Looking at some of the recent announcements and pronouncements, I am beginning to think that some third-party developers see the Nintendo Wii as a profit machine to fund development efforts on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

 
This is not a new thought. After all, I have expressed in other places that I thought Carnival Games helped Take-Two stay afloat while Rock Star's tour de force GTA IV was under development. But at least CG came early in the Wii's life and received advertising (and still receives advertising).

But other things make you wonder. Such as Midway releasing an N64 quality game. Such as Ubisoft appeaing to have inferior graphics on its Wii version of a multiplatform snowboarding game (and simultaneously announcing a more approachable BG&E sequel that appears a-natural-for-the-Wii for the PS3 and Xbox 360. (I will not mention the Babyz game because there is a market for them and they will sell -- much as some people may not want to hear that). Such as Konami wanting $40 for a 10-year-old satirical rail shooter.

Ironically, "monolithic sloth" EA has made more of an attempt at doing new things on the Wii than almost anyone else. So we could see the big getting bigger.

Mike from Morgantonwn 

minimal development cost + doesn't have to try hard to please review scores = cash cow.

Now, that being said, what Ubisoft did was insensitive, you don't mock your own follower for buying your own half-assed games.

They do view the Wii as a serious cash cow. Any minimal effort they could make to make some quick and dirty game with enough money, they've done their job. After that, they use that Carnival Games money to fund a GTA.

Once someone asks them if they will make a SERIOUS game for the Wii, they seem offended and ask, "Why? No one would buy it. Nintendo has a 100% casual market. Good games don't sell"

Or not buying their half-assed core games, and refusing to acknowledge it was because those games were half-assed.

Even if I has a Wii, and was a fan of the PoP series, I wouldn't have bought Rival Swords. 

i hope NOBODY here buys their half-assed game, which I don't think people here do anyway, but soccer moms will continue to go and and do that. What is why Ubisoft is allowed to get away with this crap. People are just ignorant. (and when I say people, I mean casual gamers)

Some of them seem to be doing just that, yes. Not all of them though, especially some Japanese based ones who for obvious reasons are shifting support to the Wii on some projects.

Ubisoft seems to be the worst example. Konami isn't doing much on the Wii, but at least they made a serious effort with PES 2008.

Mike, you are correct. A lot of publishers are amortizing their budgets off Wii profits to fund larger projects not slated for the console.

This is the only industry I know of that does it and gets away with it.

Other industries amortize their costs over various low budget projects (see movie industry) but the property still sees release on the same medium as the low budget fund raiser.


In fact...that what Wii is to many publishers...a fund raiser. A tool to raise market capital.

Isnt it obvious? Theyre doing it since day one. It became blatant after the ubiday incident now everyone knows what big publishers/developers are doing

This is why I say instead of just keeping it to yourselves tell all your friends and relatives as well.Once word gets around even the soccer moms won't buy the shovelware since they would get to know beforehand.

Unfortunately a boycott just gives them an excuse as valid proof we don't buy their games.

They pulled that crap on GC last generation.