a DS at a fraction of the cost of a Wii U and play hundreds of fun and enjoyable games.

Nerdmaster4226d ago

If one didn't play everything one wanted to play on the PS2 or on the DS already, then one can't be called a gamer.

PopRocks3594226d ago

You can't really get Pikmin 3 or Rayman Legends on a PS2. Just saying.

Bluenuts94226d ago

I couldn't agree more, too bad I can only agree once lol. Ps man I wasn't actually trying to put RE 6 down, I was just trying to say I think that Zombi u is going to be a bit better. ( for some reason I couldn't reply to you on that actual article lol. )

LOGICWINS4226d ago

@Bluenuts9- No prob man ;)

"You can't really get Pikmin 3 or Rayman Legends on a PS2."

MNGamer-N said nothing about Pikmin 3 and Rayman Legends...all he wanted was fun/enjoyable games. Fun/enjoyable games aren't limited to the Wii U or Nintendo consoles.

Imalwaysright4226d ago

So if someone wants to play and have fun with those exact games then what? I wanted to play MGS4 so i had buy a PS3. I didnt buy it because of its power. I bought it because of my love for the MGS franchise. If i wanted a platform for its power i would never consider buying a console, i would just stick with my PC. Besides, lets not kid ourselves here. Most console gamers care more about having fun than graphics. When was the last time that the most powerful console won a generation? SNES? I dont know! Even in the handeld market the DS crushed the PSP and the 3DS is currently stomping the Vita. Console gamers pretending to be graphics whores makes me laugh. If you want to be a graphics whore build yourself a PC.

Laxman4225d ago

So, just becuase fun and enjoyment matter to him, he cant have fun and enjoy NEW games?

For someone named LOGICWINS, you rarely seem to have use any logic.

LOGICWINS4225d ago (Edited 4225d ago )

"So, just becuase fun and enjoyment matter to him, he cant have fun and enjoy NEW games?"

Where in his comment did he mention anything about "NEW games"? Just curious.

"Console gamers pretending to be graphics whores makes me laugh."

Who said anything about being a "graphics whore"?

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mcstorm4226d ago

I agree its the games that make a console not its power. Look at the last 3 gens for example and the console with the least power has come out on top in terms of sales and number of top games sold.

The core marlet talk about power all the time but the wold is a differemt place now as games are played by everyone now not just the core. Just like smart phones are used by everyone not just office workers.

I have never gone off specs for anything i have bought i buy what i want and that fits my life the best.

I cant wait tl get my hands on the wiiu as it has some interesting games coming out for it and imo looks more like a console i will like to use day in day out where the wii for me lost its way for what i wamted out of my systems.

ninjabake4226d ago

I don't see how anyone who enjoys videogames could disagree with that comment.

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Burning_Finger4226d ago (Edited 4226d ago )

That Modern PC can emulate it easily. XD

..And Nintendo's are one cheap ass company that always relies on old technologies.

Bossman1124226d ago

Thats why we see them push something new each console instead of using the same only controller and just improving how a game looks

bothebo4226d ago

You mean using technology we've had for a while? Yeah they do innovate. People have been gaming with tablets way before the Wii U.

live2play4226d ago

...And Trolls are one cheap ass members that always relies on old tired arguments.

mr_magic_mike4226d ago (Edited 4226d ago )

I think that the WiiU Gamepad will make emulation much more difficult. Hell, Miiverse might make it damn near impossible.

FYI:

Anybody that has had any experience with emulators knows that we won't see one for the WiiU right away. Those things take years.

If you wanted to get the full Wii experience on the Dolphin Emulator then you had to "come out of pocket". It was not free, thanks to the Wii remote.

Emulating the WiiU won't be quick, easy, or free.

legendoflex4225d ago

I very much doubt a modern PC is optimized to use the GamePad without latency.

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metroid324226d ago

Nintendo keep saying wiiu equals graphics and online as the two main things it has over the competition.

4226d ago
AO1JMM4226d ago

Just another WiiU specs thread.

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80°

Game Developers Have Begun Confirming Nintendo Switch 2 Support

Game developers have already started to confirm that they will support the Nintendo Switch 2 with their future titles.

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80°

How Many More Victims, Like Garry's Mod, Will Nintendo's Hurtful Crusade Create?

Hanzala from eXputer: "As Nintendo takes out 20 years' worth of stuff from Garry's Mod, I watch in shock, thinking why it continues to hurt and discourage its fans."

RiseNShine8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

The irony that some of the most disgusting business practices come from companies like Disney or Nintendo, i can't even begin to understand what terrible damage was Garrys Mod making to Nintendo bottom line, imho they're getting pretty nervous about where they're heading in the future, handhelds are no longer something exclusive to Nintendo, from Steam Deck to many others, now you can play the latest games and pay a fraction of the price on Steam sales, so it's up to their exclusives, which just on their own would make hard to justify purchasing a closed overpriced hardware with outrageous price policies (Super Mario Odyssey is still 60 euro 6 years later!), and as a home console they're always underperforming compared to Sony or Xbox.

gold_drake8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

i cam guarantee you, that their exclusives alone is what drives switch sales. they sell in the 10s of millions of copies.

nintendo created their franchises to be sort of nostalgia driven, exclusive only on nintendo.

people will always buy the pkmn games as they always bring in new younger fans amd is family friendly

mario kart, the same thing, mario games in general.

zelda games are system sellers. animal crossing for the casual gamers.

nintendo doesnt need third vame devs essentially. they made sure with the switch and the limitations that they looked more to pc ps and xbox.

its sad, but nintendo is more than fine with what they're doing. they positioned themselves to appeal to the more casual gamers.

but to your point, im not sure why they're doing this rly.

Inverno8d ago

Look at how they handled Nintendo games being streamed or uploaded on YouTube in the past. They killed Yuzu and Citra even when they had nothing to do with ToTK being leaked, not to mention it was basically unplayable on emulation the week it was leaked. Smash Bros tournament, that was fairly recent. They shut down their online services without any care for purchases made. I bought a switch after skipping their last 2 consoles and handhelds but I don't plan on buying anything Nintendo in the future. They take things to the extremes, they legitimately hate their fans. They're honestly right up there with the likes of Acti, EA, and Ubi, only difference is that they disguise themselves as being family friendly all the while being shady.

80°

Nintendo's Massacre Of The 3DS And Wii U Is Finally Complete, Regrettably

Hanzala from eXputer: "The cruel hammer of Nintendo has fallen. Farewell, 3DS and Wii U, you surely brightened my life and many others; you won't be forgotten."