Nintendo: Resources Shifted from DS to Wii
Third Party Wii situation will apparently change...
It also looks like Nintendo is shifting its development focus. While the company reports that its overall number of development teams has not changed significantly, it also states, "Presently the software development team of DS decreases, the software development team of Wii has increased."‡ The fact that Nintendo is shifting development resources towards the Wii probably isn't going to make third-party developers feel a whole lot better.
On the flipside, it could be seen as vindication of Nintendo's assertion that third parties get better at developing for its platforms. It's because of that, it could be argued, that Nintendo feels less of an urge to support the DS with software.
Despite this shift in software development focus, however, Nintendo states that it is addressing concerns that third-party games are not selling for the Wii (see our story on Killer 7 and No More Heroes developer, Giochi Suda as an example.)
A transcription† of the company's third-quarter report meeting reveals that Nintendo sees the problem identified as the Wii's youth. Apparently, because Nintendo developed the hardware, it's software wing has had an obvious - if short-term - advantage. Well, you can't really argue with the logic of that argument. It could appear to be a little parochial, however, not to have dealt some key third-parties in much earlier in the process.
"When we develop new hardware at Nintendo, we do so as a collaboration between the hardware development teams and the software development teams. Our software sales percentage is currently high because our internal teams teams know the Wii's special characteristics best, and they started development quite a bit before the Wii's release. However, we believe that eventually that will change", Nintendo said.
The company went on to compare the Wii to the DS, "If you look at the data for our third quarter you'll see that, out of the 14 Wii titles that shipped over a million units, 11 of those were our titles. However, if you look at the 50 titles that shipped over a million units on DS, only 28 of those are ours.
"We identified the same thing in the DS' first period, and the situation continues to change little by little. For the Wii too, we believe that as time passes, the proportion of high-selling titles that come from our licensees will increase."
Have you seen an improvement in third party titles for the Wii since it launched? Let us know in the Forum.
It was also reiterated that Nintendo aims to ship Wii Fitness outside Japan in Q1 - between April and June.
†Source: Develop
‡Source: Nintendo of Japan, translation by Babelfish
On the flipside, it could be seen as vindication of Nintendo's assertion that third parties get better at developing for its platforms. It's because of that, it could be argued, that Nintendo feels less of an urge to support the DS with software.
Despite this shift in software development focus, however, Nintendo states that it is addressing concerns that third-party games are not selling for the Wii (see our story on Killer 7 and No More Heroes developer, Giochi Suda as an example.)
A transcription† of the company's third-quarter report meeting reveals that Nintendo sees the problem identified as the Wii's youth. Apparently, because Nintendo developed the hardware, it's software wing has had an obvious - if short-term - advantage. Well, you can't really argue with the logic of that argument. It could appear to be a little parochial, however, not to have dealt some key third-parties in much earlier in the process.
"When we develop new hardware at Nintendo, we do so as a collaboration between the hardware development teams and the software development teams. Our software sales percentage is currently high because our internal teams teams know the Wii's special characteristics best, and they started development quite a bit before the Wii's release. However, we believe that eventually that will change", Nintendo said.
The company went on to compare the Wii to the DS, "If you look at the data for our third quarter you'll see that, out of the 14 Wii titles that shipped over a million units, 11 of those were our titles. However, if you look at the 50 titles that shipped over a million units on DS, only 28 of those are ours.
"We identified the same thing in the DS' first period, and the situation continues to change little by little. For the Wii too, we believe that as time passes, the proportion of high-selling titles that come from our licensees will increase."
Have you seen an improvement in third party titles for the Wii since it launched? Let us know in the Forum.
It was also reiterated that Nintendo aims to ship Wii Fitness outside Japan in Q1 - between April and June.
†Source: Develop
‡Source: Nintendo of Japan, translation by Babelfish
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Comments
deleted 29 Jan 2008 19:06
1/5
The problem for 3rd partys is a tough one, theres a good few million Wii`s out there and any 3rd party worth its shareholders knwos it should be amking games of rthe Wii, but if they dont sell very well do you make the decision to close your market to 17-18 and rising million customers?
I suspect the solution is easy enough, quality is whats needed, Nintendos games are selling because firstly they are inventing something new while injecting the old in for good measure they arent copying they are genuinly being inovative with their software, 3rd partys just arent investing they need to lead the way with new ways to control new game types,
Its no good doing cats and dogs 23 12 month after nintendogs or releasing toe training when ninty had already supplied the goods with big brain, 3rd partys new to be fresh,
Lets not forget this console is aimed at the causual market, unlike hardcores who order everything we can afford, casuals buy 1 maybe two games a quater if that sometimes, so something has to be sticking out off the shelf. hence Wii Fit coming how many 3rd partys will attempt to release something based on the board, maybe 3rd partys should be making their own accessories, mums and dads love gimmicks release a new gimmick every now and again and sell loads of it!
like i dont know, How about a Microsope Peripheral, you connect to your DS screen and using a combination of the Main TV and DS microscope, perform science experiments of some sort, or how about oh i dont know i dont work as a dev obviously
I suspect the solution is easy enough, quality is whats needed, Nintendos games are selling because firstly they are inventing something new while injecting the old in for good measure they arent copying they are genuinly being inovative with their software, 3rd partys just arent investing they need to lead the way with new ways to control new game types,
Its no good doing cats and dogs 23 12 month after nintendogs or releasing toe training when ninty had already supplied the goods with big brain, 3rd partys new to be fresh,
Lets not forget this console is aimed at the causual market, unlike hardcores who order everything we can afford, casuals buy 1 maybe two games a quater if that sometimes, so something has to be sticking out off the shelf. hence Wii Fit coming how many 3rd partys will attempt to release something based on the board, maybe 3rd partys should be making their own accessories, mums and dads love gimmicks release a new gimmick every now and again and sell loads of it!
like i dont know, How about a Microsope Peripheral, you connect to your DS screen and using a combination of the Main TV and DS microscope, perform science experiments of some sort, or how about oh i dont know i dont work as a dev obviously
Smelly 29 Jan 2008 22:08
2/5
I think it's blatently obvious why 3rd party games arent selling.
Look at them all.. a VAST majority of them are s**t mini game collections.
Perhaps if 3rd parties made GOOD games they'd sell?
Yes the majority of the top sellers are nintendo made, but nintendo seem to be the only ones releasing GOOD games on the platform.
Look at them all.. a VAST majority of them are s**t mini game collections.
Perhaps if 3rd parties made GOOD games they'd sell?
Yes the majority of the top sellers are nintendo made, but nintendo seem to be the only ones releasing GOOD games on the platform.
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Me 30 Jan 2008 03:46
3/5
I completely agree with Smelly!!! 3rd Party Devs just want to try to make a quick buck by assuming we are all stupid consumers and will buy what they make without checking it out first our talking to our friends or even renting it first!
Stop complaining 3rd Party Devs and deliver the goods! There are millions of Wiis out there all waiting for hardcore good quality games mine is one of them and yes I will buy your game if it is quality made!!!
MINIGAMES ARE NOT HARDCORE!!!!!!
Stop complaining 3rd Party Devs and deliver the goods! There are millions of Wiis out there all waiting for hardcore good quality games mine is one of them and yes I will buy your game if it is quality made!!!
MINIGAMES ARE NOT HARDCORE!!!!!!
OptimusP 30 Jan 2008 11:08
4/5
Some people have to understand that by labeling mini-games not hardcore they just labeled the entire catalog of '70s and 80's games and in some cases even 90's games (Sonic 1-4!) as not hardcore.
Or are they suddenly well hardcore? What is hardcore? Why can't emo's actually kill themselves instead of the attentionwhoring "attempts" to kill themselves...if you really want to kill yourself...how hard can it be!
Or are they suddenly well hardcore? What is hardcore? Why can't emo's actually kill themselves instead of the attentionwhoring "attempts" to kill themselves...if you really want to kill yourself...how hard can it be!
Me 31 Jan 2008 13:28
5/5
OptimusP wrote:
Some people have to understand that by labeling mini-games not hardcore they just labeled the entire catalog of '70s and 80's games and in some cases even 90's games (Sonic 1-4!) as not hardcore.
Or are they suddenly well hardcore? What is hardcore? Why can't emo's actually kill themselves instead of the attentionwhoring "attempts" to kill themselves...if you really want to kill yourself...how hard can it be!
Or are they suddenly well hardcore? What is hardcore? Why can't emo's actually kill themselves instead of the attentionwhoring "attempts" to kill themselves...if you really want to kill yourself...how hard can it be!
I just wanted to clarify that I did not mention graphic violence or wanton bloodspray are what's required to make a hardcore game. OptimusP you have no idea how old I am and I have no idea how old you are but, I was playing the games of the 70's,80's and yes even '90's. Let's just use the original PacMan, Loderunner, Donkey Kong, etc...no stupid heaping helpings of minigames built in, just one continous game that you had to progress through.
I even have nothing against mini-games, they are great for social gatherings! But it seems as if most devs simply believe they can slap some half-assed game together with crap graphics, a little waggle here, a little waggle there, and a smorgasboard of mini-games and we will all run in droves to the nearest game store to buy up the latest piece of crapware shoved on us.
Maybe spend a bit of time on the software developed for us Wii owners and give us a serious game with some decent graphics (the Wii is much more capable than is being demonstrated). No more re-hashes, ps2 ports, mini-game laden quickies!
I acually bought the wii because I have 2 young children so I wanted something the whole family can enjoy but also I did spend over $500 (including accessories) thinking I would have something I could enjoy as an adult as well.
So again ... come on Dev's and bring the games ... we are waiting to buy them!