How successful do you think the Wii U will be ?

[Kamahl]

The Wii specs have not been fully revealed, which makes the comparison a lot tougher.
The hardware is an extension of the GC hardware, but how much it's improved is hard to tell. Processor is twice as fast, and it was a little more than twice as much ram. Looking at it from that alone, it's a weak update compared to the evolution of it's peers. The GPU is pretty much kept secret for whatever reason, but so far seems to be just a 50% faster version of the GC GPU with more VRAM. Considering it's still a fixed funtion pipeline GPU (even the original Xbox already supported shaders) the upgrade is in fact pretty pathetic.

A Wii game would not run on the GC though. The differences in memory and speed allow for higher quality textures and higher polygon counts that the GC just can't do.
(Texture quality in particular should be a really big difference)

[TheSonicRetard]

The Wii specs have not been fully revealed, which makes the comparison a lot tougher.
The hardware is an extension of the GC hardware, but how much it's improved is hard to tell. Processor is twice as fast, and it was a little more than twice as much ram. Looking at it from that alone, it's a weak update compared to the evolution of it's peers. The GPU is pretty much kept secret for whatever reason, but so far seems to be just a 50% faster version of the GC GPU with more VRAM. Considering it's still a fixed funtion pipeline GPU (even the original Xbox already supported shaders) the upgrade is in fact pretty pathetic.

A Wii game would not run on the GC though. The differences in memory and speed allow for higher quality textures and higher polygon counts that the GC just can't do.
(Texture quality in particular should be a really big difference)

The Wii doesn't push more polygons than the average GCN game - developer interviews posted on forums have said as much. The differences boil down to better texture filtering, and better texture resolution (which is lost when you consider that the framebuffer can't contain a screen in a resolution high enough to take advantage of this). At best, the improvements in the Wii's GPU could be pushing more textures, not better textures.

This, of course, says nothing about the lack of shader support, the inability to handle complex physics (is there even a Havok port for the wii?), etc.

[TheSonicRetard]

When I google Gamecube tech specs and Wii tech specs, they sure look different to me.
Different CPU, different GPU, etc.
From what I read about the processors, it would be like saying "This Pentium III PC is basically the same thing as this Pentium II based PC."

the "different cpu" is a repackaged gecko with a smaller die size. It runs cooler and faster (700-and-change mhz compared to 400-and-change mhz) but it's the same thing. The GPU is the same as the GCN's cpu, but again, at a smaller die size and cooler.

Your comparison is off. It's like comparing an 8800 GT and a 9800 GT and saying "they're completely different!"

[Kamahl]

The lack of shaders in particular is just... horrible.
You can fake bloom effects and bump effects with the fixed function pipeline (assuming it's anything like the OpenGL ES pipeline as it should be), but still nothing comparable to real shaders.

[Bastardcat]

A list of the systems that use Havok:
Unix, Linux, PS3, PS2, PSP, GameCube, Wii, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox, Windows, Android.

[TheSonicRetard]

The lack of shaders in particular is just... horrible.
You can fake bloom effects and bump effects with the fixed function pipeline (assuming it's anything like the OpenGL ES pipeline as it should be), but still nothing comparable to real shaders.

I think, especially after the GCN, the fact that the Wii doesn't have a unified memory structure in particular is the worst offense. Why they retained that particular flaw from the GCN is mind boggling. A unified memory structure - even keeping the same total ram in the system (which is pathetic, btw) would have had a profound influence on the system.

And, as a bonus, the thing would have been able to pump out a 720p picture.

[TheSonicRetard]

A list of the systems that use Havok:
Unix, Linux, PS3, PS2, PSP, GameCube, Wii, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox, Windows, Android.

Note that havok is by no means a barometer of a system's ability to handle complex physics. I was simply wondering if it even had a havok port - apparently it does. But havok alone won't put it anywhere near the realm of the 360 or ps3 in terms of what's possible with physics, let alone an nvidia card with physX.

[Zoltor]

I think, especially after the GCN, the fact that the Wii doesn't have a unified memory structure in particular is the worst offense. Why they retained that particular flaw from the GCN is mind boggling. A unified memory structure - even keeping the same total ram in the system (which is pathetic, btw) would have had a profound influence on the system.

And, as a bonus, the thing would have been able to pump out a 720p picture.

Why does the wii need a hard drive anyway(what to DL pointless BS movies, and other such non gaming related things, no thanks), SD cards are more efficient anyway(takes a second to put in a SD card to transfer data, so there really is no need for a HD. The only thing that would be nice, if you could load saves from SD cards as well, but It's not a "huge" deal, alot better then a HD in other areas anyway).

[gamevet]

From what I read about the processors, it would be like saying "This Pentium III PC is basically the same thing as this Pentium II based PC."

The NVidia GTS 250 has a different chipset than the 9800 GTX, but beyond being able to overclock the GTS 250 higher and have DX10 support, their performance is pretty much the same. The Wii's CPU and GPU seem to be a lot like that.


http://www.hwcompare.com/2153/geforc...e-gts-250-1gb/

[TheSonicRetard]

Why does the wii need a hard drive anyway(what to DL pointless BS movies, and other such non gaming related things, no thanks), SD cards are more efficient anyway(takes a second to put in a SD card to transfer data, so there really is no need for a HD. The only thing that would be nice, if you could load saves from SD cards as well, but It's not a "huge" deal, alot better then a HD in other areas anyway).

lol what a moron

I'm talking about ram, genius

[Zoltor]

lol what a moron

I'm talking about ram, genius

It could of used some more yes, but It's good enough(nowhere close to being a big issue).

[TheSonicRetard]

It could of used some more yes, but It's good enough.

No, it's not. That's the entire point. More ram isn't necessary (although it SHOULD have had more ram) - it should have been unified if they were going with such a small amount. The way the ram is segmented is a huge detriment to the system, to the point where the framebuffer can't even store a 720p image.

[Bastardcat]

The lack of shaders in particular is just... horrible.
You can fake bloom effects and bump effects with the fixed function pipeline (assuming it's anything like the OpenGL ES pipeline as it should be), but still nothing comparable to real shaders.

I'm not sure what special faked effects Cavia pulled out of their ass for Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, but they sure knew what they were doing. It looked almost to good to be a Wii game.

[Pulstar]

[Bastardcat]

Jack Black as Mario? Fucking brilliant!