Take it away, Andrew:
The eighth generation of console gaming is nearly upon us and it starts first with Nintendo's Wii U. While some might argue that the Wii U is next-gen thanks to slightly more modest processing power than the 720 and PS4 are rumored to have, the truth is that it isn't just graphics that make something 'next-gen', it is instead the new ways it pushes gameplay and the way we interact with gaming experiences.
This is no denying that the Wii changed the way the users around the world interacted with their games. While not everyone fell in love with motion-sensing technology, it is very clear that the Wii had a major impact on the way games are played during the seventh generation of consoles. Unfortunately, Nintendo's Wii wasn't built with the same longevity in mind that the PS3 and 360 targeted and so the time has come for a next-gen HD replacement, the Wii U. So what exactly is the Wii U and in what unique ways could it change the way we interact with gaming in the near future?
Let's start by taking a look at what we do know about the hardware:
Wii U Hardware
The Wii U is capable of full HD, while most current-gen games only support 720p HD, all Wii U games should have basic support for 1080p. The Wii U is said to be at least 50% more powerful than the current-gen Xbox 360 and PS3.
The processor inside the Wii U is a custom 45nm multi-core IBM PowerPC processor with embedded DRAM, although we don't know the exact specifications or speed of the processor. We also know that some form of AMD Radeon HD graphics will be equipped in the new console.
While we do know that the Wii U will have high capacity discs (though it won't run Blu-ray movies), it is going to be fully compatible with Wii games, remotes, and even the Wii Balance Board.
Out of all the hardware features touted by the Wii U, the biggest is without a doubt the addition of its new Wii U Tablet controller. This tablet is a 6.2-inch device that has an accelerometer, gyroscope, dual analogue sticks, rumble feedback, a D-Pad, a front-facing camera, triggers and shoulder buttons, and even a built-in microphone.
In What New Ways Does The Wii U Change The Way We Game?
The touch-screen can certainly offer many new ways to play. For example, imagine playing a real-time strategy game like Starcraft 2 with this bad boy. All your commands could easily be issued with the swipe of your hand from the touch-screen while you could control the cursor through the more traditional 'gamepad' elements like dual analogue.
Outside of this, there is a huge potential for first person shooters thanks to the use of the devices motion-abilities. The control can be used as a 'scope' of sorts for your gun and if you move the control left or right it can change the way your character moves. The traditional buttons, like triggers, would make perfect sense for firing off your weapon in a Call Of Duty-type shooter experience.
