By keeping the Wii's visual power low, Nintendo helped Sony out wonderfully

[walrusmonger]

I've had this idea in my head and have never shared it, but I'm sure other people have thought it too. I have never read it anywhere, so I'll share.

By keeping the Wii "last gen" in the graphics department, Nintendo has left the window open to a PS2 version of just about any Wii game that will come out- except ones that are 100% custom made for the controller, or made by Nintendo of course.

Manhunt 2- could have easily been on PS3 and 360, but it's on Wii and PS2. Wonder why, well... largest user base is on the PS2 still, PS3 owners can play it, and Wii people will have some rockstar loving for a while, when they get the GTA 4 shaft.

But what if the Wii was more powerful? I think it would have missed out on Manhunt 2. This can work both ways obviously.

I don't have the energy to push this idea any more since I'm tired, but I will make more commentary on this at a later date.

I'm still angry that the Wii is so bleh, no matter how cheap it is, the graphics should have been good enough where you could tell the difference between generations. Yes, I'm a graphics whore, and no, I don't get impressed easily with motion controls.

bleh sorry for this rant, maybe it'll just fade into oblivion (which would be FUCKING AWESOME on the wii- imagine being able to swing swords or do weird motions to activate spells!)

[cyberfluxor]

I see what you're saying but I don't believe it'll be the determination to anything. I personally bought a GameCube for the games being released on it, not because some claim "GC graphics better than PS2" and whatnot. Don't get me wrong either, Xbox and PS2 have some great games too, just at the time the GC had more of what I wanted and for the price.

A thing to keep in mind is that PC gaming is my main front. I play most FPS and RTS games on there because they just aren't as great on console IMO.

And as a side note:
Owned a GC over 3yrs - 20 something games.
Owned PS2 for about 8 months - 30 something games.

That's just how it's worked out for me. Most likely due to how common it is to find good cheap PS2 games.

[Aussie2B]

It's really too soon to say that the Wii's graphical capabilities are "last gen". We're still pretty much experiencing launch titles, and launch titles for ANY system NEVER push a system anywhere close to its limits. It's just simple logic. No developer has had enough time or experience with the system just yet, and even if they could get everything possible out of it, they still wouldn't do it because it wouldn't be a wise business decision. You don't put a system on the market that you want to have around for a good 5 or so years and have the first batch of games already reach the pinnacle of what it can offer. Then what is there left for the consumer to look forward to?

The problem is that Wii Sports and Twilight Princess are pretty much the only Wii games getting any real attention, and neither are intended to be technical marvels. Wii Sports is designed to put all the focus on the possibilities of the control scheme, not on the aesthetics. It's a free pack-in game, so they're not going to spend the money to go all out with the graphics. Plus they probably WANT a simplistic look because Wii Sports is the game designed to attract every kind of person to the Wii, even if they normally don't play games and are overwhelmed by games with complex graphics. Then you have Twilight Princess, which everybody knows is just a GameCube game with Wii controls tacked on. You can blame Nintendo for their ploy of forcing diehard Zelda fans to pick up a Wii, but you can't blame the Wii hardware itself.

Wait for Smash Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy. Then we'll start to see games that are actually designed to take advantage of the capabilities of the graphics engine. Even then, though, I'm sure the visuals of the games will still improve greatly as the years go by. Look at launch PS2 games. They look like complete ass compared to the PS2 games being released just recently, and many didn't look much better than PS1 games.

[studvicious]

We've really yet to see a Wii game developed from the ground up that actually pushes it to the limits. Even the best looking games out for the Wii are just Gamecube ports. And whatever's left is just launch title garbage. Look at the quality of PS2 games at launch and then pop in God Of War II. It's QUITE the difference.

[skaar]

Wait for Smash Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy. Then we'll start to see games that are actually designed to take advantage of the capabilities of the graphics engine. Even then, though, I'm sure the visuals of the games will still improve greatly as the years go by. Look at launch PS2 games. They look like complete ass compared to the PS2 games being released just recently, and many didn't look much better than PS1 games.

Mario Galaxy impressed the hell out of me at E3. It was the title that made me want to get a Wii. TP was neat and all but MG was the one that sold me. It feels like you're tagging along with Mario and helping him out more than just controlling him. I just hope it doesn't suck come release day. Some of the stages reminded me of Sonic Adventure for the DC. Lots of pretty shiny flashing and a feeling of not being in control for a few seconds at a time.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

I don't have the energy to push this idea any more since I'm tired, but I will make more commentary on this at a later date.
I'm sorry, but you really should take the idea further if you want to make a point. As it is, it's not really clear what you're trying to say.

How does the Wii's design help Sony exactly?

By creating more PS2 games? I don't think Sony wants all that many more games to come out on the PS2. They want developers were working on PS3 games, I'm sure.

Also, are there actually any cases of a game being developed for the Wii and then being ported to the PS2? None that I know of.

It sounds like your'e trying to say something interesting here. I'm just not sure what it is exactly, I guess.


...word is bondage...

[-hellvin-]

I don't really get your point myself, I suppose that it's the fact wii's low visual power is making it possible for the games to spawn a ps2 version as well, which is pushing sony's software sales. "I Think anyhow". All I know is I'm pissed I got reminded how Manhunt 2 won't be on 360 and I'll probably end up buying the !@#$ing thing on Wii only to have Rockstar remake the game for the 360 all the while they laugh in my face just like Tecmo laughing in my face right now about Sigma after I've already bought Black....ugh...now I have headache.

[j_factor]

Well good, I guess. Sony could use all the help they can get at this point.

[GarrettCRW]

It's really too soon to say that the Wii's graphical capabilities are "last gen".

QFT, despite what some might say. And if history is any indication, the absolute pinnacle of the Wii's graphics won't be hit until around the time we're waiting for Nintendo's next system to come out.

[chrisbid]

rationalizing wii hate post #345978097815

[BydoEmpire]

I've thought that for a while also. The reason is that publishers are more likely to green light a project if they can release it on a couple of consoles. Developer: hey, we can do game X for ps2, but we can also give you a Wii version for almost nothing. Publishers two SKUs for the price of one? Sign us up!

Now, how many games this *actually* affected I have no idea. And I would also say the continued strength of the ps2 helps out the Wii, so it's sort of a mutual thing. But I do think that it helps publishers spread costs out, and ultimately means more games for both systems.

I don't know what this has to do with the Wii's graphics, or Wii hate. I love my Wii. I like ports - if they're fun games - whether it's a 2600->Inty port, a Genny->SNES port, a 360->ps3 port, or a ps2->Wii port.

[Ze_ro]

But what if the Wii was more powerful? I think it would have missed out on Manhunt 2.
I think if that were the case, the Rockstar would have to consider one of two different scenarios:

1) Release ONLY a PS2 version
2) Go all the way and make a "next gen" (I hate that term) version for the PS3, 360, and Wii

So either way, the Wii gets Manhunt 2.


It's really too soon to say that the Wii's graphical capabilities are "last gen". We're still pretty much experiencing launch titles, and launch titles for ANY system NEVER push a system anywhere close to its limits. It's just simple logic. No developer has had enough time or experience with the system just yet
I disagree. The Wii is built on the Gamecube hardware, and uses pretty much all the same development tools from what I've heard... so while 360 and PS3 developers have to start from the ground up and figure out the nuances of the consoles, most of what the Wii can do is probably already known. That's not to say that things won't improve, but I don't expect the Wii's graphics quality to improve over the console's life span as much as the PS3's and 360's will.

However, I fully expect to see wiimote-based controls evolve over the course of the system's life (A year from now we'll hopefully be seeing games that make us look back and wonder how we even managed to play the launch titles with such inaccurate motion tracking and such)... And frankly, I think that plays more into the way that Nintendo wants the console to be anyways.

--Zero