Monster Hunter Information 3DS friends code: Primary MH Title: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate WiiU Country of Origin (for connection Speed use): US
20130212
Ubisoft.. game industry and us...
Not sure how much any of you have been keeping up with this or know about it but I'll give you the short version:
Rayman Legends, original announced as a WiiU exclusive and launch title was delayed for further development Until it's new release date of February 26th. Ubisoft rushed it's developers up until the last day before it was supposed to be released for shipping. That morning Ubisoft Announced though the Game was now finished they had decided to hold it's WiiU release for 7 months to release in September along side a PS3/360 release as well after recieving complaints from owners of those systems that they wouldn't get to play the game also.
Many, including developers and game magazines spoke with Ubisoft about releaseing the WiiU (finished version now) and the game on the other systems in september. Ubisoft stated that it wouldn't be fair releasing the game on one system before the others. At least one of the developers quit over this. The U-Play Miiverse comunity along with facebook and many other sites were flooded. Within on day every pre-order of Rayman legends was cancled and investors began pulling funds from ubisoft.
Ubisoft in respons stated that they were listening to fans and as an apology would release an exclusive demo for the WiiU. (their 2nd demo)
This seemed to enrage people even more including the developers and Rayman creator:
No one is arguing it seems, that Rayman will no longer be a WiiU exclusive. The argument is over the 7 Months delay of a finished product which by all accounts seems more of a negative to Ubisoft, Rayman/Nintendo fans and the developers.
Some of the main and most rational arguments so far are:
1: Currently in Febuary there are few WiiU games or games on other systems being released to compete against Rayman Origins. It would profit just on sales alone but by delaying many who would have bought it and had pre-ordered it most like will not in September.
2: Porting it to the PS360 though good for fans of Rayman on those system may not increase sale as High as they would like. It is already rumored that the 720 will be released in November of this year and the Ps4 in spting of 2014. Many fans of those companies will be preparing and saving for those systems.
3: Back to #1. Right now there is little or no competition, in september there will be GTAV, WindWaker HD, MArioKart U, Possibly an announcement on SSBB, Pokemon X/Y on it's way and those are just high profile games for Nintendo. Both Sony and Micro will be doing their year in push as well for final system games also.
4: Nintendo has already put a lot into the marketting of RL. They will most likely not after this situation. Micro and Sony will most likely not put as much into marketting as Nintendo did either.
BUt there is more to it than just this.... We are looking at a reflection of both the Gaming industry and gamers as a whole on this one I feel.
How do game companies as a whole veiw Gamers? And what should the gamer except and not except? In some ways, yes I do feel many have become too entitled on both sides but also there should be a middle ground. What is exspected of the Gamer and the INdustry as a whole? Should we both not have our responsabilities? Ubisoft though tipping the scales on this one is by no means the first company to do something wrong and enrage gamer fans... But Gamers don't always reason with well either or have too many biased opinions to help them see things rationally at times.
IN this case.. My own opinion.. The only system exclusives should be those made by companies owned by the systems creators. (though financially we know it does not always work that way.) But that's where system spacific content comes into play. Tekken is a good example of this.
What I don't think is exceptable is a 7 month delay to cater to those other system. If anything the reviews and promotion recieved from the WiiU release would only advance it. Over all.. I have the same thoughts on world wide releases of games. Unless it's a game that would be impossible to import/export developers and companies should work on it from begining to end with a world wide release in mind.... Is that all possible... It could be but it depends on a couble of things. The Game industry changing their way of thinking and We as gamers casual/hardcore whatever changing ours.
Will it happen? Who knows.. Must it happen? I believe so.
If you want money as a company, you have to do everything that does not get you as much money as some other way that doesnt cater to gamers as much would.
Look at valve. They constantly do things that the community wants them to do, and they are making quite a bit of money. These days every game developer wants to make a call of duty and make ridiculous amounts of money with that approach. However, gamers in general will not buy into such things, the reason call of duty reached such a status in the first place is due to the fact that originally gamers purchased the older games and spread the word, played with their friends. Then it became mainstream and everyone began purchasing it, and the development process went downhill to an extent. The state call of duty is currently in is very difficult to get into, and its stupid for other game developers to want to get in such a state. It won't happen unless it is a gradual thing.
The point I'm making is, you can't go from nothing to a call of duty success. Call of Duty has only become so successful because of the constant releases of decent games it had back in midlate 2000s. In order to get into this call of duty sales status you have to FIRST AND FOREMOST, completely cater to the gamers (not the friggin casuals) and show how good the game can be. Then after a while you can turn the games into shitty rehashes. The gamers will be happy with the first few games and the casuals will all buy the new ones. Mission accomplished.
(It's saddening to put it this way, but at least the first couple of games would have been developed in a proper manner right?)
Its like an upside down parabola. You can release a couple of great games, and they will get pretty good sales. As you release more, everyone will learn about it. You will have good quality games AND good sales. Then your sales will stabilize, while quality just decreases due to the original creativity of the game series decreasing gradually and the value of each game in comparison to each other decreases.
Make good game sale a lot because people like it and people buy it... Make crappy game sequal.. people still buy it. MAke more crappy games after that.. people still buy it but complain about how bad they are and still buys the next one in the series....
