Wii-U thoughts so far

[KalessinDB]

I'll also point out, as I did to an IRL friend who tried to claim WiiU is "last gen", that by the very etymology of the word Generation, you are 100% wrong.

If you'd like to claim it "has stats closer to last gen hardware than the other current gen systems", then sure you can claim that. But to say it's 7th gen is patently wrong, end of sentence.

[dsheinem]

I'll also point out, as I did to an IRL friend who tried to claim WiiU is "last gen", that by the very etymology of the word Generation, you are 100% wrong.

If you'd like to claim it "has stats closer to last gen hardware than the other current gen systems", then sure you can claim that. But to say it's 7th gen is patently wrong, end of sentence.

no.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/generation

a form, type, class, etc., of objects existing at the same time and having many similarities

The Wii U certainly can be placed in either "console generation" based on that definition...the rest of the definitions apply specifically to living things.

I'll add that the origins of the word's use in Technology is also listed there

An attempt to classify the degree of sophistication of programming languages.

This extends, most would agree, to the general sophistication of tech components.

I think you owe your friend an apology.

[KalessinDB]

I'll also point out, as I did to an IRL friend who tried to claim WiiU is "last gen", that by the very etymology of the word Generation, you are 100% wrong.

If you'd like to claim it "has stats closer to last gen hardware than the other current gen systems", then sure you can claim that. But to say it's 7th gen is patently wrong, end of sentence.

no.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/generation

a form, type, class, etc., of objects existing at the same time and having many similarities

yes.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=generation

early 14c., "body of individuals born about the same period"

I'll leave off the "Typically about 30 yrs" part because I'm reasonable, not trying to be THAT literal. Heck, even the definition you chose to quote has "existing at the same time" right in it, which is unquestionably is (yeah okay it came out a year earlier than PS4/XBone, but that's close enough)

[dsheinem]

The Wii U was not "born"

The term applied to objects isn't exclusively about existing at a set time but is rather about posessing characteristics of other objects from a set time. For tech objects specifically, it refers to sophistication of those characteristics.

The iPhone 5c is not of the same gen of tech as the 5s, even though both were launched at the same time. The hardware in the PS4 is not of the same generation as that in the higher end computers that could be built at the time of its launch. The 32x is not of the same gen as the Saturn, even though their launch dates are reasonably close.

[dunpeal2064]

I wonder how much a Wii U would cost, were it as powerful a machine as the ps4, but still bundled with a tablet?

Seems like too much. AAA fans would still buy a ps4. I mean, come on, Its a Nintendo, and it costs MORE than a ps4? Don't care if its technically capable, the GC was and look at that!

Nintendo fans, who were already interested in the console (many of which still haven't made the plunge) would probably be more put off by the even higher price tag, especially if they aren't that interested in AAA titles.

It sounds nice, magically having a stronger console that could push stuff like Destiny out, to those of us that already own one. But, how many of us would even own one if it were as costly, or more, than its competitors?

I just can't see them being in a better place, had they gone this route.

[KalessinDB]

Not trying to compare all technology of the same era, just trying to compare various members of what could be considered a cohort. I would never compare a PS4 to a computer, as computers aren't solely gaming machines (overlooking the fact that many people use them as such), and I don't know that smartphones are really measured in generations per se as they have so many manufacturers making so many different phones all at once.

Your 32x/Saturn comparison is definitely interesting as you chose systems that came out at the same time and are unquestionably different generations, but I think the fact that the 32x isn't a standalone system but rather an addon invalidates the comparison.

Regardless, I'm not all that invested in it, but I always find it amusing the people who gripe about Nintendo hardware being so severely underpowered and how Nintendo should get out of the hardware business, etc etc... and yet they keep putting out top-selling titles on their underpowered anemic systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_be ... ideo_games

Edit:

Just for funsies, let's look at the top 40 cross-platform that are listed there.

- 16 Nintendo exclusives (not including pack-ins)
- 2 Sony/Microsoft console exclusives (being generous and including the Kinect pack-in here)
- 8 Sony/Microsoft/PC releases (ie: not available on a Nintendo console at all)
- 1 PC exclusive
- 6 Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo/PC releases

[dsheinem]

I wonder how much a Wii U would cost, were it as powerful a machine as the ps4, but still bundled with a tablet?

Probably about the same as what the Xbox One w/Kinect sold for.

I'm not all that invested in it, but I always find it amusing the people who gripe about Nintendo hardware being so severely underpowered and how Nintendo should get out of the hardware business

Those are two different claims, and I agree that the second one is not fully supported by the first. That said, there's good reason (e.g. overall system sales numbers) to think that choosing to build a Nintendo system with internal hardware components that align the Wii U very closely with the generation of consoles introduced ~7 years earlier was a poor decision for the company this time (even though it was a good decision with the Wii).

[dunpeal2064]

I wonder how much a Wii U would cost, were it as powerful a machine as the ps4, but still bundled with a tablet?

Probably about the same as what the Xbox One w/Kinect sold for.

Do you think the system would have sold better in that case, or worse?

(Not trying to lock you into a fallacy here, as it may appear, just curious as to your thoughts )

[ZeroAX]

Do you think the system would have sold better in that case, or worse?

Honestly, probably just as bad. The gamepad just wasn't a good idea to begin with.

[ZenErik]

What if they dumped the gamepad and dropped the price to $200? Maybe price doesn't help sales, but I feel it could.