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Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines will be best looking - Report

Gearbox senior producer Brian Burleson says the Wii U version of the upcoming action shooter will "be better" than the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, in terms of visuals.

Gearbox senior producer Brian Burleson has lauded the graphical capabilities of Nintendo's Wii U console, telling Eurogamer that the studio's upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines will look better on Nintendo's machine than on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

While Burleson admitted that he is under orders from Nintendo not to discuss the Wii U's technical specifications, he described the Wii U as a "powerful machine," saying that the Wii U version of the game will be "better" than the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, because of "more modern tech."

Burleson's comments echo those of Gearbox chief creative officer and Aliens: Colonial Marines director Brian Martel, who told Nintendo Gamer in April:

"The machine itself [the Wii U] will be one of the best-looking versions of the game…because they've got more RAM…They're late in the cycle, so they've got this really great processor."

Two months ago, a number of anonymous developers told GamesIndustry International that the Wii U doesn't have the graphical horsepower to compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360, despite being able to output HD video.

Burleson's and Martel's comments were also echoed by Gearbox president Randy Pitchford in his interview with GameSpot, in which he discussed why the Wii U version of the game is going to be the best looking.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will arrive worldwide on February 12, 2013, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. A release date for the Wii U version of the game will be announced at a later date.

For more rumours and speculation concerning the next generation of consoles, check out GameSpot's rumour roundup feature.

Laura Parker
By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

Laura Parker is the Associate Editor of GameSpot Australia. She loves adventure games, sparkly stuff, Trivial Pursuit, cake, Master Chief, earthworms, and rhetorical questions. She once stole a sandwich from Peter Molyneux.

922 comments
MEFreak1984
MEFreak1984

I find that extemely hard to belive. I already traded in my Wii U so I could pay off my reserves of this, MGS Rising, and Injustice for 360.

doktron
doktron

I dont care what it looks like on the wii u.I have a decent PC and vid card, and if the game dosent look better on the PC then I will skip this game.Im not prepared to throw money away on another console port.Which would be regretable because Im hoping the developers  deliver on a great game for all.

theshonen8899
theshonen8899

I actually don't WANT the Wii U to be a graphical beast. If it can be on par with PS3/Xbox then I'm fine with that. What I really, REALLY care about are Nintendo games. Pikmin 3 is a good start, but I'm going to need a new Zelda or Metroid to get me to buy this.

PureDarkness17
PureDarkness17

Nintendo are not idiots, they have already said the WIIU will be atleast 20% more powerful than current gen. They know that the WiiU has to be atleast better than current gen to compete for the next 5-10years for both core and casual.

TERMINATOR-SSD
TERMINATOR-SSD

 @moviequest14  ''''pc elitists like ''u'' will sit on the sidelines','''', same can be said about you if you dont own a PC, Console elitists like u lol, You will be missing out on games like Diablo 1-3, StarCraft 2, Company of Heroes 1-2, Tribes Ascend, Mechwarrior online, ArmA 2 and its mod DayZ and ArmA 3, GTR games, Microsoft Flight, Planetside 2, DOTA 2, Dawn of War 2, DCS Simulator games, Trackmania 2 etc etc etc lol and some of those are/will be Free 2 Play :-)

 

fyi, i do own a PS3 and own the games you stated lol, so i wont really be missing out, i did own a 360 then it died..... a few times :-P

 

can't we all just, get along :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=MPMmC0UAnj0

This comment has been deleted

cr8ive
cr8ive like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

There ARE a handful of games that looks better in Nintendo than any other consoles... Mario... Donkey Kong.... Zelda... Kirby... anyone else care to add?

 

Mario Kart certainly looks best in Nintendo! On other consoles we just get a blank screen :D

Gazz64
Gazz64 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @cr8ive

 Sweet! go the Mario Kart. You forgot Metroid Prime, the graphics are just jaw dropping, Go on plug in your NGC put on Metroid Prime and put it next to Halo :)

cr8ive
cr8ive

 @Gazz64 Metroid!! How could I forget Metroid?!

Unfortunately I have no idea where my gamecube is now.. I think it might be next to my dreamcast... which seems to be missing as well..

 

But hey, adding HDMI might make everything better... right? ... :)

ColoradoKindBud
ColoradoKindBud like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Wow, I can't wait to see how this is gonna turn out.  *grabs popcorn*

Nilbogssa
Nilbogssa like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

It's truly sad that this even needs to be said, that it's felt we need to know that Nintendo's ?next gen? console version of this game will look better than current gen consoles. This is nothing to brag about lol. What does that tell you about how well the Wii U will measure up to Microsoft and Sony's true next gen consoles when it has to be compared to the capabilities of their current ones?

IgorZeCruel
IgorZeCruel

 @Nilbogssa He doesn't seem to buy the next gen claim either. Notice how he says: "They're late in the cycle"...

superbuuman
superbuuman

 @Nilbogssa I think it more to the fact the Nintendo haven't officially release the specs, & if you've been on GS for a while you'd notice that certain anonymous devs have claimed it to be weaker than 360/PS3 so essentially this article pretty much puts those anonymous devs claim as bs. Its funny to watch fanboys bagging out Nintendo, when it was claim it was weaker now that it has been proved it is not so, they still can't accept it & continue to bag it - by saying of course you'd expect it to be better - well durr!

princedavid4
princedavid4

@superbuuman @Nilbogssa im a fanboy, i think nintendo will be powerful and have all games even if no ur4, havok will get all games and epic. I just dont like the way it looks, its like a pyramid without the crown. But the train is mad cause because people hate that nintendos always weak, and when ps4 and xbox720 come out nintendo wont be a company anymore.

theKSMM
theKSMM like.author.displayName 1 Like

I'm less interested in which version will look better than I am about whether the Wii U version will make good use of that console's innovative control scheme? Will there be a gameplay advantage to the Wii U version or will it be the same experience across all four platforms?  That's the difference that might make me want the Wii U version over another.

Flint247
Flint247 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

With E3 next week, I seriously hope all questions are answered with the Wii U. I am ready for this system features. Nintendo, continue to do what you love, and ignore the hate.

Atheno
Atheno like.author.displayName 1 Like

I hate articles like this. It almost only serves as fuel for the fanboy war. yes I get it, getting people riled up for a system will sell it better, but I can think of so many ways to say this better than they did. How about like, "The Wii U offered us newer technology to bring fans a better visual experience, but all 3 consoles will still be a blast" I'm getting it on the PC anyway but still, I love my ps3 and I hate how console fans are actually lead into a war.

FUBAR1942
FUBAR1942 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Lol Aliens: Colonial marines on the wii u will look the best will it, i think not the PC will out strip the toy wii u console by miles :P

fearless_alive
fearless_alive

 @FUBAR1942 If you read carefully it says better looking than the PS3 and Xbox versions. To be honest i hope i can upgrade until the end of the summer and i'll be happy :D. But still the game itself has to be good and than the graphics will matter more.

slimskelter
slimskelter

 @FUBAR1942 There's no point in even bringing up any console in competition with a PC when it comes to visual and sound capabilities.

innocent69
innocent69 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

to defend the "foaming at the mouth" rabid Wii boys, I will ask you...can you use your PC keyboard to double as a movement scanner? I don't think so. Anyway, E3 is next week, so we will all see how but ugly...I mean beautiful, the Wii U graphics are :P 

ArchoNils2
ArchoNils2 like.author.displayName 1 Like

How is it surprising? Sure it's better than ps3/x360, if not it would be horrible, but it's far away from creating a next gen standard (at least I hope so)

residude
residude like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

To all those saying "his is the first time Nintendo is trumping Sony/Microsoft in the graphics department." You're comparing something brand new with something old. A sports car from today is faster than a sports car from 20 years ago. Obviously. Wait till Sony and microsoft bring out their next gen consoles and then lets see if Nintendo are still ahead in the graphics department. Of course they won't be

slamdunk787
slamdunk787 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

This is not surprising news.  Wii U hardware is new.  PS3/Xbox 360 is 6/7 years old.

digi-demon
digi-demon

'For more rumours and speculation concerning the next generation of consoles, check out Gamespot news same time tomorrow' more like :lol:

 

WiiU is rocking the house!! :P

the-mentor
the-mentor like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

i think that's enough, the ps3 and xbox 360 graphics looks quite enough realistic so if the wii-u is going to be better with the nintendo games too... that's fantastic

theonlylolking
theonlylolking

 @the-mentor Since when the real world look anything close to PS3 or 360 graphics?

the-mentor
the-mentor

 @theonlylolking  when i say realistic i'm thinking at games like Heavy Rain,Silent hunter,BattleField or crysis, games which seem graphically realistics... naturally, if you play games like little big planet or Viva Pinata then i can't talk about realism

DVONvX
DVONvX

Wow, you mean next gen is supposed to look better than current gen? What a revelation Brian!

Gazz64
Gazz64

 @DVONvX

 Hey! thats what Nin should rebrand it, the Revelation lol

dpadam450
dpadam450 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Those consoles came out 6 or 7 years ago. So Wii-U will look like it came out 5 years ago.

Gazz64
Gazz64

 @dpadam450

 Close, if history is anything to go by new (gen) consols usually use modded tech from a few years previous, this helps keep costs down not to mention they can spend a few years on R&D so the tech used already has a goodle years under its belt at least.

Hail23
Hail23 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Always looking for new ways to play great new games. :D

warhawk-geeby
warhawk-geeby

Well considering it's Nintendo's next-gen console you'd kind of hope this would be the case :S

 

Still doesn't make me want one though.  I'm not forking out all that money for a next-gen console which will be 'slightly better' than current consoles.  Plus the whole pad-controller thing is hideous.

 

I love Nintendo, just not the direction they're heading.

SirNormanislost
SirNormanislost like.author.displayName 1 Like

Yeah ok fine but is the difference big enough to make me want to buy a Wii U when I already own a 360 and a ps3? Based on what other developers have said I would say no but I'll wait for it to be released first

 

If I'm going to get a Wii U it's for mario, zelda etc if I want to play a multi platform shooter I have 2 consoles which my friends have for online play or if I wanted it to look the best it can I have a kickass PC 

kvan33
kvan33

I would only be surprised if this story came out 3 years from now.

bats94
bats94

For the first time, Nintendo are technically ahead of the competition.

moviequest14
moviequest14 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @bats94 What,have you been in a coma for the 15+ years before wii?

bats94
bats94 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @moviequest14 I have a Nintendo 64, but since the console runs on cartridges rather than CDs, Nintendo were behind in a way (no one was using cartridges anymore).

 

I think I was being too vague with my statement.

cr8ive
cr8ive

 @slimskelter Cartridges were faster than CD drive, true, unfortunately at that time the going rate for memory was probably still a $ for a meg. Economically it was impossible for cartridges to have the same amount of data with a CD and have a similar price.

slimskelter
slimskelter

 @bats94 Cartridges  had an advantage over discs. Same quality and next to no load times. Kind same story with SSDs vs. HDDs, in way.

digi-demon
digi-demon

 @bats94 So by your reckoning the Vita must also be another piece of antiquated tech - as it also uses cartridges (memory-cards) after all :P

zen120
zen120 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 8 Like

 @bats94

 how many times do I have to say this . . .

THE WII IS THE ONLY TIME THAT NINTENDO HAS BEEN LAST IN TECHNICAL POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And every other time, they were first or tied for first.

slimskelter
slimskelter

 @zen120 I'm not a 100% sure about the console timeline between Nintendo and Sega, but the Saturn and Dreamcast were fairly powerful.

WarioGBA
WarioGBA like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @zen120

 

The NES, SNES, and GCN were no where even near the Master System, Neo-Geo, and Xbox respectively. Hell, the SNES didn't even beat out the Turbografx and Genesis which came out 3 and 2 years before respectively considering they both had CPUs at roughly twice the speed. I don't think I even have to mention the handhelds, and the N64, the one time they were legitimately ahead, was effectively castrated by its' cartridge format.

Gazz64
Gazz64

 @WarioGBA

 Um the turbografx and home version Neo-Geo were monumental flops due to insane price tags and very little support

XxParasite
XxParasite like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @WarioGBA Okay...  NES?  Came before Master System.  One was early, the other was late.

SNES?  Better graphics and sound than its competition - Neo-Geo was NOT its competition; that was an arcade platform that happened to have a ridiculously expensive home variant.

GCN?  Not weaker than Xbox in every respect.  It was stronger in some respects and weaker in others.  They were really very different systems.

Dragdar
Dragdar

 @WarioGBA So basically only N64 and GC ever even came close to beaing in the lead as the tech house.

 

and they were bouth outperformed by the Ps1 and Xbox respectively.

 

So the stereotype stands true

Dragdar
Dragdar like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

 @zen120  @bats94 strange how a few years of marketing can change how we view an entire brand.

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