Adinnieken said:
An inventory is a dynamic list (array), either stored in a data file or memory when in use. An array consumes memory depending upon how large it is. The more items in the list, the more memory consumed. So, if the Wii U controller is displaying the inventory screen, it is using up resources of the console. From everything I understand, the Wii U is just a monitor. A monitor is a dumb display, as opposed to a smart display which has some type of computational ability. The Wii U tablet controller isn't streamed raw data, it's streamed graphical data much like WI-FI connected TVs. So all the processing power and memory used to generate that information (the inventory list) is being used up on the console. That's expensive. Using the tablet controller will take away resources that could otherwise be used by the game to make it play or function better. If you don't think memory is important, sit down with PS3 Skyrim players about any bugs they've encountered with that game after about 40 hours of game play. That bug has to do with just maintaining a laundry list like an inventory too, but it can cripple the game play once you've encountered the right series of quests, skills, and magical powers. That has nothing to even do with screen presentation, just what impact your character has on the given situation in the game. And you think it's no skin off of someones back to keep real-time an inventory or some other display? Anything displayed in real-time will take resources. Will an inventory be CPU intensive as say a periscope type feature? No, but it will require both system and graphic memory to maintain, GPU time slices to keep the display fresh, and occasionally CPU time when the inventory is used or updated (items added or deleted). For the most part, not having an inventory on the tablet would reduce the amount of resources used for it significantly. The inventory wouldn't have to be persistently in memory, it a function would be activated to add or remove items to the file, but that would only ever be called when adding, removing, or using an item. A far more conservative approach to resource management than displaying something that might get updated every ten to 15 minutes of game play. And no, don't kid yourself, you didn't just come up with a bad example of how to use the tablet display. It's a good example, one I myself used earlier in a reference to Fallout and the Pip-Boy. That doesn't mean it isn't resource intensive and game developers don't have to seriously consider whether for their game and the resources the game needs that it's appropriate to throw resources away to a game function that may not add value to the game play, but is just a neat use of the technology. If, for example Bethesda's recent update to Skyrim to include Kinect voice commands meant the overall game suffered as a result, would it have been wise to add them and use that feature? No, of course not. I'm not saying nor implying developers won't take advantage of the Wii U hardware, I'm saying they have to consider how they take advantage of it seriously and whether it helps, harms, or hinders the game play. |
I was mostly talking about the graphics resources. But yea it is an array but it really doesn't need to be dynamic is can also be a static array that takes up a set amount of memory. Depending on how many items there are depends on whether you use a dynamic or static array. Even with arrays you don't always need it to be using system RAM/resources unless it is being used/updated. You can always dump it into storage depending on what you want to be doing. But we are getting a little technical and as said. I haven't slept yet in about 28 hours... I wish the bank would open. So I can get home and bed...
