It's time for third parties to make Wii their lead platform

Microsoft's Xbox 360 had a year's head start on the competition, and as its executives love to remind us, the bulk of all console sales during the last generation took place at $199 or less-the current entry-level price for 360. Sony was all set to achieve global domination coming off consecutive wins with PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Yet in just 24 months, Nintendo has blown past its rivals and continues to do so even though the 360 is now $50 cheaper than the Wii's suggested retail price. To put this Nintendominance in perspective, for the month of November, Wii (2.04 million) outsold Xbox 360 (836,000), PlayStation Portable (421,000), Playstation 3 (378,000), and PlayStation 2 (206,000) combined.

Now if that's Game Over as far as the console wars are concerned, why are the major developers and publishers continuing to spend the bulk of their budgets on Xbox 360, PS3, and high-end PC games? Part of it is because Nintendo's own games have historically dominated sales on its own platforms, and that's been true for Wii as well. Part of it is because the creatives and the suits at third-party publishers don't know how to address the expanded audience on the Wii; they've tried a number of things-some bad, some good-but many of their efforts have underperformed. Yet as Electronic Arts' well-publicized struggles demonstrate, the winner-take-all software market on 360, PS3, and high-end PC games can pose just as much risk to a publisher's bottom line.

Yes, the data show that the video-game industry's revenues continue to rise. But how sustainable is that when development budgets are tilted toward 360, PS3, and high-end PCs and away from the market-leading Wii and low-end PCs. If a remake of Resident Evil 4 sold extremely well on the Wii, surely there was an opportunity for Dead Space. The liberating sense of movement in Mirror's Edge could have translated well to the Wiimote and nunchuk. But because EA built those games for the top-of-the-line machines, the Wii wasn't even a possibility. So with Nintendo as top dog, I think it's time for publishers to throw it a much bigger bone by leading development on Wii, then up-porting the games to the more powerful systems, which should result in a larger addressable audience. (Hard-core gamers' flames coming in 3 … 2 … 1.)

[jcfilth]

Wii lead platform?? WTF??!?!

[Sayai jin]

Sure, let's see big hits like Dead Space, Bioshock, etc be put in for lead dev for the Wii. Later they will have to try to port it iver t the 360 and PS3. The game then arrives for both next gen (graphics wise) and 360 and PS3 owners are treated to those games in last gen graphics. Game play is important, but those who brought the PS3 or 360 want it all, cutting edge graphics, great game play, etc. There are a lot of Wii owners, I am one of them, but I would think most of them are not into these high profile games. I my be wrong, but thats just a thought.

[Menech]

What's the point if where going to use the Wii mite as well stop making the PS3 and 360 and switch back the the PS2 since its installer base is still bigger then the Wii's. And I was under the impression the 360 software sales still pound the Wii and that's all developers care about.

[ChickeyCantor]

" and switch back the the PS2 since its installer base is still bigger then the Wii's"

Maybe, but the PS2 didn't promote itself as the Wii does.
It's mainly the way you play a game, that's what got all these people to buy a Wii.

[Captain_Sony]

Sidar it is a waste of time. Too young to comprehend adult issues. Give him a few years then try.. HE might be able to comprehend by then but I already know from a previous thread that he is completely clueless and willing to spout just about anything to make himself look right

[Menech]

Am sorry captain_sony didn't know you where still in a temper tantrum from getting owned for your past moronic comment's. As for my comment about the PS2 I was just making a groundless sarcastic comment about the fact the user base ain't the be all and end all.

Sorry you wasn't smart enough to notice that. Am totally unaware of the reason you keep making me out to be a child. If am a child then your a chimp correct since am light years smarter then yourself.

[Captain_Sony]

Its ok kid I understand at 10 all you know how to do is insult and be a parrot repeating what you hear but not comprehending it. PS2 had such a huge install base it was the lead platform this gen even though it was way less powerful.. Now people expect the same this gen but of course being ignorant of the past means you want to argue things you have no clue about. Keep insulting because thats all you know how to do.. Just like when you couldnt comprehend that all consoles are toys. Just more and more examples piling up that prove you're more childish fanboy then gamer.
Also worry less about games and more about school. The proper word is "were" not "where". ALso "Sorry you wasnt" is very poor grammar. "Sorry you were not" is the proper way, Again though these are things you will learn when you are older. I consider you a child because you act like one. I hate to think there is actually an adult gamer out there that is as clueless as you are. I am at least trying to justify your stupidity with valid reasons.

[radzy]

i dont know why people still buy that piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Captain_Sony]

How is the name on the casual console of choice ruining the industry? I'll just assume you're a clueless SOny casual gamer who hasnt got a single clue what they are talking about and it just upset that its the Wii getting all the crap that was on PS2 last gen. I am sure if it was PS3 getting the crap from PS2, then you would feel the PS3 is saving gaming, but since it is the Wii and you're an idiot you might as well try to act like its hurting the industry.Sadly ignorance is the only reason anyone would feel as you do. MAybe you need bend over and pull your head out long enough to go back and look at the PS1,PS2 library and try to see how similar it is to Wii. Then maybe you can stop making stupid uninformed statements that only tell others you're an idiot and nothing else.

[Xbox Street Gang]

The wii is based around a gimmick. No one is going to make the wii their lead platform.

[Captain_Sony]

Might want to tell that line to EA because that is exactly what they are doing. Tigerwoods was built on Wii this year. Their new M+ Wii Tennis game is leading on Wii then going to PS3/360 6 months later.

[OGharryjoysticks]

Developers must continue to work with new technology that's able to provide the power to break the imaginary wall of belief otherwise they can stick with 8-bit game design.

[BeNice]

last I checked books are being printed on the same paper and aink as they have been for a few centuries hey but that's me maybe i'm misinformed.

And movies how come some of the best movies of all time are not the latest ones.The new star wars trilogy is an excellent example. Boasted better tech, better visulas, better action and stunts.....but it lacked a soul.The old trilogy had that depsite its definitely older visulas it still surpasses the latest trilogy.

Very few movies that copme out today actually boast substance.Transformers boasts extremly advanced CG stunts and what not but that movie is the most shallow thing you can watch.But take a step back and watch say the prestige or the departed which is done old school with no speical effects and its done oh so well.Wanted yet another example of extreme stunts and adrenalin puped movie no soul yet again.Thy are all forgettable movies.

How come people still admire and love those old 8-bit and 16-bit games? how come people still think final fantasy 7 andthe ones before that are the ebst final fantasy games? If technology helps make games better logically the best final fantasy games would be final fantasy 10 and 12 and the upcoming 13 right?

Metal gear solid 4 its another solid entry into the series but really does it do anything new? And given the time i am sure i can find aatleast a few thousand people that think metal gear solid 3 and maybe evne the first is the better game.

Video games aren't evolving.They are stagnating. Tell me what the difference is between call of duty or medla of honor or turok or halo or resistance.Yeah the storylines are different and what not ut the gameplasy at the center is the very same thing.

Almost every form of media evolves but they evolve what is important to their media form, what makes them distinct and makes them survive when a new day dawns. Tv shows have evolved to provide a greater variety and more movie-like shows because that's what their form of entertainment demands.The audience can only experience the visual and aural aspects nothing else os they are important.

Come to games, the element that makes the disteinct is gameplay, you can evolve gameplay that's it.better technology ahsn't led to different gameplay has it? The pc gaming market has stagnated essentially for the same reasons they improve tech constantly but it hasn't led to new types of games.The enw types of games on pc are on flash portals all over the web.They are games that are cheap to devleop, accesible to almost anyone and people take risks trying new gameplay.

Flash games are keeping pcs alive or relevant even against the console market. There was also a comment posted on another news post that the wii is competing with the ps2 , his argument was based on graphics. Well most people on here say that consoles are competing with pcs, how can that be right, pcs offer better online AND better graphics.So consoles can't compete with pcs in gaming, they can only ocmpete amongst themselves. Consoles will always be weaker because you can't upgrade them as pcs can constantly do that.

Now onto taking a step back in terms of tech, most of the successful games on the pcs are casual and games that are pretty graphically weak considering the available tech. How come starcraft is still amongst the most played games onlien, same with diable 2, unreal tournament the older ones, counter strike, World of warcraft?

Why don't people buy and play Crysis or Crysis warhead or Fallout 3 or Gta 4 or Assasin's creed or Devil may cry 4. Because htey demand too much from the user. Withe hte modern game sthey demnd spending time and money to upgrade hardware to be trun these games. two these games aren't going to be remembered(opinion I know,take it for what its worth) years form now. the aren't anything new.If they di try something new they faltered because they focused too much on the visual aspects.

Name games that have moved genre's forward because of tech this gen. Trust i would love to be proved wrong.

And on to why the wii should be the lead platform and why it will be whether you like it or not.The wii will win this console war. here are a few reasons and some other stuff as well i guess.

--If you examine the highly anticipated games on the wishlists of ps3 fans you'll find it dominated by first-party offerings.

Out of 24 million selling wii games 9 are third party. Out of 9 million selling games 2 are third party.The consoles i beign supported by firsst party efforts, now i am all fora console ahving excellent first party games. But eh problem with nintendo's earlier systems was exactly hat the ps3 is going through now. They were supported purely on nintendo's titles (n64 and gc). The 360 not so much its more like sony's older platforms but its has its flaws to.

--The wii cna sells jsut a few hundred thousand copies or a couple million and publishers get their money back.Thrid parties are making more games for the wii hardcore efforts. they are losing money on the hd consoles, Ea at this point is an excellent example. They will move their franchises over to the wii. Ea has already publicly stated that they bet on the wrong horse. If the world's biggest publisher backs your console that gotta be a plus.

--They can design games on the ii around the controller to utilize it and adapt it to the hd consoles for their contorls allowing for new gameplay elements.

--Cut it out with the wii fad thing its pointless. The industry changing, you can go with it and enjoy it or just whine and comlain and watch your consoles lose.

--i will bet .....my life on it that sony and microsft will come out wiht motion sensing controllers this gen or maybe next gen(more likely).But nintendo most likely won't do that for a reason. With wii motion plus the contorller has eprfect 1:1 motion sensing capabilities so it dooes not have to be upgraded.So next gen nintendo will again change the way you play games.How i am not sure and don't know.

Anyway i had fun typing that and i am sure non one will miss me but if idon't turn up again for while Merry christmas to all you guys who celebrate christmas and Hppay holidays to the rest of you.

[uckitsayitchbay]

TLDR

[Product]

@ BeNice
One of the best posts i have ever read on this site.Bubbles.

[Smacktard]

I don't think many serious multiplatform games are gonna be made with the Wii version as the leading version, but there's nothing wrong with this. I agree with it, actually.

It's up to developers to make games suited only to the Wii, instead. Look at 2009. It's gonna be a great year for Wii owners everywhere, because of all those wonderful-looking exclusives coming out.

Besides, nobody buys a specific console to play multiplatform games.

[Gr81]

How amusing, but really this was an inevitability. The DS went through the same sort of shunning earlier in its life, the same talk of graphics, and gimmicks, and fads. Now look at it, where is the psp? with all its superior tech and multimedia features? History repeats itself, and history shows us that the market leader gets the most attention, whether its welcomed or begrudgingly. The NES faced the same challenges, and guess what? Many of the franchises you fanboys adore were born during that era, metal gear? bionic commando?

EA made comments of how they bet on the wrong horse this gen, but they are taking measures to adjust resources. With high dev costs and diminishing returns, especially during economic times, many third parties cannot afford to not focus on the market leader. Even more enticing is the fact that soon Wii will account for 50% of the entire market, and it costs 1/3 the price to create a Wii game with a better chance of seeing profit? Focusing on the Wii is just sound business practice.

Ppl can moan, groan, b!tch, and complain. Go ahead and talk about graphics, history shows us the most powerful system never wins the war. Alot of fanboys say Wii is ruining gaming. Take away Wii's contribution and our industry would be looking like it is contracting, rather than expanding. Dev times and dev costs have skyrocketed with the adoption of HD, that is what can ruin gaming. Look to history.

Disagree all you want, live in fantasy land, but shareholders and company Ceo's that saw the november npd's would be pist as all hell as to why their company is neglecting a system that outsold every non Nintendo system combined. MH3, DQX, those are just the begining of a shift that happened during the n64/ps1 era and the psp/ds era.

Don't hate the messenger.

[Why o why]

an ACTUAL Nintendo fanboy, no offence. The only comparable thing about the wii and the other 2 is its a console but i would never compare a Jag or Lexus to a Pegeout or a Ford. The xbox is only comparable to the wii because it is actually cheaper so ill give you that but they are just not the same thing. Two HD consoles and 1 family console. Each serve a purpose and i am actually glad for the wii's existence so dont get me wrong. Many many future gamers first experience will have been on the wii and that can never be a bad thing for the industry. I also prefer the fact that the little ones will play mario first over a call of duty or devil may cry game.

[Tyetan]

The Wii is a fad, and a step back in technology. I think the other thing this guy is forgetting is that most software devs are hardcore gamers. They make games that they want to play, so they must not want to play games on the Wii.

[Captain_Sony]

You are an idiot and a step back in evolution..
Oh and it is also nice to know that you consider 60% of the features in the PS3 to be a step back.. Or in your crying rant did you neer stop to think that beyond Cell,Blu Ray nothing is in the PS3 that isnt in the Wii.. Good to know you think the PS3 is such outdated crap.

[solidjun5]

is the biggest piece of garbage on N4G? he's like a 2 year old.

[Voiceofreason]

Yeah you are the only one. I know I personal find him very amusing. He is only rude to the fanboys/stupid people who ignore history and or facts so if you dont act like a fanboy you have nothing to worry about.

[Tyetan]

Whoa whoa whoa, calm down Cap'n Sony. I think you need to take a step back and when you do so hopefully you're standing on the edge of a tall building. Bubbles for you solidjun5.

[solidjun5]

Listen, you can present your view but look at his history man. ^_^
That's straight up vicious.

[baum]

Captain Sony should rename himself to "captain Nintendo" seeing as he is just another Nintendo apologist in disguise. He said that Cell and Blu-ray are the only thing that separate PS3 from Wii (lol), even though the clock speed is way higher, it has nearly 6 times as much RAM, a huge HDD where Wii has none, HDMI 1.3, BUTTONS, a GPU that is way more powerful than any Wii component, and an online service that actually works for gaming, not that POS that makes Mario Kart and Smash Bros unplayable. Oh, and Friend Codes? LOL.

Anyway, the PS3 is way out of Wii's league, I don't think we'll ever see Wii games be as "epic" as those found on next-gen consoles unless they're made by Nintendo and have the words "Mario" or "Zelda" on them.

The Wii would have been a great console had it launched with DVD playing abilities alongside the PS2 and Xbox. I would have killed to have a Wii in 2001 with all the games it has now, after all it was feasible to do everything the Wii does back then. Barebones online service and graphics comparable to those of last-gen, the Wii is what the Gamecube should have been, not what Gamecube's successor should have been.

Games I have for Wii: Elebits, De Blob, Boom Blox, Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Fit, No More Heroes, Smash Bros Brawl (should be called Melee 1.5), Zelda TP, Paper Mario, Manhunt 2 and Red Steel. I'm looking forward to Mad World and Sadness. I still hate Nintendo's policy for re-doing last-gen instead of moving forward in every way.

[omegaheat]

Flames coming in 3....2....1 my a$$. I won't even give this blogger the satisfaction of me going to the sight to generate hits. Does anybody really think that Nintendo doesn't like the fact that it's own IPs and hardware are equally selling in the millions. Without the third party publishers, the Wii would be nothing more than a plug-in-play unit such as the Xavix console which had motion sensing way before the Nintendo Wii was introduced to the market. My son and I have a 360, but I bought the Wii because it's just as fun as my 360. The only problem with the thing is its no fun playing by yourself, and there's no arguing there. The 360 is a pure gaming machine catering to people who want a cinematic interaction. The Wii's strength is fun competition in your living room and a chance for the women of the house to actually want to get involved with a videogame. Women don't seem to find the Wii as a threat to the relationship because they like to be involved with it more than traditional gaming consoles. They think the Wii was made for them. I am so glad the Wii came out and expanded the market. Now videogaming is destined to become the respectable industry it deserves just as movies are.

[Captain_Sony]

EA already uses the Wii as the lead platform for some of their games.. Kinda late to the game but I understand. Few people that call themselves gamers actually know what EA said a few months back.They'd rather just be the trolls they are and spout the same BS over and over again.. Its easy to prove that Wii has sold more software then the 360 did in 3 years. Yet someone actually wants to bring up sales like they have some kind of valid point.. It is only a valid point when you do not have a clue what you are talking about.
Nintendo released data a few months back that proved they sold more 3rd party games in their first 20 months on the market then the 360 managed in the same time frame

[YeOldeGamer]

...except for when it comes to advertising, in which case, they're afraid to show Wii footage to the consumer. :)

[r-nice]

I don't think so. They do better on 360/PS3. This is a stupid idea.

[heroicjanitor]

Can you imagine how much that would ruin the game for the good consoles? It's ridiculous.

[DiabloRising]

The question is, are the BULK of Wii owners going to WANT third party titles that are designed for the "more hardcore?" Would a title like Mirror's Edge sell to Nintendo's fanbase? Didn't No More Heroes end up doing pretty poorly? You have to look at who your market is, as well as sales. Sure, hardcore gamers exist on the Wii as well, but where is the bulk of their audience?

Yes, sales are important, and yes, history shows that Nintendo's titles destroy the competition's on their own systems.

If all devs are doing is making Carnival Games or Wii Sports... well.. where is the artistic vision? I would hope games still balance vision and technical strides with the common practices of business like easy money.

[Voiceofreason]

NMH was Suda 51 best selling game and the only one to warrant a sequel. Do you really think they would announce a sequel to it if it was a complete flop like you claim? It is very odd to me that 90% of the people that want to talk about Wii sales have no idea what they are talking about.

[DiabloRising]

Someone's a little touchy. I was literally asking, as I don't remember hearing much about it. Nor do I ever claim it is a "flop."

Grow up.

[Mahr]

"The question is, are the BULK of Wii owners going to WANT third party titles that are designed for the "more hardcore?"

I'm a little puzzled. Why should that be relevant? From a financial point of view, the Wii install base is large enough so that even a small fraction still equates to a sizable number of customers.

For instance, if we assume very conservatively that only one-tenth of the thirty million Wii owners fall into the 'hardcore' or whatever category, that's still 3 million in potential customers, which is not an unrespectable number of people.

"Would a title like Mirror's Edge sell to Nintendo's fanbase?"

Hopefully not, given that it's not a very good game in my view.

"You have to look at who your market is, as well as sales. Sure, hardcore gamers exist on the Wii as well, but where is the bulk of their audience?"

Well, from a purely commercial standpoint, Resident Evil 4's sales were not significantly different from those of Carnival games-- but that's beyond the point.

The problem with this sort of thinking is that it is quite possible for games to be successful without selling a GTA-esque number of copies. A lot of games don't even need to move a half a million copies to be successful (although if they're from an enormous studio a la Rockstar, then the odds of that are small).

"If all devs are doing is making Carnival Games or Wii Sports... well.. where is the artistic vision?"

In games like World of Goo, De Blob, Lost Winds, Boom Blox, No More Heroes -- the first of which is very likely a success, the latter four of which have been called successes by the people who developed them, and all of which are the kinds of games that we need more of.

[Gr81]

And so it begins, the ill informed going to spout more nonsense that cannot be backed up with anything other than blind fanboyism. NMH was suda's best selling game..EVER, there is a sequel coming out, when has a sequel been planned for a bomb? You think another Ninja gaiden or too human or haze or LBP is going to be made for the HD systems? See I can cherry pick too.

Tiger Woods sells best on Wii as does Guitar Hero, the games that have effort behind them will sell. Name ONE third party effort on Wii worthy of the "AAA" level of quality, that bombed on the Wii....I'm waiting...When that game comes and the sales don't follow then they can talk. Facts have shown that Wii third party software in the US has sold more in the first20 months than 360 has during the same time frame..And this is without the real quality effort. That says it all.

Keep crying the bitter tears, its good entertainment. You expect third parties to ignore the market leader for much longer? Only if they don't plan on being around much longer would they be stupid enough to do so. The only system in trouble of losing 3rd party support is the PS3, The Wii sales in the US alone is greater than the WW sales of PS3, "nuff said.

@BeNice
Excellent post, your presence will be missed, enjoy the holidays.

[iceman2885]

In your argument for making the Wii the lead platform you make a valid argument as to why developers don't make Wii the lead platform. How you ask, if these 3rd party games released for the Wii that were originally developed with the 360/ps3 as the lead console already sale so much better, what incentive is their for the company to make the Wii the lead?

These are businesses, it all about maximizing profits. So you tell me, what's better out of these 2 scenarios.
(a) Develop the game for Wii and sell very well but have that game not sell well at all on the hd consoles because the port to ps3/360 will lack the quality of a game developed with the hd consoles as lead.
-or-
(b) Develop a game with hd consoles as lead, sell well to very good, and port the game to Wii, where it will also sell very well.

Seems, like a no brainer to me.

[UltimateIdiot911]

Sorry, but I disagree. Look at many of the Wii games. You can get them for $10 easily many of the times. If many of these hardcore games uses the Wii as a lead console, then I would expect many of the games (using Wii as lead) to fall down to the $10 range otherwise I would not buy. If enough gamers demand quality and refuse to buy crap games, then ultimately, the poor sales will force developers to stop using the Wii as a lead console. When I pay $60 for a game, I expect more and I'm sure those who purchase a 360 and PS3 expect good graphics. Many of my gamer friends who bought a Wii stopped playing after 2 months and just stop buying games because their is nothing hardcore enough for them. One of my friend, who's quite faithful to his Wii, is considering on buying a 360 or PS3 just to satisfy his hardcore needs.
I am quite sick of the games on the Wii when all you do is swing around and hope for the best. I have friends who just touch a Wii and do really because they can swing like an idiot better than me? Seriously, I don't know many people who touches the Wii after 2 months. The reason why Wii is still making a good amount of sale on games is because new soccer moms keeping purchasing the Wii and during those honeymoon period, we go people buying games. After that, who cares abou the wii except when friends are over.
Like Kojima said, as long as there is demand for hardcore games, there will be developers answering to the hardcore crowd.

[Voiceofreason]

I was going to ask where you got the idea that Wii games only cost 10.00 then I read your name and it all makes sense now.I give you props for being honest even if a little clueless on gaming

[UltimateIdiot911]

Not all Wii games, but a good amount. I use sites like slickdeals and cheapassgamers.
One of the reasons why I made this sn is because I want to see how many people like you always judging someone by a name.

[iceman2885]

It's much easier to dumb a game down than to 'upconvert' a game. It saves developers money to make a game with 360/ps3 as the lead, then dumb it down for the Wii than it would for them to make the game for the wii, then 'spruce' it up to compete with other games developed with 360/ps3 as the lead.

[blackskimmer]

So lets take the only platform that core gamers have abandoned and that core software has abandoned and lets make it lead platform for MGS5. Lets FORCE core gamers to play in sub-1994 graphics with an miserable online experience and limit them to a inaccurate motion controllers. WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA!

[Nitrowolf2]

No they shouldn't at all.
I think its best if they lead on 360/PS3. They Wii lead would only make the other look bad. They can save the wii for last

[proArchy]

...no

There's a reason the Wii version of Ghostbusters is a cartoony cutesy looking game while the PS3/360 version is based on graphical realism with a physics/destruction engine to match: the Wii can't handle these things. I don't want my PS3 game crammed into Wii specs, and then hammered back out to be ported into HD, that is just ridiculous. Do you start developing a PS3 game on PS2? 360 games on xBox? No, because it doesn't make sense. This is so far detached from the PS3/360 as lead platform argument that I had to go to last-gen to make a proper comparison. Wii is NOT in the same class of hardware as PS3/360 and the games (except most downloadable titles) will never be either.

[Voiceofreason]

Havoc physics are not only in Wii games but also in PS2 games.....There is also a reason SHaun White takes a different approach and is scoring higher on Wii then on the 360 and PS3. HD graphics do not make a better game.. You do know the highest rated games this gen are on Wii? I mean you try to make a good point but fail because there are so many things you do not know.

[proArchy]

Yes you can put Havok on any of the three, but you can't push physics (even the Havok engine)on the Wii as far as the other two consoles can be pushed and don't even try to convince me you can. I didn't say anything about better graphics make better games, that's nonsense. For every Shaun White's Snowboarding I can hand you two other games that have gone the other direction. Plus the gap there is not groundbreaking or massive: .30mil-Wii, .21mil-360, .16mil-PS3. Looks to me its not selling phenomenally on any system.
Highest rated games? According to Metacritic: 47% of PS3, 39% of 360 games, and a wopping 20% of Wii games score above 75. So no, you're wrong about that.
Highest selling? Yeah I can't argue with that. Wii does have the top 5, but if you notice, they are all 1st party Nintendo games, and this article/comment thread is about 3rd party developers of which you will only find 4 of in the top 50 for Wii games.

Look, I'm not slamming the Wii, and I apologize if you took it that way. The Wii is a great system that gives developers a chance to take a completely different approach to game design. Its dependable hardware, and a lot of the games are great fun. You can't hate on Nintendo for being Nintendo. What I was saying though, is that the Wii is not capable of what the other two consoles are capable of, and that is an indisputable fact not a fanboy insult. When it comes to lead platform, it makes no sense to lead on a system that can only output less than 1/3 of the polygons when you're going to have to make hi-res versions of all your models after. Making a low-res model/texture from a hi-res model/texture is as easy as pushing a button. The other way around? Not so much.
Check yourself before you call someone else you don't know ignorant.

[Gr81]

They will make the Wii the lead platform is the very reason you mentioned ice. PROFIT. Isn't it strange that revenue for the HD software is up, but profits aren't? Companies are bleeding money, imagine making a hit game, sell millions of copies, and barely break even, or not break even at all. That is what is happening, from a business perspective and common sense one at this point, Wii makes the most sense.

But its cool what do I know, I'm just a dellusional "fanboy" right? Nevermind the fact that I bought a 360 (that m$ refused to repair w/o $$$) and have been gaming since the Atari 2600. This is all inevitable, you'll all see in a few years, and all this fanboy talk and "Wii graphics, fad" and the like will look even more ridiculous in hindsight.

How do I know how this will all turn out? Well I actaully listen to a fortune teller, her name is History. She's seen this all happen before.

@WhyOWhy: Why Oh Why are you still using the lame car analogies? give it a rest my man, And if you are going to call me out, give a better effort in your reply next time. I definitely had a good laugh though "An ACTUAL Nintendo fanboy" Are you talking to me? Are you talkin to me?! Well if you are, also stop with the whole "not competing with each other" The only instance in which that is true is if you mean because the "Wii is outselling the competition so incredibly, there is no competition" Then you are right, but if its not competing because of graphical capabilities...Get a new shtick.

[proArchy]

The high revenue/low profit scenario you bring up is an effect of technological evolution. It always happens to some degree when consoles reach their next-generation. The deficit also grows in size with the spec increase. Its a symptom of studios being forced to build new engines, and animation/sound/visual/network /etc techs to fit the new specs. Its a transitional phase that happens every generation with all things technological, and the general response from the industry is to push forward into the future not recoil into the past.
Your point becomes false when you look at sales of third party exclusive games on the Wii. They tend to sell like crap. Many of them are super low budget, and perhaps manage to eke out a profit, but for the most part are received with poor sales. I could also pretty much guarantee that most games when released on all 3 systems will sell the worst on Wii. Look at COD5: 360 - 2.7m, PS3 - 1.5m, Wii - .2m

So from a buisiness standpoint wouldn't it make sense to cater to those that sell the most?

[Voiceofreason]

proArchy, I think you seem to be missing a couple of facts that make your point worthless. First off the myth that 3rd party games do not sell on Wii is just that a myth. Either google it or something but it is time to stop using excuses that were proven wrong well over a year ago. Do we really need to bring up RE4 selling better on Wii with 15 million install base compared to PS2 with 100m? Same can be said for Okami. Also GH sales better on Wii than any other platform.Suda 51 has seen more success on Wii with 15 million sold then they did on PS2 with 100 million sold. Half of the million sellers on Wii are 3rd party games.
It is time for you to update your info because it is very outdated. Everything in this post can be found online so you no longer have an excuse to keep using outdated fabrications

[proArchy]

Please VoiceOfReason, share this magical source of super-current information with me. All the data I presented was directly from VGchartz and Metacritic, and you can double check everything for its accuracy, even the fact that RE4 sold 1.65m on Wii and 2.71m on PS2. That's very close to comparable with a 120m base on Ps2 and 45m on Wii. Oh, no bubbles? sad, here's one.

[Socomer 1979]

they only need the wii.
only xboxers bought a 360 to replace thier broken ones.
and
400,000 more people have awakekened in November.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

Now the greedy devs are gonna be forced to work on the wii.
justice is served.

[poeo]

i WISH third parties focused more on the Wii, so there wouldn't be so g*ddamn many awesome PS3 (and 360 too but i dont own one) games. i really don't have the time to play every game i want to :/

yeah i know i'm just being selfish, but please developers, don't flood the market with too many amazing PS3/360 games in 2009, thanks.

[GunPants]

If dead space had been on the wii for $50 I would have bought it day one. Loved re4 on wii. Dead space though looking great didn't "feel" as good as re4 on wii.

[xwabbit]

This would be dumb if they did it

[stonecold3]

as the wii just dosent have the next gen graphical power like the ps3 and xbox 360 thas why the wii will struggle in 09 and the software could be a drought year for nintendo and we only know so far sony has there biggest hit arriving in 09 xbox360 will have some gamesbut m$dont say much what there line up is for 09 yet and with a few price drops i n 09 i think in sales wise the ps3 will out pace the wii but first it will outsell xbox360 next year and a lot of people are waiting for tht price drop to happen then the sales of the ps3 sales will out grow the wii in numbers its only matter time

[Gr81]

You are one of the most clueless posters I've seen today. And since this is my last bubble; Anyone who did not see this becoming an inevitable eventuality is living in fantasy land.

Keep clinging to beliefs that Wii doesn't sell 3rd party software, or its a fad, this is fine, but is baseless when it comes to facts.

[UltimateIdiot911]

Nintendo will then pull the "Wii got color" trick and surprise surprise, sales will shoot again....sadly....

[gano]

It's a trap.

[Reibooi]

I still think the Wii is more of a Gimmick. Sure there are a few fun games to play on it but the vast majority of games would be better and more fun to play had they used a normal control scheme that the PS3 and XBox 360 allow. It's common knowledge that the Wii is the home to 90% of the shovel ware this generation and REAL games would be lost among the flood of crap were they made for the Wii in large numbers.

You also have to keep in mind that though there are far more Wii's out there then PS3's and 360's a large number of those is of people who bought the Wii seeing as nothing more then a toy and therefore would not care if games were lead on the Wii or not so this is kind of pointless.

[PooEgg]

I have a Wii, and I really like it, however I have to agree that it's controller is a fad. Personally, it is the only thing that I dislike about the system. Although it is fine if you are playing a sports game like tennis or a fishing game, but trying to play a normal game for any extended period really sucks. After playing Tales of Symphonia or Fire Emblem for a few hours I just want to throw the Wiimote across the room, because my hands felt so cramped up. I would say that the controller is both a blessing and a curse for Nintendo.

[Dark General]

Oy. Biggest problem? Even though the Wii is in the most consumer homes most of those consumers are casual gamers. They buy what they see on tv for their wii (more or less). Just look at the numbers for more hardcore games like No More Hero's. Terrible sales. That was a hardcore game on the wii, same for Zack and Wiki (despite it's casual appeal in look). BioShock, OB, Mirrors Edge (which was listed in the article as well) just wouldn't fit in with the image of the Wii.

The Wii is seen more as a family console. Hell do people forget it was a "outrage" that Wii would allow a paripheral that was shaped like a gun? Let alone a game that had REAL violence or mature themes in it. Nintendo has sort of painted itself in that corner as far as appeal goes. Making games lead on those platforms would not only dumb down the product for the target audience dev's are REALLY aiming for but the numbers on the Wii versions i'm sure really wouldn't pan out that great. Specially for game series that's NOT GTA, CoD or whatever is the hot name at the time.

And before anyone says "Bu bu but the Ps2 was the lead platform last gen". There's a difference between that and the Wii of the current gen. There's a HUGE difference in processing and graphical prowess between the Wii and the Ps3 and 360. There wasn't such a huge leap in between power of all three systems last gen.

[Asurastrike]

If everything was lead developed on Wii, why not just make it for PS2?

[Product]

I honestly think the formula that is working is get two different studios to work on multiplat games.
You have one studio who works on the wii version building it to fit what the wii is capable of and the other studio to make for the hd consoles.I feel this is the best all of us can hope for.Its workign to when you compare Shaun White or Tiger Woods.Those two games share common ground but in the end are two different approaches to the same game.The wii doesnt have the most power...work around it and make the controls great..The ps360 doesnt have the wii's control so make it beautiful.All in all i feel everybody will be happy if games are made in this manner.Then no one would really be the lead platform because everything is getting special care to make it great on said console.

[Vizion26]

Oh the myth that Wii Third Party software doesn't sell well still persists. Why oh why don't people do research before spouting nonsense? Well, time to debunk the myth... again.

http://www.gamedaily.com/ar...

"the first 20 months on the market for each console the Wii comparatively sold several million more units of third-party software in the U.S. than either the Xbox 360 or PS3. More specifically, the Wii sold 33 million units of third-party software in its first 20 months, while the Xbox 360 sold 29 million units and the PS3 sold 20 million units."

Now that out of the way. If companies want to stay afloat they better support the Wii as the lead platform. It already has almost 50% install base and it is expanding much faster than its rivals. Moreover, with the comparatively low cost of development it will be easier for third parties to make healthy profits.

Companies that have concentrated on big bugdet games to target a very narrow graphic of 14 - 25 males has put them in financial trouble. For instance, Midway (Midway closes Austin studio, reduces total workforce by 25%.) , Atari/Infogrames (Atari ousts board of directors, lays of 20% of workforce.), SCi/Eidos (Eidos cuts workforce by 25%, cans 14 projects.), THQ ((THQ closes 5 studios, reduces workforce in 2 others.), Take 2, Electronic Arts (Electronic Arts warns of further losses, likely more job cuts) and likely LucasArts (Lucasarts lays off 100 workers).

They have NO CHOICE but to support the Wii and stop or reduce making high budget games which carries a lot of financial risks. The fact is the "core" gaming market has contracted or stayed the same, while cost of games have increased greatly which means lower profit margins or no profits at all.

Some of you can complain and moan all you want about the Wii, but whether you like it or not, the Wii will be leading platform for third parties. Third parties are going to shift a lot more of the resources into Wii. It has already happened with Japanese companies with DX 10 and Monster Hunter 3 for the. 2009 is going one very awesome year for the Wii as far as quality software is concerned.

[Dark General]

It's not a question of "Do 3rd party titles sell on the Wii". They do but what TYPE of third party sell on the Wii. Look beyond just the numbers. Look at the demographic and appeal on the games that is selling like gangbusters for the Wii. GH, Sonic, Raving Rabbids just to name a few are colossal sellers on the Wii. All third party. But look at the appeal of those games. Those aren't going after the exact same people who buys Bioshock, Uncharted, Fable etc.

Just take a look at the top sellers for the Wii so far http://en.wikipedia.org/wik... Look at that list. Those games aren't exactly in the same category as some of the more mature themed games. And there lies the "Hardcore games don't sell that great on Wii" comment.

[Mahr]

"Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (1.4 million)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (1.31 million)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (1.2 million)
Sonic and the Secret Rings (1.2 million)
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (1.15 million
Red Steel (1 million)"

[Dark General]

Metroid Prime is first party. Raving Rabbids and Sonic doesn't cater to the same demographic i was talking about. You also forgot to list Guitar Hero.

[Mahr]

"You also forgot to list Guitar Hero."

Fair enough.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2 million).

"Metroid Prime is first party."

And? Are you saying that it's a game for the Raving Rabbids mini-game crowd?

"Raving Rabbids and Sonic doesn't cater to the same demographic i was talking about."

Where did I say that they did?

You asked to look at what type of games sell on the Wii, presumably because sales indicate the type of people who own Wiis.

I'm simply pointing out that there is not a significant difference between the 'colossal' sales of games like Guitar Hero/Sonic/Rayman and the sales of games like Prime, Resident Evil, Etc.