Official Wii U Thread!: Pokemon Rubmle U coming to Wii U

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Viper1 said:

Every console launch.  This is why I was asking if you guys are new to console launches.   Expecting there to be the same number of Wii U SDK's floating out there (final revisions at that) as there are PS3 or X360 SDK's isn't reality.   Hell, it was well after the Wii itself launched that many devs started to finally get the final SDK.

Select developers always receive the kits first.  These are early R&D kits to get engines running and becoem familiar with the hardware.   Then you get more revisions but you have to split those with the Tier A developers that received the alpha kits and Tier B developers.   Console makers will probably have a list of multiple tiers and they'll have to allocate those SDK's (and their subsequent revisions) to whichever developers they think will best be able to sevre them at or just after launch.

SDk's are expensive and not mass manufactured like the console itself is so you don't have several thousand to go out a year before launch.  Remember all those stories about Suda51 still waiting to get a development kit?   Well, that's actually the case for lots of studios.

Another factor is general resources.   Say you budget a game at $25 million and 100 people for about 3 years.   Now if a game is to be released near the same tiem as the upcoming console and you didn't get enough SDK's early enough nor budget the money and manpower for the upcoming console in time for the games release, you largely cannot develop that SKU.  Companies that do get such early launch support must have received SDK's early enough and are flexible enough with their budget and man power to allocate for the new SKU.

That's why big company's like Ubisoft has launch games. Thanks, very informative read.

 

 

kitler53 said:

true but it will be full of sarcasm and disappointment.

As it should be. Always. Just like the Wii.