The Wii U’s graphical capabilities have been partially revealed online, and while it’s an upgrade from the current generation of graphics, the PS4 and Xbox 720 will be capable of much more graphically. This is something that has been known for a while now, just not proven. I didn’t expect Nintendo to come out with an ultra powerful or expensive machine. It’s around the same cost of a PS Vita with a Memory Card.
A large majority of Nintendo fans just wanted better online, HD graphics, and great games. Which Nintendo is already delivering on. Some skeptics have written off the Wii U and said it won’t have the power to compete with the Xbox 720 and PS4. What gamers need to understand is the Xbox 720 and PS4 need the extra power for the type of games their audiences play. The Wii U does not need to be super powerful system for the type of games it will be hosting.
Xbox 720
Microsoft has hedged their bets with a lot of third-party games, Kinect, and minimal first party support. The Western gaming market is now dominated by shooters. Microsoft is known for its shooting games. Halo, Gears, Call of Duty, and Battlefield all do huge numbers on the Xbox 360. First and 3rd person shooters like I mentioned need a powerful system to render multiple enemies on-screen in large vistas and battlefronts. Microsoft hosts far more shooting games than Nintendo, so it makes sense for Microsoft to have more powerful hardware than Nintendo.
PS4
PS3 exclusives like Uncharted, The Last of Us, Killzone, and God of War are graphical powerhouses, and Sony’s fans expect that next generation. The graphical benchmarks set in those games are an integral part of the experience. For example, Uncharted 2 was marketed as an action movie. The commercial features a young man explaining to Kevin Butler how his girlfriend thinks Uncharted 2 is a movie, not a game. You need really good graphics for this type of marketing. The PS4 is no exception, the next Uncharted game needs to be the best looking game on consoles.
Gamers thought Killzone 2 was a CG rendered trailer when they first showed it off at E3 2006. Killzone 4 needs to be just as mind blowing when Sony shows that off. The fans of Sony games want and demand high graphical levels for their exclusives.
Wii U
For the past two generations, Nintendo has always went on the low-end for graphics. The Wii focused on new gameplay methods with Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and Wii Fit. While the lack of power hurt the Wii from getting major third-party releases like Borderlands or Grand Theft Auto, the Wii still got plenty of good third-party games. No More Heroes, Madworld, Red Steele 2, Muramasa the Demon Blade, and NBA Jam all came to the Wii and were good. Nintendo’s first party titles like Mario Galaxy and Donkey Kong Country Returns still looked fantastic on the Wii and sold millions of copies each. In other words, Nintendo’s core titles don’t need a powerhouse consoles to sell or be great. When the PS4 and Xbox 720 come out, is anybody going to look at Xenoblade 2′s graphics and claim they suck? I doubt it. Mario Galaxy doesn’t need as many characters on-screen as Call of Duty or Crysis 3. Super Smash Bros Brawl is four player fighting game. It doesn’t need top of the line PC specs to be fun and look great. All of Nintendo’s games will sell regardless of how much power is packed into the system. Nintendo made the right choice, focusing on new features like the Wii U Gamepad, MiiVerse, and 3rd party collaborations with studios like Platinum Games and Atlus. The third party games Nintendo does get will sell if they implement good Wii U features the fans want. Off Screen play, good item/inventory management, and use of the gyroscope can go a long way to make third party Wii U games stand out.
Will the Graphics be that bad?
I ask this because we’ve seen what the PS3 and Xbox 360 can do. If the Wii U is slightly stronger, and we get games that looks better than Uncharted 3 or Halo 4, is that a problem? It’s still going to look really good. Plus Nintendo has some of the best artists in the industry. Metroid Prime 4 might not have the technical prowess of a PS4 or 720 game, but I can guarantee you it hold it own against the competition.
Once I saw the Zelda tech demo below, I was convinced Wii U’s graphical capabilities are fine.
What is Needed?
Sony and Microsoft have to battle each other for timed exclusives, DLC, ect. Nintendo has always played their own game. Nothing should change here. If Nintendo did have a console as strong as the PS4 or Xbox 720 and released it in 2012, how many people who are currently bashing the Wii U would have bought it? What if it was $400-$500 at launch? Nobody would have bought that system. Nintendo fans don’t want to pay that much for a system and Sony/MS fans would have waited for Xbox 720 and PS4 anyways. It doesn’t make sense for Nintendo to enter the arms race with Sony and Microsoft. They tried that before. It was called the GameCube.
