MadBrad - A shitty start for Platinum Games?

How many fucking Wii consoles are out there? Eleventy Billion? Why does it matter that Nintendo is dominating the console war if the games that matter don't sell.

Madworld, which came out fairly early in the month, sold a pathetic 66k in March.

Nintendo HAS created a different market. Yes, the industry did grow, but those people that are the new consumers in this market are not buying anything but casual games. Who does this help?? Big publishers who can churn shit out to make the money to fund the projects they actually want to be making? Nintendo, EA, Activision??? The smaller companies who, god forbid, only have teams who want to make real games--what are they supposed to do? Give up? Make Mini Ninjas?

So guess what? Third party games, that are not Guitar games, DO NOT SELL for shit on Nintendo systems. Sure there are some exceptions, but guess what else also sold like shit last month? Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars--a game from possibly the biggest hardcore franchise in the industry, a game that received stellar reviews (sits around 94% on GameRankings), a game that only had a Teen rating, did not make the top 10 games sold in March--it didn't even break 90k. A fucking Grand Theft Auto game!

There is no PS2 this generation. There is no PS1 this generation. Meaning? There is no "sure thing" that developers can put their games out on. From the smallest dev teams to the biggest publishers, during the last two console generations, companies had a console that they KNEW had the audience they needed to sell their game.

I have no doubt that Madworld WOULD have sold way more on PS3 or 360. Why? It has a lower install base and a higher game price. So why? Because we are the people who would have bought the game. So do you all own Wiis? Did you all buy the game? Who owns a Wii and chose not to buy the game? Would you have bought the game if it were on PS3 or 360?

This isn't Nintendo's fault. I think we just need to come to the realization that this hobby of ours that we all love so much--the industry that spawns it has never belonged to us. You know why PS2 was a success? Because Madden was on PS2. Because GTA was on PS2. Because the PS2 was affordable. Not because PS2 had Shadow of the Colossus or Okami. The mainstream, non enthusiast consumers have always determined the fate of the industry. Well... their interests have changed it seems.

Who needs a cool new action game when we could just play Guitar Hero? Who needs a $400 console, when we can play Guitar Hero on a $200 one? Oh look... we won't have to save up money and buy it ourselves because Mom wants Wii Fit.

66,000. For shame. What does Platinum Games do now? Hopefully Bayonetta will do a bit better.


Brad