High production values on games.

[dschumm]

I think it will take time. Last year was anything they could do fast as most 3rd parties had gven up on Nintendo after the last two generations. This year you will see some decent games that have had a medium development time. (In a recent interview the monster lab developers say they have been working on it for 18 months, and while good I don't think the game is any way epic). By next year you will start to see one or two big titles but I am guessin 2010 will be the one and only year for big development cost titles on the wii. After that 3rd parties will start transitioning the big teams for the next generation.

I think Square will show us the big games first. My prediction is that the Final Fantasy for the Wii will be the first one. Reports are of that is is trouble. I say rubbish, I think they are retooling it into a major budget single player epic game expierience. Then we will get Kindom Hearts or something equally massive.

I think Capcom will make at least one huge title for the Wii. Ubisoft will spend some cash but I don't think their top team will be invovlved. EA I don't care unless you are actually referring to Bioware but I think they have too many projects on their plate. Sega will bring as big a title as the can muster but I don't think that is big enough to qualify.

Part of the problem is many 3rd parties see 360/PS3/PC as one platform so unless the Wii passes the other two combined it still wont get a lot of high rollers. Most of the 3rd party exlusives for the HD systems involved millions of dollars from Sony, and MS. Nintendo just doesn't do that. Maybe a to a small extent for games like Monster Hunter but only because that is mainly a game for the Japanease audience. You may see other high profile Japanease targeted games come to the Wii, but only if the market promises bigger sales they they are getting now.

But much like in the car market devlopers like to have halo games. No nice the FPS game. In the car market a halo car is something like the Corvette or Ford GT that get people in the showroom and dreaming of your product, then they take home the Focus or Cobalt. Big Developers like to have this huge game that everyone hears about and is so pretty in all the press conferences. Then liek Ubisoft has said they sell a bunch of small projects on the Wii to pay for it. :)