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Speaking to Edge, industry analysts Michael Pachter (Wedbush Morgan) and Jesse Divnich (EEDAR) have agreed with Red Steel 2 creative director Jason Vandenberghe that making Red Steel 2 a Wii MotionPlus only title is a big risk.
“Ubisoft’s decision is incredibly risky,” said Divnich, “but there are certain benefits to developing a title just for MotionPlus over a hybrid control system. Ubisoft will be able to reduce development costs and time by only having to focus on one controller scheme. The time saved by having to only focus on one controller layout will allow them to expand Red Steel 2 even further, likely increasing review scores.”
However, with a forecast of up to 10 million Wii MotionPlus accessory’s having been sold by the year end, it’s possible Ubisoft’s action sequel will hit retail at just the right time. It just has to hope there isn’t a more high profile rival.
“The risk is really more a function of competition, compounded by the risk that Ubisoft could make a bad game,” said Pachter. “If there is a highly rated Star Wars game out at the same time that uses MotionPlus, Red Steel 2 sales could suffer.”
Pachter also noted that Red Steel 2 will be released as a bundle with Wii MotionPlus, something he feels is a dead cert given the game’s reliance on the accessory.
As far as sales estimates go, Divnich believes it’s a hard one to call. The analyst is currently estimating 1.2 million by the end of Ubisoft’s financial year, but notes this figure could fluctuate due to the “unpredictability of demand in the Wii market”.
Red Steel 2 is scheduled for release this holiday season.
