Wii Hardware Discussion

[Fierce_LiNk]

Screen size might not matter for the motion sensing, but it does for the actual games. They look a lot better on a bigger TV, I can't actually read some of the writing whilst playing GRAW (Xbox360) on my 14 incher, it looks a lot better on the 22" 4:3 flat screen.

 

I don't think anyone is questioning that bigger tvs are better for gaming. What i was referring to was that chap from Arena Magazine, where he said:

 

2 The ‘big TV’ issue

Nintendo has made a huge deal out of the fact that the Wii isn’t following the next-gen herd, concentrating on how we play games, rather than just swanking up the graphics. But while it may not need a high-definition telly like the PS3 and Xbox 360, it DOES need a big ****-off one. As the PS2’s gimmicky EyeToy gadget proved, motion-sensing games don’t work on small TVs – you need the on-screen gaming area to be as large as possible to properly read your body’s graceful movements (come on, play along). So, despite the Big N pitching itself as the cheap and cheerful option (£170 is the latest unconfirmed price doing the rounds – almost a third of the price of the PS3), you may still find yourself having to fork out for that entertainment centre of plenty after all.

[mcj metroid]

yes but the eye toy was a piece of crap.Nobody knows how to use the damn thing.i even played the pods over in austria.They sucked!

[demonmike04]

Minor news, but i've noticed that the shoulder buttons on the nunchuck attachment have changed shape.

 

As you can see, they are rectangular in that shot, but in this shot:

The top shoulder button has turnt circular.

 

I think Nintendo are still deciding on the controller, ensuring it will be perfectly comfortable once it reaches us.

 

EDIT: This may be have been reported, im not entirely sure. Still, its minor.

[ShadowV7]

I prefer the old nun-chuck but new wii-mote.Thanks for that find.

[demonmike04]

Hmm i prefer both new ones, the circular buttons would go easier on my finger tips, current shoulder buttons like the ones on the old Nunchuck hurt the joints in my fingers..

[DCK]

Making them different in shape makes it easier for people to get the difference in buttons, so that they don't confuse both. I doubt it makes much difference in comfort though.

[Blue_Ninja0]

I would judge it if i had it in my hands. Ugly controlers can be very ergonomic or not. They made the gamecube controler perfect-like IMO, so i'm not worried.

[Dante]

New Wii classic controller picture.

 

[Hellfire]

MoSys had their Q2 earnings conference call today.

 

Here's what they had to say about Wii.

- 1T-SRAM-R (not 1T-SRAM-Q as some people have suspected)

- 90nm process (Max frequency: 450 MHz @ high performance, 250 MHz @ low power based on 90nm info from MoSys website)

- The 1T-SRAM deal is a "custom program" with NEC, not a CLASSIC macro

- NEC is shipping chips at the end of this quarter

- For the Wii they are getting 50-70% of the royalties per unit they got on the original Gamecube at launch, because of increased volume

 

Pedro?

[demonmike04]

That classic controller looks so good, it looks hella comfortable.

[pedrocasilva]

MoSys had their Q2 earnings conference call today.

 

Here's what they had to say about Wii.

- 1T-SRAM-R (not 1T-SRAM-Q as some people have suspected)

- 90nm process (Max frequency: 450 MHz @ high performance, 250 MHz @ low power based on 90nm info from MoSys website)

- The 1T-SRAM deal is a "custom program" with NEC, not a CLASSIC macro

- NEC is shipping chips at the end of this quarter

- For the Wii they are getting 50-70% of the royalties per unit they got on the original Gamecube at launch, because of increased volume

 

Pedro?

well for one thing... they seem to confirm the numbers said earlier this week... if the GPU goes at 249 MHz and it has 1T-SRAM embedded to the core... that RAM needs to be clocked at 249 MHz.

 

I believe this means Wii will have 250 MHz low power RAM.

 

let's look at GC main CPU=485 MHz :3=162 MHz RAM, seeing as they are evolving a architecture keeping the basis and all could mean the ideal speed for the CPU if we used high performance RAM... would be 450 MHz x3=1350 MHz... instead of the rummored 749 MHz.

 

but... if we use the low power ones... then 249x3=749 MHz (maintaining the multiplier 3 from gamecube architecture)... so, well... it does fit.

 

Also, if the RAM specifications can be compared directly to GC's... GC external RAM (not the embedded) was infact Double Data Rate (DDR) so it was infact 162x2=324 MHz, DDR 333 with underclock (it could go at 350 MHz though).

 

That would mean that; infact we could be refering to 500 MHz (low power) to 900 MHz DDR (high performance) this time around...

 

they also refer to the chip being a "custom program" and not a classic macro, that means that it is custom memory, but... in what? because MoSys sells 250 MHz chips, manufactured at 90nm process.

 

Anyway:

• 1T-SRAM-Q that has four times the density of traditional SRAM and two times the density of 1T-SRAM.

• 1T-SRAM-R that incorporates Transparent Error Correction (TEC™), which automatically corrects memory errors during operation, including soft errors caused by high-energy particles, and eliminates the need for laser repair during manufacturing test without a penalty of additional silicon area or added cost. The 1T-SRAM-R memory technology was selected as one of the “Top Products of 2002†by EDN Magazine.

• 1T-SRAM-M™ which is suited to applications requiring very low operating and standby power, such as cell phone handsets, PDAs and other consumer wireless devices.

Source: http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NSD/MOSY/reports/ar2002.pdf

 

End of this quarter is roughly till the end of august... I'd hope they'd be more advanced.

[ShadowV7]

When I read Hellfires post I was saying I need pedro for this

 

Thanks for clearing that up

[Josh40]

Oh, Finally! The right thread! Yeah, all I wanted to say was the Wii has good hardware!

[mcj metroid]

Do you think the wii will be a good portable console!not handheld but i hope it doesn't have a power pack almost the size of the thing like the 360.i will be carrying it to and from places

[DCK]

Interesting piece of news on MoSys. To say that the 1T-SRAM is in between 250 and 450 MHz seems fairly obvious. It seems to me that it won't be much of a problem to get it at 405 MHz to make the 640x480 @ 30 fps (GameCube @ 162 MHz) to 852x480 @ 60 fps (Wii). I like my own theories

[dabookerman]

Playing with the wiimote better not be as tiring as JUNGLE BEAT IS.

 

my arms are dead

[BeerMonkey]

just a quick question for ya all which is bothering me some what:

 

ive read that a game is not coming to the wii and being made for the PS3/XBOX360..the reason its not coming to the wii is because the system isnt powerful enough to run the game.

Which brings me to my point...at the beginning developers are still new to making games for the consoles so the graphics wont be as good as they can be and the game wont be a long etc. Over years the developers make bigger and better games since they know more about making games on it.

What im wondering about is over years will the games most developers make be to powerful to run on the wii and hense only make it for the 360/ps3.

[Konfucius]

just a quick question for ya all which is bothering me some what:

 

ive read that a game is not coming to the wii and being made for the PS3/XBOX360..the reason its not coming to the wii is because the system isnt powerful enough to run the game.

Which brings me to my point...at the beginning developers are still new to making games for the consoles so the graphics wont be as good as they can be and the game wont be a long etc. Over years the developers make bigger and better games since they know more about making games on it.

What im wondering about is over years will the games most developers make be to powerful to run on the wii and hense only make it for the 360/ps3.

 

Although the Wii is similar to the GC in architecture they surely can squeeze out more power over the years regardless, so the games for all three platforms will look better, however I think there'll be more potential left in the other two consoles.

However, I doubt that good graphics and long games have so much to do with getting used to the hardware - looks at Rogue Leader, that was a launch title and really pushed GC hardware. Moreso it has to do with the size of the team, the timeframe for the game and most of all the skill of the programmers.

[Kazzahdrane]

Plus remember that developers are already profficient in programming for the Gamecube, so in theory the early Wii games should still look pretty good as the Wii shares many similarities with the GC.

[system_error]

Plus remember that developers are already profficient in programming for the Gamecube, so in theory the early Wii games should still look pretty good as the Wii shares many similarities with the GC.

 

 

And do they? Especially third party titles don't show that developers can achieve Rogue Squadron graphics quality at launch.

 

 

(there are a few exceptions but even first party titles are not as polished as I thought when I look at Factor5 quality at launch)

[DCK]

It's not really fair as Factor5 played a big role in the development of the Flipper. The sound chip is their design even.

[system_error]

It's not really fair as Factor5 played a big role in the development of the Flipper. The sound chip is their design even.

 

Sure but developers now had over 5 years to get used to the PowerPC architecture - I would say that the balance is even now. Also the clockspeed and RAM is increased so what would developers stop to achieve similar results? I don't have any ideas.

[Dante]

Some news from IGN Podcast.

 

- Possible delay for Metroid Prime 3

- Star Wars Wii

- Dragon Quest Swords probably not going to make launch, probable more info at TGS

- THQ Wii exclusive event next Tuesday

[ShadowV7]

I refuse to believe the delay of Dragon Quest and Prime 3 since it's been confirmed numerous times >.<

[Dante]

Maybe Nintendo & Square Enix thinks Zelda: TP would have hurt the sales to MP3:C & DQS?