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Publishers Scrambling for Wii Titles
Bloomberg is reporting on the publisher scramble for Wii titles, prompted by the console's explosive popularity since its launch late last year. Though the article focuses on EA's initial coolness on the console, they certainly weren't the only company that initially missed the bus. "Electronic Arts wasn't the only publisher slow to see Wii's appeal. New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., maker of Grand Theft Auto games, had no Wii titles when the player was released and now plans to have three this year, said spokesman Jim Ankner. Activision Inc., based in Santa Monica, California, plans to release six Wii games this year, giving the second-largest publisher a total of 11, said spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif." Though that's great news for Wii gamers, the question is: how many of these titles are going to be 'shovelware'?
Well, even if only 10% of the games coming out are worth getting, it will be that many more games that I might buy. And the experience the developers get by making a game for the Wii will (hopefully) make future games that much better.
The Piper Jaffray analyst says, "They're going to need to get their best-branded product on that platform. That will take a good nine to 12 months."
But if the big publishers rush Wii tiles out the door, the Wii could get a reputation for having nothing but crap ports, and lose some of its appeal. On the other hand, with the lag time involved in video games, market share might be cemented before that could happen.
Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
Couldn't they have started developing the games a bit earlier, and have them ready more or less when the console ships?
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
Sugarcoating: Developers are going to port their existing set of games to the Wii, but they're going to spend hundreds of hours fine-tuning the controls for the Wii Remote. The graphics won't matter because it will be so much fun playing on the Wii!
Real Answer: Developers are going to do a half-ass port of existing games to the Wii, and they're going to spend most of their time removing graphical features and figuring out how to read "waggle" from the controller. Since no one will actually optimize their games for the ArtX chip, the graphics will be substandard in comparison to the first-party Nintendo titles. Even worse, the games will have all the "fun" sapped out of them as the publishers don't yet "get" the Wii.
The end result? Miyamoto will need to yell louder.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
I will probably get modded troll however this is just my honest opinion - I am bored of my Wii. I got one at the end of January. I didn't pre-order one as I wasn't all that sure it would be fun but I played on a colleagues one a few times and enjoyed it so decided to pick one up. I got Rayman, Zelda and WiiPlay as well.
At first it was a lot of fun however I soon found that lack of decent single player games and no online made the console a total bore for me. I tried to convince my wife that it was fun to play and while she did enjoy it the first couple of times she said it was "too robotic" which I do agree with.
I don't have people round the house all that often as we tend to go out. When we do have people round it is more to chat than play games. When I first got it and people came round we played but after an hour most people found the games too repetitive.
So basically it now sits under my TV doing nothing. I am a single player gamer and the Wii really doesn't work well for me. I had (still have but it is modded) an Xbox and used to really like Live however canceled my subscription after 2 years as I didn't feel I used it enough. I have thought about getting a 360 however it is too noisy for me so until they put in a quieter drive I won't be picking one up.
I really wanted to like the Wii however it just doesn't excite me, after the initial novelty wears off it does feel rather gimmicky and it doesn't really revolutionise gaming, it is just another form of input, it doesn't really add any additional depth to a game.
Take Two is making a game for the Wii?? I have two words for that: Hot Coffee.
I don't know if it's any good, but I saw one in Bestbuy that came with a steering wheel in the package. You slip the wiimote into the center of the steering wheel and use that to drive. It seemed like a pretty good use of the technology and IIRC unlike most driving games that come with a wheel, this one wasn't more than $10 over the normal price of a game.
I read the internet for the articles.
I'm not much of a gamer. I've never owned any console of any kind. I have played the Eye of the Beholder series of D&D games back in the day, and I liked Half Life 1/2 and Counterstrike. But I made do with whatever hardware I had. That's it.
And now, my time is taken up by work, bills, etc. However, the Wii is really starting to appeal to me, as it seems like a console you can just play periodically without being a die-hard. And the (more) physical nature of it is appealing.
However, I really would enjoy a 3D D&D type of game, where you use the wiimote as a sword and nunchuck to control a shield, switch to pulling the two apart like cocking a bow, even moving your arms like you're running and having that get picked up and move you along like you're running/walking, etc., etc. But, sadly, it doesn't seem like anything like this is in development.
Regarding the shovelware note, I do note that Eye of the Beholder is being made for the Wii, but it may turn out to be shovelware - just like the original, pseudo-3D game. That would suck.
If you want a bit of advice, don't waste your money on GT Pro. The Steering Wheel attachment might make it tempting, but I guarantee that you'll regret the purchase. Try one of Ubisoft's better games, like Rayman. I have not heard anything about Monster 4x4 World Circuit, but I recommend that you be wary of it. Nintendo really had to strain the quality in order to round out the Wii launch titles.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
The only thing the Nintendo 64 did wrong was go with carts, but graphically it was better than the PS1, just more expensive to develop for because of those carts, and the only thing the Gamecube did wrong was launch late, since just about every bit of it was technically superior to even the Xbox.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
Not yet. The only decent driving game so far is ExciteTruck, but it is not a driving simulator. It's an arcade-style driving game.
I'm just hoping that Wii can get some ports of High Quality (TM) X-Box 360 games! :-D
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
When these companies have no Wii titles under development in November, but three to six titles now slated to come out by the end of the year, how can you expect otherwise?
Rob
Where. Are. The. Fscking. Light. Saber. Games???
I saw the first Star Wars movie when I was 6 or 7. All potential Wii games are irrelevant, relative to the light saber game idea.
Give it time people! The Wii will come out with some legendary games, but it will take time. For one, developers don't have the experience with the Wiimote to implement it fully and functionally. Not only that, as online play becomes functional for games, the possibilities will increase ever more.
I picked up Need For Speed: Carbon the other day. Driving games are really fun for the wii, I must say. Now, all I need is a Star Wars game and a RTS game and we are set.
no they where cartoony for specific problems resulting from the SGI chip used and developers inability to be innovative in light of those problems (Factor 5 is a great example of a developer who DID deal with the problem and made incredible games because of it), but from a completely technical standpoint the SGI chip was 5 years of development ahead of the chip used in the PS1 (and not surprising, since the PS1 was based on Superfancom hardware that was pulled out and replaced with Sony produced stuff when Nintendo pulled out of the Play Station project.) It was the difficulty to develop for the 64 that caused issues, EXACTLY the same problems that both the 360 and the PS3 now are experiencing, the 360 in the fact that its not a carbon clone of the original because of the architecture change, and the PS3 because the Cell chip it's self is incredibly complicated.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
The fact that the big game companies were caught off-balance by the popularity of the Wii (clearly they were not reading SlashDot since last years E3 conference.) could be good for some of the smaller game companies. This will give them a window to launch titles and get some publicity and shelf space at retailers. In particular, HeatSeeker and Sadness both look interesting. The fact that the Wii is cheaper to develop for (I assume it's got a good SDK) and lower resolution (less time to do custom artwork) should also help the smaller development companies.
[Insert pithy quote here]
Yes, but nobody (even Nintendo) expected the Wii to take off like it has. So they didn't start things early enough and now see there's money to be made.
...
Not true.
My son and his friends watched the E3 coverage and he sold his Sony stock within two weeks and bought Nintendo stock - he's made a killing.
88 shares and counting - I've got the other 312 shares, and it has been a sweet ride
Anyone who couldn't smell the end result was buying the hype and not paying attention to the reality.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
I have to ask ... are "crap ports" and "shovelware" really such a bad thing for the Wii, considering the new audience it's targeting?
It's pretty apparent that a significant part of the Wii's appeal is coming from casual or even "non gamers". These are not the players that get excited about a new Zelda game, or Metroid Prime, or Mario Galaxy, etc. Rather, they are comfortable with games with much more massive appeal (Wii Sports, Wii Play, various party games, etc.).
Sometimes that also includes licensed games (based off movies, TV shows, etc.), which are often regarded to as "shovelware" by hardcore gaming enthusiasts. Believe it or not, one of the better selling DS games in Feburary was Hannah Montana, based off the popular Disney TV show.
As hardcore gamers (and yes, I am one), I think we often forget about the massive number of other gamers there are, that buy and enjoy these types of games (otherwise they wouldn't continue to sell the way they do). As much as I hate to think it, Nintendo could probably do quite well business-wise focusing on just the casual audience entirely. Sure, they'll lose much of the hardcore fanbase, but more than make up for it in other ways. In the meantime, they'll always have the Nintendo faithful on board no matter what they do (these are the ones that need their Mario/Zelda/Metroid-fix).
-- jchenx
Agreed. The industry has needed a major shakeup in design philosophy for YEARS coming, but noone had the guts to do it until now. Nintendo basically took the lid off of the boiling proverbial kettle. If the DS weren't evidence enough, simply the reaction from E3 should have clued everyone in.
Now, the degree of success is up for grabs, not even *I* thought that it would be THIS big, but my suspicions are not really that far off. The teeny-bopper XBox and PlayStation crowd didn't want to agknowledge the Wii's possible success, because of its threateningly, "family oriented" stance. A lot of the game press is teeny-bopper centric, so a lot of people were blinded by their own personal bias.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
Despite of what the article says, EA has release three great games for the Wii. They started out with Madden, which was great for an early Wii title. Recently, they have released The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (which is absolutely awesome) and the SSX game (which is great if you're into those kinds of games). They've also released a few sub-par games, but even Tiger Woods is quite nice.
If they keep up that quality level, I'm very happy. I doubt the Wii is going to be another Cube.
Also, if you have a Wii and only own Wii Sports, Cooking Mama and Super Monkey Ball, you have no right to complain about the games. At least get Zelda, Excite Truck, Wario Ware and Rayman, in addition to the EA games mentioned above. There are quite a bit of great games for the Wii available right now.
Oh, and your DS is collecting dust??? If the DS doesn't provide any games you're interested in, I'm afraid no console does.
What it comes down to, is that publishers for the Wii need to understand what it's being used for. I know my Wii is pretty much used as a group activity. The great single-player games will be far and few between. I know I always have the most fun with my wii when a group of my friends and I come stumbling home from the bars and attempt to bowl & stand up at the same time. If ninendo plays it out well, the Wii could be the biggest thing in dorm rooms around the country since posters with alcohol and weed references.
What are you talking about? The Gamecube controller was certainly better than the PS2 or Xbox controllers, and far and away superior to the controllers of preceding consoles.
I'm a lawyer, but not yours. I wouldn't represent someone who thinks taking legal advice from Slashdot is a good idea.
Dude, we have Big Bumpin' at our workplace and it's one of the most fun party games on Xbox 360 right now. Seriously. Try it before you knock it.
Comment of the year
Sorry, you are wrong. SMB3 was the best selling console game at 18 million. Want to know how much Tetris sold for the original GameBoy? 30 million. And that's only on that portable. There are countless Tetris games and clones available on the PC, web, mobile phone, PDA, etc. Yes, I'm aware that Tetris was a bundled game, and that skews the numbers considerably. But I'm more interested in the influence and mass popularity of games. Being bundled helped it tremendously, just like how Wii Sports is gaining mass popularity from being a pack-in for the Wii. (And on a small note, the original Super Mario game sold even better, since it was also a pack-in game. That has far more influence than its predecessor.)
Want to know another mass appeal game that has sold like crazy, and was released less than a decade ago? The Sims, at 16 million (and that number is probably out of date by now). Most hardcore gamers, myself included, thought it was a fun game, but quickly got bored of it and moved onto newer things. However, the vast majority of gamers (who are not hardcore, don't read gaming sites every day, etc.), keep buying expansion pack after expansion pack. I don't think those numbers even include the Sims 2 sequel either.
I am not saying that the Mario brand is insignificant. In fact, it is the most influential franchise out there. That said, I still disagree that a Mario game is going to be the pinnacle of a "mass appeal video game". The numbers are actually quite telling, if you take a look at the sales numbers of Mario games after SMB3. It's going down, not up.
Again, try going to your non-gamer friends and family, and ask them if they have ever played or heard of SMB 3, or if they look forward to the next Mario game. The answer will probably be no. That said, those same folks are probably giddy about American Idol, or Lost, or the next James Bond movie.
I think you've fallen into the trap that most hardcore gamers fall into. That may be how we got into gaming. But why do you make the assumption that they're "going to want more"? The typical grandmother who has picked up a Wii because it's fun to play with her grandkids and maybe her friends from time to time, is not going to change her lifestyle and suddenly be into games like Zelda or Metroid, just because they happen to be on the same console.
... is rather absurd. We just don't see it, and I've been in the business for a while now.
As some who's in the casual games industry, I can tell you that most of the women that play our games adapt them to their lifestyle, not the other way around. Bejeweled gamers seek out similar puzzle games, and "bite size" games. They might try marginally more complicated games (such as Diner Dash, etc.), but there is such a huge leap to more "traditional" games, that your idea that they will eventually become fans of Starcraft, Call of Duty, Zelda, Metroid, Halo
Anyway, I'm not saying that short pick-up games are the only answer t
-- jchenx
The Wii Remote seems to detect orientation just fine without using the optical sensor. The Wii Sports games illustrate this very well. In Tennis, Baseball, and Golf, the orientation of the remote is mirrored onscreen by the position of the racket/bat/club, all without having to point at the screen.
Or maybe you're complaining about something else, and I'm misunderstanding the problem?
The industry has needed a major shakeup in design philosophy for YEARS coming, but noone had the guts to do it until now. Nintendo basically took the lid off of the boiling proverbial kettle.
And what shakeup would that be? A gimmicky controller? Offering existing technology at a lower price point than its cutting edge counterparts? Unfortunately, I think consumers have looked at the bottom line and little else. They see $250, $400, $600, and think "Well, they're all NEW.. why pay double+ when I can get a NEW Nintendo for $250?" But in 2-3 years, about half the lifetime of a console generation, the Wii is going to look absolutely ancient. And while the games may still be enjoyable in their own right, everybody wants new things, otherwise we'd still be playing on our Atari's. So in order to cross develop, substantial features will have to be cut for the Wii versions of any sort of demanding title. The alternative is that publishers develop for the lowest common denominator, which doesn't seem like good news either.
The only reason the Wii is really winning right now is not about any sort of "major shakeup in design philosophy," but rather the complete and utter incompetence Sony has demonstrated in bringing (or convincing others to bring) remarkable titles to market for the PS3. If a solid selection of games existed for the PS3, neither the Wiimote nore the affordable price point would keep Nintendo in the lead. I believe it would still have a solid market share -- as well it should -- but nothing like the popularity it's enjoying right now.
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In retrospect, I probably should have proofread and better articulated my anti-Wii arguments.
Imagine X years from now when Hot New Title comes out. Either that title exists for only one platform, or it's cross-platform. If it's cross-platform, then it will likely be the least appealing on the most underpowered console -- the Wii. If it's single-platform (or worse -- 360/PS3 only), then it will only cause Wii owners to become disenchanted with their bargain purchase. This is why people upgrade in the first place. It's only a matter of time before this happens to any console, however it usually doesn't happen until a new generation is released. Since the difference between the Wii and the 360/PS3 is essentially already a generational gap, the lifetime of the Wii is inherently shorter than that of its competitors. The only reason the Wii isn't a complete waste of money is described in my second paragraph, above.
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I disagree. If power was that important, the PS2 would have died one year into it's life when the Gamecube and X-box (both more powerful systems) were launched. HD Graphics aren't as important as the typical gaming press wants to believe. Final Fantasy seems to have done well only supporting 480i.
People do want the best of what's available, but once again that doesn't mean graphics... So far EA has (surprisingly) been able to take several franchises and successfully launch them on Wii in a way that is new, better and more immersive than is possible on any other system. Madden, Tiger Woods, and The Godfather are all made better on the Wii by their intuitive and immersive control schemes.
I have a Wii60, and as pretty as Fight Night Round 3 looked on my HDTV, I can't wait to buy Round 4 on the Wii.
Your problem, good friend, is that you think of "power" in terms of graphical performance.
I'd say the PS3/360 are VASTLY underpowered compared to the Wii - power being defined by an easy, intuitive, FUN interface. A cross-platform game on all 3 systems will sell far more on the more powerful system, I agree. That system being the Wii.
Witnessing the last 4 months, the market so far agrees with me.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
Novelty of the controller will wear off? That people will get tired of "inferior" hardware? Twenty years ago, people said the same exact thing of the NES.
When the NES came out, 16-bit gaming was done on game centric computers (PS3 and Xbox 360 are considered game centric computers). The NES sported a new controller that disrupted the joystick, had lots of mini-games (Duck Hunt and World Track Meet come to mind), and made gaming more accessible (not everyone wants to play at the computer). NES was marketed as a family friendly console and, one of the bonuses, was that it was seen as a virtual arcade machine (where one could play all the great arcade games of past and present) which is similiar to how the Virtual Console is percieved today. NES kept selling out, year after year, in both Japan and America just as the Wii is doing now.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, said the NES's early success was a novelty of a 'toy' and that all gaming would return back to the game centric computers. It never did. Electronic Arts refused to support the NES until investors threatened to fire Trip Hawkins.
Wii is still selling out six months after launch. Yet, it is still a 'fad'. I guess the DS Lite is still a 'fad' and 'novelty' too, huh?
It's not a gimmick, any more than the DS was.
I think people will lose interest in the Wii's controller around the time people realize that mice, trackballs, and tablets are just gimmicks and go back exclusively to arrow keys.
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As a hardcore gamer, personally, I would prefer Wii Sports 2 to Manhunt 2, too.
There is absolutely not evidence to back that up. During the last generation, the Gamecube was the cheapest console. The PS2 still won. People don't just run out and buy the cheapest console. People buy the Wii because it is genuinely a lot of fun to play with it.
That's really all there is to it.
If you still call the Wii controller "gimmicky," you do nothing but betray your fanboyism. Have you played "The Godfater: Blackhand Edition"? This game alone is proof that the Wii controller is anything but a gimmick.
People play with the Wii because they want to. Because it's an accessible and fun. No amount of good PS3 games can change this. The people who love to play Wii quite simply won't switch to the PS3 for games like FF or MGS.
And yes, if you can't see the change in game design philosophy from the GBA/PS1/PS2 to the DS/Wii, you're blind.
And I'd rather play a really fun game than a so-so game that looks really pretty. Too many publishers are pushing super shiny graphics as the fix to poor gameplay.