Coming Around to the Wii U

[Doom972]

I thought that the option to use the controller's screen instead of the monitor connected to the console is there for games that don't use the touchscreen for anything else. Might as well have the option in that case. I'm sure many users would have asked for it if it wasn't there. I think that Yahtzee is reading too much into that particular issue.

 

[kurupt87]

Snip

It is gamings very nature that makes them the logical choice to be relegated to the handheld. Gaming is interactive and engaging and, for that aspect of gaming, whether it is on the big screen or the handheld doesn't matter.

TV and films on the other hand are passive, and the big screen and big noise enhance the passive aspects much more than they do the active.

To wit: you beat that bastard boss finally. It doesn't matter if you did it on your 52 inch or your 6.2 inch, you beat the ****.

 

[Lightknight]

Does Yahtzee ever read or respond to comments on his videos? If so, I'd like to point out that Japanese culture isn't necessarily centered around the TV in the living room. As such, this ability may benefit cultures where one's room is one's domain to enjoy and hang out in.

Personally, I think the Occulus Rift is dumb. But if people want it, whatever. However, is it really advancing the medium if the "new" ideas are borderline insular and many don't even last a generation?

A virtual reality headset isn't exactly the same as gimmicky controllers. This has been a goal for decades now that just couldn't stamp down the latency or price enough to make it viable. That they didn't get a broader field of view and weren't stereoscopic 3D were also mistakes that made it much less virtual reality and much more just looking at a screen on your headset. This is actually taking a step away from gimmick and more towards what may be called actual immersion and that's knowing full well that immersion has been completely appropriated over and over again by all the wrong kinds of subjects. There really is something different about being able to look around in the world you're exploring and being able to change the camera view. With the current high-def dev kits going for $300 we can expect to see some attractive consumer models at an afordable price. The movie app alone makes the purchase viable for non-gamers and I think we could expect to see some unexpected applications of the thing. I expect to see the horror genre and exploration type games benefit from this as well.

If you don't like it, that's fine and you acknowledge that as long as people as a whole want something it doesn't matter what you or I think. I think we've spoken about this (the Rift) before. You've really got to try it to understand. It's not like you're just taping a DS screen to your forehead. It's more than that. It's like you're in a large open room despite sitting in a small office. I understand being skeptical. Just wait to see what they do with it before you write it off. There's a reason why developers and reviewers are trying things out and reporting back excitedly. This IS a new way to do games that isn't merely 3D (though that's available as well).

What does the occulus Rift do to your brain. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iACAS_RAneE] Around the 3 minute mark he begins to discuss studies on how people react to the environment.

Examples of studies mentioned and results:
1. People respond to smiling avatars by smiling in real life.
2. Physically taking a step backward when another avatar comes uncomfortably close.
3. Pulling the limbs away from objects in the virtual world that would harm them in real life were they real.

It's even being used in the treatment of pyschological issues like phantom limb syndrome. The rift gives a sense of presence that simply isn't there with other technologies. It's really neat. The idea that this is something that could become available on pc's and consoles is exciting.

 

[Something Amyss]

A virtual reality headset isn't exactly the same as gimmicky controllers.

"It" was referring to the gimmicky controllers. I admit to some confusion, though there was plenty of context in the quote I was replying to and further down throughout the comment.

Basically, the only part that has to do with the Rift was responding specifically to the notion that we all praise he OR. I don't like it, but I also don't care.

Edumacate me all you want, but I still don't like it. I also don't care.

Though I was amused by this:

1. People respond to smiling avatars by smiling in real life.

I see that happening with a 2D, plain boring dumb old regular screen games. A lot.

So pardon me if I'm nonplussed. Next thing you'll tell me is that people's pupil's dilate in response to light changes on the OR. That would REALLY be neato!

 

[Evonisia]

Well it's nice to see you be positive about the Wii U, I mean it surely can't be that bad (that defeated attitude has provided a way to play games without the TV). It's a nice little feature that I wish other consoles did, it's frankly one of the few things that make me want to get a Wii U. I think the controller itself is pretty awful, though, and it's probably because of the addition of that screen making it much larger than it could be, maybe Nintendo could bring out a model without the screen (and removing that innovation by consumer choice) and get a few more buyers.

They already have that. It is the nintendo Wii U pro controller.

Did they? Well, then, my interest in the Wii U has dramatically increased. Oh wait, that still looks rather awkward, but it's a big improvement over the dish tray.

 

[mike1921]

Snip

It is gamings very nature that makes them the logical choice to be relegated to the handheld. Gaming is interactive and engaging and, for that aspect of gaming, whether it is on the big screen or the handheld doesn't matter.

TV and films on the other hand are passive, and the big screen and big noise enhance the passive aspects much more than they do the active.

To wit: you beat that bastard boss finally. It doesn't matter if you did it on your 52 inch or your 6.2 inch, you beat the ****.

I heard something about beating cunts with 6.2 inches? Where do I sign up?

 

[Roxas1359]

Did they? Well, then, my interest in the Wii U has dramatically increased. Oh wait, that still looks rather awkward, but it's a big improvement over the dish tray.

Problem is that not all games support the controller, which is a damn shame. They're getting more and more games to support it, but some games don't have any support for it.

 

[Kinitawowi]

I will never understand why Yahtzee needs to complain that much about the battery life. Or why gamers feel that they need to play a game for more than 10 hours+ at a time. The most I can stand to play of my video games at average is 2-3 hours.

Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Probably not a console thing so much, but I know I've become sufficiently engrossed in several games (particularly Civ 2) that the only reason I've stopped playing is because I've noticed it's become light outside.

 

[masticina]

Why does this so make me feel like quoting "waiting for godot"
"I'm beginning to come round to that opinion"

The WiiU is a strange game console in a strange situation in a strange reality. It just is a console that makes you think about it and makes you go like "Mmm you know it should be great if" but the anwser on it always seems to be "But it isn't"

Theatatrical seen it is like waiting for godot
You are waiting for something, you might not even know what you are waiting for. But the WiiU is in a state of half being there and half not being there. A certain cat could have words about this..

So here we are again, waiting for Nintendo

captcha: dead battery ... okay that is just unfair!

 

[masticina]

Examples of studies mentioned and results:
1. People respond to smiling avatars by smiling in real life.
2. Physically taking a step backward when another avatar comes uncomfortably close.
3. Pulling the limbs away from objects in the virtual world that would harm them in real life were they real.

It's even being used in the treatment of pyschological issues like phantom limb syndrome. The rift gives a sense of presence that simply isn't there with other technologies. It's really neat. The idea that this is something that could become available on pc's and consoles is exciting.

If smiling avatars make people smile how do people react upon Aphex Twin?

Just asking And occulus looks like a great way to experience some games. Think Proteus, Amnesia.

captcha= bated breath , yes I await a reply in such awnser.

 

[Callate]

the stark whiteness and gentle soundscape that remind me of an alien sterilisation cult. It's like the beginner's guide to becoming a Mac user.

This kind of spot-on description is what makes me admire Yahtzee's writing style.

I somewhat wonder if the "take the game off the television" feature was created with a Japanese apartment in mind where there might not be space for multiple large televisions, and that such a feature's utility might not cross over wasn't fully recognized. But that, admittedly, comes from a possibly off-base Westerner's sense of what Japanese living accommodations might look like.

 

[Dragonbums]

Is Nintendo honestly in any position to further the medium? I mean sure, financially, but what about reputation wise?

If you only look at their Console reputation your rhetorical question would have some merit. However, they've decisively won every handheld generation to date. Sure, they might have some competition from phones now, but that competition hasn't bankrupted their sales of 3DS hardware, and software. They consistently outsell the Vita 4 fold, and that's been the story ever since it was GameBoy vs. GameGear. Unfortunately, their reputation is as a game maker that targets children, and they seem to be unable to adjust that perception. Just look at the 2DS, and their official position that it's intended for children under 7.

But I'm not addressing anything in regards to Nintendo and their financial success or reputation in the sense that the make sales.
I'm talking about purely at their reputation as a kids' console and where their priorities lie.

 

[mike1921]

The feature is there only as another gimmick for the gigantic controller.

So the real question is why there's this controller in the first place.

I disagree entirely, every single reason I would want a wiiU before Project X comes out is from the controller. The ability to have asymmetric multiplayer with no screen watching is an incredible one. And like Yahtzee says, if you use the controller properly as a developer it can finally do something to weaken the complete inability of console controllers to handle anything with unit control.

The way I see it, a gimmick isn't a direct improvement, a gimmick sells on novelty. The ability to have asymmetric game-play is a direct improvement, adding a touch screen gives a very real advantage over sticks for certain game types, and yes sometimes people fight over TVs, the ability to just concede the TV and keep playing your game is a direct improvement. I would have loved that so much when I was younger, and the only reason it isn't for me now is because I don't game in the living room anymore , which many people do.

Like, if the touch screen works well, there is no reason to not see civilization games on there, those games work wonderful with touch and firaxis seems incredibly interested in developing for touch screens, and really any TBS works well with touch.3 hour battery life destroys it though as TBS tends to be the genre where you start playing and then escape into the ether for 12 hours

 

[mailh20]

he does know that you can play with the gamepad while its charging right?

 

[Frezzato]

I'm really beginning to suspect that the biggest problem with the Wii U is this:

The Wii

The Wii sold, hands down, the most units from the previous (eh, current?) console generation, but it wasn't thanks to you or me (or for that matter, anyone who posts on a gaming forum). Regular, non-gaming people were buying the Wii. And I suspect that when the Wii U was announced, the collective population who purchased the Wii rolled their eyes. The general consuming public has a better collective memory than companies realize. They didn't buy them for Zelda, Mario, or Samus. They bought Wii Sports for the extra controller and stopped buying games, probably right after Excite Truck.

The five families I know who bought a Wii no longer use them (including me, except for Netflix sometimes). And they're certainly not going to buy a Wii U. I don't view Nintendo as a 'kids' company. It's a 'regular folks' kind of company, and regular folks have moved on to Candy Crush Saga.

 

[Lightknight]

"It" was referring to the gimmicky controllers. I admit to some confusion, though there was plenty of context in the quote I was replying to and further down throughout the comment.

The ambiguous pronoun immediately followed discussion of the Occulus rift. Even going back an re-reading doesn't necessarily clear it up. Thanks for the clarification though.

Edumacate me all you want, but I still don't like it. I also don't care.

Have you used it?

Though I was amused by this:

1. People respond to smiling avatars by smiling in real life.

I see that happening with a 2D, plain boring dumb old regular screen games. A lot.

I don't see that. Perhaps you can provide some citation?

 

[Darth_Payn]

Examples of studies mentioned and results:
1. People respond to smiling avatars by smiling in real life.
2. Physically taking a step backward when another avatar comes uncomfortably close.
3. Pulling the limbs away from objects in the virtual world that would harm them in real life were they real.

It's even being used in the treatment of pyschological issues like phantom limb syndrome. The rift gives a sense of presence that simply isn't there with other technologies. It's really neat. The idea that this is something that could become available on pc's and consoles is exciting.

If smiling avatars make people smile how do people react upon Aphex Twin?

[spoilericture hidden to protect your sanity]

[/spoiler]

Just asking And occulus looks like a great way to experience some games. Think Proteus, Amnesia.

captcha= bated breath , yes I await a reply in such awnser.

A picture IS worth a thousand words, and every one of them is AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRGH!!!

 

[Quantum Glass]

The, "Away from TV," thing actually makes sense to me. Whether they're watching a movie or playing a game, a family will usually require a big screen. Individual activities generally don't, which is why more and more people are watching movies or TV shows on their own time via laptops.