Why the Wii still won't see so many multiplatforms games

[mike_intellivision]

Just been reading this thread and a few thoughts.

1. Almost no one thought the Wii would be the market leader. There were even those thinking that Nintendo ought to give up the ghost and just make software and handhelds.

2. Developers who think that the Wii is just about casual games develop at their own peril. There is a market for high-quality games on the system ... and whoever delivers them will make money.

3. There are markets for different kinds of software. Not everything that is casual is shovelware (unless it is released by UFO or Conspiracy). Related to this, games targeted toward college-aged males will tend to go on systems that sell to college-aged males.

4. Companies do make wrong placement decisions. I can understand for technical reasons (i.e., Street Fighter IV is probably an arcade port so the HD consoles are a better placement). But not all game choices can be explained by this (i.e., Beyond Good & Evil 2's stills look great ... but is that the type of game that PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will warm up to -- or would Ubisoft had been better served by making a less graphically-enhanced game for the Wii instead).

5. Developers who are interested in creating games that look nice first-and-foremost will gravitate toward the HD consoles. Developers who are interested in gameplay will look at the various options available to them. (This could mean the HD consoles, this could mean the Wii, this could mean the DS, this could mean the PSP, this could mean any and all combinations thereof -- do not read this as me saying only the Wii has gameplay because I do not mean that).

6. Some games sell well because they are well positioned and well advertised despite low critical acceptance (i.e., Carnival Games -- which is still $40 USD). Some games with stellar reviews could sell better if there was more marketing (i.e., Zach & Wiki -- which has seen its price halved to $20 USD).


Mike from Morgantown