The Wii equals trouble for many video game publishers and developers.
To this day, most of the game makers attempting to create a Wii game often find themselves unsuccessful in implementing the movement and navigation orders on the Wii’s motion sensor controls. Since the release of the console, Wii creator Nintendo has almost had a monopoly in the publishing of Wii games — a 30 percent 35 percent market share — until Ubisoft successfully adapted the Wii design principles and published its extremely popular Raymen Raving Rabbids series.
This winter, Ubisoft will try to expand its releases, taking advantage of the fact that only a few Nintendo games will be released. Although the company aims high and projects earnings of up to $3.5 million, its games face significant challenges in innovation and novelty value. Couple that with the current economical crisis, its hope may very well be wishful thinking.
The France-based Ubisoft has shown technological advancements in most of its recent hits, including Assassin’s Creed and the Splinter Cell series. Unluckily, many of these games were tried and released on non-Wii platforms. For the Wii, Ubisoft mimicks successful Nintendo games. As a result, the popular Ubisoft games on the Wii often rely on the same gimmicky game play identical to many any mainstream Nintendo products.
The company’s heavy hitters this winter include Raymen Raving Rabbids TV Party and Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip. Since its release, TV Party has seen international success.
Last year, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the company’s Wii games would adopt “Nintendo-like qualities.” To garner a steady fan base — and to make the players ignore the lack of innovation in its games — the developers have added many addictive qualities that would extend the replay value of its games, including a mode where the players have to play a level with his butt. TV Party and Road Trip also reportedly have very high production values.
Judging from the success of TV Party, Ubisoft has made a solid impression. To say the least, the company is going to have a strong Wii fan base in the American market, and will possibly have the opportunity to seriously compete with Nintendo in the future.
The executives at Ubisoft have promised to continually deliver highly replayable quality games in 2009 to smooth out the possible pitfall of experimentation, as seen in previous games like the flawed Red Steel 2.
