14 DAY TRIAL // Sega has just admitted that Platinum Games-developed title MadWorld might have reached a larger audience and obtained better sales if it had been released on platforms like the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, and not on the Nintendo Wii.
Sega is one of the few third-party developers still backing up the Nintendo Wii with hardcore, serious games, besides releasing more casual ones, like the rest of the industry.
The company had a solid 2008 and 2009 lineup, which included MadWorld, The Conduit or House of the Dead: Overkill.
Sadly, among them, only House of the Dead and the Conduit managed to actually become successful.
This is admitted to by Sega's Vice President of sales and marketing, Alan Pritchard.
"Going back 12 to 18 months when we released those titles, it was a risk," said Pritchard. "Nintendo was supportive of the strategy. There was an intent to take the Wii console a little older, and make a more core machine. So games like MadWorld, House of the Dead and The Conduit fit that strategy. House of the Dead is a more established and casual franchise, and that did very well. Conduit 2 is getting a good buzz."
MadWorld, however, didn't really manage to sell well, despite the fact that it gained a lot of praise from reviewers and critics for its innovative design and sharp, black and white graphics.
"It was a huge risk that we really believed in at the time, but the title did not sell well," Pritchard continued. "Was it on the wrong platform? I don't know. Would it have done better on 360 or PS3? Possibly"
This doesn't mean Sega won't continue to back up hardcore games for the Wii.
"I think we will look at some of those slightly more risky type opportunities, but very very carefully. We've still got high hopes for Conduit 2," Pritchard stated.
The Conduit 2 is set to appear in February, next year, while another House of the Dead title is being rumored.