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Nintendo Collaborating On Several Titles With Third-Party Publishers

By Ishaan . July 6, 2011 . 10:50pm

Nintendo Collaborating On Several Titles With Third Party Publishers

Aside from Nintendo first-party software, the Wii hasn’t seen a lot of quality support from third-party publishers. Faced with a question during a shareholder meeting about how Nintendo will avoid the same situation on Nintendo 3DS and the upcoming Wii U, Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, revealed that the company is collaborating with third-parties to a greater extent to provide support for the two platforms.

 

“We think it very important to make several hits from the third-party software publishers within the first year from the release of the platform, while offering Nintendo software seamlessly,” Iwata replied to the question. “In order to achieve this goal, we have shared information about the new hardware with the software publishers earlier than we did previously and built a cooperative structure, and we are developing several titles in collaboration with these publishers.”

 

He continued: “I cannot talk in detail about the names of the titles, or with which publishers we are currently collaborating, because we have not announced this information yet, but what we are aiming for with the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U is, platforms which have much more software and a wider variety of software than the former Nintendo DS or Wii.”

 

Nintendo are aiming to create an environment on both systems where software from other companies will be successful. “Please understand that Nintendo is prepared to invest in order to make this a reality,” Iwata concluded with regard to the question.


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  • http://twitter.com/ChestnutBowl Chestnut Bowl

    I can’t help but feel that the Wii U will still end up with largely lackluster third-party support in the end, just like the N64, the Gamecube, and the Wii.

    • JustThisOne

      Yeah. While “the possibilities are endless”, it’s still kind of risky/difficult to make a real likable game that fully makes use of the Wii U’s capabilities.

      Or who knows, maybe I’m just not creative enough. But that’s why I’m not a game dev.

    • DanteJones

      I agree, definitely gonna wait on getting the Wii U until there’s some confirmation on if the third-party lineup is gonna be any good. That and I get the feeling the Wii U isn’t going to be cheap…

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1443425328 Manuel Antony Marcano

      Thats not really fair considering the wii actually got great 3rd party support spanning multiple genres. From A boy and his blob to Zack & wiki theres a pretty big library of amazing games, many of which are 3rd party. People just get caught up in the shovelware or in whats popular. Sakura Taisen for example isn’t your everyday RPG but its still great and its still on Wii. Sure N64 and Gamecube got shafted when it came to 3rd parties Wii got a healthy amount of support, most people seem to have selective memory whenever you mention Fragile or Little King Story.

      • HistorysGreatestMonster

        But Sakura Taisen wasn’t even an exclusive. There was still a PS2 version, which most people bought over the Wii version, due to the dual audio. I doubt anyone would say that the Wii’s lineup is completely worthless, but it doesn’t compare to the 360 and PS3 lineups. 

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1443425328 Manuel Antony Marcano

          While that is true I have both versions and its not as big of a deal as I first thought. The english voice acting actually becomes cute in how much the girls over act everything, and the 30$ Wii version was easier to find then the 40$ ps2 version.

          Well its not like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty are exclusive either.

          I dunno, I don’t think its fair to say the 360 and Ps3 blow it away because they just plain don’t. They’re these two shooter centric consoles, thats not all they have but really look at the major releases, and the major 1st party titles. We’re looking at a general action focus with a T or M rating. Its rare we see platformers, and the selection of RPGs is mostly low budget Gust/iF!/NIS software that is lacking in spitshine.

          Just saying if you got down to the nitty gritty the Wii is a very strong console, totally comparable in software to the 360 and ps3. Its “hardcore” thinking that makes it seem otherwise. Sure Shiren isn’t going to sell a million copies, and Muramasa isn’t going to excite COD players theres more of those kinds of games real “hardcore” games, on Wii then Ps3 or 360. You have to go to their “secondary” service to find stuff like Hard Corps and Bionic Commando.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hector-Cortes/100000351183370 Hector Cortes

            There’s good 3rd party games on the Wii the problem is that the main big franchises on the PS3/360 (3rd party wise) aren’t on the Wii which is what Nintendo wants to fix with Wii U and 3DS…

    • neo_firenze

      Not only do I feel exactly the same way, but this is the exact same thing Nintendo told us about third party publishers on the Gamecube and Wii… and we see how those turned out.  This PR-speak is just more of the same.

  • EggmaniMN

    How do you have a greater variety of games than the DS? It literally has games in every single genre imaginable and then it even has a whole bunch that are pretty much undefinable. Like, it is literally the most diverse library in gaming history.

    • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

      Yeah I am baffled by that statement considering both Wii and DS have voer 1150 different videos games available. To me, I hope this means they want to go to major western developers…though I dont really want third party exclusives that are locked to the Wii U…dont want another Tales of Symphonia 2, Sonic Colors, Tales of Vesperia/Splinter Cell Conviction fiasco…

  • Croix

    Not directly related to the topic at hand here, but I see something new on the front page of Siliconera. Looking sweet guys.

    Back to the topic, I’ll be eager to see how this turns out. I just hope they haven’t alienated any developers or publishers by not taking this approach sooner.

  • http://strictlyapathy.comoj.com/ SoulArbiter

    Good. Nintendo is finally starting to get on to third-part publishers to expand their gaming horizons.

  • http://www.ukanime.com abigsmurf

    As it is, Nintendo need a good TGS, there’ll be a real danger that all the people developing games at the moment for the PSP will move straight on to the Vita. If I was Nintendo, I would commission Squeenix to do full 3D remakes of FFV and FFVII

    The 3DS showing at E3, although it had some good titles, wasn’t exactly flooded. Looking at the amazon.co.uk release schedule, there is exactly 1 3DS title to be released between now and the end summer.

    Still, hopefully TGS will have some exciting third party stuff to show for the handheld now that developers will have had the dev kits for around a year.

    • mor13ty

      3D remake of FFVII? I think, it’s really not possible, especially because Sony published a original FF VII.

      • http://www.ukanime.com abigsmurf

         Meant to say VI

    • Aiddon

      uh, Nintendo NEVER attends TGS. The best you’ll get is 3rd party stuff for their systems, but you won’t see their 1st party titles there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/wahyudilestadi Wahyudi Lestadi

    is this mean every other developer can come to Nintendo HQ to get revision and supervision from Miyamoto?

  • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

    They did okay with the Wii’s 3rd party efforts, they even managed to publish some series that didn’t even touch their systems previously!  I wonder what they will do for Wii U.

  • SirRichard

    With the Wii U, Nintendo seriously needs to learn from the 3DS; launch it with a proper first party title. Something good, something that flaunts what they can do with their new hardware. None of that Wii Sports/Play/Fit/Music crap, no minigame collections (especially ones that masquerade as “fitness” titles), none of it. Give us proper games, and make sure that you actually give us a decent first party title.

    What I’m saying is, don’t show us a sparkly Zelda title and then hold it out of our reach for around three months, and then claim that we’re still in the “launch window” when you finally let us have it. 

    While third-party support is a very important thing, crippling a hardware launch by holding back the software that will sell the system (the first-party stuff) isn’t a good way of doing that.

    • malek86

      Why shouldn’t they want to have something like Wii Sports at launch? That game single-handedly sold millions of consoles.

    • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

      Mario Kart will most likely be in the first year, I guess. Wii Sports Resort U should be made, a cheaply made title to showcase the System’s capabilities through accessible easy to play minigames. The Wii U marks Nintendo’s entrance into hardcore gaming, however, I doubt they want to abandon having a title to get the “Wii is my first gaming system ever” consumers interested in Wii U.

  • Aiddon

    Intriguing, this at least shows that Nintendo is willing to legitimately work with 3rd parties in order to make the best of the hardware. Developers seem completely enamored with the system, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about

  • gatotsu911

    Uh-oh. I hope none of these games will be Nintendo-published, because the last few weeks have taught us pretty well what that means.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jstack Jon Stachewicz

    I’ll believe it when I see it, I guess. 

    I don’t want to be yet ANOTHER person who brings up OpRain but, to me, it says a lot about how Nintendo really feels about this issue and why I don’t think anything is going to come of yet another one of Nintendo’s promises that ‘no guys this time we’re gonna have LOTS of third party support’, the same statement that ushered in the launch and eventual system libraries of the Gamecube, the Wii, the 3DS and soon, the WiiU.

    My issue with how Nintendo’s handled OpRainfall is that they’ve made
    everyone that yes, they are aware of the demand for these games, and no,
    they really don’t care. It seems to go completely against their E3
    press conference, talking about how going forward, they’re all about the
    core gamers with the lineup of Wii U software. Why not start now, and
    build a precedent for people to actually believe them when they say
    that? If I can’t trust Nintendo to support the release/distribution of
    core RPGs and other titles now, why should I say ‘no but they got our
    backs THIS time guys’ when I ponder lining up to buy the Wii U?

    • ThunderGod_Cid

      I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here and side with NOA on the whole Operation:Rainfall issue.

      Financially it doesn’t make any sense to localize those games over here, when there is just not enough of hardcore gamers*(that own Wiis) out there to justify the cost in releasing those games overseas.

      Besides the majority of the hardcore JRPG fans out there own DSs and PS3s, Why? Because those systems had strong 3rd Party from the get-go. Which is what Nintendo is promising this time around with the Wii U, so far it looks like they have it.

      The only thing that concerns me is their online infrastructure and eShop.

  • PrinceHeir

    i believe it when i see it :P

  • LaserVision

    Skeptical to be sure but, I’m glad it was the shareholders who are asking these questions. That’s the only way things are going to change.

  • darkfox1

    If the WiiU gets more exclusives then the PS3/360 it would be really good thing for the WiiU. Especially since when they do get exclusives no one can’t complain about how if it was “for the PS3 or 360 it would have been better.” Im also guessing that now most if not every multiplatform release the Wii is is SURE to get  hopefully. Yeah nintendo or who ever manages stuff like multi plat releases need to make sure that the WiiU version of games brings something new to it that the other counterparts won’t. BRING ALL THE MAJOR FIGHTERS SO THE WIIU CAN BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I have really high hopes for the WiiU. The bashing about how Nintendo doesn’t stand up to the PS3/360 mainly because of the games they bring/get can end.     

  • Anthony Franqui

    Make no mistake. Nintendo shares in the blame for the Wii’s lack of decent software. But third party publishers….I don’t think they should even be allowed to develop for Nintendo based on some of the garbage they pushed on the system. I think only Sega, Capcom and Activision put up arguably decent efforts. Aside from that…..just offensive. If anything I would boost the wiiware support for indie developers, because they put some gems on there that ultimately gave the online service, and even the console itself some credibility.

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