GG Weekly Videogame News 
Capcom building a relationship with Nintendo
Next, next Devil Kings game and more
andriasang.com
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Boom Blox barely scratched the surface
Of what the original Wii remote could do
gamedaily.com
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Iwata: Sales driving titles take time for effect
Sports resort to boost sales in 8 weeks?
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Woah. I'm totally buying Wolfenstein anyway but man if it actually does beat out Madden '10 getting the game for free would certainly be awesome.
Good to see an airport not racial profiling for once!
Pachter - core audience on Wii is only interested in first party core titles
He's not wrong in the sense that's the main reason I own any Nintendo console, but I'll definately buy third-party games, just as long as they don't suck and appeal to me (sadly, most don't).
Firstly, Conduit is pretty meh.
That's like asking why any other game with a 70 on metacritic didn't sell. It's an okay-ish game which just isn't good enough when others are doing much better games.
Secondly there are two other FPS on the system which are past a million sold each, so using the Conduit as a barometer is stupid beyond belief. Not only that there are two other shooting games, RE games that are both over a million sold a piece too.
Lastly the core audience on Wii, are probably the people who actually buy games and not the people who use it as a first party machine hooker.
If you want to sell games on Wii you have to approach it like any other system, use the biggest licences and make the best games. Dont make shit, or niche games and expect them to sell well. And dont out-violence yourself out of the market either.
Did a few updates, thanks Raven for the other ones.
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/08/mike-hayes-interview/
Wired.com: MadWorld was a widely praised title, but sales were disappointing. Why do you think that is? Do you think that “core” games just don’t sell on the Wii?
Mike Hayes: It’s difficult because it was a critically acclaimed title; it was extreme but good. The thing that we’re saying is, Sega would be extremely arrogant to have a title that didn’t do as well as we thought on a platform and then say, “Those kind of games don’t sell on that platform.” I think if you take our slew of more mature games — House of the Dead Overkill did really well in Europe, and for some reason even though it’s a big (intellectual property) it did less well in North America. So that’s kind of like a win and a miss that’s kind of come out neutral.
MadWorld sales were very disappointing, but was that to do with the platform? Was it that people didn’t like the art style? Or that people didn’t like the way the game played through? It could be many things, which we’re obviously researching.
MadWorld's acclaimed black-and-white gameplay delivered bloody splashes of red, but not much green.
Wired.com: What about The Conduit?
Hayes: We actually regard The Conduit as a success. We shipped 300,000 units, sold through half of those and now it’s at the point where it’s selling consistently at a time when Wii sales are generally depressed in the marketplace. So what does that tell you? We still kind of don’t know.
What we can say is that we’ll still do mature games for the Wii market because with an install base of some 34 million in Europe and America (maybe half of whom don’t own Xbox 360s and PS3s)…. So even if you took half of those where they’re not into those (core) games, you’ve still got 8 million consumers to go for. So I think the sheer scale of the Wii allows a shooter, or a mature game, to be a niche but a successful niche. And because the development costs can be less on Wii, that means you can sell less to be successful…. We can take more risks on the Wii.
Wired.com: So Sega will continue to have a commitment to making hard-core games on the Wii, despite the sales of MadWorld.
Hayes: Absolutely. You’ll see more games in that genre coming from us.
Wired.com: Bayonetta has been moved to early 2010. There seems to be more and more games delayed to that time period. How do you feel about that for Bayonetta?
Sean Ratcliffe: I think there’s quality titles coming down the pipeline anywhere…. There’s always going to be good products around you. It’s just a matter of setting your release date, working with your customers, the retailers and making sure you’ve got everything in place. And we feel confident that Bayonetta’s set in the right point in time. We know it’s a great quality title, no doubt about that, so now we just have to communicate to the consumers about when it’s going to be available on the shelf, and we’ll work with our retail partners to do that. We’re confident we’ll do a good job there.
Hayes: What we don’t want to do is move, then say we’re launching on Jan. 29th — that would be crazy. We want to make sure that we stagger that period after Christmas. Hopefully, as publishers, we’ll be smart in the points that we release and don’t create another November in February. But I acknowledge your point’s a very good one.
Ratcliffe: We have to take a leap out of the movie industry. They manage their portfolio quite well. The movie companies sort of get together — I don’t know how they do it, I don’t know if they physically sit around the table and divide it up — but somehow they sort of know and communicate with each other when the big titles are coming out. I think they have a feeling. What’s happening in the games industry — right as soon as someone names a date, then people go, “Then we’re going to move around it.”
Action game Bayonetta, which has been delayed till 2010, revolves around a shape-shifting witch.
Wired.com: Is there anything you’ve learned as the former head of Sega Europe that you’re taking with you over to North America? Are there any strategies that worked over there that you’ll try to apply over here?
Hayes: There are detailed process points, but that’s very operational. The road map was always being driven by a collaboration between North America and Europe in so far as, unless it’s a very specific product, like Football Manager Live in Europe, which sells a million units on PC every year, most titles have to be successful in both. So there’s been a consensus approach in any case. I don’t think there’s much done in Europe that we would want to do in North America. In fact, interestingly, now being here, I’m finding things that we do in North America are cool that we should be doing in Europe. How odd is that? I think that’s the whole point: It’s about how as an operation can we be as efficient and collaborative as possible.
Wired.com: Can you give an example of one thing you’d like to try in Europe that you’ve liked over here?
Hayes: Well, it’s what’s going on here at the moment, the mommy bloggers. What a brilliant idea. I’m sure there are mommy bloggers in Europe. But I’m not aware that we’ve done a press event specifically for them. And with the mass-market nature of videogaming now, and how important moms are — not just in the purchase, but as consumers themselves — what a great idea. So I think that’s something I’d love to see more of in European territories. Just as one example. I think it’s having that view of both that we can share the benefits.
Wired.com: Especially since you’ve said a lot of territories in Europe are more family-oriented.
Hayes: Yes, I think that’s a great point. In fact, it’s probably more relevant in countries like Spain and actually in Germany. Germany’s probably a territory where this whole mass-market acceptance of videogames has yet to happen because parents are still very concerned about what their children are playing so that would be very good case in point where that would work. See, there’s another idea that came just from thinking out loud. (laughs) Because I was just thinking in the U.K. but actually it’s probably more appropriate for Germany.
I think one of the things pertaining to that though, in the reorganization — we have excellent studios in Japan, and it’s very important that they’re making titles that are very relevant for Western territories. There’s Sonic, there’s (Mario and Sonic at The Olympic Games) — that’s done extremely well — and Super Monkey Ball. I think the plan for us to get more of that extremely successful, Western-relevant content from our Japanese studios as well. And that’s something that this reorganization will allow us to do quite successfully.
The upcoming Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games brings the Nintendo and Sega mascots back for more sports-centered Wii action.
Images courtesy Sega
Wired.com: How do you think Sega can do that though, specifically?
Hayes: On the one hand, you’ve got brilliant Japanese development studios, like our partnership with Platinum Games. Bayonetta is just a very Western-relevant but very Japanese-inspired title, and we’re quite excited about that doing very well. That’s a good case where Japanese excellence is in place.
And that will actually do well in Japan as well. And then you look at Sonic and the Sonic teams, and how they created titles which fundamentally only sold in the West and how can we look at what’s been doing well in that genre and try and add to the success that Sonic’s already had. So I guess it’s the teams probably taking more of a detailed look at what works in the West — what makes a good shooter, what makes a good Western RPG, what makes a great children’s platform action-adventure game. And I think it’s by having that focus more on the big market of Europe plus America where I think there will be some more development focus on providing appropriate titles for the market, if that makes sense.
Wired.com: How is Sega is dealing with the economic downturn and what’s your strategy moving forward?
Hayes: Our general view is that we acknowledge the recession, particularly in its wider field. I don’t think we’re as convinced that the recession is affecting the videogames market as perhaps some of our competitors are stating. I think we’re in a period of videogame life cycles where things are expected, whether they’re price drops, whether we’re waiting for triple-A titles to come out. So to answer your question, we’re only adapting to what the platforms are doing rather than what the economy is doing.
We think that by the end of this year, the market will be at least as big as it was last year, so $22 billion marketplace in America, a $22 billion marketplace and change in Europe. It’s interesting — the PlayStation 3 is rumored to be having a price drop. Well, the consumers are so smart, they kind of know that one’s going to be coming so they’re not going to rush out and buy a PlayStation 3 until they know. So that’s going to depress the market slightly. The Wii last year had Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart, and they were just exceptional titles. And then of course, there was Grand Theft Auto. So we’re not comparing apples with apples.
We’re acknowledging that the packages market is down. And then you layer on top of that all the digital business that’s going on that’s not being measured in our whole environment, I just don’t see how we can be too down about the market. I think the economic part of that is only altering the shape, not the actual size. I think with holiday sales, (the industry) will bounce back and get us to that point where we’ll see the market was as big as it was last year.
No one has a crystal ball, but to answer your question, we’re not taking any actions specifically based on the general state of the economy because we think the issues in videogaming are specific and relevant to videogaming.
For example, when we moved Bayonetta, that wasn’t due to the economic situation. It was because it looked like we’d launch in November and in the West, you don’t launch new IP at that busy time of year. So we moved it to what we think will be a quieter period in the new year. And I think that other companies are saying they’re moving titles just because of the economy, and I think their development directors are quite delighted that’s being used as a reason. (laughs)
" The Conduit, especially given the graphic limitations of the Wii, but the game didn’t look and feel as good as games like Halo or Killzone"
It's funny, cause he's right accidentally---even compared to the first Halo and Killzone The Conduit looks boring.
"House of the Dead Overkill did really well in Europe, and for some reason even though it’s a big (intellectual property) it did less well in North America."
So tell me America, why did you not take to this game? It's awesome and so much fun and had great reviews. What's wrong with you?
Apart from the BO?
"So I think the sheer scale of the Wii allows a shooter, or a mature game, to be a niche but a successful niche. And because the development costs can be less on Wii, that means you can sell less to be successful…. We can take more risks on the Wii.
Wired.com: So Sega will continue to have a commitment to making hard-core games on the Wii, despite the sales of MadWorld.
Hayes: Absolutely. You’ll see more games in that genre coming from us."
Well thank God someone out there has some sense. I'm glad that SEGA hasn't leapt on the knee jerk anti-core bandwagon idea the media seem to be on. He even mentions in the interview that Madworlds art style might have something to do with poor sales. No shit. In sales terms its like, if the game was a person:
1. It's cel-shaded, the guy was punched and knocked to the floor
2. It's black and white, the poor guy was then kicked in the gut by a passing Hobo
3. It's ultraviolent, a stampede of horses finished him off
He's now bleeding on the floor? Well no shit.
It is, in single player. The best thing you can say is that it's OK.
As a rental. I'm sorry but I did the experimental control thing in the past couple of years. Now I want an actual good shooter. And there are better on Wii already. And the visuals aren't even that great either.
While I can't speak for everyone in America, I like to think it's because we have good taste.
Seriously though, rail shooters just are not worth anywhere near full price to me--they're only worth $10 at most. Also, the game looked stupid. I didn't like the style change at all.
But you've never played this rail shooter. Every game is different, but this one especially. It seeps quality through and through and I know for a fact that certain gamers here would love it. It's pure entertainment.
Even Kawata, the Capcom producer on RE Darkside Chronicles talked about how the other team members loved it recetely:
"I did play HOTD Overkill, and its really a unique game. I really dont speak that much English so I wasn't really able to get the most out of it but some of the other Capcom staff that did speak english were just laughing the whole time they were playing and it seems like a game that would really be suited to that kind of party atmosphere. "
Nah, if you've played one rail shooter, you played 'em all; just point, click, and reload. I also don't like to be forced down a set path. It's a tired gameplay mechanic that was all played out by the late 90's. I bought HOTD 2 on Dreamcast, and I was bored with it within an hour. Rail shooters = lame, IMO.
it's more of an interactive film than a game. the gist of the gameplay is just as you describe it, just aim and shoot at everything. the reason overkill is better than most is that for someone who likes the grindhouse school of films this is really well made and genuinely funny. me and most of my friends enjoy robert rodriguez films a lot and we played through this 2-3 times already and had great laughs ... we even quote lines from it when we meet for dinner etc. i think the capcom guy described it very well
___
Listen to Wu-Tang and watch Kung-Fu
That's the problem I guess, people's opinions have been pre-biased by years of 90s arcade lightgun shooters.
It's like saying you didn't like Doom, so you wouldn't like Far Cry 2.
It doesn't allow for the evolving or improvement in the genre at all.
It's freaking tailor made for the American market as well. But I lay all the blame on Dvader. Damn trend setter.
Okay, how does Overkill improve the gameplay over 90's light gun shooters? I see no improvements in the gameplay based on the videos I've seen of the game, nor has any review that I've read/watched mentioned any of the radical changes in gameplay that you are implying with your Doom versus Far Cry 2 comparison.
The only change I've seen is what Bugs is talking about with the "grindhouse" film style and humor. I can see why you guys like that style change, but it's not for me. I've never liked those kinds of movies.
Sorry, but the rail shooter genre peaked with Yoshi's Safari.
For a start I wouldn't reccomend the game to you so much based on what you've said about violence and swearing etc. And I wouldn't describe it as having radical gameplay changes, just as in FPS you are still pointing and shooting at the screen.
The main comparison points would be simple, arcade vs home console lightgun games. There's a difference between the inherent way arcade games are made compared to home console games. Arcade games are made to be short, snappy and addicitive, to make you want to feed coins into the machine continually and to be able to finish it within usually less than an hour. It's an inherently throwaway experience playing an arcade lightgun game.
Then there are hardware differences, this isn't a game based on SEGA arcade board, mid-90s technology.
Overkill is treated like some long lost, but much treasured relic from the 70s, a cult classic movie special edition. It oozes style and class through its presentation from the menus and artwork, camerawork, to the wildly original soundtrack and laugh out loud (on a consistent basis) humour. It pushes the boundaries of taste and humour throughout the entire game.
It has depth, a decent running time and its a game with a directors cut with additions, you will at least play it through twice so there is a good amount of content. You can dual wield, upgrade your weapons, use grenades.
It's just a bucket load of fun from start to finish and like Foolz said, almost tailor made for a certain type of American gamer like Steel Attack or even Edgecrusher and Archie etc.
I have about 4 lightgun shooters on the system and each of them play differently from each other. Overkill makes the solid and enjoyable Umbrella Chronicles seem like a boring game.
You can't really paint all games in this genre with the same brush, or you could say that Conduit is meh, so Halo must be meh too. Blinx is meh, so mario must be meh.
Must I remind you of Pokemon Snap?
You see the variation you can get in a rails set up?
No, because I have never played anything with the name "Pokemon" in the title. Seriously.
EDIT: I just watched a video of Pokemon Snap. Yeah, that's certainly a different variation on the typical rail shooter.
Yep, Pachter is pretty much right in my case. I basically own a Wii for Nintendo's games although I have bought some Capcom games and the VC was a big draw for me.