Sega Blames Wii Audience for Madworlds Sales!

"MadWorldis something of a polarizing game, with some players enjoying the old school, blood-soaked brawler, and others feeling that it wasn't all it could have been. In any case, the game didn't sell very well at all, and publisher Sega has only one explanation -- it shouldn't have been on Wii.

"Critically it got a lot of acclaim, but commercially it wasn't the success we wanted it to be," admits Sega's Mike Hayes. "Clearly that was a mismatch with the Wii audience -- particularly in terms of the amount of cross-ownership between Wii and the other home platforms. If you're going to play a mature-rated game, you're going to get your 360, PC or PS3 out to do so. But you can't knock us for having a go.

"... The reality is, Platinum Games is such a cutting-edge developer they need the PS3 or 360 to realize what they actually want to do. You saw that withBayonetta-- it was a very high-quality standard.Vanquishwill push the envelope even further. Platinum are definitely more at home on those platforms. But we were thrilled when they tried to do a mature thing on Nintendo."

It's a shame that most of the Wii audience just isn't proving receptive to these M-rated titles, as there is some great stuff hitting the system and I am sure that much more could have been done if developers weren't thoroughly discouraged from trying anymore. Simply sad that games likeMadWorldaren't doing well on the Wii, and I can't blame Platinum for switching systems. It's clearly worked for the guys." -article courtesy of Destructoid

I kinda agree with some of their points, the big one being that most traditional Wii owners also own a 360/PS3 and that takes away from sales with these types of games. Either way from the sounds of it I wouldn't hold my breath for a Mad World 2, at least not on the Wii!

Yes, the Wii audience has better taste than to eat up something like Madworld. :)

Just kidding!... Kind of. Their point has some merit, but the game itself didn't turn out to be too amazing either. It was a good idea but ended up being too restrictive and therefore repetitive... and pretty short with little replay value (unless you were really roped in by the gameplay).

If better hardware would've allowed Platinum to give more freedom to the player for mixing up the combos and stuff, then they're probably right that it shouldn't have been on the Wii. But I don't think hardware limitations were really holding the gameplay back too much, but who knows. I could see some more physics effects adding some fun, but I'm not sure to what extent more powerful hardware could add to the formula.

What else is new? A third party game with less than ideal appeal to the typical Wii owner bombs and the publisher makes the system and its audience the scapegoat, instead of owning up to the fact that the game simply wasn't appealing enough. Madworld was crude, violent, and over-the-top, a polar opposite of the light, colorful, and inclusive games that had been successful on the Wii previous to it. Sega and PlatinumGames had to be aware of this when they decided the Wii would be the system they would release the game on, and decided to go ahead with it anyway. That's not the consumer's fault, but their's. Furthermore, for all of the "critical acclaim" the game managed to get, the general reception it received was still that of a love it or hate it game where you had to be a fan of the game's look or over-the-top violence and language to like it. Let's not make it look like Madworld should have sold through the roof, because it shouldn't have.

I'm not going to blame the PS3/Xbox 360 for the game's failure. Case in point, I don't have either of the HD systems, and I've never thought about buying the game. Heck, the game's been around $10 on Amazon for months, and it still doesn't appeal to me. Ports of games from other systems, including the HD consoles, have sold better than this game, so that's not the definite reason it didn't sale. Last, but not least, the whole thing about needing the PS3/360 to produce the ideal experience for the game is just laughable. Didn't Mikami also make Resident Evil 4? I don't recall that using the PS3/360's hardware, and for all intents and purposes, despite being 5 years older, it's still a better game than Madworld in a variety of ways. If the Wii couldn't produce the kind of game PlatinumGames really wanted it to be, it shouldn't have been there. Simple as that. And given the fact that the game sold so badly, I don't think many people would have complained about it in the end.

These are the things Sega and PlatinumGames should be looking at, instead of trying to shift the blame on others to make it look like Madworld was so unjustified commercially. We're also talking about a game that came out the same month Resident Evil 5, Pokemon Platinum, and the DSi came out, too. Sounds to me like Sega just made a bunch of bad decisions with the game altogether, but hey, it's so easy to blame the Wii for everything these days... :P *sighs*

What else is new? A third party game with less than ideal appeal to the typical Wii owner bombs and the publisher makes the system and its audience the scapegoat, instead of owning up to the fact that the game simply wasn't appealing enough.Madmangamer364

I don't see it so much as them blaming the audience as them admitting that the game they made wasn't something that the audience really wanted. Their language basically makes it seem like they're saying, "Look, our bad, we thought the Wii audience would be up for this but clearly they weren't.... If we could do it again knowing what we know now, we'd go for a different console with a different audience that would probably be more receptive."

So yeah, it's the Wii audience's "fault" for not buying the game by the millions, but it's really Sega's fault for thinking they would in the first place. And I kinda see them admitting that, at least in these quotes.

"MadWorldis something of a polarizing game, with some players enjoying the old school, blood-soaked brawler, and others feeling that it wasn't all it could have been. In any case, the game didn't sell very well at all, and publisher Sega has only one explanation -- it shouldn't have been on Wii.

"Critically it got a lot of acclaim, but commercially it wasn't the success we wanted it to be," admits Sega's Mike Hayes. "Clearly that was a mismatch with the Wii audience -- particularly in terms of the amount of cross-ownership between Wii and the other home platforms. If you're going to play a mature-rated game, you're going to get your 360, PC or PS3 out to do so. But you can't knock us for having a go.

"... The reality is, Platinum Games is such a cutting-edge developer they need the PS3 or 360 to realize what they actually want to do. You saw that withBayonetta-- it was a very high-quality standard.Vanquishwill push the envelope even further. Platinum are definitely more at home on those platforms. But we were thrilled when they tried to do a mature thing on Nintendo."

It's a shame that most of the Wii audience just isn't proving receptive to these M-rated titles, as there is some great stuff hitting the system and I am sure that much more could have been done if developers weren't thoroughly discouraged from trying anymore. Simply sad that games likeMadWorldaren't doing well on the Wii, and I can't blame Platinum for switching systems. It's clearly worked for the guys." -article courtesy of Destructoid

I kinda agree with some of their points, the big one being that most traditional Wii owners also own a 360/PS3 and that takes away from sales with these types of games. Either way from the sounds of it I wouldn't hold my breath for a Mad World 2, at least not on the Wii!

kenakuma

OW my eyes.

OW my eyes.

sonic0491

People are always saying this with my posts :?

I color it to make it easier to read, if its actually making it harder I can switch it to normal black.

[QUOTE="sonic0491"]

OW my eyes.

kenakuma

People are always saying this with my posts :?

I color it to make it easier to read, if its actually making it harder I can switch it to normal black.

[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"]What else is new? A third party game with less than ideal appeal to the typical Wii owner bombs and the publisher makes the system and its audience the scapegoat, instead of owning up to the fact that the game simply wasn't appealing enough.JordanElek

I don't see it so much as them blaming the audience as them admitting that the game they made wasn't something that the audience really wanted. Their language basically makes it seem like they're saying, "Look, our bad, we thought the Wii audience would be up for this but clearly they weren't.... If we could do it again knowing what we know now, we'd go for a different console with a different audience that would probably be more receptive."

So yeah, it's the Wii audience's "fault" for not buying the game by the millions, but it's really Sega's fault for thinking they would in the first place. And I kinda see them admitting that, at least in these quotes.

It really depends on how you wish to interpret the remarks, though. Seriously when I look at this:

"Clearly that was a mismatch with the Wii audience -- particularly in terms of the amount of cross-ownership between Wii and the other home platforms. If you're going to play a mature-rated game, you're going to get your 360, PC or PS3 out to do so. But you can't knock us for having a go"

...while I can see where you're coming from, it still looks to me more like Sega is looking to point the finger at someone else, rather than themselves. Sega's clearly going along with the whole notion that "mature games don't sell on the Wii" thing, rather than looking at the games that HAVE been successful on the Wii, including its very own House of the Dead series, and just admitting that Madworld just wasn't a game many Wii owners wanted any part of. Using things like cross-console ownership to try to make a point about the state of M-rated games on the Wii also doesn't help. Need I remind Sega that while most big M-rated games tend to be HD exclusives, the Wii usually gets stuck with the hand-me-down games and experimental titles. By no stretch of the imagination was Madworld a suitable Wii alternative to something like RE5, and this is something Sega should probably try to understand.

It's never the consumer's "fault" for anything not selling, especially if it doesn't appeal to them to begin with. At this very moment, Sega can't say that Madworld would have worked out much better for them if it was on any other system at the time, so they should at first come to terms with the idea that maybe a game like Madworld was a bad idea not only because it was a Wii game, but because it was Madworld. The concept itself was a bold move, and by making it Wii-exclusive, Sega just played a game of Russian Roulette where they probably knew that the game's fate would not bode too well. Wii owners didn't have any influence on Sega's decision to make Madworld whatsoever. I'm all for admitting things, but if you're going to do so, do it. Don't leave a bad stench in the air where your comments can still come off as one where you're not actually trying to take credit for your faults, but instead saying, "I guess I did something bad, but it's only bad because "they" were also part of it."

it was too much of a niche game.

red steel 2 has wm+ gimmick and a western them with sword and gun fighting.. i think it will sell better than madworld.

however it wont sell 1M maybe because hmm maybe the wii crowd only buys AAA stuff ugh.

It's only bad for people who use the dark theme. We're people too. :(JordanElek

Whoops, I forgot, and I used to be one of those "people" to...

I checked the colors and fixed it again so it should be easy for everyone to read now!

I wouldn't have bought it if it had been on the 360, either. :P

Well, this is Sega of America saying this...and Sega of America has pretty much zero say in what gets published on what platform.

Second, Madworld would sell terribly on any console. It's niche, black and white, and yes, a bad game. It's short, mindless, extremely repetitive repetitive repetitive, and pretty dull. Ps3 and 360 owners were not going to buy it. If they were, they would have gotten it on the wii as most of them are multi-console owners.

I did enjoy the game, but I understand that it's a niche title that wouldn't bring the masses flocking towards it.

Maybe they should port it to the 360 and PS3 before throwing blame around but they wont do that because they know it's niche and appeals to no one.

Yeah I don't think Madworld would have flown on any console, its a solid game but its not a AAA game and if they were expecting AAA numbers from an ultra violent, beat em up, they were kidding themselves. Not every good game is going to be a best seller, the steps have to be taken to assure a good game commands a place at market. Sega did not do that, they did it for Bayonetta and its not like that doing God of War 3 numbers or anything either. But they made a game that looked just like DMC from the original mind behind the series, of course that will do better than Madworld. Publishers should really stop putting games out that they know aren't going to sell through the roof and then complaining when they don't. If they really thought it was going to sell on the HD consoles it would have been on there, they were just hoping because of the lack of direct competition on the Wii it could be a Dark Horse at market.

If you don't watch it, I would recommend going to to Gametrailers and watching the latest episode of Pachattack, it gives a breakdown of numbers for games sales. Look at what he says about marketing and it will give you a good idea of what Sega thought about this game before releasing it. They never expected it to sale.

Madworld is maybe worth buying if you get it 50% off... maybe

And it's not because it's not appealing enough? I wouldn't buy it on the PS3 either, and I'm not sure it would have sold that well on any other platform. It's a bit contradicting to state that it's simply the wrong platform and that it's not because the game split opinions.

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

madworld was a repetitive waggle fest. by the time I would get the boss I would be in to much pain to finish the level. It wasn't that fun having to kill all the dudes with the tedious combo system. I played three levels and never touched it again. the art style was amazing, the gameplay was "meh" wasn't mad world one of the games along with HOD:OK that was pirated more then it actually sold?teknic1200

hey since when has sega made a good game that didnt start with the words house of the dead

Ok, its a short game with little replay value. How do you expect people to go crazy over it?LastRambo341

It wouldn't have done well on the 360 or PS3 either if you ask me.

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

LegatoSkyheart

But that was on the 360/PS3 and that being said it kinda makes their point :P

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

kenakuma

But that was on the 360/PS3 and that being said it kinda makes their point :P

Bull crap If Nintendo can make Zelda look amazing and have a vast world with using only 2 gigs of space then any developer that has the time and money can make a game even more vast and better gameplay than MadWorld.

I completely agree with Sega. I blame the Wii's adience 110% and it's a shame an outstanding game that is Madworld didn't sell better. Niche....mature...whatever. It's a great game that was far too critically well-received to not sell better than it did. regardless of platform, rating, style or violence level. Without a doubt tons of older gamers who enjoy these types of games did not step up to the plate and support it. Shame on them.

Great article and post, thanks. I liked hearing Sega's take on it although it saddens me to hear a Madworld 2 on the Wii as you said is all but impossible now :(

Sega understands that the audience just isn't on the Wii for those kinds of games

If the home is a Wii only home then chances are it's one of the Wii's casual base and they're not interested.

If the home is a multi console home then they'll buy the game for another platform

At least they gave it a shot but between no audience and piracy there's not much for their best studios to do on the Wii.

It is a classic rent game. It is average, and only like 7 or 8 hours. I wouldn't buy it on any system for over 10$.

It is a classic rent game. It is average, and only like 7 or 8 hours. I wouldn't buy it on any system for over 10$.

AmayaPapaya

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

kenakuma

But that was on the 360/PS3 and that being said it kinda makes their point :P

If Platinum had made a game like Bayonetta for the Wii, it would have sold better than Madworld. If they made a game like Madworld for the other systems, it would not have sold at a $50 price either.

Until a 3rd party dev makes a full fledged game for the Wii, how can anyone say it won't sell? Bayonetta =/= Madworld.

Sega understands that the audience just isn't on the Wii for those kinds of games

If the home is a Wii only home then chances are it's one of the Wii's casual base and they're not interested.

If the home is a multi console home then they'll buy the game for another platform

At least they gave it a shot but between no audience and piracy there's not much for their best studios to do on the Wii.

Sega understands that the audience just isn't on the Wii for those kinds of games

If the home is a Wii only home then chances are it's one of the Wii's casual base and they're not interested.

If the home is a multi console home then they'll buy the game for another platform

At least they gave it a shot but between no audience and piracy there's not much for their best studios to do on the Wii.

[QUOTE="kenakuma"]

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

LegatoSkyheart

But that was on the 360/PS3 and that being said it kinda makes their point :P

Bull crap If Nintendo can make Zelda look amazing and have a vast world with using only 2 gigs of space then any developer that has the time and money can make a game even more vast and better gameplay than MadWorld.

So a 3rd party game has to be Zelda caliber to sell :roll:

Mad World wasn't a bad game by a long shoot! For what it was it didn't get anywhere near the sales it deserved!

[QUOTE="kenakuma"]

[QUOTE="LegatoSkyheart"]

bought the game for $20.

Glad I didn't get it for $50.

I know Platinum could do better. (Looks at Bayonetta.)

mrfokken

But that was on the 360/PS3 and that being said it kinda makes their point :P

If Platinum had made a game like Bayonetta for the Wii, it would have sold better than Madworld. If they made a game like Madworld for the other systems, it would not have sold at a $50 price either.

Until a 3rd party dev makes a full fledged game for the Wii, how can anyone say it won't sell? Bayonetta =/= Madworld.

Uhhh, and how much better would a game like bayonetta sell on the wii? Better than it did on the 360/PS3? I'm gonna guess no on that one :|

Madworld obviously didn't get the sales it deserved in the developers eyes (the only eyes that matter on this) and as a result don't expect any real support for the wii from them again, let alone a bayonetta caliber game on the wii, which at this rate ain't ever gonna happen!

Sega understands that the audience just isn't on the Wii for those kinds of games

If the home is a Wii only home then chances are it's one of the Wii's casual base and they're not interested.

If the home is a multi console home then they'll buy the game for another platform

At least they gave it a shot but between no audience and piracy there's not much for their best studios to do on the Wii.

So a 3rd party game has to be Zelda caliber to sell :roll:

Mad World wasn't a bad game by a long shoot! For what it was it didn't get anywhere near the sales it deserved!

kenakuma