| NJ5 said: Just one more thing: if you're a third-party developer, I would say, "Show me what makes such a compelling case for the Wii. Here is what makes a compelling case for the Wii: 1- It has nearly 50% of market share. 2- It's the platform which sells the most 3rd party software. 3- It's the platform with the cheapest development costs. 4- Good quality 3rd party titles have had success on the platform. 5- By developing for the Wii, you'll make your company and franchises known to many new gamers, and keep the previously existing ones mindful of them. The alternative is to let Nintendo regain most of the attention and brand recognition. 6- Focusing on the other platforms is proving financially disastrous. Aren't those enough reasons to make a serious effort with Wii development?
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Hmm, numbered lists are too inviting...
1) depending on your game, the effective target market share is much smaller. Let's say id wants to create a fps/racer, they look at the Wii and they see the sales of MP3, COD:WoW. From those the audience potentially interested in their games can probably be estimated into 7-8M.
2) the total number across genres is irrelevant for id.
3) false in this case. They are developing a multiplatform game for PC/360/PS3. It takes +30% more rather than developing it only for - say - PC. Enters the Wii: having lower res doesnt save them money. They already had to create the assets once, in HD and great detail. It is the only version that is radically different from the other ones in scaling down assets, scope, CPU requirements. In the end the Wii version is the most expensive port for them.
The mantra of lower cost must be taken with a pinch of salt.
4) a general statement. Would their game port be a good investment for them, given the limited audience and the extra costs? If Rage on Wii ends up selling 1M and they had to develop a port that took as much investment as an exclusive, was it worth?
5) you might have a point here
6) has to be proven in general. i don't think id or Valve are in financial troubles.
PS: I also wonder what game-centric IP means...
