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[Nostremitus]

This reminds me, ME3 for WiiU is only $11.20 on Amazon today. Anyone think it's worthwhile for that price for someone that has never played a ME game?

It's a hell of a lot better than the PS3 version, other than not being able to import saves. (Which isn't a big deal for a new player anyway.)

Source: I've played and beaten both, I got the PS3 version in order to import my ME2 character, the PS3 version becomes a slideshow when things get hectic.

 

[Grizzo]

It doesn't surprise me a bit. You know I always thought the reason why GTA never came out on the GameCube was that Nintendo didn't want such a violent game on their system (until I learned it was mostly because of the size of the games, though Vice City could have fit on there).

I mean, just check out that article about censorship during the NES & SNES era. I love Nintendo games, but the general public still see them as kiddy and shallow. It's a hard feeling to shake. But I guess these people won't ever admit to the beauty and magic of a Mario or Zelda game.

 

[narton]

But if Nintendo does make more mature titles, then 3rd parties will complain that we can't sell well versus Nintendo's efforts and won't make their games available for Wii U anyway.

 

[Sadist]

You know, for all the flack Nintendo receives about not handeling third parties right, how in the world can they fight these horrible shortsighted views?

It's pretty funny though; they don't do kids games, but they can't make a good "adult" game either. I saw how you ruined Dead Space.

 

[Kouriozan]

It became a kids IP platform...

Assassin’s Creed III
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Darksiders II
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
ZombiU

Wait for the inevitable "That don't count because Nintendo/those game don't interest me"
Anyway, I liked EA output before, when we got Boom Blox or even My Sims. I don't think I even bought an EA game since.

 

[idlewild_]

Didn't Rayman Legends sell best on Wii U though?

In the US it has sold more on Wii U than PS3/360 combined (88k vs 30k+42k.) Not that those numbers are particularly good in the first place though.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Could the reason that it's considered a kid's IP Platform be that nobody announces/releases any adult IP for it?

It's your bloody fault that it is considered a kid's console, EA, because you don't announce any games so no one wants to buy it!

Or maybe Nintendo could lead the way and create some non-core Nintendo IPs for their own system and create an audience for third parties to cater to? Everything Nintendo has done on Wii U is just preaching to the choir.

 

[ElTorro]

While Nintendo games are good and suited for adults too you can't deny that Nintendo games(and Nintendo's image and policies in general) are aimed to children(well Metroid and something else apart i guess).

The silent implication that you have to make M-rated games in order to appeal to a mature audience is indeed fallacious. The Metroid Prime series and games like Zelda:OoT are good examples. Matureness in games doesn't come with blood, gore and violence.

In any case, I don't think that Nintendo has an inherent image that is repulsive to the "hardcore gamer" and that they cannot possibly shake off. If Nintendo had all the thrid-party games that Sony and Microsoft have, the image of their first-party games would not matter.

They would "just" have to make a console that doesn't look like a toy (the Wii U looks pretty good in that department) and "do a PS4-Sony", like the article suggested, instead of releasing a hopelessly underpowered platform and give western developers the cold shoulder.

 

[outunderthestars]

No one cares about EA anyway. Console is better off without them.

Hence the overwhelming success of the Wii U. Oh wait....

 

[Mithos]

Ahh the Mass Effect 3 comment is pure comedy gold.

 

[zma1013]

Can't blame EA here. They did a solid port of Mass Effect and NFS Most Wanted and both flopped. Sports games (like half of EA's lineup) don't sell well on Nintendo platforms either. And Nintendo is absolutely focused on "family friendly" marketing campaigns and games while EA barely makes anything like that these days.

Wii U is just a mis-match for EA, and for nearly every other third party too.

There is some blame to be had from the Mass Effect 3 port. It was overpriced at $60 when other versions were like $20 or $30 and they released the Mass Effect trilogy for $60 on the other platforms. I mean, I'm not saying there were a whole lot of people interested in buying Mass Effect 3 for Wii U but if they did exist and were interested, they'd have absolutely zero reason to buy it considering the other, much better options available. They sent the Wii U version out to die with zero chance for success.

 

[Interceptor]

Mass Effect a serious effort? Seriously?

Nintendo should sit out this gen and then buy EA. Just for fun. Make Fifa & Co. a Nintendo exclusive. Problem solved.

 

[CTLance]

Man, EA is going for that threepeat with gusto.

Kiddy, huh. Earnest effort, eh. This is practically pushing every button of my inner Nintendo fan, and I don't even own or intend to own a WiiU.

 

[Foffy]

Mass Effect was a solid effort? Hahaha, what a load of bullshit. You launched just the third game on Wii U when other platforms were getting all three games at the same price.

 

[SmokyDave]

Dave, get a gold on the five star challenges in NSMBU Challenge Mode and we'll talk.

ETA: Durr, totally forgot about that quote. My apologies!

I got 3 sparkly stars on my NSMB DS save file, does that count?

And yeah, I was just messing anyway

 

[MagiusNecros]

You know, for all the flack Nintendo receives about not handeling third parties right, how in the world can they fight these horrible shortsighted views?

Nintendo can just ignore them and not say anything.

 

[dan2026]

Lord I wonder how Bayonetta 2 is going to do on the Wii U?

That game is going to die a horrible death methinks.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

No one cares about EA anyway. Console is better off without them.

Over all the years I've been reading message boards about Nintendo games, I've always been amazed at how many companies Nintendo is better off without the support of. And they're all bad companies, too!

 

[Mithos]

Ahh the Mass Effect 3 comment is pure comedy gold.

Hey, lets release Mass Effect 3 on Wii U for $60.... Oh and give every other platform Mass Effect Trilogy for tada $60 at the same time.


YES that will work.....

 

[jackal27]

They released the Mass Effect trilogy for $10 cheaper the same month that the $60 Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 came out.

Is EA serious?

Hitting the nail on the head right. When you give a console crap support and wind up with crap results, look in a mirror if you want someone to blame.

 

[Mondy]

EA really going for that threepeat.

 

[ledman]

Why would EA talk like that about a tradicional game company and make damage the relation between both companies?
Kids game?
I have my doubts about this source.

 

[LiquidSolid]

Strong words from EA. Considering how well they did in 2013, they should reconsider their approach to Nintendo - can only help their own image problem now.

Throwing away money on Wii U ports solely for PR doesn't exactly sound like a great move either.

Dropping Wii U support isn't the issue, plenty of publishers have done it, the issue is that they've come across like assholes in doing so.

 

[evilromero]

No one cares about EA anyway. Console is better off without them.

Just flat out wrong. Madden was one of the best selling games last year and Most Wanted U is possibly the best third party effort on the system. The Dreamcast tried to make a go at it without EA and they lost miserably. How can anyone not be critical of Nintendo when they have posted historic losses and have a software catalogue lacking in variety? EA is just casting light on the truth. And yes, the truth can be cold and callous. But why would anyone, given what we know about Nintendo's current situation, try to cast blame on EA in this case?

 

[-Horizon-]

Amazing.
Based on their facial expressions I might've actually believed this was real if I didn't see the commercial beforehand lol

 

[Yawnier]

No one cares about EA anyway. Console is better off without them.

They're one of the biggest publishers in the business next to Activision-Blizzard, the later is not true at all.

 

[RumblingRosco]

If you're going to play Mass Effect, you pretty much have to play the whole trilogy in order.

It's a hell of a lot better than the PS3 version, other than not being able to import saves. (Which isn't a big deal for a new player anyway.)

Source: I've played and beaten both, I got the PS3 version in order to import my ME2 character, the PS3 version becomes a slideshow when things get hectic.

Thanks for the input. I'm thinking for $11.20, shit, it can't be the worst purchase ever. I have low expectations anyway.

More on-topic: EA, and by extension some of their (vocal) employees have always been hard-on for hubris. That attitude got them into trouble years ago and will continue to do so.

 

[ab.aeterno]

It became a kids IP platform...

Assassin’s Creed III
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Darksiders II
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
ZombiU

And how well did those games do, compared to more family friendly fare like Sonic ASRT or Rayman?

 

[AzaK]

Man, all anyone can talk about with this piece is EA? Good, solid article it was.

 

[javac]

Not just you, EA.

'Kids platform' is a little harsh though, I think Nintendo prefer the term 'non highly skilled users'.

Funnily enough a vast majority of the games Nintendo have or are planning to release on Wii U require a decent amount of skill to play. TW101, Pikmin, NSLU, Bayonetta, X etc. Even a lot of the 3rd party games are aimed at a similar crowd like Zombi U and NG3. I think the only major games properly aimed at kids is Lego City and Skylanders.

 

[Nirolak]

They're one of the biggest publishers in the business next to Activision-Blizzard, the later is not true at all.

They're actually a bigger console publisher as well since a lot of Activision's revenue comes from Blizzard's titles (especially WoW).

That might change with CoD + Destiny + Skylanders if Destiny really takes off, but at the moment at least.

 

[jackal27]

Over all the years I've been reading message boards about Nintendo game, it's amazing how many companies Nintendo is better off without the support of. And they're all bad companies, too!

Yeah, I don't think any console is "better off" without any publisher (other than LJN, haha). Consoles need 3rd party publishers, period and while EA might do some scummy things, a lot of their games strengthen the market and a console's perceived value.

 

[Captain Smoker]

And how well did those games do, compared to more family friendly fare like Sonic ASRT or Rayman?

Best selling 3rd Party Games on Wii U (no particular order between these):

- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
- Zombi U
- Dragon Quest X
- Sonic ASRT


Rayman is on par with Assassin's Creed III currently.

 

[Kouriozan]

Lord I wonder how Bayonetta 2 is going to do on the Wii U?

That game is going to die a horrible death methinks.

It'll sell as good as other Platinum Games's IP

 

[Grizzo]

Wait for the inevitable "That don't count because Nintendo/those game don't interest me"
Anyway, I liked EA output before, when we got Boom Blox or even My Sims. I don't think I even bought an EA game since.

My Sims was a dumbed down version of Animal Crossing with Sims skins. I remember being hooked on the game for the first few hours I played it, but then that taste quickly turned sour. It was mostly a "built your furniture and customize it" game and nothing more than that. Oh, and getting all these essences to build things was tedious as hell.

Although I've heard My Sims Agents was a good game.

 

[ElTorro]

And how well did those games do, compared to more family friendly fare like Sonic ASRT or Rayman?

The problem here is not image but the fact that the target audience of those games most probably already owned a PS360. Why would they put down $299-$349 on a new system if they already have systems that play all those games (and many others) at the same (or even higher) level of quality?

 

[Josh7289]

I found that a good article, especially the idea that Nintendo might adopt smart devices as some kind of input device for its future games. I could see Nintendo investing in some kind of deeper interaction between its hardware/games and smart devices.

 

[TheCowboyPoet]

No, more like ever since ever. Even in the NES era, Nintendo forbade depictions of blood or the like on their systems.

Yeah, I can agree with that. I guess Nintendo just failed to grow with their user base.

 

[Frolow]

Chuckling at the Mass Effect 3 comment. The port itself was fine, but it was a late port from a series intended to be played in order. Not to mention EA announced a Trilogy Compilation right around the same time. Nobody in their right mind would have bought the port.

 

[shinobi602]

Hitting the nail on the head right. When you give a console crap support and wind up with crap results, look in a mirror if you want someone to blame.

Would the trilogy have made a big difference?

Activision released COD: BO2 and Ubisoft with AC3 the same time as other consoles, both with equally terrible sales on the Wii U. The audience just isn't there :-/

 

[dan2026]

It'll sell as good as other Platinum Games's IP

Exactly, Platinum struggles on popular consoles.

On the Wii U, hell we could probably count the sales on our fingers and toes.

 

[Yawnier]

They're actually a bigger console publisher as well since a lot of Activision's revenue comes from Blizzard's titles (especially WoW).

That might change with CoD + Destiny + Skylanders if Destiny really takes off, but at the moment at least.

Well, there you go lol. You want a publisher as big and powerful as them to be on your good side or to be at least on neutral terms with, not on your bad side.

 

[Jinfash]

It became a kids IP platform...

Assassin’s Creed III
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Darksiders II
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
ZombiU

The argument made is that none of those sold well enough to sustain their interest in the platform and release their core franchises. There are many variables to consider, but the premise isn't that outlandish or unexpected.

 

[The Boat]

It seems like the gaming industry will never grow up and I got news for EA: it's not because of Nintendo's "kiddie games".

 

[Sean]

There is some blame to be had from the Mass Effect 3 port. It was overpriced at $60 when other versions were like $20 or $30 and they released the Mass Effect trilogy for $60 on the other platforms. I mean, I'm not saying there were a whole lot of people interested in buying Mass Effect 3 for Wii U but if they did exist and were interested, they'd have absolutely zero reason to buy it considering the other, much better options available.

It's going to be like that with nearly every third party game though.

Take Call of Duty for example - if people want the cheapest way to play CoD, they'll get it on 360/PS3. If they want to play with all of their friends online, they'll get it on Xbox or Playstation. If they want the version with the best graphics they'll get it on PS4/Xbox One.

In most cases, there's no good reason to pick up a third party game on the Wii U.

 

[Gonzo The Great]

Would the trilogy have made a big difference?

Activision released COD: BO2 and Ubisoft with AC3 the same time as other consoles, both with equally terrible sales on the Wii U. The audience just isn't there :-/

Why would the audience be there? Assassin's Creed 1 and 2 were never released on the Wii.

 

[MDX]

I never really agreed with the whole. Nintendo is kiddy notion but they sure as hell advertised the Wii U and 3ds as kids consoles last year.

Nintendo sells their systems as products for the whole family.
As they should, they are the console manufactures.
They need to attract as broad of an audience as possible. .

Its up to third parties to carve and grow their own [insert genre or target group] niche within that console's community.

And wasnt EA the one that wanted a ONE CONSOLE future?

"We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," said Florin. He attributes set-top boxes and digital, streaming distribution to being the catalysts that'll make it happen. "You don't need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii -- the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on," he said.

Well if they want that, they know they need a console that attracts different demographics, including [especially] kids. We are talking about video games here.
EA is full of shit.

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

"Nintendo was dead to us very quickly when they told us we needed to raise our quality in eliminating bugs and glitches for their software"

 

[stuminus3]

Sounds like EA are a little butthurt that I had more fun playing Mario 3D World with my kids recently than I've had with any EA game that I can remember. So much salt, EA! Ho ho.

 

[sörine]

So when am I going to get some Popcap games on my 3DS?