Topic: Mass Effect, or: Why hoping for third party support on Wii U is a fool's game

[ejamer]

Great news, Nintendo fans! Mass Effect is coming to the Wii U with an updated version of the least popular game in the series, Mass Effect 3. It will be available at launch - just days after other systems get a complete trilogy version of the series released at the same price point!


Why do publishers cannibalize their sales this way? How many copies of ME3 does EA expect to sell on Wii U at launch if it's clearly offering much less content than you get on other consoles?


Resident Evil 4 is coming to GameCube... oh yeah, and a PS2 release is on the way with more features and game modes!  Metal Gear Solid 3DS is pretty cool for anyone wanting to revisit the series... assuming you don't want the HD collection that was released at almost the same time and price. You want Mass Effect? Experience the game how it was meant to be played by starting with part three on Wii U instead of buying the complete trilogy on a single disc for 360, likely with DLC included, for the same price a couple of weeks before Nintendo's system  launches. (Don't worry: PS3 is also getting the full trilogy shortly after, and it will also be available for PC. Nobody gets left out!)

Maybe I'm jumping the gun and we'll hear an announcement that the Mass Effect game coming out on Wii U is actually going to contain the full trilogy. Maybe the new features and improvements for a Wii U version are enough to differentiate it in the minds of many gamers. But I'm not holding my breath.

At least expectations for less than average third party support are being set appropriately very early on.
 

[NWR_Neal]

As dumb as it sounds, EA probably isn't mentioning Wii U for the Trilogy until ME3 on Wii U is out. The PR for the Trilogy only mentions the 360 release. Wii U will probably be with the PS3/PC versions in the nebulous "later" release window.

But yea, it's dumb. Real dumb.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Wow. That's pretty dumb.

[Caterkiller]

Well hmmm... Guess I'm not getting ME3 if there is a chance for this trilogy. That's some old bull ship.

[NWR_insanolord]

To me, this gives more credence to the rumors of EA being upset with Nintendo over Nintendo's refusal to go all in with EA's online system. The story I saw mentioned that EA was working on a Mass Effect trilogy release for Wii U that they backed out of before the deal went through.

[Ceric]

I think everyone would be better served if EA just waited and put a non-enhanced full trilogy on Wii U.  I know it be a shame it doesn't use the screen for something nifty but at least you be able to play it in the bathroom.

Anyone who knows anything won't get the Stand Alone Wii U Version of 3 & Anyone who does is going to fill burned by EA when the Trilogy comes out.  This looks to be an obvious Lose Lose for everyone Involved...

[Kairon]

ARGH! I was planning to get Mass Effect 3 at launch! Now I don't know what to do... Lose lose is the only way to describe it! RRAAAARRGGHH!!!!

[azeke]

Well, i know who doesn't get my money then.

[Kairon]

Calmed down thought: 360 owners are actually in the same situation, but just time extended. Remove the ruthless value impetus from the equation and my path is clear: One Mass Effect in the hand is worth three in the Bush. ME3 remains on my buy list.

[regin]

I'd rather have a $60 port of just the first game if they're pulling the old "test game" on us. There's no way I'm starting with the third game in a franchise like this.

[MysticGohan]

Atleast it's not an year old port :p And it would be impossible for them to due the ME Trilogy. as ME1 was published by Microsoft, so anything outside 360 and PC will likely not see it, hence why PS3 got ME2 and a comic to make choices.      Same will be for ME3 on Wii U. I'm fine with it, as I have ME2 for PC, and I've been wanting ME3, and Wii U sounds perfect for it, especially with the game pad

[Ian Sane]

I can't tell if EA is just really fucking stupid OR they don't really want to support the Wii U and ME3 is MEANT to fail so they can tell their stockholders they tried but it didn't work out.  Now that seems to be pretty stupid business sense but, remember, businesses are run by human beings and human beings are all too willing to inflict self-injury for ridiculously petty reasons.

This is an industry where Sega of Japan pretty much destroyed Sega because they were jealous of Sega of America's succeess, success that BENEFITTED Sega of Japan.  Any sort of immature nonsense is a realistic possibility.

[NWR_insanolord]

And it would be impossible for them to due the ME Trilogy. as ME1 was published by Microsoft, so anything outside 360 and PC will likely not see it

The PS3 is getting it too, so Microsoft's exclusivity must have expired.

[Spak-Spang]

EA is just really dumb...if you know you are going to make a complete trilogy game...why not spend the time and create it for the new system first...release it as an exclusive reap the rewards of lots of bucks...and when people complain they want that experience on the 360 and PS3...then give it to them...and bam instant more free money.

[Ian Sane]

Thinking about it, laziness might be the cause here.  ME2 and 3 already exist on the PS3 so really they're just making a PS3 port of ME1 and almost no work is needed for the Xbox 360.  For the Wii U ALL three games still have to be ported.  So maybe they just settled on one of them to cheap out on development and picked the newest one since it would look the least dated on the shelves.

[broodwars]

I'm of two minds when it comes to the news of this release:

On the one hand...

...Hey, now I can finally play the full Mass Effect series on the platform I actually most enjoy playing games on (PS3)!

*ahem* (but yeah, I'll be getting the PS3 version)

...EA really has no business releasing ME3 on Wii U.  I've said it before, but it's the end of the trilogy. It's a game that's worthless played on its own.  If they were going to do a Trilogy release for PS3, they should have just held the Wii U version of ME3 for that.  It's the only way people should play that series.  Future Wii U owners are right to be angry at this announcement.

On the other hand...

...EA put more of a genuine effort into making good (or at-least-decent) quality games on Wii than most 3rd parties did IIRC. I worked at EA during the Wii years, and I think I helped make a pretty good Tiger Woods game in Tiger 12: the Masters.  The people I worked with may not have been regular Wii players, but we all wanted to make a good game that really did the Wii justice and I think we succeeded.  Personally, I think we put out the superior version of that game, considering some of the features the Wii version had that the PS3/360 versions didn't.

And it wasn't just the Tiger games.  There were Boom Blox, Dead Space Ignition, and from what I understand were pretty decent versions of Madden as well.  I can understand if those didn't appeal to you, but they weren't bad games and apparently none of them sold well.  EA got burned badly by the Wii, so if that rumored EA partnership with Nintendo for online did go down badly, I can totally understand why they're only putting a token effort out now.  Nintendo gamers have not had a good track record of buying their games, so why should they give a **** about them now for Wii U?  I think they should, but I can understand why they don't.  What possible reason should they have to believe that the Wii U will be any better to them than the Wii was?

As for Mass Effects 1 and 2, they probably look at those right now as not worth the effort on Wii U.  The Wii U version of ME3 is done by now.  Maybe they can't justify that cost and time for making Wii U versions of ME1 and 2 right now with more useless Wii U Gamepad functionality shoved-in, whereas it's a pretty simple porting job from the 360 to PS3 (and the 360 version probably required very little work to just shove the DLC on, considering all 3 games already released on that platform).

Honestly, this isn't the game I would get upset about in terms of future support. EA's just trying to capitalize on a game sinking in relevance with every passing day.  ME3 was a worthless game on Wii U from the moment EA announced it.  I'd keep an eye on what they announce with Dead Space 3 and Dragon Age 3 in regards to Wii U.  That'll be the real test.

[Ian Sane]

Off the top of my head I think the newest EA game I own is Madden.






...94 for the Super Nintendo.  Even ignoring EA's "evil empire" reputation they really just don't often make games that appeal to me.  I'm not actively trying to avoid them, I just have never felt the desire to buy their games.  I wonder if other Nintendo fans feel the same way and their poor Wii sales reflected that.

[Louieturkey]

And it would be impossible for them to due the ME Trilogy. as ME1 was published by Microsoft, so anything outside 360 and PC will likely not see it

The PS3 is getting it too, so Microsoft's exclusivity must have expired.

This is the thing that I don't get.  Why is it okay now to release ME1 on PS3 but it wasn't before?  I thought that Microsoft put money into ME1 and published it themselves, essentially funding the game.  Is this a sign that Bayonetta 2 really isn't Wii U exclusive permanently?  ME1 has always seemed like the closest comparison for B2.  Now I'm not so sure.

[broodwars]

And it would be impossible for them to due the ME Trilogy. as ME1 was published by Microsoft, so anything outside 360 and PC will likely not see it

The PS3 is getting it too, so Microsoft's exclusivity must have expired.

This is the thing that I don't get.  Why is it okay now to release ME1 on PS3 but it wasn't before?  I thought that Microsoft put money into ME1 and published it themselves, essentially funding the game.  Is this a sign that Bayonetta 2 really isn't Wii U exclusive permanently?  ME1 has always seemed like the closest comparison for B2.  Now I'm not so sure.

It was probably some form of timed exclusivity (roughly 5 years, based on the original's November 2007 release), based on how long Microsoft and EA/Bioware thought this generation would go.  But we've gone far longer, so here we are.

[Louieturkey]

Honestly, this isn't the game I would get upset about in terms of future support. EA's just trying to capitalize on a game sinking in relevance with every passing day.  ME3 was a worthless game on Wii U from the moment EA announced it.  I'd keep an eye on what they announce with Dead Space 3 and Dragon Age 3 in regards to Wii U.  That'll be the real test.

I'd pick up a DS or DA Trilogy on the Wii U (when I get a Wii U), even if I did own them on the PS3.

[Louieturkey]

And it would be impossible for them to due the ME Trilogy. as ME1 was published by Microsoft, so anything outside 360 and PC will likely not see it

The PS3 is getting it too, so Microsoft's exclusivity must have expired.

This is the thing that I don't get.  Why is it okay now to release ME1 on PS3 but it wasn't before?  I thought that Microsoft put money into ME1 and published it themselves, essentially funding the game.  Is this a sign that Bayonetta 2 really isn't Wii U exclusive permanently?  ME1 has always seemed like the closest comparison for B2.  Now I'm not so sure.

It was probably some form of timed exclusivity (roughly 5 years, based on the original's November 2007 release), based on how long Microsoft and EA/Bioware thought this generation would go.  But we've gone far longer, so here we are.

That's a very good point.  Maybe Nintendo's deal with Platinum is similar.  I'm still hoping they fund a port of the first game to the Wii U as well.  Seems stupid to have the second one and not the first, especially when you're funding and publishing the second one (I say that knowing about the Project Zero/Fatal Frame series).

[Chozo Ghost]

Let's not forget that I predicted this was going to happen months ago. I deserve credit for that.

[Louieturkey]

Let's not forget that I predicted this was going to happen months ago. I deserve credit for that.

Congrats.  You finally said something that came true.  There's a first for everything. :

+1 to you.

[broodwars]

Let's not forget that I predicted this was going to happen months ago. I deserve credit for that.

Michael Pachter would be proud of your correct:incorrect prediction ratio.

[Adrock]

To me, this gives more credence to the rumors of EA being upset with Nintendo over Nintendo's refusal to go all in with EA's online system. The story I saw mentioned that EA was working on a Mass Effect trilogy release for Wii U that they backed out of before the deal went through.

That's a possibility though I can't wrap my mind around the idea of EA sabotaging their own game. Why not just not release anything if they're that butt hurt? I know they may want people to double dip and some may, but it has a big chance of back firing. Even if EA were upset, they have a responsibility to themselves to make money and Mass Effect 3 on Wii U has a lot going against it to begin with. If anything, this seems more likely rather than outright cannibalizing their own game which ultimately screws themselves over. Maybe EA will realize that this doesn't make sense and will delay the Wii U version of ME3 until they can port the the 1st 2. Maybe?