So to everyone's mutual surprise Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings turns out to not only still be alive but is now a Wii exclusive (+ DS/PSP)

http://wii.ign.com/articles/948/948000p1.html

Last we saw of Dr. Jones was at E3 2006 and LucasArts was using the game to show off their HD tech with the  Euphoria Engine and Digital Molecular Matter both of which later ended up in the HD versions of Force Unleashed but neither of which was in the Wii version.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705489p1.html

So why did LucasArts decide to make Indy - already in development using high-def tech - a Wii exclusive?

The easy answer is because Wii has the biggest user base but I believe that's only a small part of the equation.

HD consoles combined still have a bigger userbase (I'm not included PC because lots of Wii games are Wii/PC exclusives so it's a non-factor).   The game was ALREADY in development for HD systems so why change to the smaller, more diversified Wii users??

I believe the answer to that is in the severely competitive nature of HD systems.  HD consoles lack a wide variety of game types, they tend to all be Sports, Racers, Action/Adventure, Shooter or RPG.   And in those genres it's a dog-eat-dog world.   Only the best of the best make it big (and tend to be very big).   The rest are lucky if they make it to profitability.

Now Indy used to be big in the gaming world but that was many years ago.   It's still a well-known brand but Indy lacks any street cred to gamers.  Therefore, in order for Indy to beat out the Drake's Fortune and Alan Wakes of the world his game would have to be superior to theirs.  ... This is LucasArts... We all know that isn't going to happen and so apparently does LucasArts.

So rather than send Indy out to get the same luke-warm reaction Lara Croft and Prince of Persia received on HD consoles (and PoP had great reviews!) they looked to Wii.

But will it sell on Wii?  Yes.  Why?  Brand name.

One of the reason's publishers always give to excuse RE4's success on Wii is that it's a well known brand (3 movies, numerous games).  Star Wars FU also has sold strongly on Wii and LucasArt's Lego games have sold best on Wii (excluding LIJ pack-ins with 360).   Movie games (cronically undertracked on VGChartz) also tend to sell best on Wii - especially Harry Potter).   So for success on Wii you don't need street cred amongst gamers you need a strong brand.   Indiana has that.

Therefore although Indy might have sold more copies on 360/PS3, it'll likely be much more profitable on Wii thanks to much lower development costs.

The new TMNT is also suggestive that this is happening. TMNT havn't had a great game since the days of the SNES. I doubt a TMNT game would be taken serious by HD console owners but is should sell well on Wii.  Again great mass market brand appeal but lacks any kind of street cred with 'core' gamers.

So what does this mean for the future?

Right now - it's too early to say anything for sure but if this thinking goes beyond LucasArts...

Tomb Raider Underworld has severely underperformed and rumour is Eidos is considering changing her image and making her more appealing to women.   Lara was always appeal to women due to the games focus on exploration over shooting but it's never been aimed or marketed to them.   If Eidos does take that route 90% of women console owners are on Wii and a Wii/PC exclusive becomes a likely possibility.  (And yes I know the Wii version of Underworld underperformed the most but it's a buggy and flawed game so it's sales are where they should be, if not high considering some copies can't even be finished due to flaws)

Prince of Persia also underperformed on HD.  A large part of the reason is the art style and the fact you can't die both of which annoyed HD gamers but would likely play well for the Wii crowd.  With a movie coming out soon PoP's brand will be greatly increased and known well beyond gaming circles.    If Ubisofts questions a PoP2 profitability margins on HD they might also seriously consider making it a Wii exclusive.

If Conduit does well and CoDWaW continues to grow a lot of FPS/TPS may view Wii as a better option than trying to compete against CoD6, 7, 8, Halo 4, 5, Gears 3, etc.  I'm thinking the Turoks, TimeSplitters (now DOA) and Hazes of the world.  Games that'd likely struggle to sell a million on HD due to overcrowding and consequently stuggle to make a profit.

I doubt HD owners will miss these games and that's fine 'cause Wii owners would be all too happy to have them.  However, if Indy is the start of a trend, and more and more 2nd tier games goto Wii where profitability is more guaranteed... expect the (non 1st party) industry leading games to follow the money.

I'm not suggesting HD support will stop, it won't.   Games like CoD, Madden, Guitar Hero will always be on HD consoles but guess what?  They are also increasingly found on Wii.  However, 360 and especially PS3 may find the number of AA titles being developed ever decreasing and that's never a good thing.   In Japan where Wii totally dominates HD consoles (Wii accounts for 67% of the home console market in Japan) it's in fact getting all the (newly announced) AAA titles (Monster Hunter 3, Dungeon Quest X, Tales of (main series).   Fortunately in the West HD consoles have enough of a base to support any major title irregardless of how big the Wii becomes.

As Wii's user base continues to expand by leaps and bounds it becomes more and more of a sure thing for everyone as far as profit is concerned and really at the end of the day all games are made for one reason and one reason only - profit.

Hasn't Ubisoft already teased a Prince of Persia Wii-exclusive spinoff?

http://gonintendo.com/?p=44654

Looks like that was a rumour which never got confirmed.

Honestly, I would have thought that third parties would be faster at diversifying than this, but when even a game like Turok sells over a million on the HD consoles, maybe the waters aren't as overfished as we think.

So basically you're saying that competition on the HD consoles would likely be too tough for this game, and while the majority of Wii gamers don't know gaming brands, they sure as heck know Indie? Hey, that actually makes complete sense! Big name license games generally aren't the cream of the crop, but every now and then there's a gem like Transformers on the PS2.

I hope other publishers realize the same and start moving their not-blockbuster-but-still-not-shovelware titles back to SD. There are lots and lots of games out there that are every bit as good as the multi-million selling high budget sequels, but fail to make a profit due to loyal hardcore gamers going for what they know they like. Kinda like how some attribute a lot the PS1's success to third parties not wanting to compete with Nintendo's first party games, except now there are way more genres than ten years ago, and Nintendo largely ignores many of them.

Many people will undoubtedly laugh and say the Wii is getting all the games that aren't good enough for the HD consoles, but well... everyone's happy this way, right? ^^

I think it has something to do with that Lucasarts has had great sales on the Wii, which also cost a lot less to make

It means nothing.(to me)

It means... that some licensed game is a big thing for wii? Cool. Too bad it won't sell as good as they wish. It is not a lego-game after all. :)

Very well written, and very interesting subject matter. I also happen to agree with your analysis. When you look at the broader workings of our industry, this seems to be the most logical conclusion.

Not to change the subject but still keeping in with the topic, they didnt even ad the Havok engine for the physics (which was so retarted...stupid krome studios) Ive been trying to tell my brother this but i cant get anything through his thick skull but you an force anyone so *shruggs*

As for the rest of the topic im finaly glad to see a big co. like LucasArts supporting the wii after the dissapointment of the force unleashed (for some parts specificly graphics) as i said before dev are not making much money with these million dollar sellars cause, yeah they've been aclaimed but not selling on the same level.

I can bet this will be compatible with Wii Motion+ and will be one of the few games utilizing it when the peripheral hits the market.

This alone could drive this game's sales as Balance Board did with RRR and Shaun White. I bet LucasArts saw the potential!

 While it's quite likely to use WM+ (after all which company has more to gain than LucasArts from mastering it's control) I highly doubt it had anything to do with their decision.   Indy's been in development since at least 2005.

Still, good WM+ mixed with Havoc physics engine could make for some sweet whipping action (Simon Belmont eat your heart out)