Topic: Rayman Legends Delayed to September

[tylerohlew]

Not only is he missing limbs, but Rayman is missing a release date!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33243

Rayman Legends has been delayed past its February 26 release date. Ubisoft has confirmed that the game is now scheduled for release in September.

The announcement comes on the heels of news that the title will also be released on the PS3 and 360. There is no confirmation that the delay comes as a result of this decision.

Legends was initially scheduled for the Wii U's launch date, alongside Ubisoft Montpellier's other title, ZombiU. Leading up to the launch, the title was delayed to its February release date.

[broodwars]

Well, I was really looking forward to play Rayman in a few weeks, as one of the few February 2013 titles I still had interest in, so in the short-term this is disappointing.  In the long-term, when this game was originally announced I wanted to play it on other platforms, so in the end I'll get the experience I prefer anyway.

That said, it was a real **** move of Ubisoft to not only announce the game's delay 3 weeks before it was due to release, but  also to announce it was delayed for a simultaneous release on the other HD platforms. I can't blame Ubisoft for cutting the exclusivity, but they could and should have handled this so much better.  Wii U owners have a right to be angry at Ubisoft about this.

The big issue, of course, is what this means for the Wii U: now the Wii U will be without anything anyone could call a notable title until at least Monster Hunter in March.  I personally could not care less about Monster Hunter, so for me there probably isn't a notable title on Wii U until Pikmin 3 or Wonderful 101 (whichever comes first) sometime in the Summer.  That's a long time for a new platform to go without major new software, and it makes the prospects of Nintendo having to announce some sort of price cut to reinvigorate Wii U sales all the more likely.

For the time being, it looks like my Wii U will be going into storage, as I have neither the reason nor the desire to play it and Nintendo doesn't seem terribly interested in filling software voids right now.  I had hoped when they released the thing last year that we'd be seeing major new Virtual Console releases at the very least to fill in the gaps. However, it seems Nintendo is satisfied with merely re-releasing games I already bought until at least the Summer.  Maybe I'll take the Wii U out again in a few months to play Xenoblade or something, but for the time being it's taking up a slot by my TV my 360 could be using right now, so into the storage bin it goes.

[ShyGuy]

Guess I won't be buying Rayman. YOU LOSE UBISOFT

[HairyChest]

Thank goodness for targets 90 day return policy on systems

[Pandareus]

I like to think that I don't get too hyped for unreleased games. I don't really read previews, I never preorder, I look squarely at the now or the very near future. But the news of the delay was like a punch in the gut. I'm still feeling physically ill over the news.

That, or I just had some bad chicken.

[ejamer]

Glad I didn't buy a Wii U at launch. This was the "launch game" I wanted most... and although Wii U has a couple games that look interesting there is not nearly enough to justify the expense.
If I had bought a Wii U then I would be pretty pissed at this announcement. Not so much the loss of exclusivity (which was expected eventually), but at the huge delay for a meaningful Wii U release. 


What's the deal with Rayman on Nintendo consoles lately?  The massive delay of Origins on 3DS was also ridiculous.

[Pixelated Pixies]

The delay is a bummer. Ultimately though, the release on other consoles is in the best interests of the series. We can still fault Ubisoft for the way they handled this release, but I don't think we can fault them too much for their decision.

[Fjurbanski]

One of the dumbest smart moves a company could make.


Making it multiplatform is smart. Rayman doesn't sell like crazy, so it needs those extra install bases. Good move.


Pushing the release back, and having what we can only assume to be a finished product just sitting around while Wii U owners (of which there is a sizable amount) get pissed off at you? Bad move. You know how many games I'm going to want to play come Sept. that are not Rayman Legends? One of the main reasons I was going to get this game was because it was being released now.

[Pandareus]

The delay is a bummer. Ultimately though, the release on other consoles is in the best interests of the series. We can still fault Ubisoft for the way they handled this release, but I don't think we can fault them too much for their decision.

Is it, though? Because right now, they're just going to repeat what happened with Origins: it was completely overshadowed by the AAA releases of Q4, I was the only one to buy it at launch (and mostly because amazon.ca was selling the Wii version for $30 at launch), and most people picked the game up a month later after severe discounts.

Had they released the Wii U version in three weeks like they were supposed to, they would have been the biggest fish in the pond. The only fish in the pond. And I think it would have sold not only at a higher price, but also more copies in the long run.

They shouldn't have delayed the Wii U version because of the ports.

[HairyChest]

If this decidion was made because the game wasnt finished i understand. If not, then i fully expect a wiiu price drop and ambassador program incoming within a month.

[Jet Pilot]

So all of a sudden, less than 3 weeks before launch, they realize that they are going to miss the release date?

[Soren]

Cutting off the nose to spite the face.

Sacrificing the sales from being the only Wii U game releasing in February (with no other game of note releasing until late March and Wii U owners desperate for games) just so PS360 owners don't whine and ignore the game in September (when they'll be busy with other games).

Smart move Ubisoft!

[Pixelated Pixies]

Had they released the Wii U version in three weeks like they were supposed to, they would have been the biggest fish in the pond. The only fish in the pond. And I think it would have sold not only at a higher price, but also more copies in the long run.

They shouldn't have delayed the Wii U version because of the ports.

Are you suggesting that Wii U owners won't now buy the game because it was delayed, or that they won't now buy it because it's going to be available simultaneously on other systems?

If you're suggesting the former, then I can point to multiple instances of Nintendo having a game in the can but delaying for one reason or another (the European release of FE:Awakening was announced for Fall 2012 and we're now going to have to wait until April, seemingly to plug a software gap!). I'm sure Ubisoft did their homework before coming to this decision.

If you're suggesting the latter, then I simply don't believe gamers are that childish. Who's stupid enough to pass up playing a great game just because it's now available on other platforms.
 
The release being in the same window as a game like GTA perhaps isn't ideal, but let's be honest they have very few options at this point in the generation. There's very little room for maneuver with the Durango and Orbis on the horizon. They've got to sell what they can, while they can.

[Damaba]

The little fire that burns in my heart for Nintendo just got pissed on again. Nintendo needs to seriously rethink its strategy. I bought this console with pure excitement and enthusiasm, now that has dwindled down to nearly nothing..... Bad Day.

[Pandareus]

Had they released the Wii U version in three weeks like they were supposed to, they would have been the biggest fish in the pond. The only fish in the pond. And I think it would have sold not only at a higher price, but also more copies in the long run.

They shouldn't have delayed the Wii U version because of the ports.

Are you suggesting that Wii U owners won't now buy the game because it was delayed, or that they won't now buy it because it's going to be available simultaneously on other systems?

No, I'm saying they'll be busy playing other games in September, just like everyone else, and Rayman will fall by the wayside. In February it would have had its day in the sun.

[azeke]

Maybe it is Ubisoft's idea of cutting cost on marketing? Instead of two launches they will have one unified launch...

[Ceric]

Whatever money Ubisoft thought to save if that was why they made their decision will be counteracted by lost sells on at least the WiiU sku.  Just think the delay portion more than anything else is the part that is really going to bite Ubisoft from the games potential.

[ejamer]

So all of a sudden, less than 3 weeks before launch, they realize that they are going to miss the release date?

But they only missed it by a tiny 7 month window.  It's easy to have something small like that sneak up on you.

[Pixelated Pixies]

@Pandareus
 
Are we talking about any games in particular that will take attention away from Legends on Wii U? What's coming out in September on Wii U? I genuinely don't know.

[Damaba]

I don't think Ubisoft needs to explain their actions as much as Nintendo needs to comment on thire situation with the Wiiu. This clearly was preventible by Nintendo.  Why can't they secure a titles exclusivity? Even if it was for the first 6 months.
 Iwata stop starring at all that dam fruit and focus on the task at hand, and Reggie....... I don't want to see your face till I get Pikmin 3.  God that felt good.

[Damaba]

I don't think Ubisoft needs to explain their actions as much as Nintendo needs to comment on thire situation with the Wiiu. This clearly was preventible by Nintendo.  Why can't they secure a titles exclusivity? Even if it was for the first 6 months.
 Iwata stop starring at all that dam fruit and focus on the task at hand, and Reggie....... I don't want to see your face till I get Pikmin 3.  God that felt good.

[Soren]

The release being in the same window as a game like GTA perhaps isn't ideal, but let's be honest they have very few options at this point in the generation. There's very little room for maneuver with the Durango and Orbis on the horizon. They've got to sell what they can, while they can.

Normally I would agree. But man...I just don't know if this is a good business decision. If the game had released on Feb. 26 as a timed exclusive it would have gone head to head with:
a) a 30cent Virtual Console SNES game
b) Runner 2 (maybe)

With no other notable Wii U game on the horizon until late March. Is Ubisoft really going to make more money on this game with a multiplatform release in September instead of a timed exclusive now? By September we might be looking at the Wind Waker HD release, and who knows what else.

[Fjurbanski]

They've got to sell what they can, while they can.

So they should sell the finished Wii U version in Feb. like they planned? Guillaume is right. They had a chance to have one version that wouldn't be overshadowed by any other releases. And even without that, there is a serious hunger for Wii U games right now. Even people who didn't care about this game would snatch it up just to have something to play. They lost that chance, and are now going up against GTAV and other games. Will it be a failure? Probably not, but it's a missed opportunity for them.






Side note: The U-play community in Miiverse is being blown up by protestors. It's pretty funny.

[NWR_Neal]

@Pandareus
 
Are we talking about any games in particular that will take attention away from Legends on Wii U? What's coming out in September on Wii U? I genuinely don't know.

It might not be on Wii U, but Grand Theft Auto V will eat this game alive.

Let's put it this way: there will be considerably more Wii U games in September than the ZERO that are coming out in February. From Nintendo, I could see Wind Waker HD hitting that window, and we'll see what else is slated for that window in the future. September is a more active month in the games industry; February isn't. You don't need to list too many specific titles to know that.

[Pixelated Pixies]

They've got to sell what they can, while they can.

So they should sell the finished Wii U version in Feb. like they planned?

There's two reasons why I would answer no to that question. Launching a game twice is more expensive than launching it once. There is also an acknowledged phenomena that when a game is launched several months later on another platform it sells less (partly that's to do with the fact that it's often deemed to be a port, which for some holds negative connotations, and it's partly due to the fact that game websites and media report less on a game if it's already been available on other platforms).
 
There are very good reasons to not want to release on Wii U several months before they plan to release on other platforms. Look man, I'm no damn analyst. All I'm saying is that I can see why this decision may have been taken. I still think it's a bummer that it's being delayed, but I have to disagree that it's a bad financial decision.