EA Refuses to Bring Crysis 3 to Wii U

[MikeWehner]

EA Refuses to Bring Crysis 3 to Wii U

The Wii U could probably handle Crysis 3, but EA doesn't see enough value in porting it.

When Nintendo introduced the Wii U, it did so with a promise; a promise that the company was going to put more of a focus on "core" gaming. Whether or not the Wii U lives up to that guarantee is up for debate, but as far as EA is concerned, it seems that the new console just isn't a good fit for Crysis 3.

CEO of Crysis developer Crytek, Cevat Yerli, told Digital Spy [http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a448410/crysis-3-not-coming-to-wii-u-due-to-lack-of-business-drive.html] that a Wii U release just doesn't make sense for EA at this time. "There has been discussions between Nintendo and EA and Crytek, but the bottom line is that there is that there's not enough business drive in it," he explains. "It's a purely business decision. I'd love to see it on Wii U, but what I love to see and what gets done at the end of the day are two different things. Even so, I could initiate it but someone has to sell it, right?"

Yerli doesn't mention any technical hurdles that might exist in porting the title Nintendo's console, and since the Wii U is at least comparable in power to the Xbox 360 and PS3, the game could be published on the new platform. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Wii U's perceived install base just doesn't strike the right chord with EA.

Admittedly, this decision isn't really surprising, and I imagine most FPS fans weren't holding their breath for a "Crysis U" anyway. Still, we might be seeing the early symptoms of a Wii hangover for Nintendo, with publishers remaining hesitant to move traditionally hardcore multiplatform titles to the more-than-capable Wii U after ignoring its predecessor for so many years.

Source: GameSpot [http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a448410/crysis-3-not-coming-to-wii-u-due-to-lack-of-business-drive.html]

Permalink

 

[GoddyofAus]

So with the Wii, Nintendo snubbed the Hardcore. Now, with the Wii U, the Hardcore is snubbing Nintendo.

Sweet, sweet irony.

 

[RejjeN]

At least this is a game that will come out on PC as well (I hope...). Otherwise I'd be annoyed (Don't own a WiiU yet, but I'm planning on picking one up when I've got the cash for it).

 

[Falterfire]

Seems silly. The Wii U's already sold over 2 million consoles since it released, so it's not like there isn't anyone to pick up the game.

Yeah, but how many of those two millions:
A. Would be interested in Crysis 3
and
B. Would purchase it on the Wii U as opposed to another system.

It's worth noting that this isn't purely being done because they don't think anybody will get it. It's also being done because the port will likely be expensive. Crytek has been working on building games for the XBox and PS3 for something like 7 years now. They have never built a game for the Wii U, so the developers would have to all be trained in the new tech. That's not a trivial cost to add, and if the added sales don't make up for the additional time spent testing new methods, it's just not worth doing.

 

[The White Hunter]

Seems silly. The Wii U's already sold over 2 million consoles since it released, so it's not like there isn't anyone to pick up the game.

And before anyone says anything, the Wii U has a GPU several generations ahead of the PS3/360, it isn't underpowered compared to either of them, and would be able to run the game just fine. This is all to do with EA being terrified of any game currently selling less than 5 million units.

Well it being EA the game needs to sell around 20 million units to make any kind of money!

OT: Well then EA I shall consider you to be douche bags over this because I find your logic to be flawed.

 

[FredTheUndead]

If they had any integrity, they wouldn't put it on consoles at all.

 

[GAunderrated]

If they had any integrity, they wouldn't put it on consoles at all.

It's been years since I have seen anyone mentioned EA and integrity in the same sentence.

 

[Prof.Beany]

I never really thought of the Crysis series as games anyway, more as tech demos, so I wouldn't even consider buying one on a console.

 

[felixader]

The Problem here is repeating history.
And that it is doing that is to a sizable part Nintendo's own fault.
They have been repeatedly kind of arrogant regarding certain topics like how to handle and support third party developers.

The average game purchase for the Wii was what? 1.5? That's not a number you are gonna like as a third party publisher.

 

[Yopaz]

Well, seeing the console is as young as it is I assume there are going to be technical difficulties in porting it properly to Wii U. They have already made Crysis for PS3 and Xbox 360 so they are familiar with the tech they're working with thus those two have an advantage over Wii U.

Also as much as I like Wii U I prefer my shooters to be on PC so I don't think I would have bought it anyway.

 

[RA92]

I never really thought of the Crysis series as games anyway, more as tech demos, so I wouldn't even consider buying one on a console.

Ah, so you never actually played the original.

 

[Vkmies]

EA is seeing the Wii U and the Wii U crowd as just the same machine/crowd that was the original Wii:
Not capable in supporting and making money for an FPS. Which I disagree with, though I see their point.

 

[Baresark]

Meh, I'm sure Nintendo will be fine without it. This game is going to be everywhere, regardless. It doesn't seem likely that someone who now owns a WiiU doesn't also already own a PC, 360, or PC. I'm sure this game will be worth waiting till it's $20 like the last one anyway. Lousy uninspired multiplayer leaves only a decent singleplayer campaign.

I never really thought of the Crysis series as games anyway, more as tech demos, so I wouldn't even consider buying one on a console.

Ah, so you never actually played the original.

I'm not sure, but it sounds like he played the first one. Whenever you refer to Crysis as a tech demo, you are pretty much referring to the first one.

 

[RA92]

I never really thought of the Crysis series as games anyway, more as tech demos, so I wouldn't even consider buying one on a console.

Ah, so you never actually played the original.

I'm not sure, but it sounds like he played the first one. Whenever you refer to Crysis as a tech demo, you are pretty much referring to the first one.

Everyone 'knows' it as a tech demo. But anyone who played it can't call it just that and nothing more. Amongst the contemporary mundane military shooters, Crysis was a breath of fresh air with great sandbox potentials.

Until the aliens came, that is.

 

[medv4380]

The Problem here is repeating history.
And that it is doing that is to a sizable part Nintendo's own fault.
They have been repeatedly kind of arrogant regarding certain topics like how to handle and support third party developers.

The average game purchase for the Wii was what? 1.5? That's not a number you are gonna like as a third party publisher.

Just where do you get your 1.5 from?
The Wii TIE is at least 8 or higher by most estimates. NPD Group and just about every other source with that figure has it that high or higher. The Wii U TIE is estimated at around 2, but we'll know more when it's been out for a full quarter.

It would be nice if they clarified what they were saying, but it's probably based on Time-To-Port and Install Base.

The top selling games on the Wii U happen to be, Mario at ~1.4M, N Land at ~1.5M, and ZombiU at ~0.3M.

When you're talking about games that are Good to Have, but have been out for a while then numbers drop off a lot. Batman at ~0.1M or 1.4% of all Batman: Arkham City Sales, and Mass Effect 3 at ~0.04M or 1% of all Mass Effect 3 Sales.

If it takes them too long to port the game so that it's been out for MONTHS before it gets to the Wii U you'll have to expect very low sales. Players will have gotten it elsewhere or moved onto a different Newer title. If the Wii U had a sufficient Install Base they could get away with that. 2% of 100M is still a lot of games, but 2% of 2M (now or 5M estimated by March) isn't so much. If they hadn't planned on a Wii U port from the start they won't be able to launch it on time with every other System so they'll expect low sales.

 

[Verlander]

...we might be seeing the early symptoms of a Wii hangover for Nintendo, with publishers remaining hesitant to move traditionally hardcore multiplatform titles to the more-than-capable Wii U after ignoring its predecessor for so many years.

Seems a bit premature to be throwing in this sort of statement. Just because some titles now aren't on the WiiU (titles that were in production long before the console launch) doesn't really equate to hesitant third party producers.

It doesn't make business sense because the extra costs in porting a title, which wasn't made with the WiiU in mind, aren't justified compared the active games market. It's not that they are hesitant about the reach of the console, or it's abilities, or it's predecessor. Frankly, I'm certain a lot of games companies would love to have the potential reach that the Wii had, as games companies care about how much money they make, not how many "hardcore gamers" they please. This is EA we're talking about here.

 

[ZeoAssassin]

...we might be seeing the early symptoms of a Wii hangover for Nintendo, with publishers remaining hesitant to move traditionally hardcore multiplatform titles to the more-than-capable Wii U after ignoring its predecessor for so many years.

Seems a bit premature to be throwing in this sort of statement. Just because some titles now aren't on the WiiU (titles that were in production long before the console launch) doesn't really equate to hesitant third party producers.

It doesn't make business sense because the extra costs in porting a title, which wasn't made with the WiiU in mind, aren't justified compared the active games market. It's not that they are hesitant about the reach of the console, or it's abilities, or it's predecessor. Frankly, I'm certain a lot of games companies would love to have the potential reach that the Wii had, as games companies care about how much money they make, not how many "hardcore gamers" they please. This is EA we're talking about here.

True but this may be the warning signs for an upcoming vicious cycle/worst case scenario..

WiiU doesn't have enough market pool to justify porting our 'core' games--->'core' gamers don't buy the WiiU because it lacks enough of the games they like---> WiiU 'core' market remains stagnant/shrinks---->WiiU doesn't have the market to justify porting 'core' games. etc etc etc

Which honestly i don't know how Nintendo can really 'get out of' to be as appealing to our gaming as they currently are to the casual/kid/party crowd they forged with the Wii. My first thought would be more 'core' first party titles but its going to take a long time to really get a lasting halo/god of war kind of franchise going.

3rd Partys porting over to WiiU is more of a future investment than a short term sales decision. A new console by its nature will never have sales that compete with established 7-8 year old hardware. I would think that, graphically the next Xbox and PlayStation won't be THAT much more powerful than the WiiU. So realistically if the WiiU takes off well for 'core' games it will have the advantage come the time when the other next gen systems come out by having 1-2 years on them.

Either way Nintendo has an uphill battles on its hands.