Source: http://playeressence.com/3-reasons-the-wii-u-is-next-gen/ (please post the source of any articles you post)

We hear a lot of comments on internet saying the Wii U is not “next gen” and will be out powered by the PS4 and Xbox 720 just like the Wii out muscled by the PS3 and 360. While we do believe the PS4 and Xbox 720 will be stronger than the Wii U. The Wii U will not be in the same situation the Wii  was graphically, compared to the PS3 and 360. Here are 3 reasons we feel the Wii U is indeed a next gen system, even after the PS4 and 720 come out.


3. Next Generation is about Gameplay and Graphics

With each new generation graphics have made substantial leaps. However, along with those leaps in graphics we get new ways to play games. The PS2 generation had games like Final Fantasy 10, Guitar Hero/Rock Band, God of War, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Metroid Prime, Halo, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Devil May Cry, and many other titles that innovated while bringing new ways to play games aside from graphics. The PS3 and 360 brought extra disc space, in depth online gameplay, and HD to the table. . The Wii U innovates with the gamepad all over again. Games like Zombie U, Nintendo Land, and Rayman Origins really bring out a developers passion to create something new in gaming that couldn’t be done in previous generation. Even games like Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is bringing new ways to play co-op, eliminating split screen with the Wii U tablet and a Pro controller.

2. The Specs of the Wii U are better than the PS3, 360, Wii, and every other home console to date.

While not the biggest leap in specs, the Wii U is stronger than the PS3 and 360. The Wii U has more ram, can run games in 1080p/60 FPS, and already has games that look just as good or better than their PS3/360 counterparts, Need for speed most wanted and Call of Duty Black Ops 2 are all good examples of this. The Wii U Zelda Demo looked better than a majority of the PS3 and 360 games out in the market and it wasn’t even finished. As developers get a hang of the system the graphics will get better and better. A lot of gamers feel the next generation is going to be just like this generation with the Wii being vastly underpowered. The PS3 and 360 were both roughly 20x more powerful than the PS2 and Xbox 1. Does anybody really think the PS4 and 720 are going to be 20x more powerful than the PS3 and 360? Cause that’s the kind of power those systems need to blow the Wii U out of the water, relative to last generation at at least. Microsoft is more likely to go on the cheaper side because of Kinect and Sony doesn’t want a repeat of the PS3 launch with a $600 price tag. However, I do feel Sony will have the strongest system next generation.

SIDENOTE: Before you say 'Oh no! the last of us looks better than any WiiU game'. How about you go look at all the games that came out a year after the release of the PS3 (and xbox 360). graphics like that dont happen over night -_-

1. Microsoft and Sony are preparing Wii U counter measures

If the Wii U was not next generation system, then the competition would not plan strategies to undercut the Wii U’s style of gameplay. Why plan against something thats not in your league? Microsoft with Smart Glass and Sony with PS3/Vita play are looking to provide a Wii U type experience before Nintendo even launches the Wii U. Sony and Microsoft have realized that the idea of 2 screen gameplay is valuable and is something that can bring gameplay to new levels in the next generations of systems. We should see Sony go even further with the Vita cross play when the PS4 is released sometime in the next 2 years.

How do you guys feel on the Next generation of systems? Is the Wii U going to get blown away like the Wii graphics wise? Will Microsoft turn the Xbox brand into the Kinect/Halo Box? Is Sony going to break peoples wallets with the PS4? You guys already know how I feel on the next generation. I want to hear what you guys think. 

I think it's going to be a great console if you like nintendo games.

If you like sony, M$, or the majority of 3rd party games and not nintendo, it's probably not the console for you.

You do realize that the price and release date of the PS4 are already know, right? I'm not sure why you're asking if the PS4 will break people's wallets, or why you said it would be releasing in the next 2 years, rather than this holiday.

OP: Of course it's next gen. Anybody who argues otherwise doesn't know what the word "generation" means. Anyway, I believe the PS4 and Xbox One are supposed to be around 10x as powerful as their predecessors, whereas the WiiU is supposed to be about twice as powerful as those consoles. The Wii U won't be demolished visually like the Wii did last gen, but it will still be a significant portion behind.

who cares?, it released 6 years after it's predeccesor, it has a great line-up ahead of it, is the cheapest of the 3, and most importantly, has free online.

that's enough for me

Miguel_Zorro said:



anthony64641 said:



2. The Specs of the Wii U are better than the PS3, 360, Wii, and every other home console to date.

While not the biggest leap in specs, the Wii U is stronger than the PS3 and 360. The Wii U has more ram, can run games in 1080p/60 FPS, and already has games that look just as good or better than their PS3/360 counterparts, Need for speed most wanted and Call of Duty Black Ops 2 are all good examples of this. The Wii U Zelda Demo looked better than a majority of the PS3 and 360 games out in the market and it wasn’t even finished. As developers get a hang of the system the graphics will get better and better. A lot of gamers feel the next generation is going to be just like this generation with the Wii being vastly underpowered. The PS3 and 360 were both roughly 20x more powerful than the PS2 and Xbox 1. Does anybody really think the PS4 and 720 are going to be 20x more powerful than the PS3 and 360? Cause that’s the kind of power those systems need to blow the Wii U out of the water, relative to last generation at at least. Microsoft is more likely to go on the cheaper side because of Kinect and Sony doesn’t want a repeat of the PS3 launch with a $600 price tag. However, I do feel Sony will have the strongest system next generation.




You know the specs for the Xbox One and the PS4 are already public, right?
If the WiiU was truly next generation, you wouldn't have to create threads to try to convince people that it's a next generation console.
Look at the comparison.  It's not even close. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles_(eighth_generation)
A few facts...
The system bandwidth of the PS4 is 176 GB/s.  For the XBoxOne, it's 68.3 GB/s.  For the WiiU/PS3/360, it's 12.8 GB/s, 22.4 GB/s, and 21.6 GB/s
RAM - PS4/XBox One/Wii U/PS3/360 = 8GB GDDR5, 8GB DDR3, 2GB DDR3,512MB combination, 512MB GDDR3 +10MB EDRAM. The absolute gap between the PS4 and the WiiU is larger than the gap between the WiiU and the PS3.  On a ratio basis, they're the same at 4x.
I could go on, but it's not about the specs for the Wii U.  People who want to play Nintendo franchised will buy it anyways.  But from a technology perspective, it's halfway between the PS3/360 and the PS4/X1.



LOL aww look somebody can read, how nice xD. yea ok on paper your right. but do you even know how the processors even work? Do you even know how much ram is available for games?? first off...Mmm i really dont feel like giving you a tech lesson but ok think about this. back in gen 6 remember the fantastic ps2? it was the WEAKEST console in the generation lol comparing the graphics to the gamecube was laughable at how advanced the GC was compared to it but hey guess who WON that generation?

Nintendo people? sir, have you fucking seen the internet? it's full of Sony/MS fanboys bashing the Wii U and calling it last gen

Generation is not determined by power. Its determined by the fact its the next console in production. End of discussion.

Miguel_Zorro said:



MohammadBadir said:




Miguel_Zorro said:




MohammadBadir said:

who cares?, it released 6 years after it's predeccesor, it has a great line-up ahead of it, is the cheapest of the 3, and most importantly, has free online.
that's enough for me




Who cares?  I'm not sure.  It's only Nintendo people who seem to be bringing this up at this point.  It's unclear who they're trying to convince.





Nintendo people? sir, have you fucking seen the internet? it's full of Sony/MS fanboys bashing the Wii U and calling it last gen




You know what?  I regret getting into this discussion.  I just saw the other thread that somebody made about the WiiU.  I don't want to be remotely in the same group as the people who create threads like that.
There's a direction that I wanted Nintendo to take with their next console.  It's not the direction they took.  But if the people who are buying the Wii U are happy with it, so be it.  Happy gaming.



if that direction is making the powerful is console, why would nintendo do that? the last 2 powerfulest consoles (of there generation) failed. the n64 and especially the gamecube, which wad completely made with 3th party in mind

My problem is the lack of games, only that. Maybe 2 years from now there will be plenty.

I think the classification is mostly pointless. If it's not competing directly for the same type of consumer as the XB1/PS4 and relying mostly on Nintendo fans to purchase it, it's basically it's own sub-categorey of the main market.