Quantum3 Engine to enable PS3, Xbox graphics on Nintendo Wii?
By Dave Parrack
The Nintendo Wii has done phenomenally well since its launch, despite having some definite hardware deficiencies when compared to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. However, one developer thinks it has addressed at least one of those issues.
What would you say is the main thing wrong with the Nintendo Wii at the moment? The fact that no games are worth playing apart from Wii Sports? The lack of a hard drive? The fact it doesn’t offer high definition gaming? Or, as most of you probably answered, the crappy graphics?
High Voltage Software is hoping to solve that last option, with the introduction of it’s Quantum3 engine, which, according to VideoGamer, is the result of 15 years of development experience, evn though I’ve never heard of them before now.
The company claims that the Quantum3 will enable Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 visuals to be possible on the Wii, thus instantly squashing all of the Sony and Microsoft’s fanboy arguments claiming the Wii is just a novelty.
The Quantum3 is said to enable developers to use advanced graphical features, including bump mapping, lighting effects, glossing and a host of other visual improvements to bring the otherwise shoddy graphics up to speed with more powerful consoles.
High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky said:
“The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We’re hoping to raise a new bar.”
High Voltage are putting their money where their mouth is by currently developing the first game using the engine. Called The Conduit, it will be a first person shooter, rare enough on the Wii as it is, which the company are trying to make look as much like a PS3 or Xbox 360 game as possible.
Here is the tech demo of the engine, and the game, courtesy of YouTube:
Some aspects of the demo do actually impress me, though I think the game still has a long way to go before looking anything like a PS3 or Xbox 360 game. It should at least help bring the Wii up to the same graphical standard as the original Xbox - which is something I suppose.
Our own resident Wii hater Jonathan Schlaffer had this to say about the demo:
“I think I saw those same graphics back in 2003 on the PC and at launch on the Xbox 360 which are just even more impressive now. Graphics today on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 make this tech demo look like it has been in development for 15 years, meaning old, outdated, useless. But it is leaps and bounds beyond other Wii titles which isn’t saying much.”
“We can finally welcome the Wii to 2002, early 2003. I had some fireworks but they seem to have malfunctioned… oh well… nice try High Voltage Software but there’s only so much you can do with *VERY* limited hardware.”
What do you think? Is this just a developer talking up its product, or could the Quantum3 actually help the Wii become more on a par with its bigger brothers? And do you think Jonathan should keep his big mouth shut for once?
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April 21st, 2008
PS3 graphics? bullcrap
April 21st, 2008
Unless it magically can take the hardware from non-HD graphics to HD graphics, then this is a moot point. 480p vs 1080p is no competition.
Morne
April 21st, 2008
Despite the fact that they are using some newish technologies, I think they’ll be pretty limited to the size of gameplay areas. Here we see a basic box filled with objects. Can the engine move outdoors to create realistic vast outdoor play areas? Me thinks probably not. Although it’s a pretty demo, it’s just a demo. Can the wii compete graphically with 360/PS3? Err, no.
April 21st, 2008
dont care…
Did you play Loco Roco?? or Patapon?? Did they need a pair of dual core processor or online features to make the game fun and addictive and entertaining??
or Pacman??? or Ico?? or Shadow of the Collosus?? or Tekken ?? or even the Browser based games on the net nowadays… Do they need nex generation to make them a good game…
Yes I do agree that some games are simple fun for their graphics… Assassins and Crysis wouldnt be the same without their graphics…
I think people put too much emphasis on graphics nowadays… the Playstation generation was about 3D graphics… the PS2 Xbox generation was about Multiplayer and online play… during those generations… the graphics had improved dramatically… graphics will continue to become more realistic over the next coupla years.. they dont need any added incentive…
So stop judging games on how “cool” the graphics are… you dont STARE at a game… you PLAY it… so lets more emphasis on the GAMEplay of a game…
And dont hate Nintendo… on the day of the unveiling of the Wii.. the spokesman said… “If your’e looking for next-generation… you’ve come to the wrong place”
So they never intended to make a “nex-gen” according to your tight-ass standards
(more realistic graphics so I can see that chicks boob bounce while I am cutting her open with knife so I can see her guts come out with blood squirting all over the place…) so dont hate them just because they are making more money and have earned more goodlwill than the other two companies…
Dont worry Im not a fanboy… I just hate it when people base games on their graphics and claim the Wii is stupid…
ohh… the the latest “super-cool-awesome” game… GTA…. did that have “NEXT GEN” graphics??
Did MGS have “Next gen” graphics when it came out??? sure it had 3D graphics… but did they have NEX GEN GRAPHICS???
April 21st, 2008
either way, coming back to the Wii after playing on my ps3 just doesnt feel right.
I cant even get into mario kart, thats how bad I feel the Wii’s graphics are. Yeah SMG was impressive, but that is one game. One game out of hundreds.
Its a shame, I actually really like the Wii, if nintendo had just made it more powerful, maybe more than the original xbox or just below 360, it would be a no doubt winner. But the graphics actually hinder my gameplay. And that, the gameplay, is surely what the wii is about?
Call it sad if you want, but I really do think that the Wii is its own killer. When the ps3 kicks into gear and the xbox continues its growth, the Wii, despite sales, will die. For gamers that is. The casuals will still eat it up either way
April 21st, 2008
ha ha haaaa lol,u cant compare ps3 with wii!! HA HAH AA.
ps3 didn’t even use the 100% power,its only at 38%.360 is at 85%.
as u can see on the video,its like ps2 graphics.
graphics and physics does matter on a game ALOT.
u people who say that it doent matter than your just haters;u wish u had a PS3 or 360.
April 21st, 2008
of course the engine can create and handel the graphics but the question is if the wii can handel them, i dont think so because the wiis processors are more or less the same as the ps2’s in terms of power and not even the ps2 could handel that level of physics and graphics.
ive seen better effects than that and its on a game called uncharted!!!!
April 21st, 2008
The “graphics aren’t that important” argument is old. And is, has been, and always will be, totally wrong.
A bold statement, I know. But since the primary end result of gaming for most people is escapism (or some form of it), then it is important for games to be as immersive as possible, and great visuals are the best way to make a game immersive.
However, what immerses a gamer is as varied as the gamers themselves. So while some gamers might find graphics to be not AS important as other aspects of gaming, it is still important. Metroid Prime 3 would not have been nearly as immersive were it not for its expansive environments and first-person perspective; two things impossible with 16-bit graphics. So its easy to argue that if MP3 had more detailed environments with smoother visuals it would have been even more immersive. Graphics, again, being the deciding factor.
Maybe it’s just me, but the more beautiful a game is, the easier it is for me to lose myself in it, which is why I found myself playing Oblivion more than Metroid Prime 3.
-Arvis
April 21st, 2008
I am not saying that graphics arent important…
I am saying that people put too much emphasis on graphics… you dont need an added incentive to push the limits of current gen graphics…
People put too much emphasis on graphics on it… thats why we should put more emphasis on gameplay… because there hasnt been any “HUGE” improvement in gameplay in a long time…
Wii did it.. and now they are getting criticised because you think cartoonish graphics are “gay” or “childish”…
As I have stated before… you can still have a GREAT game without graphics… the games we consider “classics” or ahead of their time… didnt have “next-gen” graphics… they a new type of gameplay…
You want to get immersed into a game.. but you also want to be entertained and actually PLAY the game… otherwise its another “Style over substance” game…
A game can have “GREAT SUPER AWESOME” graphics.. but without “full” emmersion.. or full control… you soon start to lose interest in the game… good graphics ca only hold your attention for so long…
And Oblivion was a great game… yes that needed good graphics… but it would still be a good game if it had average graphics… sure most of the “hardcore” gamers wouldnt like it… but the true essence of the game would still be enough to hold my attention for 100+ hours…
Look at FarCry…. AWESOME graphics… same old shooter… some AI improvement… riddiculous story (from mercs to zombies) and crappy cheesy voice overs…
Sure it won “Best looking game” and was great to look at… but I would rather play Prey…
atleast Crysis pulled it off… their graphics was great.. and the AI was great.. and the storytelling and the entire experience was great…
They pulled the “Best looking game” card off pretty good… but only a handfull of games do…
April 21st, 2008
“The fact that no games are worth playing apart from Wii Sports?”
LOL, I love playing this game with the mentally deficient 360/PS3 fanboys. They’ll say something stupid like that, then I’ll just counter with, “oh well, there’s no good games on 360 other than Halo 3″, and then the’ll go into a hissy fit, further demonstrating their fanboyism. See, you just have to play their little game. It’s hilarious how stupid these people are.
April 21st, 2008
Im sorry but I have to desiagree “INCREDIBLY” with part of your article.
“It should at least help bring the Wii up to the same graphical standard as the original Xbox”
…….Im sorry but by this statement does seem that your a bit of a fanboy
Have you played Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Super smash bros these games prove it to be fact that the wii is more powerfull than the original xbox.
Im sorry but that sort of comment is so annoying when its blatant bs
When a game on the wii appears below the quality of the original xbox is because of the developer not the wii. When a developer takes time and money with a wii game its graphics are actually quite decent and deffinetely better than the original xbox, but unfortunately it only seems that Nintndo use the wii grapical power decently
April 21st, 2008
For a hi def generation, Wii will never suffice. Even the best gameplay can’t make low res cheap graphics look decent on a big screen. The same people that say the Wii “looks fine” compared to PS3/XB360 are the ones that say DVD “looks fine” compared to Blu-ray/HD-DVD.
That said, I have no doubt this software tools can make Wii graphics look better, but its pure self-promotion and marketing hype to say they will even be close to HD gaming graphics.
April 21st, 2008
Nintendo was falling in market-share. They needed something new that could grab a whole shi-load of new players to their market. They did, and in the mean while, they are trying not to lose their fan-boys by releasing some of the tight-est shit ever based solely on game-play. Now, after the Wii becomes frustratingly painful to develop for, not now, prolly in a few years, the Super-Wii will come out, and it’s hardware will be so amazing, that you really won’t need anything new for about 6-8 years. Wait for the Super-Wii and in the mean while, lets see you throw crap at Smash Bros. Brawl.
April 21st, 2008
Definitely nowhere near 360 or PS3 graphics, but a small step up.
That being said, I played the Wii for my first time this past weekend, and not expecting much, I had a great time playing Tiger Woods Golf all night with my friends. Nintendo has always emphasized that their focus was on gameplay, not graphics, and they’ve done a bang-up job.
Although I’ve been entertaining the prospect of buying a Wii, I might hold off and see what kind of PS3 “wand” comes out. It may very well be worth it in the long run for Sony to risk infringing on Nintendo patents in order to come out with accessories that basically turn your PS3 into a smoking 1080p Wii.
April 22nd, 2008
I agree with most that graphics do play a factor in gaming. But there is more to graphics than simply how many polygons a system can push or how many dots there are on a screen.
I watched several people play Halo 3 before (I haven’t played it) on those fancy-pants 1080p televisions, and I will say that it is far and above the best-looking Halo game to date. However, noticing the environments, especially structures, left me a little disappointed; the tiling and repetition of textures was very obvious. Although the shapes were smooth and the characters were lifelike, I didn’t feel immersed.
On the other hand, I could see some of the jagged edges of Metroid Prime 3, including doors and even some of the characters. However, I felt far more engrossed in this game than any other game I’ve played (and I don’t normally like First-Person Shooters). The shading was done just right, textures were real, and every just felt “in place.”
In conclusion, although the PS3 and XBOX360 are capable of superior graphics (i.e. MGS4), how good a game looks is ultimately dependent on the skills and efforts of the teams that make them.
Oh, and don’t get me wrong on the Halo series; it is a great franchise, but it just didn’t seem as immersive to me.
April 22nd, 2008
There are some points made above that I would like to also elaborate on as well and that is the fact that once you see 1080P, it is true that 480P cannot compare. It’s like when I bought my 360 I did not have a HDTV. I went to my friends house and they had HDTV’s and the graphics look so amazing. I could not believe it was the same game. When I went home the same game did not feel the same on my standard TV with Component. I got over it and learned to live with the definciences until I purchase my HDTV. Then you get to HDMI and ………. OH Man I think I craped my pants, The graphics are just so amazing. That is why the Wii’s graphics get pooed on.
April 22nd, 2008
You can’t polish a turd.
April 26th, 2008
You guys badmouth the Wii so much you act like you had something to do with the graphical aspects of the PS3 and 360. Anyway.
High Voltage never said anything about it looking exactly like a 360 or PS3 game, they said they’re trying to make it LOOK LIKE a 360 game. There’s a difference.
It does look good for the Wii, and I’m glad someone is finally putting a little effort into their games for the Wii. As for it to coming to look like an early Xbox game, that’s just straight up bullshit. Xbox games were just the same as other last gen consoles.
Besides, if you bitch about graphics, throw out your PS3 and 360. PC will always blow them away.
April 29th, 2008
if all you ps3 and 360 fanboys care about is graphics, then your should’ve got a PC, retards.
June 11th, 2008
I was expecting it would look good before I saw the video. That still is last generation. Wow. See the only real graphic processors are the high end PC’s, Dell XPS, Blackbird 002, Voodoo, AlienWare, ect. But since most of us can’t afford that, we stick with console games with good graphics, like the Xbox and Ps3. Screw Wii, they announced it wasn’t Next-gen, so until they make one, I am not even going to bother with Nintendo.