Dragon Qust 10: The Snowball Effect

[Aiemond]

Legend11 said:

Aiemond said:

Squilliam said:
@Aiemond

If Western publishers followed internet wisdom they would have released their $5 million Wii games with $15 Million dollar marketing budgets already. Because you thats what the wisdom on this site (probably others) demand.

While there is still a large majority that want every game on the HD systems. This is the vocal part of the internet community, and happens to mimic what the western developers want to do. Look at the way the majority of Gaf acts to.

 

And yes, this is internet speculation, but the evidence is compelling, especially the profit margins (or lack there of) of western development teams and eastern ones. The cutting of jobs as well. So, its not as if there is no evidence. It really does make sense.

 

I don't see a large majority wanting every game on HD systems. In fact I see the opposite in that there are some that want every game on the Wii even if it hasn't proven it deserves to get certain genres over HD consoles. They're of the mentality that core HD gamers will jump from the systems they own to the Wii when it's usually games that follow the gamers and the gamers in some genres are pretty much on HD consoles.

 

Yet almost all of these gamers have a wii as well and would buy the wii game if it only came out for the wii. Some of them say "its gathering dust" or "i sold mine" but still, a majority of the hardcores have this system or would go out and get one if the games they wanted came out for it. The problem you are having, as are other fanboys, is that you believe since the demographic mainly plays on the HD consoles now, that that is the most viable solution. It is not. The models now CANNOT continue, even if every hardcore gamer only plays HD systems. The budgets are simply too high. Sadly, the western developers seem to have no business sense, and cannot adapt, or simply don't want to. Their executives are incompetant, simply put. So what if they make a million, 2 million seller game? They fail on others, and this erases the profit. We have seen reports of record revenue, and then we have record losses the same year! IF TAKE TWO CANNOT MAKE MORE THAN 170ish MILLION THE YEAR IT RELEASES A 10m SELLER, SOMETHING IS VERY VERY WRONG.

 

So, by moving games to the wii, budgets go down, hardcore still plays them, companies make more money. Developers that want to work on HD systems may be assigned to wii, or given significantly less resources to make an HD game. Because if not, then they fail. And if they fail, all those devs lose their job, the company goes under, etc.

 

 

This is what a major japanese developer said about the year ahead. Thats one thing that they want to do, they want to explore the boundaries of development .The big developers, the ones that have freedom to chose were they want to work will always chose the most powerful hardware to work on, and no announcement will change that is it that hard to understand

Nagoshi ( SEGA ) :
- Before, you wouldn't make software for hardware which wouldn't sell. Things are now different. It's now a matter of fighting so the resources dedicated to the HD consoles wouldn't decrease.
- Making titles that actively justify the existence of the high-end consoles is a personal mission
- The 'multiplatformization' of the game software has little meaning. Digging further into each platform's characteristics and nature is what is interesting.
- He wants to make a new game using his experience with Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku. He is also considering worldwide development, though he is worried about the stance that consists of appealing to the Western audience before the Japanese audience.

 

This shows they do not have the freedom they used to have. Look at the middle quote. He has to justify making an HD project, and it is his goal. This means the tides have significantly turned against him. He has to fight to keep his budget. If a big name like this has to fight, then it means the paradigm is shifting in that company. These developers are going to have to adapt. Remember, its not him making the decisions, it is the board and the executives.