Update: Following an update to the source article, we have amended the headline to absolutely clarify that sections of this article are referring to Wii U's graphical capabilities, specifically, based on comments made by SEGA Marketing Executive Ben Finch at Gamescom.
Original Article
The capabilities of Wii U, from the perspective of graphical power, have led to some contradictory comments from the development community. As the system's launch creeps ever closer, however, we should be able to assume that developers now have access to the final dev-kit builds, and therefore have a solid understanding of the console's capabilities.
Opinions have fluctuated from declaring Wii U to be more powerful than its HD rivals, to others saying that it's actually weaker than those systems. The latest industry figure to throw his hat into the ring is SEGA Marketing Executive Ben Finch, speaking to Eurogamer.net and saying that Wii U is, graphically, "on par" or "maybe even better" than PS3.
Sumo Digital, meanwhile, is the team behind the upcoming Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, and Eurogamer has learnt that Mii characters will feature in the Wii U and 3DS versions of the title, while the Wii U GamePad can be used for remote play — if the TV isn't available — or as a rear camera view. Missiles and weapons can also be guided with the GamePad, though monitoring that screen while racing on the television may be tricky.
Plenty of developers and publishers have commented on Wii U's graphical capabilities, and the general consensus seems to be that the system will at least match PS3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo's focus, once again, is on providing new and exciting gaming experiences, even if its next system is likely to be outgunned by Sony and Microsoft's successors in the next couple of years. Does the apparently modest power of Wii U worry you, or is it all about the games and innovative new ways to play?
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 62
of course it is a bit more powerful than 360 or ps3
due to the two screens the WiiU has to render double the amount pictures in some games (like when the wiiupad shows the rear view of you car).
wii was a bit better than xbox/ps2/gamecube
wiiU will be a bit better than xbox360/ps3
this is not rocket science
Has to be more powerful. Otherwise when PS4/Xbox 720 come out, developers will need a 2nd team once again to develop 3rd party games on Wii U. Which means less 3rd party support. This is a bad thing potentially.
It seems nintendo is kind of lagging a generation behind in terms of hardware capabilities, but personally, I'm fine with that. The WiiU is able to play 1080p HD video which is enough. For me, games are more about fun and innovative gameplay rather than graphics.
It's not ALL about the graphics processor, it's about the overall system power and the development. And the development is big - some Xbox games look better than PS3 games though most people would agree the PS3 is more powerful. And some 1st party Wii games look better than some PS3 games (Majin and Neir). The only real important question is if 3rd party games can be made to run - to some extent - on the WiiU. They don't need to look as good, but they shouldn't need to be cartooned up like the football and Ghostbuster games. I'm hoping since the WiiU is HD capable, and the Xbox720 and PS4 will also only be HD capable b/c there isn't anything better yet, that th eWiiU will be ABLE to keep pace.
Now keep in mind, the Gamecube was better than the Xbox or PS2, but 3rd parties don't like to play with Nintendo, so don't expect miracles. I'ld say politics will be more important than power w/ the next gen systems.
Well with Miis confirmed, I can race as my Knuckles Mii
It's probably just a bit more powerful in term of graphics processing. And that extra bit will mostly be used for GamePad streaming. Also developers aren't going to invest much more time to squeeze every bit out of the Wii U, so graphically, games aren't going to look better than on PS3.
For me it is disapppointing, I'm certainly not going to buy a Wii U, MS/Sony next-gens are already around the corner and Nintendo is once again coming with an outdated console. It looks like Nintendo is competing with the current Sony/MS consoles, but they have been there for 6 years and have of course already built up big catalog of games.
The GamePad concept is not revolutionizing. Having a second screen in your hands isn't going to offer groundbreaking features, it will mostly only be used for interface/inventory navigation etc. It has a big gimmick factor imo.
I also wasn't impressed by the Wii U games, only Rayman Legends interested me and ZombiU did show some good implementation of the Wii U.
It is all about power, Nintendo's old slogan existed for a reason. More power means more gameplay possibilities, allow development of better physics engine, AI and also graphics. Of course it's not all about power, but limiting a developer is never really smart. ("Now you're playing with power!" [Super power] )
But still, I'm sure Wii U will have some great games anyways.
Before anybody says anything (too late), this article was twisted out of context!
Eurogamer took the quote from an IGN article and made an inflammatory title out of it. Games journalism is a gift that keeps on giving. This is what was said:
"The game is “easily on a par [with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions],” says Lycett. “We’re still very much getting to grips with what we can make the hardware do [...]. So it’s hard to really answer that right now, but yeah, I think once we’ve had a bit more time finding our way around it, chances are you can look to do things that you may not be able to do before.”
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/13/sonic-all-stars-racing-transforms-on-wii-u
I suspect that it's more powerful than they realize because they have had years to learn how to program for PS3 and 360, I'm sure they still have things to learn about the Wii U.
...and Nintendo had just reached HD, that's fine with me and I bet the Wii U won't overheat.
Nintendo has been out gunned in graphical capabilities for the last two systems and has managed to stay on its feet. Their business model is just different than the other com
Companies. They will figure it out.
The problem is, though, and many have raised this point in the past, that if the Wii U is far out of step with the next gen Sony and MS consoles then devs will be less likely to bother making Wii U ports of their games. Once again, Wii U owners will miss out on a bunch of third party games.
The reality of the situation is that if the Wii U can't compete with the other next gen consoles it'll have a very difficult time. Games devs are only becoming more risk-averse, and they're not going to spend time developing exclusives for the Wii U when they can potentially triple their audience by developing multiplatform titles for the PC and next XBox/PS.
If I was a potential Wii U owner, I'd be worried.
"It is all about power, Nintendo's old slogan existed for a reason. More power means more gameplay possibilities, allow development of better physics engine, AI and also graphics. Of course it's not all about power, but limiting a developer is never really smart. ("Now you're playing with power!" [Super power] )" - Cyrso
Nice comment. I remember when Nintendo emphasised power. Those were the good ol' days for me Anyway, if Nintendo does its job and sells a lot of the Wii U consoles then company's will be there with games despite its supposed lack of power compared to other two not-yet announced consoles.
@Ryno: But the Wii sold bucketloads, and the third party support wasn't great. I can't deny that there were some fantastic games on the Wii, but the third party support paled in comparison to the 360 and PS3.
Sure, whatever....CAN THEY TELL US WHEN THE STUPID THING IS COMING OUT ALREADY?! xD
@Wheels2050-
I disagree... the Wii had a ton of third party support, don't judge it just by some of the larger 360 and PS3 games, the Wii had PLENTY of games from third party companies that are not available on the other consoles.
i worry a lot. yeah i like innovative games. nintendo always bring some on a plate.
But when i got my PS3, i found a new world of graphical prowess AND innovation and this is why i will chose sony for my next gen home console.
Graphic power and immersive visual really is something to experience, and now I always carve for the next title that will WOW me visually and provide me with some amazing gameplay.
power doesnt only shiny objects. Its also the power to render HUGE areas realtime (skyim!), to render incredible physics (little big planet!) and crank up framerate and fluidity.(try a 60fps game, youll see) Also, it must be able to have enough power for the upcoming years in term of graphic effect technology.
what I feel with the WiiU so far is that it can take whatever is on the market right now, and maybe better mainly due to a 1080p resolution. But in 2 years, it will be outdated ridiculously. Devs will have to find ways to cut around things so they are able to make their creations OK. This way of doing isnt exactly what devs and artists want.
Big companies always want to go beyond their last game. They have solid competitors around the world trying to make the best looking game ever, to find the best new gameplay, physics, immersion,etc. on one side you have 2 consoles that will provide them freedom as they see fit for the upcoming years. On the other side, you have a console allready outdated and on which they will have to fix barriers, to hold themselves for doing too much because the hardware wont be able to do it. i call that cockblocking.
in 2 years or so,you will have to chose wether you want the top quality looking CoD (im hate CoDs, but theyre popular) or the downsized WiiU version with its odd gamepad.
I feel doing games for nintendo will cost more than developing something on microsoft or sony consoles dues to their standard approach. It doesnt mean they dont have those motion things or tablet, you can bet they will. but they wont be necessary for devs to create their games.
The WiiU make that pad a central point, while I feel it should be more an optional thing that can be cool to have, but that you can actually chose if you want it or not, saving pennies along the way.
and frankly, mario and zelda will need some serious innovations because right now, they stagnate to me. the last zelda didnt impressed me at all, and i HATE, I HATE and I HATE that damn motion control nunchuk thing. what a fail.
Sadly, I believe this was misquoted. The guy from Sumo Digital was saying that the wii u verison of Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed was on par or better with the Ps3 version, not the actual consoles themselves.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/13/sonic-all-stars-racing-transforms-on-wii-u
At this point in time I don't think the graphical power of systems can get THAT much better anyway, so if there is a difference between the power of Nintendo and the next Playstation (because regardless of what some people think, Xbox isn't as powerful as the PS3 and I predict the same will be true for the next gen) I don't think it will be all that noticeable.
@Cyrso Nintendo still has to show the specs though, Nintendo never said there competing with JUST current gen, even if they do than what will happen when MS/Sony release there consoles? Nintendo might lose 3rd party support (I could be wrong though) But is not the end of the world. But though, what you said about graphics etc it depends on Devs.
This article doesn't match its source. In the Eurogamer article it specifically says
"British developer Sumo Digital's new Sonic racer is graphically "on-par" with current generation consoles - "or maybe even better", according to publisher Sega."
The developer was clearly talking about the game being at PS3 level or better, not the Wii U's capabilities. I'm sorry, but it seems like this NintendoLife article was written based off the title of Eurogamer's article ('Sega: Wii U graphics on-par with PlayStation 3, "maybe even better"') and not the information itself. Sumo never said "that Wii U is "on par" or "maybe even better" than PS3" as this article claims they did.
I wonder if this is like the SNES vs. Genesis comparison where the SNES outshined the Genesis in every aspect of hardware specs except one little area.
Anyway, I still think you guys are getting too worked up over the PS4 and 720. If they are that much more powerful, they will be that much more expensive. Wii was able to compete with lower resolution graphics and cheap price point, the Wii U may be able to do the same. Not to mention the 720 and PS4 have to have something to make you want to buy the new system just like the Wii U has/will need.
People who think it will be "outdated" in a few years have no idea what they are talking about. Let's look at the hard facts of the 3 companies. Sony lost money on every PS3 it sold until the latter half of 2010. Sony as a company has lost money for 5 straight years, including losing US $5.8 Billion in 2011. They have sold around 2.8 million Vitas compared to over 18 million 3DS. Sony simply cannot continue to sell hardware, although powerful, for a loss. The company will simply sink.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is doing well. It is pushing its resources at Windows 8. However, all they have for a series is Halo, Fable, and Gears of War. They did not make any money on the original Xbox, and lost money for 4 years on the 360.
Simply said, it is not 2006 anymore. There was a massive recession in the US and things still are not great. Europe is in shambles with several countries bankrupt. There is no company that can afford to sell products for a loss.
If you want to know what Nintendo is up to, do a google search with "Nintendo and Blue Ocean Strategy." That will tell you everything you need to know.
@kingofe3 Thank you. I posted a response similar to yours on another website about this. It's ridiculous how one website's misinformation (Eurogamer) can have the snowball effect on the internet.
NintendoLife, please do some additional research on your articles before continuing to spread flawed info. This is my main go to site for Nintendo goodness...please keep your standards high.
@Cyrso Gimmicks sold the DS, Wii, and 3DS. Just sayin'.
"we should be able to assume that developers now have access to the final dev-kit builds, and therefore have a solid understanding of the console's capabilities"
"We’re still very much getting to grips with what we can make the hardware do"
@Samholy - unfornately many of those games, Skyrim for example I'd would never even think about playing on an Xbox or PS3, they control so much better on a PC and Skyrim looks much better and has no loading times like it does on 360 every time you enter or exit a building.
I have a good PC, a Wii and a 3DS. I can play all the Nintendo games and all the others... like Skyrim, Call of Duty, etc... I can play on my PC, I have absolutely no need for an outdated 360 or PS3.
Oh... and motion controls rock!
@kyuubikid213
I wouldn't call dual screens, motion controls, and glasses free 3D gimmicks, since they actually contribute quite a lot to gaming, but to each his own.
And I'd say the games sold the DS, Wii, and 3DS, not the consoles themselves.
@Cyrso - it's all about power??? that's sad. So it doesn't matter if a game sucks, you only want it to look pretty? try going outside, it looks great to me, and it's in 3D!
Since the Wii U is primarily a PS3 port console, you'd expect the graphics to be on par with Sony.
I have to say, as a person who owns a PS3 and Wii, I see no point in jumping onto the Wii U wagon until I see some must have exclusives. ZombiU is a great start though, and I would love to see more exclusives like that come to the system. If they had more, I would be getting a Wii U in a heart-beat, also if people only own a Wii, they will be getting this system probably at launch.
On the other hand, by the time a couple of great must have exclusives come out we might hear what Sony and Microsoft is bringing to the table and my mind might be completely off Wii U. All I know is the normal things Nintendo did back then that made me excited and run out to buy there system is dead, they need to really step up there game if they wanna compete with Sony and Microsoft in the hardcore market.
One things for certain, I think this upcoming generation has a certain "one of us ain't gettin' outta here alive" vibe to it.
I can't see all three of the major companies be willing to keep losing money on systems for years at a time anymore.
It just seems odd to me that MS and Sony have been so quiet about whats next out of the oven. 10 years ago, both companies were constantly one-upping each other in the whats next? realm. Are they waiting to see if the Wii U bombs at $300-$350 retail? What chance do they have if their new, more "powerful" systems start out at $400-$500+ range and are nothing more than near clones of each other?
@aesupreme1 @tacopwnU This is correct. Sumo Said that the Wii U version of THE GAME was on par or a little better. EuroGamer lied in the title of the article to get people to click on it.
I'm fine with Wii U being capable of modern HD graphics, as long is it loads faster than PS3. Damn that thing is slow.
Slow day...
Why does everyone act like Nintendo's always lagging behind in power? The Wii was pretty much the only time that it was that far behind and it seems like they were more interested in innovation that time than anything, yet a lot act like this has been going on for centuries. Anyone remember the Gamecube, N64, etc? All of them were higher up in terms of power, if not at the top back then.
I'm not saying Nintendo hasn't been a bit rough at times to 3rd parties, anybody who'd say that would be kidding themselves, but they are actually trying to appeal to them a bit more this time around; It's up to the developers whether or not they'll answer the call.
Like has already been mentioned, Orbis and Durango can't be that much further ahead(like the comparison of the current gen's home consoles), who knows how expensive they'd be if that were to happen(which isn't a good idea right now).
With the Wii U on the way, 3rd parties need to get off this vendetta mentality and give us some great games!
@kyuubikid213 I agree with TrueWii, games are what sold the Ds/Wii...or any console for that matter. Btw, apparently the '3d fad' has already worn down a bit, so what would you say is continuing to sell the 3ds? Even better games are making their way out, that's what.
I'd hope it would be better than the PS3.
Nintendo definitely needs power, and I am worried they won't have it. However, in the other hand the question is will people (consumers and developers) be willing to pay high prices for consoles? Will the next generation be much more powerful than the last? Those are the two main questions.
@SteveW: Did you even read his post, or get so offended by the first few words that you missed his point entirely on your rush to the comment box?
I love how people are saying the WiiU is far behind in graphics without even playing them I mean just because on game is as powerful as the PS360 version doesn't mean all games will be just that, a lot of them could be more powerful by a lot and to the point of overpowering the PS4/720, just saying its possible
Wii U is going to be the first system to run full 1080p on the flat screen and then stream (probably 480p) to two wireless screens at once...I'm going to say it's more than just a little bit more powerful (most games on the PS3 and 360 only run 480p anyway...what does that tell you?)
Proof that the Wii U is amazing.
[youtube:hk6-2KP3QWk&NR=1]
I don't believe the Wii U will get left behind in 3rd party adaptations in the future. If what has been said is true (about the console using some of its power to stream the game to the gamepad), then as long as devs do not stream anything they will have full power to have games matching the other two console's games, provided that they are that much powerful. And as has been said, it is still HD.
And if this is misinformation, where is Thomas's comment explaining or apologizing?
I think the difference between the consoles will be much less noticable. Besides First Party games I play everything on PC and while I have a good system, I certainly don't have an amazing setup but I can still play all the games that come out. Sometimes I have to play on "High" or "Medium" settings instead of "Ultra Super Awesome" but the game is still very playable and the difference doesn't detract (unless I want it to). I have a feeling it will be similar with the WiiU vs PS4/XBox
@6ch6ris6 I know it's probably hard to swallow, but I believe, the Wii is slightly less powerful than the original Xbox. That thing ouput in 720p!
I'm ecstatic. Honestly people, how much better can graphics get anyway? Developers are dropping like flies because they can't recoup the ridiculous production costs of the high end next gen games. I don't think the graphics can get much better than the ps3 currently is and still be cost effective for a company to make profits.
Hello all, I thought I'd address some comments about this article and try to allay any concerns.
There's an impression that Eurogamer has taken its quote from an IGN article, That's not the case, as IGN held an interview with Steve Lycett, executive producer of the game itself, while Eurogamer's quotes were from SEGA marketing executive Ben Finch. They are two different individuals who both used the phrase 'on par'.
Secondly, there's been a link to an article that, I quote, states that the Eurogamer article 'lied'. The article claiming this gives no source to back up that claim, so we certainly won't adjust our article based upon that.
The source article states that these comments, including the "even better" comment were made to Eurogamer writers while they tried the game, and I've seen nothing to suggest that isn't the case; Eurogamer is a credible website respected throughout the industry. Unless Eurogamer issues a retraction, our article will maintain that as the source.
I will make two small changes that were errors on my part. The headline will now read 'SEGA Declares Wii U Capabilities...', as the comments about power were made by the SEGA executive. Similarly, I'll adjust the line that the SEGA exec was speaking on behalf of Sumo Digital. I think it's reasonable to say that a publisher can speak on behalf of its developer (like an employer can make business statements on behalf of an employee, on occasions), but in the interest of being absolutely accurate I'll differentiate what SEGA and Sumo have said.
Ultimately, the crux matter over what was said will remain in place, as I have no reason to doubt that EG were told those details by their source, but those two errors on my part, as explained above, will be corrected, even if they don't change the overarching story.
@ThomasBW84
In any case, Eurogamer just updated their article explaining what everyone suspected:
"UPDATE: We've updated the headline of this article to better reflect the content of the story. Sega was referring to the visuals of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wii U compared to the visuals of the other versions, not the graphics capabilities of the Wii U itself. Sorry for the confusion this has caused. "
Please, there's no need for that. If you have any comments for our News team, please feel free to get in touch directly. Thank you! — TBD
@ThomasBW84 - Thanks for that heads-up, man!
Besides, it's already been confirmed numerous time that the Wii U is more powerful than the HD twins. I mean, if games like ACIII and Arkham City are LAUNCH WINDOW games for Nintendo's new console, I can't wait to see what it'll be able to produce a few years down the road...let's remember, devs are still getting to grips with the architecture.
I mean, remember the launch games for Xbox 360 and PS3? Yeah.
Let's put it this way: if developers decide to leave out using the Gamepad for a game they're developing, all that extra juice that was being used to stream to the controller is now being put towards graphical assets, making for a much more beautiful game than what is capable on the 360 and PS3. That I'm sure of.
However, seeing as how the next gen Xbox and PS are supposed to be, like, at least 3 times more powerful than this generation, I think the Wii U may end up in a similar situation that the Wii was (and still is) in. And I truly hope that doesn't end up the case, because I love the Wii U and I really want to see Nintendo dominate next generation not just with sales, but also with fan and critical reception.
@ThomasBW84
With all due respect, I still don't understand your interpretation here. The Nintendo Life article uses Eurogamer's article as a source, but says something entirely different. The quote here says Sega said,
"Wii U is, graphically, "on par" or "maybe even better" than PS3"
But Eurogamer said that Sega said,
'Sumo Digital's new Sonic racer is graphically "on-par" with current generation consoles - "or maybe even better"'
They never mentioned the Wii U as a system at all, just the game. Am I missing something, or is that a serious misquote?
I'll reply properly and address the EG update later. It's Saturday and I'm currently sitting in a car, so I'd be grateful for patience. When I posted my comment EG had not updated, but I'll deal with it in due course.
Right, back in the house now. For future reference, I only work on or visit the site sporadically at weekends, and I'm 99.99% sure that applies to all other writers on here, and generally to a lot of websites. Of course we're on here regularly and sometimes adding weekend content, but if a source article for a story makes an amendment, we won't necessarily see that right away. Eurogamer's update came after my comment, so there's no need for anyone to jump the gun and accuse us of ignoring our responsibilities to report sources accurately.
@TrueWiiMaster The Eurogamer article was clearly talking about the Wii U version, based on its headline and the fact it then details other Wii U features. Wii U wasn't in the sentence you quoted, but was clearly the subject matter of the article as a whole, so the quote is against the context of that whole piece.
On the subject of the headline, I'll add 'Graphical Capabilities', as an update to reflect the EG amendment. The article as a whole makes the distinction of 'graphical capabilities' clearly, so it only makes sense that this should be the case in the headline.
In terms of the wider debate (and the headline, for that matter), I think it's a reasonable supposition that if a multi-platform game is visually stronger ("maybe even better", in this case) on one system, that says something about the processing grunt of the machine in general terms. If Activision say that CoD looks better on Xbox 360 than Wii, I don't think that means anything other than the Wii is weaker, graphically, as clearly developers have made sacrifices to accommodate for its limitations.
As for the content here, this article reported the SEGA exec's comments on the graphics being "on par" or "maybe even better", but also provided a summary of the GamePad uses being applied in the game, as reported from EG's hands on time.
As for the fact the article looks at the issue of graphical power, I don't see the problem with that. Even back in the 80s gamers cared about graphics, which systems could do what etc. That's still a concern for some gamers, not all, and whenever a manufacturer releases a console the question of its graphical capabilities is always one factor that's debated. I see no harm in looking at industry opinions about Wii U's graphical power and posing questions about whether it's strong enough, maybe too weak, or whether it's all about the experience and so on. It's not about console wars arguments, unless people appropriate it that way, it's about looking at Wii U in comparison to its current competition, and encouraging debate about how much power matters. The last paragraph was clear in asking about it in those terms.
The article headline will be updated shortly, as I said earlier in this comment.
@ThomasBW84
My point wasn't that the Wii U wasn't the focus of the EG article. It's obviously about the Wii U. But that quote, that one sentence, was the only reference to graphics in the entire article, and it specifically says Sonic and All-Stars Racing looked as good or better on the Wii U. It didn't mention the Wii U's capabilities at all, just that one game looked at least as good as the PS3 version of the game (hardly seems newsworthy when you think about it; did anyone really expect it to look worse?). The EG update even says they were only referring to the graphics of that one game, and not the Wii U's capabilities at all.
http://mynintendonews.com/2012/08/18/eurogamer-apologizes-for-misleading-wii-u-graphics-headline/
Just saying )
@Zyph: as you can see from Tom's comments to this thread, we're already aware of the edit to the source article. Thank you, though :3
I don't think graphics will be as important this gen! While it does seem like Nintendo is making the same mistakes, it was the lack of HD resolution on the Wii that bothered most, not the dated hardware!
However I would hope that Nintendo are at least aiming for hardware that can better 360/PS3 purely because they are 6-7 years old.
its graphics are perfect.
the Wii U is most likely to be using modern day chips, instead of 5 year old chips that the PS3 and 360 are using.
Which in turn would make it more powerful. being able to render the same graphics with less work.
and since 2160p resolution is not offically supported by any one company or consumer. Any games released in the future that support 1080p, will find a nice warm home on the Wii U.
I'm Excited.
Graphics < Gameplay
"Does the apparently modest power of Wii U worry you?"
Ability to deliver a good looking game? No
A potential "power gap" that would dissuade cross platform titles. Possibly. I'm sure Sony and Microsoft are bracing to develope tablet controllers in case Nintendo has another bonanza. But if their next systems are built tough enough 3rd parties will not downgrade to Wii U (although we're probably very near the point going beyond "slightly prettier" isn't worth the effort)
Yay! So it can hang till next Xbox and ps4
Why is graphics the most important thing to be considered? Really, I want good games rather than better graphics, but on the other hand its niche the Wii U will have better graphics.
It's the same story again: wii u will be old gen when the "xbox720" and/or "ps4" will be relased. Nintendo is not interested in high definition/quality graphics.
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