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Third Parties Admit To Rough Times On Wii

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by Adam Biessener on January 11, 2010 at 02:50 PM
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Even if you make a great game, it's hard to gain traction on the Wii if you're not Nintendo. We saw it in 2009 with titles like MadWorld and The House of the Dead: Overkill, and the trend shows no signs of reversing.

In a fascinating article on industry news site Gamasutra, Paul Hyman explores the dichotomy of an immensely popular console that few can sell software for. Chris Kramer of Capcom and Wedbush Morgan's ever-loquacious analyst Michael Pachter lend insider perspectives to the phenomenon.

"[Zack & Wiki] was one of the highest-rated Wii games and was beloved by the media, it sold abysmally – about 120,000 units in 26 months – for no apparent reason," Kramer told Gamasutra. As discouraging as these results are, Capcom continues to show strong support for Nintendo's console with the Japanese release of Monster Hunter Tri and upcoming 2D fighter Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.

Hyman also notes that "stores like Target and Best Buy have reportedly told game publishers not to even bother approaching them with collections of mini games, which they will no longer pick up." While this may help curb the avalanche of shovelware for Wii, the reasons behind highly rated commercial failures go far beyond being lost in the shuffle.

Pachter's advice is simple: "Wii publishers need to concentrate on fewer games but games of higher quality." That'd be great news for consumers, though on the development side it's easier said than done.

How many of you have pulled out the wallet for critical darlings like MadWorld or Zack & Wiki? Honestly, now. We'll know if you're fibbing.

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  • by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 02:57 PM

    first

  •
    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 02:58 PM

    first

  •
    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:03 PM

    Good Wii games are usually suffocated in the crush of shovelware. Stem the tide, and the good games survive by getting some much-needed exposure

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:16 PM

    Honestly, the only reason i didnt pick up Madworld or HotD is because GameStop wouldnt let me without ID but i do pick up hardcore games for the wii whenever i go out there. I dont seem to have a problem with most of the games i buy... Exept Dragon Quest Swords inability to sense the correct motion and Baroque's convoluted plot.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:17 PM

    i have never bought a game for my gf's wii.  i've never been able to play it over my 360.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:22 PM

    I wish MadWorld was on the 360. Or is it?  Not saying that the Wii is a bad console, but MadWorld was wasted on that console because very few people picked it up!

  •
    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:31 PM

    I bought MadWorld on the first day and regretted it a day later.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:46 PM

    ehhhh sorry. I didnt get any of those. My definition of hardcore is anything made by nintendo. Any hardcore gamer just doesn't get a wii. Thats why i have one and a ps3.

  • by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:51 PM

    Not my cup of tea, really. (Or I didn't think they'd be, I could be wrong, I'll admit, if I bothered to play them).

    I did pick up "House of the Dead" though, because my GF loves zombie and horror movies, I figured she'd dig it. I haven't even had a chance to open it yet. She is all about the New Super Mario Bros. That, the Lego games, and Rock Band are all that really get any play on our Wii at all. (And I haven't even turned it on while she's been out of town the last week... although my PS3 has only had time to cool down because of this silly time between 9 and 5 when I'm expected to be in this here office place).

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:53 PM

    i have a wii for the wife and kids, i almost never touch it. sure the nintendo first party games are good, but the third party games suck really bad. that in my opinion is what makes a game system last long, alot of good third party development, without it a system is doomed to end up in pawnshops.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:56 PM

    Thing is, I don't remember hearing word one about these games UNTIL the press came back about how poorly they sold.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:56 PM

    zack and wiki was fun

  • by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:56 PM

    zack and wiki was fun

  • by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 03:58 PM

    I hope nintendo goes back to a "normal" system next time around. I think, no I know that the motion control based system hurt them. I have played Madworld and the other "Hardcore" games on the Wii, and I enjoyed them, but compared to 360 and PS3, it's no competition.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 04:00 PM

    "told game publishers not to even bother approaching them with collections of mini games" -- best news for a Wii owner ever. The SDK is s simplified and easy to use, which means third party users don't try past the very tiny learning curve Nintendo placed before them. Capcom needs to stick with it...they're all we have except few and far between first party gold

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 04:26 PM

    I've shelled out money for some third party wii games.  Not those though.

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    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 04:27 PM

    Bought MadWorld.

    Beat MadWorld

    Bloody Love MadWorld.

    Will keep MadWorld.

    I love hearing Bender talk to me in MadWorld (even though it is not bender, but the voice is his ;-) )

  •
    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 04:29 PM

    LOL

  •
    by Monday, January 11, 2010 at 04:42 PM

    I sold my Wii because of the very very very small portion of good titles on the Wii.  I will spend my money on good PS3 games

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