Wii U Version Of Dead Island: Riptide "Not Worth It", Says Deep Silver

The Dead Island: Riptide saga shows no signs of slowing down. We reported last week that publisher Deep Silver had said the Wii U wouldn't be getting the title because the game engine would need re-writing, a claim which developer Techland subsequently shot down in flames.

Now, disgruntled fans are taking to Twitter to ask Deep Silver what's really going on, and are getting a rather more direct reply:

[t3gamenews]

they say its not worth it but us, the customers think other wise. meanwhile a few months from now there gonna be wondering while another game isnt selling on wii u, while were waiting for this game on wii u instead.

[GuyManDude]

If Assassin's Creed III, Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City, and Darksiders 2 can't sell more than 125,000 copies on Wii U, then there's no way in hell that Dead Island: Riptide was going to break 100,000.

It would pretty much be a guarantee that they would lose money by making a Wii U port.

[lilbroRx]

Those games were old, poorly done ports that no one wanted. On top of that they were sold for $60 whey they could be gotten anywhere else on any more established platform for 1/3 that price. That is why they didn't sale.

It would be one thing if all of them at least "ran properly" but the glitches and artifacts were undeniable. On top of that, most of Wii U owners had already played them elsewhere.

Nintendo fans were given a bad deal and then bashed for not spending their money on it. They don't want "old" ports.

The few(very few) good games that the Wii U got have sold well(Trine 2, ZombiU, NSMBU). The indie games on the eshop are also selling well.

[DA_SHREDDER]

I don't know where you people get this idea that WiiU owners need to buy games that have been out for a year already, kick mud. None of you need to tell me what I gotta buy. Right now I got lego city and that's all i need for the machine until summer. You know why? Cause despite owning 3 ps3's, I actually have a life, and I dont need to buy everything that comes out. I only buy games that I feel are worth the money I spend.

BTW, Dead Island sucks, and I wouldn't buy it even if I was loaded with money.

[sitharrefus]

How about releasing it digital only to test the waters?

[N4g_null]

Ummmm doesn't this game suck anyway? They did us a favor then, bring on watch dogs! GDC is pretty sweet this year!

[Clarence]

Look at the track record every game on the Wii besides Mario, Zelda and Wii sports did not sale. The Wii U is in trouble. It's just not appealing enough.

[lilbroRx]

That is a complete lie. The last I checked, the Wii had 140 million sellers. Most of those were third party games. On top of that, Wii U games did not need to sale as much to meet sales expectations because there development cost was only a fraction of an average PS3/360 game. A game that sold half as much on the Wii generated more profit than an equivalent 360/PS3 game.

The facts contradict your statement.

[Triggytrolls]

ZombiU shifted 331,930+ copies, that's not bad for a new console.

One of the best survival horrors I've played in a long time. Admittedly I've not used my WiiU since completing it though.

[admiralvic]

@ GayManDude / Clarence

Thats like comparing apples and oranges. You have a new console with a smaller user base and all of your examples (GayManDude) are ports of highly popular games on other consoles.

Obviously I don't think Dead Island is going to destroy the charts, but with the lack of games on the Nintendo Wii U... it's impossible to say it will do worse. If Dead Island Riptide released at the same time and implemented some things like Zombi U, then I could EASILY see myself considering the Wii U version over PS3.

[Christopher]

*** You have a new console with a smaller user base***

Exactly. Why would a fairly niche market game that already has its past gamers on the PS3, 360, and PC take a chance with such a small audience that doesn't normally buy mature games for the platform?

If it would cost them $250k more to put it on the Wii U, they'd need assurances that it would sell enough to cover those costs. Especially considering the game is priced at $50 and not the usual $60. They'd have to ensure a sales of at least 100k on the Wii U in the first 3 months to cover the costs in development. And I was low-balling the heck out of that.

[Spookshow]

Hahahaha you replied to GayManGuy? ROFL, it was GUYManDude.

:D

WiiU will be fine... stop the trolling!

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

"Nintendo fans do not forget. They know who has burned them and who has not." ""

so why buy wiiU? Wii was not for nintendo fans it was for casuals. So get a ps4.

[PopRocks359]

Wii U had some core games on it, albeit ports. Not to mention it already has six core Nintendo franchises announced within its first year, one of which is a remake of a classic Zelda title another one being a Smash Bros. game.

I can understand a non-Nintendo fan not seeing much in the Wii U, but now you're arguing Nintendo fans have no reason to be interested?

I think you're just grasping at straws here.

[stragomccloud]

Wow. Talk about taking a quote out of context.
The developer didn't want to do it because they didn't want to make a rushed port. If they're going to do it, they want to do it right; from the ground up.

[just-joe]

I'll be honest, I played the game on both systems and I thought it was garbage.

[TuxedoMoon]

I hated Dead Island and I'm sure I'll dislike Riptide (Since the whole game seems to be one giant water level). This game won't be missed on the wii-u. Would rather have a Boarderlands 3 on the wii-u than ANOTHER zombie game.

[josephayal]

i ll buy it anyway

[Rockefellow]

That's interesting. I'm in the same boat about Dead Island: Riptide (and 99% of Deep Silver's games): it's not worth it to me, either, or at least until the price drops substantially.

The first game was fun, but a drastic disappointment from the hype. The sequel here? It's literally a $10 or $15 DLC pack bloated into a new game. Shameless.

[Christopher]

Hey, if I could get an extra 30 hours out of a $15 DLC for it, I'd go for it.

[Rockefellow]

Well, that's the thing-- it's a $60 game based off of what they originally planned to be an add-on (and unfortunately it still looks like that, one long water level).

I don't even think I spent 30 hours on the original title, and I beat it as two different characters (never played it with co-op, admittedly)

[Christopher]

@Rockefellow: It's actually only $50.

[dennett316]

How do these companies expect the console to sell if they're not going to support it properly with big name games? Nintendo can't do it all you clowns. There's over 3 million consoles sold worldwide so far, that's a decent install base for a 4 month old console with few big name Nintendo franchises.
If you release the games, they will sell....especially on a console that has little competition at the moment amongst games on it's own format.
I'd take their word for it a little more if they'd released the game and it flopped....then they may have a leg to stand on in terms of argument. As it is, they expect others to make the console a success before deigning to release anything...it's a crappy attitude to have, and one that sees them making precisely ZERO while they sit twiddling their thumbs.

[Christopher]

***How do these companies expect the console to sell if they're not going to support it properly with big name games?***

They aren't there to get Nintendo business. They're there to get their own business.

It's Nintendo's job to make sure there's a big enough of an audience there for them considering every game sold on the platform gets Nintendo money. Devs don't get any money for console sales.

[LOL_WUT]

Hey if it's not worth it then Deep Silver have the right not to not port it. It's Funny to see all the flip flopping in some of these comments about the game not being worth it or it being crap. The thing is that the user base is relatively small so the chances of this game selling on the Wii U is very slim. ;)

[Clarence]

I simply stated that the only games that sell are Mario, Zelda, and Wii sports
Wii sports came with the Wii.

That's a fact.
http://www.listal.com/list/...
I don't know what list your looking at
The Wii top selling games are 1st party. Maybe you don't know the difference between 1st and 3rd party games

Mario 1st party
Resident evil 3rd party

The Wii u will be the GameCube this gen.
Your reaching buddy.

[silkylove]

I enjoyed Dead Island on PS3. I never bought it though. I'd consider buying Riptide new on my Wii U if they optimized it like Criterion did with Need for Speed (I bought that). Otherwise I'll buy it on my PS3, but probably discounted or used.

[arbitor365]

also the fact that it would be guaranteed to sell under .25M is another big reason. how is porting anything to the wii u a good investment?

youve seen how criterion is pouring all this extra money and time into the wii u version of "most wanted." yeah, lets see if they do it again after the game bombs horribly.

[AdvanceWarsSgt]

Look at the trolls flocking to this like animals to a campfire.

[ozstar]

Some of it isn't even trolling, its just idiots reporting posts they dislike.

[Damd_Bowsr]

I always find it funny when people say that 3rd party games don't sell well on Nintendo platforms when compared to 1st party games. The truth is Very few games sell as well Nintendo 1st party games on any console. P

[madjedi]

Wow the comments on that article are sad, no wonder 3rd parties have essentially written the wii u off.

So according to the general nintendo fanboy attitude/mentality repeated over and over, unless a 3rd party game is design from the ground up on the wii u. It's a garbage port, so they won't support it. And people wonder why nintendo's 3rd party support is shit.

That is a spoiled brat, crying because he doesn't get his way to me, sony and ms gamers aren't that juvenile with 3rd party games.

If people had bought any of the third party launch games in respectable numbers, this would be a issue just with dead island. Zombi u at slightly over 200k worldwide is damning.

Dead island was a horrible game, alot of the others not even close. There is more than personal genre preference at play here.

[silkylove]

Um. Zombi U is selling very well. It's almost at 400K worldwide. Wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a million seller by the end of 2013. Ubisoft is pleased with sales and they are thinking sequel. Try again.

[PopRocks359]

Jesus Christ, what a piss-fest in these comments. What a community, folks. What a community.

EDIT: This really isn't news guys. A lot of devs have made this choice. Wasn't this to be expected? But no, of course people have to be attacking each other over this shit, as usual.

Whatever. Some good looking games have come out this month for the platform and another one was announced for it. That's good enough for me.