It’s been an argument that has been put through the paces ever since the GameCube: third party titles cannot compete with Nintendo offerings. Sure there have been some companies such as EA, Capcom, and Activision that have seen some success, but most other companies have been left out in the cold.

Reggie Fils-Aime has an answer for why that might be. While speaking with Forbes, he stated that he believes third party developers “still don’t quite understand the Wii audience,” also adding, “I will be able to say our licensees ‘get it’ when their very best content is on our platform.”

Part of the problem he sees is that companies are just trying to tack motion controls onto a property, without taking the time to fully develop the game. If you look at many of the multi-platform titles for Wii, and how they usually end up being PS2 ports with motion controls, it’s hard to argue against his claims. The future isn’t all that bleak, as developers like High Voltage look to show the world that the Wii isn’t just a shovel ware, waggle fest. But the message from Fils-Aime is clear, if third parties want to see some measure of success, put more time and care in developing your titles.

One of Nintendo’s major reasons for not supporting HD and keeping the Wii’s specifications conservative was to make it a viable platform for original IPs. The argument was that developing games on machines with multi-core processors and complex architectures was increasing development costs to such a degree, that the appetite for risk was rapidly diminishing within the industry resulting in endless sequels and me-too titles. Two years have passed since the Wii was released and it has since gained many original IPs that allow us to see if Nintendo’s decision has borne fruit, or whether it was just an excuse to limit R&D expenses.

Red Steel

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:1,006,000

As of April ‘07, Ubisoft reported that Red Steel had sold 950,000 copies, and VGChartz has current sales of the game at just over a million; likely well short of the true number. The success of Red Steel cannot be in doubt - a game that was hyped to be sure, but one that also ended as being a pretty mediocre shooter made enjoyable because of the Wii Remote. The question of why Ubisoft has not tried to replicate its success with other Wii FPS games can be explained with other successful Ubisoft games from the Petz/Imagine series. The latter required smaller teams and shorter development cycles, so that even minor sales resulted in strong profits. Nintendo’s own strategy seems to have backfired in this case, as Ubisoft has since become reluctant to release anything other than mini-game compilations, albeit quality ones in the form of Rayman Raving Rabbids, and expanded audience games on the Wii. Motion Plus seems to have provided Ubisoft the impetus to make the sequel that so many expected this year: Red Steel 2 should see a release in the ‘09 holiday season.

Boom Blox

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:560,000

Initially deemed a failure at retail, Boom Blox sold a paltry 60,000 copies in its first week. Many worried that gamers would simply see a glorified version of Jenga and balk at the $50 price tag. Though, like many Wii games, despite not having the front loaded sales so typical of games on the 360, it’s shown real legs due to a solid advertising campaign and strong word-of-mouth buzz. EA stated that the game had sold 450,000 copies in their first fiscal quarter, so VGChartz current estimate of 560,000 copies sold is likely well short of the actual number. It’s tough to determine just how much cash EA plowed into Boom Blox; Steven Spielberg’s influence and the superb level design can’t have come cheap, but ultimately it didn’t feature the lavish visuals and presentation that are known to really elevate development costs. If its sales approach 750,000 worldwide, it will surely represent a very good return for EA who are also strongly rumored to be preparing a sequel.

Zack & Wiki

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:450,000

Capcom clearly lavished a lot of time and money on Zack & Wiki - the game’s art direction, level design and sheer length show that the company also invested a lot of its top talent on the project. In February ‘08, 4 months after its release, Capcom announced that it had sold 300,000 copies of the game in the U.S and Japan. A surprising figure as it had sold a mere 35,000 in its first week on sale in the U.S. VGChartz has current sales for the game at 450,000, but once again this seems a conservative estimate, and shows the site’s general inability to properly track sales figures for games that fall out of the top 20 yet still maintain consistent sales. Despite this, Capcom has not seemed eager to announce a sequel. The success of both Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles seems to be at the heart of this. Both games have sold over a million copies each despite one being a direct port and the other reusing art assets from earlier games. This is further proven by Capcom’s decision to port the 360 title Dead Rising to the console. Compared to Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition’s sales and development cost/time, Zack & Wiki appears to be an apparent failure. Judged on its own however; with its niche point and click adventure gameplay, high difficulty and kid friendly sound and visuals, its sales begin to look a lot more impressive.

And a few that didn’t make it

Perhaps the best game to have completely flopped on the Wii is We Love Golf. Capcom acknowledged in a press release that its performance was ’sluggish’ and VGChartz has its current sales at 40,000, though this does not include Europe. Quite why it sold so badly is a bit of a mystery - Camelot, the game’s developer, has been responsible for numerous golf games that have been successful for both Nintendo and Sony in the past. Konami’s overly cute Dewy’s Adventure and Leftfield’s poorly designed Nitrobike are other notable failures of original IPs.

In part 2 of TVGB’s look at how original IPs perform on the Wii; De Blob and Okami will be covered, as well as a look at whether the high sales of ports and spin-offs could be shaping developers’ release lists a little too strongly.

Screen Play has said many times that the strength of this blog is its passionate and articulate community.

As we all know, other forums are not so lucky, with the anonymity of the internet often bringing out the worst in people, as explored last week in Anthony Murphy's amusing rant.

Today we have one former Your Turn PS3 winner responding to another, with Dylan Foulcher providing a more positive follow-up to Anthony's diatribe.

Click below to read Dylan's thoughts on online identity.

You are not terrible

I wanted to respond to some of the issues raised in Anthony Murphy's amusing rant about the evils of 'whiney nerd rage'. In the discussion that followed Anthony's piece a recurring theme was the idea that anonymity on the internet causes people to throw all sense of social decency out the window and become, for want of a better word, a**holes.

The idea that anonymity causes otherwise decent people to transform into an uncouth mob of volatile twelve year olds with foul mouths is depressing. Accurate, but depressing.

But I think this problem is easily solved. How? Simple - give internet users an identity. The most obvious example I can think of is Facebook. Users are forced to use their own identity, and a Facebook profile is essentially an online snapshot of you as a person. For this reason people treat each other cordially, not wanting to sully their good names on a vast social network.

Often the tone of a blog or website will affect the kind identity posters adopt. Take Screen Play, for example, which is predominantly devoid of the kind of childish antics that swamp most mainstream forums. How has this been achieved? Well, Jason has created a place that encourages discussion and expression of ideas, and discourages temper tantrums and name calling. There are many other forums and websites out there were the opposite is encouraged, by virtue of the people who run them.

But it's also important to note that identity plays a big part in Screen Play's success. The Screen Play community is relatively small, and most posters are interested in expressing themselves and creating an identity with which to interact with other users. People's identities, and the reputations they've built up, on Screenplay are a part of what make their comments worth reading. The brilliant "Your Turn" initiative takes this even further, allowing people's identities to be further fleshed out by giving them the spotlight for the day.

The further you move away from anonymity, the nicer, the less terrible, people become.

In a way, I think the New Xbox Experience looks to have similar goals. If any online environment needs a dose of identity for its oft-abusive users, it's Xbox Live. The Avatars, whilst blatantly ripped from possibly influenced by Nintendo's Mii concept, really help to give each gamer an online personality. Sony's Home, whenever it's eventually released, also seems to be about giving players an online personal space and identity.

This move towards giving players distinct identities is a great thing for online communities, and for gaming in general. It could be a genuine solution to help people be nicer to each other.

What positives or negatives do you see coming out of this trend? Does giving yourself an online identity affect the way you behave online?

- Dylan Foulcher

Screen Play readers can submit articles or ideas for consideration in Your Turn using the email address screenplayblog@gmail.com. The best blog post each month as judged by Jason Hill will win a PlayStation 3 console from Sony Computer Entertainment worth $699. The next Your Turn prize winner will be announced on November 28. Only Australian residents are eligible and the judge's decision is final.

EA Sports chief Peter Moore is no doubt proud of his team’s “Madden” and “Tiger Woods” games this year.

But when I asked him what the highlights and lowlights were for EA Sports this year during a quick sit-down interview in New York last week, the first positive thing that came to his mind was … a Korean version of “FIFA.”

Why?

“You hate to point to certain franchises, but I can’t overstate the importance of ‘FIFA,’” he told me while his PR handler was getting him a coffee. “Not only because, of course, we can sell ‘FIFA’ in just about any country in the world — particularly here in North America we’re selling very, very well. But the opportunities to iterate off our ‘FIFA’ franchise into a mid-session game [like] we gave you an example of with Asia [are] important.”

Moore was referring to a presentation he gave earlier in the day at the BMO Capital Markets Conference, during which he said that the “FIFA Online 2” game in South Korea has been a rousing success. The game is free to play on PC but, like many Asian multiplayer online PC games, offers players a bevy of cosmetic and gameplay items for small fees. Moore said that most people don’t buy any items, but those who do have bought an average of $28 of goods since the game’s launch.

It wasn’t just the Korean version of “FIFA” that has pleased Moore. It’s also the success EA has had in challenging Konami for soccer/football game dominance: “FIFA” vs. long-time global leader “Pro Evolution.”

“Three years ago, we were the second-place guy,” Moore said. “You may recall we took a big risk of jumping right in and spending on a new engine before Konami did…It’s one of those examples where we simply swallowed hard and said we have to go to a new engine. All of the grief, it costs you. And sometimes you don’t get it right the first time… I’m very proud of “FIFA.”

Thriving because of spirited competition? Some might see irony there, given that EA notoriously faces no formidable challengers in the making of American football games.

How could he say fitness games are the new music games?

However, EA will be facing tough competition next year in fitness games. The morning of Moore’s presentation in New York was also the morning EA announced “EA Sports Active,” a Wii-exclusive workout game designed to be used with specially packaged leg bands that can hold the Wii remote or nunchuk.

Moore maintains that the game is “complementary” to, rather than competitive with, Nintendo’s runaway hit “Wii Fit,” primarily because he characterizes “Wii Fit” as espousing a more balance-oriented fitness routine compared to EA’s emphasis on heart-pumping physicality. What was most striking in his presentation was Moore’s declaration that fitness games are the next big market, the new hot genre following the rise of the music game category exploding with “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.”

How could he say fitness games are the new music games? Moore feels it in his resume. He was a physical education teacher 30 years ago and then worked for nearly two decades at Reebok. Fitness, he said, is what people want.

“There are a huge number of people that need to work out, that want to work out, that recognize that they have some health challenges but are not comfortable, don’t like running, don’t want to go outside, are perhaps not comfortable in the gym and perhaps most importantly, don’t have time,” he said. “We looked at some stats: 61 percent of the U.S. population is overweight; 89 percent of all women in surveys say they need to lose weight. Whether they need to or not, their perception is they need to lose weight. We’re also looking at time compression. We’re looking at the cost of working out. Gym memberships and things of that nature. And then when you look at how many Wiis are embedded in homes around the world, and you do the correlation, it’s a strong business opportunity.”

But really, are these the new “Guitar Hero”s? “I’m bullish,” he said. “Do I have any basis for knowing what this market is? I really don’t. My only basis is having been involved with this market for 30 years in one way or the other. Seeing the innovation. We have driven this hard for the past 12 months.”

In our survey of highlights and trends, Moore also said he was proud of his division’s attempts to try new intellectual property this year, despite what he called “mixed results in some cases.”

So EA Sports sounds like a different division than the “Madden” factory some casual observers might take it to be. Is it a division headed in the right direction? Moore’s highlights, if nothing else, shows the track they’re running on.

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That’s the question Capcom are asking over at the Unite forums. No doubt buoyed by the critical and commercial success of Bionic Commando: Rearmed, the remake-ish Mega Man 9, and the highly anticipated Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Capcom wants to your input.

Unfortunately, the blog post in question isn’t promising anything, it’s merely gauging public opinion. But who knows, if enough people scream for one of the Breath of Fire series, or Strider, Final Fight, maybe even the original Resident Evil… then it may just pop up on your favourite digital download service sometime soon.

You guys remember when Reddit decided to send a crowbar to CERN scientists in case a Half-Life-like resonance cascade came from the firing up of the Large Hadron Collider? We laughed, because funny things are funny. (Not resonance cascades; that's kind of scary.)

It gets better -- a Reddit had a CERN physicist deliver the crowbar personally to the real-life Gordon Freeman look-a-like CERN worker. Pictures were taken, and they were -- as you'd expect -- completely awesome. The fruits of this labor (an obvious attempt to protect mankind, in case of, er, complications) can be found here. 

So now it's contest and fun time. Time to bring out the big guns and put together some video, throw together some Photoshops, and YTMNDs in honor of this great success. The prizes? We're not sure, but they'll be good ... we promise. But are you really doing this for a prize? No, you're doing it for fun. And the good of mankind. 

Post your images, links to videos, and links to YTMNDs in the comments below. Go nuts with it. We'll accept submissions until you stop making them or we get bored (sometime next week), so keep 'em coming.

Well that was pretty short lived wasn’t it? The search giant launched its answer to the hugely successful Second Life not six months ago but today announced via its corporate blog that it will be shutting down Lively.

The blog reads: “Despite all the virtual high fives and creative rooms everyone has enjoyed in the last four and a half months, we’ve decided to shut Lively down at the end of the year. It has been a tough decision, but we want to ensure that we prioritize our resources and focus more on our core search, ads and apps business.”

The plug will officially be pulled at the end of December. Lively, which is still being beta-tested, received an underwhelming response upon its launch in July and has since not been the runaway success Google may have hoped for, despite all its monetary and marketing muscle.

Google is encouraging current users to capture videos and screenshots of all their hard work before it is sucked up into the black singularity of the Internet.

Xbox 360 sells over 7 million in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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