Nintendo tells developers not to share digital sales numbers

by Mike Schramm on Jan 5th 2012 8:15PM

Richard Hill-Whittall is the owner and director of Icon Games Entertainment, and his company has released several games in the last year for various platforms, including WiiWare. He recently shared some sales numbers over on Gamasutra, but was asked by Nintendo to take the numbers for its platforms down. According to Hill-Whittall, Nintendo doesn't allow developers to share digital sales numbers for self-published WiiWare and downloadable DS titles.

That's an interesting tack to take, and Hill-Whittall argues that it hurts smaller developers who might need to make those sales numbers known in order to secure financing or plan out their business. He doesn't see it as surprising, however, because Nintendo doesn't allow developers to change their prices or offer demos or promotions either, which are all tactics that Microsoft, Sony, and other digital publishers have used to pick up lots of digital sales before.

Obviously, not everyone will want to share sales data, and Nintendo itself must see this data as valuable information to be protected. A restriction on sharing the data, says Hill-Whittall, could be fatal for a smaller developer like his, especially if they rely on Nintendo's platform alone.

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[3DS] Ono Tells 3DS Devs to 'Stop Whining!'

[3DS] Ono Tells 3DS Devs to 'Stop Whining!'
In an interview with Yoshinori Ono (producer of Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition) that you can find featured in the upcoming issue of the Official Nintendo Magazine, the famed developer has slammed developers who are complaining about hardware limitations.

He claims that he had heard some developers make some overly negative comments on the 3DS' hardware, and he believes they are wrong to do so. He mentions that he believes he has created two of the best-looking handheld games in both Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and Resident Evil: Revelations and doesn't understand what there is to complain about.

"With Super Street Fighter IV 3D you will see the best yet graphics on a handheld with specially tuned shaders and effects. I also think those game creators should stop slacking and just start making good games rather than whine about the tools given!"

Written by: Kyran Morrison

RE: [3DS] Ono Tells 3DS Devs to 'Stop Whining!' Ono should shut up and announce the SSFIV Arcade Edition DLC for consoles, instead of blabbing on how is port is so pretty.

That's what I think.

RE: [3DS] Ono Tells 3DS Devs to 'Stop Whining!' I haven't really heard about any developers complaining about the 3DS thus far. Did I miss something?

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Wii tells mum she has Parkinson's

Julie Wilks, 54, found out she had the degenerative disorder after noticing that she was leaning heavily to one side when she was standing on a Balance Board playing Wii Fit.
She went to a doctor to find out what was wrong and was referred to a neurologist for tests.
It was then she was given the news she had Parkinson's and her life changed forever.
Former lab technician Julie, of Guiseley, Leeds, West Yorks, said: "It's quite amazing that a computer game was able to point out there was a problem. I certainly hadn't realised that myself.
"I was playing on the game with friends and we were all having a laugh and carrying on.
"I was doing brilliantly on all the games, I was a great skier and snowboarder and it told me my Wii fit age was 13 years younger than I am.
"But when it came to stepping on to the balance game it was showing on the screen that I was leaning on my left foot more heavily than the other.
"There was a huge footprint on the screen and everyone was joking saying I was doing it on purpose.
"It stuck in my mind afterwards and what I started to recognise as symptoms steadily got worse.
"In the beginning the symptoms that I had were so subtle that I adapted myself without realising. I am left-handed but started texting on my phone and using the computer mouse with my right.
"I'm so grateful that I was playing the game that day and that it ended up in my diagnosis. What an amazing piece of technology."
Julie was diagnosed with the syndrome last year, six months after playing on the game at Christmas 2009.
But she has vowed to live life to the full and has set up a website to help others who are suffering from the same disease.
She added: "I always wanted to do Route 66 on a motorbike but because I can no longer ride safely and had to sell my motorbike, I might have to look at other ways to do it, either as pillion rider or by car or coach.
"It won't be quite the same on four wheels but I will look at getting there any way I can."
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