Topic: Wii U USB Storage Detailed

[ei8htbit]

@Phantom7300
Just be prepared not to use that hard drive for anything else - after you format it to WiiU Nintendo owns it.

[NWR_insanolord]

Seriously, why the hell would anyone expect Nintendo to let you use a standard formatted hard drive for this? This is a protection against homebrew, pure and simple. They're paranoid, sure, but you should be aware of that by now.

And the cable thing doesn't appear to be a requirement as much as a suggestion. Knowing Nintendo, there's a good chance this is them worrying about something that most likely won't be a problem. It's an extension of their very conservative battery life and wireless range estimates.

[Ian Sane]

Maybe it's just because the social space has advanced so much and we've all been trained on how console launches are supposed to happen over the past 10 years, but the sporadic and often unnannounced Nintendo Direct onslaught in the past 2 weeks leading up to ground zero seem to illustrate that Nintendo themselves barely know what the hell they are going to do with this thing.

It is weird because I remember past Nintendo launches where I felt I really knew all the relevant information for launch well ahead of time.  This doesn't seem strange just by the industry conventions but Nintendo's as well.  The whole thing seems low key and disorganized.  It is odd that as social media has taken off and constant communication with customers is expected Nintendo has become LESS social.  They treat the most routine stuff as top secret.  How many companies could you say were MORE connected with their customers ten years ago than they are today?

The Wii's success was based entirely on Nintendo having this dream feature in motion control.  Well that's no strategy.  So every time around you need to come up with some dream feature people have fantasized about for years?  Yeah, good luck at that.  It just can't be done.  So Nintendo comes up with this tablet idea because they feel they have to have SOMETHING unique.  And then you combine that with their inexperience with modern videogame conventions due to intentionally staying behind last gen and the whole thing comes across as a disorganized mess.  Well I think it is.  Nintendo doesn't know what they're doing.  The Wii was a once-in-a-lifetime licence-to-print money idea and Nintendo cannot possibly catch lightning in a bottle twice.  They're behind the times and they never learned from any of their mistakes with the Cube, they just got by on the motion control idea.  Take away the money-idea and the Wii goes nowhere.  So now they have to just sell a relatively normal console and they don't know how to do that.  When was the last time they did THAT right?  I look at it like a sports team that was good because of one star player but now he's retired and their previous drafting and trading history doesn't suggest they can continue without him.

[Stogi]

Seriously, why the hell would anyone expect Nintendo to let you use a standard formatted hard drive for this?

Because standard SD cards exist and we can use that. Plain and simple.

But this gives me hope. This gives me hope that hackers will go to town on the Wii U and obliterate the arbitrarity.

[Ymeegod]

Actually you should still be able to partition your harddrive to run multiple devices with one drive.  You can format (to whatever file system nintendo's using--my guess it's own) whatever partition you want.  You just have to prep the drive before hand--there's plenty of disk partition software on the PC/MAC that are fairly easy to use.

Hell I think you can create 16+ partitions with all types of formats with the software that I used last time, Multitool Disk Wizard.

[joshnickerson]

Seriously, why the hell would anyone expect Nintendo to let you use a standard formatted hard drive for this?

Because standard SD cards exist and we can use that. Plain and simple.

But this gives me hope. This gives me hope that hackers will go to town on the Wii U and obliterate the arbitrarity.

Yes. Huzzah for piracy.

[UncleBob]

They treat the most routine stuff as top secret.

I'm sure this has nothing to do with stuff like SONY shoving the SIXAXIS into the PS3 within two weeks of Nintendo announcing motion gaming.

[NWR_insanolord]

UncleBob said it best in the thread in Console Discussion, where basically Nintendo's in an impossible position. If they tell us everything and make promises they can't live up to people get mad at them, and if they do the opposite and say very little and want the system to speak for itself people get mad at them for that too.

Nintendo's giving us things on the Wii U we would have killed for on the Wii, like real storage expansion capabilities and online without friend codes, and people are complaining about them all nonetheless. This is an unprecedented level of cooperation with third parties, implementing most every feature of a modern game console and inventing a couple new ones, and people just can't stop bitching about stupid little details, some of which Nintendo has already come out and said will be fixed down the road.

[Adrock]

Considering the Wii U formats the hard drive to only work with the Wii U, I feel like a hard drive slot would have saved a lot of headaches. Plug it in, it's out of the way and you forget it even exists. The box just couldn't simply be a longer Wii. Maybe it'd have to be wider or taller which I think most people would have been fine with. Here, Nintendo's solution is use X, but don't use Y unless you have Z in which case Y is okay, A is not recommended because it's too slow for B and finally, C is only used for transfers even though C worked perfectly well in D and E. Ultimately, X is your only serious option. What the **** were they thinking? Nintendo keeps insisting that they're trying to simplify things for users, but this is the most asinine set-up ever.

The easiest and simplest way would have been:
1. Any 2.5" SATA hard drive plugged into a hard drive slot (recommended)
2. SD Card is supported.
3. USB hard drive with its own power source is supported
Note: All are formated to only be used with Wii U. I don't really understand why this couldn't be. It's so straight forward.

I feel like Y-cable support is only there to give an extra option despite Nintendo cutting/not including the 2 most obvious ones (SD Card support can and probably will be patched in a firmware update). I would imagine that not a lot of people have one of those laying around so it's an option that's not really one since so few people are going to do it.

I think people were really into the idea of the external hard drive solution because many have one lying around with tons of unused space. "Oh, I can use use it for Wii U expansion as well." That's the great misconception since it must become a Wii U ONLY hard drive. It's probably that way for piracy concerns, but judging by the reactions on the interwebz, most people didn't see it coming. You may be able to partition the hard drive, but that's one extra thing. Alternatively, no one has this perception of the PS3 hard drive, for example, because it's inside the console. All PS3s come with one (the smallest of which today probably doesn't cost Sony a whole lot). Even people who replace the included hard drive with a larger one treat it as "the PS3's hard drive." It's there and no one ever thinks about it.

Ultimately, I think people will get over it (if they haven't already), but it is definitely needlessly complicated and less convenient. Freeing up a power outlet for the console's best storage solution is a concern for some people (it would be for me if I were to go this route) and it's something that Sony and Microsoft aren't asking people to deal with. That doesn't even count the fact that the Wii U GamePad requires its own AC adapter and cannot be charged via the console's USB port. Suddenly, the Wii U turns into this jumbled Megazord of wires and cords strewn about in the least elegant set-up imaginable.

[UncleBob]

Yay!  My entertainment center was seriously lacking cables.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm pretty sure the whole Y-adapter thing is Nintendo being their usual overly-cautious selves. These are the people who put wrist straps on the Wii remote, then mailed everybody stronger ones, then wrapped the Wii remotes in some kind of squishy plastic condom thing, all based on a problem basically nobody had. I think in most circumstances a drive that's designed to power itself via USB will work fine with just a standard cord.

[Ian Sane]

Adrock makes a good point about the perception of the hard drive.  I've both added an internal hard drive to a PC and have bought an external USB hard drive.  The internal one only works with the PC I added it to and that meets my expectations.  I never expected anything else because it makes no sense.  The external one, however, I expect to be able to just move from different computers.  That's the nature of the eternal design.  That's what everyone thinks of when they're talking about external USB hard drives so those same assumptions were made when Nintendo announced the hard drive for the Wii U.  Internal is permanent, external is not... except on the Wii U where an external drive is really permanent like an internal one would be.

I don't think Nintendo really understands why the Wii was successful.  So they kept the same shape and size and energy efficiency (and idiotic naming convention for that matter) under the assumption that these things were important pieces of the puzzle when probably no Wii owner ever gave a **** about them (and certainly wouldn't NOT buy a Wii U solely because these elements were not repeated).  So yeah we've got an irregular hard drive setup as a result.

What I get from this and the Gamepad needing it's own A/C adaptor (which I actually just found out about now; what the hell crap design is THAT?!) is that Nintendo execs obviously never ever use competing products at all.  No one who has spent five minutes with a PS3 or Xbox 360 would ever come up with such designs.  The first meeting it was brought up you would say "the competition lets you charge the controller through the USB slot.  People expect that now and nothing else will fly."  Of course the other possibility is that the very top guys like Iwata and Miyamoto live in the Nintendo bubble and either dismiss all ideas that contradict their own or surround themselves with yes-men.

[ei8htbit]

@iansane
I think you make a good point about the magic behind the success of the wii; back then it felt like the future, like Satoru burst into E3 in a DeLorean like doc brown and unveiled the hoverboard of gaming for all to behold. And people bought it simply because it looked and played completely different from anything before it for the first few years. And you're right, this time around it feels like they are maybe trying to carve out their place in the market with the same "our controller is different so it's better" gimmick rather than just going back to basics and trying to make a console first.


But I have hope this is not the case...

[stevey]

I do understand why there is such frantic protection over how they allow storage to be used due to piracy, but there is absolutely no mystery in how to solve it; online authentication.

Online authentication of what? The "encrypted" FS is not there to authenticate that you own a dl game but to make sure that any save data is only written there by the games and not someone looking for an exploit. Applying it to the whole FS simplifies the process.

You can bet your ass that Microsoft and Sony are looking to that type of model for their next machine.

Sony already did that with the PS3 and there was a **** storm how no one could play signal player games because PSN was hack. The industry is not heading that way.

[ei8htbit]

@Stevey

Sony already did that with the PS3 and there was a **** storm how no one could play signal player games because PSN was hack. The industry is not heading that way.

The industry quite frankly doesn't care about the relative few hardcore with loud voices. You're entitled to your opinion of course, but with respect, by this time next year I'd be willing to put money on the fact that MS and Sony will be building their platforms on a persistent Internet connection system, not unlike the direction Blizzard already has moved forward with on Diablo 3 and how Valve largely pioneered the practice with Steam. The future for consoles is always-on Internet connection, if you were to ask any publisher/developer (and make no mistake they hold a majority stake of the power in all of this) the quicker they can take control away from the used game market (and physical copies as a result) the better for them. Part in parcel of that model is security and persistent online authentication in that realm is the most reliable measure (outside of the jungle gym of procedures Nintendo is throwing down on their storage requirements).

[Mop it up]

I don't plan to download games so the deluxe set should be plenty for me.

[EasyCure]

I don't plan to download games so the deluxe set should be plenty for me.

I don't plan to download a game I can just get a disc for, so the deluxe set should be plenty for me because I barely pay attention to download titles (last game I downloaded on Wii was.. Mega Man 9? Maybe..)

and am I really the odd one here for not having an external hard drive "just laying around"? I own one, yes, but it's strictly tied down to my PC because.. well I don't have multiple PC's or laptops that would need it. In fact, the only reason I got it is because I know noting about replacing the guts of a PC and figured this was the easier option, and should something happen to my PC; hey just plug this one into the new one.

Should the time arise where I feel the need to pick up an extra hard drive dedicated to my Wii U, I have no qualms with doing it because I'm not gonna go ridiculous with a 2TB drive and get something modest which will be much cheaper in comparison. Then again, if I find a good black friday/cyber monday deal on a 1 or 2TB drive, i'm getting that for my PC and the 500GB drive I have now will be for my Wii U (and likely never be close to being filled, oops).

[Spak-Spang]

Honestly, I am not too upset with this.  I think that it is completely fine for Nintendo to ask for a dedicated Nintendo hard drive...and in fact this could be viewed as a good thing moving forward, because It could mean easy transitions to the next hardware. 

[NeoThunder]

Only 2TB? How will we get by? Lol

[Ymeegod]

"Considering the Wii U formats the hard drive to only work with the Wii U"

True the WII U format tool does not set up partitions but that doesn't keep you for setting them up before hand.  Of course the PC can't read the WII U file system but it will still be able to read your other partitions just fine.  It's the same thing with PS3/XBOX format tools. 

[Plugabugz]

Does anybody know if the Wii U can take SDHC/SDXC cards?

[Ymeegod]

Yes, and no.  The WII U can read SDHC cards just fine but you can't save/install ect any WII U software on them.  The SD reader is primary use is for BC sfuff like WII games, WIIware, and VC.

[Ernestmac13]

I fail to see why so many people are dogging Nintendo, the Basic Xbox 360 had no hard drive, so you were forced to by a USB memory stick from Microsoft, in order to save game info. The Elite 360 only had a 20GB hard drive, when it first came out, & all these years later the largest internal hard drive is 200GB. An external hard drive for the 360 is limited to 2 TB, & I do not know if it supports hot swappable use of drives, & or multiple drives at a time. Let us also not forget how Microsoft rushed their system to market & had failure rates as high as 50% or more. Thankfully, I purchased an extended warranty, as I went through 3 systems before it expired. Thankfully after the 3rd system failed, I was able to get a newer redesigned Gears of War custom 360 that doesn't have the same issues with over heating & the processor cumming up off the motherboard. The fact I can use the Pad controller of the Wii U to add interactive features to TV viewing, as a portable web browser even in the next room, & to play games while someone else watches the TV are simply icing on the cake. The fact some games will allow you to have one user on the TV vs one user on the pad for either co-op or vs combat, without splitting the image on the TV is a useful idea, but the way the Pad is used interactively in games was the selling point for me. I know from Nintendo's history that, thay already are the best at creating unique game environments, now add the interactivity of the Pad controller on top of the ability to use Wii controllers & X-box/Playstation type controllers, I know they will create even more unique gaming environments. Thus far, Microsoft has only mentioned using a Pad controller rip off to check game inventory, game settings, etc, but as of yet no use as a 5th game controller & or as a true wireless controlls game controller the way the Pad in the Wii U does. Lets face it, Nintendo has 1200 plus games that all use wireless controllers, MS & Sony only have about 100-150 games apiece, & they both ripped off their wireless controllers idea from Nintendo, just as they are both going to ripe off the Pad controller Idea. Even though the 720 is supposed to come out in 2014, their pad controller won't be released till 2015, giving Nintendo even more time to build a catalog of Wii U games that utilize wireless controllers, not to mention the huge library of Wii games. Time will tell if Sony has learned from their mistakes with the PS3, or Microsoft with those they made with the 360. I for one won't buy a 720 until 6 months or the 2nd generation comes out, due to being burned by the Red Ring of Death on the 360. As for the Wii U, glad I got on the waiting list as, there were no Wii Us of either version at my local WalMart, & they only had 2 black Wii s. I only see good things in Nintendo's future.

[Ernestmac13]

I should also mention that, I have been around since the Atari 2600 & Colecovision, & have seen game system companies come & go. I know through experiance that Nintendo is know for quality, they have made a few minor mistakes like choosing to stick with cartridges, when the industry migrated to cheaper & high capacity CD  technology, & the unpopular Virtual Boy, but their ability to make games that create a unique gaming experience, & or games that simply have great game play has never been in doubt. If the Wii U at only 50% more powerful than current systems without an internal drive or support for DVD/Blue Ray disks costs $300-$350 depending on which version you choose, I think we can expect the PS4 & 720 to be at least a few hundred dollars more. Unless those systems are significantly more powerful than the Wii U, to the point companies won't want to (or be able to) port games over to the Wii U, I think many users will have to way their choices vary carefully. With at least a year to possibly 2 year lead on MS & Sony, Nintendo will have time to build a decent library, not to mention the 1200+ Wii games the Wii U will also have access to, along with downloadable games including GameCube games, & possibly titles that can be used on the 3DS & the Wii U. Nintendo has already showed they intend to make mini games, like Chess, Checkers, Go, Etc, for use on the Pad controller, such games could easily work on a 3DS as well, so we may see many older Nintendo titles get reintroduced via the What I think is called the U market as well as titles from long gone systems, like the Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, Atari 2600, Atari Jaguar, Neo Geo, etc. Nintendo has already released some information about the multimedia features that will be available in December via an update, & if they enable users to access their media files via the SDHC card, I fail to see why the Wii U won't be as popular as the Wii was/is, and as popular as current systems & future systems from MS & Sony. Its only been 2 weeks since the Wii came out, lets not right it off so quickly. The only think that kept me going with the 360 was/is I built a decent game library before my 3rd system died & my warranty ran out, & the fact my 4th system was $100 used & a newer model without the RRD. We will know within the next few months how well Nintendo will be progressing. Over 400,000 systems sold in the US thus far, & it isn't even the height of the Christmas buying season, so I think they are doing pretty good, IMHO.

[DigitalGreenTea]

I think you guys are a bit overreacting to thi. Get an $70 1TB External Harddrive with AC Adapter and you will never have to worry about this ever  again. Oh, and don't tell me it's too expensive, 360 HDDs cost the same and you only get around 250 GB. Here you get more than double.