Topic: Capcom Discusses 'Ever-Shifting' Wii Market and Zack & Wiki Sales

[BranDonk Kong]

Here's the problem, plain and simple. Stop trying to "figure out who the Wii audience is" - just make a fucking awesome game, and hope it sells.

[Urkel]

The Wii seems to be the only platform ever that third parties expect their games to sell without any advertising.

[Mop it up]

The Wii seems to be the only platform ever that third parties expect their games to sell without any advertising.

Because the Wii audience is gullible and buys into everything regardless of quality.

[UncleBob]

Who here has ever seen a Zack & Wiki commercial on TV? I sure as hell didn't. You can't blame consumers for not buying a product they have never even heard of. It is the responsibility of the game's maker (Capcom) to make that happen.

Commercial?  Hell... did anyone actually see a copy of this game on store shelves? I never did...

[Peachylala]

Capcom's manufacturing plant got hit with a glitch after the game reached gold?

[RABicle]

Yeah i think they can blame a lot on the games artwork. I remember when it was first shown and the thread went up in this very forum and I said something to the effect of "this looks disgusting, what is **** ****?" I still stand by that assessment of what the game looks like. Similar story for Little Kings Story, looks like ****.

[KDR_11k]

I tried to introduce some casual gamers to it but they were all turned away by the art style.

[broodwars]

I tried to introduce some casual gamers to it but they were all turned away by the art style.

Remind me, please: why again do we want these people in our hobby?      With each passing game they ignore, I keep coming back to that central question.

[TJ Spyke]

I know you are joking, but I hate people who complain about so-called "casual" gamers. You don't see many people complaining about "casual" TV viewers, "casual" movie watchers, "casual" music fans, etc. There are people who complain about those, but it's nowhere near as bad as the number of people who complain about "casual" gamers. I hate that crappy movies like "Wedding Crashers" do well and thus cause more movies like that to be made, but I just ignore them and watch the movies I like. It should be the same with games, stop complaining about "casual" gamers and the games they like and just ignore them.

RAB, are you looking at the same games? Neither game you mentioned looks bad.

[Mop it up]

I tried to introduce some casual gamers to it but they were all turned away by the art style.

Remind me, please: why again do we want these people in our hobby?      With each passing game they ignore, I keep coming back to that central question.

You probably don't if you think it means the creation of less games that suit your tastes (which, if true, is a ridiculous sentiment IMO). We're not going anywhere so you'd better get used to us.

[Kairon]

RAB, are you looking at the same games? Neither game you mentioned looks bad.

I can appreciate the art style of both LKS and Z&W, but both games used an art style that could be construed as... well, off-putting. Especially with Z&W categorized as a point-and-click adventure game, a niche market that depends on older, more PC-centric gamers, and LKS being so GOLDARNED HARD ARRRRGGGG... meaning LKS is not likely to be friendly to younger players... well, both of these games had art styles that just seemed to show a disconnect between them and their audiences, regardless of how utterly awesome the art was.

[ShyGuy]

Epic Mickey is going to have the same problem. Cartoon characters, "hardcore" gameplay.

[Kairon]

Epic Mickey is going to have the same problem. Cartoon characters, "hardcore" gameplay.

I dunno. If it's as hardcore as Kingdom hearts, it should be fine.

[Mop it up]

Epic Mickey is going to have the same problem. Cartoon characters, "hardcore" gameplay.

Can you really say that with certainty about a game which hasn't been released?

[King of Twitch]

Casuals don't play "epic" games. Duh.

[Mop it up]

I'm not even going to touch that comment as it would turn into a tired definition war.

[Chozo Ghost]

Zack and Wiki is actually a pretty mature title. It isn't full of blood and gore, so it isn't "mature" in that sense, but it is a thinking person's game which means it would be more enjoyable to grownups instead of children. But the art style of the game is very kiddie, so therein lies a conundrum. The game might have done better with a pirates of the caribbean art style to it, with a pirate hero who resembles Johnny Depp and for the flying Monkey I'm thinking something like those flying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz movie, except more piratey.

[KDR_11k]

Or maybe a parrot?

[Plugabugz]

This issue of third parties of not getting it can be compared almost exactly to Ford making a typical "American car" and expecting it to sell in Europe. Then complaining about it because it's not selling. It won't because its 1 - not what people want, 2 - Most people think that it's ugly, too powerful and not suited for european driving and 3 - Nobody ever SEES THEM!

Capcom shouldn't just throw things out and hope something sticks. if they go for the same approach. I only knew of Z&W because of NWR and the interwebs. Take that out and i heard NOTHING. I saw ads for the condomunit, house of the doo, and a handful others. And even one for Just Dance that Pedro just reviewed.

There's a reason why this:

http://www.treehugger.com/ford-fiesta-econetic-z01.jpg

Is outselling this:

http://www.hspnnews.com/images/uploads/428R.jpg

Work it out capcom.

[Ian Sane]

I know you are joking, but I hate people who complain about so-called "casual" gamers. You don't see many people complaining about "casual" TV viewers, "casual" movie watchers, "casual" music fans, etc. There are people who complain about those, but it's nowhere near as bad as the number of people who complain about "casual" gamers.

I think it just appears that way because you hang out on a gaming forum.  Tons of people complain about reality shows ruining TV, crappy mass-market films being number one, manufactured pop music ruining the music industry.  You just have to be in the place where the discussion is.
 
Bitching about casuals overrunning a hobby and ruining it for the "real" fans is a common discussion item in any situation where something achieves mainstream popularity.  And I'm not crapping on that trend, just pointing it out.  I think it makes sense that it happens.  Life is constantly compromised by the lowest common denominator.  If you don't notice it then it probably mean you're one the idiots everyone else has to adapt around.

[TJ Spyke]

I know that there are people who complain about that it other media forms, it just doesn't appear to be as bad as it is with video games. I tend to avoid TV and movie show forums for the exact reason you described, they are full of people complaining about shows they don't like (and even complaining about shows they DO like). I hate shows like "Survivor" and just about any reality shows about raising kids ("Super Nanny", "Jon + Kate Plus 8", etc.) and shows that I don't understand how in the world they are popular ("Lost", "The Office"), but I don't go around complaining about them ruining TV.

[D_Average]

I actually heard a lot of ZAW ads when it came out while in my local Gamestop. Problem is, they sucked. During the promo the PR lady actually said the game was for kids 13 and under, so I avoided it for a long time until various forum folks convinced me it was solid.

The game mops the floor with both Monkey Island and the newer Sam n Max games. I lay the blame for this at the feet of Capcom PR and their artists. What a waste. Out of all the games I've played this gen across every console ZAW easily makes my top ten.

[Chozo Ghost]

During the promo the PR lady actually said the game was for kids 13 and under,

Unfortunately, that's the exact opposite of the crowd that would have an interest in this.

[Kairon]

During the promo the PR lady actually said the game was for kids 13 and under

Dear god.