The Wii U’s specifications haven’t been finalized, but Gearbox is excited about what it’s seen so far.
Brian Martel, one of the founders of Gearbox Software, most recently of Duke Nukem Forever fame, says that the Wii U isn’t so much the start of a new console generation, as it is a bridge between current hardware, and whatever the likes of Microsoft and Sony release in the future.
Martel said that while the final technical specifications for the Wii U were still unconfirmed, Gearbox liked the system a lot, especially as it was much better suited to the type of hardcore, FPS experiences that the studio created. He said that Gearbox had got the Aliens: Colonial Marines engine running on the console, with sharper textures than those seen on currently available technology.
He was also excited about the potential presented by the Wii U’s unique controller. Colonial Marines, presented a number of possibilities, he said, from the motion tracker screen to the sentry gun information. “That stuff is really sexy for us. Getting the information off the screen and onto this device is a fantastic idea, right? So can we have a HUD-less environment? Yeah, probably. That would be fantastic, right?”
It will be interesting to see if other developers make as good use of the Wii U’s unique capabilities, especially on multiplatform titles. While the features, like movement and the touch screen, present a lot of interesting possibilities, they also mean more time and money on the part of the developer, and it’s hard to see them being used to the fullest when a studio is also working on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions as well.
Source: IGN AU
