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Yves Guillemot: ZombiU Wasn't Profitable, not even close, no sequel planned

This does not bode well for the Wonderful 101. After that flops, the most people can expect out of 3rd party WiiU games are Map/inventory screens and Off TV play.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Ubisoft's Wii launch titles came out selling a million shortly after and spawned numerous sequels. This time they put up more money for a core title and the early adopters turned up their nose at it.

I wouldn't have turned up my nose at it if it hadn't been a first person shooter. In fact, considering I really love Ubi Montpellier, I would have bought the game had it been in any other genre.

By the way, at 450k I'm surprised this game isn't even close to breaking even. It's actually looking like a B-tier effort. Not a bad game, mind you, just low production values.
 

Deku Tree

Member
Gamespot 45/100
EGM 55/100
iGN 63/100

Not sure what kind of sales Ubi were expecting from a game with crap reviews on a brand new platform.
 
Too bad. I though Zombi U was the highlight of the launch. Which isn't saying much as it was a generally poor launch lineup. However, the game didn't need the "for a launch title" qualifier. It was just a solid survival horror experience that I personally enjoyed a great deal.
 
Straw, meet camel's back. Given that it is the best selling 3rd party game by far, it's clear that no one has made money on the platform yet.
 
People act as if games with questionable review scores or no advertisement can't sell well. Those might have been factors, but the biggest factor and the reason this is a story is because the Wii U is selling like garbage, and the few people that are buying it are probably buying it for Nintendo games and will ignore any third party games that are not what you would expect to see on a Nintendo system.
 

Trigger

Member
Not really surprised. The game would've done better on another console, but then it wouldn't really be the same game.
 
That's a bit sad, I thought the game was quite good.

I hope Nintendo does well enough on their own game sales to make a profit, I'd hate to see them drop console gaming.
 
i would guess that port barely sold better than old ports like Batman or ME3.

I don't think it sold well, but I'd like to know if they at least made money from porting the game to the WiiU. If third party publishers lose money on ports then they will stop making them
 

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
Not a surprise, exclusive launch titles are rarely profitable on successful platforms unless they remain a major seller well into the console's lifecycle. First party exclusives are usually rolled into R&D sunk costs. I'm really surprised that Ubi even made an exclusive title without financial support from Nintendo.
 

Brera

Banned
Well there it is.

People make out that EA was the bad guy but can you see why they didn't bother? No money in it at all.

WiiU requires PS360 level commitment...same sort of commitment probably for next gen give that most companies have been making PC games for the past 2 years.

There is simply no reason to make a WiiU game if you are a 3rd party.

I'm sad to see a Nintendo console end this way but they fucking deserve it. It's probably the most half baked console since the 3D0
 
nice try but they actually were happy with AC Liberations sales and are bringing more games to the platfrom and no proof of any publisher saying their games are not selling on vita. on the contrary there are many instances publishers are happy with their game's performance on vita. install base is low but that install base actively buys games!

Given that Ubisoft has a total of one announced Vita game, that said game is a straight port of a Wii U title, and that Ubisoft Sofia is (seemingly) developing Aveline DLC for ACIV rather than a second Vita AC, this seems a tad presumptuous.

Not that I'm questioning that AC:L turned a profit, but the proof is in the pudding, and we have yet to see any proof that its ROI was high enough for them to justify more than token levels of investment in the platform.
 

lt519

Member
I bought it and played it for 45 minutes. Haven't touched it since, survival games aren't my jam but I wanted to support the idea.
 
I'd bet that Monster Hunter 3 has sold more than ZombiU. Maybe Lego City too.

Not that they ended up profitable, well maybe MH3, but otherwise, yeah. This is rough for Nintendo and the Wii U. It's too bad too, I really enjoy my time with the system.
 

xandaca

Member
Very bad news on ZombiU, especially since the game was so obviously low budget - repeating environments constantly, lack of visual polish, etc. General consensus seemed to be that the game did OK, but hardly set any records, maybe coming out around even with its cost. The fact it wasn't even close to profitable is terrible for Nintendo, the fact Ubisoft were willing to disclose it in an interview is even worse for the console's image and Ubi's support beyond 2013.

As for EA, I own FIFA but never play it online. I accepted a few squad updates, but have no real interest in playing anything other than COD and maybe Mario Kart online. They just want more people signing up to Origin.
 
What part of "running the servers" has anything to do with DLC or "rip-off" to you? He is talking about making games with strong online/multiplayer components being a waste of time on Wii U because Nintendo themselves put very little emphasis on online multiplayer so nobody on that system gives a shit about it as a feature.

Talk about spin...

Yeah, this is something that people tend to overlook with Nintendo's lack of commitment to online multiplayer on the Wii U. The first Nintendo developed Wii U title with online multiplayer will be released next year. Which means that for over a year Nintendo will have gone without releasing games they've developed with that functionality. That's huge since even they seem to acknowledge that their titles drive hardware sales on their platforms.

They need some big Nintendo game (which will likely be Mario Kart at this point) to really push online multiplayer gaming on the console. Which could potentially lead to those people wanting to stick with those that they've met through Mario Kart for multiplatform titles. Right now there just isn't anything that's causing people to stick to the Wii U for online gaming.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Straw, meet camel's back. Given that it is the best selling 3rd party game by far, it's clear that no one has made money on the platform yet.

Sonic Racing Transformed has sold best on Wii U. If the game didn't flop all together, this should have made Sega some money. Also: Many other games were ports, so they don't have the same budget as an exclusive.
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Horrible name (a zombie game called Zombie. That'll get lines forming), no marketable characters or enemies, barely any marketing period, and a game that is clearly more proof-of-concept than anything. This is no surprise, but it is sad because it ended up being a very good game.

Seriously, who is going to see a game on the shelf called "Zombie" with a picture of a zombie on it and actually buy it?

Yes, Zombie games sell terribly on all other platforms. Also TV entertainment. Movies too. The mass market hate them. A lot. And express this by hurling money at them.
 

Big_Al

Unconfirmed Member
Zombi U was fantastic, absolutely loved it. The slow pace, the methodical combat etc. Would love a sequel so much. It's one of the few zombie games were you have to really work for each kill. Game kept me hooked for the whole duration, real sense of dread and atmosphere whilst playing it.
 

kswiston

Member
Wonder what that means for monster hunter...

The Wii U version was just a port to a game that has sold at least 2 million copies on the 3DS. 200k in Japan and probably around 100k in the west is enough to justify the existence of the Wii U port.

Zombi U was an exclusive.
 

Beelzebub

Member
Comparing the audiences that Rayman Legends would have garnered to the audience that a zombie horror game would is pretty silly. Instead of blaming the platform maybe they should've strived to create a better experience in a sequel, zombi u suffers from being a launch game but they could really make the best damn zombie game in recent years if they fix the flaws it had. All this really comes down to though is how they can make the most money..
 

GetemMa

Member
Man Wii-U has a real problem on their hands. PS3 is a better buy at this point at $300 with 2 game bundle. Who wants to spend $350 for a box that only plays Nintendo games at barely above 360/PS3 graphics capabilities?

answered your own question. well done :)
 
Yeah ZombiU is the first game that ever doesn't pause while you do things in game. It's almost as if there's a demon inside ZombiU that takes your soul.

What's novel about ZombiU is that your item management is on the gamepad while the game continues on screen. The tension it creates in the space between the second screen and the TV is what makes it so immersive; you're not just flicking your eyes over to another part of the television.
 

Ryuuga

Banned
You're being sarcastic, but it's true. The Last of Us took ZombiU's "enemies can attack you while you're rummaging through your backpack" thing and it doesn't work half as well. It really is a great use of the gamepad.

Not that I disagree but I also believe that they're able to come up with some sort of mechanic to keep you in the game. Would it work as well as the gamepad? Doubtful. Will we get a chance to see it in action? Outlook not so good. Regardless of how diluted the experience will be we just need more games like this on the market. It's part of the reason the PC indie scene looks better by the day.
 

liger05

Member
Wasnt there like about 10 people who were playing Madden online on a sunday afternoon on the wii u.

2 days before release of GTA V is suicide so yes failure is for sure.

I really dont understand why they are doing this.
 
Shame. I would have loved a sequel that fixes issues with the original.

However, I never felt like the game should have been an exclusive. The gamepad integration (real-time inventory management that leaves you vulnerable) is something I always thought could have easily been handled on a single screen, and The Last of Us recently proved it.
 
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