Rayman Legends is multi-platform because Ubisoft didn’t think the game would sell on Wii U

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has admitted that the reason Rayman Legends is not a Wii U exclusive is because Ubisoft didn’t think the game would sell well on Nintendo’s struggling console.

[NYC_Gamer]

I thought Ubisoft had so much faith in Nintendo with Wii U?

[dp277407]

That's a really bad sign, especially since Ubi are such a big backer on most all systems.

[deafdani]

They did. That's why they had about 7 or 8 games ready for the Wii U's launch.

And they are still supporting it. Rayman got delayed, but they also have Assassin's Creed IV and Watch Dogs lined up for the Wii U.

They're just being more cautious now, that's all, because the Wii U so far hasn't sold as well as they hoped.

[solidt12]

I like the fact that Ubisoft is still supporting the Wii U. Watch_dogs and Assassins Creed Black Flag, but EA not supporting Nintendo. I don't things will get much better for Nintendo from a third party stand point until there next system because it should launch in the middle of the PS4 and Xbox One life cycle and will probable be about as powerful like they did with the Wii U during 360 PS3. Next time though they need to get it out at least 3 Years before the next Xbox and Playstation to build up a customer base. The Wii U should of came out in 2010 holiday.

[mrbojingles]

Coz having Splinter Cell, Watch Dogs, ACIV and developing a sequel to Zombi U is not having faith?

[longcat]

there was nothing wrong with releasing on wii U first and then on ps360vita.

cant figure why it was important to have all release on the same day

[KiRBY3000]

they probably didnt want PS3/360 owners to think that its an "old" game. releasing on all platforms at the same time makes it new to everyone.

[Yodagamer]

Microsoft keeps a policy that all games must come on their console at the same time or not at all and have the same features. Only activision has gotten away with it with goldeneye reloaded. It will be worrying next gen if microsoft keeps them considering how much more powerful the ps4 is.

[Gran Touring]

The sad thing is, the game is likely to sell less now since its release is surrounded by a number of big-name titles, GTAV being one of them.

They should have just released the game when it was done for the Wii U in the first place, worry about the other consoles later, and kept the fans who were waiting patiently happy. I don't see how holding a game release hostage for 8+ months is going to increase its sales.

[g-nome]

Well Nintendo should have deposited some cash into Ubi's account if they wanted it (timed) exclusive.
The Legends App is great on Wii u.

[Yodagamer]

Rumor had it they kinda did, I heard nintendo was going to help with advertising on the game.

[DialgaMarine]

Ubisoft is just like the other 3rd Party publishers/ developers. Nintendo lied and coaxed them into believing that the Wii-U would be the biggest thing ever, and much more successful than the Wii, and here we are now. Ubisoft is just being smart like the others, by not investing into this hopeless console. Like I usually say, I actually do own a Wii-U, but with PS4 just around the corner, I have not the faintest idea what the hell I'm going to do with the thing. It's pretty much useless at this point.

[Argus9]

I won't disagree that the Wii U's library of games is lagging behind quite a bit at this point in time, but the Wii U succeeds in being a total entertainment platform, and the games developed for it take full advantage of the unique features of the console. Take Arkham City for example - I've played it on the Wii U and other platforms, and the Wii U version is far and away MUCH more fun and engaging than the others. This is what sets the Wii U apart, and what Nintendo's always been good at - delivering a unique, engaging, and most of all fun experience.

The Wii U isn't licked yet - it just needs more hardware sales to justify more third parties coming on board. Once that happens - and a solid lineup of first-party titles over the next year will definitely give it a chance - we'll see the Wii U catch up, even in spite of the next-gen consoles' impressive hardware.

[DialgaMarine]

It was supposed to have heavy third party support from the beginning though, and now all those third are seemingly jumping ship. I mean compare this E3 to last year. Nintendo was all about third party, and we saw several third party titles from Activision, EA, Ubisoft, etc. Then we have this year where it's right back to be more takes on the same Mario games we've already seen numerous times over. What was their highlight? The fact that Mario 3D world, which looks exactly like 3D land, now has a cat suit. Yiiiippiiiiiieeee...

[Argus9]

@DialgaMarine They pushed for third-party support last year but there weren't enough consoles purchased to justify third parties using their resources. It doesn't just magically happen. It's business suicide to pour resources into a product that won't make you a profit.

I think you're also being a little hard on Super Mario 3D World, it looks like a lot of fun. The cat suit is going to add a new dimension of exploration to the game, and I love how they're bringing back character properties from Super Mario 2. And it's not "just like" Super Mario 3D Land at all. Also, you're forgetting about Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Donkey Kong, and Zelda - and I'm not talking about Wind Waker HD. We're going to see a lot of core franchises come back in the next year and it's sure to bolster sales.

[Argus9]

EA and Ubisoft have both commented that there simply aren't enough Wii U sales yet to push for full support of the console. It's not that the system is bad, or that the developers don't like the Wii U, but if there aren't enough owners to justify selling the games for the system, it's a bad business move.

For example, take Need for Speed: Most Wanted U. It was critically much more successful than its 360 and PS3 iterations, and was greatly received by those who bought it. But it was a commercial failure because so few people owned the console in order to play it. That's a real shame, because all signs should have pointed to it being a major success, but the lack of Wii U ownership bottlenecked its sales.

It's really easy to accuse companies of being money-grubbers in situations like this, but this time it's genuine. There are simply far, far more PS3 and Xbox 360 owners out there than Wii U, and can't get the sales to justify full developer support for the console. Nintendo knows this, and is preparing a solid first-party lineup of games over the next year to boost hardware purchases. Once that happens, third parties will have the window they need to push Wii U games and justify full support.

[o-Sunny-o]

Rude but true.