A Possible Warning Sign

[Nester the Lark]

According to an article from CVG, Guichi Suda "51" claims that third party Wii games are selling very poorly both in and "outside" of Japan.

Perhaps he's a bit disappointed (and understandably so) that No More Heroes flopped over there. It's also not surprising (tho, unreasonable) that Nintendo's first party games are the main successes. However, I find it quite discouraging to think that even when Nintendo has a successful console on the market, third parties would still be unable to capitalize on it.

On the other hand, I've also heard reports that some third party games are doing quite well. Both Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles sold very well. Guitar Hero III is well on its way to becoming the first third party game to sell one million units (if it's not already there). Analyst Michael Pachter has even indicated that Guitar Hero III sends a message to the industry that third party games can be a hit on the Wii, and that EA missed the boat by not releasing Rock Band for the system. (In fact, it sounds like EA is seriously considering a port.)

Still, as a gamer who much prefers the so-called "hardcore" games over the utility software like Wii Fit that's becoming more and more prominent on the system, I find it hard to believe that Nintendo fans are still so unwilling to explore outside the sporadic Mario/Zelda/Metroid releases.

Some of you guys are really bad, y'know?

[Deleted]

Hahaha, it's true. I know if it weren't for the 3PS I wouldn't have started exploring outside my comfort zone and finding some gems in the desert, you know? Still, I hope this doesn't mean an ill tide for things to come; I'd much rather the Wii excel on all fronts.

[Fryguy64]

Gizza chance, Zack & Wiki only came out today over here

[Dry Mario]

In my defense I can only say that games are not cheap enough to allow me to buy 4 or 5 a year (even if I would like more). That few games have to be specifically choosen and only Nintendo games have a 97% chance of being fun and atractive. Other companies don't have the responsability of the console, they just make a software that could easily be a cash in attempt of exploting popularity. I have seen too many fiascos to trust any other gameing company outside Ninty.

[Nester the Lark]

sgtmajorkururu said:

I know if it weren't for the 3PS I wouldn't have started exploring outside my comfort zone and finding some gems in the desert, you know?

Wow, so you guys are still reading the 3PS? I was starting to think most of you had become blasé about it. Good to know it's still fulfilling its purpose.

gambler said:

In my defense I can only say that games are not cheap enough to allow me to buy 4 or 5 a year (even if I would like more). That few games have to be specifically choosen and only Nintendo games have a 97% chance of being fun and atractive. Other companies don't have the responsability of the console, they just make a software that could easily be a cash in attempt of exploting popularity. I have seen too many fiascos to trust any other gameing company outside Ninty.

I have to admit to being a gamer on a budget, myself, and I think it's a strong reason not to buy only Nintendo games.

Let me put it this way: playing nothing but Nintendo's games is like eating nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches every day, all year long. It doesn't matter how good that grilled cheese sandwich is, there's other food out there that--more often than you think--is just as good, if not better.

If you'll pardon a short rant...

I understand this is a Nintendo fan forum, and that Nintendo's games generally get higher review scores. That's absolutely no reason to short change good third party games, even if there are fewer of them.

I don't want to insult anyone's intelligence, but sometimes I wonder how many fans eagerly await, and eventually purchase, a game that they otherwise wouldn't show half as much interest in if it wasn't published by Nintendo. Smash Bros I understand, but Wii Fit? Simply being developed by Nintendo is not enough reason for me to buy it.

How much more interested do you think you would be in Zack & Wiki if the game, exactly as it is, was published by Nintendo instead of Capcom? I'm fairly certain it would be selling a lot better than it is, but we'll never know for sure.

[TV Eye]

Nester, you've got it all wrong (at least in my views).

I have no interest in buying a game like Wii Fit. That's not even a game really. I also have no desire to purchase Zack & Wiki, mainly because I have no idea what it is. There were no advertisements or anything. It was like a super secret game that you'd have to browse the internet to hear about it.

I play games that look good, but if I have no idea what the game plays like, or even looks like for that matter, I have no desire on spending my hard earned cash on it.

I trust Nintendo, and your grilled cheese analogy, though understandable, doesn't really help your point. What you were saying is that Nintendo makes only the same games. That's not true.

Let's continue with your analogy. Mario can represent a grilled cheese sandwich that tastes really good, Zelda can be represented by another food of choice, so can Pokemon, etc.

Nintendo games are all completely different, and each sequel doesn't follow the same exact pattern (Wind Waker and Mario Galaxy are examples).

Though I trust certain third party games to be amazing (Metal Gear Solid, and Sonic the Hedgehog to an extent) there are new ones that just don't get enough attention. And it is because of that, that I don't feel like giving them a try.

I hope what I said made sense, it sounded a lot better in my head

[Nester the Lark]

^ Well, the cheese sandwich analogy wasn't my best (I'm waiting for Fry to come in and say Nintendo is really fillet mignon), but let me try to rephrase what I was trying to say.

Nintendo's games have a certain style that they rarely deviate from. Furthermore, when you buy a new Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc., you pretty much know what you're getting. That's why a lot of us (including I) keep buying them.

But that's also the problem with them.

Good third party games can provide a different style and experience. Nintendo, itself, has stated that it needs to rely on third parties to provide the types of games that it isn't adept at.

And you're absolutely right about not being aware of what some third party games are. One of the reasons Zack & Wiki flopped is because few people know what it is.

Nintendo received some criticism last year for not promoting Metroid Prime 3 enough. However, even if Nintendo had published Zack & Wiki, I tend to think that that fact alone would have drawn people (ie. Nintendo fans) to learn more about it on their own.

[Wildcat]

Zack & Wiki is awesome. ^_^ An excellent point-and-click adventure.

Suda's comments are disheartening for me as well. It's a shame that Japan seemed quite...well, there's not really a nice way of putting it...completely ignored the game at release. He even went out to sign copies, and hardly anyone went. I'd be upset, too. I hope that it does well in the U.S. (alas, its release may not work out for me, but I do plan on getting it at some point).

I understand Nester's point quite well. I bought a PS2 not for Sony games (ouch...I do have a few, like the Sly Cooper series, both God of Wars, ICO, Rogue Galaxy and one of the Ratchets..) but for third party games, primarily RPG's and fighters, something the Gamecube was lacking a bit on. But when I reflect on what games for the DS I bought last year, only one (Hotel Dusk) was Nintendo-published. The rest (Phoenix Wright 2 and 3, Konami Arcade Hits, Contra 4, Lunar Knights, Bleach) were all third party. Currently for the Wii, I have 3 Nintendo titles (Wii Sports, Mario Galaxy and MP3) and 2 Capcom titles (RE4 and Zack & Wiki). Outside of Smash Bros. Brawl and Fire Emblem, I'm really jazzed about many third party titles (Baroque, Fragile, OPOONA, No More Heroes, Tales of Symphonia 2 and Pro Evolution Soccer are high up there) as well.

There's a ton of awesome games waiting around for you, and I think Nester's point was that we need to at least TRY them out and give them support. The Wii and DS are doing insanely well, and no one predicted their outcome to be so well-received (well, Nintendo probably did...). To keep that going, it'll take more than just playing Nintendo-developed titles. Renting games is easier now than ever thanks to Netflix and Blockbuster Online (although the availability of getting Wii titles is a bit of an iffy), and Nester (and I, since I like a ton of third party games too) will try earnestly to bring these games to your attention and offer up details and information on them. It rests on your shoulders to give them a shot.

[Nester the Lark]

Kotaku reports that Guichi Suda has stated that his comments about third party games on the Wii not selling were taken the wrong way. It seems what he was trying to say was that No More Heroes simply caters to a different type of audience.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that third party are selling well. However, as I pointed out in my first post, some are. Just not enough of them.

So, my apologies. Some of you aren't so bad.

[TV Eye]

I thought I'd bump this topic as something just occurred to me...

After reviewing sales for various third party games, it seems the worst in buying them is none other than Japan!
(Sales taken from VGChartz)

Sonic and the Secret Rings
Japan - 0.04 million
America - 0.44 million
Other - 0.77 million

No More Heroes
Japan - 0.04 m
America - 0.17 m
Other - 0.05 m

Just two examples, but I just wanted to point out, Japan needs to get their act straight.

Did you know that after the release of No More Heroes, Suda 51 held a signing where after twenty minutes, he did not receive a sale? His first sale was by a Famitsu rep! Japan! You're pissing me off!

[Deleted]

Bah, I have hope. But yet....

The whole reason the 3rd Parties are selling poorly is most likely because they don't know how to use the Wii motion control in just the right way. Unlike Nintendo, I mean, they created it

And there are also the games that completely avoid the motion control (Boogie and Guitar Hero, anyone?) which is half of what makes the wii worth playing.

[Da Robot]

tveye said:

After reviewing sales for various third party games, it seems the worst in buying them is none other than Japan!
(Sales taken from VGChartz)

Sonic and the Secret Rings
Japan - 0.04 million
America - 0.44 million
Other - 0.77 million

Recent Sonic games in Japan have always had poor sales. (Excludes SSBB and M&SatO).

starfoxroy said:

The whole reason the 3rd Parties are selling poorly is most likely because they don't know how to use the Wii motion control in just the right way. Unlike Nintendo, I mean, they created it

And there are also the games that completely avoid the motion control (Boogie and Guitar Hero, anyone?) which is half of what makes the wii worth playing.

The little understanding of the motion control is one reason, but it is getting better, the upcoming Boom Blox will be able to detect the amount of strength in your throw and the thrown object in the game will act accordingly.


Also Boogie does have motion control.

From Wikipedia.

"The dancing portion uses the Wii Remote and optionally the Nunchuk attachment. As the song plays, the player must move the remote left, right, down or up in time with the beat of the song to earn points."


Also I beilive GHIII uses the Wii Remote's accelerometer to activate star power when you tilt the guitar upright. You really can't have any more motion control than that for gameplay. It would just be unnecessary.

Though it would be cool to attach a rope/cord to the guitar and swing it above your head shouting "BABY! BABY! BABY! BABY! Like Homer does at that rock and roll camp on The Simpsons and have it happen in the game accordingly using the motion sensor technology. ;D

[kirbychu]

darobot said:

Recent Sonic games in Japan have always had poor sales. (Excludes SSBB and M&SatO).

Sonic games in Japan have always had relatively poor sales. Which makes me wonder why Japan gets all the decent merchandise.

[Sqrt2]

Apr 13, 2008 7:01:38 GMT -5 kirbychu said:

Which makes me wonder why Japan gets all the decent merchandise.

So that they can laugh at all us westerners, that's why. Although those of us who are lucky enough to live in the US DO get pre-order bonuses with certain games. *shakes fist angrily*

[Game Guru]

No More Heroes, like Killer 7, is a game very few people will buy. The problem here is that the third-party games people BOUGHT are still on the other two consoles, with exception to Resident Evil, Guitar Hero, and Sonic... and which third-party games sold really well. If only there was some way to get Rockstar to throw out a San Andreas Stories or Square to throw out a Final Fantasy game onto the Wii, we could then better judge.

I personally believe that most of this skewing the Wii towards so called 'non-gamers' is because Nintendo KNOWS it won't get a Final Fantasy or a Grand Theft Auto. Core gamers are much more likely to own a competing system and buy third-party games for that competing system. So what Nintendo does is make their OWN successful market and then convince the Final Fantasies and Grand Theft Autos to come to their console.