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WiiU

There Are 'No Plans' for a ZombiU Sequel

by Justin Baker - July 8, 2013, 8:35 pm EDT
Total comments: 36 Source: (Gamesindustry International), http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-07-08-d...

Ubisoft's support is dwindling.

ZombiU was "not profitable," and there "are no plans (or even desire) for a sequel," according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.

In a report by Gamesindustry International, he went on to cite the poor profitability of ZombiU as the reason behind making Rayman Legends multiplatform.

He also stated plans for Ubisoft to work with the Wii U through Christmas and "see where we are from there," seeming to indicate that Ubisoft may be rethinking its support of the system.

Talkback

EnnerJuly 08, 2013

That's a shame. From what I can tell, the game would have benefited from a sequel to iron out the kinks.

Not surprising, considering Ubisoft stated recently that ZombiU "wasn't even close to benig profitable", despite the fact that it was probably the best selling 3rd party game so far for the system.

I bought it, and it is a unique and enjoyable game, but also don't know if this style of gameplay would have mass-market appeal anyway.

That coupled with Wii U's lackluster sales, and it's not surprising there isn't a good business case for a sequel at this time.

Ian SaneJuly 09, 2013

It isn't hard to get support from Ubisoft and EA.  I could practically write "videogame system" on the side of a Kleenix box and those companies would start making games for it.  But we know that EA has quickly soured on the Wii U and now Ubisoft isn't sounding so interested in it anymore either.  If Nintendo can't get these guys, they won't get anyone else.  I don't see how the third party support on the Wii U is ever going to improve.  The third parties are bailing and that leaves just Nintendo who has become embarrassingly slow at releasing new games.  Are we going to start seeing literally single-digit game releases per year?  How are Wii U sales going to pick up when the third party support is getting worse?

The Wii U seems like it's going to be like the Dreamcast, only with a far inferior lineup of games.

paleselanJuly 09, 2013

Nintendo should've covered the difference so that the game broke even, then funded a sequel.

KisakiProjectJuly 09, 2013

I really liked this game.  Favorite WiiU game.  I can only hope Nintendo decides to moneyhat a sequel.

Evan_BJuly 09, 2013

You seriously think Nintendo would EVER allow single digit releases in a year, Ian? Either you're just trolling for the sake of it or I don't even know...

That being said, it's a shame Zombi U didn't sell well- I'm playing it right now and loving it. It's a rare example of pandering in the worst way- being a zombie fps- but still being a good game. Certainly better than anything Nintendo has put out on the system thus far.

TheXenocideJuly 09, 2013

No desire? I desire! I love Zombiu!

Luigi DudeJuly 09, 2013

Like I said in the other thread, Ubisoft has only themselves to blame for spending too much on this type of game.  Any game that has perma-death as a major gameplay feature is never going to have wide appeal even if it has Zombie's and is a FPS.  It also doesn't help it tries to be a more traditional survival horror with slower paced gameplay, something that hasn't been popular in a long time as well.

Shows what's wrong with the industry if a niche game sells a few hundred thousand copies but that isn't enough to be even close to profitable.

ThePermJuly 09, 2013

Ubisoft really can't be blamed here. Ubisoft previously released new releases on a new Nintendo system and they sold quite well. This time that didn't work out. I hate to see Ubisoft shift their focus, but unlike EA they have a good reason to. Had EA tried a little harder then WiiU would have looked like a better platform from the get-go and Ubisoft would have sold more units. A console is like an ecosystem. All the factors need to be there for it to be successful. Nintendo needs to drop some of its regularly policies temporarily in order to bolster their system.

AdrockJuly 09, 2013

What a bummer. ZombiU was great. I was hoping for a sequel to build on the original.

Ian SaneJuly 09, 2013

What percentage of Wii U owners bought ZombiU?  Ultimately that would determine if Ubisoft or Nintendo deserves the blame.  A high percentage would mean that the game sold well within the Wii U userbase and was restricted by low console sales, which would be Nintendo's responsibility.

Zombies are very common in entertain these days.  I'm sure the suits look at that and think "Zombies are the hot thing right now!  We need to make a zombie game" and figure that that familiarity is the key to a certain hit.  I never for a second gave the slightest shit about ZombiU and it was precisely because zombies are the hot thing right now.  I'm sick of zombies!  I could wait at least a decade before I would have the slightest interest in zombies again.  And Capcom alone already nailed zombies in videogames TWICE with both Resident Evil and Dead Rising and then you also have games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Space.  There is no need to experience zombies in a videogame setting.  It has been done.  That itch has been scratched.  Ubisoft was really entering a saturated market.  The subject matter is so commonplace right now that it makes it harder to stand out.  Going with what's hot ironically makes the game less visible than something out-of-nowhere would have.

I haven't bought a Wii U because it feels like it offers nothing new that other consoles with years under their belt have not already done.  That also applies for third party games.  What does ZombiU truly offer that numerous other games, on platforms I've already owned for years, don't?  While I don't consider it Ubisoft's responsibility to sell Wii U's, they didn't release anything that would.  They didn't help themselves and pretty much relied on Nintendo to attract the userbase.  Again, that is mostly Nintendo's responsibility, but some third parties take that sort of thing into their own hands for their own benefit and Ubisoft did not.

broodwarsJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: Ian

What percentage of Wii U owners bought ZombiU?  Ultimately that would determine if Ubisoft or Nintendo deserves the blame.  A high percentage would mean that the game sold well within the Wii U userbase and was restricted by low console sales, which would be Nintendo's responsibility.

Zombies are very common in entertain these days.  I'm sure the suits look at that and think "Zombies are the hot thing right now!  We need to make a zombie game" and figure that that familiarity is the key to a certain hit.  I never for a second gave the slightest **** about ZombiU and it was precisely because zombies are the hot thing right now.  I'm sick of zombies!  I could wait at least a decade before I would have the slightest interest in zombies again.  And Capcom alone already nailed zombies in videogames TWICE with both Resident Evil and Dead Rising and then you also have games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Space.  There is no need to experience zombies in a videogame setting.  It has been done.  That itch has been scratched.  Ubisoft was really entering a saturated market.  The subject matter is so commonplace right now that it makes it harder to stand out.  Going with what's hot ironically makes the game less visible than something out-of-nowhere would have.

I haven't bought a Wii U because it feels like it offers nothing new that other consoles with years under their belt have not already done.  That also applies for third party games.  What does ZombiU truly offer that numerous other games, on platforms I've already owned for years, don't?  While I don't consider it Ubisoft's responsibility to sell Wii U's, they didn't release anything that would.  They didn't help themselves and pretty much relied on Nintendo to attract the userbase.  Again, that is mostly Nintendo's responsibility, but some third parties take that sort of thing into their own hands for their own benefit and Ubisoft did not.

Just as a slight counterpoint to your argument, the game that likely topped the NPDs in June was a game that prominently featured Zombie-like creatures (The Last of Us).  According to Sony, it sold 3.4 million copies in 3 weeks.  While that game is not a "Zombie" game like Zombie U is, it certainly shows that the subject matter still sells quite well (and far better than Zombie U did).

TJ SpykeJuly 09, 2013

Sold 3.4 million copies to a fanbase of 70+ million, so not quite as impressive.

As for making a profit on the game, maybe they should have tried to have a lower budget? Based on how much Nintendo gets and retailers get, Ubisoft still made $14 million from the game based on the 450K number I see for sales of it.

Luigi DudeJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: ThePerm

Ubisoft really can't be blamed here. Ubisoft previously released new releases on a new Nintendo system and they sold quite well. This time that didn't work out. I hate to see Ubisoft shift their focus, but unlike EA they have a good reason to. Had EA tried a little harder then WiiU would have looked like a better platform from the get-go and Ubisoft would have sold more units. A console is like an ecosystem. All the factors need to be there for it to be successful. Nintendo needs to drop some of its regularly policies temporarily in order to bolster their system.

Red Steel was a traditional FPS that that didn't try anything crazy like perma-death that would scare away most gamers.  You can not compare the success of Red Steel with much wider appeal to a something like Zombi U.  Niche games will always sell lower which is why they're niche in the first place. 

If Ubisoft honestly thought this game would be as successful as Red Steel then they only have themselves to blame.

ThePermJuly 09, 2013

I bought ZombiU, but didn't much like it to be honest. It basically sold me because of Zombies were in it. I've never played red steel, but its always looked interesting. Last of Us looks cool as fuck. It also looks better than a next generation games like ZombiU.

To put it in perspective...Last generation games on ps3 look better than WiiU games, and that is why WiiU is doing poorly. Nintendo did little to correct this trend at e3. Its hard to understand why a multi billion dollar studio is putting out the equivalent of a handful of indy developer class games on a platform that is quite powerful.

broodwarsJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: TJ

Sold 3.4 million copies to a fanbase of 70+ million, so not quite as impressive.

It was a New IP at the end of a console life cycle & a massive seller in a year where nothing outside Tomb Raider & Bioshock Infinite have been selling well.  I'm not going to sell that short just b/c Ubisoft sold a few hundred thousand copies of a Rogue-like during a CONSOLE LAUNCH, when New IPs generally sell the BEST b/c standards are so low and options so few.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: ThePerm

I bought ZombiU, but didn't much like it to be honest. It basically sold me because of Zombies were in it. I've never played red steel, but its always looked interesting. Last of Us looks cool as fuck. It also looks better than a next generation games like ZombiU.

To put it in perspective...Last generation games on ps3 look better than WiiU games, and that is why WiiU is doing poorly. Nintendo did little to correct this trend at e3. Its hard to understand why a multi billion dollar studio is putting out the equivalent of a handful of indy developer class games on a platform that is quite powerful.

nintendo isnt doing that because making a game look that good brings us to the 3 million copies sold= failure  territory

those types of games have huge budgets and Nintendo isn't really in a position to hemorrhage money like that....

Luigi DudeJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: ThePerm

To put it in perspective...Last generation games on ps3 look better than WiiU games, and that is why WiiU is doing poorly. Nintendo did little to correct this trend at e3. Its hard to understand why a multi billion dollar studio is putting out the equivalent of a handful of indy developer class games on a platform that is quite powerful.

Mario Kart 8 and X surpass anything of a similar scope the 360/PS3 and were made with a fraction of those games budgets.  If you can't see the different then go see an eye doctor because your eyes are terrible as fuck and you're a danger to everyone on the road while driving.

Ian SaneJuly 09, 2013

Luigi Dude mentions the permadeath but I honestly did not know about it until now.  I wonder what percentage of people not buying the game even know about that.

I think it is worth noting that ZombiU averaged in the high 70% range.  Videogame reviews tend to have inflated scores to begin with so if your game is getting reviews in the 70s that is like a big stamp stating "this game sucks".  In comparison Last of Us is scoring in the mid 90% range.  That's what Ubisoft has to compete with - the TOP games with zombie themes.  Why bother getting ZombiU when there are many zombie games that get considerably better reviews?  Would ZombiU even be considered one of the top ten zombie games available on current systems?  The HD generation seemed to be characterized by devs trying to make their own killer FPS and going broke as the game flopped.  While the market loves FPS games the competition is Call of Duty, Halo, Resistance, Bioshock.  That's lots of interest but also some big players to compete with.  Same with zombies.  Lots of competition so the middle-of-the-road quality game on the brand new console that has yet to establish a userbase is pretty much fucked.

Evan_BJuly 09, 2013

I disagree. A 70 usually means you have a lot of mixed opinions about a game. A 90 usually means that a game has had some ridiculous paid reviews or that it's a "Triple-A" title.

Anything in the 50-60 range means your game sucks.

broodwarsJuly 09, 2013

Quote from: Evan_B

I disagree. A 70 usually means you have a lot of mixed opinions about a game. A 90 usually means that a game has had some ridiculous paid reviews or that it's a "Triple-A" title.

Well, at least we're in agreement that Nintendo has a lot of "ridiculously paid reviews".

nickmitchJuly 09, 2013

ZombiU currently sports a 77. And (for games) a 74 is considered "mixed".

Using the term "mixed" doesn't even make sense in that context. Scores in that range could actually mean a mix of good and bad or just a lot of okay. And likewise, with aggregate scores, it could be mixed because of a wide range or bimodal review scores, or it could just be a lot of okay.

ThePermJuly 10, 2013

Quote from: Luigi

Quote from: ThePerm

To put it in perspective...Last generation games on ps3 look better than WiiU games, and that is why WiiU is doing poorly. Nintendo did little to correct this trend at e3. Its hard to understand why a multi billion dollar studio is putting out the equivalent of a handful of indy developer class games on a platform that is quite powerful.

Mario Kart 8 and X surpass anything of a similar scope the 360/PS3 and were made with a fraction of those games budgets.  If you can't see the different then go see an eye doctor because your eyes are terrible as fuck and you're a danger to everyone on the road while driving.

the little I used was referring to mario kart

Quote from: theperm]

Quote from: theperm

I bought Mario Kart 8, but didn't much like it to be honest. It basically sold me because it was Mario Kart

i hope ya'll see the irony. The last of Us looks good, not because it is a high budget game, but because it looks like they gave a damn when making it. It wasn't some silly Zombie game rushed for a launch in order to make a quick profit(and back firing) Hell, when it was Killer Freaks from Outer Space it looked more interesting. Can you imagine some suit telling them "zombies are profitable, lets do that instead" halfway through making the game?

I can see making a comparison of X to last of Us, but not Mario Kart. Mario Kart is a tried and true simple formula. You go around in a circle. If you are first place you get bananas, if you are in last place you get blue shells. Maybe you can go on the walls in this one, but that's their gimmick going right now(don't mean to sound like I don't like it though)

xcwarriorJuly 10, 2013

Darn, we won't be getting yet another Zombi game. oh well.

If Nintendo can get the support of all the indy devs who don't w**** out of thier franchises on a year-to-year basis, I'll be fine by that. The less games in your library made by EA, Activision and Ubisoft, the better.

As for the Last of Us, sounds like a great game, but it's also being reviewed by people with low standards who clearly think that its OK that a headshot is not an instant kill. Seen multiple reviews point this out, then still give it the 10/10 score.

With that in mind, stop referencing review scores for Nintendo games. Non-Nintendo game sites give Nintendo games a -2 out of 10 to start, then work from there. So it's hard for any Nintendo game to get above an 8.

KDR_11kJuly 10, 2013

I didn't buy the game so I'm a contributor here. I don't like oppressive atmospheres in games.

EasyCureJuly 10, 2013

Regarding the last of us, I've seen a lot of footage and while our seems like a decent story to experience, it doesn't look like a fun video game, and from what I've heard from the handful of people I know that have beat it, it doesn't come across as very fun.

Does anyone remember when video games were still games?

OblivionJuly 10, 2013

How about you form your own opinion about something instead of relying on other people? I, on the other hand, fucking love the gameplay and find it immensely fun. So much fun, in fact, that I've put many hours into the online multiplayer and have beaten the single player three separate times.

Does anyone remember when people tried games for themselves instead of relying on internet strangers?

TJ SpykeJuly 10, 2013

I want ZombiU, once I have the money for a Wii U it will be one of the first games I get (though New Super Mario Bros. U will be the first one I buy, then Pikmin 3 if it's out before I get my Wii U).

broodwarsJuly 10, 2013

Quote from: Oblivion

How about you form your own opinion about something instead of relying on other people? I, on the other hand, fucking love the gameplay and find it immensely fun. So much fun, in fact, that I've put many hours into the online multiplayer and have beaten the single player three separate times.

Does anyone remember when people tried games for themselves instead of relying on internet strangers?

I can't say I'm terribly fond of The Last of Us' multiplayer.  In my experience, the fun you'll have is entirely dependent on the people the Matchmaker servers give you.  If your team is really clicking as a group, it's a lot of fun.  If they're not, it's one of the worst MP experiences I've ever had because there is NO room for individual achievement and support options are extremely limited (and in MP I'm generally a support player focused more on player buffing/reviving than shooting).

As for the Singleplayer, it's one of the best experiences I've had this generation, for the small problems I have with it.  It's stressful, but fun and less stressful/frustrating than ZombiU is.

EasyCureJuly 10, 2013

Quote from: Oblivion

How about you form your own opinion about something instead of relying on other people? I, on the other hand, fucking love the gameplay and find it immensely fun. So much fun, in fact, that I've put many hours into the online multiplayer and have beaten the single player three separate times.

Does anyone remember when people tried games for themselves instead of relying on internet strangers?

So you buy every game you have the slightest interest in without informing yourself? You mind loaning me some of your disposable income so I can pick up a PS3 and a copy of the game so I no longer have to borrow a friends?

And just for the record, I do form my own opinion but considering I don't have the luxury time to game like I would like to I try to do as much research as possible as to not waste precious time. Because reviews are skewed for these tropes of games I go to people I know personally over reader reviews on forums because I know what they like I'm relation to my own taste. If someone with similar taste doesn't recommend a game then I won't give it priority. If I'm highly interested I'll still give it a shot but much much later on.

Take Assassins Creed as a recent example.Kept hearing everywhere how fun this series is and how I'm crazy for not having played a single entry yet. Even close friends recommended it. Bought it for Wii U in November and only recently started playing it. Can't stand these cut scenes every two seconds. Not my cup of tea, and while I understand that they help emphasize a game story, to me personally it breaks the game playing experience. I, as the gamer, feel as if I have no control over the game when it constantly stops me to watch a scene. Sure I can skip it and I'm grateful for the option, but then I'd miss something relevant to my next step or be confused about it, so it feels like I'm forced to watch it.

I just want to play games, man.

OblivionJuly 10, 2013

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: Oblivion

How about you form your own opinion about something instead of relying on other people? I, on the other hand, fucking love the gameplay and find it immensely fun. So much fun, in fact, that I've put many hours into the online multiplayer and have beaten the single player three separate times.

Does anyone remember when people tried games for themselves instead of relying on internet strangers?

I can't say I'm terribly fond of The Last of Us' multiplayer.  In my experience, the fun you'll have is entirely dependent on the people the Matchmaker servers give you.  If your team is really clicking as a group, it's a lot of fun.  If they're not, it's one of the worst MP experiences I've ever had because there is NO room for individual achievement and support options are extremely limited (and in MP I'm generally a support player focused more on player buffing/reviving than shooting).

As for the Singleplayer, it's one of the best experiences I've had this generation, for the small problems I have with it.  It's stressful, but fun and less stressful/frustrating than ZombiU is.

Sorry to hear that. I mesh really well with a group of online friends I've been with since the early days of Uncharted 2, so I guess you could say that The Last of Us' mutiplayer is perfect for us.


EasyCure, then play games. The brilliance of The Last of Us is that if you aren't interested in the story, you can easily skip every cutscene (which are evenly spaced, unlike the awful Assassin's Creed III) and play the brilliant game. Just rent it, man.

Pixelated PixiesJuly 10, 2013

Personally I think not releasing a sequel to Zombie U is a missed opportunity for Ubisoft...

that opportunity being to make the sequels title even sillier than the first. Ubisoft would need simply to take a page from games like F.3.A.R and Dri3r by replacing the Z with a 2.

Just imagine it! 2ombie U!

Pixelated PixiesJuly 10, 2013

Quote from: Pixelated

Personally I think not releasing a sequel to Zombie U is a missed opportunity for Ubisoft...

that opportunity being to make the sequel's title even sillier than the first. Ubisoft would need simply to take a page from games like F.3.A.R and Dri3r by replacing the Z with a 2.

Just imagine it! 2ombie U!

Pixelated PixiesJuly 10, 2013

This not being able to modify posts thing is beginning to aggravate me.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterJuly 10, 2013

we need a petition....

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