The "end of third party" BS needs to stop. I don't feel this way as a Nintendo fan, it's because it's not true. Nintendo has always been very strong.

3rd parties have been banking on Nintendo handheld consoles for years. It's all those crazy trainers and side-scrollers on GBA and DS that fund new IPs on home consoles.

I am almost 100% sure that the Wii has a higher rate of third party software sales at this point than GCN or N64 did at the same point in their respective generations. Someone else go dig up the data, I'm tired. :)

 

EDITED AGAIN:

@Darc: He said that he never said that, I dug up the post (I am good at sorting through lot's data), he laughed and (I like to think) we became friends.

@Pablo: I really should've removed WiiSports in NA and WiiPlay in JPN because of the rediculous attach rate for a $10 game.  But it was easier to remove WS.  Either way the second set of numbers 8 mil 3rd party software for Wii and 13 for 360 really says it all. 

If you plugged those numbers into a graph that showed by each week the total of third party software to the installed base the numbers it would most likely favor the Wii.

y=the weekly 3rd party software sale/install base

x=week

Of course anyone can make any numbers look good. That's how I keep my job :)

Spectrumglr said: ok, Wii is selling like hot cakes (probably even at a higher rate than VGChartz's reports as NPD July sales figures were 18% higer than VGChartz) and clearly by the end of the year it will be the N°1 next-gen system by a great margin...but still there's a lack of support by 3rd party devs and not without a reason as 3rd party games are selling poorly (compared to the user base). Could this be an issue for the HW sales in 2008? How long can continue a success that's only based on 1st party games?

This is certainly an issue I'm concerned about.. The only 3rd party Wii games that have really had much success were launch titles.. since then RE4 and maybe Sonic ATSR, The Bigs and SSX Blur are the only 3rd party games to have decent sales. Boogie and Alien Syndrome have both become high profile flops and the sales of Madden aren't exactly encouraging.

After Mario Kart is released early next year, what 1st party titles will Nintendo have to sustain their success? Its going to be a very difficult time I'm afraid. Zack and Wiki and FFCCCB might be able to turn things around.

 

 

 

Well......... When 3rd party's start putting out high quality games on Wii, then sales will pick up. Rayman Raving Rabbits 2 is going to be great!

Maybe 3rd parties will learn not to put pure crap out on any system. Gamers will remember a company that made a game that they wasted cash on and wish they would have done something better with the money. I do. If I buy a game that you can tell no oneput more than an afternoon of work into, I won't buy from them again. (Midway for Crusin' USA.)

Spectrumglr said: ok, Wii is selling like hot cakes (probably even at a higher rate than VGChartz's reports as NPD July sales figures were 18% higer than VGChartz) and clearly by the end of the year it will be the N°1 next-gen system by a great margin...but still there's a lack of support by 3rd party devs and not without a reason as 3rd party games are selling poorly (compared to the user base). Could this be an issue for the HW sales in 2008? How long can continue a success that's only based on 1st party games?

Plain and simple, yes.  If third parties keep using the wii for quick ports in a hope to cash in on the Wii "fad", they will kill the system in the long run.  There is already a lot of shovelware on in and a significant amount of announced shovelware.  (see outrun thread, lol).   Nintendo does have the right to refuse to publish a game and they need to see to it that they exercise that right.

As a side note, the intense battle between the 360 and PS3 is making both 1st and 3rd parties bring their AAA+ game.  Both companies are working diligently with developers to coax the most out of the system.  The best part about this is that it means we are seeing titles that are absolutely stunning.   See Bioshock, Halo 3, Warhawk, UT3, Killzone 2, GT5, and so on if you need proof of that statement.  No such driving force really exists on the Wii and games are therefore lacking so far.  Hopefully SMG, SSBB, and MP3 all set a graphical "floor" which future development should seek to not go below.  We'll see if Nintendo steps up and slaps the shovelware makers...

kn said: Spectrumglr said: ok, Wii is selling like hot cakes (probably even at a higher rate than VGChartz's reports as NPD July sales figures were 18% higer than VGChartz) and clearly by the end of the year it will be the N°1 next-gen system by a great margin...but still there's a lack of support by 3rd party devs and not without a reason as 3rd party games are selling poorly (compared to the user base). Could this be an issue for the HW sales in 2008? How long can continue a success that's only based on 1st party games? Plain and simple, yes. If third parties keep using the wii for quick ports in a hope to cash in on the Wii "fad", they will kill the system in the long run. There is already a lot of shovelware on in and a significant amount of announced shovelware. (see outrun thread, lol). Nintendo does have the right to refuse to publish a game and they need to see to it that they exercise that right. As a side note, the intense battle between the 360 and PS3 is making both 1st and 3rd parties bring their AAA+ game. Both companies are working diligently with developers to coax the most out of the system. The best part about this is that it means we are seeing titles that are absolutely stunning. See Bioshock, Halo 3, Warhawk, UT3, Killzone 2, GT5, and so on if you need proof of that statement. No such driving force really exists on the Wii and games are therefore lacking so far. Hopefully SMG, SSBB, and MP3 all set a graphical "floor" which future development should seek to not go below. We'll see if Nintendo steps up and slaps the shovelware makers...

Again: If you take out all first party sales for 2007 (In US and Japan, cant get software numbers for 07 off VGchartz) you will find that third party software has accounted for 8 million on Wii, and 13 million on 360, and the Wii only caught up to 360 hardware this week.

(1st bold) 4 of the six titles you mentioned are first party.

(2nd bold) You still don't get it, mainstream consumers just don't care that much about graphics; they are playing Nintendogs, training games, Wii play, Wii Sports, party games, games with more classic=arcade like controls, music games, nostalgic games, or sports games.  Look how many of those games fall into those categories.  Look at the two top 50's for software for 07 so far (NA and JPN).  JPN is all Wii or DS, and some PS2. 50% of software  in NA is from the graphically inferior Nintendo Consoles. 

(3rd bold) Shovelware is made because people buy it (early in a generation), it sucks but it's true.  PS1 and 2 had plenty of shovel ware (especially in year one), NES, SNES, GB, GBA, DS and Genesis all had shovelware.  360 and PS3 don't have much shovel ware because it is so expensive to develop for, but you still see some (Movie games, sports games, Sony rushing out first party titles, Bomberman Act:Zero, etc.)

 

kn said: Spectrumglr said: ok, Wii is selling like hot cakes (probably even at a higher rate than VGChartz's reports as NPD July sales figures were 18% higer than VGChartz) and clearly by the end of the year it will be the N°1 next-gen system by a great margin...but still there's a lack of support by 3rd party devs and not without a reason as 3rd party games are selling poorly (compared to the user base). Could this be an issue for the HW sales in 2008? How long can continue a success that's only based on 1st party games? Plain and simple, yes. If third parties keep using the wii for quick ports in a hope to cash in on the Wii "fad", they will kill the system in the long run. There is already a lot of shovelware on in and a significant amount of announced shovelware. (see outrun thread, lol). Nintendo does have the right to refuse to publish a game and they need to see to it that they exercise that right.

you expressed my thoughts better than me :P

That's the point: I can't see many "Big Announcements" for Wii from 3rd parties even now when it's already clear that Wii IS the system to bet on in order to make money (lower production costs and bigger userbase)...what if the WII momentum pass before devs decide that WII is the system to bet on?

I think that Nintendo NOW has the chance to win this "next gen war", but I don't think that Nintendo can win on its own without the support from 3rd party publishers...to me this is the right moment to open the wallet and buy some BIG exclusive (or even to acquire developers like MS has done in the past): Nintendo NOW has both the money and the power .

In other words "kill X360 and PS3 while you can" should be their motto...but i can't see anything like that in their strategy as of these days, do you?

For some reason some peoples just refuse to understand and keep asking the same questions over and over again. By the way what are the new 3rd party games that have been announces for the PS3 and XBox360 and the GC?

steven787 said: kn said: Spectrumglr said: ok, Wii is selling like hot cakes (probably even at a higher rate than VGChartz's reports as NPD July sales figures were 18% higer than VGChartz) and clearly by the end of the year it will be the N°1 next-gen system by a great margin...but still there's a lack of support by 3rd party devs and not without a reason as 3rd party games are selling poorly (compared to the user base). Could this be an issue for the HW sales in 2008? How long can continue a success that's only based on 1st party games? Plain and simple, yes. If third parties keep using the wii for quick ports in a hope to cash in on the Wii "fad", they will kill the system in the long run. There is already a lot of shovelware on in and a significant amount of announced shovelware. (see outrun thread, lol). Nintendo does have the right to refuse to publish a game and they need to see to it that they exercise that right. As a side note, the intense battle between the 360 and PS3 is making both 1st and 3rd parties bring their AAA+ game. Both companies are working diligently with developers to coax the most out of the system. The best part about this is that it means we are seeing titles that are absolutely stunning. See Bioshock, Halo 3, Warhawk, UT3, Killzone 2, GT5, and so on if you need proof of that statement. No such driving force really exists on the Wii and games are therefore lacking so far. Hopefully SMG, SSBB, and MP3 all set a graphical "floor" which future development should seek to not go below. We'll see if Nintendo steps up and slaps the shovelware makers... Again: If you take out all first party sales for 2007 (In US and Japan, cant get software numbers for 07 off VGchartz) you will find that third party software has accounted for 8 million on Wii, and 13 million on 360, and the Wii only caught up to 360 hardware this week. (1st bold) 4 of the six titles you mentioned are first party. (2nd bold) You still don't get it, mainstream consumers just don't care that much about graphics; they are playing Nintendogs, training games, Wii play, Wii Sports, party games, games with more classic=arcade like controls, music games, nostalgic games, or sports games. Look how many of those games fall into those categories. Look at the two top 50's for software for 07 so far (NA and JPN). JPN is all Wii or DS, and some PS2. 50% of software in NA is from the graphically inferior Nintendo Consoles. (3rd bold) Shovelware is made because people buy it (early in a generation), it sucks but it's true. PS1 and 2 had plenty of shovel ware (especially in year one), NES, SNES, GB, GBA, DS and Genesis all had shovelware. 360 and PS3 don't have much shovel ware because it is so expensive to develop for, but you still see some (Movie games, sports games, Sony rushing out first party titles, Bomberman Act:Zero, etc.)

Allow me to make it crystal clear that I'm not speaking in terms of "quantity" -- I'm speaking in terms of QUALITY.  Yes, there was a lot of shovelware on prior consoles.  I will agree.  This generation is proving to be different, though.  The internet provides a place for people to sort through the hype and to get closer to the truth about the quality of games than ever before.  If 3rd party Wii titles continue to be garbage (there are some good ones, of course) the Wii can expect to become primarily a 1st party supported system over the long term.  Quality of the title counts -- not just graphics, but gameplay too.  There are quite a few 3rd party titles that are rubbish in every way.  I certainly hope to see some better 3rd party titles as I own a Wii and don't want to regret my purchase in the long run you can no way argue, at this point in video gaming history, that shovelware won't hurt the system.