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- Blake likes this
Alex Atkin UK
Member Since 15 Jun 2011Offline Last Active Jul 23 2015 11:47 AM
#143218 New Nintendo Direct confirmed for tomorrow.
Posted by
on 04 December 2012 - 09:35 AM
Its a shame we do not have a Nintendo Direct app on the Wii U, it would make a lot of sense.
#125286 Wii U gets an update day 1
Posted by
on 07 November 2012 - 12:40 AM
Everyone seems to be missing the obvious. The reason its a day-one update is due to manufacturing, as the Wii U you buy on launch day may have been manufactured months ago.
Even if the stock firmware already has this functionality included, its going to have been improved in the meantime and thus you get a day-one firmware update.
Would you rather them increase the price of the console so that they can set up a production line JUST to update to the latest firmware before shipping? Something which would also cause stock shortages for no good reason? That would make no sense at all.
Even if the stock firmware already has this functionality included, its going to have been improved in the meantime and thus you get a day-one firmware update.
Would you rather them increase the price of the console so that they can set up a production line JUST to update to the latest firmware before shipping? Something which would also cause stock shortages for no good reason? That would make no sense at all.
- Keviin likes this
#107489 Component video resolution?
Posted by
on 14 September 2012 - 12:05 PM
I'm sure it varies, but I found the picture quality on Xbox 360 over component VASTLY inferior to its picture over HDMI.
Granted, in some cases it makes games look more realistic as it degrades the image quality and crashes the contrast ratio, so it looks more like footage shot with a camera.
However if you want a pixel sharp image with a good contrast ratio, component is NOT the way to go in my experience. But it does depend a lot on both the console generating the signal and your specific TV.
HDMI certainly seems to handle longer distances better. I have a 7m HDMI from my Xbox 360 to the TV which works perfectly. But extend a component cable to 2m from 1m and you see ghosting appear.
I also read that the reason 1080p over component is not commonly available is down to the AACS content protection scheme not working over 1080p.
Although seeing as the Wii U doesn't play DVD or Bluray, I think it would be pretty tight for them to bother using content protection on the output so perhaps you WILL be able to capture 1080p over HDMI. Although I bet they do protect it due to supporting on-demand services for TV. This blocking your ability to record things is such a load of crap.
Granted, in some cases it makes games look more realistic as it degrades the image quality and crashes the contrast ratio, so it looks more like footage shot with a camera.
However if you want a pixel sharp image with a good contrast ratio, component is NOT the way to go in my experience. But it does depend a lot on both the console generating the signal and your specific TV.
HDMI certainly seems to handle longer distances better. I have a 7m HDMI from my Xbox 360 to the TV which works perfectly. But extend a component cable to 2m from 1m and you see ghosting appear.
I also read that the reason 1080p over component is not commonly available is down to the AACS content protection scheme not working over 1080p.
Although seeing as the Wii U doesn't play DVD or Bluray, I think it would be pretty tight for them to bother using content protection on the output so perhaps you WILL be able to capture 1080p over HDMI. Although I bet they do protect it due to supporting on-demand services for TV. This blocking your ability to record things is such a load of crap.
- verk likes this
#107040 Do you think the game pad should have been an optional extra?
Posted by
on 13 September 2012 - 12:16 PM
If the Wii U didn't have the gamepad, I don't think it would have gotten the support it has. I probably also wouldn't be going to buy it.
It seems Ubisoft and EA are quite excited at the changes they have been able to make in games thanks to the gamepad.
Personally, if there is one thing that annoys me on open world games its getting lost. Its so hard to tell where you are heading on the map, a mini map alone is not entirely helpful. Far too often I bring up the map and then get confused and end up going in the wrong direction. This no longer needs to happen on Wii U because you can glance down at the full map at any time and immediately see if you are heading the right way.
That is just one example of how having a screen in the controller WILL revolutionise gaming, at least for me personally.
Recently, I got Zen Pinball 2 for PS Vita which is FAR better than the 3DS Zen Pinball. The resolution and the gameplay is just smoother, but there is one thing I miss - not having a bottom screen to stick the LED display on. It just makes so much difference being able to keep it large, available at a glance, but not obstructing the main display.
There are several games that have tried to ditch the health bar but in most cases, it sucks. Now you can have hints at your health on the main screen but details at a glance.
None of this would happen if the gamepad wasn't a standard bundled feature of the console. How many 3DS games support the second circle pad? Or supported the cable that links the GBA to the Gamecube? Even other manufacturers, what happened to the PSP being able to be used as a rear view mirror on racing games? It didn't happen, because its not worth increasing the cost of developing a game to implement a feature only a minority will use.
The same applies to the OS/APIs of the consoles. ALL Xbox games support cross game voice chat and custom soundtracks, because its a standard feature of the console. How many Playstation games support those features even though plenty of people ask for it? Not very many. If you want a feature to be supported by the developers it MUST be included as standard.
The ONLY good reason for the Pro controller is for dual screen multiplayer and that the gamepad inevitably will have terrible battery life, at least compared to a controller without a screen.
It seems Ubisoft and EA are quite excited at the changes they have been able to make in games thanks to the gamepad.
Personally, if there is one thing that annoys me on open world games its getting lost. Its so hard to tell where you are heading on the map, a mini map alone is not entirely helpful. Far too often I bring up the map and then get confused and end up going in the wrong direction. This no longer needs to happen on Wii U because you can glance down at the full map at any time and immediately see if you are heading the right way.
That is just one example of how having a screen in the controller WILL revolutionise gaming, at least for me personally.
Recently, I got Zen Pinball 2 for PS Vita which is FAR better than the 3DS Zen Pinball. The resolution and the gameplay is just smoother, but there is one thing I miss - not having a bottom screen to stick the LED display on. It just makes so much difference being able to keep it large, available at a glance, but not obstructing the main display.
There are several games that have tried to ditch the health bar but in most cases, it sucks. Now you can have hints at your health on the main screen but details at a glance.
None of this would happen if the gamepad wasn't a standard bundled feature of the console. How many 3DS games support the second circle pad? Or supported the cable that links the GBA to the Gamecube? Even other manufacturers, what happened to the PSP being able to be used as a rear view mirror on racing games? It didn't happen, because its not worth increasing the cost of developing a game to implement a feature only a minority will use.
The same applies to the OS/APIs of the consoles. ALL Xbox games support cross game voice chat and custom soundtracks, because its a standard feature of the console. How many Playstation games support those features even though plenty of people ask for it? Not very many. If you want a feature to be supported by the developers it MUST be included as standard.
The ONLY good reason for the Pro controller is for dual screen multiplayer and that the gamepad inevitably will have terrible battery life, at least compared to a controller without a screen.
- Noonabites likes this
#7438 what do think of the look of the console?
Posted by
on 16 June 2011 - 03:00 AM
Didn't people complain about the look of the Wii too when it was first shown? "Ewww, it looks like an external DVD drive".
Microsoft designed the Xbox 360 based on looks and look where it got them, it overheated. Had they just worried about functionality they would have made it slightly bigger and we wouldn't have had the red light of death fiasco.
Are people seriously sitting staring at their console instead of playing the games?
My only complaint about the WiiU is I wish they had kept Gamecube support as its a far better control pad than the classic controller and I hate the fact I am going to need to keep my Wii hooked up to just the play Gamecube games.
Microsoft designed the Xbox 360 based on looks and look where it got them, it overheated. Had they just worried about functionality they would have made it slightly bigger and we wouldn't have had the red light of death fiasco.
Are people seriously sitting staring at their console instead of playing the games?
My only complaint about the WiiU is I wish they had kept Gamecube support as its a far better control pad than the classic controller and I hate the fact I am going to need to keep my Wii hooked up to just the play Gamecube games.
