NBA 2K13 (Wii U) producer says devs shouldn’t base games around a console’s features, and instead only use them when they enhance the experience
Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in General Gaming, News, Wii U | 0 comments
“One of the main things– and it’s a philosophy I wish more people would take– is not trying to build your game around what the feature set of the hardware is, but analyze how your customer has interacted with the game up to that point and see if the hardware’s feature set can further enhance that. Because you’ve been successful for a reason, so to go and try and reinvent everything just because you want to use this feature doesn’t necessarily mean your customer is going to enjoy the new experience.” – NBA 2K13 producer Rob Jones
Much like what Jim Sterling said in a recent piece about Black Ops 2 on Wii U, sometimes you just have to let games be regular games, even when a console has specific features that make it stand out. Mr. Jones seems to understand that! He continued:
“For example, with the Wii you could use the remote as a pointer, but people don’t experience basketball games that way, so trying to change the game just to get the Wii pointer to work didn’t make a lot of sense. PlayStation Move probably had the same kind of effect. We tried to make a game that could be played simply with the peripheral, but the peripheral just didn’t match our core customer. So what you’ll see with the Wii U title is we only did what we thought would be an extension of what our customers were already experiencing because it makes sense that way.”
I like this guy! He understands how games are made! Of course, it’s a steady balance– if you (as a developer) pass up the opportunity to use a feature that would clearly improve gameplay just because you’re lazy, and then you try and pass it off as “not being gimmicky”, you’ll get into trouble. I have a feeling that’s not what’s happening here though.
NYKO Wii U accessories – More details
Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
UBoost
– Essentially a battery extension
– 2x the battery life
– Attaches to the back– no tools or modification required (which assumedly means you don’t have to remove the old battery to use it)
– Works together with the internal battery
– Adds a built-in stand to the Gamepad so you can stand it up without using a separate stand
– Still uses the charging cradle/cord that comes with the Wii U normally
– Available in Black and White, “later this year”
– $19.99
Charge Base Pro
– Charging station for up to two Wii U Pro Controllers
– Attach a magnetic charging dongle to the Pro Controller’s USB Port and set it on the charging pad
– Magnets will automatically lock the charging dongle into place
– “Artfully suspends the controller in the vertical dock”, which seems like a silly way to phrase is
– LED light indicates when fully charged
– Dock is collapsable
– Powered through an AC adapter, so it charges faster than the Pro Controller’s proprietary USB cord
– Available “holiday season”
– $29.99
Power Stand
– Sort of like a third party version of the Deluxe Bundle’s charging cradle
– “Drop n charge” functionality
– Use it to view movies and stuff
– Available “this year”
– $14.99
Charge Adapter
– Essentially a third party replacement Gamepad charging cord
– Plugs into AC wall outlet, charges Gamepad
– ‘Velcro strap’ for easy storage
– Available “in time for the Holidays”
– $14.99
Charge Link
– USB charging cable for the Gamepad
– ‘Extra long cord’ so you can play from further distances
– Velcro strap for easy storage
– Available now
– $14.99
Uplay app now live on Wii U
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U, Wii U eShop | 0 comments
Wii U owners can now grab Ubisoft’s Uplay app from the eShop. It’s only a 43MB program, so it shouldn’t take long to download and install.
If you can’t locate the app on the eShop, search for “Uplay” and it should pop up in the results.
Homebrew Channel teased on Wii U
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments
At the moment, most users have been unable to get the Homebrew Channel running on Wii U. While it’s possible to run homebrew itself, there hasn’t been a way to access the dedicated channel. That could be changing in the future, however.
Take a look at this blurb from hacker Marcan:
Keep in mind that this is purely a demonstration at this stage. Depending on how things progress and what direction development takes, we may or may not release something like this in this form. Please don’t ask for release dates. We’d rather spend time investigating the new system than putting together a release that may or may not end up being the Right Way to do things in the future ;).
Please ignore the blue blinks. The monitor kind of sucks at syncing to component video sometimes. I would’ve used HDMI, but the Wii U cannot output analog audio simultaneously with HDMI (at least not for the Wii U menu part), and I cannot capture HDMI audio.
Do people know what the Wii U is?
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
Ever since the Wii U was announced, people have been wondering if the mainstream consumer would be confused about the system. Initially, some assumed that the GamePad was just a new controller for the Wii. And it doesn’t help that the Wii U shares a very similar name as its predecessor.
The Wii U is here now, but the question remains: do people really know what the console is? In quite a few cases, the answer would be “no”.
Take a look at these Twitter comments, for instance:
A few Twitter comments aren’t enough to say for sure that consumers don’t “get” what the Wii U is. This could be a cause for concern, though…
UK Wii U launch videos
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Videos, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo UK on Wii U stock, price, no plans for a price cut, targeting the core at launch, more
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments
Nintendo UK executives James Honeywell and Shelly Pearce were in attendance for the Wii U’s launch last night. Of course, the event wouldn’t have been complete without a few interview questions!
Eurogamer spoke with the Honeywell and Pearce just before the console’s official release in the UK. The two commented on Wii U stock, the system’s price, potential confusion that using the Wii’s brand could bring, concerns about a possible price cut in the near future, and targeting the core audience at launch. There’s even some talk about the 3DS as well.
Check out the full Q&A below.
Accessory lets you connect a PS2 controller to Wii U/Wii
Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments
Ever wanted to use a PlayStation 2 controller on a Wii U or Wii? One Japanese company is making this possible.
Datel Japan will release an accessory next month that acts as a PS2 to Wii U/Wii adapter. Simply plug in one end to a Wiimote and the other to a PS2 pad. Then you’ll be good to go! It even includes a Turbo button that could be worthwhile when playing a Virtual Console shooter.
The adapter will be available on December 8 for 1,980 yen.
