Some thoughts on Wii Game sales

[dschumm]

Kyros said:
"Say for example they delay Mario Party 9 to 2009 to make it "perfect". "

I question the assumption that you could make these games decisively better. Few people will buy multiple of them. As you said the Wii is a social console and the fun is in interacting with others. Having 2000 new minigames with better graphics won't make the game experience better because thats not the point. Its like Tetris you couldn't improve it with more modes, it just got worse.

What would make them truely better is to look back at all the minigame compilations and take what works, what is  an interesting use of the Wiimote, and what isn't jsut exhausting. For example WiiTennis is largely considered the best of the WiiSports titles. WiiBoxing is largely a wash. Rayman 1 had aabout 80% excellent uses of the mini games, Rayman 2 about 40%, Mario Party 8 about 40%, and M%S at the Olympics about 50% (from what I have heard). Imagine a game with 90%+ good uses of the Wiiremote without reliance on games that just make you shake your arms as fasty as possible to run. This would be a better game.

They could add online, worthwhile unlockables, charaters from other platforms(Sonic and Metal Gear anyone), new gameplay styles like the Hotel thing they did in 8, more powerups. Frankly the minigames were the only thing that didn't suck in 8. Make those slightly better and give me more maps and it will be on my purchase list. 

 

Also Mario Party 8 has sold 3.11 Million copies. That is a 20% attach rate. Huge. Now i think in the next 2-3 years Nintendo will sell 45 million more Wiis. If the attach rate is even that would be 9 million copies. Maybe is wont do  that many, as maintaining an attach rate is hard, but also many original buyers will buy the sequel. How else d oyou explain Madden? 

 And for the record I have owned Mario Party 2,6, and 8.  People do but multiples. The friends my wife and I play with bought 5,7, and 8.