Apparently Disney has a lot of faith in Epic Mickey's sales potential. While I'm sure they're not banking on the game selling this much, it is a change a pace to see a third party publisher have this much faith in their Wii titles, presumably backing it up with a huge amount of support as well.
Considering that Epic Mickey is a 3D platformer, I assume the games they're referring to are things like the 7-9 million selling titles like 3D Marios and Zelda as opposed to the 15-20 million selling things like Mario Kart and Wii Fit.
So, I was curious, do people think it's reasonable that Epic Mickey could sell something like 7-9 million copies, and if not, what do people think Epic Mickey's sales potential is?
Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27301/Interview_Disneys_Hopper_On_Nintendo_Withholding_Mickey.phpGamasutra said:Disney Interactive Studios executive VP and general manager Graham Hopper says that the studio is striving to evolve storytelling, and entertainment itself, by leveraging properties across the wide range of media pipelines that reside under the Disney umbrella.
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Protecting Mickey, Eying Nintendo
The highest-profile game due out of Disney Interactive Studios is Disney's Epic Mickey, a new game from game design guru Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios, which Disney acquired in 2007. Hopper and Disney Interactive Studios have been watching Nintendo's strategy in hopes of achieving success on a platform known for being tough for third parties.
"I think we've tried to learn from the things Nintendo does well," he says. "One of the things that Nintendo does on their own platforms is they give their projects the time and appropriate resources to be successful, and they iterate until they get there. And I think we're doing the same with Epic Mickey, giving it the time and resources to be successful."
He adds, "I'll tell you that I don't think all other third parties are approaching the Wii in the same way. If there's a third-party game that I think has potential to be as successful on the Wii to Nintendo levels, I'd like to think it's Disney Epic Mickey. We're following the same playbook."
Disney Interactive Studios is also known for its franchise-based games -- the company would crank out video game titles based on Hannah Montana and High School Musical regularly, leveraging the popularity and recognizability of the brands among younger players.
So it's rather strange that Mickey Mouse, the iconic anthropomorphic rodent upon which Disney was founded -- who's lovable and eternally kid-friendly -- is in so few games these days. Meanwhile, Mario is doing everything from kart racing to DDR.
"This has been a conscious approach, to try to withhold Mickey from the marketplace a little bit," says Hopper. "I didn't feel that we've been doing him justice in the games business. Simply using him as an icon or an avatar in a game really doesn't do a whole lot for us, and it doesn't agree with the value of who Mickey is as a character."
"We came up with the idea a few years back for Epic Mickey, and have been assembling the right creative team. It took us a while to find the right creative team and visionary to put behind it. Warren Spector has taken that idea and really evolved it. I think it'll be an awesome game."
Considering that Epic Mickey is a 3D platformer, I assume the games they're referring to are things like the 7-9 million selling titles like 3D Marios and Zelda as opposed to the 15-20 million selling things like Mario Kart and Wii Fit.
So, I was curious, do people think it's reasonable that Epic Mickey could sell something like 7-9 million copies, and if not, what do people think Epic Mickey's sales potential is?