Vigil Games, the team behind Darksiders II on Wii U, has told GameReactor that Nintendo's new console isn't a huge technical leap over the Xbox 360 and PS3.
In a video interview, game director Marvin Donald told the site:
So far the hardware's been on par with what we have with the current generations. Based on what I understand, the resolution and textures and polycounts and all that stuff, we're not going to being doing anything to up-rez the game, but we'll take advantage of the controller for sure.
It might not completely kill off those rumours about Wii U being twice as powerful as Xbox 360, but at least we know Wii U suffer from the same watered-down HD ports as its 480p predecessor. We hope.
[source gamereactor.se]
Comments 84
I hope they do a little better than the 360 and the PS3...feel like they are a step behind on graphics and online capabilities...but ahead in everything else that matters.
That seems like a mistake that will lead to those same watered down ports as soon as Sony and Microsoft move to the next generation w/much more powerful machines.
I'm sure it's more powerful than others, we just need someone to squeeze the most out of it. Nintendo wouldn't do the same mistake again by making a next gen console that is similar powerful as present gen ones. It might not be a big step forward but knowing that it'll be more powerful is great news already. E3 will give us the most idea about it
"but at least we know Wii U suffer from the same watered-down HD ports as its 480p predecessor."
Do we get watered-down ports on WiiU when PS4 and XBox720 are out?
I'm wondering, does Vigil Games even have one of the newer dev kits?
Crytek seemed to be pretty impressed with the Wii U, and Epic seems to like it as well.
Well, they're working with unfinished Wii U software, and we can't really measure the Wii U's power until something the PS3/X360 can't handle comes out.
Well if that is true, then Wii U shouldn't be more than $250 when it is launched.
im sure it will be more powerfull than the other consoles that are out now ninty ehas deep pockets and im sure a lot of that money has gone into r&d. lets see what ninty shows us at e3. thats when all the chips will be put on the table and we will see what other developers have for the wii u.. and i hope it gets a name change. but the wii u keeps it familiar in the market with what people already know.
This article seems a bit unclear, but all I got from it is that they aren't doing anything to update the graphics of Darksiders II. I don't think (really hope they aren't) Nintendo is going to skimp on the graphics this time. The first line of games probably will be on par with what Xbox 360 and PS3 have to offer right now, but I'm really expecting some hardware that leaves a lot of room to grow. If Nintendo skimps on graphics this time, I'm done.
I'm very curious which way Nintendo goes on this. This particular quote seems more about the teams approach to this particular game. Darksiders II was confirmed EARLY for Wii U, so they targeted a particular spec. The latest rumors seem to suggest that Nintendo may be trying to future-proof a little... as I think they should.
I believe Nintendo could really get a solid foothold if it makes the console powerful enough and is not afraid to break even on the console — or maybe even lose a little cash on each console like it is probably doing with the 3DS at the moment.
If it can fill the non-gaming entertainment role of PS3 and 360, have the "standard set" of 3rd party cross-platform games AND have the Nintendo exclusives, there are many people that would jump on that console and at least think they are going to ignore Microsoft and Sony's consoles.
Since I've jumped into the stereoscopic 3D bandwagon, I'm also rooting for Nintendo to amp up the specs just so it can have hi-res 3D unlike most PS3 games. I realize there are VERY few people who know how good 3D gaming can be at the moment and the industry COMPLETELY botched the momentum of stereoscopy at home, but I still personally want it. Racing games in 3D are amazing. (Maybe we get 3DS compatibility that way too. )
If they can do PS3 quality graphics now, when the console isn't even out yet, who knows what it'll be capable of 3-4 years down the line?
So it still sounds like it could be a decent leap up from the PS3/360
Look at what the man said. They aren't doing anything to improve how the game looks for Wii U. He never said it CAN'T do anything better, he just said they are focusing on adding features for the Wii U controller and not worrying about the technical upgrades that could be performed on the Wii U's hardware. People sure are going crazy about this quote, when the man hasn't even really told us anything!
But what means more powerfull here? PS3 (as far as I remember) is already more powerfull than the 360, but if you create a game calibrated for PS3's power then you will not be able to port it decently into 360. Power becomes a critical factor when the difference is in orders of magnitude, as Wii compared with PS3/360.
Hmm. Is he talking about the hardware in general or just this game. If the hardware is actually only as good as current gen I won't be getting a Wii U. But I think E3 will shed more light on how powerful the system is.
@aaronsullivan: "I'm very curious which way Nintendo goes on this. This particular quote seems more about the teams approach to this particular game."
Agreed, that is how I read it to.
I am also on the stereoscopic 3D bandwagon right there with you! It has breathed a new life into my PS3 and I am looking forward to playing some Nintendo first party games in 3D on my TV!
circa 2005: Current-gen graphics enter with the 7th generation
circa 2012: Nintendo offers Current-gen graphics
Everyone else has said the capabilities are above the current market. So they are. This is so early and it's a developer that, while respected, doesn't inspire awe, so I think we'll see a LOT more than current generation graphics before all's said. Starting next year, when more and more developers are designing exclusive Wii U games, rather than just porting across 3 consoles, we'll get the best looking games. Just have patience.
I don't know what I think about this...On one hand they kicked everbodys butt last cycle with a under powered system...just like Sony before them with the PS2, and it seems like ample power to give us Nintendo fans what we really want, and that is HD first party titles like only the big N can provide. On the other hand this will in the next couple of years when the PS3 and Breakbox 720 come out. Put them in the same spot they are in now since Wii U will not be powerful enough to get those third party games...Sigh.
@Koto exactly what I was thing, or maybe they decided that the Wii U wasn't important enough and gave them a crappy engine for the game!!!
Keep in mind that most PS3 and 360 games aren't even in full HD anyway, so most points are pretty moot. I think graphics are gonna hit a brick wall pretty soon as most "improvements" are gonna be not noticeable. As for power, I don't think we need a machine capable of doing too much. Look at the PS3 for crying out loud
So at this point on Nintendo will always be one step behind Sony and Microsoft?
@Koops3
Only in terms of spec and powers, in terms of gameplay, quality, and innovation on the otherhand Nintendo is way beyond them.
I seriously doubt tvs are going to get any more advance then they are for awhile. Not saying they wont ever but saying it will take awhile. Thats y i dnt think Sony and Microsoft will be coming out with a console anytime soon. And by that time Nintendo will probably be coming out with another console given with there history it'll come out 5 or 6 years from when the Wii U comes out.
I heard from Nintendo3DStv that some developers aren't even able to make 1080p games for the Wii U and that the system only SUPPORTS 1080p... What the hell? I don't understand why some developers are in complete awe by the system and others are unimpressed.
Considering that the other two companies have new systems on the way, being on par with the current ones is a bad thing.
Still at 0% chance of buying this thing at launch right now.
That's on par with what I'm hearing from developers as far as what the system can do from a processing standpoint. I personally would have liked to see them at least kick it up a few notches above PS3. We'll just have to wait and see what transpires in June at E3. We'll get a good look at what it can do there.
"but at least we know Wii U suffer from the same watered-down HD ports as its 480p predecessor."
Don't you mean "won't suffer"?
All of the other developers that commented on the Wii U say otherwise.
God, not another Wii.... Wth is Nintendo thinking releasing these underpowered pieces of garbage? DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE 360 AND PS3 ERA IS ALMOST OVER!?
Nintendo will lose pretty much their entire fanbase if they keep this idiotic chain up. Half was already lost last gen with the Wii, the ONLY good games to come out on it that were comparable to PS3/360 exclusives were the Nintendo made games. STOP making weak systems Nintendo, it's unacceptable and makes me almost ashamed at this point to call myself a Nintendo fan... The only good console you have out right now is the 3DS, and that's ridiculous. I DON'T care about price if the games will be on par with the PS4/Xbox 720.
@Nintendoftw: They won't disappoint Nintendo fans as long as Nintendo fans aren't disappointed. And so far, they don't seem to be. As far as the capabilities of the console, the Wii U is very innovative. Innovation isn't related to being "better" than the competition at what the competition does. Innovation involves doing something the competitions DOESN'T do. And so far, that's exactly what they're doing. And it's not garbage, nor is is a generation behind. It's a generation ahead and when it launches, it will be the most technologically advanced videogame system ever produced. And given that Sony and Microsoft have no announced plans for a follow-up to their current endeavors, it will be another year before those two catch up to Nintendo.
I'm not saying you should be praising Nintendo, by any means. No one needs to do that. But do think through your opinions before blasting them in caps lock. It just makes the site as a whole a friendlier place for everyone when we are all being thoughtful.
@Nintendoftw personally i think if you are/were a Nintendo fan, u wouldn't be coming on here and saying these things about the new console. U would be happy there coming out with there eighth gen console. Its more advance because of innovation not because of power (which btw its 1080p). It really is up to the developers to decided what kind of engine they want to use and how they develop the game for that particular system.
So the system has not even launched yet, and because of this quote, some people seem to already cap its power and say it won't cut it, when compared to other (future) consoles we know even less about.
That is like judging the PS3 for the first few launch games (which in Wii U's case we are talking ports, not made from the ground up software) without even expecting games as impressive as Uncharted 2 or even Heavy Rain.
If a quote like this is any indication, then some devs won't even try to squeeze the machine's power, even if it is more powerful than current gen systems. On the other hand, isn't Naughty Dog still trying to get the most out of Sony's six year old console and still awing us in the process?
Dont care! I just want it!
Well this is a bit odd because I know we don't know alot about WiiU but what we do know 4 sure stright from Nintendo is that it can run games in 1080p so why can't they bump up the rez again. I will remind you that the PS3 and 360 can only run 720p.
Plus aren't these the same guys who confidently said when WiiU was 1st announced that it was more powerful then PS3 and 360. Now their saying it's just on par with them MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!
A big question will be on when the Microsoft and Sony release their new consoles? There was a lot of hype of both them coming in 2013, but with both Microsoft and Sony not showing new consoles at E3 this year it kinda puts a damper on everything. The longer it takes for Microsoft and Sony to release there consoles, the easier it will be to justify having Nintendo merely meet the standards of the current HD consoles because that is more time for developers to work with the Wii U and bring out it's potential.
Being a generation behind allows Nintendo to sell consoles for cheap. Sure they could release the Wii U with true next generation graphics, I believe they are capable of doing so, but it would have to have a large price tag to do so. Nintendo is concerned about producing great games on a console everyone can afford. Sony and Microsoft's next consoles will be amazing but also have a high price tag.
Who cares about all these graphics stuff. I'm always more willing to play old school classics over bad HD games. It's about the quality of games overall and Nintendo can make really high-quality games.
@NINTENBOY Oh god no, I only use my 35" EDTV which is a Tube TV for gaming, because the lag on LCD, and Plasma TV's is unbearable, and if the resolution were higher than 1080p the games would look horrible on my TV.
The Japanese Garden demo says otherwise.
Called it, at E3 last year. I hope they're putting a good price tag on it, though. Can't wait to see glorious Nintendo franchises in HD.
I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is graphics can't really get much better than what they are now.
If they do, development costs will be astronomical, and the retail market will become even more stagnant or collapse altogether.
I don't believe this quote says a lot. They basically say they don't feel like upresing...which means noone will buy that game 5 months after release.....
I wouldn't worry about quotes like this because it will be a year after the SUPER WiiTENDO launches when the full potential gets realised and the power gets unleashed. So this company is just gonna take the lazy route and release a port (thats how I read it anyway)
First, did anybody really think Nintendo was going to jump from the Wii to a system that was a generation ahead of the PS3/Xbox360, equal to the PS4/Xbox720? Completely unrealistic. Never going to happen.
And if they did the system would have to be $500 or $600. Also completely unrealistic and never going to happen. Right now you can walk into Target and buy an Xbox360 w/ Kintect for $250 and get a $50 GC. So basically an Xbox plus the Kinect for $200. That's today. The PS3 sold holiday bundles for $200 last year. What prices do you think these systems will sell for this holiday and what will people be willing to spend for a WiiU? Not $400. Maybe $300. That's the real world. The world Nintendo has to sell their systems in. Knowing they will be constrained on price, they have to constrain themselves on the hardware.
Also, you can't go from offering the lowest price launch system at $250 to the highest current priced system. They've already alienated the hard core and they'll alienate all the families if they did that, leaving only the Nintendo fans. And there are a few, but not enough. So by making a "next" next gen system which would have to be high priced all they would succeed in doing is bankrupting the company. See 3DS price drop from $250 to $180. The WiiU won't be $500, it'll be $360, and have the hardware to match.
OK, now for the good news. Nintendo's Wii games - Super Mario Galaxy, Kart, Brawl - look great on my 52" 1080p TV. I really don't know how Nintendo does it, but their games shine compared to 3rd party stuff. Their WiiU games should LOOK "next" next gen until whatever comes after 1080p tvs. And it's not like next gen system games can really look all that much better anyway, can they? Uncharted 2, God of War 3 (sorry, I don't have an Xbox360 for comparison). Nintendo just needs to make a system that can handle those games, plus their own, at an affordable price, and they'll sell systems. "Next" next gen be damned.
Works for me. I only need goombas, overalls and pointy green hats to look so detailed until 30 minutes into the game when I all I care about is good controls and gameplay.
They just stomped the competition by releasing a console with 2001 tech but an innovative, compelling input method. What would make them say, "Hmm, that was a mistake. Let's go for pure power, price and audience be damned!" They'll release a console with current-gen specs but with a new way to control your experience (tablet controller), make more profit, keep prices low to sell to broader audience, bring in curious onlookers, make Nintendo fans happy. Sure, some tech-fans will yell about the graphics not being up to par with eventual Xbox 720, etc., but 1080p will stand up to whatever comes next much better than the Wii's SD graphics did. Anyway, hardware means very little. It's all about the games.
@JimLad , graphics can be way ahead of what you have now for consoles. You can say, the dwarf of this RPG is excellent, as well as this tree and that mountain. Fine, now what if a game must render 100 dwarves instead of one, 1000 trees, several mountains and all of a visual horizon of several kilometers. The heavy work to design the dwarf is the same for one than for 100, the difference is that might be your console can only render 3 of these at the same time instead of 100.
@Assassin87 What is the innovation? The new controllers that allows you to take your Wii U games anywhere? You do know that the PSVita and PS3 have the same functionality right....? There is no "innovation" with the Wii U, and I AM a Nintendo fan but I am sick of buying system that are weaker than the last gen consoles. (The Wii is weaker than the original Xbox). The Nintendo fanbase is weaker than it has ever been before, no it's not because of the emerging competition, it's because Nintendo keeps getting destroyed in terms of home consoles because developers can't develop games with next gen standards. The Wii is a gen behind the PS3/360, and I know this because I have a Wii and a PS3.
And hardware means a heck of a lot more than you guys who don't know much about gaming make it out to be.
Processing power is needed for better games. Say Red Dead Redemption, PS3 and 360 exclusive. Why? Because the Wii is simply too weak to run it, and if they did port it to the Wii, it would have graphics that look like San Andreas for PS2 and the map will have to be down scaled by a lot. Without processing power, the Wii U will be another failure to Nintendo fans waiting for a good console. All of you who say you don't care about graphics, that's fine. But when it comes to processing power YOU BETTER CARE, that's the only thing that separates this gen from the next. You obviously haven't played a PS3 if you think hardware doesn't mean anything.
@Nintendoftw PS3 and Vita DO NOT have the same functionality as the Wii U. i dnt kno wut the heck u are talking about but i was referring to touch screen controller.
And please don't get to talking about prices, nope, a next gen system wouldn't cost 500-600$, not even in that range -_-. 300-350$ machine would ensure that Nintendo could get a nice console out that might be behind the other consoles, but not drastically behind like the Wii is with the PS3/360. Maybe in the middle like the gamecube was, anything's better than the same disgusting tactic showcased this gen.
@Assassin87 It's called remote play -_-. You can play your PS3 games anywhere as long as you're near a wifi hot spot, WITH YOUR VITA.
@Nintendoftw the ps vita jus got released this year and this is the first time i have heard about this? Seems like they got that idea from Wii U. No innovation from sony seems like it!
Nope, the idea actually was before the Wii U was even announced. The PSP had it, but the PSVita has it now so you can actually play PS3 games from it. It was not stolen from Nintendo.
Bad news! I want a console that is at least twice as powerful as a xbox360! But that doesn't seem to happen!
this sucks someone please tell me this is wrong. just this once i wanted to say nintendo is number 1 again !@#$!
@hendie001 according to product moved...Nintendo is still Number 1
Oh no!? The wii U is on the same level as the 360/PS3 whatever shall we do!? -_-
Seriously, why is this such a big deal, whether or not the wii u is more powerful or not won't make a difference. Unless M$ and Sony expect people to by a $800 console. I bet money you won't notice any graphical differences in the new generation. Nintendo doesn't need the best graphics, Nintendo has innovation. Innovation is the main reason I'm excited for the wii u. (not that I wouldn't love to see mario in HD) If the wii u had a "standard" controller like fanboys are complaining about, no one would be half as excited for it. Basically more powerful or not the wii u has all my attention.
@Magic-Wind I'm sorry but what? Do you know how big of a problem it would be if it isn't at least 2x the power of the PS3?
If the PS4 and the Xbox 720 are much more powerful than the Wii U, very much like the consoles of this generation, then the Wii U is going to struggle again in gaining the "core" audience back.
And how big of a problem it would be if it is 1/5 the power of a PS4? Would the devs keep creating games calibrated for the power of the WiiU or would they jump to the next generation power level? What if Nintendo, Sony or MS launches a 800$ console able to run games of the graphic quality and density of Lord of the Rings film in real-time? I remember the critical jump from SVGA games and these with real 3D acceleration with the first 3DFX cards, they were pretty expensive, even more if you run with SLI configuration, but this was massively accepted by the PC gaming comunity.
@Nintendoftw 2X the power means nothing when talking about the hardware. I will be surprised if the wii u isn't more powerful than the PS3. I also expect the wii u to be the weakest console next gen but not by much. And for the wii u to become the wii of next gen the PS4 and 720 would be at least $800. Sony learned their lesson with the PS3... no one knows what M$ is doing. I don't think you realized but graphics have reached a wall. Like I said in my previous post there won't be a noticeable graphical difference.
Here we go...it's time for another round of 'Wii U = weak stopgap console' gibberish!
@Magic-Wind - You have the right idea, dude. Yes, it'll be likely that the Wii U will be 'weaker' than Sony and Microsoft's new consoles...but I honestly don't give a toss, to be frank. Visuals won't be getting much better than the stuff we have now...and when it eventually hits complete photorealism, then what? In my mind, the future of videogames is not pure polygon-power, but creating immersive and interactive worlds to get lost in.
I mean, how many console games today boast incredible graphics? A lot.
How many of those games have a rich, interactive world on par with those aforementioned graphics? Errr...
if it's able to render everything at 1080p natively that'll take a lot more power than the 360 and probably the ps3 too. the graphics at that resolution might not be a huge leap from the current generation, maybe that's what this guy means. but it'll be very crisp and plenty detailed.
@sdcazares1980 Gee when did these console get announced??? I seriously doubt they will be MUCH more power. Like these folks said above me they will be more powerful but not by much. And beside when they release there console's Nintendo will probably release another console. I only say this because of given there history, there console only have a 5 to 6 year life span. And I been reading that Sony says there PS3 had a good ten year life span and they've already hit there halfway mark. Now Microsoft I can see releasing in the next couple years but Sony and Nintendo are right behind them. But this is all based on history so who knows, history my not repeat itself. I honestly dont kno what these companies can do to differ themselves from this current gen because graphically they have hit a wall.
@Nintendoftw Actually you can, but streaming games is all you can do. And when you think about it thats not really new either. The Wii U controller is designed to do a whole lot more than streaming games to the controller! Now to see if all actually works we'll just have to see at launch because PS Vita wasn't able to even do the streaming and i haven't found anything that says u can do it yet.
@Wolfenstein83 when u say much, do u mean the size or what it can do?
@Wolfenstein83 yea i agree, that would be my main issue with it. Everything else I have heard about the controller sounded great!
@Magic-Wind Yes there will, I don't know about you but the Zelda tech demo I saw was absolutely laughable... I have PS3 games that look better than that. processing power and graphical power = drastic differences in graphics. Wii U will end up looking as good as an average PS3 while the PS4 will be looking as good as PC games do now.
@Assassin87 Yes.. The PSVita can PLAY PS3 games not only stream them. At the moment Sony is definitely prepping ps vita's remote play to be more accessible to more PS3 games of course, but the fact is that you can play PS3 games on the vita
@Nintendoftw umm yea, thats what it means when u stream a game to your hand held. yea, and the fact is, Wii u controller can do a whole lot more than stream the game to controller for you to play it.
@Nintendoftw haha, u cant compare a tech demo when the Wii U was in an early stage of its development to a PS3 game thats been on the market. I am wandering, wut game is it that your talking about? And i do not believe that PS4 game will ever be as good as pc games.
@Nintendoftw The PS4... with pc graphics....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.Yeah not going to happen, Sony is as broke as a joke right now. Also the tech demo was rushed.
@Magic-Wind Sony is broke right now? Wth are you talking about? --. Sony already makes gaming PCs anyway --
@Assassin87 I said as good as PC games are now... Obviously. The PS3 has considered pretty good in terms of hardware when it came out, and so will the PS4. And it will definitely be comparable to most high end gaming PCs being put out nowadays.
@Nintendoftw No, u read my post right. I dnt think PS4 will be able to do that. I agree with Magic-wind, i dnt think they have the kinda money people think they might have. I dont think they can even produce these so-called ps4 computer type consoles as you say they do. And btw, they had issue when they first came out. I personally DO NOT consider the good hardware.
@Nintendoftw Vaio is not a gaming pc in my eyes. There so many better quality computers its not even funny. Vaio is not worth the amount of money you pay for it. XPS,HP,Alien Ware they are all better.( though they could be cheaper) That bieng said this is my last post on this topic.
@Assassin87 Of course Sony has enough money to release a new console that is drastically more powerful than the PS3, it would be idiotic to think otherwise. Sony is NOT a poor company.
@Magic-Wind Vaio is still a good PC.
@Nintendoftw dude how more power do u think console can get? And what do you consider power? If your talking about graphics then there is absolutely no point in releasing another console because graphics, as other people had said, has reached a brick wall and can't be improve at the moment. This will also be my last post on this discussion because it has not proved to me of anything you have said. I dont even kno why you are on this site bashing the new console and comparing it to the PS3 . Personally i think your just a Sony fanboy bashing the Wii U. I advise you to go on a PS3 website and bash it on there, as seeing this is a Nintendo website people WILL NOT tolerate it.
@Luffymcduck I saw that too. I think they did it on purpose, so you have to ask yourself the question of what they meant by that . . .
@Assassin87 You lack of basic understanding of how power can affect gameplay. Get an actual GAMING system like the PS3/360 and throw away that toy (the Wii). I still regret getting that piece of garbage.
@Nintendoftw What makes you think that Sony still has an amazing amount of money to spend, might I remind you of their 1.3 BILLION dollar loss, this is apparently it's 4th annual loss in a row. They're not doing to well: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-02-sony-makes-gargantuan-1-3-billion-loss-during-third-quarter
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