Mon, Oct 21, 2013 | 13:50 BST
Need for Speed: Rivals is skipping Wii U because no one wanted Most Wanted
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Wii U owners won’t be getting the upcoming Need for Speed: Rivals because the previous game in the franchise, Most Wanted, under-performed on Nintendo’s platform.
The Sixth Axis spoke to Craig Sullivan, Games Director at Ghost Games, who now hold the keys to the Need for Speed franchise.
“Honestly, it’s not the kind of stuff that I like talking about in detail, that much. We did a load of extra work on the Wii U version, and we had a lot of guys working on that stuff, you know?
“It didn’t really sell that many, in terms of the Wii U market. I would love for it to have, because we put so much effort into that, trust me. I’d love for it to be way bigger than it was, and the same for the Vita.
“[Rivals] is going onto new hardware, and you have to work out where you focus your efforts. The 200 people working on this game are only capable of making so much, and doing so many different versions of the game, so we had to go with where we think the biggest audience will be for the game, and that’s where we are.”
It’s a small blow to Wii U, but it’s hardly the a major third party release has skipped the console. Really it isn’t games like this that are going to turn Wii U’s fortunes around at this point. Still, this might be disappointing news to some Wii U owners, especially as the extra features made Most Wanted arguably a better experience on the platform.
Thanks, Nintendo Life.
69 
Posted in: EA, Racing, Wii U
Tags: Need for Speed: Rivals
69 comments
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#51
Lv01
21/10/13, 4:30 pm
@42 its not really missing on vita tho… cos u could just get the PS4 version and remote play it on vita!! hehe!
#52
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 4:31 pm
@51
Sigh…
#53
Lv01
21/10/13, 4:32 pm
@52 (i know its not the same thing… i was jesting!)
#54
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 4:35 pm
@53
Oh I know, but that represents a different problem for me.
#55
Lv01
21/10/13, 4:48 pm
@54 ..? it is a shame that its not coming to vita, tho. but i admit, as much as i enjoyed most wanted, i didnt get it for mine, so…!
#56
monkeygourmet
21/10/13, 5:00 pm
Rivals not in development because FB3 isn’t tested on a Wii U.
Rivals not coming to Wii U because Most Wanted didn’t sell.
Why would it have been considered if the engine was untested?
DICE: “Frostbite 3 was NEVER running on Wii U.”
If it was never running, it’s irrelevant how much a previous title sold as the sequel was never coming to the system anyway…
#57
antraxsuicide
21/10/13, 5:10 pm
@Michael
To that, I agree. Nintendo really needs to try and change the culture of their fanbase to get them to buy 3rd party games.
But poor pricing on old ports is not a good move from the 3rd party developer.
#58
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 5:12 pm
@Monkey
I’ll take a crack at your post, hopefully to end it.
This is one factor: “Rivals not in development because FB3 isn’t tested on a Wii U.”
This is another factor: “Rivals not coming to Wii U because Most Wanted didn’t sell.”
I don’t see why there can’t be more than one reason for it not happening and its also possible they are interlinked.
“Why would it have been considered if the engine was untested?”
http://www.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/money-gif2.gif
Money is king on business, it would be considered if they thought they would profit from it/cover them. So to get it tested they would need to take into account if it would make them enough cha ching, if it did those factors disappear.
“If it was never running, it’s irrelevant how much a previous title sold as the sequel was never coming to the system anyway…”
It kinda of is, if it was worth their while and by this i mean marketing, developing, testing and all the other costs that need to be covered then the platforms Rivals is coming to they would have found a way because money.
#59
Ireland Michael
21/10/13, 5:17 pm
@57 I think its honestly too late to save the Wii U at this point.
#60
monkeygourmet
21/10/13, 5:34 pm
@58
I completly understand that (money aspect), that def makes sense.
Thing is, how can a huge company like EA over predict sales of the previous title when even an idiot could have seen the position the Wii U was in?
They released Mass Effet 3 on Wii U at the same time as they released a 3 game box set for cheaper on other consoles.
They released a gimped copy of FIFA 13 on Wii U.
They release tweets and info openly saying the Wii U is shit.
They release NFS Most Wanted about 6 months after it’s released on other systems for 3 times the price with little or no advertising.
Then they complain about ‘lack of sales’… Well fucking derp!? To get a title like this selling, you need to lower the price. Thats a simple fact. It wasn’t a ‘new’ game. Lots of Wii U owners have 360 / PS3 (where they have either already played the game or can get it cheaper).
The telling part about this guys comments is there is zero information about the projected forecast. It sold about half as much as it did on 360, yet was on a system with about 1/10 of the users, at a premium price, about 6 months after everyone had already played it!!!
They (EA) also had a habit of gimping Wii U titles (not in this case, but company image wasn’t high from Nintendo Wii U owners perspective).
What the fuck WAS their forecast?! It just screams of poor choices and decisions to me then the classic; blame the customer…
I wish I could spout such bullshit in my job and have people gobble it up…
#61
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 5:44 pm
@60
Oh my lord, nope: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdinf8SpzB1qksov3.gif
“They released a gimped copy of FIFA 13 on Wii U.” FIFA 13? I thought it was FIFA 12, there were no significant changes to that so called FIFA 13? And on FIFA 14 Legacy Edition on 3DS/PSV is just the same?
The rest seems like rage? Or all of it?
#62
polygem
21/10/13, 5:49 pm
i have no idea what’s the problem with the wiiu but for gamecube we have new evidence now!
http://giphy.com/gifs/PYSHPTefb6ywo/
regards
captain kirk
#63
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 5:53 pm
@62
You went to the darkside my friend 
Oh Polygem, so weird, so funny, so creepy and evil?
#64
monkeygourmet
21/10/13, 5:56 pm
@61
Not rage, just pointing out poor business decisions.
And, yes, EA is a particularly shitty company, the Vita / 3DS FIFA are just more examples.
Basically, if your third party and want to bother with Wii U, you have to make it an attractive option for customers. Why would I buy old expensive and gimped titles for a system when I can get cheaper versions elsewhere? There is no excuse.
Either reduce forecasts, pricing or whatever, or stop making games for the system.
But you shouldn’t turn it round on the consumer because you made shitty decisions and have been burnt by it.
To slightly turn it on you, apart from just saying ‘don’t make games for Wii U’, what kind of things would you do if you were making a third party game on Wii U as popular as you could?
#65
antraxsuicide
21/10/13, 6:07 pm
Michael, I’m very close to the same conclusion. The main thing that bugs me about Nintendo right now is the lack of 1st party games. They announced the Wii U over 2 years ago, but we still haven’t seen anything particularly good enough to justify such a long wait. It’s just a bit disappointing that, as a developer, Ninty can’t get some games made in 2+ years.
#66
Legendaryboss
21/10/13, 6:20 pm
@64
“what kind of things would you do if you were making a third party game on Wii U as popular as you could?”
Nothing, plenty of great/good/playable third party games have come and gone, there is a point where the blame has to go to somewhere else. If one team/publisher can’t break the trend why bother?
Edit: But if i were to try, marketing would be one, good game, priced normally and other factors. Taking the best quality skills of publishers and sticking to it. Of course there will also/always be cynics.
#67
Joe Musashi
21/10/13, 6:27 pm
“..reduce forecasts,..”
Woah.
@58 Great post. Nice to see some level-headed thinking.
JM
#68
polygem
21/10/13, 6:36 pm
@67. hey hey hey…don’t tagteam now!
#69
monkeygourmet
21/10/13, 6:45 pm
@66
‘why bother’…
Of course, that is an option, I mentioned that before. There are various steps you can take before you get to that point though.
Being unrealistic / greedy while forecasting after generally having a ‘bad image’ with your intended product group, is never going to end well.
I own all the systems and generally wouldn’t buy a third party title on the Wii U based on numerous reasons. Price, releasing later than other platforms, missing content / features etc…
If games released on the same day, were the same / better than 360 / PS3 versions, fairly priced, yeah, I would start to purchase them on Wii U.
People aren’t stupid, if you release an inferior product in a cynical cash grab attempt when other (usually cheaper / better) versions are available, of course they will sell poorly.
EA’s output has been piss poor on Wii U. Quick ports with missing features, expensive compared to competition, late to the game etc…
Poor performance in these instances should not be a shock.
It’s ironic as NFS Most Wanted was best on the Wii U from a technical perspective. If it had released at the same time as PS3 / 360, it’s numbers would have been a lot better im sure.
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