For starters, the costs aren't offset by porting every time. For example, Orange Box sold 500,000 on the 360 but only 40k opening week on the PS3.

Beyond that, though, people keep saying that the Wii's userbase doesn't buy "hardcore" games, yet that doesn't explain the million sellers like RE4, Guitar Hero 3 and Red Steel.

The real problem with most 3rd party Wii efforts is that they receive squat for advertising, the three million sellers I listed are notable exceptions.

I've talked to quite a few people who loved Zak and Wiki, Dewey's Adventure and many of the other 3rd party efforts. They're good, but they haven't been advertised worth a damn.

If games like RE4 can do well (despite being the 4th friggin' console it's on), then I'm sure that good games with solid advertising can sell just as well if not better, but you can't blame the Wii for 3rd party apathy towards advertising.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy for many 3rd parties. The ones to break out of this will profit immensely. 

^^ GH3 is not a Hardcore game.

Also, Zelda is a hardcore game, 3rd party or not, it has sold millions now, that's to the arguement that Wii owners don't buy into hardcore games, what crap, I wouldn't even say SMG is casual, it's a proper game, the only other catergory for it is hardcore.

Ok this thread has basically boiled down to the following:  Some people believe that the Wii is this generation's "PS2" and that will carry over into the games as well (it'll get the bulk of the best third party games and support) while others (like me) do not believe that is the case.  I'm going to point out some key differences between this generation and the last one by asking a series of questions and hopefully that'll show people that there are significant differences and that third party support for this generation's dominant console  (I think most of us can agree that it is and will continue to be the Wii) may not follow the same path as it did with previous dominant consoles.

Ok here are the questions:

1) How many multiplatform (no PS2 version) Xbox/Gamecube/PC and Xbox/Gamecube games can you list ? 

2) How many of the games that you listed in question 1 have sold over 2 million copies? 

3) How many multiplatform 360/PS3/PC and 360/PS2 games can you list? 

4) How many of the games that you listed in question 3 have sold over 2 million copies? 

5) The PS2 moved the vast majority of EA Sports games, do you feel the Wii will do the same thing this generation?

6) 8 of the top 10 best selling games on the PS2 were third party, do you feel the same thing will happen with the Wii?

7) Of the 57 3 million+ sellers on PS2 50 were third party games and 7 were first party games, do you feel that the Wii will offer a similar breakdown?

8) How many third party games do you think will be in the top 5 best selling Wii games of 2008?

9) How many major multiplatform console games didn't appear on the PS2?

10) How many major multiplatform console games can you think of that haven't appeared on the Wii (to date)?

Now after answering those 10 questions you should hopefully at least see my point of view that there are significant differences between this generation and last generation when it comes to third party software and that it could lead to significant differences in the outcome of third party support (at least when it comes to hardcore games) for this generation as well.

Oh and Girl Gamer Elite, the great mast.. err "debater", nobody will blame you if you run away from this thread with the anime cat tail between your legs.  You can't win them all :(

Since when did my thread become a debate about 3rd party support?

It didn't start that way but turned into one.

 No, there's another analogy. There are some of us who believe this generation is more like the change from SNES -> PS1. The PS3 is more like the N64 and the Wii is more like the PS1 (which makes the PS2 like the SNES). The biggest dynamic is the change in market share for the different consoles and the chaos that it is creating for 3rd party developers. It took a couple years for that generation to shake out and it will take a couple of years this time before the writing on the wall is big enough for everyone to read it.

Actually, no, it's the exact opposite.  After we get reminded of the dominace of the Wii in sales, hundreds of threads crop up telling how the Wii has won the console war, how it will not ever slow down, etc.  Look at both of Shams' threads posted right after we saw how well the Wii's week went.  The comments try to overplay the Wii and downplay the other two consoles.  People want to accept that the Wii will win based on one year on the market.

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=12993#end

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=12851

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=12341

The force is strong with the Wii. Its mid chlorian count is at least twice that of the GameCube.