"A Market that has Outgrown the Hand that Feeds it" Article by Me

Extermely long but very detailed and informative. Worth the read.



[Introduction]

It's that time again. E3 is just around the corner. However this E3 is special. The eyes are not on the games, what the press event revolves upon, not at all. Well actually in a way it is, but what the eyes are on is something a bit broader. The hardware manufacturing giants are about to reveal their new consoles.

Now why is this important? Why are gamers around the world drooling at mere machines? Because this is the first page of the new console war, the war that determines which console "wins". What does that exactly mean? It means to be the console that gets all the "big" games, it means that the console gets all the "niche" games, it means that the console practically gets all the games and thus is accomplished by getting the majority of hardware sales which is fueled by an active userbase. It was just a fact by glancing at the history. NES dominated and got all the games, Playstation dominated and got all the games, and well the previous generation the Playstation 2 dominated and got all the games. The only exception to this was the Super Nintendo vs. the SEGA Mega-Drive; but if one actually looks closer the only reason why it took the Super Nintendo so long to outsell the Mega-Drive (World-Wide basis) is due to the fact that that console came out 2 full years before it thus having one hell of a lead (the PS3 is technically outselling the 360 world-wide yet it isn't even close to catching up to it and that's just being late to the party by one year imagine two), and even then most of the market was focused in Japan in terms of software and their the Super Nintendo dominated thus having it get all the games. And this is the reason why people are anticipating this E3 because it will reveal the 3 platforms and it is the first piece of a corprate puzzle that will reveal which console is the one to get all the games.

Eventually all three curtains were pulled, and it was just what people expected. Microsoft further revealed their Xbox 360 and it looked to just expand on what the orignal set out to do. Nintendo, as usual, barely made a squeak as they just revealed yet another small (many thought too small) quiet console that seemed to focus on Nintendo's games, and yet again SONY stole the show and seemed to for another generation seal themselves as the console king. Everything was going according to expectations as most people suspected that Nintendo was just going to get their little cult, Microsoft got American styled fanatics, and SONY was getting just about everyone else.

Over three years have passed since those days...and wow how we were wrong. Microsoft's 360 took a bit bigger piece of the hardware pie and is totally slobbering on the software side. Nintendo's now called Wii is just garbling up the hardware charts. As for the PS3, the guaranteed sure success? Well it's getting moderate meals in the hardware charts and eating the 360's leftovers within the software. .........what? Wait isn't the system with the highest software sales suppose to get the highest hardware and vice-versa? Obviously curious gamers check what the source of this is. And well it just comes down to the fact that publishers are confused as fuck.

[Brief Case on the Problems] On one side you have the ever so popular PS3/360 combo. This seems the prefered choice to most publishers though there are essentially two flaws with this route. The first and the most obvious is cost, it takes alot of people power and money to just acheieve the concept of these games let alone including the polish of the design and presentation. The second is that some games just do not fly with the expectations of those consoles. Sure the concept of a rail-shooter such as Panzer Dragoon or an eagles eye view RPG would've flyed last generation but with the users expecting a "next generation" expereince from these hardware going to a less "epic" experience really isn't going to be their cup of tea while they are browsing retail.

On another side you have the Wii. Now how in the fuck does the fastest selling piece of gaming hardware have such low third party support? Well the most obvious reason is the difference in raw power between the other systems. The Wii is an entire generation behind. The other is the missing figure. While there have been many successful third party games on the system that have surpassed expectations (Zack and Wiki, Guitar Hero III, Lego Indiana Jones, Resident Evil 4) there still isn't a big third party exclusive Wii game that has been released thus there can't be one that has sold well since such a thing doesn't exist.

The third corner is the rapidly growing handheld side. This is fueled by Nintendo's own DS. The fastest selling hardware out there only second to the Wii and insanely cheap development cost. The system is goughing down software and hardware in Japan and in North America only the latter was accurate though in the recent month things seem to be heading the other way (Guitar Hero: On Tour and Lego Indiana Jones). So why isn't this being heavily supported? Well for one it is a handheld and a fair share of developers aren't very fond of putting their A-list franchsies into a 3 inch screen and being powered with in some ways less then N64 technology.

The fourth corner is the PC and unlike the previous ones listed PC's purpose has been known and cemented for years. While there is room for improvement it isn't nearly as chaotic as the other three. So when it comes down to it three-fourths of these corners are being screwed over.

Developers and Publishers alike seem to still have faith in the factor that they need to find a set console(s) that cling on to what was left on from the Playstation saga. Basically a releasing strategy where they have a system or a set of system where they can release anything on and expect the best results. Last generation the Playstation 2 was that system. Have a cutting edge blockbuster console game like Metal Gear Solid 2/3 or the Final Fantasy series? Playstation 2. Have a niche game that only the diehard would apperciate like Phantom Brave or Fatal Frame? Playstation 2. Have some crazy original retail game that may shy some away like Stretch Panic or The Red Star? Playstation 2. Last generation if you were making a console game it belonged on the Playstation 2. The only time a third party game was released solely on the competiting consoles was either special circumstances (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle had to be on a Nintendo platform for obvious reasons) or just a developers fetish (Itagaki states that he always wants to develop on the most powerful console).

The problem is that this generation no such thing exists. Taking either the Playstation 3 or the Xbox 360 aside the platforms all have different philosophy's, different purpose, and an audience that have certain taste. This leaves publishers heads spinning because they just cannot figure out which route to take. Do they go towards the safe side and only make big budget games for the PS3/360? Or possibly do they go toward the shallow tested water of the Wii? Is the pocket fitted DS another choice to take? Well in my personal opinion the option is very easy to choose...all three.

Publishers still don't understand even after nearly two full years of all the platforms unvealing that each side carriers a different type of formula of games they most undergo as well as all of them having much potential.

[Risky Business] To me this is the area that is the least underperformed. However I still can't curl around the fact of the lack of variety of these games being released for these platforms. Yes there is the fact that it is a lot of money to create these games but I still don't see how so many could be so easily lumped together. A vast amount of these games go towards the gritty releastic look and tend to follow that in gameplay. These consoles are suppose to provide us with a next generation experience and to me there are some experiences that haven't been tapped yet. Thinking of games that have appeared the previous generation I'm sure many can think of a few game formulas that they'd like to see take on this power of hardware.

A publisher that counters this very well is Capcom. Looking at their release history they understand this point very well. Dead Rising, Lost Planet, Devil May Cry 4 have all performed stellar on the charts as well as they are all radiacally different both in art-style, presentation, and gameplay. Looking at their future line-up it becomes apparent that they understand even more so with titles like Street Fighter IV, Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, and Dark Void. Again all these games look to be radiacally different in terms of art-style, presentation, and gameplay. Possibly this could just be my imagination but I don't see any other publishers putting as much effect when on this topic.

Through the eyes of glass it appears that most just release their standard yearly games (Madden, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty) and use their next big "new" games to share a very similar style or design. I am aware that there are other titles such as Prototype, Prince of Persia, and Mirror's Edge that go against this but these are in the minority and others that do are usually either insanely low budget (Way of the Samurai 3) or have been announced for what seems like an eternity (Final Fantasy XIII).

But again this is part of the industry, I just feel that publishers should put in a little more variety within their "big" titles. However this is just a mere ass grab compared to another certain console that in comparison is getting fucked in the ass.

[Wii Need Help] The publishers don't understand it, the developers don't understand it, even most of the gamers don't understand it. The Wii. Why? Why did Nintendo decide to do this? Who knows but they are now swiming in money. Though how does this benefit the gamer? Can this really be as much as a benefit as going next generation in specs could? Well this all comes down to the purpose of the consoles.

The purpose of the PS3/360 is to further push of what has been accomplished in gaming, for developers to improve formulas that have been recently discovered as well as discovering new ones all together. Crackdown, Grand Theft Auto IV, Dead Rising, and The Condemed all do this will in different ways. As for Nintendo's new philosophy? Simple, it is about using what developers already know and using that to create truly unique games or games that they have previously envisioned. Games like No More Heroes, Zack and Wiki, Trauma Center. All these games are unique and really can't be improved with the power of new technology as their formulas are built for something far less powerful.

Truth be speaking the Wii's showing of this philosophy is so slim that it would be much clearer to use the DS as an example. The games range from old-school as the upcoming World of Destruction and the already released New Super Mario Bros. to as modern as the upcoming Kingdom Hearts DS and the released Zelda: Phantom HourGlass. To as niche as Metal Slug 7 to as mainstream as Guitar Hero: On Tour. There is no such thing as a game being "out-dated" because of the formula it uses, the genre it fits into, or what dimension the graphics are in. The audience doesn't look for the freshest or most cutting edge experience but more so what entertains them regardless of what period in time the game takes inspiration from. This is the real benefit of Nintendo's "Blue Ocean".

Again why use the DS as an example? Because the Wii is so unrealized a detailed comparison couldn't even be made. Never in the market has a console gotten so shunned and continue to do so. Essentially every single publisher has just fallen on their face when trying to make full retail games for this platform.

Publishers just don't know what to release for it, and developers just seem so confused. Usually the first thing they do is think of a game or a type of game that would benefit from the Wii's controller. However despite what most people claim if the first thing a developer does is think of how a game to utilize the controller they pretty much already fucked up. Essentially they are usually going to come up with 2 things. The first being some pick up and play trippy game that would probably be better off on Wiiware or a game that would be cool however would be far better on better hardware. Man it would be cool to have a Wii shooter like Gears of War or Call of Duty 4, except the Wii can't do the majority of the things. The controller isn't going to make the lack of intelligent A.I. disappear nor is it going to make the lack of atmosphere due to the atmosphere and environment designs disappear either. In order to make an ideal game for this hardware one most think of an ideal formula that fits this hardware. Would a game resembling Call of Duty do well? Not really but would one resembling Sin & Punishment? Very much so. Would a game that trys to follow a progressing formula such as that found in Final Fantasy XII be ideal for the Wii? Not really, but would one following a formula that has well stood the test of time such as Skies of Arcadia be a good choice? Very much so. After finding a formula that is well suited for the hardware and wouldn't really benefit from more power then one should look at mechanics and designs that could be added to the game that would revolve around the controller. Though it seems that publishers aren't doing either they're just taking the easy way out for sales.

First off Capcom. It's kind of sad to say that the best support from the platform has come from this publisher. Counting out Zack and Wiki they have done noting exceptionally new with the platform. All that has been seen is releasing of ports like Resident Evil 4 and Zero as well as Okami. Even in the future this holds true with Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop. Spyborgs is said to be a a big budgeted game that they are funding but until proof is shown noone should hold their breath. What would be an ideal Wii game from Capcom? Well if they want something that will sell well they should just glance at what has sold from them. Resident Evil 4 and Umbrella Chronicles have sold over a million copies mostly due to the West. So is there a formula in the survival horror category that would hold up well with the Wii. Well the one Resident Evil 4 would work perfect. It holds up even well this generation and while Resident Evil 5 is a next generation experience it looks to only do so by concentrating on bigger and more open areas. A mere change in design to more closed and smaller individual areas shouldn't be too much of a downer since that's what the genre usually revolves around anyway as Resident Evil 5 just seems to be an experiment. So we have the formula does it work well with the controller? Actually it works perfectly. Well that's great but Resident Evil 5 is currently being made is there an existing IP that already exists that could use this formula well. Well yes there is Dino Crisis. So we got a popular genre, a notable IP, a formula that works well with the hardware, and notable IP to go with it. Great. Another game? Well we have something that appeals to the Western crowd but what about the Japanese? Hmm...well the JRPG genre is very popular here and two of the top selling third party games are JRPG's. Does that genre require a lot of hardware power? Not at all within the majority of formulas. Is there an existing notable IP that we have that is a JRPG and could be done or has been done in the JRPG formula's that don't require high specs? Well yes the Breath of Fire series. So we could make Breath of Fire VI for the Wii. Popular genre, popular console, popular selling genre on the console in the country, notable IP, awesome this should sell pretty well.

What's surprising is that this company has shown the most support towards the Wii. And this is just using already existing and established IP's, imagine what one could do with a brand new one? This console is very underplayed and has proven that it buys third party software on many occasions. The publishers certainly are missing out. [Size Doesn't Matter] Now the DS is getting a lot of support in Japan, and is starting to in the West as well. However the problem isn't the amount of games nor the type of games being released for the platform but more so the production values and the importance of the games as well as how the games are approached in the first place.

To not cut around the bush most games on the platform still reek of being "a handheld entry". Many know how it goes, the version of the games don't give the player the same feel the console versions do for all the wrong reasons. Possibly the problem is that developers and publishers alike most retweak on how they look at portable gaming. These are games that are either played for once in a while short bursts or turned on much during the day but for only a little play at a time. Not only do some formulas work better then others but they must be retweaked to work on this playset.

While improving the West still seems to not get this. Japan on ther other hand seems a bit informed as they focus on games that marry well with this type of playset such as RPG's, Puzzlers, Side-Scrolling Shooters, and Adventure games. While on this there is a distrubing fact that many there is a lack of games big on production value and/or notable budget and/or IP on the platform. There are some out and coming out such as Tales of Innocence, Dragon Quest IX, Apollo Justice, and Avalon Code but they are still a rarity.

Why the hesitation from some publishers? Why won't Atlus put the next edition to Shin Megami Tensei (or at least some part of the series) on the platform? Nocturne on the PS2 just screamed for breaks while dungeon crawling and it also gave the player a crave when to play it (a crave that could be filled on the go). Why won't Capcom put Power Stone 3 on the DS? Brawling on the go would be much fufilling in little bites especially when playing Wi-Fi while waiting for food or having a cup of coffee at diners or just in a relaxing position on the bed?

The DS is currently the best software selling system as of now in Japan and is the all-time hardware selling king. Yet some publishers still refuse to acknowledge it.
[In Conclusion] Is every publisher and developer out there big enough to support all three routes? Of course not. Are those who can not doing to a satisfactory content? Very much so. Are those who can't missing out on a big potential to support the other two lesser known routes? Very much so. However few if any actually do. Obviously they do not care about these effects as they don't really care about the fun us consumers have but more so the money that we put in their pockets. However by turning their backs to these issues they are losing on a win-win situation as us consumers would be far more happy and they would be as well as they get far more money from a supporting another userbase as they continue to support the one that they are familiar with.

There is a developer that understands this very well. Plantinum Games made their reveal early this year. When asked on which platform they would support they made it very clear that in todays market there is no sense to focus on one as all have much potential. They complimented this by revealing 3 very different games. The first was Mad World, second Bayonetta, third Infinite Line. All three games nail down the problems with the four platforms.

Mad World is a stylish action game that's premise is that the player is in a game show and must kill off people (who obviously attack them) in the most brutal way. Is this a formula suited well for the Wii's hardware? Yes. Is this a game that works well with the Wii controller? Brutal killings with the Wii Remote? Hell yes. Is this a game that has potential to sell notably? Being that it could be lumped into the highly stylized catergory with No More Heroes which sold better then expected? Yes. And most of all is it a game that looks of quality and production value for the Wii? Yes.

Bayonetta is suppose to evolve the current 3D fast paced hack-n-slash lead by Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. Is this a formula well suited for the PS3/360? Yes because it involves stepping up a genre a notch to a completly different level thus evolving it. Does this game have selling potential? Devil May Cry 4 sales were stellar, Ninja Gaiden II's weren't anything to snub at so yes. Is the game unique enough? Well neither Devil May Cry 4 or Ninja Gaiden II attempted to truly evolve the genre, and the main character in the game shoots bullets from her feet so yes.

Infinite Line is a RPG that focus's on ship building and exploring other planets while traveling in space. Is this formula well suited for the DS's hardware? Well more needs to be seen. Does this seem to work well on a portable? People seem to like games where they can craft things on the go as well as just wandering about in them so yes. Does it have potential to sell? It seems that these original RPG's are the next wave for the system in Japan so yes.

Again this is a developer that very well understands the current market and knows how it works. Sadly just about all other developers and publishers sit there dumbfounded onto what they should do on the other platforms.

The market has never grown so much in such little time before. The market is infact so large now that it is now feasible to get those "big" sales by using another route of system releases. The consumers were ready for these systems to take different ways and bring much further choice to the market, the hardware manufacturers were ready to go their seperate ways to nurture and get the potential from those consumers who displayed that they'd like something different from the other. The only ones who weren't ready were those who made the software. They always say don't bite the hand that feeds you, but ironically those that the hand fed have crawled into seperate cages and the hand is too intiminated to feed those that have left the original cage.

i didnt finish it but i skimmed over the final 3 paragraphs.
wow, this sounds exactly the same as every other gen. .

Games follow a certain route, and nintendo doesn't get 3rd party support.  Wow, it's been this way since, well the former since the arcades (before atari) and the latter since the n64.  Wow, go figure.

NInty doesn't get support because they're apparently bitches about what they let on.   They always have been *remembers the bloodless mortal combat snes and playing the bloody worse looking on on the genesis and liking its style more because of that*
And besides, it's basically develop a game for the wii 28million?  with software selling mostly below the 360 or release it on the 360, ps3, and pc which, as i mentioned, 360 software sells better the wii software single handedly, ps3 software comes somewhat close, and pc sells a little bit

In all honesty though, so what?

Play a game, enjoy it or don't, play another. I know "gaming" is becoming more mature and prevalent in todays society, but we really need to chill out and just play some games.

"In all honesty though, so what?

Play a game, enjoy it or don't, play another. I know "gaming" is becoming more mature and prevalent in todays society, but we really need to chill out and just play some games."

"In all honesty though, so what?

Play a game, enjoy it or don't, play another. I know "gaming" is becoming more mature and prevalent in todays society, but we really need to chill out and just play some games."

"i didnt finish it but i skimmed over the final 3 paragraphs.
wow, this sounds exactly the same as every other gen. .

Games follow a certain route, and nintendo doesn't get 3rd party support.  Wow, it's been this way since, well the former since the arcades (before atari) and the latter since the n64.  Wow, go figure.

NInty doesn't get support because they're apparently bitches about what they let on.   They always have been *remembers the bloodless mortal combat snes and playing the bloody worse looking on on the genesis and liking its style more because of that*
And besides, it's basically develop a game for the wii 28million?  with software selling mostly below the 360 or release it on the 360, ps3, and pc which, as i mentioned, 360 software sells better the wii software single handedly, ps3 software comes somewhat close, and pc sells a little bit"

"In all honesty though, so what?

Play a game, enjoy it or don't, play another. I know "gaming" is becoming more mature and prevalent in todays society, but we really need to chill out and just play some games."