Topic: The Grinder No Longer Wii Exclusive, Scheduled for 2011

[NWR_pap64]

High Voltage Software reveals that the once Wii-exclusive shooter will be available on other platforms.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=21121

 In an interview with IGN, High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky and chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger have confirmed that The Grinder, a first-person horror shooter first announced last year, will no longer be a Wii exclusive. The title, which HVS hopes to finish by Halloween 2011, will now be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC as well.    

When asked as to why the once Wii-exclusive title is now a multiplatform release, Nofsinger explained that, "Bringing our third internal IP to all the current-generation systems allows us to show off what our company can really do and get it into the hands of the most gamers."  As to the differences between the Wii version and the other versions, Kerry told IGN "We'll show you first at GDC."    

As for The Grinder's Halloween 2011 release, Eric expressed to IGN that "It is a long timeĀ… but given the sheer amount of quality content needed to make a game of this type, our game design scope, our team size, and the amount of time we have designated for polishing the game, we are confident that this schedule allows us to meet our expectations for the game."

[Shorty McNostril]

No surprise there.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I was expecting it this halloween

[broodwars]

It should be fun watching the game High Voltage is ripping off with The Grinder, Left 4 Dead, utterly destroying this game on the 360 and PC.  I can kind of understand porting this game to the PS3 since the PS3 doesn't have Left 4 Dead, but it just seems pointless to go after the PC and 360 when I have very little doubt after playing The Conduit that Left 4 Dead will probably remain the superior experience with an already immensely loyal (bordering on obsessive) fanbase.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Best part of this news is that even if they are making a HD version to "show off what the are capable of", the lead system is still the Wii.

And if they are gonna up-port it to PS3, then they might as well spend a little more time and convert that up-port to 360 and by default PC.


It's kinda like stopping to get something to drink. You're gonna spend $1.35 on a 32oz drink, but you could get the 64oz for $1.65 and the GUT BUSTER for only $0.10 more cents over that. Might as well spend only a little bit more and get the most that you can.

[EasyCure]

It should be fun watching the game High Voltage is ripping off with The Grinder, Left 4 Dead, utterly destroying this game on the 360 and PC.  I can kind of understand porting this game to the PS3 since the PS3 doesn't have Left 4 Dead, but it just seems pointless to go after the PC and 360 when I have very little doubt after playing The Conduit that Left 4 Dead will probably remain the superior experience with an already immensely loyal (bordering on obsessive) fanbase.

I hear that. My best friend wants to build me a new PC just because he wants to play L4D with me. I mean, i was in the market for a new PC anyway and I can get a discount on either Dells or HPs thru the company I work for.. but the second I brought it up he's offered to build me one instead, so he can optimize it for L4D.

[BlackNMild2k1]

You would get a better PC for your money if you let him build it than what Dell would give you. (software not included)

[Mop it up]

This is probably a result of The Conduit performing a bit under expectations. Still, it is being developed on Wii, right? If so, it could still be a good game that doesn't suffer from a halfhearted port job. Is Sega going to publish this one?

[BlackNMild2k1]

This is probably a result of The Conduit performing a bit under expectations. Still, it is being developed on Wii, right? If so, it could still be a good game that doesn't suffer from a halfhearted port job. Is Sega going to publish this one?

Best part of this news is that even if they are making a HD version to "show off what the are capable of", the lead system is still the Wii.

[EasyCure]

You would get a better PC for your money if you let him build it than what Dell would give you. (software not included)

Oh i know, i didn't expect him to offer to build me one considering he now lives out in the mid-west and I'm still back here on the east coast lol. The point was he's an obsessive L4D fan.

[NWR_pap64]

Here's what I suspect happened...

HVS was betting on The Conduit being a smash hit on the Wii due to all the fan hype and Sega support. But when the sales were less than expected HVS didn't have enough money to cover the costs of their next titles, Gladiator and The Grinder. So while Sega agreed to publish these titles under several conditions. First, Gladiator would change themes so its a Mythical Creature fighter and ditch MotionPlus support, and The Grinder would be ported to three other consoles.

[Mop it up]

So Sega is publishing this? I was just wondering if it was more the publisher than the developer who wanted this game to go multiplatform.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm just curious how well the the conduit engine upscaled to the HD consoles.

[MegaByte]

HVS licensed the Infernal Engine for PS3 and 360 last year, so I'm not sure how much they'll be working on engine-level stuff for those platforms.

[Kairon]

I'm perfectly fine with this game going multiplat, just as long as it comes to the Wii. AS LONG AS IT COMES TO THE WII!!!

[Mop it up]

I'm perfectly fine with this game going multiplat, just as long as it comes to the Wii. AS LONG AS IT COMES TO THE WII!!!

For in general, I would add "and as long as it isn't a poor downgrade." I hear you though, it doesn't matter if a game appears elsewhere (regardless if it is "better") as that doesn't stop me from enjoying it if it is good.

[KDR_11k]

Let's see those "it would have sold better on HD platforms" comments get torn to shreds. It'll be a mediocre game and if you think the Wii audience is unkind to mediocre FPSes you haven't seen the HD consoles that got GOTY candidate FPSes up the wazoo.

HVS licensed the Infernal Engine for PS3 and 360 last year, so I'm not sure how much they'll be working on engine-level stuff for those platforms.

As in the Infernal games? Expect FAIL.

[GoldenPhoenix]

The fact that this game has Vampires makes it far better then L4D

[MegaByte]

As in the Infernal games? Expect FAIL.

No.  It was used in Ghostbusters.

[Stratos]

I hope that making it multiplatform does not water down the whole games experience because of the split resources.

[Peachylala]

I keep telling everyone I know that then reason The Conduit underperformed is because it wasn't that great of a game. It was generic as generic can get, and the online wasn't that great either. What makes it worse? When a game from 2002 (Metroid Prime) has better looking graphics and a port of a two year old game (Modern Warfare Reflex) has better game design and a better online system, you wonder why they even bothered.
 
I seriously need to get a better PC. I want to play Valve FPS so bad. =(

[Chozo Ghost]

I'm perfectly fine with this game going multiplat, just as long as it comes to the Wii. AS LONG AS IT COMES TO THE WII!!!

The Wii will get a "special edition" on-rails collection of mini-games.

[SixthAngel]

a port of a two year old game (Modern Warfare Reflex) has better game design

While I thought Conduit was much better than Modern Warfare: Run to the Next Checkpoint while your Teammates Do the Work (never played online) you can't complain about game design as if it gets old like graphics.  Good game design doesn't really get old.

[Ian Sane]

It's a bummer that HVS went from being the great hope for Wii third party support to where we are now where a Wii exclusive is going multiplatform.

Yeah, at least it's on the Wii BUT how good is it going to be on the Wii?  The whole hook of The Conduit was that it was designed specifically for the Wii controls.  If they're making this multiplatform they CAN'T design this specifically for the Wii controls.  It has to be more generic so as to work with all the different consoles.  And since I'm assuming they'll have better visuals in the other versions the Wii will end up the WORST version.  The problem with the Wii is that if you want to go multiplatform with it you can't optimize the controls (ie: you settle for waggle) but the controls is the ONLY thing the Wii has going for it.  By gimping the hardware Nintendo ensured that the Wii would get the worst version of ANY multiplatform game... assuming the Wii gets a version at all.  The Wii is so different that it's really only ideal for exclusives and that's why the third party support SUCKS.

HVS is going to not matter at all on the other consoles.  Why would I waste my time with this when I can play Bioshock, Call of Duty, Halo, Left 4 Dead, Orange Box, etc?  Even a really good FPS has to fight to get noticed and HVS has only made an average FPS that didn't even matter on the FPS-starved Wii.

[Stratos]

Modern Warfare Reflex has already reportedly outsold Conduit. This makes me wonder what will happen in the future. If Activision does a good job bringing Modern Warfare 2 or other games to Wii in the next year or so Grinder may very well become mostly irrelevant once 2011 rolls around.