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Reader Comments (139)

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:44PM shabby329 said

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come on guys, you got away with skimping on HD last gen because of the motion controls and the lack of full HD adoption but this is ridiculous. apple is a serious competitor and yes, while i realize the wiipad will likely cost much less than an ipad, HD visuals are a must in 2011 to remain relevant. especially on a dedicated piece of tech that doesn't require an HD TV!

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:46PM A Sandwich said

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@shabby329

On a six-inch screen? I think this will be just fine.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:48PM kvn7918 said

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@shabby329 Is it relevant when the screen is 6.2".I don't think so like you said it's not an ipad and that play the wii u said the screen looks great.Don't let some unconfirmed specs discourage you we'll just have to wait and see it first hand.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:50PM ddrussianinja said

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@shabby329

The Wii U itself will be able to do HD, it's just that the WiiPad won't.

Also, Apple isn't really a competitor in this case. The Wii U is not a mobile gaming device. That's what the DS is for. And even then, I find it hard to consider Apple to be a competitor. Sure there are a ton of games for the iOS and they all sell well, but 99.9% of those games are just time sinks and don't really fill the same gaming experiences you get with a dedicated console yet. Maybe it will soon, but it hasn't yet.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:53PM shabby329 said

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@A Sandwich The iphone and ipod touch have the super clear retina display and they're even smaller, try going back to the old apple stuff after experiencing the super sharp screens... it sucks

and this is coming from a guy who owns every nintendo console ever made (and the only apple products i own are an ipod touch 4 and a 5th gen ipod)

im just really sick of getting muddy graphics when there are so many good options out there, i dont want to have make more excuses to myself if nintendo can't get with the program
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:54PM McWilly said

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I think we need a site dedicated to reminding all the idiots out there that this is just a controller, not a handheld or a tablet or the console itself. It's getting quite pathetic now.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:00PM shabby329 said

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@McWilly i am aware its not the console but even if it's just streaming the visuals i want it to look just as good as on my tv or as on an ipad

and if you think the average consumer isn't going to directly compare the wiipad and ipad you are sadly mistaken, especially when nintendo chose to just publicize the controller this e3 and not the console itself

calling them idiots for making the comparison is not going to help sell wii u's
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:00PM alzeer said

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@shabby329
and then people will complain about the high price
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:05PM shabby329 said

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@alzeer i dunno, if it launches at $300-350 and comes with the system and wiipad, i think they could do it and keep the wiipad visuals looking great. as has already been pointed out it's not a computer or anything, just a screen. and if it can only support 1 wiipad as has been rumored then its not like we're going to be buying extras unless as a replacement
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:12PM theBrayn said

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@shabby329

You are aware that the iPad2 is not HD right? It is only 1024x768.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:15PM copa said

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@shabby329

This is pathetic. I remember the Dreamcast VMU like it was yesterday, and that thing had at least 720p resolution.

Oh, wait, I checked on Wikipedia and I was a little bit off. The VMU was 48 x 32. Pixels.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:26PM MaxVest said

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If these specs are right, it gives the WiiPad a pixel per inch count of 158. iPad 2 is at 132ppi. So resolution shouldn't be much of an issue to people who are happy with the iPad.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:26PM AirIntake said

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@copa The Dreamcast VMU was also able to be used separately from the controller, and was able to be directly connected to other VMUs. And it was 12 years ago.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:32PM Mmmmz said

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@shabby329
Idiotic. This has a higher pixel density than the iPad.

This is also a great compromise for cost vs function. They don't want it to be your next media portal. They don't want it to shit all over their portable line. They want it to be an "advanced" controller.

I have an Archos 5 (5" screen) with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. And it gets the job done quite well. You can notice a 720p video on it vs DVD and it's quite usable.

So try and put on your thinking cap before you start spewing filth because on paper it isn't pretty.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:33PM houser said

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@shabby329 So you're just handwaving that a HD 6 inch screen can be made cheap enough for a mass market pack in?

Well yes if we are living in some hypothetical world where you can just wish for something to make it real, then yeah Nintendo totally dropped the ball on not giving everyone an HD tablet along with their console for 150 bucks.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:06PM Vidikron said

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@McWilly

Actually, according to their promo video it can play some simple games on it's own.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:17PM Duke said

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@shabby329

If the controller costs as much as an ipad - or even in the range of it, then I would agree it should do as much.

This is just a controller to the console and you can't say you expect it to display as well as a tablet costing $600. It's not made to compete in that arena - it is not, no matter how you color it, in competition with the iPad.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:18PM manyquestions said

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@Vidikron

I think those games are still running on the box hardware, just using the controller as the main screen.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:35PM dooms33ker said

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@Duke

Nintendo charging in the range of $500 for a controller? You sir have lost your wits.

The controller will be around $80-100. That is less than a fifth of the price of an iPad.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:54PM Duke said

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@dooms33ker
You might want to re-read what I posted. I was not saying they would, I was responding to the concept as raised above.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 3:01PM Misfit Toy said

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@theBrayn

Well technically 720p is HD. Its just that 1080p is considered FULL HD. So 768 is a sufficient resolution for HD content - especially at that screen size.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 3:12PM Kougeru said

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@shabby329 Everyone says the zelda thing looks great on the controller, the sharpness and stuff is amazing for its resolution.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 3:15PM shabby329 said

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@Kougeru

I hope you're right! as i'm sure you can tell i'm just sick of all these cool nintendo games not getting their deserved visual praise because the hardware continues to not be adequate
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 3:36PM JCat said

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@McWilly Agreed. The damn president of Nintendo said it right on stage of the press conference. This is not a mobile device!
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 4:18PM gangcar said

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@ddrussianinja

"Yeah, king of the mountain baby! Wha... PS Vita? 5" OLED, 960 x 544 px?! Aw, dammit!"
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 5:29PM Vidikron said

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@manyquestions

Could be... maybe I got the wrong impression.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 6:30PM BradF said

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@MaxVest

You're more informative than Joystiq! (And the internet as a whole I suppose, since you were the first helpful Google result for 'wiipad pixels per inch.')
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:44PM Fuzunga said

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Eh, seems fine to me.

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:59PM Ospov said

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@Fuzunga

Me too. HD = more expensive and I don't want the controller to drain my wallet.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:44PM xiLeShadow said

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It is high definition for a what, 4-inch display?

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:57PM Mike DPad said

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@xiLeShadow

The iPhone 4 screen is 3.5" diagonal and has a resolution of 960 x 640 ... It's also a capacitive vs their resistive touchscreen. It also costs $199 to boot.

Nintendo, what are you playing at?
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:59PM RageOverdose said

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@Mike DPad

Making sure the controller doesn't cost $199 probably, to go along with the cost of the console itself.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:00PM PSN StaticShock said

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@xiLeShadow

What was the DS's screens' resolutions?
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:03PM Hatman88 said

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@Mike DPad

The iPhone is only $199 if you get a 2 year contract that'll ultimately result in spending over $2000 in phone bills.

If you want one without a contract, then it's $599. WAY more then what the controller and console will cost.

Hopefully...
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:16PM Mike DPad said

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@RageOverdose

That is very true. I know console manufacturers sell their system at a loss as well but can't say with certainty if the software is comparable to mobile phone contracts (to make up the difference)... Fair point though.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:52PM theBrayn said

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@Mike DPad

The iPhone4 doesn't cost $199, that is the deal you get when signing a 2 year contract. The full retail price of the iPhone4 is around $400 for the 16GB I think. I thought everyone knew that cell phone companies subsidize part of the cost of the equipment to sell more contracts...
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:54PM jtrjuwrue5iiejie5ijeie3i5 said

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@Mike DPad

Last I checked, the iPhone only costs $199 because the phone companies eat the other $400 out of pocket to make sure people buy their phones.

I don't think Nintendo wants a $600 controller
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 2:29PM tendoboy1984 said

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@Mike DPad

Stop comparing it to the iPhone. A better comparison would be the iPod touch, which is only $220, or the iPad, which is $500.

You can't compare this WiiU controller to a subsidized cell phone.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 3:41PM gangcar said

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@tendoboy1984

Why not compare it to a portable gaming system with a 5" OLED, 960 x 544 px display that costs $250?
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 5:48PM xxxsam said

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@gangcar
Hopefully this controller will be an awful lot cheaper than $250.

It seems likely to be worryingly expensive already (even if you don't need a second one, it's got to add a lot to the system price). Seems to me that it would probably cost ~$150 even with the resistive touchscreen and presumably slow CPU.

Frankly I'm glad they didn't make it HD; as others have pointed out, that's not really necessary (it might be useful for the web browser feature, but come on, who's really going to use this as a web browser, we all know it will be crap for that). HD on the tablet is totally unnecessary for games. This thing is going to be displaying map screens, inventory, move selection, that kind of stuff. You do not need an HD map screen.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 8:17PM Hords said

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@Mike DPad

"I know console manufacturers sell their system at a loss"

To my knowledge, Nintendo never sells their consoles at a loss.
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Posted: Jun 10th 2011 12:05PM SkuddStevens said

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@Mike DPad You're hilariously misinformed, sir. The iPhone 4 is only $199 after a contractual discount, the price off-contract is $599. Even the iPod Touch 4G, which uses the same tech, is $249 at its cheapest.

@Everybody Else, the WiiPad won't hit a resolution any higher than 854x480. It's sufficient and cost-effective considering it's not the console's main display.

Technically speaking, the PSP has a lower RPI than the WiiPad is boasting, and it still looks fantastic, so I can't see why anybody should complain.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:45PM ddrussianinja said

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That's about what I expected. Otherwise, the cost of this thing would be ridiculous.

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:46PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said

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Isn't "uPad" a more fitting name?

Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:53PM Zertoss said

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@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

iPad! uPad! Wii all Pad for HD pads!
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:05PM Soiden said

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@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

I'm expecting Umote (similar to Wiimote).
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:13PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said

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@Soiden

That's a good one as well.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:19PM Aanx said

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@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En
yes it is, and for some reason people keep calling it WiiPad
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 1:31PM Uncle Jesse said

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@Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En

UPad.

Ooooooh. Yep. I like it.
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Posted: Jun 9th 2011 12:46PM ZombieSpongebob said

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But nintendo says these are prototypes soo this isn't finishes yet we have to wait and see

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