Wii U retail impressions?

[BRiT]

So now that the Wii U is officially released, what are the impressions of the retail product?

Here's some bits I've seen relating to the retail Wii U experience. I hope for the consumers sake this is not the case. The firmware update on day zero is 5 GBs and if the process gets interrupted, the console is bricked. [source 1 and source 2]

 

[ninelven]

Yikes, that is potentially disastrous if true...

 

[swaaye]

Wii had some firmware bricking update problems on launch too IIRC. But the download time was more like 20mins.

 

[Grall]

3 gigs firmware download on launch... Wow. Lol! Bricking by interrupting... Incredible.

The ineptness is astounding. It's like they totally have zero experience at all (or possible negative) of how to handle something like this. Product testing to check robustness of the update process? No? Not done that? Wii was slow enough to update, even at offpeak hours, I can't imagine how long 3 gigs would take with such a pathetic download server as Nintendo considered themselves able to afford.

I myself expected to come into this thread to read horror tales about interference/connection problems with the wireless tablet. Not stupid bricking issues. You'd think this wouldn't be an issue anymore in this day and age, but alas. It annoys me greatly when my old childhood company screws up on such a basic level!

To anyone who has a working Wuu... What's the noise level of the console? Fan noise and the drive as well. Give your impressions, please.

 

[Billy Idol]

3 gigs firmware download on launch... Wow. Lol! Bricking by interrupting... Incredible.

The ineptness is astounding. It's like they totally have zero experience at all (or possible negative) of how to handle something like this. Product testing to check robustness of the update process? No? Not done that? Wii was slow enough to update, even at offpeak hours, I can't imagine how long 3 gigs would take with such a pathetic download server as Nintendo considered themselves able to afford.

I myself expected to come into this thread to read horror tales about interference/connection problems with the wireless tablet. Not stupid bricking issues. You'd think this wouldn't be an issue anymore in this day and age, but alas. It annoys me greatly when my old childhood company screws up on such a basic level!

To anyone who has a working Wuu... What's the noise level of the console? Fan noise and the drive as well. Give your impressions, please.

I heard it is a 5gig download...

 

[Brad Grenz]

Remember when all those journos thought the PS3 updates took forever?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Did Wii have incremental FW updates like XB360 or monolithic FW updates like PS3? I'm thinking this ties in with the 8 GB console's limits, that Nintendo are reserving massive space for FW storage prior to updates. That'd potentially mean no IO caching in that reserved space.

I look forwards to DF's breakdown.

 

[Arwin]

It seems that the initial firmware download for 'normal' users is more like 0.88GB. Still quite impressive though, for an initial install. I guess you get stuff like MiiVerse that is relatively big, included in something like that?

There's a good chance that the updates are partial anyway, and that press that have had the Wii longer, will have the full contents of the 8GB flash, which are like 60% used by default Nintendo software, refreshed from the web at launch.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

On the other hand, Im actually thinking about buying one just to see if its really as totally screwed as I keep reading about.

It has really gotten to that point. I just can not believe that nintendo with all their experience would release a console that is really this bad.

 

[TheLump]

It seems that the initial firmware download for 'normal' users is more like 0.88GB. Still quite impressive though, for an initial install. I guess you get stuff like MiiVerse that is relatively big, included in something like that?

There's a good chance that the updates are partial anyway, and that press that have had the Wii longer, will have the full contents of the 8GB flash, which are like 60% used by default Nintendo software, refreshed from the web at launch.

Forgive me, but what's a 'normal user'? Doesn't everyone need a 5GB download?

Edit: it does indeed seem about 1GB. Maybe the pre release consoles needed bigger ones (ie the ones the press had)?

 

[TheLump]

On the other hand, Im actually thinking about buying one just to see if its really as totally screwed as I keep reading about.

It has really gotten to that point. I just can not believe that nintendo with all their experience would release a console that is really this bad.

? Besides the download and the laggy o/s most of the hands on I've read has been pretty good?

They need to sort out that menu lag though - asap.

 

[Entropy]

To anyone who has a working Wuu... What's the noise level of the console? Fan noise and the drive as well. Give your impressions, please.

I'd like to second this request.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

? Besides the download and the laggy o/s most of the hands on I've read has been pretty good?

They need to sort out that menu lag though - asap.

Huh? Can you provide links to these reviews that say it is any7 good? Everything I have read so far says its a complete clusterfuck and not on par with the 360 or ps3 let alone what will happen next year

 

[Laa-Yosh]

What the hell was Nintendo thinking? This launch looks like one of the greatest disasters in console history.
Has it been mentioned that there is no support for DLC yet, either?

Also, they make their partners look bad. Judging by the hardware details it's impossible to produce a port of even a mildly complex X360/PS3 game, but all the flak from the audience will hit the developers instead of the one responsible.

 

[BRiT]

Has it been mentioned that there is no support for DLC yet, either?

Do they have any sort of details on when DLC support would be offered? Or is this from the limited storage space the base model offers with no official expanded storage options?

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Nintendo is promising early december or so.

Xbox live turned 10 years old a few days ago.

 

[swaaye]

Wii firmware updates took a long time because the Wii could only download at about 100KB/s. I assume they've upgraded the network capabilities here.

 

[Entropy]

It's rather obvious that they really wanted to release the console internationally before Christmas.
That software development takes more time than anticipated is no news, and they have rather ambitious goals in terms of new services offered, in comparison to where they've been.

I doubt their partners would have been thrilled if Nintendo had announced that they chose to delay the launch until everything was solidly in place.

Launching with some features still not implemented is obviously not ideal, but compared to missing the holiday shopping season, I think this was the better way to go, for all involved.

 

[Arwin]

Wii firmware updates took a long time because the Wii could only download at about 100KB/s. I assume they've upgraded the network capabilities here.

Someone on GAF quoted 2,000.1KB/s, which he assumes is throttled on the server end for bandwidth purposes, so, yeah.

 

[TheLump]

Huh? Can you provide links to these reviews that say it is any7 good? Everything I have read so far says its a complete clusterfuck and not on par with the 360 or ps3 let alone what will happen next year

Saying which bit is anygood? I've been following most major news site providing rolling coverage, live streams, GAF members who have the console and most seem pleased with the experience so far (besides the things I mentioned). Read some good first hand reports of miiverse too. Do you have a link to a report of it being a clusterfuck? I might be overlooking them.

I'm not sure what you're gauging the comparison to 360/PS3 but again I don't know which bit specifically? Can you elaborate?


Also just seen the video below comparison of BLOPS2 on YouTube. WiiU version actually looks better imo so that just goes to show you the inaccuracy of judging the console on ports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZO33bCFwks&feature=youtube_gdata_player