Geoff Keighley confirms Wii U won

[Xerax]

Durango oh you mean the so called Dev kit that got sold on ebay well we dont know that is for sure what it was and if so it is a Development kit they always have more ram then the retail models because of debugging stuff so 8gb of ram is meaninglessness. The xbox 360s first Dev kits were just off the shelf Apple Dual CPU based G5s running @ 2ghz far below the real xbox 360 specs and it has a GPU with 512 ram and system ram of 4gbs i think at the time so this Durango Dev kit means nothing right now

I have a XBox 360 Devkit, and it has 512mb of ram. Just the same as the retail console. Not all devs have more RAM for debugging.

And regardless of if that devkit is real or not (and yes, it is real, I know the guy who was selling it), the new XBox does have the codename Durango, and it will have 8gb of ram.

[HawkMan]

I'm not so sure the next xbox will have 8GB, however I'm fairly certain it'll have at least 4, which is still leaving the Wii U in the dust.

[~Johnny]

They are all casual titles, designed to appeal to children as much as to adults. They have bright and colourful graphics, with little narrative depth, simple and easily understandable gameplay mechanics, cutesy characters and no realism. That doesn't mean a core game can't have any of those traits but they're just very much less likely to. Core games would be titles like Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, Forza, Metal Gear Solid, Crysis 3, Halo 4, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, F1 2012, Civilization V, Skyrim, Max Payne 3, etc. Now the Wii U will have some core games but not to the same degree as consoles from Microsoft or Sony, or the PC. More importantly, Nintendo itself doesn't make core games - the only game that would class as that is Metroid Prime.

Yeah, I think you have a great misunderstanding of what a core game is and what a casual game is.* There's not a definitive meaning of what a casual game is, but the generally used idea is along the lines of "Casual games [...] are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games. They require no long-term time commitment or special skills to play, and there are comparatively low production and distribution costs for the producer." Angry Birds is casual.The vast majority of mobile games are casual. Wii Sports is casual. Simple premises, not a great deal of depth. And again, the majority of games from Nintendo's first party Studios - Like Super Mario Galaxy, The Zelda Series, Fire Emblem Series, Xenoblade Series, Advance Wars Series, etc. - they're all core games.

Pikmin? Wonderful 101? New Super Mario Bros? Those are all core games. Cutesy characters and lack of realism doesn't make a game casual, and neither are they particularly simple. Even New Super Mario Bros is hard to master, and packed with depth. There are what basically constitutes as cheats to try and let other players progress through that game, but only because it wasn't designed to cater to their skill levels - it's a game for gamers.

On the topic of the Gamecube, you're talking about a console that had those type of games, like a nice bunch of Resident Evil titles, Nintendo published titles like Eternal Darkness, Geist, the Prime series, Metal Gear Solid, Timesplitters games, Killer 7, and others. It's not a console that tried to shy away from much.

[*n.b, I'm also a qualified games programmer]

[migo]

WTF? You don't consider selling 60 million of something a success?? What ****ing planet are you from.

Are you feeling a little butt hurt, by chance?

60 million is not as successful as 96+ million. Some people here are just incredibly dense.

The Wii U gamepad looks great have you seen it in action and the LCD screen quality is rather damn good also it dont need Multi-touch it has no use for it. the screen specs tho on the Wii U GP are 6.2 inch (15.7 cm) 854?480 16:9 @ 158 ppi

No, they're using a resistive screen because they're being cheap. Given there's a multitouch tablet coming out at $140, and that's roughly the cost of the controller replacement, Nintendo's seriously ripping us off.

As long as they work for more than 1 year without breaking.

After 2 XBox 360 (RRoD and HDMI port) i simply gave up on it. Next gen i'm waiting at least 1 year to see if it's reliable enough.

That's a good call with any console really.

[~Johnny]

No, they're using a resistive screen because they're being cheap. Given there's a multitouch tablet coming out at $140, and that's roughly the cost of the controller replacement, Nintendo's seriously ripping us off.

Benefits of resistive screen: More Accurate. Lighter. Cheaper. Less glare. More durable / less likely to shatter (not being made of glass n'all). There are good reasons for it - if the controller were attempting to be a tablet, then multitouch might be important, but as I've mentioned before, you'll be hard pressed to find a scenario where multitouch has been greatly beneficial in a game, vs the benefits of a precise stylus.

[notuptome2004]

the Wii U GP also has a Stylus that is for well anything involving touch but be great for Art programs paint programs such on the Wii U so the screen on the Wii U GP is just fine and works as it should as most press and non press who have played with it hardly realized it was not Multi-touch as nothing would have used it anyways

[HawkMan]

the WiiU has a plain stick stylus that is no better than finger painting. worse in fact due to the pressure you need. for painting you want a pressure sensitive stylys you'll only find in an actual "tablet". such as one used in the Galaxy note, Tablet PC's and the new W8 tablets with a stylus.

a touch stylus on the ipad is just as useful as the wii pad stylus.

[notuptome2004]

the WiiU has a plain stick stylus that is no better than finger painting. worse in fact due to the pressure you need. for painting you want a pressure sensitive stylys you'll only find in an actual "tablet". such as one used in the Galaxy note, Tablet PC's and the new W8 tablets with a stylus.

a touch stylus on the ipad is just as useful as the wii pad stylus.

True it may be no better but still it has one that may be useful on case by case

[nominak]

the WiiU has a plain stick stylus that is no better than finger painting. worse in fact due to the pressure you need. for painting you want a pressure sensitive stylys you'll only find in an actual "tablet". such as one used in the Galaxy note, Tablet PC's and the new W8 tablets with a stylus.

a touch stylus on the ipad is just as useful as the wii pad stylus.

Wii U GamePad. NOT a tablet.

[HawkMan]

Wii U GamePad. NOT a tablet.

Notice that I wasn't the one who said it could replace a tablet function. it not being a tablet was kind of my point.

[nominak]

Notice that I wasn't the one who said it could replace a tablet function. it not being a tablet was kind of my point.

And what would make it better being a tablet? It's a game console. Not a handheld system.

[HawkMan]

honestly, MS approach to this seems like a far better solution.

[~Johnny]

the WiiU has a plain stick stylus that is no better than finger painting. worse in fact due to the pressure you need. for painting you want a pressure sensitive stylys you'll only find in an actual "tablet". such as one used in the Galaxy note, Tablet PC's and the new W8 tablets with a stylus.

a touch stylus on the ipad is just as useful as the wii pad stylus.

Uh, it does not have a plain thick stylus. The nib on the WiiU stylus is no thicker than that of the 3DS', mere millimetres - and far more accurate than anything your finger will do. A touch stylus on an iPad is nowhere near as accurate as that on a resistive screen - where you can get pixel perfect reproduction of input. It's worth noting that the resistive screens of both the DS and 3DS are pressure sensitive(and in fact, the mist popular DS homebrew was a painting program that used pressure sensitivity), and a lot of resistive screens naturally are, though Nintendo specifically doesn't allow developers to take advantage of that so users don't damage their screens. Also, most games - even with stylus control - don't typically involve painting :p We can all come up with edge cases where one technology has an advantage over another, but in the long run one is more suited too it.

[notuptome2004]

honestly, MS approach to this seems like a far better solution.

How ther solution better .

Xbox Smart glass Requirements

Xbox 360 console $199-$400 If you dont already have one and if you dont have one

Andriod Tablet or Ipad or MS surface Tablet Price $199-

Xbox smart glass App maby Free or not not sure cant remember

Xbox live Premium i think is required

Now the Limitations

The Xbox Smartglass is more like Nintendo TVii features it does not provide augmented reality in game or in game functionality or features beyond showing say a Map or using it has a full on touch screen controller for Video service as Microsoft says it be to complicated to use as a full on universal game controller for real time control of your 360 games but beyond those things no extended function because it is just an Ad-on App it is not tho tied direct to the system so Developers

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Reading the discussion happening in this thread, I can just chime in by saying I do not really care how powerful the WiiU is myself, and I just happily preordered the deluxe version last night from Walmart.com. I expect it to have visuals on par with the 360 & PS3, perhaps slightly better but not much realistically, and I am absolutely fine with that, as it is really going to be my tertiary console (for those who may not know that word, it means third, comes after primary and secondary). I am fortunate enough this can be the case and I can own all 3 consoles, and I will get whatever MS and Sony release in the future as well, but I am older with a career. I work hard for my money, so I treat myself accordingly.

But I will say I absolutely do not view a game like Super Mario Brothers as a casual game. Sure, kids and moms can play it, and if that is the criteria for casual it definitely fits, but that is where it ends IMO. It is a game where you can be as bad of a player, or as precise of a player, as you want to be. That makes it one of the classic games in video game history IMO. And for that, I personally consider a hardcore game.

[migo]

Benefits of resistive screen: More Accurate.

Way wrong, less accurate. Resistive screens need to be calibrated.

Lighter.

We'll see how 'light' the tablet controller is.

Cheaper.

Yes, that's the only reason they're doing it, so the controller should be cheaper than it is too.

Less glare.

That comes from the screen type, you could easily have a matte screen.

More durable / less likely to shatter (not being made of glass n'all).

That just means the LCD is more likely to break, which is actually worse. It's easier to replace the glass. Plus, the bezel makes it even less likely for the glass to crack.

There are good reasons for it - if the controller were attempting to be a tablet, then multitouch might be important, but as I've mentioned before, you'll be hard pressed to find a scenario where multitouch has been greatly beneficial in a game, vs the benefits of a precise stylus.

If the argument is precision, you want a digitiser.

[HawkMan]

How ther solution better .

Xbox Smart glass Requirements

Xbox 360 console $199-$400 If you dont already have one and if you dont have one

Andriod Tablet or Ipad or MS surface Tablet Price $199-

Xbox smart glass App maby Free or not not sure cant remember

Xbox live Premium i think is required

Now the Limitations

The Xbox Smartglass is more like Nintendo TVii features it does not provide augmented reality in game or in game functionality or features beyond showing say a Map or using it has a full on touch screen controller for Video service as Microsoft says it be to complicated to use as a full on universal game controller for real time control of your 360 games but beyond those things no extended function because it is just an Ad-on App it is not tho tied direct to the system so Developers

Millions already have an xbox. millions already have a pad. and even so, if you where to buy a WiiU, and wanted a pad, you'd still need to buy that 199+ pad anyway, since the WiiU tabletController isn't a pad. And why would premium be required, only if you want to play online.

And no, it's a lot more than the Tvii features. as for the augmented reality function of the tablet controller. it's NEVER going to be used in any serious title. some titles may add it, but gamers will hate it. When I'm gaming I'm watching the screen. I don't want to be taken out of the game world by holding up a silly controller in front of the screen. especially when I could do the same thing by holding or clicking a button on the controller. Other things like the stupid Aliens motion tracker can be done with smartglass, but again. it's a stupid gimmick that will never be used as it makes more sense to have it in your characters hands ON the fricken screen. more immersive to.

And no it's not just an addon app. as I said it can be used in games for for secondary display and control functions. and has a api in the new dashboard. like the old dreamcast controller for example when playing madden, you can use smartglass to set up your tactics or whatever.

[notuptome2004]

Millions already have an xbox. millions already have a pad. and even so, if you where to buy a WiiU, and wanted a pad, you'd still need to buy that 199+ pad anyway, since the WiiU tabletController isn't a pad. And why would premium be required, only if you want to play online.

And no, it's a lot more than the Tvii features. as for the augmented reality function of the tablet controller. it's NEVER going to be used in any serious title. some titles may add it, but gamers will hate it. When I'm gaming I'm watching the screen. I don't want to be taken out of the game world by holding up a silly controller in front of the screen. especially when I could do the same thing by holding or clicking a button on the controller. Other things like the stupid Aliens motion tracker can be done with smartglass, but again. it's a stupid gimmick that will never be used as it makes more sense to have it in your characters hands ON the fricken screen. more immersive to.

And no it's not just an addon app. as I said it can be used in games for for secondary display and control functions. and has a api in the new dashboard. like the old dreamcast controller for example when playing madden, you can use smartglass to set up your tactics or whatever.

Aliens Zombie U Assassins creed3 i think AC not sure but also let see Batman AA many games are using the Gamepad for augmented reality stuff many of the 50 launch window games some more then otehr i am sure and Zombie U and and Batman AC uses it for stealth stuff i think for scanning and well zombie u allows full 360 degrees scanning of the environment but anyways many are using it for more then just augmented stuff and Microsoft confirmed that smartglass is more about meida stuff rather game stuff

Now with Aliens using the thing as a Tracker makes 100% since as you dont have an on screen UI or graphics onscreen and since the Wii U GP is the controller for shooting it makes more since cause in reality tho in the film they had to hold the gun + the scanner seperatly and refocus to shoot or scan

And while it features stuff simular to NTVii Ntvii does a few things that go more in depth like the whole timeline thing goes further social and more video below

http://www.xbox.com/...live/smartglass you cant control a game

Coming Holiday 2012. Xbox SmartGlass is available with select games and Xbox LIVE content and requires internet connectivity, and compatible devices. Xbox LIVE Gold membership (sold seperately) also required for some Xbox SmartGlass-enabled content and features. Available Xbox SmartGlass features may vary by device. See xbox.com/live.

as you see right ther from there site Features very based on device and it does requier Xbox live Gold to use it and some do not WiiU online stuff and Nintendo TV is Free and all of its features ar supported out of the box

Video they stat Microsoft states it cant be used to control games

Nintendo TVii demonstration

[HawkMan]

Now with Aliens using the thing as a Tracker makes 100% since as you dont have an on screen UI or graphics onscreen and since the Wii U GP is the controller for shooting it makes more since cause in reality tho in the film they had to hold the gun + the scanner seperatly and refocus to shoot or scan

Sorry, not it doesn't make ANY sense. What would make sense if my character on the screen, put his weapon away, and held the tracker out in front of him as a 3D model. in this situation you can have the weapon out and watch the scanner at the same time. which was only possibly on the bigger guns with the tracker attached to the gun itself. which oh wait is also possible when it's done in game with the proper 3D models. AMAZING. and far more immersive and properly done.

The tracker does not look like a white plastic toy outside of the gameworld. in the geeky hands of a gamer that exists outside the gameworld. that is NOT immersive. that is taking you as far out of the gameworld as possible. and since the game is made for multiple platform. I'll bet they have the option to use in game trackers on the WiiU version as well, and that's what gamers are going to be using because it keeps eyes on the gameworld and is properly in game immersive. the tablet controller version will only be used to show of to friends, and the second they're out the door, you'll change back to the in game version.

and yes, Smartglass requires premium for watching rented content that requires premium or for multiplayer games :rolleyes:

[HawkMan]

about the controller thing. that's kinda funny, since controllingthe game is JUST what they're doing in the video ...

Already today without smartglass you can even use a pad as a primitive controller. and he even talks about using it as a controller in certain games.

[notuptome2004]

about the controller thing. that's kinda funny, since controllingthe game is JUST what they're doing in the video ...

Already today without smartglass you can even use a pad as a primitive controller. and he even talks about using it as a controller in certain games.

yes they are using it for basic task in game but it is not for FPS games or anything like that as for your otyher post the abilty to use the GP has a full screen tracker makes since same reason it is used as a real-time map for some games rather then pausing a game just to see a full map. but using it for something like the Tracker would work well and i am sure does cause it always be there depending on what else they may offer

[HawkMan]

No it doesn't make sense for the exact same reason as I already posted in my previous posts. primarily it takes you out of the game for no benefit.

and no they are using the smartglass controller for advanced tasks in game where a controller can't be used.

[notuptome2004]

No it doesn't make sense for the exact same reason as I already posted in my previous posts. primarily it takes you out of the game for no benefit.

and no they are using the smartglass controller for advanced tasks in game where a controller can't be used.

umm the game is running in real time the game is not paused at all it is all real-time including all the Wii U games that demonstrated GP gameplay everything is on the GP in real time without taking you out of the game did you not watch any of the damn videos showing this stuff or you just not wanting to watch and just make stuff up the whole reason for this is so you always in the game never taken out of the action .

Zombie U is a good example of the use of the GP in that when you need to go through your inventory your still in the game real-time and you are searching through your bag on the GP and well as in real life you focus shifts to rifling through your backpack or so and at any given time something else could happen .

Every developer Would 100% disagree with you the player that it takes ya out of the game and i am sure everyone who went to E3 and or was @ the Press event on the Wii U launch date and stuff

[~Johnny]

Way wrong, less accurate. Resistive screens need to be calibrated.

We'll see how 'light' the tablet controller is.

That comes from the screen type, you could easily have a matte screen.

That just means the LCD is more likely to break, which is actually worse. It's easier to replace the glass. Plus, the bezel makes it even less likely for the glass to crack.

Resistive screens only need to be calibrated if you move the overlay layer from it's default position over the LCD. Otherwise it's perfectly calibrated in the factory, and isn't going to magically lose it's calibration - and that overlay layer isn't going to move unless you try to rip it out. And again, resistive screens with a stylus allow pixel perfect accuracy. With a capacitive screen, nearly nothing does unless you have a digitiser. It's a well known scientific fact that capacitive screens by design offer less accuracy than resistive, in exchange for better responsiveness.

The controller also weights only 500g (for comparison, an Xbox 360 wired controller is 300g, and a wireless one with a good set of rechargeable batteries edges that to around the 400g mark), so it's quite light for what it is.

I also don't know if you've ever seen a matte capacitive screen? People don't tend to make them. To be fair, I don't actually know why, but I assume there's some sort of technical or cost reason.

It also means the touchscreen is more rugged without glass. I could drop the controller on the floor many times (which, let's face it, is going to happen to a lot of these controllers), and not be worried about cracking glass, because instead of glass I have layers of durable plastic over a durable plastic screen coating.

As an aside, there's not a single thing a smartglass device can do for games that a WiiU gamepad couldn't do, whereas there's quite a bit a WiiU gamepad can do that smartglass can't. Smartglass itself is just a rather basic javascript (most likely REST based) API for developers to allow communication between a game running on the Xbox and another program - and as far as I've been able to tell that's routed through the internet too, not over the local network. In fact, Smartglass applications are written in HTML 5 & JS, which is a downer already, and if it is REST based that precludes things like streaming from your device.

----------

As an aside, I'm not too bothered about Unreal Engine 4, though that may be because I've not seen any actual games running on it :p I'd quite like the WiiU to have the power in it to run something like Watchdogs, which doesn't seem too far fetched. Though, I'm also interested to see what they're doing with this 1GB of system reserved RAM. That's a lot of RAM on your games console not being used for games... I understand MiiVerse and applications like video chat will be able to stay open, but a whole 1GB seems very generous.

[HawkMan]

umm the game is running in real time the game is not paused at all it is all real-time including all the Wii U games that demonstrated GP gameplay everything is on the GP in real time without taking you out of the game did you not watch any of the damn videos showing this stuff or you just not wanting to watch and just make stuff up the whole reason for this is so you always in the game never taken out of the action .

What does real time have to do with it. Do you even play games and u deist and how this works

I click the "use scanner" button, the marine on my screen(me) puts away his gun, that is visible in his(my) hands on the screen, and pulls out the scanner, in 3d on the screen, in his(my) hands. Oh and here's the kicker, in real time. And thus I'm holding the scanner in my characters hands, properly immersive in the game world, and the gun is towed as it should be. When the aliens approach, I properly need to replace the scanner with my gun again. Unless I'm using one of the big ass guns with the scanner attached.

All this, in real time, on the screen, in the game world, immersively. Not outside the game world, on a cheap plastic device that doesn't look like it belongs on a magical second pair of hands (?!!!).