07 Oct 2008 20:10Wii Multiplayer Loses Steam Once upon a time, players of EA's PSP port, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (MoHH2), labored under the assumption that every major shooter thereafter would be better in every way than MoHH2. Why wouldn't it be? Yes, MoHH2 got a lot of the fundamentals right, but it was still a PSP port made on a shoestring budget by a team that had never developed for a console before. Those MoHH2 players were wrong. WiiHD has delayed reporting one of the more depressing details of IGN's most recent preview of WaWii (World at War Wii), but the time has come to bite the bullet. Instead of the 32 player online multiplayer offered by MoHH2, or even the 16 player multiplayer offered by the PS360 version of WaW, IGN indicates that WaWii will have 8 player online. Also, the online vehicle mode Treyarch was so proud of will not be present in WaWii. Finally, no Wii-Speak either (more Nintendo's fault than anyone else's). Following that news, Nintendojo is reporting (Thanks KeiKong) that Activision and Beenox will be putting a 4 player online multiplayer component into the Wii version of Quantum of Solace—the same number of players available in QoS's offline multiplayer component. This compared to the 12 player online multiplayer component in the PS360 version. So what improvements are being made over MoHH2? The Call of Duty 4 engine is being used. It was also Treyarch's excuse for dumbing down coop-options for WaWii. WiiHD is grateful that an effort is being made to make Wii games look better than PS2 games. But we never asked for our gameplay to get watered down. WiiHD exists as a conduit for opinion promoting excellence in gameplay, and in these announcements, we are extremely disappointed. So we've put the kind of effort into this post's graphics that Activision has put into the Wii feature set.
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Wii Multiplayer Loses Steam
These are the same problems I've been discussing with my fellow Wii HD gamers. I really couldn't have said it any better myself, and I didn't no about 007, that makes things worse.
P.S.
Love your last sentence.
It's tough to see so much potential in the system, and to watch over and over as developers and Nintendo itself constantly low-ball it.
For all the Wii's inherent limitations, like clock speed, resolution and storage — it's the fake limitations, imposed by companies who won't put their shoulders into the system, that do it real damage. We all got used to what the Wii couldn't do a long time ago. But here we are, still getting disappointed but what it CAN do, but isn't allowed to.
I feel your pain (and thanks for the kind words).
What I really don't understand is, if HVS can put 16 players online and have graphics that good, whats wrong with the other companies?
And I got a question.
If Nintendo really is producing this Wii HD (pun) then would that also make the Wi-Fi and internet abilities better?
The only thing they're using graphics as an excuse for, that I'm aware of, is the Coop. It's a semi-legitimate excuse. What they don't tell you is that they Could turn down the graphical fidelity and still manage. They just don't want to.
As far as better connectivity… what do you want improved? Clearly the next Wii will use a newer wireless standard, like 802.11n (or maybe something that's not even out yet) instead of 802.11b. And I wouldn't hate it if it came with an ethernet port, but at the very least, you'll still be able to plug one in USB style if you wish.
Most of the things that make the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection suck can be improved without ever touching the Wii. It's really as good as most computers currently being used for connectivity in terms of hardware (connectivity isn't a processor hog). The problem is on Nintendo's servers and in their software, and that can be fixed today, if they ever decide to do it.
HVS game is still 6 months off. While the other two are a month off. Plus I think that is DS that has 4 players online not wii so we may get more then that in QOS.
Not according to Nintendojo.
I was actually concerned that WaWii might steal The Conduit's thunder a few months ago, especially if that vehicle-based online mode (which we now know won't be in Wii) was as fun as it sounded, and hurt its sales when it finally releases. But with the recent limitations that have been revealed unless WaWii has unbelievably good matchmaking, The Conduit's 16 player online is going to be a very desired commodity, and it should do nicely.
I imagine QoS will still fill a void for a lot of gamers eager for a splitscreen offering, but I don't imagine anyone will substitute a QoS purchase for The Conduit. They have very different offerings.
I choose to remain ignorant for the time being, waiting to be surprised by options that aren't supposed to be there. :P I don't expect good, surprising news necessarily, but I don't want to accept the bad. XD It's kinda weird. This is the reason I try not to hype anything up though.
David, I thought that exact same thing. But I'm very skeptical now.
Remember gamecube? it had online capabilities too. sure you had to buy a modem, but that's no excuse for why I can count the number of companies that supported it on one finger. worse yet, that one company wasn't nintendo.(think blue hedgehogs. or better yet, weird yellow bird-things that thirst for blood)