THQ Adds Clarity To The Wii U "Horrible, Slow CPU" Comments
Posted by Andy Green
But worries surrounding it refuse to go away
It emerged yesterday that 4A, the developer behind Metro: Last Light, is not very impressed with the Wii U's CPU; Oles Shishkovtsov, the studio's chief technical officer, called it "a horrible, slow CPU".
Huw Beynon of THQ, publisher for the latest Metro title, elaborated further by saying that bringing the project to Wii U was not something the company was planning at the moment due to the developers being extremely busy building the Playstation 3 version of the game.
Beynon has since spoken to Eurogamer, where he has clarified the comments further saying he was frustrated about the way the story had been handled in the press, and that should the team want to bring Metro: Last Light to Wii U then they could definitely do so.
It's a very CPU intensive game. I think it's been verified by plenty of other sources, including your own Digital Foundry guys, that the CPU on Wii U on the face of it isn't as fast as some of the other consoles out there. Lots of developers are finding ways to get around that because of other interesting parts of the platform.
Just as in the same way that between PC and current console versions there are some compromises that need to be made in certain places and we strive to get the very best performance that we can from any platform we release on.
Beynon confirmed that the team did look at bringing Metro: Last Light to Wii U, saying it was "certainly possible" and something they would like to do. However if a Wii U version was to become a reality, he believes the developer wouldn't be able to do the game justice due to the constraints it would be put under.
The reality is that would mean a dedicated team, dedicated time and effort, and it would either result in a detriment to what we're trying to focus on, already adding a PlayStation 3 SKU, or we probably wouldn't be able to do the Wii U version the justice that we'd want.
It would be a port or we wouldn't be able to get to grips with the system. That's really the essence of it. It's something we can potentially look at and return to later. Given the targets we've set for the game, it didn't make sense to proceed with it at this point.
Shishkovtsov's comments on the Wii U's CPU have generated a lot of debate on the issue, with many people worried that the system will suffer in the future when Sony and Microsoft reveal their new and inevitably more powerful consoles. Gustav Halling, lead designer on Battlefield 3: Armored Kill at DICE, has also voiced his opinion on the subject, taking to Twitter to say it will "shorten its life a lot when new gen starts".
It seems unlikely then that Metro: Last Light will see the light of day on Wii U, not because the system can't handle it but because the team is currently busy on other projects. However the arguments surrounding the console's seemingly less than stellar CPU refuse to go away.
What are your thoughts on this? Does the Wii U's CPU make you worry about the future of the console?
[via eurogamer.net, twitter.com]
User Comments (81)
#1
SuperCharlie78 said:
I don't give a single... well you know
#2
Tsuchiya said:
The next gen, once Sony and Microsoft enter it will start to get insanely expensive. The tech under the hood will become irrelevant to all but the most hardcore of hardcore fanboys. Prices will prove king and this is why (imo) Wii U will dominate regardless of it's CPU. Once again people, you may want a console with enough grunt capable of time travel but it will just be too expensive. Be realistic. C'mon
I've said it before, I really do think the 8th gen will see a casualty. It's not a good sign for PS4/720 when a company is more at home with their current gen consoles 6-7 years after they launched. Wii U is a brand new console and they won't even port it over for easily less costs and an easy profit? What the hell makes you think THQ and all their money problems will spend millions upon millions supporting a console such as PS4 when development costs for that will be astronomical.
Tsuchi rant over.
#3
Malic said:
I can care less regardless I'm getting the next box I'm sure anyway unless Microsoft does something stupid funny thing is this article tells me more about some of these developers than about how lackluster the Wii u's CPU is I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo out sells the competition again
#4
dragon_rider said:
"The reality is that would mean a dedicated team, dedicated time and effort, and it would either result in a detriment to what we're trying to focus on, already adding a PlayStation 3 SKU, or we probably wouldn't be able to do the Wii U version the justice that we'd want."
No, Sherlock. Heaven forbid you actually make the effort, anti Nintendo people.
What are they going to say next, that the Sun rises on the east?
#5
Red_Kinetic said:
Not for nothing, but now, it seems like we were all lied to about the WiiU being faster and more powerful (even slightly) than the current Gen competition consoles.
I don't much care as long as I can get a Deluxe WiiU soon. Everyone is still sold out.
#6
TWK said:
Gameplay is where it's at!
#7
dragon_rider said:
@Red_Kinetic And yet, there are no official numbers on what the CPU is. They're still douchebags.
Trying to discredit the Wii U every step of the way. What a bunch of sods.
#8
Koto said:
Exactly what I was thinking when that team made that statement yesterday. They're just too overworked and have very little time and man-power to make a Wii U version. The tech in the Wii U is just too different for them to try to learn while in such dire development conditions.
Sadly, very few people will understand THQ's words, or even 4A's original intended message;that the Wii U CPU just isn't easy enough for to use for them to just dump the game on and do minor tweaking and have it running great like on a PC. They know 360 architecture. They sort of know PS3 architecture. Wii U on the other hand is a complete mystery to them, so of course their stressed out minds would immediately scream out "HORRIBLE CPU" .
#9
Koto said:
@Red_Kinetic
It's best to wait for the couple waves of games before accusing anyone of lying.
#10
tealovertoma said:
@Tsuchiya:
Couldn't agree more. I'm arguing this point over at IGN (haha, good luck with that one -_-) but Sony and Microsoft are in an incredibly tricky position. Their main demographic ("hardcore" gamers) want them to release a console that blows PC specs out of the water... and some of them might be willing to shell out $600 on that. Some aren't. At this point, these hardcore gamers are likely less than 100 million for them to divide. Also, good luck having a decent launch line-up. And those rising game costs... more and more developers will move to the iOS platforms, and hopefully Wii U platform. Of course, Nintendo has their first party IP's, so they'll be fine either way.
#11
JavierYHL said:
hmm when the ps4 or 720 comes the grapics surely will be better...if u want a better version of the same game just buy the other 2 versions...we buy wii u to play nintendo games thats all...
#12
Ernest_The_Crab said:
Well I'm not too surprised if the game originally was heavily CPU based. I suppose if you made the game more heavily CPU based there would be a higher likelihood of people being able to play it but at the same time you could probably do more if you focused it on the GPU (though sales may end up smaller).
Though I'd think with a console you'd focus on the GPU anyways seeing as how each and every one of those consoles would be identical (one of the main advantages of owning a console).
I suspect this will really only be an issue if porting from the PC.
#13
mumof2kids82 said:
i think it's more about their financial problems, then the Wii U CPU being horribly slow. THQ is having a lot of problems, so obviously they are going to go with the tech they already know so they can get the game out and make some money. it has nothing to do with the Wii U and its CPU
#14
Sony_70 said:
@Tsuchiya
Again THQ's problems were due in part to mangement as well as an over inflated marketing budget, and making an xbox/playstation version of the Udraw. If you look at the majority of their games they are mostly AA budget wise. Problem is no one buys their products.
Its funny how you say price is king when Microsoft is rumored to working on a low priced ($99-$200) xbox set top product alongside the big expensive 720. This would allow nintendo to be outgunned on both ends of the spectrum. Not only but microsoft has been working with retailer on a subsized version of its console and have been testing it out with the xbox 360 since the summer. This would allow them to still out class the Wii U but also be able to compete or even undercut on price.
Also dev costs won't inflate as much as people think for a few reasons. The biggest is that until probably late 2014 the majority of games will be cross generational. Games like watchdogs and Star Wars 1313 are going to have a Durango/Orbis varient which will be very highend and close to the trailers for both games, there will also be last gen varients giving them a bigger marketshare not having to worry about a potential flop. Another big factor of why costs will stay the same are because during the middle and end of this gen most pubs started development of engines that could be used in many different types of games (Anvil, frostbite, lumionous) that sharing of resources will keep costs down as will middleware like Unreal and cryengine.
#15
Kirk said:
There's a few things that make me worry about the future of Wii U, beyond just the slow CPU.
#16
tealovertoma said:
@ Sony_70
Dividing your demographics as company between 2 consoles sounds like a bad call to me, but we'll see. Rising costs of games (when people want them to be cheaper!) and a drop in creativity in blockbuster titles seems almost unavoidable.
Price is totally king, so yes if Microsoft was releasing a $100 console that would be interesting. I don't see it happen, and I don't know where that would fit in the spectrum (I assume it'll have less power than the current 360...). Will it be in the race with Ouya? Feels like the console market will become oversaturated like this.
#17
PS_Trooper said:
No HDD, slow CPU, game pad battery up to 4 hours of gameplay, no blu ray or DVD support, massive power brick, lack of 3rd party interest.... Those are some of many reasons why I'm not rushing to get it (if ever). Glad I grabbed 500 GB PS3 super slim for only £250 instead. Nothing to worry about
And it's from SONY.
#18
tealovertoma said:
Did you just list "no DVD support" and "massive power brick" as reasons not to buy a Wii U? Your other points are valid, but writing nonsense does kinda undermine your opinion.
#19
Tsuchiya said:
@PS_Trooper
Most of that is complete fanboy nonsense. Don't you see the problem? It's because PS3 is still supported 6 years after launch and doesn't seem set to change anytime soon that PS4 will struggle. Nowadays, Sony isn't a name attached to success. Maybe in '94 but not now. But what do I know? It's just my opinion
Time will tell!
#20
Malic said:
@PS_Trooper you just bought a system for around the same price with a slower CPU good job man
#21
DrSlump said:
I'm curious to know more about this wii u cpu... is it really so slow? Accordimg to me wii u hardware is more like a modernulticore arm soc than a pc, with low frequencies to keep low the power needings.
#22
Corbs said:
The Super Nintendo had an extremely poky processor and it did alright. LOL
#23
dmg361 said:
It's just a Metro game. I've never heard of it until the Wii U games were revealed during the E3. I don't see it as much of a big loss. Plenty of good titles are already on the horizon,
#24
sinalefa said:
Until more developers start complaining about this so called "Slow CPU" then I would start to worry. Those words indeed sound like being uttered out of frustration.
Anyway, with some people already calling Wii U "too expensive", then I just don't want to see what will happen with Sony's and Microsoft's new systems, if they want to overpower the Wii U.
@Tsuchiya says that price will prove king. I agree but I would say that price and appealing content will both prove kings in the end.
#25
darkgamer001 said:
Erm....wasn't the original Metro extremely resource heavy even on gaming PCs? Comparing it to other games, it smacked of bad programming at times, as in, the inability to use resources in an efficient manner...not saying anything about the quality of the game elsewhere, because from what I've seen, it is a quality game.
#26
ballistic90 said:
Bear in mind that the processor was made using tech from 1 to 2 years ago used in a super computer (Watson, the super computer that was on Jeopardy). There's also a lot of cache as well. This is significantly different hardware than either the Xbox 360 and the ps3 are using, and that alone is probably why the CPU seems "slow". The GPU is several generations newer than the Xbox 360 as well. Combined with 4 times the amount of ram on the other consoles, and the Wii U has some significant advantages over the other consoles. Its likely it would take time to fully take advantage of it. Will the next consoles be more powerful? I'd sure hope so. They'll also cost a lot more, and will be behind the Wii U when they come out.
#27
yobokkie said:
Lol... I honestly think all the fanboys that think the next gen sony and MS consoles are going to be God's gift to gamers are going to be sorely disappointed. If it's everything they want it to be the price will be astronomical and with all the competing technology they are going to struggle to sell. Or else they'll appeal more to a mass market and have the same accusations levelled at them as people do against nintendo. Fact is the other companies will be foolish to make a new console that won't appeal to all mass market plebs, as the wii demonstrated, non-hardcore gamers have a lot of money to spend, while the hardcore PS3 took years to turn a profit. And in this current economy they