OK, lets put it this way.

Imagine that a year from now the install bases in Japan are as follow

WII: 9,5 Millions

PS3: 4 Millions

That numbers are more or less acurrate, in fact I think I am beeing kind with the PS3

So imagine, SquareEnix, to put an example, anounces (insert ultra hyped JRPG). In wich console you think it is going to sell the most? Japanese buy whatever SE does, but, will the company risk their franchises and force people to buy PS3s just to play (insert ultra hyped JRPG)? Or will they release it in a console with, at leaste 2x the user base and proven good results (after all DQS and Chocobo selled quite well considering the type of games they are)

Just think about it

I heard reports that Suda 51 is already talking sequel to No More Heroes -- even before its US/EU releases. That shows some faith somewhere.


With a global install base approaching 20M and the lowest development costs, it does not take rocket scienctists to realize that some of those people may want to play games with more mature themes that are well-made and look good (in other words, that are not PS2 ports with bad controls).

But the developers seem to not be smart enough to figure this out ... because they never thought that anyone would buy the Wii in the first place.

Mike from Morgantown

You ... laughing at clueless fanboys? This is like a eunuch making fun of a man with impotency problems. If Wii fanboys are so blind to see anything, please enlighten us with your wisdom. Could you tell me your sales projections for Mario Galaxy, SSBB and Mario Kart?

Freaking A... all that really would fix this problem is advertising. Better advertising will make for better sales. Anyone seen a No More Heroes commercial? Outside the hardcore, nobody I know even heard of the title.

Metroid Prime 3, while sad in sales (in my opinion), shows that the problem is NOT only relegated to third parties. Someone should show these guys how to advertise. Halo 3, while sub-par at best, was super advertised and sales definitely reflect that.

How come nobody realizes there might be problems within this department more than anywhere else? Madden is boasted as an XBOX 360 game first (and also on...) and where does it sell best? You guessed it.

Well I predict none of them will sell very much in Brazil, way too many thieves stealing games down there.

dude DQS sold very well on the wii in japan  but Chocobo Wii Flop Hard in japan also

they are  currently at one win / one lose situation

Plus since DQ sells mostly come from japan it's going to bomb in US and EU

EX: DQ VIII  only sold over 400k in US on PS2 but Millions in japan

Meanwhile, Dragon Quest VIII has sold over four million copies worldwide, including over 400,000 copies of the game in North America.

http://www.galbadiax.com/article/2006-01-30/dq-yangus

and let's look at tales games

The figure accounts for sales of 20 titles, including fan disks and "gaiden" side-stories, since the original Tales of Fantasia on the Super Famicom. Not surprisingly, Japan gets the bulk of the sales at 87%. America comes in second at 8%, with Europe lagging at 3% and the rest of Asia at 2%.

http://games.ign.com/articles/840/840723p1.html?RSSwhen2007-12-11_061300&RSSid=840723

Alright. I'm late to this party and I'm not going to read all the posts.

Matt's right that publishers seem scared, but I don't understand the rational for their fear. Can anyone point out one of these games which has done so poorly? Prime 3?which is well on it's way to significantly outselling prime 2?, manhunt? which sold only slightly less than it did on the ps2, you know, the system with the huge userbase that includes everyone who played manhunt 1? Red steel? the game that sold 1 million as a launch title despite it's horrid controls? No More heroes? the game that hasn't been released in the market's it's aiming at yet?

Or could it be that tgese publishers are basing their opinions off of games like Far Cry Vengeance, Prince of Persia two swords, Scarface and Godfather? Is this percieved lack of Wii "hardcore" gamers based on the sales of last gen ports with next gen prices?

Matt mentions the anomoly of Capcom's Resident Evil titles. But the only anomoly I see there is that those are high quaity games. And of course there's a market for high quality games on the world's fastest selling console.

i agree with those who say that high quality games sell.

resident evil = high quality + brand = success

no more heroes = high quality + ??? = flip a coin

as the wii install base diversifies, sales of "hardcore" games will go up.

and developers who are able to anticipate this trend will be able to make big profits.

See my "advertising" post just a couple above yours. One of those games got quite a bit of advertising, thee other game is Zack and Wiki.

I notice a lot of people mentioning Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games as an example of how successful third parties can be on the Wii. It has friggin Mario in the title and most people buying it likely don't realize that Nintendo didn't make the game.

It's kind of funny that the Wii's most successful third party game is one that most people probably thought was a Nintendo produced game.