Topic: Wii U - e3 is over... now what?

[EasyCure]

Iwate Asks on the Gamepad, haven't read it yet.

http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wiiu/gamepad/0/0

Summary for the lazy?

[azeke]

Summary for the lazy?

They laugh.

[Stogi]

Read most of it and they focus on how difficult it was to create a wireless gamepad without any latency issues.

But the big take away is that depending on your place, you MAY be able to play it in the bathroom and bedroom.

[Kairon]

Read most of it and they focus on how difficult it was to create a wireless gamepad without any latency issues.

But the big take away is that depending on your place, you MAY be able to play it in the bathroom and bedroom.

My house is ready.

[Tamazoid]

It's a pretty big technical achievement Nintendo has pulled off by creating the Gamepad with minimal latency issues. One of the main reasons why a Vita/PS3 combo can never compare to it.

[Stogi]

Or smart glass for that matter.

There is custom hardware AND software at work here. It's going to be hard to imitate. It's not impossible, but it is going to be damn near with just an app for a cellphone or tablet.

[Adrock]

Summary for the lazy?

1. Latency was a challenge from the beginning.
2. All processing is done by the console. Even when you use the camera, it's sent to the Wii U then to the GamePad to be displayed on the screen. The camera was almost cut, but they got it to work. Video from the is 30 frames per second. If you think that's low, it was originally 5 frames per second.
3. Models of the GamePad were made with a 3D printer then fine-tuned by hand.
4. Software for controlling the GamePad was developed at Nintendo Technology Department in the US; the design was done in Japan.
5. There's some talk about how they reduced latency which I don't feel I understand enough to confidently explain. It sounds like compressing/decompressing is traditionally done per frame, but this would cause delays. Instead, the Wii U breaks down that image into smaller pieces which are then compressed/decompressed before being sent to the GamePad.
6. There were latency concerns with how the GamePad is held and who or what is in the way, but they worked it out. A metal TV stand, for example, may affect the radio waves and weaken the signal between the console and GamePad.
7. Some images are more difficult to send wirelessly and display than others like a moving grid. They found this early in development and spent a considerable amount of time making it work.
8. Wireless communication technology in the Wii U was co-developed by Broadcom.
9. The design changes between E3 2011 and E3 2012 were apparently from internal pressure, notably Miyamoto and Iwata himself. No mention of 3rd parties urging changes to the circle pads, for example. The grips were an important addition as the flat original GamePad was apparently uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time.
10. Weight was whittled down by the gram.
11. Iwata announced the near field communication capabilities before the team finished the software to make it works. It seemed like they weren't sure NFC was absolutely going to make it in.

[ymeegod]

"Vita/PS3 combo can never compare to it"

Depends on what setup you're using, since the WII U/Gamepad combo only works in the same room vs the PS3/Vita which has both options of local or over the net.  For local play the PS3/Vita combo works fine and over the net you're going end up getting a bit of lag depending on how much bandwidth is available. 

For my local connection my PS3 is hooked up to my router by wired ethernet and my Vita was using 802.11N to connect to the router.  Very little lag in terms of ms it's basically double that of a normal wireless contoller (32ms)--you'll have to be GODLike to notice.

The only thing killing "remote play" is Sony themselves--right now only a few selected titles support the feature but hackers (jailbreaking the PS3) have been playing games like Battlefield from day 1.

[Louieturkey]

Anyone see this yet?

The Australian arm of video game and accessories retailer EB Games lists a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)-styled controller for the Wii U console. The controller features the classic SNES button layout and D-pad inlaid under the Wii U's modern joysticks.  The controller is available for pre-order for AU$48.00 (about US$49.50). It is slated to ship on November 30. The Wii U console itself launches in North America on November 18.

While it's pretty much the same controller, having the SNES overlay looks pretty awesome to me. The fact that it's the same price as the regular pro controller is even better.

[Fatty The Hutt]

And so, the re-seller gouging commences: This from Amazon.ca. Fuckers.
 
Nintendo Wii U 32GB Deluxe - Black - Available Nov. 18, 2012
by Nintendo
Media: Video Game
Platform: Nintendo Wii U
Price at a Glance
New: from CDN$ 599.00
New1-4 of 4 offers
Price + Shipping Condition Seller Information Buying Options
CDN$ 599.00
+ CDN$ 4.99 shipping
New Seller: MII300
Seller Rating: Just Launched (Seller Profile)
In Stock. Ships from ON, Canada.
Domestic shipping rates and return policy.
or
CDN$ 649.00
+ CDN$ 4.99 shipping
New Seller: toddleggat
Seller Rating: Just Launched (Seller Profile)
In Stock. Ships from ON, Canada.
International & domestic shipping rates and return policy.
or
CDN$ 895.00
+ CDN$ 4.99 shipping
New Seller: Shalowm Trading Co. Canada
Seller Rating: 100% positive over the past 12 months. (5
total ratings)
Back-ordered. Due in stock November 18 -- order now to reserve yours
Ships from ON, Canada.
International & domestic shipping rates and return policy.
FREE UPGRADE TO EXPEDITED SHIPPING (up to 6x faster than Standard
shipping), FREE TRACKING NUMBER, and FREE INSURANCE ($895 c...
or
CDN$ 955.00
+ CDN$ 4.99 shipping
New Seller: MII300
Seller Rating: Just Launched (Seller Profile)
In Stock. Ships from ON, Canada.
International & domestic shipping rates and return policy.
 

[TJ Spyke]

Anyone see this yet?

The Australian arm of video game and accessories retailer EB Games lists a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)-styled controller for the Wii U console. The controller features the classic SNES button layout and D-pad inlaid under the Wii U's modern joysticks.  The controller is available for pre-order for AU$48.00 (about US$49.50). It is slated to ship on November 30. The Wii U console itself launches in North America on November 18.

While it's pretty much the same controller, having the SNES overlay looks pretty awesome to me. The fact that it's the same price as the regular pro controller is even better.

I should point out that Nintendo Australia already confirmed its not a licensed controller (it's third party)

[Ceric]

On the Canadian Gouging.

The question is will it command those prices.

Amazon here is showing $517 - $1,500 (Well Technically $1,000,000)

I would be very interested in seeing if it those items would be sold at that price.

[Fatty The Hutt]

@ceric, Assuming retailers sell out of Wii Us, I would not be surprised if the reseller offerings sold for the high prices asked. Folks get desperate around Chistmas time.

[Stogi]

They should buy a **** ton of stock, watch it tick up a dime from news of it being sold out then sell it immediately. They'd make a lot more.

[MrPhishfood]

They should buy a **** ton of stock, watch it tick up a dime from news of it being sold out then sell it immediately. They'd make a lot more.

I don't think its about just buying more stock. Nintendo probably don't have the supply to satisfy demand on launch date. As we speak they are getting assembled out of the factories at Foxconn and will continue throughout the Wii U's lifetime. I imagine its very costly to setup more factories just for the sake of satisfying launch demand and then shutting down those factories once demand has lowered. It would make more sense to wait and build up a considerable amount of stock enough for the estimated amount of early adopters to buy and then launch the console.

[tendoboy1984]

Anyone see this yet?

Aside from the SNES paint, the overall design is exactly the same as an official Xbox 360 Pro Controller.


I thought third-party controllers weren't allowed to have the exact same design as first-party controllers? Something about customer confusion...


It's why you never see any third-party Xbox or PlayStation controllers with the exact same design as their official counterparts.

[Stogi]

They should buy a **** ton of stock, watch it tick up a dime from news of it being sold out then sell it immediately. They'd make a lot more.

I don't think its about just buying more stock. Nintendo probably don't have the supply to satisfy demand on launch date. As we speak they are getting assembled out of the factories at Foxconn and will continue throughout the Wii U's lifetime. I imagine its very costly to setup more factories just for the sake of satisfying launch demand and then shutting down those factories once demand has lowered. It would make more sense to wait and build up a considerable amount of stock enough for the estimated amount of early adopters to buy and then launch the console.

Er...I don't think you understood me. I meant stock as in shares; as in trading shares on the stock market.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm pretty sure they'd see a higher return on investment by buying and scalping the hardware than playing the stock market.

[Stogi]

If you were going to use the same amount of money, probably. But the same amount of hours? Hardly.

[EasyCure]

Summary for the lazy?

They laugh.

[laugh]

Seriously though, good one. I should've seen that coming.

edit: Thank you, Adrock. Honestly I'm not THAT lazy to have read the article but as Azeke pointed out, there'd be a whole lot of [laughs] in there that would probably start to bore me.

[Kytim89]

When do you think that Retro City Rampage will appear on Wiiware?

[azeke]

When do you think that Retro City Rampage will appear on Wiiware?

Dev said the plan is before the end of the year...

I am ready for them to miss that date, as long as RCR will come eventually -- i'll be there, i've waited too, too, too freaking long for this game not to pick it up now on WiiWare.

PS. what does that have to do with Wii U?

[TJ Spyke]

Well, you will be able to transfer WiiWare games to the Wii U. And if the 3DS's eShop is any indication, we should be able to download WiiWare games on the Wii U's eShop.

I have to admire the developers of RCR for saying they will release it on WiiWare even though they known they likely will never profit from that version. Maybe it's because the game originally started as a fan-made NES homebrew game.

[Kytim89]

When do you think that Retro City Rampage will appear on Wiiware?

Dev said the plan is before the end of the year...

I am ready for them to miss that date, as long as RCR will come eventually -- i'll be there, i've waited too, too, too freaking long for this game not to pick it up now on WiiWare.

PS. what does that have to do with Wii U?

I have seen the game and want it on my Wii. Also, it could be released for the Wii U with Gamepad support eventually. It might come out within the next month. It is also not yet released on XBLA, so I assume that since it is already released on PSN then its rival services will get it soon to compete for sales.

[MegaByte]

WiiWare should get it before the end of the year, as long as the approval process proceeds smoothly. There was some sort of licensing screwjob with XBLA, so even though that platform was supposed to get it much earlier, it's still not out there. Wii U isn't going to get it anytime soon since the dev doesn't have a devkit.