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For the last episode before E3, we are excited to present a special guest, the founder of this very website, Billy Berghammer! You may have heard him lately on the Weekend Confirmed podcast, but we had to bring Billy back home to NWR, especially after he was named the new Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly. These activities certainly qualify as New Business (literally), but Billy also gives his impressions of MGS: Peace Walker and Tiger 11 for Wii. Jonny cedes his time to James, who has the new Mega Man Zero Collection for DS. Greg wraps up this snappy segment with Penta Tentacles (a.k.a. Rotozoa) on WiiWare.
Next up is part two of our E3 Predictions, with a focus on Wii games and accessories. Greg leads the discussion, in which we imagine how the Vitality Sensor might not suck, postulate the glory of Zelda, and dread the on-stage demo for Wii Party. And what will third-parties have to show for the system's fifth holiday season? Billy's expertise is called upon when we consider how Nintendo should respond to motion-control threats from both Microsoft and Sony.
In the final segment, James and Greg tackle your pre-E3 questions about 3DS screens, a novel idea to work voice into Zelda, the possibility of a new "corporate color" for Nintendo's next hardware launch, and a special message for Karl. We'll catch up with many more of your questions and comments after E3, so keep sending those great emails! Also, remember that Episode 200 is just over the horizon, so be sure to send in your entries for the "Drunkcast Debacle" contest.
We're always looking for great Listener Mail to read and discuss on the show, so please send your questions or comments! (We really love seeing your praise and feedback regarding the show itself; however, in the interest of time, we may edit your letter to be read on the podcast.) Credits:
This podcast was edited by Greg Leahy.
Music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is used with permission from Jason Ricci & New Blood. You can purchase their newest album, Done with the Devil, directly from the record label, Amazon.com, or iTunes, or call your local record store and ask for it!
Additional music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is copyrighted to Nintendo, and is included under fair use protection.
Third parties actually don't do that bad. According to Nintendo, at least 56 third party games have sold more than 1 million copies as of March 31, 2010 (plus 23 first party games). It's just that most of them tend to be "evergreen" games, games that sell a little bit each month over a long period of time. They may not sell enough to make it on the NPD top 20, but they continue to sell over a long period of time.
Third parties destroying their own reputation on the Wii was pretty much a tragedy of the commons thing. I don't think that's what killed the sales on Red Steel 2 though, that's likely a combination of a poisonous brand and the art style, not general third party reputation. Also let's remember that Ubisoft said Red Steel 2 performed up to expectations.
Third parties destroying their own reputation on the Wii was pretty much a tragedy of the commons thing. I don't think that's what killed the sales on Red Steel 2 though, that's likely a combination of a poisonous brand and the art style, not general third party reputation. Also let's remember that Ubisoft said Red Steel 2 performed up to expectations.
I think that's a good way of putting what has happened with third parties in the low barriers-to-entry market environment Nintendo has fostered for Wii. We're all aware that there are a range of titles that have sold well, and I personally have enjoyed a good number of third party games -- in the past year or so, you've heard me talk on RFN about Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Klonoa, Muramasa, Tiger 10, Little King's Story, Dead Space Extraction, A Boy and His Blob, Guitar Hero Metallica, Boom Blox Bash Party, Silent Hill, and Red Steel 2 -- some of which have performed well commercially and others haven't. However, the reality remains that third party support is relatively weak on Wii, and as KDR says their collective reputation has become irreparably damaged over the years that Wii has been on the market.
As for Red Steel 2, clearly it did not sell all that poorly for it to meet Ubisoft's expectations, but Ubisoft did revise those expectations down sharply (by half, if I recall correctly) almost immediately before launch.
Third parties destroying their own reputation on the Wii was pretty much a tragedy of the commons thing. I don't think that's what killed the sales on Red Steel 2 though, that's likely a combination of a poisonous brand and the art style, not general third party reputation. Also let's remember that Ubisoft said Red Steel 2 performed up to expectations.
I think that's a good way of putting what has happened with third parties in the low barriers-to-entry market environment Nintendo has fostered for Wii. We're all aware that there are a range of titles that have sold well, and I personally have enjoyed a good number of third party games -- in the past year or so, you've heard me talk on RFN about Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Klonoa, Muramasa, Tiger 10, Little King's Story, Dead Space Extraction, A Boy and His Blob, Guitar Hero Metallica, Boom Blox Bash Party, Silent Hill, and Red Steel 2 -- some of which have performed well commercially and others haven't. However, the reality remains that third party support is relatively weak on Wii, and as KDR says their collective reputation has become irreparably damaged over the years that Wii has been on the market.
As for Red Steel 2, clearly it did not sell all that poorly for it to meet Ubisoft's expectations, but Ubisoft did revise those expectations down sharply (by half, if I recall correctly) almost immediately before launch.
What worries me is that third parties might say "Development on the wii is not lucrative buisness so we are all going to develop for move and natal/kinect and make that a priority for our software." Nintendo needs the third parties to reinforce their own development of games. I just fear that the wii could implode because it is abandoned by the third parties. I could imagine that at E3 Reggie and Iwata challenge the third parties to continue support for the wii despite the move and natal/kinect.