Toshihiro Nagoshi, chief creative officer of Sega, has spoken openly with Polygon regarding next generation platforms, Sega’s future, and Nintendo’s home consoles. Nagoshi says it’s clear that Nintendo is differentiating themselves on the hardware level with both the Wii and the Wii U. But, he says that both Sony and Microsoft will be waging an all-out war on the battle of services.
“They’ll be better-performing systems, but I think they’ll start being closer and closer to each other on the inside. The Wii and Wii U are differentiating themselves on the hardware level, but the other two systems are going to wage an all-out war of services, one that’ll involve the entire Sony group and the entire Microsoft group. It’ll be a battle to see which group can leverage its scale to best benefit developers and gamers.”
And what it’s what all this means?
Yep. Well-placed point.
That’s what i’m wondering too…
Sorry, but is it good or bad regarding Nintendo?
Depends how you look at it.
I think its cool Nintendo is doing its own thing , It would be boring if all three consoles were the same. It’s cool to have a Wiiu and a PS4 or 720 . More variety.
I am totally good with “being-different” but that WOULD be no excuse for hardware that is inferior to competing systems.
And NO It isn’t the problem with the level of graphics the Wii U is capable of it’s just the difference to the other systems which is bigger than I expected.
There is that problem , but the Wiiu does have an amazing controller to make up for lack of graphics. The 3DS is underpowered compared to Vita , but I know which system I prefer.
The PS4 , 720 and Wiiu will all be great consoles in their own right , graphical grunt is not the most important thing in Gaming. Nintendo feels they can make what they want to make with the Wiiiu in terms of graphics and innovation.
I think the Wii U graphics will hold it’s own against the PS4 and 720. Thinking back to the Japanese garden and Zelda HD demo back in E3, that is like a glimpse of what the Wii U can do. Remember the Zelda vs Ganon demo back for GC in 2002 spaceworld? Then see how much better the GC graphics can acheive over time (for example Zelda TP) So, imagine later on down the line when devs are familiar with the Wii U and can effectively optimize for their games, I think we’ll have some fantastic looking Wii U games.
Yeah exactly. Give it 1 year from now , and the internet will be littered with articles like : ”does Mario Wiiu look as good as PS4 game ” ”Does this wiiu game look as good as that xbox game” and so forth.
The difference between 3DS and Vita spec wise is pretty wide right ? But how can the 3DS have Resident evil revelations which looks good enough to be a vita game running in 3D ?
The Wiiu is the 3DS and the PS4 is the PS vita , graphically speaking not sales wise. That’s all the difference is.
I agree. It’s nice to Wii U to be “the different one”. But like @theorangefish pointed below, it can be used an excuse not to port and/or develop games for it.
Nuts. This reply template makes me crazy – it sends your reply to the bottom of the discussion. So please read “@theoreangefish pointed above”.
Honestly it’s good news. Sega is outright stating that Nintendo has caught up via hardware to its competitors (although not necessarily entirely) and thus are forcing the other two to compete for consumers over services.
Due to costs to the developers and consumers, Microsoft and Sony can no longer pack as much hardware as they want into their consoles and are forced to keep the price lower and offer multimedia packages in return to differentiate themselves from one another.
If you think they’ll sell millions of units from launch with a hefty price tag in today’s market, you’re in for a shock. Competitive pricing is more important than ever this generation. Look at what Sony just announced: nearly the same product as their previous model that offers similar services to the Wii U. Consumers want more for their money than overpriced games.
By creating a multimedia platform for the living room, you open up your product to a larger demographic. Look at the Wii U: gaming, streamed media, internet browser, DVDs and television all in an open room in your home. Yes, DVDs aren’t playable, but there most likely is a player in the living room already. Heck, you can stream your PC to your television from another room and use a Wii U Pro controller now.
With announcements of more next generation games being developed and released for both Wii U and PS4, the more developers and consumers alike realize Nintendo is coming out swinging hard and the other two are more bark than bite. Nintendo took a huge risk with their new console and I believe by years end, it’ll pay off.
That’s not to say that Sony and Microsoft will make a terrible product, but they obviously have to step it up. They can no longer rely as heavily on hardware like last generation. Nintendo offers a unique way to experience games and other multimedia with a tablet controller. We have seen a glimpse of PS4, so what will Microsoft come out with?
Nice arguments. I guess it is highly likely that the upcoming Xbox will be a specs beast – I bet even more powerful than PS4 – although the currently costs to keep such a high-end device profitable are high, turning the move very risky, as you pointed. And, yes, Sony and Microsoft are indeed already caught-up in the specs race, while Nintendo is going to brave a complementary – and not 100% opposite – way, offering differentiated services and experiences. We also need to consider the first-party titles, an amazing possibility that only those who owns a Nintendo console can enjoy. Let’s cross our fingers and wait for what Nintendo has to offer to Wii U. I hope we have a new Star Fox, a new Zelda, a new 3D Mario, a new F-Zero as soon as possible.They will make Wii U sells like hot cakes, increase the installed base of it and will grab third-party attention to the console.
Very true. It’s troubling for many Nintendo supporters as of late because of Nintendo’s silence on game announcements, though they have gotten better these past few months with Nintendo Directs. What I don’t want to see this generation from Nintendo however is a strict reliance on 1st party titles and be more open to 2nd and 3rd party titles (particulaly ports) and online multiplayer.
With the proclamation “This is year of Luigi!”, I’m very excited that they’re thinking a little outside of the box and opening up to the characters and franchises far less played. Some of the best characters and titles have come out of them so I have a strong feeling we’ll see the likes of Captain Falcon, Kirby, Earthbound, Star Fox and Metroid.
Pikmin 3 looks beautiful and Wonderful 101 looks to be a fantastic addition to the Nintendo family. For now, I’ll be pleased to see more port announcements than their stellar 1st party titles. I’ve never been disappointed in their 1st party titles and having 3rd party developer support early in the console life will ensure future success.
Bring on March Madness!
Nintendo has been changing its policies gradually. The move in the direction of a lot of indie developers tells us how they are willing to get more third party support for Wii U. It is better than nothing; actually, I’d say that it is very, very cool. There are plenty of good indie games out there. But, like you, I’m still concerned about what people call by “AAA” games: for how long will they be released on Wii U? Hard to predict. However, I glimpse, anyway, a good and solid future for Wii U at least by the end of next year.
We have hit the wall of diminishing returns when it comes to graphics… My prediction is this gen Nintendo will come in last place, but first place in the gen that comes after this one because the increase in power isn’t going to increase the graphical fidelity all that much more, and at this point graphics will cease to matter and its creativity, art direction that will be the deciding factor on which game system will be better, and its on those terms Nintendo always wins hands down.
So as graphics stop mattering, NIntendo’s games/innovation/art direction will start to shine.
Sega, our old enemy, follow the path of darkness and embrace Nintendo unlike those light loving blinded fools Sorny and Microshit and let us together show them what both of us were known for backmin ancient times, FUN
Have you been reading classic novels lately? :P
Just exagurating things ^^
Cool! :P
Uhhh I actually like Sony but I still enjoy Nintendo’s consoles but I prefer the PS4 more
You got a ps4 already!?!?!?!?
NO FAIR!
what it means???????????????????
You’re not alone, sir. :)
Agreed. You can’t really disagree , but just because Nintendo has decided not to go down the same path as it’s rivals doesn’t mean the Wiiu is not a next gen system… (this old fucking discussion again *sigh*)
I actually can just accept that 720 and PS4 are going to be very similar and the Wiiu is in its own class. Whether you see that as positive or negative is down to you. All I know is , the Wiiu is shaping up to be a great console with great games and the fact that it is HD this time means it has closed the gap significantly.
Wii -480p , PS3 – 720p.1080p
Wiiu – 720p/1080p PS4 1080p maybe some 720p aswell
On that basis alone , the Wiiu has caught up to its rivals.
It was hard going from HD to Wii last gen , but that problem is gone.
I see your point. Well, today’s PC games are 10x better graphically and performing, but the console versions are still very enjoyable, and as much fun as Pcs versions. The Wii hardware was really not capable of doing too much in regards of modern games, but the WiiU is not behind any tech.
in fact it has almost the same architecture of the PS4, but with PS4 being, of course, much more powerful. So, my point is: Even with the PS4 and 720 games performing better and having hi-res texutres and next gen stuff, the WiiU versions of those games, will be still enjoyable and comparable, because we are still talking about the same HD technology, and almost the same archtecture.
IMHO, Sony’s advantage lies in the fact that PS4 was conceived using PC architecture. This will give the developers an enormous ease to port PC versions (the most refined ones) to PS4. Unfortunately, up to date only Nintendo programmers and Criterion Games were apparently able to extract the full Wii U capabilities – or, at least, part of it. This means that programming to Wii U is not that trivial.
Regarding the gap being reduced this generation, I totally agree. But developers still can use the gap between the other 2 home consoles and Wii U as an excuse to not launch titles for the latter.
If I remember well, all developers said it was easy to port games for the WiiU. If you think about it, despite some stupid crap ports like batman (which I still enjoyed lol) the other games are if not the same, a little better (sonic racing for example)
The WiiU is easy to develop for, that can’t be an excuse. its not gonna be hard as the PS3. the lack of third partie on the Wii was due to a real leap beetween the 360-PS3 and Wii technology.
We are not on those times anymore, any new engine can pretty much be scalable, they can easly port games even to these days smartphones and tablets today.
The only thing the WiiU needs is sell well. than we will have all third partie support.
Right, they indeed have said that. But I can’t barely say the ports we got so far had at least a decent quality. I may be wrong, though. I’m looking forward for the next wave of ports – we have to consider that Nintendo released the last development kit too close of Wii U launch date, and, in fact, as time passes, programmers get used to Wii U hardware and can make it better.
sure, like, I really want to try the need for speed most wanted, they did a great job for a port. the PC assets like hi-res textures and better FPS was possible only on the WiiU as a console. While it’s not a game that will push the WiiU to its limits, its good to see how well developers are using the hardware on its early days!
I’m definitely getting NFS: Most Wanted. Seems that the Wii U version is far superior than Xbox and PS3 ones, which really matters since Wii U has been out there for just 4 months. I know it sounds like a whiner argument, but I wish Criterion Games had a better publisher than EA.
Graphics aside, I love how they embrace the unique things about the WiiU like assimetric gameplay, and the Miiverse. They also shared some thoughts about Nintendo Land and Mario U which they’ve been playing to realise what they could do with the hardware. It’s becoming more rare developers who doesn’t only think about the money, but also want to deliever a quality game.
This game is also a good indicator for the WiiU: Criterion Games is getting back on a Nintendo hardware since the Gamecube days!
They haven’t even come anywhere close to pulling out the Wii U full capabilities. Same with the stuff shown for the PS4. It’s impossible to do that at launch. Even for 1st party studios. It takes nearly a full console cycle to do that. The PS3 and 360 have been out for 7-8 years and they just NOW reaching their limits. Criterion Games just used the Wii U hardware they way it was supposed to be used which is why it can use a PC set up.
Every multiplat that people have complained about could have been just as good as NFS: MW if they simply had the drive to ‘make’ a game instead of copying and pasting a port and expecting the same results with different architecture. They are smart enough to know better than that, so it comes down to sheer laziness.
It is truly impressive that Criterion Games was able to use PC textures and effects on Wii U. Then it seems that there is much more to be explored in Wii U for the next years.
well yeah, the WiiU isn’t going to be another 360 ._.
or rather, isn’t already
This is basically saying that Nintendo is no Graphics Wanker, leaving themselves out of Sony and Microsoft’s childish war.
^ THIS.
There you go.
And this is why you sir are a genius.
http://youtu.be/jZH3SpBujwk
It’s nice to hear this from a big company. The future of gaming isn’t how much graphics a console can ship out, (because at this point everything already looks stunning and going further only hinders developers and gives games a longer development period), but HOW you play the game. Nintendo continues to innovate on this idea of “how” you play, and that’s why they’re my favorite company. They grow and I grow with them.
Hey guys have you heard the news about Nintendo today????
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/02/nintendo-sued-over-3d-technology-in-its-3ds-handheld-console/
Just wanted you guys to see this! This really retarded!
like someone in the comments on the linked website said, this is almost 2 years old.
Well I think the lawsuit was filed in 2008, but it was reported back in 2011. This is similar to the Wii lawsuit that Nintendo eventually won.
the person who post this was two years old we all knew that.
Add me on 3ds Plz :D code is 0662-3069-0780 Thanks Mates just got it :D
The 2 sides waging their power war while Nintendo’s wisdom takes over everything else.
And then Valve interfiering with those 2…yeh…that’s service war.
That’s how SEGA sees it, and I’m glad. :)
My money is on Sony to win the console war with Microsoft. Nintendo will just do it’s own thing like usual.
Microsoft has the cash pillow to absorb sales losses on hardware. Sony does not. Microsoft already has a firm install base of the consumer Sony is trying to reach. They can make the 720 even more powerful than the PS4 and still have better social connectivity. Even if the 720 tanks they would be fine. Microsoft has all kinds of cash to throw at the 720. Sony pretty much put all their chips on the table and said “ride or die.” So if the PS4 fails, so does the Sony gaming division. It’ll be a wrap.
But even if by some miracle the PS4 does manage to outsell the 720, what good would that do them if they are 20,30,40 million consoles behind the Wii U? The XBOX beat the Gamecube, but both systems got trounced by the PS2. Even if the PS4 outsells the 720, the profit margin for Sony could be next to nothing (if at ALL) and all they would have to show for their hand raised in victory over ‘one’ company is a empty bank account and immeasurable debt. So in Sony’s case the winner could still be the ultimate loser.
That is a huge advantage Microsoft has, kind of unfair too. If Sony does lose against Microsoft and is unable to make their own consoles anymore, I think they should team up with Nintendo in the 9th gen. A powerful console with a mix of Sony and Nintendo’s Ip’s with great third party support would be unstoppable.
I doubt it, but i hope so.
I would see Sony being bought out by Apple before that happens. At least the gaming division. However I don’t think it is an unfair advantage. In 200 Sony’s market cap was over 100 billion dollars. One bonehead decision after another over that past 13 years has left them with about 13 billion. So it’s their own fault. Nintendo also has lost a lot of money. At the Wii’s peak the market cap for Nintendo was around 85 billion. Now they are down to 11-12 billion. However, most of that loss came due to the world economy crisis and the rapid depreciation of the Japanese Yen. Nintendo still actually has 10 billion cash in the bank. So even if not another Wii U sold from now on, they could come back the next-gen with another console.
I’ve heard it said that theoretically that Nintendo could not make another dime and lose over 200 million dollars a year until 2052 before they went bankrupt.
1) NINTENDO = Wisdom and gaming in motion
2) Sony = Powerhouse that has benefitted from nintendo. now the are equal on multiplats to xbox720
3) Microsoft Xbox720 same machine as Sony but with only two real first party exclusives.
4) SEGA please come back to making consoles nintendo needs real competition from a real gaming company.
I rather see Sega submit to Nintendo and join them against the forces of light.
We need to stay relevant in times that are becoming more shallow and greedy each year.
We must spread joy and sportmanship instead of graphicswhoring and paying for online play.
Games are made to be played, not observed and talking about technical crap!
That’s only what i’ve been saying, and Nintendo’s been saying since…god knows when.
Nintendo doing what 4 other platforms are doing is RIDICULOUS. One of the 4 platforms is going, i dont know who, but the market is pointless crowded.
Nintendo will have more success being an individual platform, or “your second console”.
That way they can be successful without wasting money on an expensive console, rather than possibly failing with an expensive console.
Nintendo can of course be your first and only console of you so please.
Meh, unlikely for me, and most.
I’ll most likely end up using my PS4 more than my WiiU and 3DS, not that that’s a bad thing.
Yeah , i’m not talking about proper gamers , I’m just saying some people will have Nintendo as their only platform.. I won’t either I will buy a PS4 most likely. The 720 sounds like shit so far , Permanently connected to the net with watermarked discs….
As far as PS4 getting played more than Wiiu just depends on how many games come out for Wiiu when it hits its stride. Monster Hunter Ultimate – there is 400 hours + of Wiiu playtime over the next year , guaranteed.
Errrr i duno about 400 hours on any game, let alone Monster Hunter.
All depends on how much content Nintendo makes, or third parties make, which could be alot if Retro is actually making a game engine.
Having a ready made game engine optimised for the WiiU for third parties to jump into could really open some doors for Nintendo.
Wouldn’t be multiplats, but certainly more support. Plus its Retro, they could squeeze juice out of a rock.
I spent hundreds of hours on Monster Hunter tri , not like in one sitting… Like 1 or 2 hours or more almost every day for over a year.
It’s the kinda game that you wanna keep coming back to over and over , i spent Hundreds of hours on Phantasy star , Star wars Galaxies (when it was good) , Monster Hunter.
Bare in Mind Monster Hunter Ultimate has over twice the content that MH tri did.
And I think the Wiiu has some awesome games coming out. But there is always people who will prefer to play the multiplats that don’t come to wiiu. I play a lot of them…
I did 1000 on fallout 3, 200 on vegas and 600 on skyrim.
Exactly! PSO episode 1 and 2 on gamecube I must of done about a 1000 in my time with that game. i used to play it none stop , legit when the gamecube was online!
I even made a new character last year and got him to level 96 , took 155 hours no cheating , with my little bro coop.
I dint talk about pso episode since the memory delete of 2003.
Dont*
Yep, that’s how it is for me. No cable or satellite television, just internet service, netflix subscription and my Wii U and DS. I’m having a blast and don’t regret not purchasing another console. Soon I’m going to setup a PC from the other room and play it on the television too! :D
indeed!
That’s always worked for me.
One of them will die. Nintendo will forever sit pretty. Hmm. I wonder wat Nintedward thinks about this.
Way i see it, if Microsoft do all the shit they want to do that Sony isnt doing, then the Xbox brand will die, or Microsoft will move to PC, because Valve is a bigger threat, Gaben pretty much is out to destory EA and Microsoft, like Link against Ganon, and there’s not a chance Microsoft could stand against Valve and Apple breathing down their neck.
So we’d have Sony and Nintendo as console leader, the way it should be OR, if miracles really can happen, we’ll get a dragonball z type fusion, and Sony and Nintendo will work co-opertively to dominate.
In a perfect world, this would happen.
I hope Nintendo is working on a Mmorpg Pokemon Free Online game for the Wii U as one of their secret weapons…that can connect wii Pkmn Y/X and bring your own Pkmn just like in Pkmn Stadium 1-2
500+ hours atleast gg…
The path of darkness seems clear now…
Let our wisdom penetrate the joy of gamers!
No surprise. Nintendo likes to be unique. Sony and Microsoft have been ripping at each other’s throats more and more each year. Each one is determined to squash the other. Either way I’ll be happy to stick with my Nintendo gaming machines.
He could be saying that this could be like the 7th gen all over again. Think of it like this. Sony and Microsoft are in the prize ring battling it out for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the gaming world. It’s a blood bath, with many bone-crushing blows that are career-altering (and perhaps-ending.) Meanwhile, Nintendo is out crowd selling the Wii, Wii U, 3DS, and DS like popcorn, hot dogs, candy, and soft drinks.
Once Sony and Microsoft have destroyed each other, Nintendo can just walk in the ring, perform a finishing manuver (probably the HD Zelda game) prop it’s foot on top of the wounded winner and get the 1, 2, 3. Just like they did with the Wii.
Falcon Punch!
Exactly what I was thinking XD
It could be an awesome HD F-Zero that does it.
WWE TIME!!!!! LOL
Nintendo do what Nintendo do and most of the time succeed. that’s why I like them so much.
Yes, just like darkness, light is energy and will get depleted sooner or later, darkness is eternal, Nintendo belongs to it, ipso facto, we win hahahahahah!
Nintendo will not go back to the Gamecube days, where we had three consoles with pretty much the same power level, yet Nintendo still wasn’t doing “enough”. And unlike Sony, they are not willing to lose money on hardware for too long. So that’s why they are moving at their own pace now. I respect that, but I wish that also translated in more third part support. But whatever it turns out, I’m just glad they are doing things different.
They are all pretty much at the same power level. The distance in sheer horsepower of the Gamecube and XBOX from the PS2 is the same as the 720 and PS4 from the Wii U. Definitely more powerful specs-wise, but only with an infinitesimal visual difference. The Gamecube was about 1-to-1/2x more powerful than the PS2. The XBOX was at least 2x more powerful than the PS2. Maybe 3x. Yet, the PS2 ripped both consoles to shreds in sales.
And with that said, I’m just convinced that as long as Sony stays cocky and gamers keep believing that its “cool” to game on PlayStation and Nintendo is for “teh kiddies” and developers take advantage of that mindset, that Nintendo’s rep will simply not change no matter what they do or stop doing. And this will remain as long as Nintendo stays as humble and paranoid with safety as usual.
(And this is coming from someone that likes and owns both console brands)
The only difference between the Wii and the Wii U is this
http://www.cm4.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Wii-U-Logo-cuadrado.png
Other than that its the same console.
Nintendo has always been different. It is what works for them.
Reading the comments section provided me with a nice discussion for the first time in a long time! What a delight :)
I’ve always loved Nintendo for doing their own thing. I think that’s what keeps them from feeling too much like the competition. They always come up with something different, interesting and unique to makes things feel fresh. GOSH I CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY PIKMIN 3. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
So pretty much a Wiipeat of last generation? I hope we at least get the best of the third party this time around. That was the only bad thing about Wii imo, was missing out on the best of the third party games.
Nice to see sega understanding ms and sony cannot win and will only continue to loose billions in the video game culture wiiu is next gen gaming xbox and ps4 are old gen and very confused devices as for srrvices apps and wiitv have it all covered and sony will be pay for online like ms NO DUALSCREEN No NEXT GEN end of argument and nether have a match for gamepad and wii remote plus dualshock 4 INSULTS ME AS A GAMER
I prefer if Nintendo continues to go this route. They are balancing their systems for the most part instead of focusing more on power and other high specs and high costs.
the title is wrong.. it doesnt say that. It says, the hardware between wii and wii U have lots of differences (10-20x times stronger).. while the ps4 and 720 is more like services war and not an actual next gen leap in their hardware (compared to 360 and ps3).
correct
the real workd performance GRAPHICALLY between wiiu xbox and ps4 is tighter than ps2 AND DREAMCAST vs gamecube and xbox FACT!!!! WE HAVE REACHED SATURATION POINT PS4S SPECS ARE 1 POINTLESS AND ,2 NOT EFFECTIVE NO MAIN DRAM CAN MATCH SRAM AND EDRAM FOR SHEER SPEED NON EDRAM SYSTEMS HIT THERE MAIN RAMS MUCH MUCH HARDER AND PS4 LIKE XBOX ,720 isnt using its processing power for games
blouted os , kinect cameras lol,cpu generated hd surround sound etc etc BEFORE ITS RUNNING GAMES
wiiu cpu is ALL IN GAME the sound is on the DSP and the gamepad and functions and OS reside on ARM co cpu and other logic NOT THE CPUS
so there all gunning in the same area
and ps4s gpu lacks speed of data and local memory
ps4 512k sram THATS YOUR LOT….
WiiU gpu 1mb sram ,32mb edram and a second edram of 2 mb
wiiu gpu on board memory 35mb
ps4 gpu on board memory 512k
PS4 HAS 4 X THE MAIN RAM BIG DEAL
WIIU HAS 70X THE HIGH SPEED RAM ON THE GPU
JUST A THOUGHT HIGH SPEED HEAVILY OPTERMIZED DESIGN VS OFF THE SHELF SLOW PC PARTS
PS4 IS BRUTE FORCING WHAT WIIU IS DOING IN ELIGENCE
edram 5 nano seconds drr5 50 to 100ns lol at sonys CHEAP ASS DESIGN
WIIU HAS EXPENSIVE EDRAM PS4 HAS CHEAP GENERIC DDR
WIIU IS HITTING NEAR PS4 IN GAME VISUALS WITH FAR FAR LESS HEAT AD POWER DRAW
This is very attention-grabbing, You’re an overly professional blogger.
I’ve joined your rss feed and stay up for in the hunt for extra of your wonderful
post. Additionally, I’ve shared your website in my social networks