SEGA’s Alan Pritchard on a new Platinum Games title…
“We have a further title to announce from Platinum Games as well. We’ll also have a core title coming from Nagoshi-san’s internal development studio in Japan. It’s a shooter.”
Pritchard on how challenging Wii has been for SEGA in terms of core-oriented games…
“Yeah, it’s hard core the core titles. Going back 12 to 18 months when we released those titles, it was a risk. Nintendo was supportive of the strategy. There was an intent to take the Wii console a little older, and make a more core machine. So games like MadWorld, House of the Dead and The Conduit fit that strategy. House of the Dead is a more established and casual franchise, and that did very well. Conduit 2 is getting a good buzz.”
Pritchard on MadWorld’s sales…
“Review-wise, it was. Commercially…the answer has to be no. It was a huge risk that we really believed in at the time, but the title did not sell well.”
Pritchard on whether or not SEGA will be more realistic about what the Wii audience will buy…
“Absolutely. We’ve got Conduit 2 still to release. MadWorld was a big risk. Was it on the wrong platform? I don’t know. Would it have done better on 360 or PS3? Possibly. I think we will look at some of those slightly more risky type opportunities, but very very carefully. We’ve still got high hopes for Conduit 2. The Wii as a platform is in a strange place. We’ve got the economic situation. It’s hard for retailers, and consumers are buying fewer products. The Wii had such a massive amount of success for 3 years; things are different now.”
First, SEGA’s vice president of sales and marketing Alan Pritchard discussed Sonic Colors…
“[Colours] is our pure Sonic gaming experience. That’s had some high scores. It’s also the highest pre-selling pure Sonic title we’ve had ever. That’s a good indication. With the quality of the game, we’re confident of that. That’s our pure platforming Sonic.”
Pritchard then went on to talk about Sonic announcements in 2011…
“We have some announcements in the early part of next year that will further support and add to this strategy. There will be two of three big Sonic announcements in the early part of next calendar year.”
Well, Sonic Colors deserves those sales if you ask me! I still haven’t had the chance to play it yet, but I’ve mostly heard very positive responses. And let’s hope that one of those Sonic announcements relates to a Nintendo platform!
“A lot of the so-called ‘action games’ are not made that way. All the time, players are forced to do their utmost. If they are challenged to the limit, is it really fun for them?” – Shigeru Miyamoto
What’s funny is that I was JUST talking about this sort of thing in my Black Ops Wii review (which will go up this weekend). There’s no pacing in it, and it’s all a crazy non-stop bulletslinger from beginning to almost the end of the game. If you’re always pushing someone to their limit and making things as hectic as possible, there’s no pacing or time to enjoy what’s going on in the game around you. It’s all work and no play, really!
“It’s about enjoying something. I used to draw cartoons. I’d just show them to some of my friends, expecting that they were going to appreciate them, that they were going to enjoy reading them. And I haven’t changed a bit about that. When I’m making video games today, I want people to be entertained. I am always thinking, How are people going to enjoy playing the games we are making today? And as long as I can enjoy something other people can enjoy it, too.”
