News: Namco Bandai: Wii/DS Market Shrinking Page 1

Namco Bandai: Wii/DS Market Shrinking

10.06.2010

Namco Bandai: Wii/DS Market Shrinking on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Namco Bandai's VP of sales, marketing and publishing Olivier Comte recently discussed the company's approach for Nintendo and privacy.

Comte spoke to industry magazine MCV earlier this week on the problems faced by Nintendo, and how he feels both the Wii and DS markets have "collapsed", blaming privacy issues for the DS as one of the reasons Namco Bandai might be holding back.

It’s a tough market. We had a lot of product, and the average quality of a game on DS and Wii is very, very bad. So in the mind of the consumer today, to buy a DS or Wii game is to buy a game that isn’t very good.

One of the reasons the DS collapsed is piracy, it is very clear, but also it is a fantastic machine and very easy to develop for. It was possible for three kids in a garage to make a game for it. DS is the most successful platform ever, but all my kids’ friends at school have a DS with an R4. They have 100 games for no money. So yes, the market has collapsed for the DS and Wii.

The latest Wii offering from Namco Bandai, Tales of Graces, is strongly hinted to come to Europe later this year.

Do you agree with Comte on the Wii and DS performance?

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meeto_0 11.06.2010#1

It is true that there is a lot of shovelware. And you could say the PS2 had just as much shovelware. However The wii doesnt have the same level of major third party support like the PS2.
Its a shame that so many guys have stepped up to comment on the wii concerning software. I feel like its been said so many times before by Sega Capcom EA.

I would like to know what Nintendo honestly feel about third party support without PR spin. I would feel burdened. Nintendo are in a position where they have to provide most of the AAA stuff.

( Edited 10.06.2010 19:12 by meeto_0 )

crackedthesky 11.06.2010#2

Maybe instead of bitching about the lack of good third party games, they should step it up and make a good game...

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JoshSL 11.06.2010#3

justonesp00lturn said:
Maybe instead of bitching about the lack of good third party games, they should step it up and make a good game...

Tales of Graces. (Which funnily enough may never make it west anyway)

Yeah the use of piracy on Wii and DS is depressing, but the lack of "quality games" on Wii as a complaint coming from the company who consistently deny the west of its best franchise, and the company who made two previously incredible fighting franchises into jokes, doesn't really mean much.

( Edited 10.06.2010 19:28 by SuperLink )

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meeto_0 11.06.2010#4

SuperLink said:
justonesp00lturn said:
Maybe instead of bitching about the lack of good third party games, they should step it up and make a good game...

Tales of Graces. (Which funnily enough may never make it west anyway)
Yeah the use of piracy on Wii and DS is depressing, but the lack of "quality games" on Wii as a complaint coming from the company who consistently deny the west of its best franchise, and the company who made two previously incredible fighting franchises into jokes, doesn't really mean much.

I was tempted to comment on their game profile with regards to the wii but couldnt remember what they had done.

Third party support has to be strong from year one. It hasnt been the case for N64, cube or wii. Gamers who have picked up a nintendo console for the last 3 gens have had to have real patience and it isnt that kind of industry

( Edited 10.06.2010 19:40 by meeto_0 )

Lynk 11.06.2010#5

Oh the irony that after the N64 and Gamecube receiving little to no support, it is now the situation that there is too much third party support, and little of it is worth buying.

Be careful what you wish for hey?

Add me on anything. I'm always looking for new friends/opponents/town visitors/chances to appear more popular than I actually am.

RudyC3 11.06.2010#6

Tales of Symphonia DOTN wasn't very good Namco, it was poor effort to cash in on the Symphonia brand wish was a great success back in the GameCube days. So talk about bad quality, YOU showed the bad example in the first place XD.

(Though they arguably caught up later with the likes of Fragile Dreams and Tales of Graces which wer'e still waiting for).

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JoshSL 11.06.2010#7

ToS2 was actually very good, it just wasn't up to Tales standard, not by quite a bit.

I heard ToG is pretty special though!

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PMD 11.06.2010#8

Hey Namco, release a real Soul Calibur game on the Wii and then you'll start seeing sales. Remember, the GC version of SC outsold the PS2 version (according to hearsay)

JoshSL 11.06.2010#9

PMD said:
Remember, the GC version of SC outsold the PS2 version (according to hearsay)

Yes it did, but Sony paid for Soulcalibur exclusitivity, which is why it got III.

As for the Wii and PS360, there are a few reasons. Soulcalibur games have always had really good graphics (although SCIV's aren't actually that great), plus better online modes and the undesirable button layout for the Wiimote/Nunchuck.

Even so, SCIV came out on the PSP so I don't see why they can't release it on Wii too Smilie either way Soulcalibur's not all that great anymore because Namco can't take it seriously, the Wii isn't missing much.

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crackedthesky 12.06.2010#10

I loved Dawn of the New World.
I want to love Fragile Dreams, but the absolutely and ridiculously horrendous controls are just absolutely killing it. I put it away a long time ago. I hope I'll pick it back up sometime.

Anyway, I wasn't just referring to this company. A lot of companies have said the same thing. Capcom and Sega come to mind. But then they sit around giving us shit remakes and ports instead of making what they know people want. It just seems hypocritical, to me.

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JoshSL 12.06.2010#11

justonesp00lturn said:
Capcom and Sega come to mind. But then they sit around giving us shit remakes and ports instead of making what they know people want. It just seems hypocritical, to me.

In both those situations they were PR guys from the companies, and official statements were released at later dates dismissing those comments.

It may well be the same case here. Wait and see what Namco say in the future I guess.

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meeto_0 12.06.2010#12

SuperLink said:
justonesp00lturn said:
Capcom and Sega come to mind. But then they sit around giving us shit remakes and ports instead of making what they know people want. It just seems hypocritical, to me.

In both those situations they were PR guys from the companies, and official statements were released at later dates dismissing those comments.
It may well be the same case here. Wait and see what Namco say in the future I guess.

You can look at it two ways. Yes they were PR guys but perhaps they let slip sentiments of how the company feel in general. People higher up saw that such comments could upset nintendo.

A similar thing happened with Windows 7. A guy from microsoft said they were inspired in part by apples OS. So someone more senior put together a statement to separate the company from an individuals comments.

YOu probablly learn more from the grumblings lower down the company ladder.

And the proof is in the pudding, just look at the game portfolios of both mentioned companies and its hard not to see some truth in what was said

JoshSL 12.06.2010#13

meeto_0 said:
And the proof is in the pudding, just look at the game portfolios of both mentioned companies and its hard not to see some truth in what was said

SEGA's and Capcom's Wii portfolios are both pretty impressive as far as third parties go (unlike Namco which only has 2 or 3 good Wii games). That, and those PRs both said that SEGA/Capcom would be supporting the Wii less in the future. Let lo and behold! Both companies have announced more promising Wii support since then.

( Edited 11.06.2010 21:48 by SuperLink )

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PMD 12.06.2010#14

Yeah, Capcom and Sega are two of the best 3rd party developers for the Wii. A lot of companies just don't make any games for the Wii.