Topic: Nintendo Explains Choice for Single-Touch Wii U GamePad Functionality

[the_dan_x]

Do you really need multi-touch for your Wii U? Reggie weighs in on the matter.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30748

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime explained the company’s stance on using single-touch functionality as opposed to multi-touch functionality with the Wii U GamePad.

GamePad in hand, Fils-Aime said, “When we went through the building of this and, given some of the functionality, we thought that the single-touch was a more appropriate option, especially when you’ve got other buttons configurations.”

To demonstrate, the Nintendo of America COO held the controller and reached into the touchscreen, constantly keeping the other hand on the controller. From there, he put the controller down and touched the screen with a finger from each hand. Afterwards he remarked, “Is this really the way you want to play a game? I don’t think so.” Comfort and ease of use seem to be the biggest factors behind the design choice.

When asked not including multi-touch on the GamePad was a matter of cost, Fils-Aime responded by saying, “Certainly there’s a cost to it. Again, we envision this as a controller that you’re putting in your hands and you’re doing a two-screen experience. The concept of putting it in your lap to do multi-touch for us just feels unwieldy.”

[supergtt]

that was what brought up thoughts of unwieldy? not the book sized controller?

I would have like capacitive simply because you don't have to apply any pressure to make a contact.

[Kairon]

that was what brought up thoughts of unwieldy? not the book sized controller?

I would have like capacitive simply because you don't have to apply any pressure to make a contact.

Actually, put it like that, I prefer resistive precisely BECAUSE I have to put a little bit of pressure for it to register. No accidental taps for me!

[Adrock]

Multi-touch would have been nice as I'm sure there's bound to be a situation where a developer would use it. However, more often than not, single-touch will suffice. The GamePad itself is filled with options. I don't see this as a major issue.

[geo]

that was what brought up thoughts of unwieldy? not the book sized controller?

I would have like capacitive simply because you don't have to apply any pressure to make a contact.

Actually, put it like that, I prefer resistive precisely BECAUSE I have to put a little bit of pressure for it to register. No accidental taps for me!

Maybe it's because I've been using a DS since 2005, but I agree.  I much much much prefer the ds-style touch screen for gaming.  The fact that I can use a stylus really helps with the precision, which is very important for games.   Even a game like angry birds can mess up sometimes on a capacitative touch screen. 

[Ceric]

I'm going to go with BS and say its a cost thing.  I can think of many times where I could only be using 1 hand and want to do multitouch things.  Like typing or Pinch zoom.

[broodwars]

*shrugs* Well, multi-touch seems to work just fine for gaming on the Vita, particularly in the downloadable title Escape Plan.  I find using the screen for games like that, Resistance Burning Skies, and Uncharted Golden Abyss to be no less distracting than anything else that uses a touch screen (especially if the game lets me use the rear touch pad instead).  It does lend itself to a more "stop and go" flow of gameplay, though, since the designers are taking into account the player taking their fingers off the buttons or right stick to use the touch screen.  Maybe that's just not the kind of gameplay flow Nintendo wants to do, though I could see it working very well in a slow-paced game like Pikmin.

[Kairon]

I'm sure there's a slew of reasons Nintendo did this, philosophical, technical, AND financial, that just won't be mentioned when it comes to talking about this topic in a PR sense.

[cL7oud]

I love seeing Reggies' disembodied mug in the morning.
As long as this makes the system cheaper i'm ok with this. The screen is much more sensitive than the 3ds screen

[TeaHee]

I was always curious if they could do two resistive screens side by side, so that you could have "multi touch" with one touch on each side.  I understand there would probably be problems swiping or drawing from 1 screen to the other,  but I think it is an interesting idea. 


For the record I do not like capacitive touch and often tap the wrong thing.

[Chozo Ghost]

Considering console gaming has gotten along just fine up until now without ANY form of touch screen control at all, I'm sure we can get along just fine with it just being the single touch variety.

One potential problem though, is that if Sony or Microsoft copy the tablet controller (and who am I kidding? We all KNOW they will do exactly that), they may put multi touch support in their version and then they would have a competitive edge over the Wii U. Just like right now Microsoft has the Kinect which doesn't just equal the Wiimote in terms of functionality, but goes way beyond it to give the 360 a huge edge in the motion gaming market. Sony and their dinky Move thing isn't really a quantum leap forward over the wiimote though, but the Kinect is a perfect example of how a competitor can not only rip off one of Nintendo's ideas, but improve upon it and then leave Nintendo in the dust. Let's hope that doesn't happen here with this multi touch thing, but I think it almost certainly will.

[McDaniel-77]

As said, multi-touch was invented for devices without buttons!
Wii U Gamepad offers everything, from touch screen, two analog sticks, 4 shoulder buttons, 4 gaming buttons, onme digipad etc.. gyro, accelerometer, magnetic sensor...
Especially when it comes to stylus play, multi touch just doesn't work. Capacitive panels don't work with 100% accuracy. How much does a small Samsung Galaxy Note cost? A lot more than Wii U!

[shinyray01]

as long as it's more accurate, I'm not complaining. i rather have accuracy and precision rather than the responsiveness of a light tap to the screen

[broodwars]

Especially when it comes to stylus play, multi touch just doesn't work. Capacitive panels don't work with 100% accuracy.

As I said earlier in this topic, the Vita's multi-touch capacitive screen is fantastic and I've never had any issues with responsiveness or accuracy with it.  And considering Escape Plan is entirely controlled by the touch screen and touch pad, that's saying an awful lot.  However, a screen that good is also extremely expensive, which is probably the main reason why the Vita costs as much as it does.

[Podings]

Sure, do the spin-control Reggie.


In fact, here, let me help you:

Resistive screens have a much better update-rate than capacitive, providing a better sense of control.

Resistive screens function with firm styluses that have no static charge. You don't need those sloppy, rubber tip thinging that cost a fortune. Use a butterknife if you please.

Resistive screens allow the finger/pen tip to be considerably closer to the image-producing LED layer, improving the connection with the interface.

Resistive screens do no require a ceramic layer, thus redering them lighter and less likely to break.

Resistive screens allow for pressure sesitivity, but, uh... we're not going to do that.. because... you'd break your device, you cretin.

Oh, they're cheaper too? Sure, sure.

What, multi touch can be done with one hand while holding the device in the other? I've never seen that, what is this "iPhone" of which you speak?

[Uncle_Optimus]

Personally a bit disappointed by the lack of multi.
I don't think typing will suffer, but the option to utilize convenient gestures (as opposed to tracing some arcane symbol ala Castlevania DOS) in gameplay  and browsing (a potential high-use app) is removed.


I do hope the screen is at least much more responsive. The videos I have seen depict it as sensitive to finger-touch (more so than DS).

[NWR_insanolord]

The Project P-100 demo made use of several gestures on the touch screen to activate moves and I had no problems executing them. Multi touch would be nice to have, but I can't think of that many things that would need it, and it's probably not worth the extra cost.

[Uncle_Optimus]

The Project P-100 demo made use of several gestures on the touch screen to activate moves and I had no problems executing them. Multi touch would be nice to have, but I can't think of that many things that would need it, and it's probably not worth the extra cost.

Fair enough, was hoping to get the opinion of someone who went hands on with the final(?) GamePad.
I think everyone will miss good ol' pinch-to-zoom tho :p

[ShyGuy]

pinch to zoom is the osanly multi-touch thing that people care about. triggers or sticks are more accurate for zoom

[broodwars]

pinch to zoom is the osanly multi-touch thing that people care about. triggers or sticks are more accurate for zoom

Well, I've seen some pretty neat uses for it in Escape Plan, such as plugging 2-3 holes in leaky pipes containing poisonous gas while you're simultaneously swiping a character forward while also spinning a nearby fan to keep a room gas-free.  Multi-touch has some interesting applications in the right hands.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Nintendo are kind of bad at hiding their motives. It's no fun when they straight up declare that cost was a crucial consideration. Sony and Microsoft would no doubt try and put some spin on it so that it looked like they were doing you a favour by not including a feature. At least Nintendo seem to be pragmatic about it. Is the cost of implementing this feature commensurate with it's utility? In the case of multi-touch they're probably correct that it is not. I tell you what though, this resistive screen had better be improved from the 3DS one. Luckily from reports I've heard, it is.

 

[ShyGuy]

What is Escape Plan?

[Chozo Ghost]

What is Escape Plan?

Something no Vita owner should be without.

[ShyGuy]

What's a Vita owner? Never heard of one.

[broodwars]

What is Escape Plan?

It's a PSN Vita title where you have to escort these 2 inkblot characters through a series of fatal obstacles using only touch controls.