Yves MakhoulNintendo. Changing the industry.. for the better?
February 21st 2010 09:07
The sales results for the Nintendo Wii speak for themselves. It’s popular. Very popular. However, popularity doesn’t necessarily translate to success for all parties involved. This includes the abundant number of willing third parties who have expanded the library of games for the system.
Time and time again a dedicated team will create something special for the Wii and yet no one will buy it. It’s been found that the only guaranteed success a developer will have with the Wii is if Mario and company are included on the cover. Whatever activity the team may be partaking in: golf, tennis, Olympics, parties, adventure – it all sells, and extremely well.
Take the new Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games which has sold six-million copies since its release in October. Or New Super Mario Bros. which has sold a breath-taking 10 million copies in 45 days of release. There’s no denying games can and do sell well on the Wii system.
In 2009, of the top-five games sold to a world-wide audience, four were Wii titles. None of them were third party titles from EA, Activision or Ubi Soft, all were first party titles from Nintendo. Wii Sports Resort, New Super Mario Bros., Wii Fit Plus and Wii Fit. The latter two being fitness software rather than traditional games (which cost far less to create).
So is it any wonder that third parties spend less time and resources on their Wii games? Any capable businessperson could see why. Unfortunately, this means that the Wii is not graced with games from third parties at the quality calibre of the 360 or PS3 – or if it does get a port of some sort, it always seems to be a rushed cash-in without the refinements of their sister versions.
The “old-school” Nintendo fans care about their plight, but Nintendo sure doesn’t. In fact the company has never made so much money in its lifetime and is currently sitting as the number two wealthiest Japanese company right behind Toyota.
If anything dear readers, Nintendo would be wise to continue on it’s current lucrative path without looking back at the days when games two sometimes five years to complete (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time). Sales have never been better, development times never shorter and development costs much cheaper than last generation. It’s a great business model. Even if the fans who made Nintendo what it is today have been forgotten..
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