In an interview with vg247, the boss of publisher THQ Danny Bilson, had a few interesting things to say about the Wii U. As you know we’re keeping a very close eye on what publishers are thinking about the next generation. The Wii U NEEDS solid 3rd party support, so what these guys think really matters. So, what does he think?
Are you excited about Wii U, or do you see it as just another box to tick?
No, I’m excited about it. I like the controller quite a bit. We’re committed to that platform, so long as our developers find really interesting ways to use the controller so that it’s a unique experience and much more than a port.
Obviously, even to port some of the stuff over could be very profitable, but we’re really looking to use it. I mean, Darksiders 2 has a very deep loot and inventory system, and having that live and not having to click out of your screen is really a bonus in a game like that. And that’s just one really simple example. Some of the two-player stuff in the living room on independent screens where you can’t see each other is another one.
And then there’s the things you can do with motion sensors, and using the screen as a window – there’s all kinds of fun stuff. Even Nintendo had some fun stuff at E3 in their demo, throwing stuff from that screen to the other screen, things like that. You’re going to see that in a bunch of our core games. As many as it makes sense.
Which seems like a very positive stance on it, which can only be good news. The feeling that most of these bosses seem to have is a good one, and that they’re thinking about it. What I found really interesting was when he was asked about 2013 and what he saw coming.
I mean, I don’t know. And I’m being honest with you. I keep asking, and I keep not getting clear answers.
The new hardware will just put less restrictions on the games, on mostly graphics and memory. We’re already building them with more online features, trying to bring in concepts of more social functionality in our console games, which I think is really interesting. Things like, the more of your friends are playing the more stuff unlocks for you. Some of those things are really neat and important innovations in gaming that we’ve seen in the Facebook world, and I want to bring some of that to the consoles, just as some of my partners are at the other companies.
But the answer the question about new hardware? As soon as we hear we’ll make the call about what games are on the fence, and they’ll either be exclusive to the new hardware or they’ll cross the line and be on current hardware and enhanced for the new hardware. That’s not really a big challenge, because these games are very ambitious anyway.
I realize that holiday 2013 is over two years out now, but I’m thinking that at some point, somebody should probably let THQ know when the next generation is going to start. Of course, they may still have to figure that out for themselves first.
