Topic: EA CEO Frustrated by Low Wii Sales

[NWR_pap64]

I agree with JLowther in that it's silly to blame Nintendo for a game's failure. Yes, they may have the best selling console at the moment. But just because they made a game on a very popular console it doesn't always guarantee success, because the consumer can be hard to figure out. I mean, what about the hundreds of Wii Fit knock offs and mini games compilations that flop? The console should be perfect for them so why are they selling less than expected?

Also, some might blame that the "gimped" hardware has affected developers. So? Last generation, the PlayStation 2 was the weaker console when compared to the GameCube and Xbox. Yet, developers braved complicated design and confusing development tools and created some of the best games on the system. So the minute anyone says "It's because the Wii has crappy hardware" its making an excuse. Developers can create great games no matter the hardware. It only matters when the hardware offers an specific feature that couldn't be done on the other systems. For example, if the game relies on detailed worlds, then the HD consoles are the best. If the game is designed around intricate controls, then the Wii is the machine. But other than that developers have no excuses.

[Mop it up]

What's with people saying that Nintendo hasn't released very many games? Haven't they released more games during the first three years than they did on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube during that same time period?

[GoldenPhoenix]

What's with people saying that Nintendo hasn't released very many games? Haven't they released more games during the first three years than they did on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube during that same time period?

Games in genres people don't like do not count.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"The console should be perfect for them so why are they selling less than expected?"

Without commercials and Oprah and Ellen, the casuals don't know the knockoffs exist or should even be considered once discovered.

=D

"Also, some might blame that the "gimped" hardware has affected developers. So? Last generation, the PlayStation 2 was the weaker console when compared to the GameCube and Xbox. Yet, developers braved complicated design and confusing development tools and created some of the best games on the system. So the minute anyone says "It's because the Wii has crappy hardware" its making an excuse. Developers can create great games no matter the hardware. It only matters when the hardware offers an specific feature that couldn't be done on the other systems. For example, if the game relies on detailed worlds, then the HD consoles are the best. If the game is designed around intricate controls, then the Wii is the machine. But other than that developers have no excuses."

This is leads to an amazing point I've been waiting to address:

Despite all these high-end modern game developers neck-deep in high horsepower hardware, they seem incapable and unwilling to master the "old" Wii hardware (unless it's DS) when you'd think that mastery of the old should be a given.  Why is this too much to ask for?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

What's with people saying that Nintendo hasn't released very many games? Haven't they released more games during the first three years than they did on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube during that same time period?

Games in genres people don't like do not count.

This is the one-two punch of the generation.

[broodwars]

What's with people saying that Nintendo hasn't released very many games? Haven't they released more games during the first three years than they did on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube during that same time period?

Maybe because for 2 years all we've seen (besides the awesome Metroid Prime Trilogy, which is a re-release, and Animal Crossing City Folk, which might as well be a re-release) are a combination of the "Wii" and "New Play Control" series?  So it's a combination of expanded audience games and games we already own.  The first 1 1/2 years of the Wii were awesome, though.

[Mop it up]

Mario Kart Wii, Wario Land Shake It, Punch-Out!!, and ExciteBots were all released over the past two years.

[broodwars]

Mario Kart Wii, Wario Land Shake It, Punch-Out!!, and ExciteBots were all released over the past two years.

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Captain Rainbow and Disaster Day of Crisis as well.

[JLowther]

The Wii fanbase has some overlap with the RESIDENT EVIL fanbase, which is a pretty big longtime brand you might've noticed.  When REUC came out, so long ago, there was still some hunger for new RE content, especially on the exciting Wii platform of interesting gameplay possibilities.  Dead Space doesn't have that brand power worldwide, and present-day people are definitely not "hungering" for more on-rails content.

True.

Point being, though, EA was doing the best they could in terms of bringing over what seems like it would work. DS is the closest thing they have to a survival horror franchise so they tried to do what Capcom did.

BTW, I'm going to rent DS:E tonight and see how it is. I liked UC, but there wasn't much replay value beyond scores and unlocking guns that further made the bosses look like jokes.

And as a 3rd party, I don't mind Nintendo not releasing games that often. It increases the chances that bored Nintendo fans may give my game a try.

[broodwars]

Captain Rainbow and Disaster Day of Crisis as well.

Ok, now those don't count.  We're talking in reference to a major North American developer, and those games have never crossed over.

[Stratos]

I would have bought Dead Space in a heart-beat if it was a sequel, prequel or port of the original HD title. Dead Space is not established enough to draw me in with such a radical genre change. You know what I just got in the mail instead of Extraction? Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. That was the type of game I was looking for and would have gladly ordered DS instead if it was what it should have been. RE Chronicles games get away with it because I am familiar with the RE series all the way back to RE 2.

What if the Silent Hill game that is coming next month had actually revealed to be an 'on-rails horror experience'? People would be just as upset I would bet.

And Nintendo could be releasing more Wii games. No Disaster Day of Crisis in NA, no Excitebots in PAL-Land, no Fatal Frame or Tact of Magic in either region. W.T.F. Nintendo couldn't even be bothered to bring over Pikmin 2 NPC despite that seeming to be one of the ones people would have actually wanted to buy and play.

[Mop it up]

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

People didn't say "games people care about" or "games that were marketed", they simply said "games". Besides, who are you to judge what games people care about?

[broodwars]

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

People didn't say "games people care about" or "games that were marketed", they simply said "games". Besides, who are you to judge what games people care about?

Actually, John Ricatello said that they weren't games people care about or marketed, since he said that Nintendo didn't release games that drove interest in the platform.  And that's where this whole discussion originated.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Those little games exist thanks to money Nintendo made by making those other games that drove the platform.  I think.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Mario Kart Wii, Wario Land Shake It, Punch-Out!!, and ExciteBots were all released over the past two years.

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

Yeah we only have games like Wii Sports Resort that sell millions and drive interest, stupid Nintendo.

[Stratos]

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

People didn't say "games people care about" or "games that were marketed", they simply said "games". Besides, who are you to judge what games people care about?

Actually, John Ricatello said that they weren't games people care about or marketed, since he said that Nintendo didn't release games that drove interest in the platform.  And that's where this whole discussion originated.

That's funny considering how 3rd parties are viewed as the ones who uphold the XBox or Playstation systems. Final Fantasy? Metal Gear? Gears of War? GTA?Resident Evil? Aren't these what have carried those systems since the 32-bit era?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Sorry, the day you announced that it was an on-rails shooter (of all genres to pick; you couldn't possibly pick something that would piss off Wii owners more) it was DOOMED.

Except for the fact that RE:UC has sold over a million copies and RE:DC will probably do the same, sure.

Why is Extraction "dumbed down" and unworthy of purchase, yet the Wii fanbase bought RE:UC despite not getting RE5?

I don't know if this has been said yet, but RE:UC not only has brand recognition, but was offered up as a test(1st game to do so), so we were all buying it in anticipation of RE5 which up till that point seemed like a shoe-in for Wii.

RE:UC was alright for what it was, but it definitely wasn't what most of us wanted out of a RE title. That good will might be gone now, but we will know for sure after the release of RE:DSC.


p.s. No one said DSE was a bad game, I actually stated that they put a lot of effort into the game (i do own it BTW). The problem was the lack of effective advertising. Lots of people still don't know the game exist, and lots of those that do know, still don't know it's out.

[Mop it up]

Touche, I forgot to mention some of those (I count Mario Kart Wii as part of that "first 1 1/2 years").  Yeah, I guess it does go back to "games people care about."  I would mention, though, that Wario Land Shake It and ExciteBots got no advertising from Nintendo and sold accordingly, so I'm not really sure they count as games that drive interest in the platform.

People didn't say "games people care about" or "games that were marketed", they simply said "games". Besides, who are you to judge what games people care about?

Actually, John Ricatello said that they weren't games people care about or marketed, since he said that Nintendo didn't release games that drove interest in the platform.  And that's where this whole discussion originated.

He obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"I don't know if this has been said yet, but RE:UC not only has brand recognition, but was offered up as a test(1st game to do so), so we were all buying it in anticipation of DEAD RISING: FLOP TILL YOU DELIST YOURSELF FROM THE NPD CHART which up till that point seemed like a shoe-in for Wii."

=O

[JLowther]

I don't know if this has been said yet, but RE:UC not only has brand recognition, but was offered up as a test(1st game to do so), so we were all buying it in anticipation of RE5 which up till that point seemed like a shoe-in for Wii.

I dunno...I have a hard time believing 1.5 million people bought a lightgun game in anticipation of a non-lightgun game from the same franchise. Maybe some people, but 1.5 million?

Yeah, RE has far more brand recognition, but the point is that EA was working with what they had to use. Had they released 2-3 more Dead Space games and THEN released one for the Wii, yes, it would've been a more well-known franchise, but I think that would've only served to further alienate the Wii userbase from the series.

All I'm saying is that I don't blame the CEO for being frustrated (blaming Nintendo is silly, but not being frustrated). I'm rather frustrated myself because I just got through designing a game around the ideals of what the Nintendo fanbase often cries out for (unique game, hinges on motion controls, gameplay over graphics) and it's the non-Nintendo gaming sites that have liked the game the best.

So yeah, I understand his plight.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

If EA never made DSE, they wouldn't be so disappointed.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I don't know if this has been said yet, but RE:UC not only has brand recognition, but was offered up as a test(1st game to do so), so we were all buying it in anticipation of RE5 which up till that point seemed like a shoe-in for Wii.

I dunno...I have a hard time believing 1.5 million people bought a lightgun game in anticipation of a non-lightgun game from the same franchise.

Yeah, RE has far more brand recognition, but the point is that EA was working with what they had to use. Had they released 2-3 more Dead Space games and THEN released one for the Wii, yes, it would've been a more well-known franchise, but I think that would've only served to further alienate the Wii userbase from the series.

You have a hard time believing that 1.5 million gamers would buy a light gun spin off when Capcom themselves called it a test to see what could be done on the Wii with the assumption that the next game coming was RE5?

Hard to believe that the 1.3 million gamers that re-bought RE4Wii edition for the controls and realized how awesome RE5 would be with the same controls wouldn't want to pass this "test" to assure themselves of getting the assumed RE5 for Wii?

All EA had to do was remake Dead Space with Wii controls and maybe add in an extra mission or two (secret scenarios or something to make PS360 users double dip).  That would have taken a whole lot less effort and would have given us exactly what we were asking for. A new RE4 Wii Edition.

[smallsharkbigbite]

I'm not going to dispute that some awesome games exist for the Wii and third parties missed some oportunities by not bringing over some of their epic stuff, however, the Wii is gimped hardware and that does scare third party developers.  You can't just say PS2 was weaker than Gamecube and Xbox but still won.  In the real world, they were indistinguishable.  You could take the 5 best looking games on each and they all looked about the same.  However, the Wii's A+ library doesn't look as good as most PSN games.  It's not even close graphically.  It doesn't mean I don't love Mario Kart Wii, it just means that a game like BioShock is not possible on the Wii. 

It doesn't matter anyway.  You can argue until you are all blue in the face.  The self fulfilling prophesy has already came true.  For three years, all we heard was the Wii isn't capable, etc, etc as third parties put their best content on the PS3/360.  And now all of the core gamers (or PC "people who enjoy their games") already own a PS3 or 360.  Even if DeadSpace was an exact PS3/360 port with SD graphics and awesome controls it wouldn't have sold well.  The PS3/360 versions are on the cheap now and support HD.  I purchased a PS3 well after I had a Wii.  And now I'm 99% likely to get the PS3 version of any multi-plat games because it usually is a better experience for me. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm sure I can lower the setting on my computer to be visually crap and still play Bioshock just fine. That means that Bioshock could be done on a Wii, it just won't look as good as the PS360 version which in turn wouldn't look as good as the PC version. Why bother making games for consoles.... It's such a stupid argument to make.