American McGee: Only real next-gen is Wii [update 1]

Wait wait wait... since when did the Wii suddenly become "two to three times powerful than the X-box"? Last time I heard, it was "slightly better than the Gamecube". So which is it?

I'm all for hyping up incoming systems, but I feel that some of you are putting the Wii a bit too high on your expectations pillar.

Talk is pretty much just talk until the results come in. So stop bashing the PS3 or the Wii. Let them speak for themselves when they hit stores.

So true, n8dogg.

"The PS3 will not only be a gaming system but will allow you to use the internet(and LINUX!!!) that to me qualifies it as next-gen.

Posted at 11:18AM on Aug 15th 2006 by Bryan"

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My TiVo *also* uses the internet and has an underlying Linux operating system (OMG!!!) i don't qualify it as an amazing next-gen gaming system however.

In fact numerous consumer electronics devices both 1) connect to the internet 2) run Linux. it's not even that rare honestly.

if you really think "runs Linux" *actually* means you'll have a full desktop GUI and able to type a term paper in OpenOffice and edit some photos in GIMP... yeah. you are going to be seriously disappointed.

the fact of the matter is... you'll be doing those 2 things on a PS3 about as much as it is currently done on a TiVo or digital cable box or even a cheap wi-fi router or NAS box (all devices that have internet and Linux). you have unrealistic expectations from a couple of buzz words.

"runs Linux" != "runs a full-fledged desktop OS"

Controller upgrade FTW!
More buttons... pfft. Nin has been as un-innovative as ever. It's just the devs, which till now I see a poor standard on both graphics (better than Xbox WIPs? Nah.) and balancing. And I bet it won't be any "funner". Duh.

"What would be the point of adding a bunch of extra hardware when they won't need to make their games HD?"

Dingdingding, we have a winner!

"And if you don't think that developers will have games in 2010 that would require more than 3/4 times the processing power than the Xbox...you're sorely mistaken."

Oh, I think they'll have the games that require the power. Hell, some games now won't make it onto the Wii. But to say all "interesting" games will require vast amounts of processing power and 20+ GB of storage space is ludicrous.

I agree that some developers will choose to not port their games over to the Wii because of its lack of HD. But 3rd party support is mounting for the Wii, and if it breaks into the market like expected, the developers will be jumping at a chance to cash in with NEW games on the Wii.

If you feel that more power is the only way to make fun games, fine. I'll have a hard time convincing you otherwise. But Wii isn't looking for ports from other consoles. Wii is getting everyone excited for what IT offers. It wants NEW games, experiences that can only be had with Nintendo.

Different gamers want different things. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt because you're able to argue intelligently, unlike many a fanboy post around these parts. So that you understand where I'm coming from, I'm much more excited about LoZ:TP, Rayman Raving Rabbids, SSBB, Sadness, and Darkness than I am about Halo 3, Too Human, or MGS4. The last 3 will most definitely need the power the 360 and PS3 provide. The first 5 won't, and I (along with millions of other gamers) will enjoy them MORE.
The different companies are targeting different markets. If two people are from the different markets (like you and I most likely are), then they can't really argue which system is "better" because they classify things differently.


"Wait wait wait... since when did the Wii suddenly become "two to three times powerful than the X-box"? Last time I heard, it was "slightly better than the Gamecube". So which is it?"

The rumor has been, for over a year now, that the Wii will feature hardware two to three times more powerful than that of the GC. While the hardware itself won't be 2 or 3 times that of the XBOX, the Wii will have the potential to do twice the XBOX's output, due to the increased efficiency of proprietary architecture. There's no official sources because Nintendo has yet to reveal tech specs (I don't think they will ever officially release them... somebody will have to take one apart and test it for us to know). Irregardless of the jump, the Wii will be more powerful than any console this generation.

@98, correct, I was amazed that the Xbox360, with its hefty launch price tag and steaming piles of hype, would be running the equivalent of (correct me if I'm wrong) FOUR YEAR OLD GRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY.

as to all the rest of you arguing about the power of the Wii...since when do you have detailed specs on what it can do? or what it has under the hood? Last time I checked, all the general public really has to go on is the developer's comments of 'the hardware kits are roughly 1.5X the power of the Gamecube', and the leaked specs which were for the Gamecube Gekko chip anyways. Nobody has any idea what the Wii is going to be capable of, so how can anybody argue that it won't be able to do anything?

Besides which, why do you need all that power? If you have fifty bajillihertz of processed memorizing bandwidth cells, all that means is the programmers are going to get sloppy. Gamecube can do physics, just like the PC, just like the PS3, just like anything else that is already out. The problem with realistic physics lies in the programming, not the hardware. But then again, I'm of the opinion that the Wii is going to have a physics processor in its graphics system (think Physx), which would be a rather simple and elegant solution - Nintendo doesn't have to worry about lack of processing power available, and developers don't have to worry about coding Havok specifically for the Wii.

It boggles me, all you people screaming 'more megahurtz is bettar'...your logic is flawed, for starters. Look at my analogy for the 360; looking at the numbers, that thing should be a better desktop computer than my computer is. But looking at the games...and the graphics...it just isn't there. And there is no reason why it shouldn't be. Come on #95, how can you say that more power is better, and then say that the DS outselling the PSP is irrelevant to the issue at hand? The DS is clearly a technically weaker system. The PSP is a portable DVD player that can't play DVD discs, nor DVD video at DVD resolution. FANTASTIC use of the extra technology there, eh? Love how the more powerful system is clearly better.

The DS -is- innovation, that is why it is selling so well. It has awesome software available, like Trauma Center or BrainAge, which simply cannot be done on any other system right now. And it comes in pink. Where can you see a lack of innovation?

Appeal to everybody in the mall, not just the hardcore elite pro gamers - innovative.
Supply large amounts of easy to use software at cheap prices, designed for anybody to play and enjoy despite not knowing anything about the game that isn't on the box - innovative.
Give it unique new ways to interface with the person, (let them pet their puppy and say 'good job!', give them a scalpel and let them save a person's life using their own shaky fingers, challenge their brain using calculation and speech simultaneously, the list goes on as I'm sure you know) - innovative.
Do all this with existing technology, carefully designed to make a seamless experience, and then price it at a range that is simply unbeatable - good business sense.

Note that all that can be applied to the DS, which is available now and clearly dominating the handheld market. It can all also be applied to the upcoming Wii, which I wager is going to do the exact same thing.

@VampireHunterZ: "Live on the other hand is always changing. It's a software platform and a service."

Which is innovative (for consoles), but innovative != good.

Live has been a big strike *against* getting a 360 for me. You are starting to see the same publish and patch paradigm for the 360 (cf Oblivion, people in the Dead Rising saying Capcom is going to/should patch). I left the PC because of that, and I'm not about to move to a platform that has the same problems.