Topic: The Sun slams the Wii U - Water is wet.

[Hey Einstein!]

5 reasons not to buy the Wii U in typical poorly worded and badly researched fashion from the Sun. The UK's premier tabloid news paper for stupid stories about video games:
 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/fun/gaming/article4542882.ece


The general gist is that it's not as good as a PS3 and a Vita (which I have, and the comparison is lost on me) and people should hold off until the price cut.


Should earn them a few clicks, just posted here for you to enjoy the idiocy.

[MagicCow64]

"Neither truly handheld in the same way as the DS nor as multi-player as the Wii, the new console will take some time getting used to."

Not as multi-player? I have a mild suspicion that the writer hasn't really been paying attention . . .

[Caterkiller]

I should wushu chop this writer.

[Louieturkey]

It's fun to read the comments that pretty much refute everything he says.  And the majority are better written than this article.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I Wish someone would quote the interesting parts of the article so that we don't contribute to the free hits that the article was designed to get.

[TJ Spyke]

I Wish someone would quote the interesting parts of the article so that we don't contribute to the free hits that the article was designed to get.

Some that stand out to me:

"1. It'll be out-dated within a year

It's no secret that Microsoft and Sony are gearing up for the next generation of consoles, with the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 expected to land next year.

Microsoft even had the new console at THIS year's E3, just in case Sony announced the PS4, so it's likely that the Wii U will be old news within six months of release.

If and when that does happen, expect the price to tumble. "

"If you've got a PS3 then, frankly, you're better off buying a Vita than a Wii U. Title-wise, gaming-wise and quality-wise, it's a one-sided match-up. "

"3. The threat to all consoles - mobile gaming

£239 on a console? That's a lifetime's supply of iPhone apps

While the Xbox and PS3 can just about see off the iPhone'sthreat, the Wii U hasn't much in its armoury."

"4. DS + Wii = fail?

OK, so it's a botched equation, but you catch my drift. The DS/3DS and the Wii each served their market well. They knew who they were for and they succeeded because of it.

In many ways, the Wii U is a bizarre middle-ground between the two - and it doesn't sit easily in either camp.

Neither truly handheld in the same way as the DS nor as multi-player as the Wii, the new console will take some time getting used to."

"5. It's dramatically over-priced

It's money that could be saved for the next Xbox or PlayStation because, let's face it, they're not going to come cheap, either.

But all the signs point to a fairly swift price reduction post-Christmas - especially after E3 2013 next June, when at least one, if not two, superior competitors will be unveiled. "

[MrPhishfood]

I'm from the UK and god I hate The Sun so much. This was way before they slammed the Wii U. The whole thing is a gossip rag for the uneducated masses.

[TJ Spyke]

I am not from the UK and don't read The Sun, but I do like Wrestlecast (which is a wrestling podcast from The Sun which interviews WWE and TNA stars when they come to the UK).

[BranDonk Kong]

It's not so much that the Sun slams Wii U, but in an editorial, an author gives his opinion.

[Shaymin]

Justice for the 96.

[MrPhishfood]

It's not so much that the Sun slams Wii U, but in an editorial, an author gives his opinion.

That's why The Sun is so terrible. They always give their opinion. Always.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Let me start by saying the Sun is a rag and I hate everything it represents in journalism.
 
Having said that, I agree that for me there are no blockbuster launch releases (at least none that would justify the price tag) and I've yet to see a game which makes a convincing argument for why the Gamepad should exist. I'm fully open to the possibility that when I actually get my hands on Nintendoland that opinon might change, but as it stands currently I'm not convinced.
 
I also agree with the sentiment that it will be out of date in a year. I would actually go further. I would argue that the Wii U is out of date right now and it hasn't even been released yet. The Wii was outdated as well and yet it went on to have a long and relatively fruitful lifespan, but the fact remains that the Wii U is likely to be leapfrogged in the next 12 months. For many that's meaningful, and I can completely understand why certain gamers would be hestitant to purchase a Wii U for that very reason.
 
I would also agree that for many the system is over-priced. It certainly is for me.
 
Hardly any of what was said in that article could be described as 'slamming the Wii' as far as I'm concerned. I'd say it is better described as 'Sun points out some obvious and widely acknowledged hurdles for the Wii U'.

[TJ Spyke]

Everything in the article was BS and crap, likely a anti-Nintendo fanboy.

[broodwars]

There are valid concerns in the article, but as expected it's poorly researched and just not well-thought-out in general.  The argument about why you would get a Wii U when you can just get a Vita especially raised an eyebrow with me.  Yeah, I own a Vita and like playing games on the thing, but the Wii U will very quickly at launch support more quality games than the Vita currently does (though I still like the Vita's exclusive games more).

[lolmonade]

I reject the notion that buying a Vita for PS3 owners is the equivalent of having the Wii U control scheme.  Even if Sony has that as a control option in some games, just like the PS Move, Sony will get some publishers to push support for some games, but it'll rarely be used in that functionality. 
 
For the Wii U, because it is the primary control scheme, the Wii U tablet controller will be utilized in nearly every game available.

[Chozo Ghost]

I recall similar anti-Nintendo media bias bullshit in regards to the Wii back in 2006.

I'll never forget one analyst's prediction that the Wii was going to sell 18 million (or something like that) units over its lifetime and would be in a distant third. As we all know, he couldn't have been further from the truth. I just wish there was some way to make these people eat their words when they end up being proven wrong. They should get fired or something. Its very frustrating that they can say all this **** and get away with it.

[Hey Einstein!]

Some times I wonder why I bother with forums......
to those who disagree with my title "The Sun slams the Wii U" - I have no patience for your pedantic despotism. I think that statements like "Wii+DS=Fail" and describing the Wii U as "drastically over priced" constitute a slam.
Please note my use of the term "I think" and accept that yours is not the only opinion of worth on the whole internet. Several UK game sites picked up on the story too, CVG described it thusly:
"...to categorically instruct readers to not buy a new console - one built by the most experienced console maker in history, no less - is pushing things a bit far."



ANYWAY. I shared the Sun piece because it is very badly written and shows little understanding of how the gamepad works and what it does  (even less of how the Vita works and what software is available for it). Which I found funny. A bit annoying too, but mostly funny.
So far as I can tell just Little Big Planet 2 and 4 PS2 HD remakes offer similar features to the Gamepad when used with a Vita - and that's it. It's all an experiment for Sony and there are no other announced games that are planned to build on it, yet. Compared with all of the Wii U launch window games using Gamepad features in some way, and with it being a core aspect of the console (which the Vita will never be for PS3 owners) all future releases are likely to continue to support it. Again, I am a Vita owner and I like it. It ain't a Gamepad.


I do think that Wii U is over priced, but not "drastically" so, I will follow the Sun's one decent piece of advice and wait to see if there is a price cut next year. Also, they are right about the lack of decent exclusives (so far anyway).

[Hey Einstein!]

I just wish there was some way to make these people eat their words when they end up being proven wrong. They should get fired or something. Its very frustrating that they can say all this **** and get away with it.

"You thought the Wii would be a flop, your kids deserve to sleep in a family sized card board box!"


Hmmm, I'd be pretty upset if I got sacked for publicly expressing an incorrect opinion on the industry I work in.


I think the lesson from this thread is that some journalism is worthless. Water is wet. Fire is hot. The internet breeds extremities of opinion, etc.

[Pixelated Pixies]

to those who disagree with my title "The Sun slams the Wii U" - I have no patience for your pedantic despotism. I think that statements like "Wii+DS=Fail" and describing the Wii U as "drastically over priced" constitute a slam.

Please note my use of the term "I think" and accept that yours is not the only opinion of worth on the whole internet.

Not sure if that was aimed at me, but in case it was I just thought I should highlight that all my points were also qualified with superfluous statements like 'as far as I'm concerned' and 'I'd argue'. I say superfluous because whom else's opinion would I be giving if not my own. Everyone on the internet is so quick to jump on anything that comes close to an opinion, however, that I learned long ago that such qualifiers are necessary lest someone take anything said the wrong way.
 
So, of course I am aware that my opinion is not the ONLY one of worth on the internet...but in my opinion it is the most worthy. 
 
It's a 'some pigs are more equal than others' kind of deal.

[MrPhishfood]

I don't fully agree that it will be outdated.

Has everyone seen the Samaritan demo from Epic games?

This is what next gen is supposed to look like right?

If this is what you expect the next Xbox and PlayStation will achieve. Well I got bad news for you. This demo was at GDC 2011 running on graphics cards that even by todays prices would cost up to $1100 (£700) There is no way Microsoft or Sony could put something that expensive in their next console, no one could afford it.

I've practically got next-gen console hardware sitting in my computer, my graphics card cost me $400 (£250) 4 months ago and it's really not that impressive because for the last 4-5 years graphics technology has stagnated. Sure we're seeing bigger and better numbers from Nvidia and ATI but what we're actually seeing with our eyes are tiny improvements that you wouldn't actually notice unless someone pointed it out to you.

Microsoft's and Sony's next gen will be the difference between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5.

In what I predict in next gen will be a slight bump in graphics, probably equivalent to the Star Wars demo at E3. We'll be seeing games rendered at 1080p resolution but mainly more of the same stuff we've been seeing from this generation.

The most significant  factor for consoles to stand apart from each other are what people refer to as gimmicks. I think every platform will have its own motion-like control style.

[Ian Sane]

The "out-dated in a year" piece is the only one with any real merit.  That IS a big concern.  Since the Wii U was even rumoured the most important thing was that Nintendo not skimp on the hardware and get leapfrogged by their competitors.  That's part of why I'm waiting to make purchase.  Mostly I just don't want to get burned again like I did with the Wii but seeing where Sony and MS lie and what effect that has on Wii U third party support is important, too.

With Nintendo quickly cutting the 3DS price I can see why one would suggest that people wait on a Wii U purchase.  What if that happens again?  If waiting a few months knocks down the price of the purchase why not do it?  At worst you buy the thing at full price at a later date.  It's not like new consoles have tons of awesome games right at launch anyway.

There was a real anti-Wii bias when the Wii came out and it has remained.  The reason why is because the Wii was NOT the product that the general gaming population wanted.  It was the product the non-gamers and the casuals wanted.  With the Wii U anyone who didn't like the Wii does not want the Wii U to be another Wii.  They want it to be a gamer's system or they want it to outright fail to force Nintendo back into focusing on core gaming.  The only people who want a repeat of the Wii years are diehard Nintendo fans or casual non-gamers who don't even know the Wii U is a thing yet.

[Chozo Ghost]

Nintendo didn't skimp on the hardware per se. Its just that they invested a large chunk into the tablet controller. Hasn't it been said it costs $150? I don't know if I believe it really costs that much, but either way its still an expensive piece of hardware. Unfortunately, in order to have such an advanced and expensive piece of technology and have it bundled with a console for only $300 you have to make cuts in the console hardware.

The Wii U console is more than adequate to handle current gen games, and Nintendo's support will be there for the life of it, but what about 3rd party developers? If the Xbox420 rumor of having 8GB of RAM is true it shows the 2GB Wii U has only 1/4th the power. I know people say graphics have hit a wall and no longer matter, but other game related things do matter like physics, AI, and so forth. A developer who designs a game for the PS420 which takes full advantage of their specs will be able to make a Wii U version which looks identical with 1080 HD graphics, but cuts might have to be made in the things which are going on behind the graphics. In many cases this might not even be noticeable, but it will depend on the game and how taxing it is on the hardware.

[MrPhishfood]

If the Xbox420 rumor of having 8GB of RAM is true it shows the 2GB Wii U has only 1/4th the power. I know people say graphics have hit a wall and no longer matter, but other game related things do matter like physics, AI, and so forth. A developer who designs a game for the PS420 which takes full advantage of their specs will be able to make a Wii U version

I would think AI and physics to be something CPU related. AI has only become a problem when for me on games like Supreme Commander where the game is trying to simulate the behaviour of hundreds of independant units at once, not to be confused with Total War where what looks to be like 100 units are actually a single entity. Also physics look like they only really matter if it impacts gameplay as in the case with CellFactor: Revolution and Battlefield 3. Even the 360 could handle the natural destruction in BF3.

I think 8GB RAM is a little overkill (2 or 3 sounds more conservative) at least if its only reserved for games. Reason for this is because you have to account for the load time on disc (if Sony and MS use discs that is) The Wii U will have 21MB/s read speed, spread that over 1GB and it takes up to 48 seconds to read 1GB from the disc in to memory, though I seriously doubt you'd need a full 1GB to get a game up and running this is just an example.

Consoles just don't have the luxury of loading everything from the hard disk like a PC does.

The whole point of the screen, gyros, camera, microphone on the Wii U pad is that Nintendo are once again trying to differentiate themselves from the competition. They are essentially trying to get developers to dedicate their game to Nintendo's platform, to take full advantage of the Wii U pad. So that a game built for the Wii U from the ground up could not be playable on any other console. Whether this plan will work out remains to be seen.

I'm still very skeptical of next-gen and after reading this Penny Arcade Report it only reinforces my skeptism. Too long to read? AAA games very expensive, cant risk innovation, very high bar for success, failure = find new job.

[Ian Sane]

Early on I was legitimate afraid Nintendo was going to release like Xbox 360 level hardware.  I was afraid they were going to go the same route as the Wii and intentionally use last gen hardware.  They didn't do that, thankfully.  At the very least the Wii U looks to be the most powerful videogame system of all... for now.  There was no way Nintendo could avoid this.  The Wii was not going to last any longer so they couldn't wait for everyone else and match appropriately.  They had to guess what was good enough and no matter what Sony and MS were going to beat them, it was just a matter of how much.  That's a pretty lousy situation to create for yourself but that's where things are.

So really it's time to just see how much Sony and MS top them and hope it's not enough to cause the third party problems of last gen.

[Adrock]

I was still impressed by many Wii games despite the paltry and utterly disgusting 480p graphics. Wii U games should hold up since the hardware is pushing HD graphics. Orbis/Durango games will look better, but the gap will be smaller than ever. I'll never look at a game like Uncharted 3 and think it looks bad. In fact, I still think the original Metroid Prime on Gamecube looks amazing.