Are we talking about total shovelware like ninjabreadman vs. a higher-profile PS3 game port? Otherwise I can't imagine that engine work would cost more than making assets and running QA. I'm not saying this invalidates your point, it may even strengthen it, I just want to understand.
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Again, we're talking about shovelware cash-ins, right? I'm trying to think of what games might be an attempted direct port to Wii. Quantum of Solace and other licensed games? I know that THQ has a different team for the Wii version of their Pixar licenses (or they did for Up), I don't know how Activision works.
Many are Wii shovelware to be sure, but believe it or not, some are big titles. That "two person" example I mention is an interesting one because it actually is a name brand title believe it or not. On the surface it's easy to think that going 360->PS3 is much easier than going 360->Wii, since 360/PS3 are similar, etc. Turns out though, 360 to Wii is easier. 360->PS3 requires parity, so whatever is done on one must match the other as much as possible. 360->Wii on the other hand is a downgrade, which is easier to do. Doesn't fit in memory? Chop textures. Runs to slow? Yank some scenery out. Etc, basically it's easier to destroy than it is to create. Plus the Wii is a simple machine so you can throw an intern on it, give him free Chinese food and he will happily crank away for hours. With a 360->PS3 port if it doesn't fit in memory or if it runs to slow then you have to resolve it or your boss will kick your ass. And I definitely wouldn't throw an intern at doing a 360->PS3 port
Yeah, but you're talking about the sort of approach that hasn't really worked. Terrible ports to the Wii don't really sell that well. It's the approach that has as lot of pubs even more reticent when it comes to the Wii -- they can't figure out what that crowd buys besides 'lifestyle' games and music games. Which ties into what Mintmaster is saying, more or less. The PS3 audience effectively increases the 360 audience from 30 million to 50 million (give or take), since they buy most titles at a similar pace. If you know you have the audience for the 360 version, you have the audience for the PS3 version.
Meanwhile, the Wii's attach-rate for these same games does seem to be lower (I have no strong data on this, so feel free to correct me), when a port exists (it makes up for it in other areas -- expanded audience and all). Though as I said above, I could imagine this changing for licensed games based on CG movies -- I would imagine that for those titles the PS3's attach-rate may be relatively low, while the Wii version is relatively high (please correct me, again).
There's two basic pieces of logic behind milking the Wii. First is the dreaded shovelware method, which yeah I also hate. However, you can spit out a large number of Wii titles this way compared to a single PS3 title. Even if they all sell like crap, there is strength in numbers, so they can still as a whole outsell and out profit a single PS3 title. So on the surface it looks like ooh that Wii title crapped out, it only sold 50k units, but that same team put out numerous other titles, add them all up a and it was still a financial win.
Here's where it gets interesting though. The magical (or nefarious depending on your point of view) thing about the Wii is that it doesn't actually take more money to hit it big. On the 360/PS3 you always need to step up your game so going forward you need better assets, crazier effects, more voice talent, etc, all stuff that takes more time, more money and more effort. On the Wii you don't need more money, you just need the right idea, and that same tiny say 5 person team can make it a million+ seller. So...even if the PS3 version is 80% done and yeah 10 to 20 people can finish the PS3 version and net 100k-400k of sales, these guys still want to find that golden goose, or golden IP in this case, on the Wii. Then for little money they can milk that IP for ridiculous profit. Their current approach has been wrong, I would agree there. They still make money on shovelware, but they won't find the golden IP that way. But dedicate a small team to make proper Wii games and then they might hit it. In the end, we all want the next Cooking Mama!
In principal I completely agree with Mintmaster in that the PS3 version is mostly done, finish it, take some profit, go have a mai tai. But the problem is that the PS3 version generates very *predictable* profit. Before the PS3 version is even done there is already a spreadsheet ready showing what expected sales will be, but that isn't hugely exciting because it's effectively capped profit. On top of that's it's usually the least profitable sku. The Wii is still a wildcard, sales are usually predicted low, but you just never know if you will land the next Wii Fitness.
Most places I know operate like Mintmaster describes. The Wii gets brought up, people resist, and everything stays status quo with Wii getting profitable shovelware and PS3 getting it's ports. But people are looking for a reason to really roll the dice on the Wii, and the PS3's $400 price tag (among other things) is it.
Just to be clear so that people don't get riled up, I'd only advocate cutting low selling PS3 titles to shift to the Wii experiment. If a PS3 port sells 800k+ copies, then party on. And it's likely the PS3 will walk into the holidays at $299, so all this talk is likely moot. But...if they try to ride out another year at $399, then I wouldn't be surprised if there were, shall we say, changes. I think some people, like that Activision dude, might be starting to think that a $399 holiday PS3 is something Sony is considering, hence why he is muscling in. Personally, I would not take his talk as empty threats.
Or for games where a better alternative exists for the system -- I wouldn't be surprised at all if 2K decided to drop MLB2K on the PS3.
Sports games area a different beast, they are usually contractually bound to support all platforms, the sports people don't want a fractured market place. So even if MLB2K sells seven copies on PS3 they will still make another one.
That makes a lot of sense, considering how bad most PC ports are. Thanks.
I can almost feel Nebula cringing in pain
It sucks, I'd love beefy PC games as well. But Crytek tried it and they were rewarded with piracy, so they changed their game plan. So it goes.
