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"Wii is as powerful as original Xbox," says FIFA producer

gamesindustry.biz — "It's about as powerful as the original Xbox," he said. "The video hardware unfortunately is not as powerful. There's just a couple of key things that you can do on Xbox like shaders which you just cannot do on the Wii... Overall t

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 15, 2007

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  • seanthebond, on 10/11/2007, -15/+116"Tim Tschirner has said that he believes the Nintendo Wii matches up to the first Xbox in terms of power."

    I'm confused here.. Is that supposed to be good news?
  • Itsjustnoah, on 10/11/2007, -13/+92I think the Xbox is more powerful... I mean its way bigger it HAS to be better.
  • ShorXrorE, on 10/11/2007, -6/+61blah blah blah i want to look at perfectly rounded boobs when i play games blah blah blah
  • vodkagunblast, on 10/11/2007, -4/+43PS2 can't output 1080i? Say "hello" to Gran Turismo 4.

    I think various other games run in 720p as well.
  • MackPrime, on 10/11/2007, -2/+36she's in another castle.
  • BugMeNot2, on 10/11/2007, -1/+34Gran Turismo 4 had a 1080i mode.
    The Xbox also had a couple of 1080i games.
  • subxero37, on 10/11/2007, -8/+39Reminds me of when some guy I was talking to was reeeeally trying to convince me that Windows was better than Linux based on the solitary argument that Windows uses more RAM. "Come on, Windows uses over 200 MB of RAM! That definitely means it's more powerful!"

    Yep, reminds me of that -- except he was serious.
  • jacksons98, on 10/11/2007, -2/+31I've got two words for Virtual Console: Over Priced
  • AzDraon, on 10/11/2007, -31/+59Why does it matter? The Wii is the 2nd fastest selling console ever made (only follows the DS). The thing is doing its job, its selling and making a huge profit for Nintendo.

    @Step1mark

    The Wii could not play games in 720p, that resolution is just way to high for the hardware in the Wii. 480p it can do no problem though.
  • ganjadude4391, on 10/11/2007, -6/+33apparently people cant take a joke

    thumbs up!
  • epyon180, on 10/11/2007, -17/+43Damn, all this time I though the wii was 3 times more powerful than the gamecube (which would make it better than the original xbox) and here are people who are HAPPY that it is as good as an original xbox which is 6 years old. Yes all you wii fanboys I have a wii (still can't wait for SSB brawl to come out), so don't digg me down because you think I am a hater. Nintendo, dropped the ball in the graphics department, there is a difference between being "about fun games and not graphics" and "being 6 years behind in console technology visually".
  • houndeyex, on 10/11/2007, -4/+28The Xbox may have *only* had an 800mhz processor and a Geforce 3, but six years ago that stuff was pretty nice. All it has to do is play games, not calculate prime numbers.
  • Wootery, on 10/11/2007, -12/+35Original Xbox can emulate N64, SNES and NES.
  • d4mi4n, on 10/11/2007, -6/+28"with crappy kids games with an innovative controller tacked on."

    and there's where you started acting like a kid.
  • Phocion55, on 10/11/2007, -9/+29I'm failing to see WHY this is an issue. Who cares? 8 million people bought it so far. Stop your bitching.

    PS3 users are trying to compensate for Wii blowing it out of the water. Plain and simple.
  • EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -7/+25"with crappy kids games"

    Crappy kids games? I used to leave my PS2 on when we had a party, but only the kids would play it. Now that I have a Wii, everybody literally from 8 to 80 joins in, and has a blast. The Wii has more appeal to adults than the PS3 or Xbox ever will.
  • swrostmore, on 10/11/2007, -2/+19as well as MAME and possibly dreamcast or PS1 if you could find an emulator.
  • EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -6/+22No. Hardcore gamers are not "most people". The industry had forgotten that normal people like to play games too, and that's why Nintendo is dominating.
  • markbrown, on 10/11/2007, -12/+26Let's not forget about:

    Final Fantasy
    Resident Evil
    Need for Speed
    Brothers in Arms
    SOCOM
    Splinter Cell
    Hitman
    ... and any Star Wars games for that matter.

    I'd say pointing out Nintendo to be guilty of using the same story line is an error of judgement.
  • saggygrandma, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15swrostmore, do some research before stating something wrong. I used to play Tourist Trophy at 1080i on PS2
  • FortuneFaded, on 10/11/2007, -8/+21Did the regular gaming pads we've been using since the Atari days get old? Have the controls in games gotten stale? Just like classic gaming, the Wii's controls will get better and better. You can't expect developers to get it right the first time.

    Nintendo never claimed that the regular way of playing games was getting old and boring. Nintendo never claimed that technology was entirely irrelevant. However they did state that the typical approach would not be their approach.

    Does everyone think Nintendo did this without realizing how badly things could go? Do you all honestly think Nintendo anticipated the success they've gotten? THINK about it. It's an underpowered console with some new, gimmicky-at-first-glance controller. The idea looks terrible on paper, and yet they went with it. And guess what? It paid off.

    I honestly don't understand the point the naysayers are attempting to make. If the Wii isn't for you, then it isn't for you. You have three other platforms you could choose from; one of them probably caters to your taste. Are all of you insecure geeks who are attempting to justify their purchase? Are you all angry that your gaming platform of choice is being outsold by a console with six year old technology? I honestly don't understand it.

    I understand why people constantly compare the 360 and the PS3; they're both targeting the same audience. But honestly now, attempting to knock the Wii down a notch by pointing out that it's obviously weaker is lame. Nintendo fanboys might as well say that the 360 and the PS3 are inferior because they don't base their games entirely on motion sensing.

    Sorry for the mini-rant.

    And no one claimed the Wii had a monopoly on "fun." ...Other than pretentious fanboys who automatically think Nintendo is being offensive towards other consoles when they use the word, "fun."
  • EochaidRiata, on 10/11/2007, -3/+15It seems that every publisher that underestimated the Wii's success is rushing PS2 ports: Alien Syndrome, Scarface, RE4, Mortal Kombat, Heatseeker, Legend of the Dragon, Driver Parallel Lines, Manhunt 2, NFS Carbon.

    Almost universally terrible ports too.

  • kingofthisnight, on 10/11/2007, -6/+18Last I checked velocity is distance per units of time. Which means that it has to be put into motion in order to cover a certain distance. Also it is not the same as pushing a button down for a certain amount of time.
  • ptFoe, on 10/11/2007, -8/+19It can't run Linux. :(
  • VocalFX, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10No surprise there, they originally planned to have a console that could be made for less than 100 USD
  • KeyLimePie, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12@ step1mark: Not to put down your points or anything but this guy is a developer so I don't think his opinion just came from uninformed guesses. I give him a little more credence than that.

    On the other hand he was specifically pointing out the problems of rendering because of the Wii's limited shader functions so I don't think he sees the Wii as worse in every aspect.
  • Woolis, on 10/11/2007, -5/+15So you're saying, it's not the size of the processor, but how you swing the wiimote that is more important?

  • swrostmore, on 10/11/2007, -23/+32wii golf just uses velocity, its got nothing to do with the actual motion. It is identical to using the duration of a button-press as an indication of power, except you get to pretend like you are playing golf. This isn't even new or innovative, some of the old tiger woods games allowed you to control club motion by "swinging" your mouse. Not to mention those handheld arcade fishing games you can buy at toys-r-us, and fish by swinging the virtual "pole."

    FYI my roomate has a wii and NEVER plays it...he mostly uses my PS2.
  • ilolled, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12Yeah that's right, this man has had years of games experience and has developed for both consoles. He works for the biggest game developer and is producing one of their biggest titles.

    He doesn't know *****. Obviously Newer+Nintendo _must_ be more powerful.
  • louiedog, on 10/11/2007, -2/+10There is definately a PSX emu for the original xbox. I've used it to play Castlevania and a couple of other games. I don't know of any for the Dreamcast.
  • Dunadan, on 10/11/2007, -11/+19@swasmore
    It irks me when people argue a console, any console, is not next-gen because of power/graphics. Last time I checked "next-gen" did not mean better graphics, it means simply what is says, next generation. If someone has a child that is not superior to his peers is that child somehow no longer part of that generation? The Wii is inescapably next-gen because it is the successor to the Gamecube.
  • TheNewFlesh, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7lmfao what does it matter what video game system is the strongest?

    Buy whichever one has the games you consider "fun" and stop acting like a ***** 14-year-old towards the other systems.
  • jacksons98, on 10/11/2007, -3/+10That is my gripe. :( Nintendo said "twice" the power of Gamecube (which I also own) so I didn't mind paying "twice" as much for it. Now after buying it I've discovered my best gamecube games look better than anything on the Wii. I bought a PS3 for my nextgen gaming, but I still can't stop feeling like Nintendo flat out lied about it's capabilities graphically. Reggie said more powerful and I believed him.
  • Phocion55, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11How many times is someone gonna have to post an article on Digg that dissects the Wii's internal hardware.....just to debunk this?
  • FortuneFaded, on 10/11/2007, -13/+20"True innovation?"

    Could you please point me to a wiki article or a website where they list the criteria for what "true innovation(in a technology sense)" is?

    The Wii isn't powerful enough to handle the multi-platform games that are released for the 360 and PS3. Rather than wasting money by creating a version that caters exclusively to the Wii, developers(and/or publishers) choose to port a more "simple" version.

    Logic helps. It's okay though; keep using anecdotal evidence to put down an inanimate object.
  • rick2k, on 10/11/2007, -9/+16are you saying i have payed £179.. for something as powerful as a £30 xbox.

    *****.
  • krazykor, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Its just too bad that some companies' ideas of 'innovative' are "how can we put in as much terrible motion controls as possible" instead of trying to refine gameplay more. Hopefully stuff like the RE4 port for the wii (which is getting really good reviews) will straighten some people out.
  • totorototoro, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7'The original xbox sold more games than any other console of the generation.'

    Uh, you mean the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube generation? More games than the PS2? Riiiiiiiiiight.
  • Jerim, on 10/11/2007, -11/+17You can always add new control schemes to a console, but you can't add power. The Wii doesn't have the monopoly on "fun." What happens when Sony has a great looking game, plus fun controls vs. Nintendo and a game that looks dated, but has fun controls? There was a time when I was high on the Wii, and I probably would have bought one by now if I could find it. But the games just aren't there. I would rather get an XBox 360 and enjoying some great looking games with a classic control scheme, than to buy a Wii and have the controls get old. Even at $250, Nintendo isn't making it easy with an anemic game collection.
  • NikoKun, on 10/11/2007, -7/+13I really don't agree with these kinds of statements, because the Wii does have more advanced upgraded hardware specs, than the Gamecube did.. and the gamecube was barely if at all behind the original xbox. those 2 were almost equal... The Wii is better than the original Xbox... even if it's not by much, we will see some nice looking games eventually. Better than what Xbox did. lol

    even with that said... It's not the graphics that count, when it comes to the Wii's success. And with each passing generation, that is more and more true for all systems.
  • jmdajr, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6I can tell just by looking at the graphics
  • Cole2026, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Nintendo recycled the cube and put motion sensing in it. They do not have the funding power to make a nice console.

    Every 3rd party game I have played for the Wii has had super awkward controls. I don't think I could survive on that thing playing Mario and Kirby all the time.
  • CReyes4182, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7A few years ago there was this guy at a mall kiosk and he was selling one of those cheap games you attach to the tv. He had one that looked like an n64 controller and it had a bunch of classic games on it. He also had this set of ping pong paddles that had a ping pong game on it. And another one with a baseball diamond and a bat. You basically swing and the game on the tv reacted. Lots of fun. Really old tech though. The wii isn't anything new it just does it better then anything out there. To me the wii is a more expensive version of those cheap $20 games. Either way I got one but after I beat zelda i haven't really touched the thing. I don't even bother renting games. Its basically taking up space until smash brothers comes out.
  • LostInTheWired, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7@markbrown
    Buh, buh...I like KOTOR. ;_; And...Force Unleashed looks like it will be fun. And I've had fun with one of the SOCOMs. And Hitman was actually something original (and man, Bloodmoney was insane). And the Splinter Cell games have (mostly) been fun.

    I dunno. I play lots of mainstream games, but I also play tons of obscure games. My philosophy; if it's fun, play it. Isn't that the point?

    If they're still fun, keep 'em comin'. ^_^
  • h0ly, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_%28graphics_chip%29

    "Unofficial reports claim it is essentially an enhanced revision of the Nintendo GameCube LSI "Flipper", running about 50% faster at 243 mHz."

    If true, it would mean that wii's GPU ~= 1.5 * gamecube's, so not quite twice as powerful in terms of graphics rendering, unless of course they've found a way to squeeze more juice per GPU cycle.
  • jacksons98, on 10/11/2007, -6/+11@emjaymj I think the big problem is that only a handful of games actually use the motion controls to good effect. For example Excite Truck is basically a driving game with motion controls, guess what Motorstorm on PS3 has the option for the same crappy motion controls for, but at least I have the option to turn them off because the analog stick is still much better for driving accurately. My point is for traditional games the Wii controls usually don't add anything. I'm personally not declaring the Wii innovative until they really start coming out with those unique titles they promised it had the potential for. Metroid, Smash bros, more Mario etc are not what I'm thinking of.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -6/+11but its fun, thats what matters
  • EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6panzergeist: "That's your answer why "hardcore" gamers don't like the Wii"

    There's probably a lot of hardcore gamers that like the Wii. It has nothing to do with what I said, however. Referring to Wii games as "kiddie games" is a derogatory to both the games and those who play them, and it's not at all accurate. If you want to call the majority of Wii games "casual games" I have no problem with that.

    I don't think there's any danger of hardcore gamers being neglected, as they tend to spend more money on systems and games than others.
  • 13thMonkey, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7@Markbrown

    My four year old PC is a pretty good virtual console too. It even let's me use a virtual OS (you might want to google OS) as well. So I win. Come back when your balls have dropped and we'll compare sizes.
  • ComradeCreed, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Let's look at the DS: It's started off with some games and game-ports that were overly focused on implementing the touchscreen. Sometimes it even tried to implement the touchscreen in absurd, unnecessary ways. But over time, developers started getting the hang of the touchscreen and started using it to enhance the experience and improve the interface instead of tacking it on. The touchscreen is no longer considered a gimmick and is often praised for it's innovation. And despite being underpowered when compared to the PSP, the DS houses some of the best games out there.

    Nintendo had the vision, it just needed the developers to catch up. And they did in some of the best ways imaginable. This is why I have high hopes for the Wii.

    And please, to everyone doing so, stop misusing the word "hardcore" when talking about gamers. Hardcore gamers don't care about graphics, they care about GOOD, SOLID GAMES. You are not suddenly "HARD-*****-CORE" just because you bought a PS3, bought a 360, got your hands on that precious Halo 3 beta or scream obscenities at people over X-Box live. You haven't even seen "hardcore" gamers until you watch all-night Marvel vs. Capcom 2 matches or marathon Counterstrike sessions. I assure you, graphics have nothing to do with it. And with the Wii sales being so amazing, I guarantee you are doing to see some "HARDCORE" titles hit the Wii. (People do realize that the Wii supports up to 3 different controllers, right?)
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