Wii U using new tech/GPUs, power kept reasonable for cost
The Wii U is a huge step-up in power compared to the Wii, but there has been some concern that the system is very comparable to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has, unsurprisingly, said that its new console makes use of new GPUs and technology. However, the company has pushed the specs – such as processing power – to the max so that the console will be affordable to a wide array of consumers. Iwata said to investors last week that they’re “looking to maintain a price point for the Wii U that is reasonable in comparison to the value to be offered.”
Of course, because we have designed a new hardware system, we are using new technology and we are using new GPUs.?But as we have to devote significant costs to the Wii U GamePad, if we were to apply the same level of enhancement that other console manufacturers shoot for to the processing power component, the Wii U would become extremely high in price, and it would not be affordable.?In other words, we think that the way that the various console manufacturers are allocating their budgets to the hardware is different from the way that we allocate our budget to the hardware. Ultimately, we’re looking to maintain a price point for the Wii U that is reasonable in comparison to the value to be offered.
Iwata also noted how developers “are only at the halfway point” with regard to using the Wii U to its full potential. That’s because the hardware is still new, and it therefore has different kinks and technology to get used to.
There is also another differentiation point here. While existing platforms have engines that development teams have tuned and optimized for six to seven years after their respective launches, the Wii U is a new platform that has slightly different architecture and, since development teams have only just begun development on software for it, they are only at the halfway point to utilizing its full potential. Despite this fact, however, if you look at the game “Assassin’s Creed III,” which was recently announced or shown, you can’t see much difference when you compare it with games for other companies’ systems. I hope that helps you to understand a little bit better.
