Technology News, Technology Features

If you're into that sort of thing

Since before it even hit stores, much speculation has swirled over the graphical power of the Wii U, by which we mean how many polygons, shaders and effects it can push all at once. The launch window line-up includes exclusives that look gorgeous, others that have modest visuals, as well as ports and multi-platform...

Latency tests show that Nintendo's streaming tech is rock solid

One of the first things many people will question when picking up the Wii U GamePad for the first time is the quality of the streaming. With no wired connection between the console and controller, many make the assumption that the delay must be greater than when playing on a standard...

Industry veteran has "unbelievable respect" for its creator, though

Co-founder of 22 Cans and industry legend Peter Molyneux has already spoken out a few times saying he doesn't think modern day consoles are equipped properly for the ever-changing gaming market. Recently the former Bullfrog and Lionhead boss said he "struggles to see anything...

Info apparently obtained from Wii U hacks

For plenty that aren't merely interested in playing games on Wii U, but also want to know about its capabilities under the hood, the past few weeks have been full of claim and counter-claim about various aspects of the system. The CPU has been at the forefront of the debate, with negative and damning...

What silicon treasures lie beneath?

Are you curious about what's inside the Wii U? Users across the web have been discussing the system's technical specifications for months, but now that it is finally available in North America, many folk are seeing first-hand what Nintendo has to offer. However, few (if any) observations are as thorough and...

Developing titles is easier than expected

We already know Rayman creator Michel Ancel is a big fan of Wii U, as last week we reported his praise of the GamePad, saying it's "more advanced than what people might think". He's also stated how surprised he is at the console's power, and that developing Rayman Legends for Wii U has been easier than he...

GamePad is "more advanced than what people might think"

Nintendo's most recent systems, particularly from DS onwards, have succeeded on the strength of unique selling points rather than raw power, even if some label these as "gimmicks". DS introduced dual screens and stylus-based touch controls, 3DS was initially marketed on its glasses-free 3D...

Ding Ding, FIGHT!

What do you get when a Nintendo system's big selling point is innovative dual screen play — with a GamePad featuring its own screen — and a competitor's handheld and home console systems also offer various dual-screen connectivity options? You get a lot of corporate boasting and big talk, that's what, and the Nintendo vs Sony...

'N64: Everything just kinda works'

There may be some who read this article that are aspiring game designers, possibly playing around with PC development tools or maybe even a Raspberry Pi device — that's a super-cheap computer, for those that don't know. Beyond that group there are surely plenty of gamers curious about how a game goes from code to...

Blazing a trail

Nintendo has been known to dip into its past when looking for the future. The 3DS is a good example: while the handheld may be the first glasses-free 3D video game system, it's hardly the company's first foray into the third dimension. The forgotten Famicom 3D System brought pop-out graphics to Nintendo's original home console in...

More than just a super-sized 3DS

3DS XL lands in Europe and Japan a week from now, with North America joining in on 19th August. There's been a justifiable temptation for some to readily dismiss the new model as a re-scaled 3DS with no actual technological improvements. While that's a true comment in terms of processors and graphics chips, the new...

Eurogamer gets technical

Debate about the technical capability of Wii U has been taking place ever since it was revealed at E3 2011, but we're now in a better position after seeing plenty of game footage at E3 2012. The Digital Foundry team at Eurogamer.net has been picking apart footage from the event and assessing the power that Wii U is...

The money merry-go-around

While nobody can seem to agree on exactly what's inside the Wii U, one anonymous tipster has told Forget the Box that the console's components will cost around $180 USD. That figure supposedly comes from sources "closely involved with manufacturing and distributing Nintendo products." The $180 number includes the...

It worked for Wii

As the release of Wii U approaches, much focus seems to be on its technical capabilities, particularly its graphical prowess. Comments from anonymous developers that Wii U is less powerful than PS3 and Xbox 360 have raised the issue about how capable the machine 'needs' to be in terms of the graphics it's producing: we've already...

Too early to know

Earlier today we reported that the Gears of War developer expects Wii U success, so it would be remiss of us to not report the alternative viewpoint of well-known Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. On his regular GameTrailers show, Pachter answered a question about whether Wii U would face a similar fate to Dreamcast, an...

Some of them, anyway

Havok will provide its physics and animation tools to developers working on Wii U. Havok Physics is arguably the most recognisable in-game physics engine — a small field, admittedly — and has powered games including Half-Life 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and more. Managing director David Coghlan is very excited: We are...

A tablet-sized 3DS?

Nintendo's next home console, which may or may not be called Wii U, is due before the end of the year. While Nintendo is gradually unveiling details about the console and its tablet controller, the recent appearance of the console's patent filings has provided an interesting insight into what the machine could potentially...

The uprising starts now

Goombas are so much more than their common portrayal as easily vanquished stomp cushions would have you believe: they have other skills, like cleaning the house. That's right: someone made the inevitable leap and combined the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner with the Goomba and created... well, the Goomba Roomba, presumably. The...

Here comes the science

The whole 3D-without-glasses deal is still pretty impressive several months after the 3DS launch, but Tomita Technologies isn't happy about seeing the tech turn up in Nintendo's latest portable, taking the company to court with claims of patent infringement. Seijiri Tomita, a veteran engineer who worked at Sony for 30 years,...