News: Will Sega Abandon Mature Games on the Wii? Page 1

Will Sega Abandon Mature Games on the Wii?

04.01.2010

Will Sega Abandon Mature Games on the Wii? on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

In the past year companies have been attempting to push more mature content onto the Wii with titles such as 'House of the Dead - Overkill' and 'Madworld' by Sega and the more recent release of 'Dead Space: Extraction' by Electronic Arts (EA) to appeal to more of the market. However, sales haven't been as positive as Sega would have liked for their titles and similarly for EA's 'Dead Space: Extraction' compared to the PS3/Xbox360 counterparts which sold well Constantine Hantzpulos, a studio director of Sega explains.

Are we going to do more mature titles for the Wii? Probably not. Look at Dead Space. We were stunned. That was my litmus test. Basically, it's like, okay, you got EA, who can put all the marketing muscle behind this, an established franchise that scored quite well on 360 and PS3. They should be able to actually hit this out of the park, right? We get numbers, real numbers aside from NPD, and I'm like, 'Woah'

Whilst this may not reflect the ideals of the whole company, its a pretty strong quote of the fate of Wii's mature gaming range, even though games like Overkill, Madworld and Extraction where brilliant games from both parties.

Is it simply a matter of making these titles more well known to the demographic for them to be successful? And has Sega given the mature Wii market enough of a chance?

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Stulaw 04.01.2010#1

Are we going to do more mature titles for the Wii? Probably not. Look at Dead Space. We were stunned. That was my litmus test. Basically, it's like, okay, you got EA, who can put all the marketing muscle behind this, an established franchise that scored quite well on 360 and PS3. They should be able to actually hit this out of the park, right? We get numbers, real numbers aside from NPD, and I?m like, "Woah"

Like most Wii games, EA didn't put any marketing what-so-ever behind Deadspace Extraction, as far as I can tell, it's mo like the fact that in most places that still sell it, it's selling at a high price range, although in HMV, it's £20 (I'm going to get it soon).

Still, it's another developer Jumping ship, although, "casual"/Kiddy games don't always sell well, it's always usually Nintendo made games that sell, with the odd acception.

I don't mind though, I'm not exactly into gaming in general as much as I used to be, my house has all the consoles of this gen, and I play any that I feel like, there's already enough Wii games to satisfy my needs. Aswell as 360, PS3, DS games (I don't exactly like the PSP).

welshwuff 04.01.2010#2

The problem with these Mature games is they bring little new to the table. Klonoa, Mario and Sonic are all platformers and are all indivitually defined, dead space extration, resident evil chronicals and house of the dead are painfully similar and are unimaginative games masked in a slightly unique theme or tone, one futuristic, one nostalgic and one B movieish, but thats just apperence and the gameplay is just the same.

I have a wide range of \"adult\" wii games, and can say they differ very little to eachother for wii games and any other console, which is something Wii users casual or not, are obviously looking for something more freash and exciting. Mature is great! but dont just stop at a few swears and abit of blood, actual, you know, make a game at the same time to define it, not just the same shooter or survival game as the rest.
Yes madworld stands out, but it is VERY repetative and minotinous which is hightened by the only at first seemingly artistic black and white.

( Edited 04.01.2010 00:20 by welshwuff )

Modplan Man 04.01.2010#3

HoTD Overkill didn't fail. Last I remember, it did well in the UK and assuming Europe in general. It was the US where it didn't do amazing.

PMD 04.01.2010#4

I am confident that a mature title will sell on the Wii if it is a big game to start with. Mad World did not sell well because it is new, and Dead Space didn't sell because it was thought of as a spinoff.

Stulaw 04.01.2010#5

PMD said:
I am confident that a mature title will sell on the Wii if it is a big game to start with. Mad World did not sell well because it is new, and Dead Space didn't sell because it was thought of as a spinoff.

I think you're right in that, I just think Sega are just copying everyone else and trying to look cool.

satsubatsu347 04.01.2010#6

Welshwuff makes the strongest point here: "The problem with these Mature games is they bring little new to the table." But I am willing to take that further and say that most mature games are just FPSs with new inventive ways to maim (obviously ignoring the Articles of the Geneva Convention) and eye candy. Sure, bigger and better stories are going in but at the heart of these experiences is just run and gun.

Trepe 04.01.2010#7

Blaming Wii for Dead Space Extraction not selling isn't fair. On rails shooters have never been big sellers on any console, past or present. The only one I've ever owned before I got my Wii was Killer 7.

Games like Madworld and No More Heroes were always going to be niche games too, because of their artistic visual aproach. So don't go blaming Wii for those either.

meeto_0 04.01.2010#8

Well Im glad Dead space and RE Chronicles failed. Just taking well known brands and presenting them in a very basic form is not the mature content I want.
If EA had taken the franchise and created a new third person or FPS adventure that you control then

1: I would have bought it first day, same for chronicles. Instead I boycotted.

2: You coud make a better judgement whether its the mature content that doesnt sell on the wii.

You still have doubt if its the way the game was presented. GTA chinatown on both DS and PSP shows the fanbase arent always going to buy a game because it has a brand they like attached to it unless you present it the way they identify with.

Dennis (guest) 04.01.2010#9

Mature doesn't necesarily mean major sales like when Dead Space Extraction it is just a point and click with fancy graphics nothing new and different it's like a half baked Dead Space 360/PS3 one. The gameplay needs to match Smilie Plus it need to be promoted a lot better you can't just make it all mature and expect it to sell you need to market it harder because it's on the Wii!

Darkflame 04.01.2010#10

Ok Sega, How comes Re4...despite being an old port...sold just as good on the Wii then?
Its a simple diss-proof by counter example. If just 1 mature game sales decently on the Wii, theres clearly a a market.

However;

-genre- matters.
-quality- matters.

Its not all about marketing and brand names, allthough they factor into it too.
Niche titles like Madworld or Rail-Shotters just arnt big saleing genres.

That said, I dont care for "mature" games, I only want good games. Maturity in publisher terms normaly just means gore rather then complex and well told storys.

http://www.fanficmaker.com <-- Tells some truly terrible tales.
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Verydopey (guest) 04.01.2010#11

I love how people seem to think its the audience not wanting mature games. Not just the type of game!
Look at resident evil 4... Thats the sort of game people want on wii. One that works too

TimoteiWest 04.01.2010#12

I don't really care if a game is mature or not, but damn it, they at least have to be good games before I buy them.

Multiple on-the-rails shooters, not good enough. They last a few hours, then I'm done. House of the Dead Overkill added something a little different, although Tarrantino and Co probably wondered where their nostalgic style had wandered off to...Madworld looked rather repetitive and so I skipped that one too. I can't actually name many others that are "mature" because it's such a crap label.

I suppose Metroid Prime 3 was, for all intents and purposes "mature", but they didn't tout it as such, it was a good game and came from a name people trust, for better or worse. It didn't hurt that it was a long running franchise...

Which brings me to another point, I have -no- faith in SEGA to produce a good game for any console really. It's been a long, long time since I've played one. It was probably on the Dreamcast and didn't have Sonic in it, of that I'm certain!

Bring on Red Steel 2!

EdEN 04.01.2010#13

We'll, I bought Madworld, House of the Dead: Overkill and Darkside Chronicles at launch. Only one missing is Dead Space but that is only because I want to play the PS3 game before going into the Wii prequel.

No advertising usually translates into low sales and, let's be honest, Dead Space Extraction shouldn't be the "bar" by which success is measured. If it had been a prequel using an optimized version of the engine used for Dead Space proper (so basically a RE4 engine clone) and it didn't sell... well THEN you could make the argument. But an on-rails shooter with zero to none advertising can't be called a "litmus test".

All in all, Dead Space has sold 150,000 copies worldwide, so I guess another 50,000 and EA breaks even since they didn't spend much on advertising.