Topic: Wii Virtual Console Titles Not Playable on GamePad

[Mop it up]

I think this'll just be around launch, and will be an update in the future. The 3DS didn't even launch with an online store whatsoever.

[marty]

I think this'll just be around launch, and will be an update in the future. The 3DS didn't even launch with an online store whatsoever.

yes, let's remind ourselves how well the 3DS launch went...

[tendoboy1984]

I recognize a few people from GoNintendo on here. Hey supergtt!


Anyways, I was hoping the GamePad streaming function would be built into the system on an OS-level. Meaning you simply press a button and the entire game is brought down onto the GamePad. In fact, that's what I originally thought the "TV" button was for. It's so simple, yet Nintendo probably has no idea how to do it.

[TJ Spyke]

It's not as simple as you think tendo.

And when the TV button was announced, Nintendo specifically said it was to use the GamePad a a universal remote.

[tendoboy1984]

It's not as simple as you think tendo.

And when the TV button was announced, Nintendo specifically said it was to use the GamePad a a universal remote.

Why isn't it that simple? The GamePad is just a second screen that streams content from the TV, it has no computing power of it's own. All Nintendo has to do is enable the GamePad to natively direct the video feed from the TV to the controller screen. It's like switching the AV input on your TV when a game system/laptop/DVD player is connected.

[Crimm]

Well there are a few added levels of complexity, but the biggest is those two devices (the screen, the tablet) are not the same resolution.

Every VC game probably has two outputs: 480i and 480p and two screen sizes (wide/standard). The GamePad is neither of those. It is its own shape and resolution.

Also, keep in mind the reason each game has its own emulator: you can tweak the emulator for game-specific performance. That means EVERY SINGLE VC GAME MUST BE TESTED FOR EVERY REGION if you aren't going to run it in Wii Mode. Regression testing means more than a quick play of the game. If beating a game is like swimming a lap in a pool, a regression test is like swimming a lap in a huge lake.

[MegaByte]

Every VC game probably has two outputs: 480i and 480p and two screen sizes (wide/standard). The GamePad is neither of those. It is its own shape and resolution.

The GamePad resolution is 480p widescreen.

[tendoboy1984]

Every VC game probably has two outputs: 480i and 480p and two screen sizes (wide/standard). The GamePad is neither of those. It is its own shape and resolution.

The GamePad resolution is 480p widescreen.

In a world where screens are expected to be HD at all times, 480p seems like a step backwards.     


Now the fanboys will cry out, "Nintendo is still (technically) living in the past! Give your mobile devices HD screens!"

[broodwars]

Now the fanboys will cry out, "Nintendo is still (technically) living in the past! Give your mobile devices HD screens!"

The irony of YOU calling anyone a fanboy just floors me.

I do think it is a little sad that Nintendo wouldn't shell out the cash to produce an HD GamePad, though perhaps the Wii U just couldn't handle processing 2 HD images at the same time.  Hey, we have to at least pretend that the Wii U is a next-generation console! (j/k) 

[NWR_insanolord]

I really don't see the benefit of making the GamePad screen HD. At that size it's not a huge issue, and it would only serve to unnecessarily tax the GPU.

[tendoboy1984]

I really don't see the benefit of making the GamePad screen HD. At that size it's not a huge issue, and it would only serve to unnecessarily tax the GPU.

Tell that to Apple, Samsung, HTC, LG, ASUS, Nokia, and every other mobile device manufacturer out there. These days, people expect HD screens as standard. The picture quality is just sharper, crisper, and more vibrant in HD.

[Kytim89]

I really don't see the benefit of making the GamePad screen HD. At that size it's not a huge issue, and it would only serve to unnecessarily tax the GPU.

Tell that to Apple, Samsung, HTC, LG, ASUS, Nokia, and every other mobile device manufacturer out there. These days, people expect HD screens as standard. The picture quality is just sharper, crisper, and more vibrant in HD.

I really like the Vita's OLED screen, and would have much prefered something like it for the Gamepad, but it is not cost effective and so it is unnecessary in the eyes of Nintendo.

[NWR_insanolord]

There's also the question of whether the wireless tech Nintendo's using has the bandwidth to stream HD to the GamePad at the performance level Nintendo demanded, and the fact that doing so would either reduce the graphical capabilities of the hardware or have required a more advanced GPU

[tendoboy1984]

There's also the question of whether the wireless tech Nintendo's using has the bandwidth to stream HD to the GamePad at the performance level Nintendo demanded, and the fact that doing so would either reduce the graphical capabilities of the hardware or have required a more advanced GPU

Then Nintendo shouldn't be low-balling the Wii U's specs. People expect more from a next-gen machine. Yes it can do full 1080p HD graphics, but the actual hardware is barely more powerful than the current gen of consoles. It's basically an Xbox 360 x1.5; slightly better than a PS3 with more RAM and a better GPU. But the CPU is allegedly slower than the Xbox 360's CPU, which is unheard of, considering the Xbox 360 uses 6 year old hardware.

I'm guessing Nintendo deliberately crippled their hardware (i.e.: underclocked the CPU) so it runs cooler and more stable in a smaller box.