Sega: Giving up on hardcore Wii games would be 'arrogant'

by JC Fletcher { Aug 13th 2009 at 7:40PM }

Sega's Mike Hayes assured Wired that the company still plans to make "core" games for the Wii, despite the relative lack of success of MadWorld. For one thing, its other games are doing well, in his opinion. "We actually regard The Conduit as a success," he said. "We shipped 300,000 units, sold through half of those and now it's at the point where it's selling consistently at a time when Wii sales are generally depressed in the marketplace."

Despite somewhat disappointing sales Stateside, Hayes also told Wired that The House of the Dead: Overkill "did really well in Europe." As for MadWorld, Hayes doesn't think one game's failure is enough to close up shop on the Wii. "The thing that we're saying is, Sega would be extremely arrogant to have a title that didn't do as well as we thought on a platform and then say, Those kind of games don't sell on that platform.'"

Quite a change from the Blast Processing / "Genesis Does What Nintendon't" days when Sega was extremely, demonstrably, arrogant.

Tags: house-of-the-dead-overkill, madworld, mike-hayes, sega, the-conduit

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bradwart @ Aug 13th 2009 7:43PM

Well, it's true. Genesis did what Nintendidn't. Still does, in fact.

Roto13 @ Aug 13th 2009 8:07PM

Nintendoes what Gensisn't?

MRLN, Fountain of Monumental and Beautiful and Otherwise Ineffable Wit and Wisdom @ Aug 13th 2009 8:36PM

Nintendo is what Genesisn't, you mean.

Gavin @ Aug 14th 2009 3:39AM

Man, the Toys R Us where I grew up had a video of that playing on loop so if you were hanging out in the video game aisle browsing for something to buy or playing the demo of the latest hot game you had to hear it over and over and over again. It was one of the most annoying things ever to be used as an in-store promotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nsBoqJ6s8

Still makes me want to stab someone in the face.

J.Goodwin @ Aug 13th 2009 7:43PM

Arrogant? If it's true then it doesn't matter whether it's arrogant or not, if you're LOSING MONEY, you need to stop doing it.

Markez @ Aug 13th 2009 7:51PM

He's limiting that specific remark to Mad World if you read the post. If you notice he/they seem satisfied with HotD and Conduit results, which you can read as 'making money' or being worthwhile business wise.

If everything else they release going forward, in terms of 'core' Nintendo titles, all fare the way Mad World did I expect you'd hear him singing a different tune.

J.Goodwin @ Aug 13th 2009 7:55PM

I'll be honest, I don't think Mad World was going to sell well on any console. Made by a developer with a patchy history at best, released with little fanfare, and probably limited quantities.

All the keys to be a critical darling and a total flop at the retail counter.

tuunicopapi @ Aug 13th 2009 7:56PM

so let me get this straight. if someone selling lemonades and their sales aren't doing all that great, then they should stop selling lemonades? don't you think that if they made their lemonade better maybe added a bonus like buy 2 glass get 1 free that they would sell better? i sure as heck do! maybe not insanely better but certainly better from when they initially started.

Markez @ Aug 13th 2009 7:59PM

wut

J.Goodwin @ Aug 13th 2009 8:04PM

Maybe they should start selling orange juice instead. Or better yet concord grape juice.

Markez @ Aug 13th 2009 8:06PM

Grape juice, zapper, HotD bundle.

Roto13 @ Aug 13th 2009 8:08PM

"a developer with a patchy history at best"

Get off my internet.

tuunicopapi @ Aug 13th 2009 8:23PM

1) bleh!!! grape juice!! i'm glad you don't own a shop!

2) "whether it's arrogant or not, if you're LOSING MONEY, you need to stop doing it." sooo first you say stop selling whether or not it's arrogant but then you say to sell orange juice or concord grape juice which indicates that they SHOULDN'T stop doing it and should continue selling their products?

Anti-Villian @ Aug 14th 2009 5:18AM

The problem is that Sega set up there lemonade and orange juice store where everyone was buying milk, they know there is a huge market for better drinks so they have those two. They expected everyone who was sick of milk to flock to them, but they didn't, it's not that simple. Everyone is just used to buying milk so they don't change, what Sega need to do is buy a cocktail mixer, decorate their stall with coconuts and dress their staff in wacky tribal wear, they need to play vibrant jungle beats over their loudspeakers and most importantly they need to have Chuck Norris constantly sitting out the front sipping a glass of lemonade. It's a lot to do but if you do it will anyone passing by not by a drink? I don't think so!

Boyd @ Aug 15th 2009 2:59PM

So if someone makes a good game and it doesn't sell they should stop making good games?

Great logic.

-Vexx- @ Aug 13th 2009 7:44PM

Well....that's a nice kick in the nuts

tenor77 @ Aug 13th 2009 7:47PM

It's arrogant to think that there aren't people who want a hardcore Wii game.

It's naive to think that launching a controversial title on the family console won't have the press and stupid senators breathing down your neck.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 13th 2009 7:50PM

"It's arrogant to think that there aren't people who want a hardcore Wii game"

There are.....just not enough. We all go through this everytime one flops, apparently all the people who were begging everyone to go buy game x aren't as many as they'd like us to believe.

Mr Khan @ Aug 13th 2009 9:05PM

A few games have proven that they're there, you just have to have a mainstream core game with decent production values.

J-Link @ Aug 13th 2009 7:48PM

Well atleast Sega is tryng unlike other developers, hopefully the sales of these games will pick up.

Kdiggy @ Aug 13th 2009 7:53PM

"arrogant"? Replace that with "intelligent" maybe.

Stevetrop @ Aug 13th 2009 8:14PM

Well I'll give it to them they are sticking to their guns. On one end I bet they can make something really worth wild and much beyond a simple casual game. On the other end they might churn out several failures untill they hit that pot of gold.

I give em credit for not willing to jump ship with the lack luster sales of mad world and such. Lets see where this is going to go.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 13th 2009 7:53PM

They're calling them a success for damage control, there's no way 150k worldwide is a success on a platform with 50 million.

Sega needs to either cut their losses and move on, or at least stop supporting High Voltage and find someone who can actually make a good game and then try again.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 13th 2009 8:50PM

Unless it makes a profit. Profit = success.

Mr Khan @ Aug 13th 2009 9:07PM

Exactly. Profit is king. Or rather, publisher expectations are.

Anti-Villian @ Aug 14th 2009 8:27AM

YES!!! DESTROY HIGH VOLTAGE!! CRUSH THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS, lets all play wiisports.

Longhorn (August 18: D-Day) @ Aug 13th 2009 7:53PM

Keep fighting the goof fight

Eric @ Aug 13th 2009 7:55PM

What a difference 15 years makes. Then, Sega wanted to kill Nintendo. Now, they seem to be the only company that actually wants to keep them alive.

And note to Mike Hayes. It isn't arrogant. It's smart.

Ben! @ Aug 13th 2009 8:26PM

Keep them alive!? So, you're actually saying that Nintendo's record-breaking console wouldn't be able to stay afloat without marginally-successful (or unsuccessful) Sega titles?

Mr Khan @ Aug 13th 2009 9:09PM

Keep them alive is the wrong phrase to use, but SEGA has been the one that was there with quality support from the beginning (Banana Blitz at launch, Sonic and the Secret Rings in February 07)

acefondu @ Aug 13th 2009 7:57PM

Yeah...Sega makes a lot of bad choices.

DukeFett @ Aug 13th 2009 8:01PM

I literally can't believe all the retards in these comments bashing Sega.

WINterfang @ Aug 13th 2009 8:20PM

Meh they will cry soon enough, if SEGA stops doing hardcore wii games.

Bawww my wii is collecting dust.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Aug 13th 2009 10:17PM

You "literally" can't believe them? As opposed to only "figuratively" not believing them?

Avatar @ Aug 14th 2009 4:34AM

(glass shattering)

Feba @ Aug 13th 2009 8:01PM

Their sales aren't terrible when you consider that nobody other than Nintendo is releasing AAA titles on the Wii.

When you release a game that's just 'pretty good', and expect people to snatch it up because they're starved for games, you're going to be screwed on any console. Especially when most people would rather wait for prices to drop and then buy it.

tuunicopapi @ Aug 13th 2009 8:34PM

exactly! make a crap game? poor sales! make an awesome game? greats sales! problem with developers this gen is that they wanna make tons of cash and fast while not having to spend tons of money. a good game takes a minimum of at least 2 and half year's to develop as well as a good team. also what are most devs crying about!? most of them haven't even put any EFFORT into releasing even a decent hardcore Wii game!most of them make a game called "my girly whatever" or some cheap mini game collection and when it flops? "oh no!! our game flopped!!!! well, that's it guy's. games just won't sell on the Wii. lets try making a game on the other consoles/handheld's" and that the end of that.

tuunicopapi @ Aug 13th 2009 8:17PM

i've said it once and i'll say it again. about 55% or maybe a little more of the people that own Wii console are people who both enjoy casual and hardcore games. but if a developer makes a crappy title then the owner's of Wii consoles aren't to blame. the developers are! instead of saying "waaaahh!! hardcore games don't sell on the Wii because 90% of all Wii owners only like casual games and not hardcore games" how about developers put some damn effort into it and stop developing half assed games! if your selling lemonade and your not raking in cash like you would like to be then make the lemonade taste better! i swear what kind of devs do we have nowadays! sleep all day, scratch my ass, shit, eat, frat and blech kinda devs? it sure as heck seems that way!

Nathan-DTS [Anti-Planeteer - Power of Anti-ness] @ Aug 13th 2009 8:37PM

The hardcore games SEGA have made have been great. It's the consumers being ignorant to software that's actually good. There all distracted by the casual bullshit that the other 3rd parties and Nintendo are pulling out from the inside of thier buttocks. (here's lookin at you Wii sport/fit/music/resort)

MRLN, Fountain of Monumental and Beautiful and Otherwise Ineffable Wit and Wisdom @ Aug 13th 2009 8:44PM

You are writing too many words for this internet to comprehend!!!

All stupidity aside, it would require a selfless effort on the part of many developers to do what you insist they do, and there are too many fat, selfish (or just plain dumb, in High Voltage's case) "developers" in this world to make a big 180 like this.

Elranzer @ Aug 14th 2009 12:52PM

I own a Wii. I also own MadWorld, The Conduit, the two House of the Dead games (2+3 and Overkill). I'm doing my part, I'll buy all the hardcore games Sega makes (and I'm enjoying them, too!) I do not, however, own any of the three Sonic games on Wii. I've rented them, gave them a chance, and they were terrible. Although, Secret Rings is almost passable. I may buy it if it drops in price in the bargain bin at GameStop, no way I'm paying $20 or more for it though.

I also mainly like Nintendo's first-party titles, Super Mario Galaxy, SSBB, etc. Not so much into party or mini-games collections, except for WarioWare: Smooth Moves which is just fantastic (but you really can't classify WarioWare as a "mini-games" collection, it's an entirely different beast).

I consider Nintendo's core titles to be hardcore as well, as they also appeal to hardcore gamers. Just not Wii Sports/Resort/Play/Fit/Music or Animal Crossing.

Davy~Rush! @ Aug 13th 2009 8:35PM

I actually think that SEGA feels that it is on very friendly terms of Nintendo.

When the Dreamscast didn't last, Nintendo opened the doors to SEGA first, that's the reason I think Nintendo has most of the SEGA games (maybe not the best, but most). SEGA, as far as I look, it's one of the best companies, because they always try something new (not with the pleasure of old-school gamers) to get more people into playing SEGA games. House of Dead has give SEGA a lot of money (in Europe) and The Conduit was a success, why? Remember they are actually winning money from the arcade business and not the games at all.

SEGA is trying to stay on top and give what others developer's don't dare to make, the only problem with SEGA it's that they develop the agmes very fast and let glitches, bugs, and random controls that makes a game.. well, not a game at all. SEGa's concepts are good, too bad their games are declining in quality...

ChromeAlchemist @ Aug 13th 2009 8:37PM

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I expected an arse load more comments than this! Maybe tmac didn't say something controversial enough....

Either way, I stand by this statement: Established Franchises sell. Bring out an RE 4 or 5 spinoff, and watch the sales rack up. Same with a good deal of other established franchises. The fact remains that MadWorld was obscure as hell.

John P @ Aug 13th 2009 8:54PM

MadWorld probably didnt sell because it is very stylized and just a niche game. It's quite simple - not everyone wants that type of violence. It is a very good game, but it certainly isnt for everyone, especially everyone who owns a Wii. The Conduit, however, will probably sell over time. I haven't bought it yet because I didn't have the money and I had more games to play than I had time to play them. I finally finished MadWorld, so I'm on to the Conduit. I think that this may be the case for alot more games right now. Market conditions arent great, and so more thought goes into buying things.

Mr Khan @ Aug 13th 2009 9:13PM

I have my doubts about The Conduit's legs. The leg-masters on Wii have all had some element of local multiplayer or other, so The Conduit will have to rely on the strength of it's online community for word-of-mouth, and that never quite works well with WiFi Connection, as the communities there tend to get very anti-competitive very quick (remember snaking?)