EA: We're Blown Away By Wii U

[Thunderfox]

The actual API used doesn't matter, the point is that MS's design of DirectX is what drives the design of video cards. The chips in all consoles are variations of the ones used for PC graphics cards, so the point is that the GPU has the capabilities necessary to support a particular version of DirectX, so that it can be used to make games that look as good as those designed for DX10/11/whatever. The actual API used to program it is irrelevant.

And unless they are referring to hacked consoles, PS3 Linux was not usable for game development as it did not have access to all of the hardware in the machine. In particular I believe it couldn't access the graphics hardware, specifically to prevent people from using it to make or play games. If it was hacked to allow that, then Sony would know that by the fact that a company delivered a finished game to them without ever buying a dev kit from them.

 

[cknobman]

All this sounds like is EA "blowing" Nintendo.

 

[rohitbaran]

There's great horsepower there

Years old Xbox 360 CPU and Radeon 4xxx series GPU= great horsepower? I doubt that.

 

[dragonsqrrl]

[citation][nom]rohitbaran[/nom]Years old Xbox 360 CPU and Radeon 4xxx series GPU= great horsepower? I doubt that.[/citation]
I don't understand why people keep saying the Wii U has an Xbox 360 type processor, when every leaked spec sheet available has indicated otherwise. Saying the processors are similar simply because they're both IBM Power-PC based, and have similar core counts and clock frequencies is a vast over simplification of the underlying architecture. It's a Power6 based design, coupled with an HD4870 type GPU (there's a big performance gap between that and the x1900 type GPU in the 360), and all in all the Wii U is significantly more powerful then either the Xbox 360 or PS3.

 

[SapienChavez]

wii u makes me think of kung pow.

weeoo weeoo weeoo pksh

 

[stupidvillager]

AMD gpus have had DX11 capabilities for years now so they do not need Microsofts DX11 to look just as good, plus who knows what will be added to this custom gpu in the WiiU. Its not going to be an off the shelf part.

 

[molo9000]

Hardware specs don't sell consoles.
Good games and more importantly good exclusive games do.

 

[Guest]

"I can come up with a dozen titles in the last decade, but it's really tough to come up with a dozen great titles that have been platform-defining for [Nintendo] that weren't their own," said EA CEO John Riccitiello late last year. "I don't care whether it's Mario or Twilight Princess or GoldenEye, it was their own content. I'm going back to [Nintendo 64], and I can go back to SNES if you want, but they've never really been a heavy third-party supporting system. It's not lack of trying – they start the morning thinking what's best for their own intellectual property."

It sounds like he didn't want to mention Konami (Contra, Castlevania) and Square Enix (Final Fantasy) and others.

When people talk about dx11 and consoles, they dont literally mean dx11, its just a quick reference to the quality level of the graphics and effects. Think of it as a point of comparison. It's much easier to say dx9 level, dx10 level, or dx11 level when measuring overall graphics quality and effects. To be API agnostic, you'd have to break it down year by year as it evolved but that's not the quickest or easiest way to reference quality.

 

[master9716]

The biggest issue is that It CAN ONLY USE 1 OF THOSE CONTROLLERS WITH THE SCREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO . it better cost low.

 

[Guest]

How is this going to appeal to a hardcore gamer again? Because it uses a gimmicky controller or because it uses 2 generation old AMD hardware? I would argue the hardcore gamer would know that the Xbox 720 or PS4 is right around the corner, and wait for a real console launch, not another gimmick controller tied to outdated hardware.

 

[itchyisvegeta]

Dreamcast 2

 

[Guest]

''The ability to do HD graphics and access game experiences in a completely novel way and a way that's never been seen before....''

think they mean HDTV graphics,720p or 1080p is not HD but hdtv ...at least not for a real hard core gamer.
P.S and i'm not even mentioning upscaling.

 

[kinggraves]

[citation][nom]Thunderfox[/nom] The Wii was a flop because anyone looking for serious gaming was going to do it on a better console, and all the 65 year old women who bought one only bought it for Wii Sports. And enough about DX11. .[/citation]

Flops don't sell more than the competition.

[citation][nom]IdontlikeNintendo[/nom]It sounds like he didn't want to mention Konami (Contra, Castlevania) and Square Enix (Final Fantasy) and others.When people talk about dx11 and consoles, they dont literally mean dx11, its just a quick reference to the quality level of the graphics and effects. Think of it as a point of comparison. It's much easier to say dx9 level, dx10 level, or dx11 level when measuring overall graphics quality and effects. To be API agnostic, you'd have to break it down year by year as it evolved but that's not the quickest or easiest way to reference quality.[/citation]

He's talking about the n64 and beyond generations, in which companies like Konami and Square pulled most of their support from Nintendo. This only applies to the home console however, as their support has been very much there for the DS. The PC gamers really need to get it through their heads though that comparing game consoles to PCs is saying apples are like oranges because they're both fruit. Game consoles do not have a real OS, multitasking, compatibility issues, or many of the other problems that increase the hardware needs of a PC. The fact that they can write custom interfaces on what is a custom chip specially built for their purposes using current manufacturing techniques means they can pull a great deal more performance and imaging tricks to improve quality over just dropping that same card into a PC and using DX. Will this be graphically better than a PC? No, but it will be better than other consoles by far.

[citation][nom]stm1185[/nom]How is this going to appeal to a hardcore gamer again? Because it uses a gimmicky controller or because it uses 2 generation old AMD hardware? I would argue the hardcore gamer would know that the Xbox 720 or PS4 is right around the corner, and wait for a real console launch, not another gimmick controller tied to outdated hardware.[/citation]

A hardcore console gamer would be concerned about the quality of gameplay, not the hardware.

[citation][nom]itchyisvegeta[/nom]Dreamcast 2[/citation]

Let's hope so, Dreamcast was a quality system. What sunk Sega was the system before it, Saturn. Wii was a financial success, so a system like the Dreamcast following it would put Nintendo at the top once more.


As far as the article goes...who cares? EA isn't creative, they aren't going to utilize the controller, they're going to shovel the same ports they do on Xbox/PS3 onto Nintendo, like they always have. When Square, Konami, and Capcom say this system is great, give me a call. It's their support that has been missing all these years and it's their support that Nintendo needs to win their old market back.

 

[Guest]

A hardcore console gamer would be concerned about the quality of gameplay, not the hardware.

The quality of gameplay which would go up with the next generation of cpu and gpu power allowing the game developers and artists to create much more compelling experiences.

As opposed to playing Xbox 360 and PS3 level games with a controller that constantly pulls you out of the game by requiring you to switch your focus from controller to screen and back.

The only thing the Wii U has going for it is that controller, and nothing about it says it will give a better game experience, when in fact it will probably detract from it.

Wii U is just Nintendo catching up to Xbox 360 + Kinect and PS3+Move. Hardcore gamers so far have skipped getting the gimmick controller from Sony and MS, so why would they buy a console for one.

 

[TheViper]

Great article, horrible comments. I see most of you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Sony and Nintendo use Open GL for shader language and proprietary operating systems - so DX anything is wholly, completely and totally irrelevant.

Also noting that some of you think the CPU is old technology. It's actually IBM Power7 based. Quite literally the most powerful CPU on the planet. Granted they'll drop some cores and clock speed to save thermals but a Power7 walks all over the older CELL based CPU's used in the PS3 and Xbox 360 (yes people, the Xenon CPU in the X360 is actually a CELL derivative). The GPU is still unknown. It is rumored to be based on the R700 series from AMD but that came from the same rumor source that was wrong on several things already. It will likely be based on the more efficient Northern or Southern Islands GPU's.

And for those I'm calling out on the ignorant comments, I only say it to help you. Instead of complaining that Console A won't have such and such feature, ask whether that feature is even needed in the first place. You'll gain a better understanding of the subject and a better appreciation for certain products that you'd formerly despise based on wrong info.

 

[CoryInJapan]

EA WOULD say THAT

 

[giovanni86]

Currently what DX 11 offers over DX10 might not seem so huge considering a 580GTX can barely do what the new offerings have in DX11, but all i can say is I'm never going back to DX10. DX10 is old news bring on what DX11 offers that is some amazing stuff hands down. Oh btw Wii U is totally another fail concept of nintendo thinking they have a innovative product.. Can't wait for the Xbox 720 too smash the shit out of Wii "shit".

 

[TheViper]

^Fail many times over again. Unless the console operates a Windows based operating system, DirectX is not used on the console. Consoles typically use OpenGL for shaders so they don't need DirectX 11 to be able to render the same type of effects.

 

[Dark Comet]

Specs are quite nice but when the new Xbox and PS4 come out Nintendo will be in the same place with a low end console that's too weak for ports. They need to sell Wii U at a profit because they don't have anywhere else to make money from like Sony and Microsoft. If I had the cash I would buy one though.

 

[Dark Comet]

Unlike Sony and Microsoft*