Capcom and the guys behind No More Heroes proved that mature games can sell on the wii. What sega need to do is do some more advertisements for the game to get the sell they want.

I have the impression that The Conduit was marketed pretty well. It's just that the game is really bland when compared to other FPS games for other consoles.

The game only came out in the last week of june.

@Blackdeath:

I was about to say the same thing. Are we ignoring the fact that this came out on June 23rd? That would mean it sold 72K copies in a week, not in a month.

I don't get all the hype for this game, I played it for 3 hours and got bored. Yes the controls are good, but really the entire thing just feels like "been there-done that". I think the argument that it doesn't need to be original because the Wii needs a good "solid" FPS is weaksauce.

@BlackDeath

Ooh yeah.

hmm...

@ Brando

I agree, the game is barebones to say the least, the online mode is the main draw, it is basic as the single player campaign but we have nothing of the sorts more so considerinf that it sidesteps Friend codes so it is good.

The Conduit could mean more FPS ands traditional gaming on Wii, the same way the success of SEGA´s shooters and RE:UC paved the way the torrent of on rails shooters we get nowadays.

72k for launch week isn't that good.

CORRECTION: It's a T-rated game.

Well, I'll tell you what.

I am a Wii owner, and that's the only current-gen console I own. Although I have access to a 360, it's not mine, so the only console I actively buy games for is the Wii.

And I did not buy this game. From the moment it was announced on IGN and we saw that very first video, my only reaction was that it looked generic. The main character looks like a tool, and the aliens look just like people in cruddy costumes. That's a mark against the game in my book, and when the game comes out, the reviews pour in, and we find out that the game is just sub-par anyway, it comes accross to me as a game I could safely let go.

I consider myself somewhat of a Nintendo fanboy, but even I can't justify buying a game that I know is going to be mediocre. That would be stupid.

If a game comes out and it looks good, I'll get it. But it has to be good by my standards, not the "good" associated with a 7.0 from Gamespot. That's the same reason I didn't bother with Deadly Creatures or Battalion Wars 2. They struck me as "meh" games. I get the same feeling from The Conduit




And that's what really grinds my gears about people telling me I better buy these games if I want to get more hardcore material on the Wii. It makes me feel like Sega etc. are just a bunch of panhandling bums begging for my money; you see them, and you walk on the other side of the street because the mere sight of them make you feel irritated and uncomfortable.

I think Wii owners just bought it for Wii sports.

It has nothing to do with the platform. I never see or hear a lick of advertisement. If they didn't have the entire world covered with posters of Fallout 3 and GTA4, I don't think they would have sold nearly as much either.

I remember being at E3 and thinking "this game is pretty horrible". I think after it actually released, and it got that "4/10" from Edge, and more horrible reviews, people just ignored it.

I'm one of those 72K who bought it in the first week, I've had a ton of fun with it so whatever. I'm more interested to see how it goes in the long term, besides, but since I haven't seen a single TV commercial for this game then I doubt it'll ever get more then 200K. Shame though because the online multiplayer is a lot of fun.

@ Agnates

There's a big difference between Call of Duty, an established and well-known franchise, and The Conduit, a newcomer to the FPS genre. Everybody expects Call of Duty to sell well because it's well-known. People are just saying that mature games can't sell on the Wii because most new franchises to come to the platform have been under-achievers, which for some of the part is true (Even in Japan, No More Heroes sold like shit). Fine, it came out in the last week of June, but you really can't say that justifies that mature Wii games can sell a lot. Personally, I don't think it will hit one million units, but if I'm wrong, I'll be the first one to say it.

Btw, I do want a Wii, but I'm just being honest.

This is a FPS game, right? When people think "hardcore" why does this necessarily seem to translate to "FPS"? Except for a few rare exceptions like Half-Life 2, I couldn't give less of a rat's ass about FPS games. There are other types of "hardcore" games than FPS games. It has nothing to do with this being on the Wii, and has little to do with the Wii being incapable of hosting a good "hardcore" game.

God I hate that word so much now. "Hardcore". Suck my dick, "hardcore".

Ouch, better luck next time, if there is a next time...

@Chronic
The Grinder is the "next time". I think it will do MUCH better than The Conduit because it's the "Wii L4D", and people will be fresh off of the real "L4D" boycott/hate.

COD: WAW wii sold like 40k in the first week, and its currently a million seller :X, lets just give it Time.

This is Nintendo's fault for marketfucking their system they way they do. Overkill and Madworld are absolutely classic titles that anyone calling themselves a gamer should check out. I haven't tried The Conduit yet, but I have noticed that it's PR is pretty shitty. Either the title is just really not that great and they fear overhype and backlash... or they are shooting themselves in the foot and disregarding an important audience (you and me, the people that have been playing their games and paying their salaries for the last 20-40 years...).

Figure it out Nintendo... are you selling gym equipment that's not really gym equipment, or are you selling a gaming console that EVERYONE (not just dumb celebrity blondes) can enjoy?

"72k for launch week isn't that good."

Its not great, but its not horrible either. inFAMOUS only sold 175,000 its first week, and its a 1st Party game. As for the marketing I don't know what you're talking about Jim, the Conduit was marketing all over the place. It had TV ads on all the time, on many different channels. I see more Conduit commercial than both UFC, or inFAMOUS!

RE: Madworld. Yeah... no. I doubt I would have cared all that much about Madworld if it were on 360 anymore than I currently care about it on the Wii (which is to say, not much at all). Again, this is less a "the Wii can't handle 'hardcore' games" or "there's no market for 'hardcore' games on the Wii' thing and more just a "they still aren't making very many good 'hardcore' games for the Wii" thing.

Blaugh, "hardcore". *spit*

This isn't in the least bit surprising to me. Beyond the games documented dubious quality, it's hard to imagine anyone looking at this game and thinking, "Wow! Finally! A first person shooter that actually works on my console!" That may have worked for Goldeneye back in 1997, but FPS games on the consoles in those days were nearly non-existent, mostly PC ports, and always garbage.
In 2009, however, developers have pretty much cracked the code on developing console FPS games. The Conduit, with it's boring level design, slow pacing, feature-less multiplayer and drab art design, doesn't aspire to be a good FPS. It wants to be an FPS "like on those other consoles". It's a game that tries to shoo-horn a genre on the Wii that A) doesn't really fit, and B) doesn't serve the console that well. When the Wii is at it's best, with games like Warioware:Smooth Moves, No More Heroes, and Super Mario Galaxy, the games are UNLIKE ANYTHING ON ANY OTHER PLATFORM. PERIOD. You can find plenty of FPS games, however, and trying to build the Wii into a second rate 360 or PS3 does a tremendous disservice to the Wii and it's playerbase.
The Wii doesn't need to try and emulate the other consoles. By offering it's own unique and bizarre gameplay experiences, it has become the most popular console on the planet.

Well, considering all the money they're not spending on marketing for these "mature" games, it's not like they're losing money. Vicious cycle. I was slightly intrigued by The Conduit, but FPS just isn't my favorite genre, with a few exceptions (Metroid Prime series, Bioshock, L4D, and a few others). The Conduit, as a game, just didn't grab my interest. The Conduit as an ideal did. But from what I've seen, I'm not sure how much it would sell on any console. I give them props for trying, and I'll probably at least give the game a rent (I do love Wii control for shooters). And I'm really looking forward to The Grinder. It's just a shame that a certain sect of gamers pinned all their hopes on this one game.