Some new details have emerged about Ubisoft’s cancelled ZombiU 2 for the Wii U. The canned game was in development for a short period in 2013 but it never left pre-production. It’s probable that poor sales of ZombiU and the small Wii U user base at the time contributed to its cancellation. Here’s some of the details.
- ZombiU 2 was in development for a short period back in early 2013
- Roughly 5-10 staffers worked on the project
- The game never left pre-production
- It didn’t take long for the game to be cancelled
- Explore a “run-down, zombie apocalypse setting”
- Would have featured co-op
- One player would control the GamePad, while the other would use the Pro Controller
- Players would get split up via multiple routes at points during the campaign
- This co-op would be local only
- More melee weapons were another desire of the team
That’s okay. I’m sure Zombi U was fun for some people, but for me it was just the first step in making my Wii U an exclusively first-party/indie system.
Which is a shame…
I wanted to like it! I really did! But I was never a big FPS fan in the first place so I should have known that attaching the Gamepad wouldn’t necessarily fix all my problems with them.
Aww! Sad, i loved zombiu. shame it never amounted to anything more.
ZombiU was actually the reason why I got a Wii U in the first place. When I got it, what put me off finishing the game off was this (spoiler by the way): when I had to place the dynamite at the gate, a million zombies was after me and I just died when I got to it and my backpack had dropped and I had so much collected lol Now, how the hell was I supposed to beat that part?! lol
Always carry a mine or a grenade at all times, it helps against swarms of zombies.
it honestly wouldn’t have helped. It was when the girl was talking to me through the ear piece but there was so many. I can’t even remember what was on me!
The mines I had helped me through that part.
Well for some :) I traded it in a while back. I can get it on Amazon dirt cheap now which I may do!
I hear they have repaired the game breaking glitches too, which made me stop playing it.
What glitches was there can you remember?
There were two I remembered, but the game was so fun, and the dev team was very active with the gamers through the game. They’ve since fixed the glitches and I downloaded it when it was on sale for $20 because it’s one of my best WiiU game memories, next to Mass Effect 3, which has outstanding multiplayer online, and MH3U. Those games single handedly kept me with Nintendo…I was ~thisclose~ to just walking away from the system they didn’t feel needed any software for well over a year, but Ubi and EA kept the ball rolling until they folded as well.
Yes, the rayman clusterfuck was bad, but Ubi has more great software and gamepad support than Nintendo. SplinterCell blacklist was another great game using the gamepad.
I remember picking up Mass Effect 3 for like 16 euro it may have been in a local store brand new and I wasn’t a fan of the series. I just played it non stop. The multiplayer is brilliant in it. SplinterCell is fantastic too on Wii U!
Ahhh that would have been fun. I like when co-op games let you explore your own place instead of having to stay in the same screen.
Zombi U was a great horror game, shame it didn’t sell more at the time ( sold more than most 3rd parties though). The concept and gameplay was awesome, excellent use of the gamepad and I still play it today in survivor mode. Also it’s cheap to get now.
so much potential…
my nephew was just telling me that i should get Zombie u,but now since it is cancelled i guess i can’t anymore.
It’s out. ZombiU 2 is cancelled! :)
What’s stopping them from putting Zombie U 2 on the NX?
The angry Nintendo fans they royally pissed off from Wii U.
How so?
Are you seriously asking this stupid question? Am I gonna have to repeat, from top to bottom, how Ubisoft fucked the fans over?
Nintendo’s fault, not Ubisoft. Maybe if you didn’t give me a stupid response, I wouldn’t have to ask a “stupid question ”.
Actually, it’s both.
U B RETARD SOFT
NO WII REMOTE IN A FPS, NO 9 AXIS IN A FPS, NO ONE CARES CASUAL SOFT YOU USED GAMEPAD IN A GIMMIC-Y WAY
WE DONT WANT YOUR SHITTY BUGGY GAMES WITH CLUNKY CONTROLS
You are an idiot, game was good… Wii remote in FPS sux your mother’s twat
What are you on about? For the most part, not even Nintendo could come up with creative ways to use the Gamepad to the point that Miyamoto had to go back to the drawing board to come up with fun games that take advantage of the gamepad.
I love Zombie U! it’s one of my fav Wii U games. F*ck you Ubisoft for cancelling this! >:(
Fuck Ubisoft, or fuck Nintendo gamers who didn’t buy the game?
Yeah, more ppl shoul’ve bought the game. But, how much do you expect a low budget survival horror game to sell? Ubisofts stupid excuse for not making a sequel is that this game didn’t even come close to making a profit, which is a lie because Zombie U is there most selling Wii U game (+800, 000). They even admitted that this game didn’t cost much to make. So, again f*ck Ubisoft for cancelling this game!
TBH it was a very weird launch game for a Nintendo system. It just did not have the brand to survive until the console had sold more. It is more the type of game you release a year after console launch. Given that, it sold relatively well.
Ubisoft probably didn’t expect Nintendo to abandon their own console for nearly 2 years. Then when they give up on it, everyone goes into a frenzy. Hypocrites FTW!
There was a zombie U 2 which appeared on Amazon Japan.
There was also a rumor another company was doing the sequel.
The original was a decent game that was slightly rushed.
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Zombi U was actually pretty good… I don’t see why so much hate on it. I actually loved the game, and think the way it plays was really good. There are lots of ways it could be improved, but since they cancelled it… well it sucks…
I know Ubisoft has been royal pricks lately, but most of us don’t buy their games (like with many third companies) and i know its no excuse to get half assed games with glitches… but whose fault is it we get those kinds of games? Think about it…
I would trade all Nintendo’s recent 1st partt exclusives for ZombiU2.
Captain Toad
Mario World
Splatoon
ZombiU was a fantastic, mature game. The Glitches never ruined the game for me, and I still play it. This is terrible news. :/
>>>Really? Still using the Xbot and Sonyan term “mature” crap?>>>
Well… If nintendo wants to appeal to a larger audience they best get more third parties to develop mature games.
>>>I can’t even>>>
http://img.ifcdn.com/images/c98405dae400ab8e8a2b59713ab2bb8f78099ab909205a9455bfe14532d2b7cc_1.jpg
Well, mature in the literal definition. (18+ Violence, cursing, etc..) Stuff parents should try to keep away from their 8 year olds. So yeah. Mature. :)
I’d probably cancel it too, if I heard that name.
*Zombi Tu* is more like it…
But oh well, I wasn’t interested in the first one anyways.
Aw…goddamnit.
Damn, this could have been nice. Actually tried getting Zombie U a short while ago (even if zombie games aren’t really my type) but no one had any stock. :/
Just buy it online, I usually end up having to do that.
I actually checked the local online stores as well, but they did not have it anymore either. Checked it again after this article, and it was available. Ordered now.
I’m not too sad, for a couple of reasons.
1) ZombiU was a bad game in my opinion. If you’re a fan of survival horror, there are a lot of better games (although probably not available on the Wii U).
2) Ubisoft is garbage and I wouldn’t cry if they never made another game for Nintendo.
I strongly disagree. ZombiU was the best survival Horror game to be released in a long time. Not sure how old you are, but RE5+ and other modern Zombie games are NOT survival horror. They are just bloody action/ adventure.
ZombiU Nailed Survival horror, and no coop sequel is a shame. :(
I’d never play the single player as I can’t stand scary games/movies/etc, but I played the multiplayer at a birthday party and that was pretty fun! :D
^ this comment was an error, if someone could remove it and this reply, that’d be great
I’d never play the single player as I can’t stand scary games/movies/etc, but I played the multiplayer at a birthday party and that was pretty fun! :D
And once again f*ck Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a corporate company through and through. Can you blame them when they see no money being made in this console?
Zombi u and child of light are currently their best selling titles on Wii u
Doesn’t matter when their sales are still crap when taken in context lol
And how much money do you think Ubisoft spent in development for ZombiU? More than likely not that much because last I heard it was originally going to be a Xbox 360/PS3 title called ” Killer Freaks From Outer Space ” and judging from the game’s outdated last gen graphics, you can clearly tell. And why wouldn’t Ubisoft be interested in making a sequel when it was their highest selling game on the Wii U and when it’s closing in on a million copies sold? Maybe if they wouldn’t have been half-assing development of Wii U games (outside of Rayman Legends of course) then maybe their game would’ve sold better
“More than likely not that much”
-credibility lost-
“outdated last gen graphics”
Huh, last I heard Wii U was only slightly more powerful than the PS360. And I thought graphics don’t matter?
So what if it was their highest selling Wii U game? If you take ZombiU into mainstream context, it still didn’t sell well… I’d admit they didn’t put much effort into the other games though
“Huh, last I heard Wii U was only slightly more powerful than the PS360”
It’s debatable, CPU power is about on par judging from developer statements, GPU power seems to be quite a bit higher however, approx. 1.5-2 times, it’s hard to say… the ingame graphics of ZombiU don’t reflect that however as they look worse than some titles that had been released on the previous gen and it certainly didn’t look as good as some of the titles released for the Wii U afterwards.
ZombiU did indeed appear rushed and that’s no surprise as it was completely revamped and the setting changed entirely about 1 year prior to release.
Paidenthusiast is right with his statement that it was going to be a game called Killer Freaks from Outer Space (it was penned to be a Wii U exclusive from the start however).. if you watch E3 2011 you’ll see footage of that game.. the next E3 it was suddenly gone and in its place Ubisoft has shown ZombiU.
Then Nintendo sells shit-graphic games on the VC, charges way more than they’re worth, and fans are like, “Graphics don’t matter!”
ZombiU had outstanding game play. One of the best games on the WiiU for Survival Horror /zombie fans.
What a shame. I consider Zombi U to be in the top 5 best Wii U games, I wish more Nintendo fans would have opened up their interests and given it a shot. Only complaints are that the campaign is somewhat short and there’s no online multiplayer
No way it’s the fans fault on not buying that game..it is nintendo’s for not doing the right marketing on the console. I am not obligated to buy a game that I have no interest. In my opinion zumbies are idiot.
what a sad console.
What a sad idiot
you must be one of the pathetic moron fanboy of this site.
“ZombiU2” sounds like a crappy licensed Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts-inspired platformer where Bono and his merry band of musically inept monkeys dispatch the living dead by way of their “music.” (There’s a joke in there about U2’s listener demographic too, but I can’t be fucking bovvered.)
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Got a question….
How are they “your” t-shirts if they have Nintendo characters on them? Wouldn’t that mean they are Nintendo’s t-shirts? lol
Just saying…
Zombi U was a great horror game that was under rated. But it could’ve been better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAVl4vkHTuw
That is a shame, I heard it was pretty good. Not my type of genre but still, from what I’ve seen it was an interesting concept utilizing the GamePad efficiently. Especially with the co-op mode. I wonder if they will have this title developed for the other consoles instead of Wii U. Of course, a complete redesign will have to be done.
Well they took it off the shelves. At least everywhere I go I never see Zombie U on store shelves. If they would have supplied stores continuously it probably would be over a million sales by now… Ubisoft gave up on it too soon…
Nintendo’s in charge for stock for the game…
No their not. That’s like saying Sony was responsible for stocking GTA. Ubisoft is the one who decided to stop production of the title.
If I were a developer, I would try to pick up the rights to this game from Ubisoft and do it anyway. I know I would be able to learn from the past mistakes of the first game and be able to make a great survival horror.
That sounds like a good idea. A sequel would be cool.
But I’d also like to see Resident Evil (non-shooter) & Silent Hill take inspiration from ZombiU’s conventions. Or maybe Alone in the Dark could have another shot.
Alas, the industry is playing its own Survival Horror these days. They used to have more wiggle room, but the monsters have become too much for them.
Wouldn’t have featured online? Lol.. wtf.
>>>In other words, ZombiU 2 should have been everything the first one should have been>>>
Wasup Gay Commander, how’s you butt hole doing…..lol sore i guess?
>>>I see that you, the human Anal Knight is still going on about your primitive nazi nature>>>
I hate the comment section sometimes. More dribble than I’ve ever seen in other nintendonews sites.
You must be new here. Lol. ;)
If ZombiU was a third person perspective instead of first person, I MIGHT have liked it. But it never stood a chance for me.
I’m not too fond of FPSes, either. However, I did manage to enjoy ZombiU. When I 1st played it (@ an Austin Wii U event), my major issue was getting reacquainted w/ dual thumbsticks; the Wiimote had spoiled me. That, & the Y-axis was not inverted for the demo. An inverted Y-axis is crucial for me (tilt the thumbstick back means the camera tilts back, looking up/tilt forward & the camera tilts forward, looking down; why do people act like the thumbsticks work the same as the D-pad?). Anyway…
You can thank the über popularity of FPSes nowadays & the high costs of “AAA” games for the lack of variety.
ZombiU has had great sales for a niche launch game. That’s not the real reason for them to cancel ZombiU 2.
Sure it is. It’s not a niche launch title, it’s a 3rd party launch title. Sure, on a Nintendo console, every non-Nintendo title might be a niche-title, but that’s actually the point why they didn’t make ZU2. During the initial promotion of the WiiU, Nintendo seemed to promise devs as well es customers to go away from their focus on 1st party titles and push 3rd parties more. They encouraged some of the biggest players to come up with some support and other than EA, Activision and Warner Brothers, Ubisoft actually created some unique exclusive with ZombiU as well as some ports. Then they even managed to bring out a bundle.
They just imagined, after 100Mio sold Wii units, a Wii U with focus on more core-stuff has to work out. Nintendo didn’t even bother bringing out any big 1st party game, only New Super Mario Bros U for the fans, but no real seller. So all parties actually must really have thought this through and considering that masterplan, the disappointment on all sides must’ve been tremendous when it just didn’t work out for either of them.
I agree w/ you to some extent. But Ubisoft didn’t really give Wii U a fighting-chance. Case in point: Rayman Legends.
RL’s genre & art-style were perfect for the Nintendo subculture. It also used the Gamepad in better ways than some other games. Plus, it was a new entry, & in a fairly well-established franchise. Wii U was also not only looking to be heading for a drought @ the time of RL’s initial release date, but those interested in Wii U were known to be anticipating RL. Yet Ubisoft broke exclusivity AND delayed it (they also claimed they wanted everyone to experience it simultaneously, but failed to do that w/ Watch_Dogs).
Ubisoft could’ve released RL on Wii U as promised. If sales still weren’t satisfactory, they could’ve just made RL U a timed exclusive (I would’ve accepted that compromise). Business-wise? Obviously, PS3 & 360 had the #s advantage, so waiting to release on them, if ever, should’ve been an easy parachute. But nope, Ubisoft was impatient. 1st sign of low sales w/ an M-rated, unpolished (though good), & ultimately untested remake like ZombiU, & Ubisoft’s shareholders freaked out.
Then there were the ports. Those should’ve been viewed as more of a bonus if successful, especially since they were never released on a Nintendo system before. If they faired well, great. If not, they looked to be a test anyway. Yet they too were doomed to fail. 7th gen ports on an 8th gen console, selling for less but w/ more content on other platforms. Sounds like poor business strategy to me. Maybe it went down another way, but Ubisoft never really said otherwise.
Wii U was certainly released in a more cutthroat climate. Had Ubisoft (& the entire industry) invested less in “AAA” & graphics, they would’ve had more wiggle room & been more lenient w/ a console’s launch pains. & many consumers seem to overlook quality in non-“AAA” (as if they have every right to be so blasé). Ubisoft & most 3rd parties only exacerbated Wii U’s launch pains. But if anything, it’s the demand for “AAA” & the high-costs of graphics that have tied many publishers hands.
Oh, & the point of a Ninty console is that it’s niche, ever since N64. Yet 3rd parties usually find some way to actually use that as a strenght, IF they have the wiggle room. That, & Wii U was the 1st console to launch in such a homogenized climate.
Oh, & when Rayman Legends did finally release on Wii U, it competed w/ Wind Waker HD, among other titles.
So Ubisoft not only delayed RL, already souring gamers’ anticipation for it, but they put RL in competition w/ @ least 1 other high-profile Wii U title. A 3rd party had a chance of gaining a foothold on Wii U, becoming a savior during a drought, RL practically a shoo-in for its success (as an exclusive on a fledgling console), & a win for Wii U. But Ubisoft failed, & Wii U fell a bit more all because shareholders (or whomever) panicked over ZombiU’s sluggish sales. Sounds like the powers then were clueless about the gaming industry. Wii U was hit hard & the “only Nintendo games sell” mantra was given validity, however untrue (@ least for me).
Sure, Nintendo also mishandled Wii U, but 3rd parties erred & ultimately hurt Wii U the most; @ least by my standards when it comes to a Nintendo console. I think Ubisoft was the only publisher that actually supplied games that would both appeal to the Nintendo subculture & offered us a taste of what the other subculture was about. ZombiU was their best effort, before shit hit the fan.
& while Wii U’s sales were not near as healthy as Wii’s, it still had better sales than 360’s launch sales. Wii U’s launch wasn’t as dire in the initial phase as most seem to believe.
Yep, me again.
Another problem w/ Ubisoft’s 7th gen ports on an 8th gen console & from a different subculture was that I think they were actually viewed as ‘make or break’ games, rather than the experiments or bonuses they should’ve been seen as. Wii U was never meant to be part of the PS3/PS4/360/X1/PC subculture, but rather in its own class. 3rd parties understood that w/ Wii, but give someone enough of an increase in specs, & it seems like the point will be lost. But again, the problem is more widespread as it’s the addiction to “AAA” that blinds (publishers & gamers), & the high costs of them that binds publishers’ hands.
“1 Ring to rule them all, 1 Ring to find them, 1 Ring to bring them all, & in the darkness bind them.”~TLotR
Zombiu felt dated and had stiff controls
Fuck ubisoft
I would have bought it. Understand why it didn’t come though. Actually I wouldn’t have bought Z1 but got it anyways and then realized how unique and nice it was. It had some kind of Indie charm, even if it wasn’t an indie title. But you just could tell it was done by some small team that got some opportunity to prove themselves and mess around with some more brave ideas at that time. I actually didn’t even mind its graphics too much. For me it looked good. very good at some points, not so good at others. But well, I’m often just playing old SNES games, minimalistic Indie titles or just like right now Zelda WWHD and Metroid Prime Trilogy, so the whole tech isn’t so important for me. The visuals just have to do their job and carry the game’s setting to add something to the game and ZombiU definitely gets this straight.
And the whole idea of that soft-permadeath combined with the Zombie-scenery really greated one hell of a great mood. Every single Zombie was actually a real threat.
I didn’t really like the genre but Zombie U was fun and probably the only Ubi game I will never sell.
I would’ve bought Zombie U 2 even if it was an eShop only title. So I hope the rumor with Bandai Namco has weight in it.
Zombi U sold more than Order 1886, if we can believe vgchartz.
What a damn shame, it keeps getting worse for Nintendo. I sure hope the NX will fix things.
It doesn’t matter now. The game was stupidly cancelled and Ubishit betrayed Nintendo and the fans so fuck it and them.
Can’t they just make another Rayman Legends? All they keep making are AC games. Damn. Rayman is like Mario to Ubisoft. Making another fucking Legends!