Would better hardware have saved the Wii U

One of the main complaints about the Wii U is that it's graphical capability isn't enough of a step up from the previous generation.

We know that overall, the graphical horsepower of the Wii U is 1.5-2.0x as good as the Xbox 360. However, due to the unique architecture, it will be atleast a year before we start seeing such noticable improvements. Would it have made a difference if graphics were more noticably better? Not talking the jump to PS4, but perhaps 3x as good. This could have:

• Made Developers more likely to adopt next-gen engines for it
• Gotten consumers can see the benefit of purchasing one over a PS3/360
• Mad it more expensive to produce 

Clearly all this has had a knock-on effect for the games produced for the system. But would Nintendo still be in the same situation they're in now?

I have no idea.

More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

Easy to bash a failing Console. Going to be laughing if there E3 is amazing. Imagine they had a better E3 than Xbox 720 or PS4, showing off more than 10 games.

Yeah Better Hardware and Wii2 as the name along with  alot of great games could have saved it.

More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

Remember the days when Vita first came out and it was one thread after another?? Its WiiU's turn!

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]More Wii U threads!!!finalstar2007

Remember the days when Vita first came out and it was one thread after another?? Its WiiU's turn!

MariU will save the Wii U

[QUOTE="finalstar2007"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

Remember the days when Vita first came out and it was one thread after another?? Its WiiU's turn!

As soon as the next xbox will be announced no one will even remember what a WiiU is :P.. its going to be a war between PS4 and nextbox for months till E3

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="finalstar2007"]

Remember the days when Vita first came out and it was one thread after another?? Its WiiU's turn!

finalstar2007

As soon as the next xbox will be announced no one will even remember what a WiiU is :P.. its going to be a war between PS4 and nextbox for months till E3

Since it would have been more expensive, no.

Probably not. 

Better hardware, yeah great. But what games would be added? None. That's my main complaint with it. Needs some high quality games, like Haze or Lair. 

No, Nintendo's fanbase is the problem. They need to support 3rd Parties on Nintendo's consoles like they do for their handhelds but alas they don't.FlamesOfGrey

Probably not. 

Better hardware, yeah great. But what games would be added? None. That's my main complaint with it. Needs some high quality games, like Haze or Lair. 

psymon100

Lol.

Yeah, I can agree with Mr. Psymon.

More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

Since it would have been more expensive, no.

nintendoboy16

[QUOTE="FlamesOfGrey"]No, Nintendo's fanbase is the problem. They need to support 3rd Parties on Nintendo's consoles like they do for their handhelds but alas they don't.nintendoboy16

I mainly buy Nintendo consoles for Fire Emblem and the usually underrated gems they get since no other Nintendo IP interests me anymore. We're in the minority though and 3rd Parties see that.

Nothing is going to change this generation unless games like Bayonetta 2, Rayman Legends and The Wonderful 101 show some major sales and show that 3rd Party games will sell. Unfortunately two of those are niche and Rayman will most likely be bought of the two systems with the way bigger userbases. If they sale like crap the only games I see Wii-U getting are like yearly Call Of Duty and Assassin's Creed games.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]More Wii U threads!!!platniumgamer

Nintendo could release a cardboard cut out of a console, then release mario/zelda/metroid and it would still sell.

Nintendo could release a cardboard cut out of a console, then release mario/zelda/metroid and it would still sell.

XVision84

One of the main complaints about the Wii U is that it's graphical capability isn't enough of a step up from the previous generation.

We know that overall, the graphical horsepower of the Wii U is 1.5-2.0x as good as the Xbox 360. However, due to the unique architecture, it will be atleast a year before we start seeing such noticable improvements. Would it have made a difference if graphics were more noticably better? Not talking the jump to PS4, but perhaps 3x as good. This could have:

• Made Developers more likely to adopt next-gen engines for it
• Gotten consumers can see the benefit of purchasing one over a PS3/360
• Mad it more expensive to produce 

Clearly all this has had a knock-on effect for the games produced for the system. But would Nintendo still be in the same situation they're in now?

YoYo278

[QUOTE="XVision84"]

Nintendo could release a cardboard cut out of a console, then release mario/zelda/metroid and it would still sell.

charizard1605

3DS didn't do good when it first came out. Look at it now.

Nintendo's strategy works for them, but it won't work forever.

I just don't think we've reached that point yet, but we're getting there :P.

[QUOTE="platniumgamer"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="XVision84"]

Nintendo could release a cardboard cut out of a console, then release mario/zelda/metroid and it would still sell.

XVision84

3DS didn't do good when it first came out. Look at it now.

Nintendo's strategy works for them, but it won't work forever.

I just don't think we've reached that point yet, but we're getting there :P.

[QUOTE="XVision84"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"] Doesn't seem to have worked for the Wii U so far.charizard1605

3DS didn't do good when it first came out. Look at it now.

Nintendo's strategy works for them, but it won't work forever.

I just don't think we've reached that point yet, but we're getting there :P.

Well they had to drop the price very early on into its release, I remember all the 3DS is dead threads in SW.

I'm not supporting the Wii U, I don't even like the system. Nintendo could have done so much better. I'm just saying that Nintendo has proven that mario/zelda/metroid IS enough to sell a system.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="XVision84"]

3DS didn't do good when it first came out. Look at it now.

Nintendo's strategy works for them, but it won't work forever.

I just don't think we've reached that point yet, but we're getting there :P.

XVision84

Well they had to drop the price very early on into its release, I remember all the 3DS is dead threads in SW.

I'm not supporting the Wii U, I don't even like the system. Nintendo could have done so much better. I'm just saying that Nintendo has proven that mario/zelda/metroid IS enough to sell a system.

Needed a bigger exclusive to luanch with. While I love NSMBU and how it looks, its very lackluster considering they have milked it. (which is a shame, i feel U is the best of the bunch). They need a game that took full use of the gamepad, and was already established. Seriously, any other nintendo Ip would have moved more systems, and get hype for it building. They should have launched with something else, or maybe two games. Had it launched with Pikmin 3, NSMBU, I feel like it would have done much better. They really just needed a better launch, had it been better the hype would have lasted longer.

[QUOTE="XVision84"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"] 3DS had incredible third party support backing it up in addition to Nintendo's first party. What does the Wii U have?charizard1605

Well they had to drop the price very early on into its release, I remember all the 3DS is dead threads in SW.

I'm not supporting the Wii U, I don't even like the system. Nintendo could have done so much better. I'm just saying that Nintendo has proven that mario/zelda/metroid IS enough to sell a system.

More Wii U threads!!!charizard1605

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="XVision84"]

Well they had to drop the price very early on into its release, I remember all the 3DS is dead threads in SW.

I'm not supporting the Wii U, I don't even like the system. Nintendo could have done so much better. I'm just saying that Nintendo has proven that mario/zelda/metroid IS enough to sell a system.

Bardock47

no, I feel the biggest problem with the Wii U wasn't a hardware one, it was a game one, Nintendo didn't have the 1st party games to sell the consolelamprey263

QFT...

The system doesn't need late, enhanced, ports, it needs fresh, exciting, exclusives.

One of the main complaints about the Wii U is that it's graphical capability isn't enough of a step up from the previous generation.

We know that overall, the graphical horsepower of the Wii U is 1.5-2.0x as good as the Xbox 360. However, due to the unique architecture, it will be atleast a year before we start seeing such noticable improvements. Would it have made a difference if graphics were more noticably better? Not talking the jump to PS4, but perhaps 3x as good. This could have:

• Made Developers more likely to adopt next-gen engines for it
• Gotten consumers can see the benefit of purchasing one over a PS3/360
• Mad it more expensive to produce

Clearly all this has had a knock-on effect for the games produced for the system. But would Nintendo still be in the same situation they're in now?

YoYo278

I own a Wii U, and I've yet to see or play anything on the platform that looks as good as the Xbox 360's best looking titles. So I disagree with the premise of your thread. They need good games. Nobody third party wants to make their games on last gen hardware, and Miyamoto is talking about retirement.

hardware isn't the issue...

the issue is Nintendo is doing bad job at marketing it and making games to release to make people want to buy it.  Other publishers looks at console sales and says it's not worth releasing a game with such a low consumer base 

[QUOTE="YoYo278"]

One of the main complaints about the Wii U is that it's graphical capability isn't enough of a step up from the previous generation.

We know that overall, the graphical horsepower of the Wii U is 1.5-2.0x as good as the Xbox 360. However, due to the unique architecture, it will be atleast a year before we start seeing such noticable graphical improvements. Would it have made a difference if graphics were more noticably better? Not talking the jump to PS4, but perhaps 3x as good. This could have:

• Made Developers more likely to adopt next-gen engines for it
• Gotten consumers can see the benefit of purchasing one over a PS3/360
• Mad it more expensive to produce

Clearly all this has had a knock-on effect for the games produced for the system. But would Nintendo still be in the same situation they're in now?

donalbane

I own a Wii U, and I've yet to see or play anything on the platform that looks as good as the Xbox 360's best looking titles. So I disagree with the premise of your thread. They need good games. Nobody third party wants to make their games on last gen hardware, and Miyamoto is talking about retirement.

[QUOTE="donalbane"]

[QUOTE="YoYo278"]

One of the main complaints about the Wii U is that it's graphical capability isn't enough of a step up from the previous generation.

We know that overall, the graphical horsepower of the Wii U is 1.5-2.0x as good as the Xbox 360. However, due to the unique architecture, it will be atleast a year before we start seeing such noticable graphical improvements. Would it have made a difference if graphics were more noticably better? Not talking the jump to PS4, but perhaps 3x as good. This could have:

• Yeah, I read it. I find it to be easily dismissed wishful thinking. Maybe that's just me though.
• Made Developers more likely to adopt next-gen engines for it
• Gotten consumers can see the benefit of purchasing one over a PS3/360
• Mad it more expensive to produce

Clearly all this has had a knock-on effect for the games produced for the system. But would Nintendo still be in the same situation they're in now?

YoYo278

I own a Wii U, and I've yet to see or play anything on the platform that looks as good as the Xbox 360's best looking titles. So I disagree with the premise of your thread. They need good games. Nobody third party wants to make their games on last gen hardware, and Miyamoto is talking about retirement.

I read it... I found it to be easily dismissed wishful thinking, but maybe that's just me.

thats what Nintendo get for being cheap bastards. cheap specs, cheap games

Standard controls, 8gb RAM, more processing power, 4-6 more great exclusive titles within 4 months of launch, & and calling it Wii2 would have made it sell 6 times more. 

No!Then ninty may have been stuck trying to fight against sony and ms in the graphics department and the last time they tried that they failed.They could have increased the storage space and provided a lot more high quality games.

The Wii U is an overpriced pos that is NOT 2x more powerful than the 360. I'm not sure if boosting specs would have made a huge difference but it would have made some difference. They lost their minds making the same mistakes witg the wii, but worse.Kaszilla

A lot of tech experts on neogaf disagree with you on that.

None of us know, but my guess is no. There's no real system sellers just yet. Plenty of very good games, but no OMFG I NEED THIS CONSOLE game yet.

A more powerful system would've allowed for much more enhanced multiplatform ports, and for exclusives, a much superior system to the PS3 and 360.  It would keep the system on more relavent terms to the PS4 and 720 as to still be capable of running ports from those systems without out that much of a downgrade.  Keeping BC affected what kind of CPU hardware the system ended up having (3x enhanced Broadway cores), and Nintendo made a mistake on that part too by overrelying on legacy software and in part relying on legacy hardware to make sure BC was a reality.

I'm sure newer Power cores would've been readily capable of running GC and Wii titles with some sort of software layer to handle the graphics aspects on a modern GPU.

Some two x86 core Llano derivative or even Trinity would've made for a much more capable system in the long run, assuming the GPU would be allowed to go for higher clocks, in the 700 MHz range.  Even better yet, a Trinity derived system with 512 VLIW4 SPs, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs with either one of two memory systems:

a) 32 MB eDRAM + 4 GB 128 bit DDR3

b) 3 GB 192 bit GDDR5 

Weaker cpu, slightly more powerful gpu. Kaszilla

So Mr. Hardware Engineer, mind telling us specifically how the CPU is weaker and what's inside the GPU?

the hardware is not the issue it's the price. Nintendo became a casual brand, its main demographic are the casuals and they want cheap stuff and gimmicks and the Wii U offers nothing like that. Nitendo made the mistake of making a console that mainly caters to the core and the cores are not stupid. They know the Wii U is overpriced as hell and not to mention the 2 years old ports.