There's A Third Party In My Wii And Everyone's inFAIL

[aubergine]

This is a terrific article about the perception of Third Party performance on Wii and recent statements by the big publishers. There's a refreshingly different analysis there.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/third-party-puzzle-article

[Starscream]

You buy a Nintendo console to play Nintendo franchise games.

[aubergine]

Essentially the point of the article is that the whole "Third Party Games Don't Sell" line is bullshit that the statistics don't support, and that any failure of third parties on the platform is their own failure to get their shit together, not some magic spell Nintendo are casting. People should read it before posting in the thread.

[Starscream]

I did read it. <_<

There are some good third party games out there but they seem to be overshadowed by the Nintendo franchise titles.

Third party developers know they can't make the sales numbers they do on the PS3/Xbox 360 like they would on the Wii.

[punkgorilla]

Essentially the point of the article is that the whole "Third Party Games Don't Sell" line is bullshit that the statistics don't support, and that any failure of third parties on the platform is their own failure to get their shit together, not some magic spell Nintendo are casting.

I would have thought that this was obvious to anyone.

[AranchineD]

"Third Party Games Don't Sell" is a line that means jackshit

"Good Third Party Games Don't Sell" is a much more appropriate line

[aubergine]

I would have thought that this was obvious to anyone.

I'm grossly simplifying it I think. I just thought it would be of interest to anyone who has been following the recent spate of publishers rubbishing the prospects for third parties on Wii.

At the same time, I can understand they might get the shits with dividing resources among three consoles, PC and two handhelds and iPhone, when two of the consoles and PC don't require a complete rebuild of a single game.

I would like to see that list of million+ sellers on Wii though, to check if it actually contains any games that aren't complete shit - and whether they were dropped to AU$30 first...

[Vindik8or]

I'd have to agree with the article's comment about the dispassionate assessment. I've really never understood people's vitriol towards Nintendo and the Wii/DS. I own both and they satisfy me insofar as they do nothing more than what they were touted as and what I expected from them. Yes the waggle can be annoying and feel shoehorned in, but there's some great exceptions to that, too (Boom Blox, for one).

Gamers really need to stop feeling betrayed at a company that's trying to make money. If you don't like what they're doing then let that be known with how you spend your money. Don't reinforce their behaviour by haemorrhaging cash at them every new thing they bring out.

[Nic Xtreme]

@aub
This is a recently compiled 'million sellers list', even if the source might be slightly inaccurate (VGChartz). It still gives you a good picture of things:

http://gameonnintendo.com/2010/02/25/full-list-of-million-sellers-on-wii/

[Lazlow]

That's a pretty bad picture D:

[aubergine]

I've really never understood people's vitriol towards Nintendo and the Wii/DS. I own both and they satisfy me insofar as they do nothing more than what they were touted as and what I expected from them. Yes the waggle can be annoying and feel shoehorned in, but there's some great exceptions to that, too (Boom Blox, for one).I haven't been reading much about Nintendo for a while, but the main issues I had (when I pretty much "dumped" them back in 2008) was actually a whole series of small issues compounded with a, to my tastes, fallow release schedule (both first and third party). I felt it would have been utter simplicity for Nintendo to be releasing revisions of their GCN games at regular intervals between their sparse new releases and that would have been enough to satisfy.

Other than that, it was a host of small things frustrating me with the console: no ethernet port, terrible online service, vastly expensive controllers, the classic controller not being an evolved Wavebird, arrogant statements and fiddle-faddling over enabling SD cards properly (which they did after what, three years or something.) Nintendo showed an astonishing slowness to react to things which should have been very simple, everything suggested they did not expect and weren't prepared for success with this thing.

I'm fine with stuff like Wii Fit, I buy it and check it out because I like novelty. But I also require deep stuff as well and they did not appear to be serving all diners at the restaurant - which is something they did promise to do, claimed they WERE doing, and clearly do have the resources to be able to do.

As for the DS line, I still like them as a gaming unit (don't currently have one) but they lost me on DSi design and pricing, seemed like a major step into nowhere.

@aub
This is a recently compiled 'million sellers list', even if the source might be slightly inaccurate (VGChartz). It still gives you a good picture of things:

http://gameonnintendo.com/2010/02/25/full-list-of-million-sellers-on-wii/

Thanks. quickly read it and (excluding Nintendo games) it read like "Guitar Hero/Dance/Sing thing" and "party game/imitation Wii Fit" with notable exceptions being anything Lego.

At least Boom Blox is on there, although that reasonably must have been since they made a sequel to it - though the sequel isn't listed...

(I just noted someone actually mentions that in the comments too.)

[banjoeskimo]

I'll admit that the last 6 months or so have been much better for the Wii, but sadly enough I still haven't invested much time in to it due to lack of money / competition from other games.

A year ago I lamented the lack of decent, regular titles on the Wii. Now my Wii "to buy" list of titles that are already out is about five games long. The problem I've had more recently though is that no matter how much I might want A Boy and His Blob, I want God of War III more, and don't have the money for both.

I'll still get stuff like Metroid Other M and Galaxy 2 on day one if I can, but as it stands the "good, but not as good as the other stuff I want" games are unfortunately falling by the wayside.

[Vindik8or]

Other M makes me sad. Will not play.

[Zace]

Other M makes me sad. Will not play.

But apparently its good. AND a direct sequel to Super Metroid.

[banjoeskimo]

Other M makes me sad. Will not play.

Story or gameplay wise? I'll admit that I'm apprehensive about a full FMV, Samus speaking story (especially handled by Team Ninja), but if I'm honest, I do feel like Prime 3 was a logical conclusion to the trilogy and that I needed something different from the gameplay department, which this delivers.

Story apprehension or not though, the idea of a new 2D Metroid with some modern gameplay quirks definitely excites me.

[AranchineD]

Summary of Metroid Other M - Samus' T&A is magnified threefold, and she pronounces Zebes wrong. Roll credits.

[Lex]

Other M makes me sad. Will not play.

Why's that?

[Vindik8or]

It's gonna be all FMVed and shit, plus it's Team Ninja so it'll be all Japanese affectations up the butthole. I really don't want to watch the Resident Gaiden IV with space lasers movie, I'd rather play a new Metroid game.

[aubergine]

If I've my dev teams correct, wasn't Itagi, famously no longer in Ream Ninja, a major influence? And therefore, with the additional of Nintendo's often heavy interference with projects like this, might your concerns be baseless?

I too felt like new direction was smart after Prime 3.

[Blob]

I'll admit that the last 6 months or so have been much better for the Wii, but sadly enough I still haven't invested much time in to it due to lack of money / competition from other games.

A year ago I lamented the lack of decent, regular titles on the Wii. Now my Wii "to buy" list of titles that are already out is about five games long. The problem I've had more recently though is that no matter how much I might want A Boy and His Blob, I want God of War III more, and don't have the money for both.

I'll still get stuff like Metroid Other M and Galaxy 2 on day one if I can, but as it stands the "good, but not as good as the other stuff I want" games are unfortunately falling by the wayside.

This. The wiis gems are worthy of being played and compared to the best on thge other consoles any day of the week. However its the third party stuff that I want to play, but there are better third party games on the HD consoles which will probably take my time.
Oh and pro tip for Developers, stop making games nobody wants. Was anyone truly surprised when Dead space extraction failed miserably after just about everybody said that they really didnt want a rail shooter.

[Vindik8or]

If I've my dev teams correct, wasn't Itagi, famously no longer in Ream Ninja, a major influence? And therefore, with the additional of Nintendo's often heavy interference with projects like this, might your concerns be baseless?

I too felt like new direction was smart after Prime 3.

You're right, but Team Ninja would keep all of the development tools and engines they've made over the years, the pudding that proves Itagaki's cooking, so to speak. My concerns could still be baseless as well, but all available evidence (of which I suppose there isn't much yet) points to it being otherwise. Storytelling with FMVs tells me that they're more interested in pursuing their own style in making this game and slapping on a famous IP than actually exploiting the established Metroid style.

[Lex]

It's gonna be all FMVed and shit, plus it's Team Ninja so it'll be all Japanese affectations up the butthole. I really don't want to watch the Resident Gaiden IV with space lasers movie, I'd rather play a new Metroid game.

It's funny, when retro started making prime every wap was all HURRRNOTJAPANESEENOUGH. Guess you
can't win with metroid.

[Nic Xtreme]

Other M makes me sad. Will not play.

"Oh noes a new 2D Metroid is coming out. Will not play."

[Vindik8or]

Yeah. That would explain why I didn't buy Metroid Fusion and didn't play it to death.

[AranchineD]

Uh, guys

It's not a '2D' Metroid

[aubergine]

My understanding is it's 2D like Shadow Complex is but you can switch to first person to scan.

[AranchineD]

And to lock on and to shoot.

And in 3rd person you aren't limited to the one plane of movement either

[aubergine]

Like in Golden Axe?

[banjoeskimo]

It's gonna be all FMVed and shit, plus it's Team Ninja so it'll be all Japanese affectations up the butthole. I really don't want to watch the Resident Gaiden IV with space lasers movie, I'd rather play a new Metroid game.

Well, you're not the only one who's concerned...

http://nerfnow.com/comic/image/259