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[Steve Youngblood]

It selling selling more that the PS4 and the Xbox One.

EA (and others) are betting on future things to decide to drop something they could make money on currently

I personally think that we need to disavow ourselves of the notion that the risk of gambling on the future somehow means that backing the Wii U because it is currently out is the smart play. It may be true that the PS4 and Xbox One might both flop and that publishers will lose money chasing the "more power!!!" pipe dream. However, that doesn't mean that they're fools for not giving the Wii U strong support given that there is actual data one can look at to ascertain that there currently isn't a ton of potential in that market either.

 

[frankie_baby]

Lets not create vengeful rhetoric just because it fits a narrative.

EA ditched Nintendo because their new games weren't selling shit, before they could even get to the concern of used games.

even EA cant have been too stupid to actually think the games they put out would actually sell anything

madden - late & gimped
fifa - late & gimped
mass effect 3 - were they taking the piss?
need for speed - shame it didnt sell more but late, more expensive than the other versions were easily available for and might have helped if they actually shipped any copies to retailers

 

[Malvingt2]

this is possible...

 

[Kimawolf]

I personally think that we need to disavow ourselves of the notion that the risk of gambling on the future somehow means that backing the Wii U because it is currently out is the smart play. It may be true that the PS4 and Xbox One might both flop and that publishers will lose money chasing the "more power!!!" pipe dream. However, that doesn't mean that they're fools for not giving the Wii U strong support given that there is actual data one can look at to ascertain that there currently isn't a ton of potential in that market either.

I think most publishers have taken a rightly measured look at the Wii U. and EA ditched it because yeah, Nintendo isn't going down that path, but it is a double edged sword, on one hand its great, but on the other, no online pass/used game crap means less games because publishers WANT it in.

 

[jmood88]

Nintendo Wii U will probably be the last bastion of hope for gamers and in the end of the day will win the gamers heart

Except for the whole "games people want to play" part.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

one of many reasons I would think

but hope Nintendo never caves even though I don't buy used games much or sell my stuff

 

[fabricated backlash]

what? Authors don't get "cuts" of used book sales. movies studios either. So why should gaming be different? Its that kind of mentality that is why MS and others can screw gamers every chance they get.

This shit flies because most gamers have no spine to call their own. For the sake of simple entertainment they throw away their consumer rights and kiss the ground their content providers walk on.

 

[Good Job Bob]

Nintendo Wii U will probably be the last bastion of hope for gamers and in the end of the day will win the gamers heart

Sure.

 

[Pie and Beans]

even EA cant have been too stupid to actually think the games they put out would actually sell anything

madden - late & gimped
fifa - late & gimped
mass effect 3 - were they taking the piss?
need for speed - shame it didnt sell more but late, more expensive than the other versions were easily available for and might have helped if they actually shipped any copies to retailers

Late ports sold gangbusters on PS3, with some being a year or two entirely late. Sloppy PS2 up-ports sold incredibly well to X360 launch owners.

The WiiU isn't some super elite audience that has the highest tastes of all. Its simply not much of an audience beyond Nintendo franchises at all.

 

[UberTag]

I actually love the idea of Sony making a used-game fee publisher-specific. In other words, if EA wants to charge a fee for used game activations they can do so. So long as it's not something every publisher needs to play ball with.

Would give people another excuse not to purchase games from the most hated company in America for 2 years running.

 

[Ricky 7]

If Sony has offline passes as well then it pretty much guarantees that this is the reason for their dropped support.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Late ports sold gangbusters on PS3, with some being a year or two entirely late.

The WiiU isn't some super elite audience that has the highest tastes of all. Its simply not much of an audience beyond Nintendo franchises at all.

Yeah. Sure, lack of effort can explain why the software isn't flying off the shelves. But I do think that there is this weird narrative emerging that poor software sales on the Wii U has less to do with disconcerting market realities of that ecosystem and everything to do with the audience being a shrewd, savvy bunch that will only purchase the finest releases.

 

[fabricated backlash]

I actually love the idea of Sony making a used-game fee publisher-specific. In other words, if EA wants to charge a fee for used game activations they can do so. So long as it's not something every publisher needs to play ball with.

Would give people another excuse not to purchase games from the most hated company in America for 2 years running.

You are talking about the company that enforces the "Project 10 Dollars"

 

[Duxxy3]

Nintendo doesn't have the 3rd party clout that Sony does.

If sony doesn't want these used/borrowed games pass they can do it. Publishers would be giving up BILLIONS if they stopped making games for playstation.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Late ports sold gangbusters on PS3, with some being a year or two entirely late. Sloppy PS2 up-ports sold incredibly well to X360 launch owners.

The WiiU isn't some super elite audience that has the highest tastes of all. Its simply not much of an audience beyond Nintendo franchises at all.

I'm not getting into this debate because I think there are several justifiable reasons for EA to skip the Wii U but out of curiosity which late ports "sold gangbusters" on PS3? I remember late ports but I don't remember any doing very well.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

The types of games most people are running around crying over haven't sold well on the first Wii in recent years. I'm sure EA weren't predicting for a random reversal of fortune on a system that carries the same Wii branding

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

The types of games most people are running around crying over haven't sold well on the first Wii in recent years. I'm sure EA weren't predicting for a random reversal of fortune on a system that carries the same Wii branding

 

[Wishmaster92]

Probably why they ditched Nintendo yeah.

 

[Juken]

I'll choose the more obvious answers unless I get evidence to the contrary

 

[boingball]

Since EA ditched their own online pass program, I'm almost entirely certain that the PS4 has a similar system, but it may be up to developers to use it or not.

I don't think it's the sole reason EA ditched the Wii U, but it's probably one of them.

I agree, it probably is up to the publisher on the PS4. EA most certainly will use it.

Doubt that Nintendo could have kept EA though even with this, since the sales numbers are not good enough and EA is shutting everything down currently which does not provide the numbers.

 

[rockx4]

I'm starting to think this is the reason also. I wouldn't be surprised if we get news of the PS4 having a similar used games\offline fee system.

 

[Mlatador]

Nintendo Wii U will probably be the last bastion of hope for gamers and in the end of the day will win the gamers heart

I've said this month ago. Price + Nintendo 1 party (=games, that ARE games) + almost no requirements for indies + PROBABLE japanese developer support (=even more GREAT games), since I don't think japanese B or even A devs will expose themselves to the multi-million dollar budget war on PS4ONE + USED GAMES ALOWED + Online FREE.

And yes, that used games bullshit might be THE reason EA ditched Nintendo.

Plus, I don't think the hardware argument counts. Wii U to PS4ONE is definitely much closer than WII was to PS360, and yet EVERY EA title made it on there. Heck, FIFA 12 even came out on the PS2!

 

[The Horror the horror]

Nintendo doesn't have the 3rd party clout that Sony does.

If sony doesn't want these used/borrowed games pass they can do it. Publishers would be giving up BILLIONS if they stopped making games for playstation.

The Playstation didn't become a household name because of Sony's reluctance to satisfy third-party wishes. Sony is extremely third-party friendly, and they'll find a way to satisfy both their partners and their customers next-gen.

 

[lenovox1]

or because Wii U is not selling well

Worse than that. It has terrible software attachment rates. I think there are 4 million Wii U's out in the wild, which would be okay if people bought more than Mario or ZombiU for it.

The types of games most people are running around crying over haven't sold well on the first Wii in recent years. I'm sure EA weren't predicting for a random reversal of fortune on a system that carries the same Wii branding

^ Same feelings.

 

[Star Falcon]

Nintendo Wii U will probably be the last bastion of hope for gamers and in the end of the day will win the gamers heart

if only it had more games

 

[Pie and Beans]

I'm not getting into this debate because I think there are several justifiable reasons for EA to skip the Wii U but out of curiosity which late ports "sold gangbusters" on PS3? I remember late ports but I don't remember any doing very well.

I know the year later Bioshock sold at least over the million mark, PS3 Lost Planet also over a year later half a mill. Mass Effect and co can't have done bad on PS3 either.

 

[Bulzeeb]

Worse than that. It has terrible software attachment rates. I think there are 4 million Wii U's out in the wild, which would be okay if people bought more than Mario or ZombiU for it.



^ Same feelings.

well there isn't much to pick beside those 2 games right now, I might add monster hunter and I read that the sonic racer sold better on wii U

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Yeah. Sure, lack of effort can explain why the software isn't flying off the shelves. But I do think that there is this weird narrative emerging that poor software sales on the Wii U has less to do with disconcerting market realities of that ecosystem and everything to do with the audience being a shrewd, savvy bunch that will only purchase the finest releases.

I'd say it's more a "narrative" (can we fucking ban this phrase please? It's a condescending way of calling someone delusional) that early adopters are usually tech savvy / "gadget fans" and when confronted with a choice of a brand new title playing to the systems strengths (ZombiU), a reliable party game from a publisher with a history of such a thing (Nintendoland) or an optimised for your platform multiformat (Sonic, CoD, AC3) you don't pick up the overpriced ports of year+ old games (ME3, Batman) or the gimped versiosn of multiplatforms (FIFA, Madden).

It's not exactly 'painting a narrative' to use your brain and say "If I was buying a WiiU at launch what games would I buy?".

Because your answer wouldn't be "The shit ones that are poor value for money"

EDIT:

I know the year later Bioshock sold at least over the million mark, PS3 Lost Planet also over a year later half a mill. Mass Effect and co can't have done bad on PS3 either.

On a platform that had a userbase in the tens of millions not the single digit millions when they arrived.

Pointless comparison.

 

[Saint Gregory]

The types of games most people are running around crying over haven't sold well on the first Wii in recent years. I'm sure EA weren't predicting for a random reversal of fortune on a system that carries the same Wii branding

Like pretty much everything we debate around here it's probably much more complicated than that. In the past EA never had an issue with making ill attempts to capture sales on Nintendo consoles, in fact Madden sold pretty well on Wii at launch before they changed it into that idiotic All-Play nonsense.

I think that the real answer is probably that development costs are rising again this generation and EA and other developers simply don't have any resources to spare on Wii U. It's not a coincidence that Nintendo is getting the bulk of their 3rd party support from developers that had an existing presence on the Wii until the end. There don't seem to be any 3rd parties building new teams or devoting existing teams to Wii U development and those decisions were made long before the system's sales slowed down.

 

[charsace]

Just an idea. If the PS4 also requires a fee for used games, this could be why EA ditched Nintendo. Nintendo not playing ball with it. Emphasis on the word if.

I thought this after EA ditched used games. Nintendo is the only one that isn't changing its policy on used games. Sony and MS obviously are.

 

[test_account]

I cant imagine that a company will drop pretty much all support for a system just because it doesnt support blocking (or "blocking" in terms of having to pay a fee) of used games. EA did release some WiiU games to begin with, why would they do this if it was about not blocking used games? I think it is only because they dont see the WiiU as a platform where they can make bigger profits.

 

[Pie and Beans]

On a platform that had a userbase in the tens of millions not the single digit millions when they arrived.

Pointless comparison.

When we're dealing with posts about how something didn't sell because it was a week or a month late, missing some DLC or whatever, pointing out year+ late ports that didn't even run very well finding a market of 500k to 1 million isn't a pointless comparison.

Maybe EA should have not bothered at all and waited until 2 years into the WiiU's lifespan I guess.

 

[Saint Gregory]

I know the year later Bioshock sold at least over the million mark, PS3 Lost Planet also over a year later half a mill. Mass Effect and co can't have done bad on PS3 either.

I could be remembering wrong but were any of those full priced releases at their late launches? I know for sure Orange Box was ported late at a significant discount and didn't do well iirc but it also had technical issues.

It may sound like the typical excuses for why 3rd party games don't sell well on Nintendo consoles but I really can't think of much that's been released on Wii U so far that should be selling better aside from NSMBU and that's 1st party. Without a sales driver game from Nintendo or another talented 3rd party I can't see why any typical franchise game like EA publishes would do well on the system.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

When we're dealing with posts about how something didn't sell because it was a week or a month late, missing some DLC or whatever, pointing out year+ late ports that didn't even run very well finding a market of 500k to 1 million isn't a pointless comparison.

Maybe EA should have not bothered at all and waited until 2 years into the WiiU's lifespan I guess.

Me Triology + all DLC this christmas would sell better than Me3 barebones last christmas did.

 

[AzaK]

or because Wii U is not selling well

Sometimes the simplest answers the the right ones.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

or because Wii U is not selling well

Selling better than the xbox one and PS4.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

I'd say it's more a "narrative" (can we fucking ban this phrase please? It's a condescending way of calling someone delusional) that early adopters are usually tech savvy / "gadget fans" and when confronted with a choice of a brand new title playing to the systems strengths (ZombiU), a reliable party game from a publisher with a history of such a thing (Nintendoland) or an optimised for your platform multiformat (Sonic, CoD, AC3) you don't pick up the overpriced ports of year+ old games (ME3, Batman) or the gimped versiosn of multiplatforms (FIFA, Madden).

It's not exactly 'painting a narrative' to use your brain and say "If I was buying a WiiU at launch what games would I buy?".

Because your answer wouldn't be "The shit ones that are poor value for money"

First of all, the word 'narrative' doesn't really imply that someone is deluded in as much as it refers to something being a popular talking point. That's not to say that it can't refer to something that has some degree of truth to it so much as it succinctly describes a desirable situation that people are espousing. It comes up a lot in political discussions.

Secondly, your post just seems to ignore the realities of the situation that is software on the Wii U right now. It would be one thing if EA were the only company struggling to set the charts on fire. However, that really doesn't seem to be the case. Did Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed do particularly well on the Wii U? The latest multiplat -- Injustice -- also apparently didn't do that well if you trust Harker's assessment, but I'm sure that too will simply be chalked up to the Wii U audience being savvy and not supporting half-assed ports.

So, I don't know exactly what you think you are arguing against, there. What are we lauding? Decent ZombiU sales where there's no other version to compare to? The modest success that was Sonic released at a budget price where the only thing I remember hearing was that -- despite poor first month sales across the board -- they were less poor on the Wii U?

I just don't understand where the idea has taken shape that EA is somehow alone in their dour view of the Wii U, and it's because they've been down on it since before launch and have cultivated a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile, someone like Ubisoft -- makers of the purportedly successful ZombiU and which is considered one of the most supportive third parties -- delayed Rayman seven months and made it multiplatform. Aside from Mario's great attach rate, I don't know what people are looking at when they surmise that software has a great chance of selling on the Wii U. The success stories I know of seem limited to "Game X didn't do too badly from what I understand."

 

[TastyBread]

no used game online pass system with XB one, take the hit with PS4 used copies? doesnt seem like the right business choice! Doesn't fifa outsell everything else and sell more copies on PS3's?

 

[qko]

Why not just go fully digital on the Wii U then? Nintendo has said multiple times that publishers set the prices on the eshop. No, EA not putting games on Wii U has to do with more than the used games issue.

 

[AndrewDean84xX]

Sony has outright said they're going to allow used games, so yeah...

MS is allowing used games as well, so yeah...

I need to hear sony say they wont be charging a fee to play used/rented games.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

If it was selling enough presumably they'd just swallow their pride. Has any Wii U game had an online pass yet? I know the original Mass Effect had one, and I know EA has recently stopped doing them, but still.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Secondly, your post just seems to ignore the realities of the situation that is software on the Wii U right now. It would be one thing if EA were the only company struggling to set the charts on fire. However, that really doesn't seem to be the case. Did Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed do particularly well on the Wii U? The latest multiplat -- Injustice -- also apparently didn't do that well if you trust Harker's assessment, but I'm sure that too will simply be chalked up to the Wii U audience being savvy and not supporting half-assed ports.

They obviously did well enough for their next games to get a port.

It's almost like ubisoft and Activision have been to this rodeo before.

Are you suggesting that there ISN'T more of a problem with support coming from EA than from any of the other big multi-platform publishers?

Are you saying Injustice is such a must-have game people wouldn't vote with their wallet if there is a worse version just to justify playing it on their newest console?

Early adopters of a platform are the most likely to own multiple other platforms, not the least likely.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

They obviously did well enough for their next games to get a port.

It's almost like ubisoft and Activision have been to this rodeo before.

Are you suggesting that there ISN'T more of a problem with support coming from EA than from any of the other big multi-platform publishers?

Are you saying Injustice is such a must-have game people wouldn't vote with their wallet if there is a worse version just to justify playing it on their newest console?

Early adopters of a platform are the most likely to own multiple other platforms, not the least likely.

I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out why software sales aren't soaring on the Wii U, particularly given the circumstances of some of these ports. But -- and I could be wrong as I'm not privy to hard numbers and am thus happy to be corrected -- my general understanding of the situation is that even if you approach the situation with realistic expectations given the quality of the software released, software is still selling poorly on the Wii U.

Maybe I'm wrong, and it's just the typical byproduct of an immature platform, and Wave 2 stuff will do better if they are released day and date with the other versions and aren't missing features. We'll see. But everything I've seen seems to indicate that hardware is selling terribly and software might be selling even worse. If that's the case, then the good ol' fashioned horse sense you're suggesting strikes me more as wishful thinking that as a no-nonsense rebuttal.

 

[Vane_MagicCity]

Sometimes the simplest answers the the right ones.

So was EA developing games for the Wii U but dropped them after the first of the year?

 

[LOCK]

EA would have to wait till February to know the short term sales outlook for the Wii U. It seems clearer now that they went in at launch unenthusiastic. So something changed in EA's and Nintendo's relationship.

Willing to sell used games with no fee could have added to their decisions.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

But everything I've seen seems to indicate that hardware is selling terribly and software might be selling even worse.

Yes, but it is too early to say why.

some will tell you its because the wiiU is a piece of shit and nobody could possibly want it. Maybe.

some will tell you it's a prolonged industry crash, and this is just anotehr in a long line of indicators. Maybe.

some will tell you consumers don't jump on the first available option, and wait to see what the competition is before making a purchase. Maybe.

Publishers have seen this all before, and they will be watching what happens.

nobody will have an accurate view of what is actually going on until this holidays sales start rolling in.

EDIT:
for the record, I don't think "day and date" is enough of a draw for a third party WiiU title to sell best on WiiU. Some third parties obviously do.

If NFS had released as it is on the WiiU at the same time as other platforms, I think it would have sold vastly better than it did.
It's not going to be until a PS360U title is unquestionably 'best' on WiiU that you'll see it sell big (whether thats in terms of features, graphics, framerate, connectivity, whatever).

 

[8bitForLife]

even EA cant have been too stupid to actually think the games they put out would actually sell anything

madden - late & gimped
fifa - late & gimped
mass effect 3 - were they taking the piss? Announced 1-3 super pack for psnxbox right before wiiu version that was a sloppy port was released, plus missing dlc that well probably never get
need for speed - shame it didnt sell more but late, more expensive than the other versions were easily available for and might have helped if they actually shipped any copies to retailers Missing dlc that well probably never get

fixed

 

[Sacul64]

Lets not create vengeful rhetoric just because it fits a narrative.

EA ditched Nintendo because their new games weren't selling shit, before they could even get to the concern of used games.

Yes the Sports games that were the previous year's game and Mass Effect 3 that launched after the other systems got the trilogy and got none of the DCL did not sell? Imagine that.

 

[scakko84]

Yes the Sports games that were the previous year's game and Mass Effect 3 that launched after the other systems got the trilogy and got none of the DCL did not sell? Imagine that.

Pretty much this, if people at EA thought their lazy late-ports would sell like hot cakes given those premises they really were delusional.

 

[Mael]

Lets not create vengeful rhetoric just because it fits a narrative.

EA ditched Nintendo because their new games weren't selling shit, before they could even get to the concern of used games.

EA canned Crysis 3 on Wii U before launch, I don't think sales were the main reason for it.

.