Nintendo’s E3 2012 presentation takes place June 5, 2012, at 9:00 AM PDT. At that time, eager fans will finally get a good look at the final Wii U hardware and features, along with a number of games. Some details, naturally, have already leaked. The Wii U tablet controllers, for instance, have gotten a slight redesign. Additionally, despite rumors to the contrary, new reports insist that “Wii U” will remain the system’s name.
In advance of next week’s presentation, two new bits of discouraging information have surfaced. First, and most dramatically, the Wii U apparently does not support Epic’s Unreal Engine 4. Second, the previously announced Wii U port of Metro: Last Light is no longer in development. In sunnier news, Gearbox Software continues to tout the Wii U version of the recently delayed Aliens: Colonial Marines as the best of the bunch, thanks to the system’s “more modern tech.”
Epic unveiled the first pics of Unreal 4-powered visuals just a few weeks ago, and at that time we questioned whether Wii U would be capable of running the engine. Nintendo has been characteristically cagey about how powerful the Wii U actually is, but estimates from developers working with the hardware tend to be modest — Vigil Games says the unit is “on par” with Xbox 360 and PS3, while other (unnamed) developers claim Wii U isn’t even that powerful. Given that the “Samaritan” video designed to showcase Unreal 4′s features allegedly requires ten times the power of the Xbox 360 in order to run, where does that leave Wii U?
According to Geoff Keighley, it leaves Wii U to use the aging Unreal 3 tech that currently powers everything from Mass Effect 3 to Batman: Arkham City.
@DavidKalpakis No, at GDC Mike Capps said Wii-U will be Unreal Engine 3.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) May 29, 2012
After that Twitter exchange took place, Epic Games responded to an inquiry from CVG, noting simply that it, “has not confirmed platforms for Unreal Engine 4 beyond PC,” while indicating that Unreal Engine 3 will be supported by Wii U.
Needless to say, the inability to run Unreal Engine 4 could turn out to be a disaster for Wii U. Unreal Engine 3 has been ubiquitous this generation, and there is every reason to expect that Unreal Engine 4 will be just as successful once the next-gen consoles debut. Simply put, if the system can’t run Unreal Engine 4, then Wii U’s third-party support will likely be just as problematic (read: poor) as Wii’s. Look for more news on this topic as it develops.
Moving on to games, Metro: Last Light was featured during Wii U’s reveal at E3 2011, alongside such titles as Darksiders 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3. Sadly, the game is no longer coming to Wii U, and publisher THQ isn’t saying why. Speaking to Digital Spy, global brand manager Mark Madsen confirms that Metro: Last Light is “not in development,” without completely ruling out the possibility of a port at some point in the future.
“If it does happen, it won’t sim-ship with the other SKUs, but if the opportunity arises we’ll take a look at it.”
Perhaps Madsen’s followup statement, “The verdict is out on what we can do to maximise the code for the Wii U,” contains a hint as to why development was abandoned.
While it’s a shame that Wii U owners won’t get a chance to play Metro: Last Light, one shooter that is absolutely, positively, unquestionably in route to Nintendo’s next console is Aliens: Colonial Marines. Randy Pitchford and his studio, Gearbox Software, have been unerring supporters of Wii U in the press — a position they take once again in a new interview with Eurogamer. Pitchford has previously opined that Aliens has “more to offer” on Wii U, and that Gearbox is “very pleased with the hardware.” Now, Producer Brian Burleson has added his voice to the chorus, and he, too, sings the system’s praises.
“The Wii U is a powerful, powerful machine and it can do a lot of cool new things. And so the game itself, moving it over to work on the Wii U was not much of a chore.”
“Now the interesting thing is finding out all the cool ways you can use the controller to do new stuff with it. You can imagine all the cool things we can do, with this franchise and having a thing with you, right?”
Burleson goes on to promise that Aliens: Colonial Marines will “be better” on Wii U, due to the system’s “more modern tech.”
With Wii U’s official reveal scheduled to take place just one week from today, expect reams of rumors to pop up in the interim. For now, though, what are your thoughts on the Unreal Engine 4 situation — just how bad will it be for Nintendo if Wii U can’t support Epic’s next engine? Would it stop you from buying a Wii U? For that matter, are you disappointed that Metro: Last Light won’t be seeing daybreak on Nintendo’s new console? Let us know in the comments below.
The Nintendo Wii U will release this holiday season.
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Follow me on Twitter @HakenGaken
Source: @geoffkeighley, CVG, Digital Spy, Eurogamer
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So really the only selling point for the Wii U is the controller? Correct me if I’m wrong.
It seems like nothing but disappointing information is released for this thing lol
No correction needed…it’s really sad to hear these past couple of news info bout the Wii U..none of them are encouraging :S
Oh, it will be better on WII U. Thanks for giving me a reason not to buy i straight away. I will wait till its £15 out of ASDA. Stupid marketing, still gonna but it when its cheap cause there is no reason to but it day 1 if there is another verison which is better.
WHAT?!!!?
LOL @ ATG
I too had that reaction, I wonder if even COREY_1993 understands what he wrote.
Looking back he probably doesn’t lol poor guy
I’m gonna say… split personalities? Seems like at least three diverging opinions are being expressed there.
It may diminish some sales but ultimately Nintendo is much bigger than what it has “under the hood” so to speak. The Wii U will dominate again for years because of the game base it has built. Consoles are all about the games and the games that have built Nintendo do not need the expensive systems that could be the ultimate demise of Playstation and Microsoft. Nintendo is trying to strike the perfect balance between affordability and quality. I have yet to be dissapointed.
Coming from a “Nintendo fan”… high five
If you look, Nintendo has about 4 or 5 major games, and every 4-6 years, you pay $500 just to get the new console so you can play all those games again. Sure there are differences in the games, but when is the last time Nintendo released an original title? Let me tell you: Pokemon, and that was almost twenty years ago.
Mind you, that $500 is the console + games, not the console itself.
Pikmin. Wave Race. Wii Sports. The various Mario-related franchises (they are distinct from one another, despite the fact that Mario is in all of ‘em). And a little thing called Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros is an awesome game. Is it worth buying a wii u? Hell yeah. (It really though depends on the gamers personality for me it is amazing and worth it to see my childhood gaming heroes beating the crapout of eachother.)
No, let me tell you… The most recent game, I can think of, developed AND published by Nintendo, that was totally independent from previous franchises, was Steel Diver. Though, I could be wrong. Either way, that’s a far cry from 20 years ago. Your whole point is kind of moot though for a lot of people (myself included) because we buy Nintendo consoles expressly for Nintendo’s franchises. I’ll buy a Wii U day one, just because I already know we will get an HD Zelda, a Super Smash Bros and new Donkey Kong, Kirby and Mario adventures. Just because Nintendo may recycle main protagonists, doesn’t make their new games any less relevant, fresh or most importantly, fun. If it ain’t broke…
Actually, you forget Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, and Dillon’s Rolling Western are all new Nintendo-created franchises.
Like I said “I could be wrong.”.
I guess I was looking at physical software. Either way, that reaffirms my point, thanks!
Nooo problem, happy to help.
I really think keeping the Wii U name is a mistake.
PlayStation 4 – even without an article – the name tells anyone that it is the next PlayStation.
Without an article can anyone tell that the Wii U is a new system and not just another in a long line of Wii merchandise, upgrades, or peripherals, etc?
Add that to no Unreal 4 engine and this Nintendo system is quickly becoming a bad bet.
i bet 10$ this is Nintendo last chance. the company will file for bankruptcy by the end of the year. and then apple will buy them.
What would be great (but highly unlikely) is if they became strictly a third party software developer after the Wii U’s failure. If they developed for Microsoft and Sony, they would port all of the best nintendo games to their systems. How awesome would it be playing Zelda on your Xbox, or Metroid on your PS3? I doubt this will happen, but I hope it does.
Why would Apple care to buy anything that isn’t their own crap?
Of the many gaming systems Nintendo has put out over the years, only one has failed (VB), and even that didn’t do them much damage. This is a company that knows how to take care of itself. And now they’re coming off two of their biggest successes ever (Wii & DS). The 3DS is doing well now, too. Even if the Wii U is an abject failure — which is very unlikely — that won’t spell doom for Nintendo.
As nice as it might be to play Mario and Zelda on a cutting-edge system again, that’s not going to happen.
i agree one-hundred percent. Coming off the crazy Wii and DS sales there is no way one bad launch would force them out. The PS3 and the PSVita both had terrible launches and look at Sony, they are still holding their own. People vastly underestimate Nintendo as a corporation.
I agree too. It would take A WHOLE lot more than just one bad console launch to destroy the big N. They are not going anywhere any time soon.
Luckily, you wont have to wait too long to play them on a cutting-edge system. The Wii U is right around the corner
http://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-doomed-not-likely-just-take-look-how-much-money-its-got-bank/
No support for Unreal engine 4 , no standardized controller like 360/PS3, will it have a hard drive and looks like no full support from third party development.EPIC….
They confirmed the Wii U will support UE3. However, they didn’t say anything about it not supporting UE4, they’re just not ready to confirm anything yet.
Whatever happens with the Weeoo, I don’t think there’s any chance of it just failing outright. At least, no more than the N64 and Gamecube did. I doubt it’ll do as well as the Wii overall, and I doubt it’ll succeed in recapturing the “hardcore” market that Nintendo lost to Sony several generations ago. But it might recapture the people that it lost with the Wii, who were disappointed with Nintendo’s withered first-party lineup for that console, and it’ll probably hold on to at least a quarter of the Wii’s converts. Pretty sure the WiiU will do just fine.
I don’t think anyone’s ever expected this system to be cutting-edge or future-perfect, so this UE4 “news” isn’t the least bit surprising to me, nor does it affect my expectations of how the console will perform. The loss of Metro sucks, but meh.
Once again I agree, and the “hardcore” made me laugh
. People don’t buy Nintendo for ultra-realistic graphics or the latest realistic physics engine. They buy Nintendo for the amazing first party line up, for its undeniable charm, and because they are always innovative. I’ve come to realize that often the most realistic games are the ones I like the least because there is nothing special about them. Just everything exactly as you expect it.
I just honestly don’t see the appeal for it. Why did Nintendo become so obbessed with gimmicks? Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the N64 a serious contender with the PS1 in terms of power (graphics, etc)? After the Gamecube and GBA, they just totally scrambled for distractions and the loyal customers couldn’t get enough of it. I bought a Wii and I played SSBB (with only the GC controller) and Elebits on it. Not worth the price tag. I’d love in the future if Nintendo became a third-party developer instead. Classic pokemon or zelda on the iphone, super smash on xbox, it be awesome. This isn’t a nintendo-bashing btw, I am just really confused on the premise of their wacky inventions.
The N64 was the most powerful console of its generation but it got creamed by the PSX. The Gamecube was significantly more powerful than the PS2 but Nintendo got clobbered in that generation too (and the Xbox was the most powerful of that generation but ended up in third place). Both of those Nintendo consoles struggled at least partially because of other issues with the hardware — specifically the media they used — but still, you can understand how Nintendo might lose interest in keeping up on the tech front, especially when it’s potentially much cheaper and much more interesting to experiment with “gimmicks” to make their hardware *unique* instead of technologically superior. I don’t know if that’ll work for them twice in a row, but as long as they pump out more quality Marios and Zeldas and such for this system, I think they’ll do fine, regardless of the gimmick’s success or failure.
There is a very fine line between gimmick and innovation.
Well said!
Rumors and speculation. Companies don’t comment on them; we would do well to ignore them. Personally I will wait until E3 to pass judgement on the Wii U. That way I will at least know what I’m judging. Many of you judge without knowing anything.
It doesn’t really bother me if the Wii U can’t handle Unreal 4. That’s what the PS4 or Durango is for. It’s just like “Sega does what Nintendon’t.”. Only 30 years later.
I really like the whole “The Wii U is a powerful, powerful machine and it can do a lot of cool new things.” though. I’m sure it is and I’m sure it will.
Such depressing negativity on the above comments. Give something a chance before you condemn it. Given the huge involvement of third party companies, Assassins Creed 3 and Aliens are coming, as well as some hopefully killer Nintendo titles… The innovative controller is exactly that, an innovation that no one yet fully understands.
LOL @ “Give something a chance before you condemn it.”
So hey DrSam – what do you think of the new Superman movie that will be released next year?
And Unreal 3 might be an aging engine, but given the games it can create, Mass Effect 3, I think it will do fine on the Wii U.
So GameRant, care to tell me why you haven’t posted the article proving that this dude doesn’t know what he’s talking about?
http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1401272/epic_unreal_engine_4_platforms_unconfirmed_beyond_pc.html?
That’s what I was wondering. I saw the update and, but GameRant hadn’t updated the article. Hm…
I call bias. People are always willing to look for a chance to slam Nintendo nowadays.