Wii U has "capability issues" due to single processor, says VentureBeat's Takahashi

[Blacksite]

VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi has placed his hands on Wii U during E3, and found the console has capability issues due to its single processor having to drive multiple displays.



Speaking with alist, Takahashi said this single chip has to process games onto the television screen, the main game screen, and provide imagery for the tablet controller. That’s a lot of work for a system which “itself isn’t that powerful.”

“Nintendo only showed games with one game pad controller and the TV [at E3],” he said. “Most games out there, if you’re in a social setting, you want two controllers. Nintendo didn’t show any games that do that. They admitted in a Q&A that the games are going to run slower if you have two game pads and playing on a main display. That’s a fairly big issue for them.

“They made a good case that you can play with one controller and multiple Wii controllers, what they call asymmetric gaming where one person is looking at the small tablet screen and trying to deploy zombies while the people playing with the controllers were all on the main screen. You come up with very creative, different kinds of games where it’s one against four, or one person going online. They tried to justify and turn into an advantage this major weakness of the Wii U, but I think a lot of people saw this as a weakness.’

Takahashi said the strongest point for the console were the creative games, which explore the capabilities of the tablet and the touch screen, but still, he found there wasn’t an “obvious blockbuster,” out of all that was shown.

“They may have had a good one in ZombieU, but in the demos it didn’t necessarily play that well,” he said. “Nintendo came up as a pretty big disappointment at E3.”

You can read the entire interview through the link.

Source

[Thorzilla]

Nintendo should really taste some defeat in their plate. That would definitely smart them up. I wish them nothing but failure with the WiiU so they can go back to making powerful hardware much like the N64 and Gamecube were back in the day, not these gimmicks that sell like bread.

[Abdou23]

WiiU reputation keeps taking one hit after another.

[RaY_210]

Umm, how does a writer/blogger know what's in the Wii U simply by playing a demo?

[radgamer420]

Nintendo should really taste some defeat in their plate. That would definitely smart them up. I wish them nothing but failure with the WiiU so they can go back to making powerful hardware much like the N64 and Gamecube were back in the day, not these gimmicks that sell like bread.

This.^ Nintendos E3 conference was a joke.

[BoyBettaKnow]

Nintendo should really taste some defeat in their plate. That would definitely smart them up. I wish them nothing but failure with the WiiU so they can go back to making powerful hardware much like the N64 and Gamecube were back in the day, not these gimmicks that sell like bread.

When have Ninty ever been about powerful hardware? If i remember correctly the N64 and GC were both trumped by the Playstation 1/2 in terms of sheer power.

Wishing the only true gaming company nothing but failure is a bit shortsighted too but whatever. Your opinion vs Mine

[RaY_210]

When have Ninty ever been about powerful hardware? If i remember correctly the N64 and GC were both trumped by the Playstation 1/2 in terms of sheer power.

Wishing the only true gaming company nothing but failure is a bit shortsighted too but whatever. Your opinion vs Mine

I believe the PS2 was the weakest. But yea, I don't think they were trying to be the most powerful back then. They just sort of went with the flow. But when costs went up with HD, they took the risk with motion, yet played it safe in terms of power because they don't have anything to fall back on like Sony and Microsoft do with their other divisions. I think if Nintendo were Sony this generation, with the way they started off, Nintendo may have been a software company after this gen at best.

[Fenix]

I'm starting to think they didnt plan out the Wii U that well.

[MATRIX 2]

When have Ninty ever been about powerful hardware? If i remember correctly the N64 and GC were both trumped by the Playstation 1/2 in terms of sheer power.

Wishing the only true gaming company nothing but failure is a bit shortsighted too but whatever. Your opinion vs Mine

No N64 and gamecube hardware is superior to either plystation of each respective generation.

[Lethal_NFS]

Is the talk about a single core cpu a rumor? Or has the cpu specs been confirmed by Nintendo?

[RaY_210]

Is the talk about a single core cpu a rumor? Or has the cpu specs been confirmed by Nintendo?

As I questioned with my original post here, I believe it's just a rumor. I know I've read that they don't want to release specs because people are too hung up on them.

[radgamer420]

As I questioned with my original post here, I believe it's just a rumor. I know I've read that they don't want to release specs because people are too hung up on them.

Or in other words everybody will see how weak their specs are which will then cause alot of negative press across the internet.

[RaY_210]

Or in other words everybody will see how weak their specs are which will then cause alot of negative press across the internet.

Yup pretty much

[BoyBettaKnow]

No N64 and gamecube hardware is superior to either plystation of each respective generation.

Oh wow really? I wasn't expecting that seeing as the GameCube especially was half the price of the PS2 at launch. I suppose it did launch a little while after though


BBK. Tapatalking.

[three3-times]

Nintendo cant even show the specs let alone the actual console, so till they do, fuck em!

[RaY_210]

Nintendo cant even show the specs let alone the actual console, so till they do, fuck em!

They've shown the console

[F34R]

I don't care what the specs are, etc. If the games are good.... I'll get 'em.

[Abdou23]

I don't care what the specs are, etc. If the games are good.... I'll get 'em.

So far do you think the games are good?

[F34R]

So far do you think the games are good?

I don't know what will be available during launch, or how good those games will be.

[RaY_210]

I don't know what will be available during launch, or how good those games will be.

There's supposed to be a conference in the fall when they talk date, price, and launch games

[Vulgotha]

WiiU is a terrible concept. This being said, a "single core CPU" doesn't mean anything. Performance wise lower core CPU's are easier to work with and get results out of- they're less complicated and more straight forward.

multicore CPU architectures were adopted due to limitations of creating single core solutions that had meaningful performance jumps from the prior generation. From what I remember it was because shrinking down the silicon was becoming harder and harder.

There are some benefits to having multi cores of course. But in general in the computer world "more" does not always mean "better".

That being said I hope the WiiU explodes into a flaming ball of failure and Nintendo actually start being relevant again.

[F34R]

WiiU is a terrible concept. This being said, a "single core CPU" doesn't mean anything. Performance wise lower core CPU's are easier to work with and get results out of- they're less complicated and more straight forward.

multicore CPU architectures were adopted due to limitations of creating single core solutions that had meaningful performance jumps from the prior generation. From what I remember it was because shrinking down the silicon was becoming harder and harder.

There are some benefits to having multi cores of course. But in general in the computer world "more" does not always mean "better".

That being said I hope the WiiU explodes into a flaming ball of failure and Nintendo actually start being relevant again.

I don't understand this at all. Why can't they develop this, publish games that are great, etc.? If you don't like it, then don't buy it. Just saying you hope they explode into flames when you haven't even used it, seen it more than E3, etc., is a little irrational.

[MATRIX 2]

I don't understand this at all. Why can't they develop this, publish games that are great, etc.? If you don't like it, then don't buy it. Just saying you hope they explode into flames when you haven't even used it, seen it more than E3, etc., is a little irrational.

Because they aren't doing that with the will an it seems like that trend will continue with the wii u.

[Vulgotha]

I don't understand this at all. Why can't they develop this, publish games that are great, etc.? If you don't like it, then don't buy it. Just saying you hope they explode into flames when you haven't even used it, seen it more than E3, etc., is a little irrational.

I don't see it as irrational at all. I had the same feelings about the Wii. Before and after launch. I was not impressed with what it brought to the table.

I never bought it. My brother did, against my advice, and after a week of playing it he never used it again. Instead he bought an Xbox and a gaming PC.

The reason I scorn Nintendo's approach lately is, first of all, I think they're robbing the consumer blind. Secondly, they're influencing the approach of other companies when they shape their hardware and their goals. I recognize that appealing to the mass of 'casual gamers' is a tempting business model. I also know that Nintendo is only supplying a demand.

So the consumer is also greatly at fault here.

That being said, they're taking the market in a direction which I think is both unappealing and unhealthy.

More than anything it's probably a bit of resentment in me too. I used to love Nintendo. I enjoyed the SNES, N64, Gamecube.. The Gameboy color, the GBA.. And then in the span of 7 years they became this whole new company that I could no longer identify with. Their focus was entirely on raw money grabbing and focusing on 'niche' spaces to make themselves appear unique.

For instance, the 3DS. This is an appallingly weak piece of technology that they marked up the price substantially. Why? Because they could. Perhaps what infuriated me the most was that I knew they'd get away with it. That people would justify it and defend them. Their following is practically cult-like.

Same with the Wii. The end cost to the consumer was so far divorced away from reality that it was simply shocking. Yet people were like "Pff, no it's totally worth the cost! Cuz value is like subjective!"

I dislike the irrationality Nintendo instills in others.

[F34R]

So far, Wii, DSi, DSLite, 3DS, has all played some really good games. Just as many as I've had on the PS3, PSP, Vita, Xbox 360, and PC. I guess that's why I said "irrational", basically for me to say what you're saying. My opinion, if it were like yours, would be irrational for me. Didn't mean to make it sound like I was targeting your own thoughts coming from you as being irrational. My brain isn't working lol. I understand how others feel about what Nintendo is doing right now. It's just hard for me to get on board the light the torches and grab the pitchforks gang until I can actually see what they are doing and releasing.