Wii U - Nintendo's Next Console

[Zug Zug]

First I read this:

But the nature of the internet, and especially internet message boards, seems to be people flipping their s*** prematurely over the tiniest little bit of info. Or lack thereof. Or rumors and speculation. I swear, "hardcore" gaming fans who live and die on internet message boards can be some of the most ridiculously excitable and irrational folks on the planet.

Then I read the following:

no system wide achivements, friend codes AREN'T gone. Reggie, you just took me from a might buy, to no buy. good job.

http://kotaku.com/5917363/better-friend ... -questions

I see what you did there, Devil_Rising.

[ddddd]

The article clearly says:

In other words, the system itself has Achievements. "We will have that," Fils-Aime said. "Once you start getting into game-specific [Achievements] that's developer driven."

Mmmmmmmmmm, this better not be true
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.ph ... ost1648950

[Broken_Cartridge]

no system wide achivements, friend codes AREN'T gone. Reggie, you just took me from a might buy, to no buy. good job.

http://kotaku.com/5917363/better-friend ... -questions

Like ddddd said the article says

In other words, the system itself has Achievements. "We will have that," Fils-Aime said. "Once you start getting into game-specific [Achievements] that's developer driven.

When something is stated as "the system itself has achievements" it sounds to me like it's system wide. The only thing they won't be doing with achievements is forcing developers to have them for their games. Which I only can see the casual games getting the "no achievement" approach. Even then I wouldn't be surprised if the bigger casual games received them.

Also, the friend codes...Before I get started on that I'd like to express something. I hate, HATE, friend codes on the Wii, but the way that it's worded in the article makes it seem like it's been changed and that it's different (different from even the 3DS version of friend codes which worked better then Wii). So I may be against friend codes, but I'll reserve judgment on what they have in store for it until we have firm details on what it actually is like.

Edit: I also wouldn't be surprised if the "friend codes" thing was screen names. Like my username is "Bobthebulder23" but my friend code is "2222-3333-2243" and if parental codes are in place you have to put in the friend code. Otherwise you can just input the screen name. It would make absolutely no sense for them to make friend codes be in on the system for everyone if you can just turn around and friend a stranger on the Miiverse.(which they have confirmed) Now I'm not assuming this will happen, but just don't jump to the worst assumption. The article words it like the people who had a problem with friend codes on the Wii will be happy with it on the Wii U.

[KingBroly]

Steam does it like that. Games don't have to use Achievements, but if they do, data is stored at the OS level. No superficial gamerscore or level of trophy attached, either.

[Serpent_Seed]

I'm really wondering about what the achievement system will be like. I've come to like and hate PS3 trophies. So since this is system based does that mean if I get a new system all my stuff is gone?

[gtt]

Steam does it like that. Games don't have to use Achievements, but if they do, data is stored at the OS level. No superficial gamerscore or level of trophy attached, either.

What I read there is that the system has achievements(ala streetpass plaza on 3ds), but there is no system level achievement system where developers can just plug in their achievement data and go. Like the xbox has, like the ps3, like steamworks games can.

That there is no system level tracking of them, that you can't see what your friends have, all that. Nintendo, you can have a system level achievement system without requiring it's use. I know miyamoto doesn't like them. He doesn't have to use them. He's older and not always right, and quite honestly, acting old and japanese is holding you guys back in a number of key ways.

[FelipeGonc]

Am I the only one who thinks that, in most games, achievements are really stupid? They usually divert the player from the main game experience to make them put effort into meaningless objectives, which involve playing through the same part and dying many times.

[gtt]

Am I the only one who thinks that, in most games, achievements are really stupid? They usually divert the player from the main game experience to make them put effort into meaningless objectives, which involve playing through the same part and dying many times.

I must have missed the part where they were mandatory to complete.

I like them because of useful they are to track progress. Want to see real quick how far my friend is in portal 2 so I don't spoil anything? bam, look the achievements.

[Broken_Cartridge]

What I read there is that the system has achievements(ala streetpass plaza on 3ds), but there is no system level achievement system where developers can just plug in their achievement data and go. Like the xbox has, like the ps3, like steamworks games can.

That there is no system level tracking of them, that you can't see what your friends have, all that. Nintendo, you can have a system level achievement system without requiring it's use. I know miyamoto doesn't like them. He doesn't have to use them. He's older and not always right, and quite honestly, acting old and japanese is holding you guys back in a number of key ways.

I really hope that that isn't the case. I'm not reading it that way, but I can see how it could be interpreted like that. Achievements are awesome for being able to, like you said, track your friend's progress in games.

[Serpent_Seed]

I would really love to be able to show achievements in your profile.

[KingBroly]

http://www.2d-x.com/ninja-gaiden-3-razo ... esnt-suck/

So it sounds like they decided that a Ninja Gaiden game should be like a Ninja Gaiden game.

[Broken_Cartridge]

http://www.2d-x.com/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-wii-u-it-doesnt-suck/

So it sounds like they decided that a Ninja Gaiden game should be like a Ninja Gaiden game.

Oh boy....

[motherbra1n]

hey broly, what happened to "there's no chance of friendcodes coming back"?
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178971

[Devil_Rising]

http://www.2d-x.com/ninja-gaiden-3-razors-edge-wii-u-it-doesnt-suck/

So it sounds like they decided that a Ninja Gaiden game should be like a Ninja Gaiden game.

If they wanted to achieve THAT, they'd make it play like the old NES games.

[KingBroly]

hey broly, what happened to "there's no chance of friendcodes coming back"?
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178971

Nintendo being asshats again. I have no idea what they're doing anymore. I had it on very good authority that they were gone. Still have no idea what they're doing since they don't like to be clear.

[gtt]

hey broly, what happened to "there's no chance of friendcodes coming back"?
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178971

Nintendo being asshats again. I have no idea what they're doing anymore. I had it on very good authority that they were gone. Still have no idea what they're doing since they don't like to be clear.

seriously. they have zero ability to deliver a consistent, concise and understandable message. They really need to hire a dude who just answers questions simply, to the point, and accurately. and if someone asks him something he can't talk about, then just say that. otherwise, be open, honest and to the point.

it should go like this....

what GPU are you using? -AMD radeon mobility 4870 modified with hardware to do lighting and certain directx 11 features. (my personal guess)
online? - we have no fucking idea what we're doing and are too proud and too japanese to ask for help or to just copy steam.
WHAR CORE GAEMS? -2013, we're having a hard time getting 3rd parties on board.

instead we get
"it does 1080p, check that box"
"shrug"
"you'll love pikmin 3 and nsmb level pack 4"(these aren't bad, but they aren't generating buzz)
"lol, friend codes are back bitches!! yes, we're that fucking stupid"

also, ideally this person should be part of a team whose job it is to tell nintendo when they are doing something universally stupid. and have the authority to fix it. This would be a busy group.

[motherbra1n]

hey broly, what happened to "there's no chance of friendcodes coming back"?
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178971

Nintendo being asshats again. I have no idea what they're doing anymore. I had it on very good authority that they were gone. Still have no idea what they're doing since they don't like to be clear.

when they don't like to be clear, it's usually something that we don't want to hear.

They know we hate them, so why are they still using them? Fuck them, I'm not supporting this doomed console.

oh and sorry if i sounded like an asshole earlier when i say "what happened to theres no chance of friendcodes coming back"

[KingBroly]

hey broly, what happened to "there's no chance of friendcodes coming back"?
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178971

Nintendo being asshats again. I have no idea what they're doing anymore. I had it on very good authority that they were gone. Still have no idea what they're doing since they don't like to be clear.

when they don't like to be clear, it's usually something that we don't want to hear.

They know we hate them, so why are they still using them? Fuck them, I'm not supporting this doomed console.

What I don't get is how they can have different people at different levels of the company say different things.

Reggie: 'friend codes are still there, but different.'
Other Guy: 'No friend codes. Nope. None.'
Japanese guy: 'we haven't said anything yet.'

[Koopzilla]

Honestly, I don't see why people get so pissed about friend codes. Sure, the way they did it on Wii was stupid, having a separate one for each game, but I'm sure they would do it like the 3DS and have one per system. I have absolutely no problem with that. That's kind of like saying I won't buy a phone because it has a phone number.

[varoennauraa]

Friend codes is an F word and some people get offended when they hear it.

[motherbra1n]

What I don't get is how they can have different people at different levels of the company say different things.

Reggie: 'friend codes are still there, but different.'
Other Guy: 'No friend codes. Nope. None.'
Japanese guy: 'we haven't said anything yet.'

they just can't deliver any straightforward messages about this whole damn console. We still don't know about voice chat (which is such a standard in online gaming these days), we still don't know how easy/difficult it is to add people online, we don't know exactly how much memory it has (i think i heard 8gb, which is laughable).

come to think of it, wtf did we find out from their E3 press conference other than a load of crap about nintendoland, just dance 4 and reggies body?

That's kind of like saying I won't buy a phone because it has a phone number.

that is the single most pathetic, overused argument for friendcodes, please try something different, because I can't be bothered to explain it for 100th time.

If they wanted to achieve THAT, they'd make it play like the old NES games.

dear lord, no offence but seriously you are so stuck in the past. No one would buy a side scroller ninja gaiden in this day and age, it could get a 90 metacritic score and would still be a flop. Unless its an xbla/psn title and even then it would struggle.

[Koopzilla]

That's kind of like saying I won't buy a phone because it has a phone number.

that is the single most pathetic, overused argument for friendcodes, please try something different, because I can't be bothered to explain it for 100th time.

Really, I've never heard that, but that's exactly the way I look at it. The only thing I ever hear about friend codes is people whining about how much they hate them, sometimes so much they won't even buy a system that uses them. The only difference as far as I'm concerned is a phone number has 2 less numbers and is for a phone, and a friend code is for a game. I'm not saying I love friend codes or trying to argue for them, I really couldn't care less how they do it. I'm just saying it's not that big of a deal and people way overreact about them.

[KingBroly]

they just can't deliver any straightforward messages about this whole damn console. We still don't know about voice chat (which is such a standard in online gaming these days), we still don't know how easy/difficult it is to add people online, we don't know exactly how much memory it has (i think i heard 8gb, which is laughable).

come to think of it, wtf did we find out from their E3 press conference other than a load of crap about nintendoland, just dance 4 and reggies body?

I'm 90% sure they confirmed voice and video chat support.

And the RAM is supposedly 2gb (Wii had 88mb) with 1.5+gb allocated to developers at the moment. This is expected to climb to something like 1.7 - 1.8gb though.

[motherbra1n]

That's kind of like saying I won't buy a phone because it has a phone number.

that is the single most pathetic, overused argument for friendcodes, please try something different, because I can't be bothered to explain it for 100th time.

Really, I've never heard that, but that's exactly the way I look at it. The only thing I ever hear about friend codes is people whining about how much they hate them, sometimes so much they won't even buy a system that uses them. The only difference as far as I'm concerned is a phone number has 2 less numbers and is for a phone, and a friend code is for a game. I'm not saying I love friend codes or trying to argue for them, I really couldn't care less how they do it. I'm just saying it's not that big of a deal and people way overreact about them.

well trust me, whether or not it's a big deal for you, it's a massive deal in general.

[ddddd]

I'm 90% sure they confirmed voice and video chat support.

And the RAM is supposedly 2gb (Wii had 88mb) with 1.5+gb allocated to developers at the moment. This is expected to climb to something like 1.7 - 1.8gb though.

The very latest leaks are kind of worse:
A shovelish cpu on par with the wii with some more power, 1.5 TOTAL ram, almost a 800GFlop powerful GPU (to do things the cpu used to do last gen)
Sometimes I wish nintendo was in the hardware race so these conflicting specs would be put to rest...