Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has admitted that the reason why former Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends went multiplatform is because the company didn’t think it would sell enough units on the Wii U alone. Guillemot says that the team didn’t want to create a fantastic title only to see disappointing sales, so they brought it to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Guillemot stands by the decision and says it was the right move for gamers and the team.
“What happened was that we saw the Wii U was not going to sell enough of those games. The game is going to be fantastic, and we didn’t want those creators to wind up in a position where even after making a fantastic game, they didn’t sell well enough. We decided that we had to come out on enough machines that players can try it out on any one that they have, and give more time to both improve the game on the Wii U and create versions for the other consoles.”
“I think it was the right decision for gamers and for the team. My role is to make sure that the team is happy with the quality of the work they do and the reach they can have. The quality is there now, because they had more time. They’ve expanded the possibilities of the game. It’s much bigger content-wise. We have new bosses in key levels and so on. The experience is much more complete. I think it will be one of the best games we’ve ever done.”
“Sometimes we have to go against the urge to get to market too fast. We have to make sure we give enough time and resources to our creators to they can reach the potential in their games. This time, they were very close to excellence, but not quite there.”
Thanks, SortableShelf19
Ouch
Well, here’s hoping it will sell well.
From a marketing standpoint, I understand it. Wii U sales were low at the time and it didn’t look to be picking up anytime soon. They did what they had to to make money. Nintendo isn’t a company whose consoles sell like hot cakes right away. They usually take time to build up and Ubisoft didn’t have that time.
Makes sense. First party titles move units, and considering Nintendo didn’t have it at that point, it was a wise business decision. (Even though we didn’t know it at the time, we were too busy raging lol.)
Mario Kart will solve a lot of these issues. Too bad we need to wait ’til next year for that to happen…
As much as I hate to admit it I agree with you. As long as it is releasing for Wii U as well I am fine with it now. That game is too good to be a launch title or launch window. Nintendo sales will pick up and will most likely gain more 3rd party support.
3 million people with nothing to play and you thought it wouldn’t sell?
It won’t sell because I been told by the fanboys on this site that “nobody buys Wii U to play 3rd party games”. The fanboys on this site have told me that. I complain of the lack of 3rd party games on the Wii U and that is what the fanboys use as an argument against me. There you go. This is what happens when fanboys only buy Nintendo games.
I really don’t give a shit about what fanboys tell you
amen
Most of my Wii U games are third party lol. Thats a lie!
you are in the minority unfortunately. even excellent third party games don’t sell well on wii and wii u.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Tri disagree ardently.
I play 1st party n 3rd party games on my Wii U. I know a lot of gamers who buy both on Wii U personally. I also own a PS3 too btw.
You’re full of garbage. I specifically played almost ALL of the 3rd party releases on Wii U because of the fact that the library was so limited. Rayman had a great opportunity here and they missed it. Now they’re going to be competing against a bunch of Nintendo IPs, plus the next-gen consoles coming out later in the year.
then why are most third party companies ignoring the wii u. there’s only a few handful coming this year, and that’s probably because nintendo begged them to stay for a while longer. third parties couldn’t sell great quality games of many genres on the wii, they couldn’t sell on the wii u. there’s only so much these developers can take before they stop supporting nintendo. nintendo just makes it too difficult with their console design choices.
Because they complain that their games don’t sell no matter what.
Remember with the Wii? The third parties said it wasn’t fair that Nintendo kept releasing their IPs constantly. They said the shelves were packed with Nintendo games and it was hard for them to compete.
Now with the Wii U, they complain that Nintendo isn’t moving enough consoles, so it isn’t worth their time and money. So what does Nintendo do? They release more of their games to move consoles and then the third parties will complain that they can’t compete again.
It’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s it. Stop blaming Nintendo for the fact that they make good games. It’s pathetic. These third parties need to take responsibility for THEMSELVES. There are plenty of examples of third parties selling really well, like Ace Attorney or Professor Layton, whatever. They just have to make good games and take risks — but they won’t, so they blame Nintendo. How convenient.
Meh people who say you only buy nintendo systems for nintendo games aren’t true nintendo fans. For me if it comes out on nintendo I buy it. I play CoD on Wii U, I would play KHIII if it came to Wii U, and I play mario and smash. People need to support their system by buying the games regardles of things like DLC, ahem Injustice? Blops II?
@Schrockboy..Great point! With that servere game drought that we endured back in January and February, this game would’ve sold like hotcakes. It would’ve been a day 1 purchase for me. Now, with all the games releasing around the time Legends, I’ll get Legends when it sells for $20 or less. I like Ubisoft, they made a terrible mistake. Why? The backlash they received from the Wii U community made them create the online trials that Wii U owners are enjoying today!
true…
no. the history of third party sales on nintendo consoles speak for themselves. this game wouldn’t have reached the millions upon millions of sales on wii u alone ubisoft deserved for their efforts.
Development costs may have been a bigger factor than install base.
Lol
nintendo fanboys only buy mario zelda and pokemon. you can’t blame the poor guys at ubisoft for doing what they did.
You are a moron, what makes you think every Nintendo fan is like that. You obviously have no intelligence to realize this.
We all know that’s a lie! They buy other nintendo games like metroid, Kid Icarus and Donkey Kong too!
I’m personally waiting to play some third party titles. I just wish they were out already.
Wow…
wow bastards
Gee if only the WiiU had a nice, well known exclusive to help boost sales…
Oh yeah, a 2D Mario would… oh wait, never mind
What about that Legend of Ze… What? 2 years away?
We got Super Smash Bro-… Not yet.
First mofos
Epic fail mofo.
first?
Strange it doesn’t show any comments until after I post.. Oh well..
As annoying as it is, I will thank them for admitting it. Now we just have to prove them wrong.
Agreed, we need to show them that the Wii U has gamers on it, that actually like third part titles. I for one, do not just play mario or zelda every Nintendo console has been released. I prefer the other franchises more…..
Buy the game on Wii U and on Wii U ONLY! >:D Prove all those skeptical developers and analysts wrong once and for all!
Looking back at it, they did the right thing. This looks like it will end up as an amazing game, and the Wii U’s market share is just too small for the game to sell in the numbers that the game deserves. It was a kick in the nuts at the time, but it’s starting to make sense.
Sales would have made a big jump, i’m sure of that. Look at Monster hunter and Lego City, those two games made the sales rise allot to. They would have earned the money back with big profit, i’m sure of that. To bad they didn’t want to take the risk…
they made sales rise?. developers want to see the console sell in the millions, not the less than 90,000 it currently does.
Yeah but what prevented them from launching the WiiU version first?? they had that version pretty much done and deliberately delayed it to launch alongside the xb360 and ps3 versions. I just dont understand their logic. These versions could have been relased later
Microsoft has a business policy requiring games to either not be released on their consoles or be released at the same time as (or earlier than) on other consoles. If I were them, I’d just skip the xbox360, release the Wii U version on time, and release it on ps3 later, considering that origins didn’t sell very well on the xbox360 in the first place.
Whatever, I forgave them back in April when they released the challenge app. Really addicting stuff, to bad ill be gone from home most of July and August. Bet my rank will plummet.
what!!!!! thats when the rayman challende app came out!!!! geeze….. my wii u really is a 350$ swiffer machine. i hardy touched it sense……… my house is spotless though.
Man I hope it doesn’t plummet too far. What rank are you.. I am at 221 now. I am so proud of my achievements. I got gold and diamond every day…. mostly gold tho…..lol
But people got a Wii U FOR Rayman Legends though.
Well, they can still get it now can’t they?
Merp. Maybe Flarf. That’s all I have to say.
…Well, that & the Big N will sell more Rayman titles than the p(m)s 3 & xcox combined.
Okay, I’m done.
Alright, I see the logic in their reasoning. They’ll definitely sell a lot more copies this way and it’s not like the Wii U version isn’t coming out anymore. This way everyone should be happy
Finally, hooray for honesty! However, since the Wii U version was done, it should’ve released when it was originally scheduled. That alone would’ve sold some Wii U’s because some people were waiting for Legends to release before purchasing a Wii U!
But they just said they improved the Wii U version since, which means it WASN’T completely done.
well no, they added content coz they pretty much had 7 months to kill…just read how pissed off the developers staff were when the news dropped..
bearing in mind that rayman is now being released in a busy couple of months regarding game releases?
For the people thinking they did the right thing…need I remind you what comes out on the other consoles during the same time Rayman Legends will?
Or…the fact that the dev team didn’t exactly share Yves Guillemot’s viewpoint….to put it very mildly…
Truth is, Nintendo fans won’t want too many of the September releases. It’ll only end up looking even better for Wii U.
it kind of was a stupid idea, gta5 or rayman yawn, i think thats what going to happen and will happen.
If I recall correctly, a similar situation occurred with Rayman Origins going up against Skyrim…
A platformer won’t sell well on the home of platformers…
After the fiasco with ur AYSIA and the luck of any announcement… I am sure, it wont sale.
those who were about to buy rayman, they will buy sonic and DK instead.
I’ve gotten over this. At least Ubisoft still make Wii U games
ubisoft broke me heart!!!! (holds heart) aahhhhh!!!! you betrayed me ubisoft!!!!!! now im not going to buy any of your games!!!! hold it there drama nintenqueens, if you dont buy their games then that will destroy them bringing anything else to wii u and proving that nothing 3rd party sells on nintendo. who does that really hurt ubisoft or you. think that through because its true. that even ryhmed nickles and dimes we got time so dont do that crime…..unless you want less 3rd party stuff in the future.
Somebody is not blinded and speaks the truth. Thank you for keeping it real Iceazema.
Funny how you anti-WIIU fanboys are all over sony’s ballsack without ever playing the friggin thing, and troll the Godfather of gaming Nintendo. Fuckin hypocrits. Go fuck yourselves and find a sony home for your bullshit, and leave Nintendo pages alone already. Thats the same shit you did last generation and ended up getting that ass raped by the WII lmao. Quit while youre still ahead ya babies.
im neutral mother fucker, sony fanboys are the worst but nintendo fanboys are so defensive, they will defend complete bullshit and they know it. you wonder why this site has so many trolls, its because its troll bate. judge what you want your reaction makes me laugh when i stated exactly what happened and will happen. proving my point how nintendo fanboys are defensive about complete bullshit.
Imagine the irony if the majority of the games sells come from the Wii U.
I still bet that will happen.
We’ll see. Rayman Origins sold the best on PS3 according to some sales charts. Wii came in third, a system with a MUCH larger install base than the PS3, 360, and Wii U. So…. Only time will tell.
the wii sold less cause most over seas gamers download that game for FREE!!!! Me included. Why pay for something that you can get free? No logics in that.
When this game release I will buy the wii u version and download the 360 version for free. LOL
Idiot
I’m just wondering how the game will fare in general. It’s going to have to compete against a behemoth called Grand Theft Auto V and plus a new IP is coming out around then for Wii U called The Wonderful 101. I do hope Rayman Legends does successful especially on Wii U.
Fucking idiots. It wouldn’t sell on Wii U? That game was the sole reason a lot of people bought a Wii U! FUCKING MORONS! Didn’t think it would sell? Seriously?!?! Way to give the Wii U a fucking chance, dip shits! Fucking pieces of shit! They screwed over EVERYONE who pre-ordered the game as well as the people who worked on it! The Wii U NEEDS games like this to sell the console, anyway! WHY THE FUCK WON’T YOU MORONIC 3RD PARTY DEVELOPERS REALIZE THIS?!?! Fuck you.
this is true, but trust me the worst thing you can do is not buy it now, that will show that they did the right decision and that 3rd parties cant sell on wii u.
And if we buy it it’s telling 3rd parties that it’s okay to fuck us over. How is that any better?
You really are the dark lord
eternal darkness 2, chapter 5 nintendo of america, reggie finds the tome of eternal darkness, he sees what lies beneath the naked eye and how he was so ignorant not to believe. reggie sees things that arnt there, not knowing whats real or not. he sees iwata as a killer zombie and shoots up the headquarters. everyone is dead. his sanity comes back into a reality check and he sees what he has done. there is where i come in, we meet, i rip him apart and feed him to the great ulyaoth!!!!!
http://youtu.be/TzaVGHTDNnM?t=8s
thanks to reggies failure humanity is sure to be annihilated!!!!!!
They’re giving the Wii U a chance. It’s still coming for Wii U isn’t it? Now, if they cancelled it for Wii U then they wouldn’t be giving it a chance. Or are you just upset because it’s now on other consoles which means the Wii U version has actual competition?
The game was finished. Then it was delayed 7 months
I believe a game can never really be “finished”. Something can always be added, changed, or tweaked, which according to Ubisoft, is exactly what they did.
It’s still going to have low sales.They have a good game coming out, when a bunch of better games coming out around the same time.
Well at least you have the balls to admit it Ubisoft but that won’t make me like you more then I already do. I don’t care that Rayman went mulitplatform, my problem is that you assholes delayed the finished Wii U version for no reason. Release the Wii U version first and then release the other ones later. Here’s me hoping that Rayman legends doesn’t sell on PS3, 360 and Vita to teach you a lesson. Rayman Legends deserves to be a commercial failure because of your stupidity Ubisoft.
How are they being stupid? It’s good business sense. Granted, the release date could’ve been better, but going multiplat was the best decision for them.
Pissing off the customer, a whole group of them, is always a stupid business decision. No one has to buy their game, they are selling to a luxury market.
They said in the article they’ve improved all versions of the game. If them pushing the release date is really that big a deal, I’d hate to see how you all react to someone cancelling a game.
That is more less of a line so they don’t bleed more customers. I think after they made the announcement they might have realized they lost as many sales as they might have gained. Alienated customers is always bad for the bottom line.
I wouldn’t care as much since its no longer on my list of titles to buy, but that is just me personally, its coming out at congested time both for games and real life.
Rayman Origins came out in November 2011 for most platforms, right in the middle of big releases, and sold alright. It sold the most on PS3, then 360, Wii, and Vita (released in 2012).
I assume we’ll see something similar this time too.
Ironically, the point where I WOULD have bought Rayman has long since passed. I was excited for it several months ago.
Now, I’ve got better things to spend my time on.
They were right. I’m glad they made this decision.
And now its gonna sell even worse because of the over-congestion of games leading up to Christmas, and GTA V being released a few weeks later.
Good job Ubisoft.
The game still could sell on Wii U. Thank god it’s not coming out in one of the same months as Donkey Kong and Mario 3D World.
I am personally going to get Wonderful 101 that month, I don’t have time for too many games.
.-. well it would have sold a shit ton of units back in feburary but noooo. you had to be morons and delay to september, have fun competing with GTA V and every other Wii U/3DS game releasing during that period.
lol, I’ll not getting that game because I want Wonderful 101 and GTA V, and I’m not rich.
Still regardless what should have been done was to release the Wii U version first and then go multiplat in the fall. Of course they wouldn’t want to advertise twice though.
Its funny how devz think the ps4 and xbox-done will automatically sell well because of more power lol… and if it does well there goes the proof of how stupid and gullable people are about grfx. I can live without fuckin CGI and quicktime events lol.
Oh well, Wii U isn’t the 1st console to lose an exclusive. What’s undisputed is that, with the delay, now Rayman’s launching (September 3rd) with a ton of competition! Lots of people will either wait for W101 (September 15th), or buy New Super Luigi U (on August 25th).
Too many platformers coming out…won’t be able to buy all of them that are releasing at the same time…Rayman, Sonic, Mario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong. Which one should I buy?
:(
so release it on wii U without delay and then release it on other platforms when it’s ready Oo
why the fuck did they have to delay it
Don’t forget to check out my latest interview!
http://youtu.be/DxkEe_l7S3g
Sickr the system update is now available in US
I just did mine…. i don’t see much difference tho
Dude if your a respectable Dev and as big as Ubifail then you should be happy if you sell 100 copies only. When you promise a game to a group of people then spit in their face cause you can’t get the most money that way then you can fuck off. If I had a Dev team we would ONLY make games for PC and Nintenso systems. I don’t give a shit if I would get more money by going multiplat. You don’t go into the gaming industry just for the money. If you make a good game then money wont be an issue you’ll get it. Make games cause you have a passion. And when you break your word to people in the gaming industry it hurts you.
You’re talking like a child. Gaming is a BUSINESS, just like movies, television, art, books, and most luxury products. If there was no money to be made, no companies, from Nintendo to 3rd party developers to most Indy developers, would be making games. There would be no consoles, andno handhelds. The only games to be found would be PC home brews.
They think it wouldn’t sell good enough? Then let’s make sure that they sell more copies on the WiiU than the other 3 consoles combined, then we’ll show them where it doesn’t sell good enough.
For all you sports addicts out there, we have a cracking line up of games coming exclusively to Xbox One.
http://youtu.be/Mu-4nWuju0c
People shouldn’t play sports games on videogame consoles. They SHOULD play them outside… 💋
I see there point, and appreciate their honesty. If only people would answer honestly first instead of trying to twist their way out with BS.
We were really betrayed not when you decided to go multiplatform but when you decided that the Wii U version would not be unique with exclusive content…
So in other words your game will barely sell decent like its predecesor…
Hopefully your Watchdogs is better…
I hope Rayman Legends bombs no matter what console it’s on.
Not me. I hope sales on the Wii U version soar past any other console so Ubisoft will still support Wii U in the future. You have to admit they are the biggest supporter of Wii U right now and losing them would be a huge loss for Nintendo.
If there’s one thing Xbox One offers over other gaming consoles, it’s VALUE.
V – Very Affordable
A – Amazing Performance
L – Lovely Design
U – Ubisoft loves us
E – Everyone who has an internet connection can play
You cant visit family n friends who dont have internet connection n play it at their house. Thats the main problem I have with this console. Plus if u lose connection your games requiring cloud saves cant be saved. Terrible move Microsoft.
Personally, I never wanted this game. I got bored with this game on 360. I sold my 360, and bought a PS3 n Wii U. I wont be buying this game on any console. But a lot people did want this game on Wii U until they did want they did by delaying it. I highly doubt this game sells well on any console, since GTA V Wonderful 101, n 3D Mario Land are all coming out around the same time. Plus 360/PS3 owners are saving up for PS4 & Xbone, if not buying a Wii U this holiday.
I was going to get this game, but much time has passed, now I am moving on because time stops for no one.
I honestly wasn’t understanding of why they were making it exclusive in the first place. All the Rayman games in the main series are multi-platform games. It makes more sense for this one to be too.
ubisoft has made a big mistake by not keeping this game wii u exclusive, doesn’t microsoft and sony fans consider themselves as being “hardcore gamers” ? If that is the case then why would they buy this game ? Dont they consider games like this to be baby games ?. This should have stayed a wii u exclusive this game will probaby only sell well on the wii u
Hey, you want to make the Wii U sell? Release your fucking exclusives.
then why delay the game? you didn’t want our money back then? I have absolutely not problem in being multiplatform, but the main reason everyone is pissed off is because the game was delayed so it can be simultaneously released with the other consoles.which is the most stupidest decision a company would made. I’m glad that they admit it, though.
^^ True!
I guess it was to improve the game even further. They added a lot more content to the game. 💋
Couldn’t they have released it for Wii U at the early date and then just ported it to the other consoles later? How would that have impacted sales?
Now they’re going to have to compete with the Nintendo IPs coming out and the next-gen consoles coming out. Seems like such a stupid idea and a great way to end up in the bargain bin.
Let’s see– Pikmin comes out in August and Wonderful 101 in September. I want Rayman, but I want those games more, so I think I’ll wait until there are cheap used copies of Rayman. I’d have bought it new if they released it a year ago like they’d planned.
Third parties need to stop assuming that all the time. Then if they actually put full effort into Nintendo versions of games then they would sell well!
I completely agree… they had opportunity to sell their games during this quiet period as did most of those other game developers.
They instead decided to wait and jump on the Sony and Microsoft gravy train. The reality of that will be, that their game and others will get lost in the mix of
sequels, prequels, and hungry new IPs. The big games from last generation will rise to the top and the smaller games will get largely forgotten. Sure, maybe one or two new IP will rise up from the launch to become the next big thing this new generation, but most will fail.
This has happened before and it will continue to work this way.
Nintendo doesn’t really have this problem but I really wish that they would open more game development teams. One teams seems to focus on one game and one game only for 2 to 4 years…
They should absorb these independent developers and employ them on new IPs in exchange for brining forth one of their more obscure IPs. F-Zero, Metroid, Q-Bert (j/k).
As for Rayman, I could care less about the game as I find it overhyped. Still, I find game developers incredibly fickle.
Nintendo gave them this time to show off their wares while Nintendo itself is working towards building up its own game library.
Instead, they chose to bail out and backstab Nintendo shitting on their system specs and calling the fans nostalgic and shit.
I hope they burn in hell… that their seeking fortune on MS and Sony burns them down to the ground.
They have no one to blame but themselves for being platform whores, greedy whores who want to shop their wares around, so much for integrity!
Plus, I think it has to do with game industry politics at play than anything else because you know Sony will pay out companies for games right?
They practically bought out most movie distributors during the HD-DVD/Blu-ray war… I am glad I waited until it was resolved.
I hope Nintendo changes its tactics and pulls full steam ahead on game development… and not just rehashing and using the same assets and regurgitating
an old IP with last generation game models, music and so forth. I mean building up from the ground and then exploring new ideas, new art styles especially for
Mario. Or re-utilizing some artstyles long lost, especially for Mario and continuing sequels to actual games. Something akin to what they are doing with A Link Between Worlds.
They need to really branch out… and have a big of leeway on what these hired or collaborators will bring to dusty old ideas.
Have your cake and ice cream Nintendo… that philosophy is truly
I’m sorry. You’re wrong. You all are. Ubisoft is the enemy, not Nintendo.
seems there has been disappointing sales, most of the Nintendo Wii u titles maybe first party titles do well but it seems looking at numbers strictly that maybe third party titles don’t do as well and this is why people back out and comment on how you can’t really have too many exclusives for the Wii U because they won’t sell look at all the way, I want to say kids but I don’t know who they are but look at the people that state things about mature titles coming to the Wii U like they don’t want them to come or have a problem with m rated games, myself I want more rated M material for the machine that I own but there’s a fair amount of people out there that state otherwise thus making mature titles not sell very well now you translate that into taking a look at this machine verses 360 ps3 those same mature titles will sell like hotcakes, nintedo cartoon titles sell well, lol… But ubisoft and rayman multiplat surprised if this cartoon game wouldn’t sell well on the U, maybe they looked at zombiU sales
the game will sell less on the WiiU now though.
i was going to buy it for my WiiU but i will be playing GTA5 on my X360, i’ll never buy a Rayman game ever again because of what they did.
That seemed pretty obvious. At least it wasn’t canceled.
thats bollocks…in jan/feb the wii u sold very well for a new console and there was no new game to play so every wii u owner would have bought it. and maybe some more would have bought the wii u if it was exclusive….thats the reason why i dont buy this game so go die yves
-__- 💋
You’re to blame for sluggish sales, Ubisoft. Not Nintendo. This article justifies my ongoing boycott of Ubisoft and the exclusive demo until they release the game early on the Wii U regardless.
I will never forgive Ubisoft…
Though despite the delay, I still hate Capcom the most for their treatment of Mega Man fans, especially the MML3 fiasco.
Meh. I’ll still get it as well as Wondeful 101 that month. There is a crap ton of games I want coming out in August though. I better start saving up!
I completely understand the business decision to delay the game. There is no reason to put the company at risk for one console. The same could be said if it were an exclusive on a different system instead and had a low install base. Ultimately it’s Nintendo’s job to ensure their hardware is healthy in the market. If the Wii U picks up steam this holiday season and 2014 like I’m expecting, I’m sure publishers will feel confident about publishing games on Nintendo’s system.
Didn’t we all know that?
August, splinter cell and w101.
september looks free for now, if got the moneyz, I’ll consider it.
Well it’s no surprise. It’s a shame that the Wii U didn’t pick up more momentum cos this would’ve been a great exclusive title.
well its not nintendos fault at(?) this point. they tried it and ubisoft didnt believe in wii u…thats why they suck
One the bright side, the game will sell cheap. Probably because it took so long.
You have to be fucking kidding me. Did they not notice the excitement?
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