Wii's Brain a Faster, Cooler GameCube Brain

[wraggster]

Ars Technica reports that someone has dug up the details on the Broadway chip used in the Wii.

Looking at the details, the site reports that the Broadway chip is really just an over-clocked Gekko chip, used in the GameCube, that runs cooler and with less power.


A poster at the Ace's Hardware message board has dug up a new IBM datasheet for the 750CL, which is a new derivative of the IBM 750 (a.k.a. the G3). Based on the information revealed in the datasheet, the 750CL is basically just a 90nm die shrink of the Gekko hardware that's intended to run at up to 900MHz. IBM almost certainly would not go to the trouble of launching an updated version of Gekko on a new process, unless what many have said all along is in fact true: Broadway is a faster, lower-power version of the GameCube's Gekko hardware.
This confirms what we've all suspected, the Wii is really the GameCube 1.5... but that's only looking at the specs. What Nintendo is really selling with the Wii is a new way to play games, not a new way for developers to show us the same games we've been playing for years. So when you open that box on Nov. 19, remember it's really just about the controllers.

[I heart Nintendo]

We know, we know - it's all about the controller. But still. It woulda been nice for it to have been at least as powerful as the 360 or a little way under it at least.

[fg-54]

true, i am very disapointed on nintendo's graphics in this generation.

[Accordion]

wont have a HD tv for years so i dont care too much, i only want a PS3 for MGS, and Call of Duty on the Wii looks great to me...

[The Hombrew Hunter]

Psht, at least Nintendo isn't WHORING themselves out for graphics *coughPS3Xbox360cough*

[GazeboflossUK]

I love Nintendo's vision and am a long time fan...BUT....

I just really hope I am not disapointed by the graphics when I pop Zelda:TP in. Having not actually seen a Wii running a game in person (only online video's, like most people) I just hope it looks "better" than it ever could on the Gamecube.
I mean it does look pretty great on all of the video's Ive seen but I really think that if the Graphics aren't taking a massive leap forward then the Wii should have been filled with just enough RAM & just enough processing power to push the ATI card to the max without ANY famerate slumps AT ALL.
Full framerate at all times.....I think that would probably just have made the whole deal a whole lot sweeter, for me anyway.

[Gottaa]

When I'm stood playing the Wii at X-mas talking to my friends who are still waiting for the PS3 to be released I'm sure them telling me it's just a GC 1.5 will really sting, right up to the point I ask them what they are playing. Then I'll invite them round for some multi-player Rayman or Monkey-Ball, perhaps even some Red Steel, and if after 5 minutes there isn't a smile on there face I'd be surprised. And that folks is what gaming is about.

I'm praying Nintendo, MS and Sony release a cheap cut down dev kit and we start seeing the return of bedroom development, the gaming world needs a shake up, not a constant rehash of what we already have.