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Digital Foundry vs Watch Dogs on Wii U

Is this the last DF article we will see on WiiU?

Possibly (in the vs category), seeing as how the PS3 and 360 are on their way out and WiiU will likely never stack up graphically to its current gen counterparts on any third-party ports it gets.

In a case like this, I don't think DF articles do much good anyway. Nintendo fans know what they're going to buy (which is usually the higher-quality first party stuff), and generally don't care what the graphics are like (or at least they claim not to).
 

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
It would be nice if the same people that come to shit on Wii U were consistent with their arguments when it comes to defending the Ps4 vs a 750TI or the Ps3 vs a 8800gt.

It's not. I've got a WiiU. I'm deeply disappointed by it's performance and apart from Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing Transformed WII U. I haven't got a single multiplatform title on my WiiU.

I got Rayman Legends, Bayonetta and the Two CoD and I was happy with them. That said, I was about to buy this but looks like I dodged a bullet.

I thought they only did multi platform releases. So hopefully we will see more on WiiU then.
If they do a Smash Bros one it would be a good indicator or their future plans with Wii U.
 
It would be nice if the same people that come to shit on Wii U were consistent with their arguments when it comes to defending the Ps4 vs a 750TI or the Ps3 vs a 8800gt.

PC shits on everything. Feel better?

Not that I am one of the people you're referring to. I hope not, since I'm not shitting on anything. I'm just advocating arguing current console generation versus current generation consoles, since arguing current gen WiiU versus decade-old hardware in the PS3/360 is kinda silly. It's not a "victory" for either side, no matter who comes out on top.
 

Hugstable

Banned
yeah......no. I'd rather AAA 3rd parties take their ball and go home (which they have already done for the most part) than support this shite. a bad game is a bad game and should not be supported, imo, regardless of the particular console's outlook.

Watch Dogs isn't a bad game... it's just that they put zero effort into the port. Having more games on the console isn't a bad thing.
 

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
PC shits on everything. Feel better?

Not that I am one of the people you're referring to. I hope not, since I'm not shitting on anything. I'm just advocating arguing current console generation versus current generation consoles, since arguing current gen WiiU versus decade-old hardware in the PS3/360 is kinda silly. It's not a "victory" for either side, no matter who comes out on top.

I don't see any argument to exclude the PC from the discussion, specially a low wattage, budget part like a 750TI which has lower performance than the Ps4 GPU on paper. But I'm just asking for consistency when it comes to Wii U, which is the topic at hand.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
This game was supposed to define the difference between Wii U and PS4/X1 according to many...whelp.

Oh yeah. That's right. A sort of half way house in terms of graphics and performance.
 
I don't see any argument to exclude the PC from the discussion, specially a low wattage, budget part like a 750TI which has lower performance than the Ps4 GPU on paper. But I'm just asking for consistency when it comes to Wii U, which is the topic at hand.

And again, while I don't speak for everybody, I can just make the blanket statement that PC shits on everything. I have no argument because there are far too many variables, even when discussing budget parts and parts released around the same time as current gen consoles.

But in a discussion about consoles, which is what most of these conversations are about, comparing generational like-to-like only makes sense.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Watch Dogs isn't a bad game... it's just that they put zero effort into the port. Having more games on the console isn't a bad thing.

I don't believe that. I think that a lot for folks don't understand just how underpowered the WiiU is. For a game like Watch Dogs, it was always going to be a tough task given how many objects like people, cars etc... are in this game and how underpowered the CPU is.

I don't understand given that it's meant to be a slightly better GPU compared to PS360 why the resolution wasn't a solid 1280x 720 but maybe they optimised as much as they could and had to cut resolution to get a playable framerate.
 
I don't believe that. I think that a lot for folks don't understand just how underpowered the WiiU is. For a game like Watch Dogs, it was always going to be a tough task given how many objects like people, cars etc... are in this game and how underpowered the CPU is.

I don't understand given that it's meant to be a slightly better GPU compared to PS360 why the resolution wasn't a solid 1280x 720 but maybe they optimised as much as they could and had to cut resolution to get a playable framerate.

That bolded part can be said about each of the other current generation consoles as well. They all disappoint in the CPU department.

Considering how much time they had, this should have been the best version :(.

Better than PS4 and Xbone? In what way? If you mean graphics/performance, these are video game developers here, not wizards.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
That bolded part can be said about each of the other current generation consoles as well. They all disappoint in the CPU department.

Yep. I agree with you. It's quite disappointing.
 

Hugstable

Banned
That bolded part can be said about each of the other current generation consoles as well. They all disappoint in the CPU department.



Better than PS4 and Xbone? In what way? If you mean graphics/performance, these are video game developers here, not wizards.

Yeah CPU performance on almost all consoles right now seem to be extremely underwhelming. Especially with all the Open World games coming out these days.
 

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
But in a discussion about consoles, which is what most of these conversations are about, comparing generational like-to-like only makes sense.
Well, then I could say that the Wii U was released a year earlier, is cheaper, smaller and consumes way less power than the XBOne&Ps4 (and even the redesigned, shrinked Ps3&360), so it isn't fair to compare them.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
This isn't inferior. The vsync makes up the difference and more imo. Tearing is by far the worst graphical issue for me.

Put into perspective, the PS4 operates at 30fps throughout most of our tests, while the PS3 runs between 25-30fps during cut-scenes, but can drop lower during gameplay. However, Nintendo's platform struggles to even achieve this level, with matching car chases towards the city holding at between 20-25fps on Wii U- dipping to the high teens when smashing through physics-based objects.

Remarkably, a 20fps refresh is often the standard for inner-city driving, making it exceptionally sluggish to control.

Sounds pretty inferior to me. I too hate screen tearing but super low frame rates don't make it the better version.
 

prag16

Banned
Lower frame but NO TEARING

Doing a control-F for tearing and vsync in this topic has been disappointing. You people are really okay with massive tearing just to get a few more fps in busy scenes? Damn.

and once again a Dev sacrifices framerate for no screen-tearing on Wii U.
Right decision. Tearing is far more hideous and distracting to me than slightly lower fps. It's easily the lesser of two evils imo. Especially when the poor fps isn't constant, and the tearing is far more frequent by comparison.
 
Well, then I could say that the Wii U was released a year earlier, is cheaper, smaller and consumes way less power than the XBOne&Ps4 (and even the redesigned, shrinked Ps3&360), so it isn't fair to compare them.

They are all of the same console generation. It is absolutely fair to compare them. Just as it's fair for someone to compare PC components with current generation consoles.

All I was saying is that I, personally, don't have an argument against PC users when it comes to that comparison, because PC is always going to come out on top. If you would like to make a similar statement about WiiU versus its current gen counterparts, go right ahead.

My whole point is, and always has been, that it's ridiculous to compare a current generation console from Nintendo to last generation hardware from Sony and Microsoft. The people claiming that the WiiU is weaker than PS3/360 are insane, and the Nintendo fans gloating about WiiU victories over PS3/360 should feel silly, because the WiiU should win, every single time.
 
This thread makes wonder what any of this means for Nintendo's next console. I would think that their next system would drop BC, because they need to move away from Power PC eventually and get the tablet controller out of the box. Most people like the remote play aspect of the Wii U so I'm guessing the next handheld will fill that role ala PS4/Vita. I wonder if they even try to compete against Xbox Two or PS5 and just merge their hand heldheld/home consoles.
 

Mr Moose

Member
Well, then I could say that the Wii U was released a year earlier, is cheaper, smaller and consumes way less power than the XBOne&Ps4 (and even the redesigned, shrinked Ps3&360), so it isn't fair to compare them.

The 360 came out a year earlier than PS3, is cheaper and possibly consumes less power, it isn't fair to compare them. Wait...
 
Who ever said this?

You'll have to provide some links, sorry.

I remember saying quite a while ago that it would undoubtedly have a pairing back of active AI routines and the physics engine to maintain an acceptable framerate, but they could offset that with closer to PS4 level assets because of the memory advantage over PS3/360.

It looks like they left everything CPU dependent identical across the PS3/360/WiiU versions which does limit the WiiU version, while adding marginally better quality assets in completely random places. To create a port that is worse in many ways and better in some almost imperceptible ways.

I don't think this is the best they could have done, but I won't knock them for what they achieved given some very real limitations of the hardware.
 
A GPU that can utilize features above that of Gen 7 platforms and double the usable memory.

Intel's latest GPU's on their CPU's can utilize the same features that AMD's and Nvidia's latest GPU's can, doesn't mean they have the power to use the well.

Yes the Wii U GPU has a better feature set compared to PS3/360, but it doesn't have the raw power to do much extra with those features.

Not to mention those people saying GPGPU, pre GCN hardware was horrible for compute.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
This thread makes wonder what any of this means for Nintendo's next console. I would think that their next system would drop BC, because they need to move away from Power PC eventually and get the tablet controller out of the box. Most people like the remote play aspect of the Wii U so I'm guessing the next handheld will fill that role ala PS4/Vita. I wonder if they even try to compete against Xbox Two or PS5 and just merge their hand heldheld/home consoles.

I think the next Nintendo handheld will be able to act as a screen for Nintendo's next console like nVidia's shield.
 

HTupolev

Member
Doing a control-F for tearing and vsync in this topic has been disappointing. You people are really okay with massive tearing just to get a few more fps in busy scenes? Damn.
Disabling vsync probably wouldn't increase the framerate very much (if at all); I'd be quite surprised if it suddenly enabled the WiiU version to run more smoothly than the PS3. But it would get frames to the screen faster and with less stuttery timing. Although the PS3 version suffers from tears, it would feel more responsive than the WiiU version even without the framerate advantage.

Normally I avoid tearing, but if you're trying to engage in shooting and driving gameplay floating around in the 20s, it has its merit.
 

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
The 360 came out a year earlier than PS3, is cheaper and possibly consumes less power, it isn't fair to compare them. Wait...

It doesn't not consume less power (at least nowhere close to 1/3), and the Ps3 did get criticized for failing on its expectations. But that's not my argument anyway, just making a point of why PC shouldn't be left out of performance discussions. Is all about where we can get the best experience, right?
 

lyrick

Member
Intel's latest GPU's on their CPU's can utilize the same features that AMD's and Nvidia's latest GPU's can, doesn't mean they have the power to use the well.

Yes the Wii U GPU has a better feature set compared to PS3/360, but it doesn't have the raw power to do much extra with those features.

Not to mention those people saying GPGPU, pre GCN hardware was horrible for compute.

Has any AMD hardware done shit with GPGPU yet or is it still pretty much a Cuda thing?
 

Easy_D

never left the stone age
It always confuses me how a hobby like gaming, something we do to relax, have fun etc, lead to such heated debates. Like, enjoy what you get. With the Wii U that's Nintendo games and the occasional third party game. We've already gone past the fact that it's a weird platform with odd hardware decisions because of backwards compatibility.

Fuck, we went through all of this with the Wii. What are we trying to prove here?
 

Mr Moose

Member
It doesn't not consume less power (at least nowhere close to 1/3), and the Ps3 did get criticized for failing on its expectations. But that's not my argument anyway, just making a point of why PC shouldn't be left out of performance discussions. Is all about where we can get the best experience, right?

You want the Wii U to have a VS against PC? Last time I checked, games on Xbox One and PS4 do VS PC (Far Cry 4 is one of them and I think they did the same for this game).
 
The 360 came out a year earlier than PS3, is cheaper and possibly consumes less power, it isn't fair to compare them. Wait...

It's impossible to do comparisons. Everyone has their own set of criteria for what's fair. Hardware capabilities, power consumption, date hardware is released, and price all come into the equation. Eventually a list war of games comes out.

I think the next Nintendo handheld will be able to act as a screen for Nintendo's next console like nVidia's shield.

Definitely, they can't afford the added cost to the console again.
 

Mr Moose

Member
Plz, read to what I was replaying to in the first place.

You mean about your comment about the PS4 GPU and a 750Ti? (Which comes down to the CPU making the 750Ti come out on top, doesn't it?).

The Wii U doesn't get many multiplat games compared to the others so it'll be in less face-offs.

And shit ports are shit.
 

Hugstable

Banned
You want the Wii U to have a VS against PC? Last time I checked, games on Xbox One and PS4 do VS PC (Far Cry 4 is one of them and I think they did the same for this game).

To be fair, the only reason the PS4/XB1 version is better than PC Far Cry 4 is due to that weird stutter that the PC version has all the time, which is something that affected me greatly in the Watch Doge PC port to where I haven't played much of the game yet.
 

Mr Moose

Member
To be fair, the only reason the PS4/XB1 version is better than PC Far Cry 4 is due to that weird stutter that the PC version has all the time, which is something that affected me greatly in the Watch Doge PC port to where I haven't played much of the game yet.

Ahh, I wasn't saying which version was better, I was just saying PS4/XBO do have face-offs against PC, I think I am just confused by the person I was replying to (I'm not 100% sure what they were trying to get at, I am now starting to think they want the Wii U in the face-offs along with other consoles and PC, though not entirely sure).

I doubt WD it's really a shit port. People forget they delayed the release enough, don't ask for miracle. I don't know what more can do.

I guess that could be the case here, but it's Ubisoft, so I'm not too sure.
 

omonimo

Banned
You mean about your comment about the PS4 GPU and a 750Ti? (Which comes down to the CPU making the 750Ti come out on top, doesn't it?).

The Wii U doesn't get many multiplat games compared to the others so it'll be in less face-offs.

And shit ports are shit.
I doubt WD it's really a shit port. People forget they delayed the release enough, don't ask for miracle. I don't know what more can do.
 
Because YOU won't fucking do it

In before moving goalposts
This is glorious. Good job, man.
Last gen was CPU heavy, this gen is GPU heavy, no port from last gen is going to run well on Wii U without optimization, what is so hard to get? It is easier to bash the hardware and not look at the good ports and the exclusives. Even some CPU heavy XB1/PS4 games are having issues, the engine transition to a GPU centric has not even started yet.
Good point. The bold doesn't fit the detractor narrative so it tends to be ignored.

And seriously, some of you (who we knew a thread to shit on Wii U would attract) need to just get over the fact that the Wii U isn't as powerful as the PS4/XBone. No one in here is saying it is, so why are you all using every opportunity to make it known when it already is? Let it go.
At this point we might as well just go along with it. Every topic dealing with the Wii U outside of the OT will always feature your freindly neighborhood Ninjablade... oh but he doesn't he care about the Wii U, he just likes to go into every topic not an OT to talk shit about it. He even does it in topics that have nothing to do with Wii U!
Word? I'd love to see an example of that. If that's true (and I don't doubt you at all), then he has an obsession.
To be fair, a couple of those links he posted have kinda misleading quotes attached to them like Call of Duty, but for the most part, Wii U is in the middle of the pack if not better than 360/PS3. That's nothing to celebrate though.
Your taking it out of context. No one is celebrating anything. Ninjablade said EVERY last gen port on Wii U was worse than on PS360. Even if there is parity, like in the CoD example, it proves Ninjablade wrong - the Wii ports that are superior notwithstanding.
 
I doubt WD it's really a shit port. People forget they delayed the release enough, don't ask for miracle. I don't know what more can do.
There's a lot they could have done probably. It's shown to have some features more in line with the PS4, how do those effect the frame rate and resolution? If it really is the CPU they could have reduced draw distances, lowered traffic density and particles.

If there was a larger Wii-U install base Ubisoft might have used more resources resulting in a better port.

If the Wii-U was more powerful it probably would have been a better port.

It's a shit port regardless of how it got there.
 

omonimo

Banned
This is glorious. Good job, man.

Good point. The bold doesn't fit the detractor narrative so it tends to be ignored.

And seriously, some of you (who we knew a thread to shit on Wii U would attract) need to just get over the fact that the Wii U isn't as powerful as the PS4/XBone. No one in here is saying it is, so why are you all using every opportunity to make it known when it already is? Let it go.

Word? I'd love to see an example of that. If that's true (and I don't doubt you at all), then he has an obsession.

Your taking it out of context. No one is celebrating anything. Ninjablade said EVERY last gen port on Wii U was worse than on PS360. Even if there is parity, like in the CoD example, it proves Ninjablade wrong - the Wii ports that are superior notwithstanding.
Most of ps360 multiplat are better compared the WiiU version, sound better now?
 

Pizza

Member
Sucks for gamers with Wii U as primary. For the rest of us, surely no intention of buying Watch Dogs on WIi U anyway, right?

nah, WiiU has enough good stuff that buying a half-assed port of an almost-good game and supporting that dev (when they will use the poor sales of their lazy port to further justify being lazy on one less console) is incredibly silly.

I'll probably pick it up from the bargain bin next summer in between Kirby and the Rainbow Curse and Yoshi's Wooly World. I was actually pretty pumped when they said they wanted to take full advantage of the gamepad and all that, but I'm sure ubisoft split up the team for other more pressing projects and made six people try to move over the PS3 version instead and then dropped them back in interproject.
 

czk

Typical COD gamer
It always confuses me how a hobby like gaming, something we do to relax, have fun etc, lead to such heated debates. Like, enjoy what you get. With the Wii U that's Nintendo games and the occasional third party game. We've already gone past the fact that it's a weird platform with odd hardware decisions because of backwards compatibility.

Fuck, we went through all of this with the Wii. What are we trying to prove here?
Get out of here with your rational approach to life.
 
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