185 replies to this topic

[Alex Atkin UK]

Well, the firmware update could "theoretically" make a difference to frame rate, if it improved disc IO and the frame rate problem was somehow caused by delays streaming in data.  That seems extremely unlikely though as that usually just causes object or texture pop in, frame rate is usually down to the CPU or GPU getting temporarily bogged down.  Its possible that a firmware update could improve game loading speed marginally, if they somehow improve the optical drive performance.  That would be more a case of fixing an existing bug though and unlikely to be a night/day difference.

 

The speed of the internal memory seems to have zero effect on disc based games (it shouldn't).  I downloaded something from the eShop and had it download and install in the background while I was playing LEGO City Undercover.  The game ran identical to usual and I didn't even realise it had started installing until I tried to go back to the home screen and the whole console just hung, as it was unable to load the UI back in.  I just left it alone and after 5 minutes or so (once it had finished installing) everything was back to normal.

 

I really don't get why some people think a firmware update can fix frame rate or game loading times.  Frame rate can be improved by GAME updates making the game engine more efficient, load times can't really be changed unless they allowed partial copying of the disc content on the internal memory or HDD.  The speed of loading off the disc is dictated by how they laid out and compressed the data in the first place, not something you can fix after the disc has been manufactured.

[LinkKennedy]

Seriously what are the expectations with this update? Not what u guys want but rather what Nintendo will do? Or is it that hardcore that no one has any clue?

[Arkhandar]

Seriously what are the expectations with this update? Not what u guys want but rather what Nintendo will do? Or is it that hardcore that no one has any clue?

 

The only confirmation that we have is that the update will speed up the OS. Other than that, we're in the dark.

[alan123]

The only confirmation that we have is that the update will speed up the OS. Other than that, we're in the dark.

as much as the last one did to speed things up, it made very little difference i do not hold much hope for this update either, it's been out nearly a year & they are still trying to get the OS up to a speed that can be used without frustration, this should of been done & sorted before the WiiU was launched, there is no excuse for it being so slow, no reason at all other than Nintendo don't know what they were/are doing.

 

will there be a update on the loading times on games as well, also 3DS integration & games tied to gamertags/accounts & not the hardware in with this update as well ?

[Arkhandar]

as much as the last one did to speed things up, it made very little difference i do not hold much hope for this update either, it's been out nearly a year & they are still trying to get the OS up to a speed that can be used without frustration, this should of been done & sorted before the WiiU was launched, there is no excuse for it being so slow, no reason at all other than Nintendo don't know what they were/are doing.

 

will there be a update on the loading times on games as well, also 3DS integration & games tied to gamertags/accounts & not the hardware in with this update as well ?

 

 

Game loading times would need to be fixed with a patch on a game by game basis. 3DS integration, like what? Games are already tied to your NNID, but only on one console at a time.

Edited by Arkhandar, 28 September 2013 - 01:08 PM.

[Kokirii]

as much as the last one did to speed things up, it made very little difference i do not hold much hope for this update either, it's been out nearly a year & they are still trying to get the OS up to a speed that can be used without frustration, this should of been done & sorted before the WiiU was launched, there is no excuse for it being so slow, no reason at all other than Nintendo don't know what they were/are doing.

 

I hate to be hard on Nintendo but I am pretty frustrated by it as well, especially the time it takes to go back and forth from Miiverse to a game.  Why are things so slow when the system has 4x as much total RAM as the Xbox 360/PS3?  Didn't they only have 512 mb??

[Arkhandar]

I hate to be hard on Nintendo but I am pretty frustrated by it as well, especially the time it takes to go back and forth from Miiverse to a game.  Why are things so slow when the system has 4x as much total RAM as the Xbox 360/PS3?  Didn't they only have 512 mb??

 

You bet. But don't worry, that will hopefully be fixed soon enough.

 

Xbox 360 only reserved 32 MB for the OS during games, so the Wii U... well, it doesn't even deserved to be compared with it. 

Edited by Arkhandar, 28 September 2013 - 03:28 PM.

[Colinx]

a big part of the reason why the wii u feels like its offline is due to no on tv screen notifications like xbox and ps.u should get in the corner of ur tv when a friend logs on, a favorite tv show is coming on, miiverse notification or friend rquest a notification box.

[NintendoReport]

a big part of the reason why the wii u feels like its offline is due to no on tv screen notifications like xbox and ps.u should get in the corner of ur tv when a friend logs on, a favorite tv show is coming on, miiverse notification or friend rquest a notification box.

 

Agree totally. Little things like this would be it FEEL much more connected .

[Nollog]

Don't worry, it's coming. And surprise! It wasn't delayed (again).
 
Nintendo announced that there will be extended Nintendo Network server maintenance from September 30 to October 1. This means, you guessed it, the update will arrive between October 2 and 4. Yay!
http://www.nintendo....work_status.jsp
 
Emily Rogers also confirmed this in her twitter account saying that the "Wii U firmware update is sooner than you think".
https://twitter.com/Emi1yRogers
 
Now, this updated will obviously bring performance improvements, but that's just for the OS and system apps such as Miiverse, Nintendo eShop, etc. It won't affect game performance whatsoever, just as previous updates never did. So, don't get your hopes up for anything "earth-shattering". We're getting exactly what we were promised back in January.

I wouldn't take someone who's been wrong countless times words on anything as a confirmation.

a big part of the reason why the wii u feels like its offline is due to no on tv screen notifications like xbox and ps.u should get in the corner of ur tv when a friend logs on, a favorite tv show is coming on, miiverse notification or friend rquest a notification box.

A lot of people would hate that.
I'd hate it because I don't usually use my TV with my Wii U.
If It's unobtrusive, I'd be okay. Even Steam notifications annoy the hell out of me sometimes.
Something like colour-coding the little LED instead of just having it flash for everything, I'd love that. Like the 3DS.

[Colinx]

I wouldn't take someone who's been wrong countless times words on anything as a confirmation.

A lot of people would hate that.
I'd hate it because I don't usually use my TV with my Wii U.
If It's unobtrusive, I'd be okay. Even Steam notifications annoy the hell out of me sometimes.
Something like colour-coding the little LED instead of just having it flash for everything, I'd love that. Like the 3DS.

so if you dnt use the tv app and have no favorite shows selected then why are u even bringing it up? lmao and  dnt know who these "lot" are because this already exists on xbox and ps3 and nobody complains there., i would assume people like to know when they recieve a friend requgst or somebody logs on.

 

do you not know what im talking about? the little box that pops up in the corner of ur tv on xbox or ps3 when a friend logs on, its very unobstructive.

[Nollog]

so if you dnt use the tv app and have no favorite shows selected then why are u even bringing it up? lmao and  dnt know who these "lot" are because this already exists on xbox and ps3 and nobody complains there., i would assume people like to know when they recieve a friend requgst or somebody logs on.
 
do you not know what im talking about? the little box that pops up in the corner of ur tv on xbox or ps3 when a friend logs on, its very unobstructive.

It's similar to on steam, I know what you're Daisying about yes.

What tv app?
I'm in Europe if you mean TViiiii.
When did I bring that crap that hasn't launched here even though it's a simple miiverse community layered over TV that the Wii U doesn't even know about?

I play video games on my video game system. I also watch a lot of videos in the browser on it actually.
A lot of people turn off notifications in-game because they are annoying when you're tying to pwn noobs.

[Colinx]

It's similar to on steam, I know what you're Daisying about yes.

What tv app?
I'm in Europe if you mean TViiiii.
When did I bring that crap that hasn't launched here even though it's a simple miiverse community layered over TV that the Wii U doesn't even know about?

I play video games on my video game system. I also watch a lot of videos in the browser on it actually.
A lot of people turn off notifications in-game because they are annoying when you're tying to pwn noobs.

lol when did i ever list steam as an example. i have no clue what you were referring to when you said tv. clearly becuz u do not have the tvii app u are clueless to what i am speaking of. and this is the type ofnotication im referring to. very obstructive correct?

[Nollog]

lol when did i ever list steam as an example. i have no clue what you were referring to when you said tv. clearly becuz u do not have the tvii app u are clueless to what i am speaking of. and this is the type ofnotication im referring to. very obstructive correct?

This is a TV:


How am I clueless about what you're talking about?
It's a horsing popup message on the screen it's not rocket science.

Also I know you didn't list steam, I DID.
See that's the difference with the "TVii app" thing you did and the "it's similar on steam" thing I did.

Edited by Nollog, 29 September 2013 - 07:49 PM.

[GAMER1984]

As a Nintendo fan and WiiU owner I really hope this is a real great update. Not just a little step forward but a big step forward that pushes the console ahead. I seriously hate the OS... I wish they would give the user control and let us customize the homescreen the way we wanted in the wara wara plaza or whatever its called. I really hopes this improves the system VASTLY the Wii U is a great console its just being held back right now... Nintendo its time to release the shackles.

[Colinx]

This is a TV:


How am I clueless about what you're talking about?
It's a horsing popup message on the screen it's not rocket science.

Also I know you didn't list steam, I DID.
See that's the difference with the "TVii app" thing you did and the "it's similar on steam" thing I did.

you should futher elaborate why you even bothered to mention tv given you dont use it with your wii u. and yes, youre right you did list steam, but i didnt list it as example to what i was talking about. imo, its kinda pathetic youre  still arguing over this, its just an idea.

[Arkhandar]

A lot of people would hate that.
I'd hate it because I don't usually use my TV with my Wii U.
If It's unobtrusive, I'd be okay. Even Steam notifications annoy the hell out of me sometimes.
Something like colour-coding the little LED instead of just having it flash for everything, I'd love that. Like the 3DS.

 

Like I said in the "Accomplishments" discussion, it's the choice that matters here. Being able to choose something to fit your own personal preferences is a big part of what makes a great user experience, especially when we're talking about video game consoles that are not simply video game consoles anymore.

 

You want accomplishments? Sure you can have that. You want on-screen notifications? Well, why not? Want to customize the UI? Go ahead.

 

As long as it is optional (and that's the magic word here) it shouldn't make anyone mad.

 

*Color coding has its limitations. Some of us can't see them all. And unlike on the 3DS, I'm not looking at the GamePad all the time.*

[Nollog]

you should futher elaborate why you even bothered to mention tv given you dont use it with your wii u.

I used my TV with my Wii, my Ps2, my mega drive, my nes, my PC for a while.
I've also heard you need to have a TV to use an xbox 360 and PS3, but I can't confirm it as I've never set one up.

A television is a device, not what is being broadcast on it, I don't mean shows like dexter etc. I mean the actual device.
I rarely turn on my tv when playing wii u games, I play solely on the upad.

When I said I'd hate it because I don't use my TV to play wii u games, it was in reference to the notifications being shown only on the tv screen.
And if they showed on the upad it'd be stupid as you'd see it twice if the game was something like zombiu.
 

and yes, youre right you did list steam, but i didnt list it as example to what i was talking about. imo, its kinda pathetic youre  still arguing over this, its just an idea.

It's kind of pathetic you joined a forum if you're not going to discuss ideas with people, whether you agree of disagree with the idea.
I listed steam as an example as it was the one I have experienced the most of first hand, sure I've seen friends get 360 bleeps on their screens (in the damn center, the most annoying place to put any sort of non-in-game message), and some PS3 stuff that I don't even remember so it must have been decently inconspicuous.
You know steam 360 ps3 all have notification for EXAMPLE a friend comes online, which was one of your points. It's exactly the same as the console examples you gave. I don't see why me using a different company because I know more about their use of the same thing is such a big deal.
 

Like I said in the "Accomplishments" discussion, it's the choice that matters here. Being able to choose something to fit your own personal preferences is a big part of what makes a great user experience, especially when we're talking about video game consoles that are not simply video game consoles anymore.
 
You want accomplishments? Sure you can have that. You want on-screen notifications? Well, why not? Want to customize the UI? Go ahead.
 
As long as it is optional (and that's the magic word here) it shouldn't make anyone mad.
 
*Color coding has its limitations. Some of us can't see them all. And unlike on the 3DS, I'm not looking at the GamePad all the time.*

That's why I said it should be an option if you don't want them.
Oh nevermind, I thought I did, I must have said that in the other thread.
I don't think it matters though, look at all Nintendo's recent consoles, when have they ever given you an option as detailed as that?
You can either turn on or off all LED lights on the upad right now, 3ds I think it's you can either turn wifi on or off.

Never said anyone would be mad, I said people would hate the pop-ups in their games, they'd logically just turn them off if there was an option.

Edited by Nollog, 30 September 2013 - 05:54 AM.

[Arkhandar]

When I said I'd hate it because I don't use my TV to play wii u games, it was in reference to the notifications being shown only on the tv screen.
And if they showed on the upad it'd be stupid as you'd see it twice if the game was something like zombiu.

 

A little Off-topic here, but this is where Nintendo failed. This is just an example (summing up to the 3DS/WiiU Virtual Console disaster), but they failed to deliver a decent ecosystem where something as simple as Off-TV Play doesn't even offer you a streamlined ON and OFF switch.

 

If in the future Nintendo wants to implement features that are Off-TV Play dependent like the example you just gave, where "it'd be stupid as you'd see [the notification] twice", they're screwed because there's no way the system can tell if a game is being played on the TV+GamePad or GamePad only.

 

Only now with the release of TW101 and Pikmin 3 this is starting to get fixed. In these 2 games you activate Off-TV Play using the minus (-) button. Perfect. And TW101 even goes a step further allowing you to optionally emulate the GamePad's screen on the TV. Why the hell wasn't this available since the system's launch, for every single game that uses Off-TV Play?

 

And don't get me started on the information available on retail boxes. They're so full of carp that you can't even correctly tell what goddamn controllers you can use with the game. And you're looking at someone that's been gaming for years now. Imagine what a 3-year-old kid whose parents  don't give a carp to what their kids buy would think?

 

Oh you, messy messy messy Nintendo.

 

 

 

Edited by Arkhandar, 30 September 2013 - 06:20 AM.

[Nollog]

A little Off-topic here, but this is where Nintendo failed. This is just an example (summing up to the 3DS/WiiU Virtual Console disaster), but they failed to deliver a decent ecosystem where something as simple as Off-TV Play doesn't even offer you a streamlined ON and OFF switch.
 
If in the future Nintendo wants to implement features that are Off-TV Play dependent like the example you just gave, where "it'd be stupid as you'd see [the notification] twice", they're screwed because there's no way the system can tell if a game is being played on the TV+GamePad or GamePad only.
 
Only now with the release of TW101 and Pikmin 3 this is starting to get fixed. In these 2 games you activate Off-TV Play using the minus (-) button. Perfect. And TW101 even goes a step further allowing you to optionally emulate the GamePad's screen on the TV. Why the hell wasn't this available since the system's launch, for every single game that uses Off-TV Play?
 
And don't get me started on the information available on retail boxes. They're so full of carp that you can't even correctly tell what goddamn controllers you can use with the game. And you're looking at someone that's been gaming for years now. Imagine what a 3-year-old kid whose parents  don't give a carp to what their kids buy would think?
 
Oh you, messy messy messy Nintendo.
 

 
 

The game can tell. If the OS really does run on 1GB of RAM and the game runs on the other then it should be able to read the hooks pretty easily.

Nintendo give options, they never force things they make it a simple task in the api so you(developer) can have either a touch screen button, controller button, or setting in the options for it.
My source on that is some e3 when some devs were saying showing the game only on the upad is a simple few lines of code.

It causes them to be very clusterWii indeed.