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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Wii "inhospitable platform for third-party publishers"

I think this article is missing the point. It's not that third party publishers can't succeed on the Wii, it's just that certain games will have a harder time doing so.

For example, the Conduit. I bet if it were also on HD consoles, it's HD console sales would easily beat the Wii version's sales, install base advantage or not. Now, let's say, if MLB Power Pros was also on the 360/PS3. I'd wager the opposite and say the Wii version would sell better.

It's not necessarily the publisher, it's also the type of game.




PSN: chenguo4
Current playing: No More Heroes

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I'm sorry but the typical wii game isn't 10 millions to make. Secondly, game failures are games that don't make profi.t Please name all the games that weren't profitable on the wii and I couinter with a list double on hd console.Remember a game that fails is not a game that doesn't sell well, it game that doesn't make any profit.



I love fighting games !!! Come on challenge me !

Am I the only one that sees the irony in one troll claiming that there are "more failures than successes" on the Wii followed up by someone complaining about the success of the supposed "non-quality" Wii games? It's like every anti-Wii argument from the past two years all rolled into one thread, and the people making them don't seem to be too concerned that they are directly contradicting each other in their desperate race.



Tag - "No trolling on my watch!"

well there is no surprise that Madden flop on Wii, the ones buying it are mostly people who want great graphics and ordinary controls,



If it isn't turnbased it isn't worth playing   (mostly)

And shepherds we shall be,

For Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti. -----The Boondock Saints

chenguo4 said:
I think this article is missing the point. It's not that third party publishers can't succeed on the Wii, it's just that certain games will have a harder time doing so.

For example, the Conduit. I bet if it were also on HD consoles, it's HD console sales would easily beat the Wii version's sales, install base advantage or not. Now, let's say, if MLB Power Pros was also on the 360/PS3. I'd wager the opposite and say the Wii version would sell better.

It's not necessarily the publisher, it's also the type of game.

 

 Your point is valid but I think your example is off at the first least part.I think the conduit would do worse on HD consoles since too many other shooters on hd consoles and secondly it wouldn't have the unique features it has because of the wii controler.



I love fighting games !!! Come on challenge me !

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hmm I think I went a little into over drive with my post lol.




I don't know whether to trust NPD or VGchartz about Madden Wii Sales. VGC numbers are really good for the game, and they cover more stores. Let's wait for EA's shipment numbers before saying Madden is doing bad on Wii.

Still a lot of "confirmed" flops are doing quite good. Boom Blox will reach half a million in a few weeks and I believe Zack and Wiki will also reach that number before the end of this year. Also a lot of multiplats (except shooters) are doing better on Wii!



Currently Playing:

Wii: Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports Resort

Xbox360: Fifa 2009, Halflife 2 Episode 2
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Want to play:
Wii: Lego Indiana Jones, SMG2
Xbox360: MW2

Here's something no one has brought up yet:

http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=madden&console=Wii&region=All&developer=&publisher=&genre=&keyword=&boxart=Both&results=50&order=Hits

Madden Wii game sales.

So 07 sold 450k. That's a fraction of the 360 and PS2 versions, but it's about the same as the PS3 version (470k), and it's still all gravy to EA considering how much money the franchise gives them. PSP version was in between, at just over 800k.

08 sold 800k. Again a fraction of the 360 and PS2 versions, but still just under the PS3 version's 870k, and still loads of extra profit. And it shows growth for the Wii audience. PSP version sold just over 600k.

As for 09 so far, the 360 version has sold just around a million so far, PS3 version at 620k, PS2 version at 400k, Wii version at 270k, PSP version at 180k (so jo21's assertion that Wii games sell poorly next to the PSP is false*), and the DS version at... 30k.

If anything, the DS is "inhospitable" for the series, where only 05 has sold over 200k, but it's still sold less than 09 on the Wii. But is that proof the DS is bad for 3rd parties? Hell no. We know DS games cost little to make, so even those moderate sales are plenty of profit.



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs

I don't know how it can change really, how do you get Wii users to start buying good games in higher numbers and stop buying crap games? Almost every company looks at their release slate and their dev teams then tries to maximize profit. They look at the PS3 and 360 and see Call of Duty 2, 3, and 4 selling millions of copies between the two systems so you get Battlefield Bad Company, Army of Two, Mercenaries 2 (insert the million other FPS war games here), ect ect. They look at the sales of Assassin's Creed and GTA4 and now there are a ton of "sandbox" action games coming out in the near future for the PS3 and 360. Good sales for AAA HD games lead to more AAA HD games since its clear that the big sellers for the 360 and PS3 are almost always....AAA HD games with very few exceptions. There have been at most a handful of games that aren't AAA action games which have gone over a million sales on either the PS3 or the 360.

On the other hand when EA and the like are trying to figure out what to have their Wii teams work on, they look at the sales charts and see a different reality. In the Wiiality even AAA games like Boom Blox sell relatively little, decent selling PS2 games sell almost nothing even with great ratings (Okami) and pretty much every big seller comes from the big N. When trying to find a Wii Niche there is of course a big fat bright spot, what is that spot? Hyper casual games. They see Mario and Sonic at the Olympics, Carnivale games and others with millions of sales. Those games are the AAA HD games of the Wii for 3rd parties more or less. If you want to know why the Wii wall is filled with My Poniez 2, Imagine Babiez, mini game collections and assorted other crap its the way the market is going.

This is compounded by the Wii requiring separate development. Even in the N64 days they could still port PS1 games. You could still take Resident Evil 1 and 2 and port it over to the N64 relatively easily since the N64 and PS1 were pretty close in terms of graphics and power (Nintendo had more power, Sony had more space, but it was very doable anyway). Instead today you can't just port AAA HD games from Sony and MS over to the Wii, if you want a Wii version a separate team has to make it, at best you can combine Wii production with PS2 production (ala Manhunt 2, another big selling PS series which didn't deliver on the Wii), but that doesn't bring you the same kinds of games.

The Xbox didn't sell well but it still got a lot more ports from the PS2 then the Wii, which has sold very well, is getting from the 360/PS3 because of the ease or porting. On one hand its great the Wii went the cost effective low tech route, but on the other it shuts them out of multi platform titles which means it has to prove it can sell AAA games not made by Nintendo too, or be doomed to shovelware+great Nintendo 1st party games.

Maybe the Wii fans can buy the Conduit and get everyone the know to buy the conduit to prove finally that a AAA game not made by Nintendo can sell on the platform.

As a quick asside, this lack of non Nintendo performance is exactly why Nintendo was stupid to let Rare go when they already had a 10% stake. It would have been easier for Nintendo to scoop up Rare then for MS to do it. Remember Conkers bad fur day, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo and TONS of other Rare games on the N64? Rare and its great 2nd party support really helped mitigate the problems with 3rd parties Nintendo had on the N64, Nintendo really needs a stabe of solid 2nd party developers to get the ball rolling, but they sold their best one down the river.

Imagine if instead of Wii Music being the next big thing from the Wii Nintendo had Viva Pinata and Banjo nuts and bolts coming down the pike, I think Rare alone would have greatly helped in mitigating the 3rd party problem (and unlike most 3rd party games on N64 and later Nintendo consoles, Rare games sell millions while maintaining quality).




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peetee said:
I don't know whether to trust NPD or VGchartz about Madden Wii Sales. VGC numbers are really good for the game, and they cover more stores. Let's wait for EA's shipment numbers before saying Madden is doing bad on Wii.

Still a lot of "confirmed" flops are doing quite good. Boom Blox will reach half a million in a few weeks and I believe Zack and Wiki will also reach that number before the end of this year. Also a lot of multiplats (except shooters) are doing better on Wii!

 

NPD just tracked the opaning week of the game, since it came out at the end of August. That's why this site is ahead.



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs