[BNM Summary of Article]
1. No HD screen on uMote (controller would only cost that much more and make #3 more of an issue)
2. 3DS Analog Sliders instead of Analog Sticks (I heard they were different than 3DS, but functional)
3. No confirmation of multiple uMotes on one system (this gets me the most right now)
4. No Bluray or DVD playback (hopefully available in the eShop)
5. Ambiguity of statements regarding the Online Plans (they aren't ready to reveal it yet..... be patient)
6. Streaming to the controller only while in the same room (Iwata already stated that you could do it from a different room, you just can't go too far)
The only thing above I can see as legitimately cutting corners is the multiple tablet controller thing. Nintendo's comments on this have been vague/borderline contradictory. The gist I get from Iwata's comments are that the technology is capable of handling more than one, but they're not sure if they're going to include it. Seriously, it's the main thing that separates WiiU from the competition. Besides 1st party titles, it could be
the reason to buy WiiU. More importantly, it could be the reason to get the WiiU version of a game.
I'm not at all bothered by the lack of HD screens on the controller. Currently, some high end smartphones are around qHD quality (960X540 pixels in 16:9) which, according to wikipedia, is 1/4 full HD 1080P frame, 3/4 full HD 720P frame. I've read estimates of 854×480 (approximately 16:9) and that it shouldn't look terrible on a 6 inch screen. Having only seen the controller in action through video, the streaming looked smooth and lag-free which is what excites me the most about it.
I got a chance to put some time into playing the 3DS last night at a friend's house and I played through the Deku Tree in Ocarina of Time 3D. I like the analog slider and while I've read that the sliders on the tablet controller are closer to the nunchuck's analog sticks, I kind of feel like I'd rather just have analog sticks. Still, I don't see this as "cutting corners" because it's more of a design choice than anything. The sliders probably cost just as much as analog sticks. Just seems like Nintendo is trying to keep the face of the controller as flat as possible.
I can live with streaming to the controller in the same room (I don't see myself needing to do otherwise currently) and with no DVD/Blu-Ray playback though I would buy an eshop app if it became available for convenience. I don't mind the lack of info on their online plans because it's still about a year away and 3rd parties have been pretty positive about what they've seen/heard so that's good enough for me for the time being.
"I think there may be more good uses of that [Wii U tablet] than [there are for] the current generation with Kinect and Move... there’s clearly a subset of games for which things like that are appropriate for," he said. "We’ve been going on with how can we use those types of motion things with Rage and it’s hard to take a game that’s fundamentally designed around a controller and get value out of doing some of those other things, while adding extra touch interfaces there, that seems like something that almost every game could make some use of without it being just like, 'Oh, we have to do something like this.' Because if you remember, when the DS came out, there was a lot of talk about how, ‘Isn’t this going to be just a gimmick?’ But really it did turn out to be quite a good interface to build on."
I really like this quote. In most cases, you couldn't just take a game built for traditional controllers and translate it into motion controls. Games had to be built with motion controls in mind to get the most out of it. That's why something like Metroid Prime 3 was more satisfying than the Wii versions of Metroid Prime 1 and 2 in Metroid Prime Trilogy.
The tablet controller is a progression of the traditional controller. It has all the buttons so no sacrifices need to be made; the touchscreen serves to add to the experience. Developers don't have to reinvent their vision. They can focus on what
can be done with this additional functionality (if anything) rather than what
has to be done when motion controls were the only viable option. Nintendo really put the ball in their court. Basically, Carmack related what Michel Ancel did a few days ago.
Don't forget to support the troops
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You got it, sir. We need you to keep this topic on track, even if it seems like the subjectivity/objectivity thing bears repeating. One internet point for you.