Microsoft: Wii U Effectively a 360 in Graphical Capability

While knocks against the Wii U's graphical horsepower is nothing new, it seems Microsoft's Corporate VP Phil Spencer sees Nintendo's upcoming "next gen" console as just "on par" with the Xbox 360.

In an interview with GamesIndustry, Spencer states, "I think their Pro Controller makes a lot of sense with the platform they've built. They are building a platform that is effectively a 360 when you think of graphical capability."

While the comment might not have any malice from the Microsoft exec, it really doesn't bode well for Nintendo when your competition equates your next gen offering for something we have now.

Spencer also thinks that due to the Wii U's Pro Controller being almost an exact replica of the Xbox 360 control pad, it will attract a lot of third-parties to port their Xbox 360 games to the Wii U.

Now they are really making an on-ramp for the back catalog of games that are on 360. It is easy for those games to move over to the Wii U. They've moved the buttons around, and they've made a controller that feels familiar for 360 gamers, so I get why they are putting those pieces together,

I'm not sure being compared to a current-gen system and housing ports is exactly what Nintendo had in mind when they were planning the Wii U, no?

I admit, we are seeing a lot of ports from the Xbox 360 and PS3 library being adapted to the Wii U, but let's hope publishers do more with Nintendo's console than just that. I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't really need three consoles that will essentially play all the same games.

Do you think the Wii U is just on par with the Xbox 360? If so, is Nintendo in deep trouble then?