E3 Talk: Wii U: Gaming or Gimmick?
Skwigly
It’s that time of year again when the giants of the video gaming industry break out from their steely, impenetrable fortresses of technological innovation in order to present their secret developments to hordes of fanatic gamers and the media at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles. Following rather lacklustre press conference performances from both Microsoft and Sony yesterday, all of today’s eyes were on Nintendo’s conference, which promised the arrival of a new, ‘next-gen’ home console from the Kyoto based company through the unveiling of the codenamed ‘Project Cafe’.
The conference kicked off with a bang, with an orchestra performing the ‘greatest hits’ of the Legend of Zelda series, accompanied by a video of both previous and upcoming games in the series in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. This was followed by a stream of exciting new announcements for the 3DS, including gameplay videos of the eagerly anticipated Super Mario 3D, Star Fox 3D, a new Mario Kart, Kid Icarus: Uprising and a surprise showing of Luigi’s Mansion 2.
However, the elephant in the room was eventually addressed by Nintendo of America’s President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, as he named the successor to the Wii: the Wii U. Reflecting Nintendo’s historical penchant for uninspiring puns, the name supposedly marks the conflation of both the hardcore and casual demographics of gamers under the new platform. Notably absent, however, were any details on the console itself, with the main emphasis of discussion being placed upon the revolutionary new controller. In accordance with prior speculation and rumour, the controller that was unveiled by Reggie featured a 6.2-inch touchscreen slap bang in the middle of itself. This was also accompanied by the ubiquitous ABXY face buttons, which are strikingly similar in design to those found on the 3DS, Nintendo’s trademark + design d-pad, dual analog sticks, two trigger buttons, two bumper buttons, and a set of plus and minus, home, and power buttons that are similar to those found on the original Wiimote. Further presentation of the controller also revealed that it had an in-built microphone and speakers, and both an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a la the Apple iPad.
I must say that, at this point, my initial reactions to the controller were mixed. While the touchscreen, camera, accelerometer and gyroscope are all potential game-changers (excuse the pun), the whole package just seems a little odd. Its tablet-like design, coupled with the awkward positioning of the analog sticks and buttons, make the controller seem a rather unappealing prospect for playing games that utilise more traditional controls. Add the controller’s comparatively behemoth sizing into the mix and I fear that hand cramps will be a common occurrence when using it for extended hardcore gaming sessions.
Despite these concerns, there’s something about Nintendo that cannot be escaped. Like the pull of your favourite childhood Disney film, The Lion King in my case, you just can’t help coming back to them, no matter how much they appear to upset you (or how much you cry every time when Mufasa dies). The Nintendo magic was still present; I just didn’t understand it yet.
Nintendo’s demonstrations of the technology are therefore vital for any understanding of the console’s promise. The initial demonstration showed what appeared to be a new Super Mario Bros. game being played on a television screen. However, when a guy showed up and declared that ‘it’s time to watch the baseball’, the gameplay seamlessly switched from the TV to the touchscreen of the controller, allowing for further playing of the Wii U without the need for a television screen. The diversity of the controller’s touchscreen was further highlighted by a demonstration of the ability to ‘Draw on the New Controller’ utilising a stylus to transform the controller into a kind of graphics tablet. The controller can also be held up in front of the television screen, in order to allow for motion controlled aiming using the touchscreen, and also has the ability to aim at other areas of the gaming space apart from the television using the inbuilt gyroscope.
The most impressive aspect of the initial demonstrations got off to a less than promising start, showing off what appeared to be a slightly updated version of Wii Sports. However, the revelation of the possible implementation of the new controller during a game of virtual golf made the whole thing start to make sense. The new controller was placed upon the ground, and an image of a golf ball in a bunker was displayed on the touchscreen. An original Wiimote was then swung in the manner of a golf club above the new controller in order to produce the shot. What was remarkably striking in this exhibition was the increased immersion that could be produced through the aesthetic addition of the golf ball within the gamer’s reality, allowing for a more precise shot to be made, and a greater understanding of the position and state of the ball itself. In addition, the animation of the movement of the ball from the controller’s touch screen on the floor to the television was seamless and enjoyable to experience. From then on, the further implementations of the new controller seemed to click into place, and I was able to imagine further possibilities of artistic innovation that could exist solely on the Wii U.
Developers of potential games for the platform could utilise the touchscreen of the controller in order to dramatically enhance the aesthetic impact of their games. An example was shown by Nintendo of a possible utilisation of the touchscreen in a Zelda game, with the touchscreen displaying Link’s available weapons and the game’s heads-up display (HUD), eliminating the need for any additional information to be displayed on the television screen itself. This essentially led to a remarkable enhancement in the cinematic quality of the game, as well as allowing for a greater appreciation for its vivid and technically astounding animation, due to the fact that it is now completely unobscured. The gamer will therefore be able to enjoy a much more immersive, engaging and exciting experience with both the gameplay and narrative of the game itself, and the creators of the game will be able to produce a much more detailed and aesthetically pleasing game environment. This was a point that was addressed by John Riccitiello, the CEO of EA Games, who implored his audience to ‘Imagine playing [American] football with an innovative new controller that takes all that data, all of that play calling off the big screen, leaving you with a sharper, more personal, more immersive HD experience’. It is this immersive HD experience that may prove to be the biggest draw for potential consumers of the hardcore gamer audience.
The Wii U was also revealed to be fully HD compatible through a HDMI connection to a high definition television. The high definition graphical capabilities of the console itself were also shown through a tech demo, which saw the flight of a bird pass through an oriental landscape, showing off impressive shadow and lighting effects, detailed textures and pleasing water animation. In this sense, the Wii U is far superior to its predecessor in every way, and is on a par with both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. However, rather than an emphasis upon the Wii U’s ability to cater for beautifully crafted and tranquil animation, the upcoming third party games that were unveiled seemed to dwell upon the rather un-Nintendo gritty, gory and violent aesthetic of modern hardcore gaming. THQ’s Darksiders II, Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online and Tecmo Koei’s Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge were all showcased, displaying graphically stunning animation, as well as a more mature artistic style that hasn’t really existed on Nintendo’s latest, underpowered home console of the Wii. The increased graphical capability of the Wii U is therefore certain to encourage the production of a great amount of artistically mature titles, which will lead to the console enjoying a larger hardcore following than its predecessor.
The greatest problem that the Wii U will undoubtedly face is the assertion that the controller is merely a gimmick, a cheap attempt by Nintendo to cover up the fact that their ‘next-gen’ console is simply ‘current-gen’ technology wrapped up in a shiny, yet superficial, bow. The key to disproving such an assertion will not only involve the implementation of revolutionary and exciting gameplay elements, but also the generation of meaningful artistic elements within the console’s games. Nobody likes a tacked on feature in a game. However, when artistic innovation is mixed with genuine practical creativity, the resulting gameplay element can be amazing. For example, using motion control to aim in a shooting game may feel unnecessary, especially to a hardcore gamer who will prefer to aim with the buttons on the controller itself. However, if the motion controls were utilised in conjunction with the revolutionary touch screen of the new controller, perhaps to initiate an x-ray or night vision mode on the screen of the controller, or as a way of entering into Eagle Vision in Assassin’s Creed, both the aesthetics and gameplay of the game would be simultaneously enhanced, and it would therefore feel like a fresh addition to the gaming world. Although my examples perhaps aren’t the best (I’m not a game designer after all), the point remains that exciting and non-gimmicky applications of the technology of the Wii U are possible. However, it is up to Nintendo, and all developers who create games for the system, to tap into the uniqueness of the potential of the technology of this new platform. If they can do this right, then I see no reason why the Wii U cannot be as successful as its predecessor that, if you’ll remember, also faced ridicule and a lack of enthusiasm when it was first revealed.
Reggie Fils-Aime optimistically associated the ‘U’ part of the Wii U’s name with the words ‘unique’, ‘unifying’ and ‘utopian’ upon its revelation. Let’s hope that these haven’t turned to ‘useless’, ‘unnecessary’ and ‘unbearable’ by the time the Wii U’s release rolls around in 2012.
Nintendo Wii U – E3 2011: Announcement Trailer:
Wii U – E3 2011: Graphics Demo:
Zelda Wii U – E3 2011: Gameplay Clip: