Since the other thread about the Wii U got locked just as it was getting interesting (the part about game engine compatibility not the bickering) I thought I would start a new one to talk about that aspect and others that pertain to the game play experience it hopes to deliver.
Note: If your planning to continue the argument on whether its overpriced in the UK or the tablet controller is a gimmick please take that to another thread.
So what do we really know about the Wii U, it sports a CPU similar to that of the current 360 but a graphics card from the Radeon HD 5000 series (which one we dont really know). The console is now compatible with the Unreal engine and also provides compatibility with the Unity engine used on mobile app games. The stock controller also now comes with dual analog sticks to better support FPS play and again has a more standard controller as an additional pick up option. The question on my mind is will third party developers support it.
As was mentioned at the tail end of the other thread, the lack of support for one of the most common game engines, the lack of GPU power and the fact that the most popular genre on consoles this ( or should I say last) gen was the shooter resulted in most serious third party devs shying away from it. Those flaws have since been corrected but does the package come with enough staying power to repeat the financial success that Nintendo had with the original will.
It is undeniable that when the nextbox/PS4 launch in 2-3 years time it will pack a bigger punch then what the Wii U is offering, but how much bigger a punch will that be? Taking into account a global economic slump (some would argue a recession) can Microsoft and Sony really push the tech as hard as they would like in and still maintain the USD300++ price mark?
I'll put down some of my own thoughts first to get the ball rolling, feel free to correct me if you have better information on hand.
1) The Wii U has a two year head start on the competition and already is receiving support of at least 2 major publishers. That in it self will probably ensure that the console gets access to a decent library, since either by hook or by crook those publishers will want to sell as much of their wares as possible. Third party publishers and devs at least for now, and at least for those who utilize the current generation of the Unreal Engine will also find themselves in a rather attractive position. New engines require a breaking in time where devs need to familiarize themselves with what new tricks they can do. New engines also add additional cost as devs would have to upgrade their licenses, all of this adds additional layers of costs to development. Alternatively using the current engines available, developers are really able to push the limits of what they can do as shown by some of the more recent offerings and dive headlong into releasing games. That said there will be devs, especially those who insist on using the latest of everything who will still shy away from it. Unless the new controller can definitely prove its worth, I have a niggling feeling that third party dev support of the Wii U will eventually peter out once the nextbox or ps4 roll out.
2) I dont doubt that the Wii U will have a successful launch, between die hard fans and those who are curious its almost garaunteed to be a money spinner. However I have a feeling that the Wii U launch wont be as crash hot as big N are expecting it to be. The reason being is that most hardcore gamers felt ripped off by the Wii and will adopt a more wait and see attitude for now, where as casual gamers will have to think hard about the increased price tag especially since the machine does not support DVD or Bluray playback. The release of successful franchise ports like AC3 and ME3 will be a good opportunity for the hardcore crowd to see what the console can do, however the gaming crowd can be extremely fickle and if all it can do is port over games in full HD I doubt that it will go down well. If Nintendo can capitalize on the touchscreen feature however then they can attempt to bring in RTS and MMO titles (genre conspicuously missing from consoles)then they may be able to position themselves in a dominant position in the long run and gain some PC converts in the process.
3) 2 years may be a long time for some but in terms of economy it really isnt much. Unless by some miracle there is a turn around in the global market slump I dont see Microsoft or Sony making the same tech leaps as they did for the 360 and PS3. Both Microsoft and Sony took big losses on their consoles at launch and it has only been a scant few years since they announced profitability.If Microsoft chooses to go the way of grunt and forgo bundling kinnect and smartglass support capability into their stock platform then they will probably be able to give pretty high end specs in general to their stock console. However both Microsoft and Sony would most likely attempt to reduce their losses this time round and aim for a quicker turnaround of their initial investment, thus increasing their dependance on contemporary tech instead of next gen stuff.
Something to note: A lot of detractors point out that the controller itself may contribute up to a third of the Wii U's price and that for the same price point the nextbox will be able to pack a lot more under the hood. However taking Microsoft's preoccupation with the social aspects of the xbox, I wouldnt be surprised if Kinnect functionality is itself built into the nextbox as a standard feature out of the box thus driving up costs similarly. One interesting thing that has been pointed out to me is that unless a feature comes bundles with the basic package then devs have a tendency to sidestep its application in any games that they are working on. Over the years Microsoft has been pushing the Kinnect hard so I firmly believe that its integration will be more like then not.
Thats it for me, I look forward to reading your responses.
Note: If your planning to continue the argument on whether its overpriced in the UK or the tablet controller is a gimmick please take that to another thread.
So what do we really know about the Wii U, it sports a CPU similar to that of the current 360 but a graphics card from the Radeon HD 5000 series (which one we dont really know). The console is now compatible with the Unreal engine and also provides compatibility with the Unity engine used on mobile app games. The stock controller also now comes with dual analog sticks to better support FPS play and again has a more standard controller as an additional pick up option. The question on my mind is will third party developers support it.
As was mentioned at the tail end of the other thread, the lack of support for one of the most common game engines, the lack of GPU power and the fact that the most popular genre on consoles this ( or should I say last) gen was the shooter resulted in most serious third party devs shying away from it. Those flaws have since been corrected but does the package come with enough staying power to repeat the financial success that Nintendo had with the original will.
It is undeniable that when the nextbox/PS4 launch in 2-3 years time it will pack a bigger punch then what the Wii U is offering, but how much bigger a punch will that be? Taking into account a global economic slump (some would argue a recession) can Microsoft and Sony really push the tech as hard as they would like in and still maintain the USD300++ price mark?
I'll put down some of my own thoughts first to get the ball rolling, feel free to correct me if you have better information on hand.
1) The Wii U has a two year head start on the competition and already is receiving support of at least 2 major publishers. That in it self will probably ensure that the console gets access to a decent library, since either by hook or by crook those publishers will want to sell as much of their wares as possible. Third party publishers and devs at least for now, and at least for those who utilize the current generation of the Unreal Engine will also find themselves in a rather attractive position. New engines require a breaking in time where devs need to familiarize themselves with what new tricks they can do. New engines also add additional cost as devs would have to upgrade their licenses, all of this adds additional layers of costs to development. Alternatively using the current engines available, developers are really able to push the limits of what they can do as shown by some of the more recent offerings and dive headlong into releasing games. That said there will be devs, especially those who insist on using the latest of everything who will still shy away from it. Unless the new controller can definitely prove its worth, I have a niggling feeling that third party dev support of the Wii U will eventually peter out once the nextbox or ps4 roll out.
2) I dont doubt that the Wii U will have a successful launch, between die hard fans and those who are curious its almost garaunteed to be a money spinner. However I have a feeling that the Wii U launch wont be as crash hot as big N are expecting it to be. The reason being is that most hardcore gamers felt ripped off by the Wii and will adopt a more wait and see attitude for now, where as casual gamers will have to think hard about the increased price tag especially since the machine does not support DVD or Bluray playback. The release of successful franchise ports like AC3 and ME3 will be a good opportunity for the hardcore crowd to see what the console can do, however the gaming crowd can be extremely fickle and if all it can do is port over games in full HD I doubt that it will go down well. If Nintendo can capitalize on the touchscreen feature however then they can attempt to bring in RTS and MMO titles (genre conspicuously missing from consoles)then they may be able to position themselves in a dominant position in the long run and gain some PC converts in the process.
3) 2 years may be a long time for some but in terms of economy it really isnt much. Unless by some miracle there is a turn around in the global market slump I dont see Microsoft or Sony making the same tech leaps as they did for the 360 and PS3. Both Microsoft and Sony took big losses on their consoles at launch and it has only been a scant few years since they announced profitability.If Microsoft chooses to go the way of grunt and forgo bundling kinnect and smartglass support capability into their stock platform then they will probably be able to give pretty high end specs in general to their stock console. However both Microsoft and Sony would most likely attempt to reduce their losses this time round and aim for a quicker turnaround of their initial investment, thus increasing their dependance on contemporary tech instead of next gen stuff.
Something to note: A lot of detractors point out that the controller itself may contribute up to a third of the Wii U's price and that for the same price point the nextbox will be able to pack a lot more under the hood. However taking Microsoft's preoccupation with the social aspects of the xbox, I wouldnt be surprised if Kinnect functionality is itself built into the nextbox as a standard feature out of the box thus driving up costs similarly. One interesting thing that has been pointed out to me is that unless a feature comes bundles with the basic package then devs have a tendency to sidestep its application in any games that they are working on. Over the years Microsoft has been pushing the Kinnect hard so I firmly believe that its integration will be more like then not.
Thats it for me, I look forward to reading your responses.
