Topic: High Voltage Betting That 'a Hardcore Market Exists' on Wii

[Kairon]

CEO and Lead Designer believe that ports, and publishers who had "written off" the Wii, are to blame for the lackluster performance of "hardcore" games on Nintendo's console.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17498

 MTV wasted no time in challenging High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky and Lead Designer Rob Nicholls to prove why they should expect good things from their upcoming Wii first-person shooter The Conduit.    

"This is a gamer's game, and we make no excuses for it," answered Ganofsky, "With incredible graphics, a captivating story, and completely customizable controls we are providing a complete package of gaming entertainment."    

However, games dubbed "hardcore" aren't prolific on the Wii, and their performance in the marketplace is the target of constant discussion. Ganofsky stated his belief that many game makers were "scared" with the initial Wii launch, stating that "it was hard to convince anyone that there even was a core market, let alone one that would support original games." Nicholls shared his opinion that the Wii had been "written off." When the Wii took off with new gamers, Nicholls thinks that game makers responded by latching onto the new field with "a number of inexpensive casual games that made them money."    

This puts High Voltage Software in position to capitalize on what Nicholls believes is a market hungry for their hardcore game. He said that according to "the tremendous online response [they've] had to 'The Conduit,' a hardcore market exists." Nicholls also responded to concerns about the less-than-stellar sales numbers of some other titles, claiming that "these games haven't sold well because they were ports of games designed for other platforms and thus didn’t quite fit on the Wii."    

In order to deliver the goods, Ganofsky said that the team "played every FPS released on the platform," and that after that they "played several of the best FPS games from the other platforms including the PC." For example, after failing to get the controls just right in Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, the team realized that they "had to have a fully customizable control scheme." Nicholls added that "one of the biggest lessons was to not abuse the motion controls," and explained that "sometimes a button press is the best solution, rather than a gimmicky gesture."    

High Voltage Studio's The Conduit is expected to release sometime this spring and will be published by Sega.

[NWR_Neal]

I really hope this game will be good...

[hioo1]

We should just organize people to buy it, just to prove there is a hardcore market on the wii 

[RABicle]

Gezzes they still have to make a good game first. the Hardcore wont buy some bullshit game.

[ShyGuy]

Conduit will not be legit until it shows up on the side of a Mtn. Dew Can.

[Kairon]

If it doesn't show up on the side of a mountain dew can, they can kiss sales success goodbye. j/k... wait... maybe not....

[ShyGuy]

Hey Kairon, how's that invitation to High Voltage coming?

[KDR_11k]

Of course there's a hardcore market on the Wii, many people were excited about the possibilities of the Wii and bought it just for those. Metroid Prime 3 might not have been the biggest seller on the system but it still sold a few million units.

On the other hand many of the proclaimed hardcore games released on the Wii were artsy niche games that, no surprise, failed in the market. Games like Zack & Wiki or No More Heroes would have sold badly on any console. Some others were just mediocre. Third parties who see the sales of mediocre or niche games and then decide that their "mainstream" core game won't sell (and consequently send a fourth rate team to develop the port which unsurprisingly fails) are just plain retarded. Unfortunately it seems there are a few more bankrupcies needed before third parties wake up (or possibly even the annihilation of the entire core industry so a new industry with a clue can be rebuilt from the ashes).

[Enner]

I really hope this game will be good...

I as well. Actually, I think it has to be. At this point, I think anything less than an all-around solid, good game would be a crippling disappointment. Or maybe if this game fails critically and in market, it would just be another game that didn't sell? Maybe Red Steel 2 would pick up where The Conduit left off? :p

Anyway, I hope this does well for Sega's sake. The publisher needs a good start for this year.

[NWR_pap64]

Hardcore gamers are too busy bitching about Nintendo killing gaming in order to play games.

[Stogi]

I loved Red Steel. Sure it's an average game and a lot of people hate it, but there's something about turning your pistol side ways and shooting someone in the face that other games just can't replicate. So even if this game is average; if it has a solid foundation built around the wiimote, I'll still pick it up.

Should it have a good story? I suppose. Should it have intriguing missions and cool gadgets? Sure, I guess. Should it show what a FPS is like when aiming with the wiimote? Definitely. That's really all it has to prove to me.

I'm more interested in online anyways. I really just want a license to kill mode: pistols with wii controls. Is that too much to ask?

[Ian Sane]

High Voltage is doing the DOA strategy.  In the past DOA took a back seat to bigger fighters like Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur and Tekken.  Tecmo moved it to the Xbox where there was didily squat for fighters and it became a major franchise on that console.  Okay the female characters certainly helped but on the Xbox DOA stood out.

Conduit is the same thing.  On the other consoles no one would give this game the time of day.  The Xbox 360 has Halo, Bioshock, ORANGE BOX.  First person shooters are king on the PC and these days almost every major PC game goes to the Xbox 360 and often the PS3 as well.  The Wii is starved for first person shooters.  If the Conduit is a decent FPS it will stand out.  I'll buy it unless it gets absolutely creamed in reviews.  But if it gets an average score of at least 80% I'll get it.  It's not just that I want to send a message that hardcore games sell.  I want to play a new FPS.  I miss Goldeneye and Perfect Dark.  I thought Timesplitters 2 was great.  I'm starving and High Voltage is offering to feed me.  Though I'm not going to play a junk game.  They still have to do it right.  Don't tolerate a lousy game just because you're desperate.

[UltimatePartyBear]

The so-called hardcore are a fickle bunch.  I have a bad feeling that if this game doesn't score 9s across the board, they'll turn up their noses at it in spite of all the hype.  Since it's a Wii game and will lose a point in every other review for not being HD, it'll have to be worthy of a 10 to even do that well.

[NWR_Lindy]

It needs to set a benchmark for FPS online multiplayer on the Wii and be THE first-person shooter to own for the console.

[KDR_11k]

"in spite of all the hype"? You make it sound like hype is some quality in a game.

It'll also have a chance to turn into the Wii party FPS... if they add splitscreen.

[UltimatePartyBear]

"in spite of all the hype"? You make it sound like hype is some quality in a game.

No, I don't.  The game isn't released yet, so there's nothing but hype.  Hype doesn't always sell, obviously, and it's entirely possible that the gamers hyping up The Conduit will simply forget about it.  People will jabber excitedly about nearly anything, but they won't actually do anything about it.

[Kairon]

People will jabber excitedly about nearly anything, but they won't actually do anything about it.

T_T

[D_Average]

I'm the hardest core there is, easily,  but I definitely won't buy this game.  I just think the aesthetics of the environment are ugly and a tad too been there done that.  Its just not an appealing way for me to escape from reality, no matter how good the controls.  I'm betting there's a large chunk of the "hardcore" that will feel the same way when they see it on the store shelves.  But hey, at least we still have Animales de la Muerta coming, right....??

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

You are forever sentenced to Quantum of Solace for Wii.

[S-U-P-E-R]

MTV


lol


bleaouurrrgghh

[Kairon]

MTV


lol


bleaouurrrgghh

/sad panda

Actually, does Stephen Totilo still write for MTV? From the little I've read from him, I like that guy's work quite a bit

[ShyGuy]

Totilo and Patrick Klepek.

[Peachylala]

I'm the hardest core there is, easily,  but I definitely won't buy this game.  I just think the aesthetics of the environment are ugly and a tad too been there done that.  Its just not an appealing way for me to escape from reality, no matter how good the controls.

The hardcore still bought Halo 3.
And MGS4.
And GTAIV.

Nothing is sacred anymore.

The so-called hardcore are a fickle bunch.  I have a bad feeling that if this game doesn't score 9s across the board, they'll turn up their noses at it in spite of all the hype.  Since it's a Wii game and will lose a point in every other review for not being HD, it'll have to be worthy of a 10 to even do that well.

Sega can always pull a UbiSoft and bribe the review outlets, it's the latest in getting good game reviews, and you don't have to make the game good!

[Bill Aurion]

I ****ing hate this generation's "definition" of "hardcore"...

Who made Halo popular?  It sure as hell wasn't only the hardcore base...Casual gamers love FPS too...

[Morari]

In order to deliver the goods, Ganofsky said that the team "played every FPS released on the platform," and that after that they "played several of the best FPS games from the other platforms including the PC."

There isn't any other platform for FPS. You're diluting yourselves.