R.I.P. Sony

[Oblivion]

One thing that I don't get is how so many people see the Wii as a real threat to the kind of games that core videogamers want to play and the availability of those games on modern console and PC hardware.

I assume you meant 'how so many people DONT' see the wii as a real threat'.

A Nintendo console dominated future is a bleak, if not disastrous, future for third parties, and the third parties know it and the fact that the Wii is getting tablescrap support from those third parties is no coincidence.

With something like the PS3 or 360, third parties can take their marquee titles and beat out all but the most colossal of first party releases. On the Wii, a good third party effort can get demolished at retail by something as dumb and inane as Big Brain Training or Mario Party, because that's what people buy the system for-Nintendo games.

What was the last good third party game on the Wii?

[Cheebs]

One thing that I don't get is how so many people see the Wii as a real threat to the kind of games that core videogamers want to play and the availability of those games on modern console and PC hardware. A Nintendo console dominated future is a bleak, if not disastrous, future for third parties, and the third parties know it and the fact that the Wii is getting tablescrap support from those third parties is no coincidence.

If third parties are attempting to stop it from leading it has backfired horribly. Nintendo will rule this market with a iron fist, NES style unless something drastic happens.

Either third parties have to make up with their new overlord or lose money.

[futami]

One thing that I don't get is how so many people see the Wii as a real threat to the kind of games that core videogamers want to play and the availability of those games on modern console and PC hardware. A Nintendo console dominated future is a bleak, if not disastrous, future for third parties, and the third parties know it and the fact that the Wii is getting tablescrap support from those third parties is no coincidence.

With something like the PS3 or 360, third parties can take their marquee titles and beat out all but the most colossal of first party releases. On the Wii, a good third party effort can get demolished at retail by something as dumb and inane as Big Brain Training or Mario Party, because that's what people buy the system for-Nintendo games.

this is what i've always figured, and perhaps i am overreacting.

i truly believe that third parties, aware of what a wii dominated industry would mean for true gaming, won't accomodate nintendo.

let's hope we're right.

[Cheebs]

The thing is if true then it has little effect. This is not your gamecube's nintendo.

This is badass controlling the market power Nintendo of the NES era. A Nintendo that third parties FEARED. And it looks like unless a drastic extremely unlikely shift happens third parties will be in that world again.

[futami]

third parties can make enough money off of the 360 and ps3 (once its penetration increases). they can give the wii shovelware, which is exactly what a recent report suggested.

third parties don't HAVE to do anything for nintendo.

looking at the lineups, it's pretty clear third parties more interested in developing for the ps3 and 360.

[Himu]

You're forgetting that it's also a Nintendo that 3rd parties HATED. Do you know what devs had to do have a game on the NES during those days?

[Fragamemnon]

This is badass controlling the market power Nintendo of the NES era. A Nintendo that third parties FEARED. And it looks like unless a drastic extremely unlikely shift happens third parties will be in that world again.

See, the thing is that the Wii could have two times the userbase of the 360 and PS3 combined in the US (won't happen, though, and Japan doesn't matter to US third parties because it's not like they can sell their games there anyway) and third party games would still be a better prospect on those platforms. Especially if you're looking for the kind of breakout 3 million plus sold title-you'll never see a third party game on the Wii hit those numbers because of the demographic and brutal, uncaring first party competition. You can, however, pull it off on the PS3/360/PC triumvirate, where you have a more receptive userbase that buys more games, and far less first party competition.

I think a lot of people don't "get" what casual gamers buy when they buy Nintendo hardware. They buy Nintendo games, and they don't buy games nearly as often overall as 360/PS3 owners, save for the hardcore Nintendo manchildren.

The Wii can "win" and still lose in terms of third party support. It's not as simple as big sales leading to big third party investment, at least that's how I see it and how a lot of execs in the industry seem to see it.

[Oblivion]

This is badass controlling the market power Nintendo of the NES era. A Nintendo that third parties FEARED. And it looks like unless a drastic extremely unlikely shift happens third parties will be in that world again.

See, the thing is that the Wii could have two times the userbase of the 360 and PS3 combined in the US (won't happen, though, and Japan doesn't matter to US third parties because it's not like they can sell their games there anyway) and third party games would still be a better prospect on those platforms. Especially if you're looking for the kind of breakout 3 million plus sold title-you'll never see a third party game on the Wii hit those numbers because of the demographic and brutal, uncaring first party competition. You can, however, pull it off on the PS3/360/PC triumvirate, where you have a more receptive userbase that buys more games, and far less first party competition.

I think a lot of people don't "get" what casual gamers buy when they buy Nintendo hardware. They buy Nintendo games, and they don't buy games nearly as often overall as 360/PS3 owners, save for the hardcore Nintendo manchildren.

If third party devs make games that people want to buy, then they'll get a Wii or whatever console. I'm not inclined to believe the average Nintendo fanboy is any more discriminating than the average Sony or MS fanboy (as far as first party titles go).

[Fragamemnon]

If third party devs make games that people want to buy, then they'll get a Wii or whatever console. I'm not inclined to believe the average Nintendo fanboy is any more discriminating than the average Sony or MS fanboy (as far as first party titles go).

This isn't really about fanboys-it's about the demographic of the people buying the products. On the PS3/360 end, you've got a bunch of people-mostly males in their 20s and 30s-with plenty of disposable income who are buying the systems for the games and the whiz-bang tech, and wind up buying and playing a lot of games-they are enthusiasts.

A lot of the people buying the Wii right now are a different demographic entirely, and aren't going to be buying as many games as the 360/PS3 buyer will-and when they do buy a game, it'll in all likelyhood be a Nintendo one.

[Oblivion]

If third party devs make games that people want to buy, then they'll get a Wii or whatever console. I'm not inclined to believe the average Nintendo fanboy is any more discriminating than the average Sony or MS fanboy (as far as first party titles go).

A lot of the people buying the Wii right now are a different demographic entirely, and aren't going to be buying as many games as the 360/PS3 buyer will-and when they do buy a game, it'll in all likelyhood be a Nintendo one.

At this point, I would agree, if only for the fact that there are hardly any noteworthy third party titles have been announced on the Wii for people to bother getting excited for.

The point I'm trying to make here is that if/once a steady stream of third party titles start appearing, then those who aren't interested in Nintendo games will eventually get it.

Sure, Xbox360 games sell great. But come on, let's at least try and be fair. 360 gets Oblivion, Gears of War, and Lost Planet while Wii gets...SSX Blur? The reason you see Nintendo titles dominate most of the time is cause they're the ones that are usually done with any effort involved (yes, not all the time, obviously). Therefore, it only makes sense that the only game comparable to those 360 games that I mentioned is something like Zelda.

Then if you compare something like PS2 to GC, well then you're comparing a system that has over 3,000 games to one that has probably less than 500. Can you blame the demographics then?

Userbase --> Software ---> userbase. This has always been the case, and most likely always will be.

[tiesto]

What was the last good third party game on the Wii?

Kororinpa

[Oblivion]

Nintendo has been notoriously reluctant to pimp third party titles like Microsoft and Sony have because of their first party sales Oblivion.

I don't know, they tried with Red Steel at least. Even let it be the first Wii game revealed, while putting games like Galaxy as an afterthought (well, at E3 anyway).

[tiesto]

I expect Crystal Chronicles and Umbrella Chronicles to do really well, 3rd party wise. Like others said, the reason most 3rd party stuff doesn't sell on Wii (so far) is because the majority of it was halfassed. There wasn't any shortage of quality 3rd party software on either the NES or SNES now, was there?