John Riccitiello’s exact words were “confounding”, but that didn’t look as good in the header image. Either way, it’s clear that the EA figurehead doesn’t fully understand why some of his games aren’t selling on the Wii. According to the publisher- “Dead SpaceExtractionwas one of the best pieces of software built on the platform andit did not perform well. It’s a strong IP but for some reason it did not resonate in a way that brought consumers to the store to buy it. AndMaddenhasn’t performed to my expectations so far this year, even though it’s a fabulous piece of software.“
OK, John, I’ve got the answers you’ve been looking for. AboutDead Space Extraction; it’s not that strong of an IP, it’s not one of the best pieces of software built on the platform, and it’s an on-rails shooter. IfDead Spacehad the same kind of fan-base asResident Evil, and ifDead Space Extractioncouldn’t be completely finished in under 8 hours, and if on-rails shooters were a popular genre,andif the Wii wasn’t already flooded with those kinds of games, then yeah, maybe you’d have a point. It’s also worth noting that Wii games that try to copy Hollywood action/horror movies usually have a tougher time than those that are more “game-y”. If you want to make a “core” game on the console, you might be better off going theNo More Heroesroute as opposed toDisaster: Day of Crisis.
As forMadden, I’ve never understood why those games sell so well year after year anyway, but I do know that a lot of modern dudes will only watch their football on a HD TV. I assume they feel the same way about their football videogames. I guess the grass looks a lot greener in 1080i? Honestly, I really don’t know.
So there are your answers, John! I hope they help you to understand that what Wii owners really want from your company is an upgraded sequel toMail Order Monsters, not downgraded on-rails prequels to games that they’ve never played in the first place.
[viaIndustry Gamers]
