Wii U Update Eats Most of Basic's 8GB

[teh_gunslinger]

Here's a fun thing to try. Next time you have to update to a new windows service pack, unplug your computer halfway through. Come back and tell me how it goes.

Actually, with Windows, it makes temporary backup files of everything before it begins to apply new service pack data and automatically reverts to that backup data if the main folder it should look into is corrupt or incomplete.

It means you move back one service pack but it sure as hell beats owning a paperweight.

Yeah, the Windows update is a bad example. A better one would be unplugging the machine on a BIOS firmware update. THAT will brick your computer quite nicely.

And this surprises me as the Wii is actually pretty difficult to brick. You have to be actively TRYING to turn it into a paperweight and even then it's no small feat. The fact that the Wii-U can be bricked so easily is not a good sign.

Updating the BIOS firmware is a very different kettle of fish from updating your console though. I dare say that most people will never need to do it, nor do most people know what it is.

And even if you brick it you can replace parts. You don't brick anything for good.

 

[Ralphfromdk]

What kind of crappy firmware does the thing have to begin with, if it needs 5 gigs worth of updates from day one

Also, to all those who yell "it's his own fault for being a dumbass".
There are a lot of stupid people out there. Many of them are going to buy the Wii-U.
Many of them will propably do the very same thing at some point in time.
So yes, it's going to be a problem.

Never underestimate stupid.

 

[LordLundar]

Yeah, the Windows update is a bad example. A better one would be unplugging the machine on a BIOS firmware update. THAT will brick your computer quite nicely.

And this surprises me as the Wii is actually pretty difficult to brick. You have to be actively TRYING to turn it into a paperweight and even then it's no small feat. The fact that the Wii-U can be bricked so easily is not a good sign.

Updating the BIOS firmware is a very different kettle of fish from updating your console though. I dare say that most people will never need to do it, nor do most people know what it is.

And even if you brick it you can replace parts. You don't brick anything for good.

Actually it's closer than you think. Most console updates have at least part of it being a low level update to accommodate the OS modifications, otherwise the system goes "this isn't my OS" and bricks on it's own. That low level portion is on par to a BIOS update in terms of structure.

I do agree that most people won't do a BIOS update (thank God) but I was referring to the effects, not the frequency of it being done.

And while it's true that you can replace the affected part of a botched BIOS update, it's an expensive option and the only other option is to try and restore the original BIOS which is just as, if not more risky.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Yeah, the Windows update is a bad example. A better one would be unplugging the machine on a BIOS firmware update. THAT will brick your computer quite nicely.

And this surprises me as the Wii is actually pretty difficult to brick. You have to be actively TRYING to turn it into a paperweight and even then it's no small feat. The fact that the Wii-U can be bricked so easily is not a good sign.

Updating the BIOS firmware is a very different kettle of fish from updating your console though. I dare say that most people will never need to do it, nor do most people know what it is.

And even if you brick it you can replace parts. You don't brick anything for good.

Actually it's closer than you think. Most console updates have at least part of it being a low level update to accommodate the OS modifications, otherwise the system goes "this isn't my OS" and bricks on it's own. That low level portion is on par to a BIOS update in terms of structure.

I do agree that most people won't do a BIOS update (thank God) but I was referring to the effects, not the frequency of it being done.

And while it's true that you can replace the affected part of a botched BIOS update, it's an expensive option and the only other option is to try and restore the original BIOS which is just as, if not more risky.[/quote]

That sounds suspiciously like DRM. Guess it's just another reason I don't like consoles. It seems pointlessly badly designed/designed that way on purpose for silly piracy reasons.

But yes, you're right that no matter what, if you screw over your BIOS you're in some trouble, one way or the other. Which again leads me back to the fact that most people don't do it whereas my bloody PS3 updates twice a day it seems. Every time I turn it on to watch a movie it blabbers on about yet another update. Bah!

 

[Jumwa]

The update is not 5GB in size, that was just rampant speculation by people on day one based on the slow download speed, which was due to Nintendo's servers slowing a bit due to high demand. I downloaded later in the evening and had it in very little time, making it impossible for the thing to be anywhere near 5GB, as my internet speed is not very good.

As for the reviewer who interrupted his system update, I'm a little surprised to find this being made such a big deal of. He intentionally did so, it wasn't an accident. I mean, you're always warned about these things with any electronic device.

And as for regards to if this should or shouldn't 'brick' your system, a core console update like this will be a lot like updating your BIOS. Which I've had to do a few times, and nerve wracking status aside, I was terribly careful not to interrupt the process.

 

[McMullen]

Two things here.

1. It amuses me that even consoles can't get away from day 1 updates.

2. How retarded do you have to be to unplug a console in the middle of a system update? There's always a big ass warnin "Dont unplug or power down the console during this update." I haven't tested this myself, but I suspect if you unplugged say...a 360 when they did their new dashboard update halfway through you'd also end up with a lovely paperweight as well.

1). He might not be a gamer and may be unaware of how like PCs consoles are these days. Used to be you could power off your console for any reason at any time, and no harm (to your console) would come of it.

2). As stated in the article there was no warning text or explanation of any kind.

There ought to be some standard maximum ratio of system files to empty space on a machine. I would say it should be below 25%. 5 GB on an 8 GB drive is absurd.

 

[GenGenners]

Snip #1

Snip #2

Ooooooooh, I like you

 

[MiskWisk]

I'm going the completely original route and quote Yahtzee here:
"Every new thing thou learnest about the Wii U will somehow make it seem even worse"
Pretty much my thoughts on the Wii U.

 

[sethisjimmy]

Everyone here blaming this guy for unplugging the console is being silly. What if he had accidentally tripped on the cord, or the power went out? He's still gonna have a bricked machine, and that is unacceptable. You people should be thanking him for discovering this problem before the Wii U launches.

 

[laurenhiya21]

5GB of data for an update?
Well if that's true, than that's pretty stupid on Nintendo's part. But since this is based on "some estimates" from some guy I've never even heard of, I have trouble believing that. Don't people take into consideration that Nintendo's servers were probably swamped from everybody trying to update? :/

That is pretty stupid for the WiiU to brick like that though... (but even stupider for someone to unplug it during an update ._.)

 

[shintakie10]

Everyone here blaming this guy for unplugging the console is being silly. What if he had accidentally tripped on the cord, or the power went out? He's still gonna have a bricked machine, and that is unacceptable. You people should be thanking him for discovering this problem before the Wii U launches.

As I've said before, this can actually happen with every other console due to the weird way consoles are like fake computers.

As teh_gunslinger points out, bad design is bad design whether its been bad design for the last 10(?) years or not, but you can't specifically target Nintendo for this.

 

[LordLundar]

That sounds suspiciously like DRM. Guess it's just another reason I don't like consoles. It seems pointlessly badly designed/designed that way on purpose for silly piracy reasons.

Well game consoles run on their own proprietary OS (usually. The Linux capable PS3 being the most obvious exception) so it's not unreasonable for it to be built into the console firmware to only read that particular OS. I do see the DRM perspective though.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Here's a fun thing to try. Next time you have to update to a new windows service pack, unplug your computer halfway through. Come back and tell me how it goes.

Oh oh, also. Next time Sony or Microsoft do a new dashboard update, or whatever the hell Sony uses, unplug the system halfway through the update. Tell me how nice your paperweights are after.

This guy is a grade A idiot. Every single system update has a chance to royally fuck you over if you're a massive idiot. Why would you unplug durin a system update? At all? If the system forced an update when he loaded it up, even if it didn't brick the console, what part of his brain thought it wouldn't just restart the forced update?

Try it while it's downloading as this apparently still was.

Your system will still be fine. Not Nintendo apparently though!

 

[lacktheknack]

"There was no warning and no cancel button," Fritz Tweeted [https://twitter.com/benfritz/status/270035885272219648].

That's because you don't need one.

I have no sympathy for the "electronics journalist" who was derptastic enough to unplug his Wii U during a system update.

As for the update, reports are still varying on the final size. It might be as little as 1 GB, or as many as 5GB. We'll have to wait for Nintendo's response.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Gotta love how everyone whines about his inability to handle electronics when remembering that Nintendo aims their garbage at preschoolers and other newcomers to gaming. Anyone remember what system updates were like in the last console generation?

 

[Sylveria]

Snip.

I honestly can not fathom the fact that there are people defending a 5gb patch on a system whose basic package includes only 8gb of data. Have we as consumers finally become content with game companies shitting down our metaphorical throats? You should not have to stick an external hard drive or thumb drive into your console for firmware updates! That's fucking ridiculous and you damn well know it.

I can't comprehend it, but I'm not surprised by it. The electronics consumer has become increasingly complacent and video gamers are probably the worst example. The vast, vast majority will happily sacrifice their consumer rights and fork-over additional money that they shouldn't need to just to play their new games. What you snipped is a perfect example: The Wii-U update is massive, slow, and leaves the system vulnerable to bricking throughout the duration "You shoulda put it on a flash drive first!"

Do we even know if the update can be downloaded elsewhere then installed on the console? I see it suggested by talking heads in comments in a number of places, but likely none of them of a Wii-U and are making assumptions based on other consoles.

 

[Sylveria]

LOL even better Moviebob's WiiU was dead on arrival and he's not alone.

http://gameoverthinker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/check-your-wiiu.html

I'm becoming increasingly glad that I missed the Wii-U pre-order window.

 

[uncanny474]

Here's a fun thing to try. Next time you have to update to a new windows service pack, unplug your computer halfway through. Come back and tell me how it goes.

Actually, with Windows, it makes temporary backup files of everything before it begins to apply new service pack data and automatically reverts to that backup data if the main folder it should look into is corrupt or incomplete.

It means you move back one service pack but it sure as hell beats owning a paperweight.

Not to mention that with a computer, even a Windows Service Packet won't change the BIOS, so you can reinstall Windows even if the backups aren't in place or fail.