DigitalFoundry: Watch Dogs for WiiU.

"The Wii U does bring with it a few minor differences from the PS3 version, though. Certain details see an upgrade, though these are typically minor. Definition to the door on Nicole's house, for example, is ramped up and embellished with reflective door knobs. The party balloons to its sides also utilise reflective mapping cut from the PS3 edition, pulling it closer to the PS4's look. From hours of testing this is the only spot where any difference is evident, but the improvement is clear."

Yay balloons.

"V-sync is permanently engaged to remove all the tearing we see on the PS3 edition, making it much easier on the eye overall."



"However, there's no skirting around the fact that the Wii U version's frame-rate is worse than a last-gen version that was already pushing the threshold for acceptability."



"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."



TL;DR: V-sync removes all tearing on WiiU, but the framerate suffers like a motherfucker. Also, you can just tap the gamepad to set a waypoint, which is really, really, really, really great.

Right?

Oh well.

Last major third party release on the Wii U.

It can't have much longer, can it? Nintendo and MS must be desperate to start gen 9 early.

Figures and what a waste.

@GrenadeLauncher: Why? They know quite well their consoles offer quite a bit of big budget games the PS4 doesn't.

True, but in terms of the wider market it's pretty much irrelevant. They can't coast on the hardcore fans forever. They need their next console to really tap into the public psyche just like the Wii did.

Wii U is a next gen system!!!!111one

Won't happen unless they make a cell phone. Nintendo needs to contract, and focus on profitability while maintaining their current trend of pushing out the games. They should operate from now on in the videogame business that they are on their own. Wii U games and consoles are moving now, and things are looking up. And that'll have to be enough for the next 3 years.

Not really. They don't spend billions to make each game. They have a dedicated fan base. It's like Pearl Jam..they don't have to be mainstream anymore to exist. You have your fans, they pay, and you make enough to stay in business.

This idea that they have to be the others just isn't true. Now..would Nintendo like another Wii level of success...sure, but that console's success hurt them more than it helped.

It's just a shame to see Nintendo to continue to withdraw into itself and not try and expand that dedicated fanbase. I and many others grew up on Nintendo. They and their games deserve to do far better.

Because I'm sure Ubisoft spent the time really optimizing this for the Wii U? Riiiiight.

I know this is a Nintendo thread, but why would MS want this gen to end now? 10 million units in just at a year? That's not struggling.

Not Nintendo's fault Ubisoft doesn't know how to optimize their games. Smash Bros, Mario Kart and Bayo 2 all run perfectly at 60fps.

It's Ubisoft's fault for the lazy ass port.

Doesn't sound too bad. Still not worth $60 though.

so its pretty much level to ps3 version haha bu-bu-bu wiiu is next gen guys

Anybody surprised by this? Everyone but one person gives two shits about coding anything right in Ubisoft.

I'm predicting Treyarch's next COD game gets a WiiU port- they were the ones that ported all the other COD games to Wii, plus Wii got Black ops and WiiU got Black ops 2... i dunno the history's there

still isn't saying much though lol

WiiU....lolol

Bad game on a bad console.

What's the big deal?

Console released in 2012, running on par with graphics of a 2006 console and has worst fps. How pathetic is that?

Good thing the WiiU has all those other AAAE's....sheep couldn't care less about this.

Grade A bullshit, based on conjecture from Digital Foundry. Shit is laughable as ****.

Yeah but how's the grass?

Remember guys, Wii U is next gen

What? you are talking about a console with the highest rated exclusives this gen so far, it's MS and SONY that are lagging behind in the exclusives dept.

'Nintendo and MS must be desperate to start gen 9 early.'

*facepalm*

There is no kind of, it's all smoke and mirrors horse shit, of what it could have done in theory. In practice, in reality, that thing has never flexed the speed of better cpus on the market today, and the cpus by any developer at this point has been praised in the new machines for easily clowning those in the 360/PS3. Digital Foundry sold you snake oil mate.

lol, so much for making great use of the Gamepad. I figured it would be shit when they finally decided to get it out the door.

20 odd fps, how cinematic.

I think at this point, the blame rests with Ubisoft doing a terrible port rather than the Wii U's hardware.

Nintendo can make amazing looking games run at 1080p60. Ubisoft doesn't give a ****.

Which ones?

I mean, there's Smash, but that's not exactly open world.

This game will be $12 in a few months.

Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8.

Open world, shmopen world. The least Ubisoft could attempt to do is make the game playable.

Those are 720P.

So 9s are boring... but this is how we judge WiiU's merit. Give me a break SW.

lol Wii U.

Are they upscaled to 1080p sets?

why? xbox one is selling better than any xbox console before it.

silly rabbit.

No idea. But they're running at 720P native.

Why isn't Charizard in here defending the Wii U and/or Nintendo yet?

Give it time... he's probably typing another wall of text as we speak.

It doesn't matter, Nintendo can make the strongest console ever existed and cows and lems wont buy the system because it's Nintendo. Do you really think cows and lemmings fanboys are gonna leave their system for a Nintendo one?

Wii U hardware could run circles around Watch dogs, but Ubi just shits out another coding mess.

Way to raise the bar Ubi. You're the new EA imo.

This trope is for you, Ubisoft.

"Having seen best case scenario Wii U ports such as Bayonetta and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, this is a little disappointing - especially given that Criterion's work included enhanced textures and reworked, improved lighting. In Watch Dogs' case, we're handed simplified, flat texture maps, with a basic lighting model that strips light sources from the world. In line with the PS3 version, interior areas suffer from looking too dim, while sunlit rooms lack the PS4's natural, shaded appearance." -Digital Foundry, on Watch_Dogs Wii U.

This one is on Ubisoft, plain and simple. Even DF touches on this several times in their review comparing how other developers have not only made games work on the Wii U, but also managed to improve many aspects in their final product.

So what happened here? Did Ubisoft just not care? Or are they really unable to figure out how to use the Wii U's hardware effectively?