Topic: Darksiders II Developer Comments on Wii U Graphics, Controls

[NdIGiTy]

The visuals won't change, but the controller will play a big role.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30259

Vigil, developer of the upcoming Darksiders II, says the graphics of Wii U version of the sequel are on par with those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

"The visuals will be the same," associate producer Jay Fitzloff noted in an interview with Eurogamer, posted yesterday.

In an interview with Eurogamer from July 2011, the Austin, Texas-based developer said it had spent five weeks prior to that year's E3 making a working Wii U version of the upcoming action adventure game adapted to the controls of the system.

Fitzloff also spoke to the process of crafting an additional version of the game for Nintendo's new console and where the difficulties lay.

"[Getting Darksiders 2 working on Wii U] is not as challenging as you might think. Getting it working was not any issue on the Wii U. It's just the control scheme. It's new territory. It's a new frontier. The Wii, after a while, there's a lot you could have done with the Wii controls, but everybody kind of got into a groove, and it became, here's how you handle this or here's how you handle this. Now it's the wild frontier. There's no set system. You've got to think outside the box because there's no precedent."

Fitzloff continued his comments on using the Wii U controller by noting the importance of integrating the tablet to make a fluid experience.

"It's not getting the game working on the system. It's getting a cool control system that feels correct. And that's where we're at now."

"When we first got it up and running, you can have the game download to and run on the pad, and everybody was like, that could take a while, little worried. It took a programmer two lines of code and five minutes. Working with it is not difficult."

Fitzloff offered further insight on the impact of relegating lower level game mechanics like map and inventory to the tablet, a tactic several games—most recently Assassin's Creed III—look to employ.

"Any game would have their inventory on the controller screen. But even that little simple thing is a big difference because you never have to stop the game on the main screen. That will change people's perceptions because you've never had a game where you didn't have to. "They take you out [of the experience], whereas this just goes."

"And you're talking about the low hanging fruit. You're talking about the easy stuff. The rest of it is where the challenge comes in. What do we do beyond that that makes it feel natural and integral?"

[VickiL]

I'm glad to hear it isn't that hard to program for.  While I don't just want ports of games on other systems, maybe this will help stop the whole, "on everything except Wii" thing that's gone on for the last few years.  How long it lasts will depend on how big a step up the next gen for Sony and Microsoft are, but for now, I'm optimistic.

[fixyourface0814]

If the DS, Wii, and 3DS 3rd party software lineups are any indication, I am pretty sure that Nintendo will have to be the one to light the way with their own software regarding use of the UMote. I hope to be proven wrong.

[Ian Sane]

Of course the real issue is whether or not ports of PS4 or Xbox 720 games are easy.  If you couldn't port PS360 games, Nintendo was completely screwed.  That was the bare bones requirement.  But it has to handle the next gen or will just get a few ports for a few years and then dry up.

Why is having the map and inventory on the second screen a feature that's promoted as a great thing?  I hate DS games where I can't pause to look at the map.  They keep the map on the second screen and expect me to look down at it, all the while enemies can kick my ass in the top screen.  Pausing to do that sort of thing is a GOOD thing because it's impractical to multitask.  I have the same beef with games that want me to manuever through menus in real time.  That whole mechanic completely sucks.

[Adrock]

How many games where the map is on the second screen don't also allow you to pause the game to look at the map? I'm legitimately asking. I can't think of one. The map on the second screen is a perk so that the main screen isn't as cluttered. Any game that denies players access to the map when paused was poorly designed but that's not the screen's fault for simply existing. It's up to developers to use it wisely and correctly.

[Stogi]

I'd just like to say that Ian has never played Skyrim, or he would be excited for the addition of something so small but absolutely wonderful.

[Ceric]

Yeah Diablo 3 and kin could really benefit from doing inventory, skill selection, anything your not normally doing on the main screen really on the uMote.  Can't say I'm to surprised that a mostly developed game isn't going to up the graphics on the WiiU.  Art assets are probably already done targeting the PS360.