Activision clarifies why 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' Wii U was not announced

XMNR: A European retailer revealed box art for a Wii U version of Call of Duty: Ghosts last week. However, Activision's press release that announced the game Wednesday makes no mention of the Nintendo console and it does not appear on the official pre-order page for the shooter that is coming to the PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, next Xbox and PC.

Update: Official response from Activison.
"We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned."

Update 2: Changed title of article to better reflect the Activision response.

[Neonridr]

So Activision considers the Wii U next gen. Interesting. Now if only more people would too.

[Salooh]

It's not next generation because it's not in the same level with the ps4 and xbox3. Even multiplatforms don't support it that much..

I know that you will consider me a troll and i will get tons of disagrees but that's the truth. Specs and support are way different. It's having the same fate of the wii ..

[n4f]

so your are the same generation as your father because you dont have the same "spec" as him

[PopRocks359]

By that logic, no console is next generation on the grounds that it will almost always be behind PC tech.

Specs don't define a console's generation. Time does.

[Salooh]

I didn't get what you said xD. Sorry..

What i'm telling you that playing on the ps4 will be different then playing on wii u because both are completely different then each other. Games in Wii u are not that serious. It's famous for mario and stuff like that. It's simply not next generation. It's stuck in middle just like how the vita stuck in the middle of the ps2 and ps3 in specs and games. You guys are overreacting in my opinion. You will get an upgraded versions of current generation games. That's what it can do but it's not a big step like the ps4 and xbox where they will evolve gaming and give the developers big space to create what ever they want..

Oh well, i guess you guys don't get me too.

[Root]

@Poprocks

"Specs don't define a console's generation. Time does."

Yet you can't see that for the Wii U...you know when third party developers start to push the PS4/Nextbox tec to create better games and leave the Wii U behind.

[M-M]

The Wii U is next generation. It doesn't matter if the specs are worse or greater than it's predecessor because their next console came AFTER the predecessor.

[Triggytrolls]

What selling 100+ million consoles and over 886 million games?

[saint_seya]

Wii u is next generation if we take generations as the next console after wii for nintendo, according to nintendo generations is a new generation.
Now if we take in account the whole market (basically in graphics department, online capabilites) its not next generation because isnt powerfull enough to be far from ps3, 360.. so in nintendo generations is next generation, in the industry standards isnt next generation #at least not a 100%#

[Salooh]

I agree on wii u is next generation compared to the wii but just like what i said it's not a next generation when you compare it to the ps4 ( We still don't know anything about the next xbox)..

When i hear next generation i think of evolve and bringing new things that wasn't possible or done before. Not just better versions of current generation games. If ps4 can't do that i wouldn't consider it that too. Maybe it's my fault for not explaining more of what i think ..

[Realplaya]

As you already know Call of Duty: Ghosts was officially announced today by Call of Duty publisher, Activision. The press release the company sent out failed to mention a Wii U version of the game, but the Wii U logo features prominently on the teaser site. Online news publication The Examiner contacted Activision to find out about the Wii U version. Here’s the company’s response.

We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned.

[MidnytRain]

TIME does? Solely? Bull! That means I could sell a "potato" or a calculator of my own cruddy design and call it "next gen" cuz it's "2013!" -_-

[deafdani]

There was a pretty wide gap in terms of power between the first Playstation and the N64, and the media playback was also very different (CDs vs. cartridges) making both consoles wildly different from each other, each one with their very unique advantages and disadvantages. Because of this, there were very, very few games that both consoles shared (multiplatform). Their respective games libraries were comprised mainly by exclusives due to the big disparities between both machines.

Yet everyone considered both consoles to be part of the same generation. If you're willing to accept this as a fact, you must accept the Wii U as a next gen machine as well, exactly for the same reasons. Otherwise, you're an hypocrite.

[stragomccloud]

Well, you are right about one thing. You are a troll.

That said, if people don't consider Wii U next gen, then you can't consider PS4 next gen either since both a way behind my current PC in terms of raw power.

So.... by console standards, both PS4 and Wii U next gen. That said, in terms of what they will actually be outputting, the two systems are very close. PS4 has a lot more ram, but I doubt it can be fully utilized because of power of the CPU. Core for Core, and and far as architecture is concerned, the Wii U's cpu is actually a lot better than the PS4's. However, the PS4 has more than twice as many cores so it'll probably be able to offset the load a little better. GPU wise they are too different, the PS4 has about a years newer tech so it only makes sense that it has better hardware, but it really isn't going to make that much of a differnce, especially with muliplats, and especially once developers get used to the Wii U's very unique architecture. PS4 being x86 architecture won't have that problem, however, we'll be seeing it reach it's full potential a lot more quickly than the Wii U will.

People need to stop hating, with the Wii U, Nintendo decided to play the tech game again. Like the Super Nintendo, the N64 and the Gamecube. Nintendo has only dropped the ball on the cutting edge console tech once, and that was with the Wii.

[ThaBlackBaron]

"We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned."

LOL Dayum Activision just Exposed all the Wii U haters with that staement LOL

But we all kno it will be on Wii U, PS4, and Xbox 8 probably not released on the same date as PS3, 360 versions

[jcnba28]

Dude you need to make more videos on your channel and this topic right here would really piss off the haters lol

[PigPen]

ThaBlackBaron you caught that. That is a important quote for trolls.

[Sevir]

Lol this is funny, MS has the industry in gridlock, studios won't announce multiplatform next gen titles because of the Next Gen Xbox.

What ever. I'll be tuned in to see what Infinity Ward shows off, strangely enough, Sony demoes an exclusive live for the PS4 and MS is demoing a 3rd party multiplatform game to highlight their system. We shall see.

[sway_z]

So basically Ghosts is coming to Wii U and PS4/Next Xbox, they just haven't dated them yet.

[Jek_Porkins]

Nice to see Activision lump Wii U in with next generation, considering that term has always been the number in which a console was released and not the power, it makes sense.

[jay2]

here we go again xbox 720 with 6 Months time exclusive DLC at like £60, the sheep will pay over the odds, as usual and everyone will be happy with this crappy series. And wow! Wii U's not next gen.

[rajman]

The COD site also has this link working:
http://www.callofduty.com/c...

currently it shows the xbox 360 boxart, but the fact the link contains 'wii' in it and its working, another confirmation that it will be for the wii u

[ShabbaRanks]

Im anxious to see when this franchise will die or at lest start bleeding.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

I love the Call of Duty series but Activision please rest it a little innovate it a little. I think it's to static running around uninteractive hallways and outdoors. It's gotta get way more interactive if you run past a bank of computers you should be able to fire up one and Check on your Facebook page. Make clocks and wrist watches show the right times. Little extra touches could breathe new life into a tired genre. Please your in danger of becoming Maddenesque. Plus you should bring back a few older but loved maps. Personally I love to play ctf at Eder damn in hd with awesome weaponry.

[Utalkin2me]

Well activision designs and makes COD to the players. They would lose a a big audience if they made it with substance and strategy. You don't bite the hand that feeds.

[imXify]

No, it's coming for WiiU.
They don't say anything because the Treyarch Wii team ( the ones that are making every CoDs on Wii ) have to make sure that everything is okay with porting the whole game and if they can make the deadline. So meanwhile we always get the typical "no information at this time".

Source : Wii devs on the official CoD forums talking about this for the last 2 years.

[imXify]

LOL@DISLIKE
You all know Treyarch made the CoD4 and MW3 ports for the Wii. Right ? I guess not.

[Apex13]

Lol. They have released cod on on a Nintendo platform nice the game cube so why stop now and why are we even making an issue out of this.

[Thepcz]

"We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned."

wiiu confirmed as next gen lol

[LLJAF]

This gen, next gen WTF. Wii was way underpowered compared to Ps3 and 360, but it was the same gen, likewise Wii U , Ps4 and Nextbox will be same gen.

[arbitor365]

"as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned."

i could understand that excuse with the PS4 and 720, since the consoles themselves dont have solid release dates yet, but the wii u is already out. and they have already released a COD game for it.

i think the real reason is that they arent sure if the wii u will be able to handle their next COD engine. they are trying to compete with BF4 after all, and the Frostbite 3 engine isnt coming to wii u.

they might do what they did with the wii and have a massively scaled down version. but seeing how BO2 sold abysmally on the wii u and has no community, they might not even go that far.

[Realplaya]

@Arbitor365 Post the entire comment.

As you already know Call of Duty: Ghosts was officially announced today by Call of Duty publisher, Activision. The press release the company sent out failed to mention a Wii U version of the game, but the Wii U logo features prominently on the teaser site. Online news publication The Examiner contacted Activision to find out about the Wii U version. Here’s the company’s response.

We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned.

[Whymii]

People keep on saying that BO2 sold "abysmally" on the wii u because they see the total sales at around 180k. Sure, compared to Xbox and PS3 that's a tiny amount, but that is not the whole story.

The install base for the wii u is approx 3.5 million and of that 180k owners bought BO2. That's an attach rate of just over 5%. That's a low attach rate for CoD games, but about the same as Arkham City or Grand Turismo 5 Prologue on the PS3. Neither would be regarded as having "abysmall" sales figures. In part the sales result is simply a small install base to begin with.

The other factor that needs to be considered is that people tend to buy CoD games for the same platform as previous purchased. For example, I play CoD on the Xbox and BF3 on the PS3. How many of the 180k switched from PS3 or Xbox to wii u? My guess would be next to none as most people don't switch platforms unless there's a strong reason, which the wii u doesn't offer.

No doubt Activision was aware of these factors and that is why the game is little more than a port. They did a good job with the wii u controller for two player seperate screens and one player off TV, but that's it. They kept dev costs relatively low by doing no more than they felt was necessary on the port. Any future CoD games on the wii u would be no different unless a miracle occurs and the system's sales go through the roof, but I'm not holding my breath.

[vishmarx]

1.Fanboys create a website to fake a game ....lol....
2.activision calls wii u next gen loooool

[Theyellowflash30]

It's next gen whether you like it or not. The truth hurts, or in your case....it's funny? loooool

[vishmarx]

wii u is next gen garbage...
it couldnt ven run warriors orochi without lag which runs at 60fps on puny 360 hardware...
i mention this because graphics arent the only thing that depend on hardware...why couldnt they just carry on with wii if hardware was that unimportant .just sprinkle some of their quality innovation (aka mario/zelda) into their games and blind fanboys would take care of sales anyways..

so its obvious theyre doing it to attract a new audience ...and so far..theyve done absolutely NOTHING TO PROVE how the wii u is supposedly a better deal than either the current gen(cheaper/huge library of better games (existant and yet to come)) or the soon to arrive ps4/720(Better hardware by magnitudes and better 3rd party support as always)

all wii u has is
1 bad online
2 weak harware
3 shoddy ports of games originally released much before
4 unannounced mario game (duh)
5 unannounced zelda game(double duh)
6 limited and continually declining 3rd party support
7 no hopes for a better future

im giving it an year after ps4 release before it dies out of the actual market and starts selling casual stuff and mario/zelda , just like the wii racking up endless profits

im not a nintendo hater .i love the 3ds
despite the fact its got weaker hardware...
but its got a great library of games that arent only pokemon and mario

[Theyellowflash30]

@vishmarx

1.Who says the Wii U's online is bad? It's actually good.

2. The hardware is not weak, it's stronger than the PS3 and Xbox 360.

3. Not all ports are shoddy. Deus EX, Sonic and All Stars, Tekken, COD, Resident Evil Revelations, Ninja Gaiden 3 Razors edge, are ports with upgrades.

4 & 5 - Uncharted (PS4 duh) Halo (Xbox 720 Duh)

6. Batman, Rainbow 6, Rayman, Assassin' Creed Black Flag, Splinter Cell, The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, Resident Evil Revelations, Tengami, Mighty Switch Force 2, Mutant Mudds 2, COD Ghosts, Watch Dogs, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Lego City, are all out or coming to Wii U, so that's not bad.

7. No hopes for a better future? A bit ironic when you claim to be a 3DS fan... and it was facing this same situation in the wake of the Vita. Then Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart, and a price cut hit, and the future didn't look so bleak.

Games on the Wii U coming or already out that are not Pokemon or Mario:

1. Xenoblade 2
2. Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem
3. Super Smash Bros 4
4. Retro's new project
5. Lego City Undercover
6. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
7. Bayonetta 2
8. The Wonderful 101
9. Pikmin 3
10. Game and Wario
11. The Last Story 2 or Sacaguchi's secret Wii U game.
12. The Legend of Zelda The Windwaker HD

And that's the short list. There are more rumored games, but I didn't want to list them with out a confirmation of them at least in existence.

[Whymii]

@Vishmarx

Let's take a closer look at your stated 'facts'

1. Bad online - How? I have all current systems and would rate the online experience at least equal to PS3. Plus Miiverse is brilliant.

2. Weak Hardware - It is not weak and at the moment is more powerful than any console on the market.

3. Only Shoddy Ports - yes, some of the ports were definately rushed, however BO2, Sonic All Stars Racing and Assassins Creed were not released "much before". Then there's Zombiu, Scribblenauts, Nintendoland, etc and your beloved Mario.

4.Unannounced Mario Game - New Super Mario wii u was a release title. (Duh) Other Marios to follow...

5. Unannounced Zelda title - Ahh I seem to remember that there's also an announced Zelda due this year. That's right a remake of Wind Waker. (Double Duh). An unannounced original Zelda to follow next year...

6. Limited and declining 3rd party support - 3rd party support will always be limited due to low install base. It will increase if sales of the console increases. It is not declining because your only refering to large A league devs and currently small independents are beginning to support it. So for every big boy that says "no" there are two or three little guys saying "yes".

7.No hope for the future - Of course there's going to be a future, Nintendo has invested too much in the wii u to let it go. Whether it will be a wii or a Gamecube is entirely something different. I remember people like you saying the same thing about the 3DS not too long ago.

As to your last "I'm not a Nintendo hater"... Why can't they do to the wii u what they have done with the 3DS, "despite the fact its got weaker hardware..."? Have you even played one and I mean for a few hours and not in the store?

[Whymii]

3. Trolls write ...lol...

[vishmarx]

@Theyellowflash30

1,2,7 definitely yes
everything else is yaaawwwn
and bayo just doesnt feel like a wii u game btw...

1)good...maybe but relatively?
xbox's userbase
and psn's free rentals cant be topped by nintendo anytime soon

2)weak hardware=it is compared to ps4 ,current gen pcs and possibly 720...stronger than ps360,yes ,but is it a reason good enough to buy it?
3)not all ports are shoddy...but its no excuse considering these ports are a mojority of the current library from 3rd party devs

4)yeah thats true but unlike nintendo
sony has a ton of other exclusives ,
i mean mario kart ,mario rpgs ,super mario, luigi mansion,donkey kong are essesntialy from the same universe,others like pkmin and stuff are more of casual stuff..

6)games like watchdogs...why would i bother with a wii u for that ...anyone would either buy a high end pc/ps 4 version or a convineint ps360 version

7)ds was hugely succesful with hardcore games...
wii was not..

things dont look very different now
and like xenoblade id be lying if i said im not excited about x though

@
Whymii

1)completely disagree wii u cannot be on the same level .its a full generation behind in terms of online and unless they did something godly radical i dont see it happening

2)yes,for a good 5 months, in year itll be the weakest by lightyears

3)already made my argument above

4)6)6) im not sure what you mean...i guess you just elaborated what i said

7)just because investments a high doesnt mean descisions made are good..
huge success doesnt seem very likely atm

8)wii was faliure to me ds wasnt ..
this gen same holds true

[millzy102]

how can bayonetta not feel like a Wii ugame you havn't even played the game as its not out and probably haven't even played the Wii u, and dismissing a Nintendo game because it doesn't feel right is childish.you say there's no games coming apart from Mario so someone gives you a list to clarify then you dismiss all the games, also im buying watch dogs on Wii u instead of ps4 as I believe

(1) it wont be much different in terms of quality and

(2) the game pad could add alot to the title.

as for Activision, would it be wrong to assume that the Wii u is getting a next gen build as they have stated its next gen but as they havn't shown anything they don't want to give the next gen game anouncments infill all consoles are revealed. why give wii u all the next gen hype now as its the only one out at wait and give all 3 equal coverage. e3 is gonna shut a lot of people up about Wii u, I know this much.

and finally I know Wii might have been a failure to you bit it made Nintendo more money than PlayStation did for sony and Xbox for microsft so who are the real failures. and this time Wii u is no where near as handicapped as the Wii was.

[Theyellowflash30]

Bayonetta doesn't feel like a Wii U game?

Well it is

#dealwithit

[HarryB]

The wii u has that same status as leap frog.

[Hicken]

...

"Next-gen" has two meanings.

One is the chronological definition. Simply put: stuff that came into being at around the same time. The beginning and end of such generations are denoted in various ways, usually being separated by chronological events of some significance that relate to whatever the subjects are. For example, "the bravest generation," in reference to those who fought in WWII.

The other is that it's the new version of... whatever. Like the iPhone. They're on the fifth, sixth, 47th generation of that thing. But a sixth gen iPhone isn't a sixth gen phone. It's not even a sixth gen smartphone. Hell, those Tracphones and stuff they make for kids aren't in the same generation, technologically, as the newest smartphones, yet they still release new models of those. They're vastly underpowered and sorely lacking in features compared to the best phones on the market.

Chronologically, the Wii U is next gen. Technologically, it doesn't represent a large enough improvement over CURRENT GEN consoles, like the Wii before it. So all this hooplah about what Activision said is stupid.

[BigDuo]

Fellas, in 2012, Activision didn't announce Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for Wii U until months later. The game was revealed in guess what month? MAY. The Wii U version was eventually confirmed in SEPTEMBER. We will likely see a similiar situation with Call of Duty: Ghosts. Maybe at E3 but maybe not. We'll see.