Aquamarine
Member
Don't make references to that site.
According to NPD figures, ZombiU barely sold over 100K in the 2012 USA Holiday Season (November + December).
What should have been a strong title...came out of the gate with a whimper.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Ubi - "Wii U owners don't buy AC", Watch_Dogs their last M-rated WiiU release.
- Thread starter Mushroomer25
- Start date
Don't make references to that site.
According to NPD figures, ZombiU barely sold over 100K in the 2012 USA Holiday Season (November + December).
What should have been a strong title...came out of the gate with a whimper.
The WiiU user base is quite narrow. I can only see diehard Nintendo fans, lots of disposable income video game enthusiasts and people who don't play anything except Mario Kart. Assassins Creed is more of a dude bro game when it comes down to it.
I can throw out some more video game subculture group titles if you want.
It ran worse than the 360 and PS3 versions, when it should have been better, and the lack of DLC was just horrific.
Though perhaps slap in the face was a poor choice of words for the quality of port, but it's certainly valid for the DLC.
SolidSnakex
Member
GC support wasn't nearly as bad as some seem to remember. Yes, it's true that they didn't get GTA. But they did get the usual games that you'd expect like EA's sports titles, UBI titles and a general assortment of multiplatform games like SoulCalibur, True Crime etc. It wasn't up to the level of the PS2 or Xbox, but it wasn't bad either.
The Wii U is really just on another level in terms of bad third party support. No other major console has had support that's this bad. And it should be a warning to Nintendo that if they want to continue to make consoles then they can't afford to do it on their own. They need third party developers. And they also need to accept that multiplatform games aren't bad.
Reviews killed the hype of ZombiU. IGN ran that preview calling it the Wii U's killer app and then review it giving it a 6. Lack of advertisement certainly did the game no favors when the only publicity were negative reviews - though some positive word of mouth was tossed on forums and some sites did review it favorably.
thenewjeva
Member
The reason why Mature-rated titles don't sell on Nintendo platforms is that Nintendo hasn't supported many Mature rated titles in the past. Nintendo has built their image around being family-friendly and have censored or ignored various Mature titles on their system. That might've been fine when the majority of gamers were younger, but now that more adults continue to play games, the lack of Mature titles is beginning to hurt them.
However, things have been getting better now that Nintendo is supporting Mature-rated titles like Bayonetta 2 and Devil's Third, but they need to take more steps in creating an ecosystem for Mature titles. Nintendo needs to create their own FPS and TPS games in order to compete against Sony and MS's titles. If their Japanese developers don't want to make these games, they need to set up some more Western studios in order to build these games for their system.
I really hope we don't get a lot of revisionist history on Ubisoft's ports all of a sudden being good or competent now that the quote from Ubisoft's president has come out.
Trevelyan9999
Banned
If Nintendo keeps absorbing second party, they won't need much third party on their next console. The Wii U is basically an exclusives console and it's pretty darn good at it so far.
Ubi, thanks for kind of trying but most saw this coming after the Rayman Legends 9 month delay when the Wii U was only on store shelves for 2 months. No chance.
Ubi, thanks for kind of trying but most saw this coming after the Rayman Legends 9 month delay when the Wii U was only on store shelves for 2 months. No chance.
metalslimer
Member
Shame. Wii U has basically killed any goodwill Nintendo had. It will be nearly impossible to win western 3rd parties back over in the near future.
Oh and here come the excuses as if a solid port would have done anything to prevent the AC series from being a complete dud on Wii U. Ubisoft has been one of the few western publishers to try with Nintendo through the years.
Oh and here come the excuses as if a solid port would have done anything to prevent the AC series from being a complete dud on Wii U. Ubisoft has been one of the few western publishers to try with Nintendo through the years.
The audience (18-34yr olds) for these games have been pretty much non existent on Nintendo consoles for years now. Nintendo will have to do that work themselves. Until then, news like this will be the norm.
This.
This.
andrerobot
Member
Thanks you Yves for being so brutally honest. I can only applaud you for trying.
That's why I'm weary of franchise revivals on the Wii U. I know rationally you can't expect games to sell gangbusters on a small install base, but it can't be comforting to see "Franchise X barelly sold 500k WW LTD", whether it's Metroid, FZero, Star Fox, etc...
reptilescorpio
Member
Smart thinking, can't fault them for that.
People bought Rayman Legends, I hope. I wonder if Nintendo fans would buy new Castlevania, Contra, Megaman or Street Fighter games? I sure would, but then W101 was like an awesome SNES game and that bombed. Modern third party titles seem to have little Nintendo fan appeal. I remember buying AC3 for Wii U and then thinking it didn't look right next to the rest of my Wii U collection. It just seemed like the sort of thing I'd buy on Steam.
JordanN
Banned
It's true, Gamecube was better. However, that doesn't take away Nintendo couldn't have done a lot more back then, which they could.
The move to use mini-discs was a pretty big F-U when the market leader (PS2) had DVD's. Developers were pulling support from Gamecube when they saw sales were horrid. Gamecube had next to no online whereas Xbox Live was signalling the future of games.
All this happened under Nintendo's watch while coming in close to last place that gen.
They didn't go after Wii and gave every bs excuse as to why they couldn't make decent port or original titles that weren't insulting to that fanbase. This company makes dumb decisions shooting themselves in the foot time and time again instead of actually realizing what makes them good is they have products that appeal to the audience of the platform. Ubisoft has talent they waste most of it on the platforms that aren't the main console of the generation with garbage ports or unwanted ports. The pr line reeks of entitled mindset where they think they deserve sales automatically instead of having a product that is worth it. Nintendo consumers and most video game consumers will buy what they like maybe this company should take the message but they have shown from GC to now they aren't going too.
There are lots of things to go after nintendo for, in regards to this company or EA it's not nintendo's fault.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
I'm more surprised that he confirmed that Watch Dogs is going to be realesed in the WiiU regardless of the expected abysmal sales.
Onion_Relish
Member
This is the only time I will actually agree with something Ubisoft said. Still boycotting them though.
metalslimer
Member
They are making games for the PS4? And yes, they are catering to the platforms where people buy the games that Ubisofts makes.
Well at a certain point, you'll lose more money by not releasing the game after the money you've spent developing it. It's probably going to be a pretty limited release stock wise though.
shame, but writing was on the wall with this one.
until nintendo themselves place significant emphasis on dudebro-ey, blood & guns titles, these kind of games will continue to do poorly on their systems.
the funding of bayo2 & devils third are good starts, but it needs to expand beyond that.
i have no doubt they will be good games, but what needs to be seen is the amount of effort nintendo will place on promoting them.
regardless, these games aren't assured to sell well, and will probably sell at a very lukewarm manner, but these kinds of games need to be seen as investments from nintendo (which i believe iwata does see them as). this isn't about immediate sales, but over time convincing the nintendo user base with the continued presence of these genres, that these kinds of games are growingly becoming an integral part of the nintendo game library.
you have to give it to nintendo when it comes to the colourful, family friendly game though. these kinds of games are so ingrained with the nintendo image, that even on a sales failure like the wiiu, games like sonic all stars & rayman legends still perform better than they did on the immeasurably larger user bases of the ps3 & 360… and furthermore the x1 & ps4.
by no means should nintendo 'give way' on holding on to these genres… they just need to find a way to increase mind-space for 'blood-games'.
until nintendo themselves place significant emphasis on dudebro-ey, blood & guns titles, these kind of games will continue to do poorly on their systems.
the funding of bayo2 & devils third are good starts, but it needs to expand beyond that.
i have no doubt they will be good games, but what needs to be seen is the amount of effort nintendo will place on promoting them.
regardless, these games aren't assured to sell well, and will probably sell at a very lukewarm manner, but these kinds of games need to be seen as investments from nintendo (which i believe iwata does see them as). this isn't about immediate sales, but over time convincing the nintendo user base with the continued presence of these genres, that these kinds of games are growingly becoming an integral part of the nintendo game library.
you have to give it to nintendo when it comes to the colourful, family friendly game though. these kinds of games are so ingrained with the nintendo image, that even on a sales failure like the wiiu, games like sonic all stars & rayman legends still perform better than they did on the immeasurably larger user bases of the ps3 & 360… and furthermore the x1 & ps4.
by no means should nintendo 'give way' on holding on to these genres… they just need to find a way to increase mind-space for 'blood-games'.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
Really dude?
OrbitalBeard
Member
Tried more than most third parties, sure. But compared to their strategy on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Ubi's efforts on Wii U were incredibly half-assed. I will give them a lot of credit for Zombi U though.
You know what he meant.
SwiftDeath
Member
Good news bad news I guess
Good news: Watch Dogs Wii U port will actually happen [it's good news as long as someone out there wants it, I'm pretty sure there has to be at least one right?]
Bad news: Ubisoft is done putting any mature games on the Wii U, which represent a good chunk of their output
Good news: Watch Dogs Wii U port will actually happen [it's good news as long as someone out there wants it, I'm pretty sure there has to be at least one right?]
Bad news: Ubisoft is done putting any mature games on the Wii U, which represent a good chunk of their output
Notorious_Roy
Member
Well, I bought ACIII, but thought is was crap. Didn't buy ACIV because of that.
I do have ZombiU and loved it, same goes for Splinter Cell Blacklist.
Child of Light didn't have the special edition, so I chose the PlayStation version. Watch Dogs is too late, played on PS4.
Also, where's Valiant Hearts. They treat WiiU gamers as second class gamers, it's partly their own fault.
I do have ZombiU and loved it, same goes for Splinter Cell Blacklist.
Child of Light didn't have the special edition, so I chose the PlayStation version. Watch Dogs is too late, played on PS4.
Also, where's Valiant Hearts. They treat WiiU gamers as second class gamers, it's partly their own fault.
Nintendo platforms will never ever get a mainline GTA from Rockstar and some M-rated games no matter how powerful ot successful the system may be in the future.
nephilimdj
Member
But surely you are taking the 3rd party exclusives for granted here? without platinum, sonic and mh3u its dreadful.
Exclusives are now slowing down and 3rd parties cannot fill the zoid
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Well when a sizable portion of your library can barely pass 50k units sold...
You can rationally expect it not to sell gangbusters. Or even gangwhimpers.
I'm pretty sure they're done with Rayman at least for a couple of years.
afaik Legends did not great.
It's about the WiiU owners and what they're buying, an insider once said that "Only Mario is selling on the WiiU" and when I decided to just look at the numbers and draw conclusions from the numbers, that was a correct observation. I don't think that's a situation Nintendo is pleased with, they'd want all the kinds of software they make, from party games to JRPGs, to be hits, and they of course couldn't express their creativity if they only had an audience that wanted the Mario franchise. So I understand that when it comes to the numbers and what the WiiU userbase is going to purchase, it will take Nintendo's own efforts to satisfy the mature audience (however small it is), that they have on the WiiU, and any third party games of that nature would need to come from some sort of incentivization or collaboration with funding from Nintendo's own wallet.
Ubisoft put games from a variety of their franchises on the WiiU, from fitness and family games, to Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell, and heck, they even made the exclusive ZombiU, they wanted to make money off of the WiiU, but the WiiU isn't making people as much money as they wanted, especially what Nintendo wanted: It is every platform holder's goal to be number one. They cannot be number one if the purchasing habits of their userbase on future platforms behaves the way they do on the WiiU.
Well, if they tough there was the same kind of audience that buys any crappy game just because of "edgy" marketing and over-user of "mature" themes (that appeals mostly to immature teenagers), they where completely wrong.
Not to mention that ZombieU was managed as a sub-B type project, project and product wise.
Not to mention that ZombieU was managed as a sub-B type project, project and product wise.
//DEVIL//
Member
i am surprised they lasted thing long. good for them. and smart move to be honest.
the main problem with Nintendo system that its expensive. from a hardware point only and not related to games, why would I buy an inferior console if I can just put another 100$ and get much much superior system ? " again I am not talking about the games"
Nintendo needs to advertise and attract the consumers. I do not have a WII U console yet. and I consider my self a hardcore gamer " I7 + R9 290 PC ", Xbox one and PS4 owner. not because I do not like Nintendo games, I love them very much. and so does my wife.. but the system is really expensive for what its offering. low rez resistive one touch screen and a system specs almost the same as PS3/X360 which is an 8 years tech.
at least with PS360 they have a huge library of games so a price of 200 or 220$ is a little bit justified. what is it the WII U is offering ?
I hope Nintendo would release a more powerful console than the PS4 next year with around the same price. if they do that. they really might have a chance to come back on top. since those multiplatform games will look better on that system. for the next 4 years at least. which will give them good sales revenue from third party and will give them a better reputation.
the main problem with Nintendo system that its expensive. from a hardware point only and not related to games, why would I buy an inferior console if I can just put another 100$ and get much much superior system ? " again I am not talking about the games"
Nintendo needs to advertise and attract the consumers. I do not have a WII U console yet. and I consider my self a hardcore gamer " I7 + R9 290 PC ", Xbox one and PS4 owner. not because I do not like Nintendo games, I love them very much. and so does my wife.. but the system is really expensive for what its offering. low rez resistive one touch screen and a system specs almost the same as PS3/X360 which is an 8 years tech.
at least with PS360 they have a huge library of games so a price of 200 or 220$ is a little bit justified. what is it the WII U is offering ?
I hope Nintendo would release a more powerful console than the PS4 next year with around the same price. if they do that. they really might have a chance to come back on top. since those multiplatform games will look better on that system. for the next 4 years at least. which will give them good sales revenue from third party and will give them a better reputation.
dunno. but seeing as rayman legends sold best on wiiu, it's likely.
put it this way, it would make LESS sense to not release it.
this is as much commentary on nintendo hold on the 'mascot' market, as it is about the abysmal job sony & especially microsft have done in trying to cater to the younger demographic.
metalslimer
Member
Not really. The entire post was kind of confusing to understand.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
Don't start this.
Mauricio_Magus
Banned
They tried and I appreciate it, sadly I don't care about their Mature offerings so I didn't buy any of those titles for my Wii U.
I will buy ZombiU someday.
I will buy ZombiU someday.
This. I had the thought recently that Nintendo should make the ultimate over-the-top dudebro shooter. It should be so mercilessly violent as to be comical. That's how they'd pull it off.
OverdriveOtaku
Member
I don't blame them for not putting AC on it. They tried, and they have the numbers to show that it's not what Wii U owners want. ZombiU was a great launch title and it still did bad for Ubi financially. I think they gave some good effort compared to some other 3rd parties.
After Splinter Cell's terrible port, I stopped caring about what Ubisoft did anyways. You can't put out broken old shit and then be mad no one wants it. How do you take out local coop on the coop machine? AC3 came out with broken MP, and Blacklists's was even worse. People on MiiVerse were already talking about not getting Watch Dogs because it's an online driven game. Maybe next time the community manager won't come and lie directly to their costumers faces. So sayonara to AAA Ubisoft, although I wonder why Valiant Hearts didn't get ported.
BinaryPork2737
Unconfirmed Member
You should, it usually sells for a low price, and it's a great survival horror game, especially for a launch title.
Well, at least it is now that the game breaking bugs have been patched out. Still salty about encountering one.
So instead of asking for clarifaction you make the point you did. Others got the gist of what I meant.
Someone else said it too Ubisoft efforts on nintendo platforms are half assed and not aimed at really reaching nintendo consumers. Ubisoft and most 3rd parties can keep whining about any nintendo platform but as long as they ignore the fact nintendo consumers are just that and treat them as if they are PS or Xbox types they will never make it. This is true from the PS era till now. Pithy enough?