Nintendo gaining allies in console war
- July 17, 2007 10:10 AM PST
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Due to the early success of Wii, Nintendo is gaining several developer and publisher allies in the hotly debated and contested console war the New York Times said on Tuesday.
We're just as stunned as you are, Reggie
The report says the shift to Wii is being closely watched because gamers tend to favor systems that have the most compelling games, something Wii may be able to pull off despite its inferior graphics. After all, Nintendo's DS has been the most sought after system over the last year despite its having the most antiquated graphic technology save the GBA.
"Publishers are saying: Instead of spending $15 million or $20 million on one PS3 game, come back to me with five or six Wii pitches," said one independent game developer.
"We had one meeting two weeks ago with a publisher that was asking for Wii games," he added, declining to identify the publisher. "Three or four months ago, they didn't want to hear 1 Word about the Wii."
Nintendo said a shift to Wii development has already begun, and just last week several companies including EA, Activision, THQ, and Ubisoft dedicated a large part of their press conferences to showcase Wii games.
"The Wii is a godsend," said Kelly Flock, executive vice president at THQ. "We are aggressively looking for more Wii titles." EA says the same. "There is a clear sense of excitement about the Wii at E.A.," a company spokeswomen said to which Nintendo confirmed. "Electronic Arts is doing much more for us than they have in the past," they said.
However, the shift to Wii does not represent a shunning of Xbox 360 and PS3 development says the Times, rather "an elevation of the Wii's status," though that comes at the expense of some development on 360 and PS3.
Given the growth and diversity of the industry, everyone has a place says EA. "I don't think you'll see any big shifts to one platform because you're supporting so many," said Kathy Vrabeck, president of the company's casual entertainment division
Nintendo has sold an estimated 8 million Wiis worldwide since first launching last November. By comparison, Microsoft has shipped a reported 11.5 million Xbox 360s and Sony 5.5 million PS3s.
