Epic Mickey Might Go Multiplatform

by Nicholas Taylor, posted on 24 September 2010 / 3,320 Views

The somewhat oddly named Disney Epic Mickey that's coming up for the Nintendo Wii has been getting a lot of buzz, a large part of it because Warren Spector, the man behind System Shock and Deus Ex is helming the development, but also largely because it's a Wii exclusive. That might change, though.

Paul Ramirez, producer at Junction Point Studios, the development team working on the game, said when speaking with TotalVideoGames that, now that Kinect and Move exist, they might be going multiplatform later on after all. His exact words were “of course that seems to be what everybody feels now that those controls have come in,”

He went on to add “There are talks going on, but… I don’t know,”

Warren Spector himself has said a few times in the past that it was possible that the game might head to the PS3 and Xbox 360 sooner or later, and even once said that nobody had asked him for a port yet. Prior to Kinect and Move being unveiled, though, he had said that he “probably would have said no”, due to the gameplay being gesture-based.

For now, though, Disney Epic Mickey seems to be a Wii exclusive. It will release on November 25th in Europe and November 30th in the US. Only time will tell if the game hits other platforms at a later date.


35 Comments

oni-link
oni-link (on 26 September 2010)

@bmmb1 you just summed up all my post on this topic! Eureka somebody gets it!!!

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oniyide
oniyide (on 25 September 2010)

I still dont get why some of you Wii guys get so madeif a 3rd party decide to make one of "your" games multiplat, there a buisness and are trying to maximize their profits. They dont owe you nothing. Half of the ones complaining only have WII so what difference does it make if they put it on a system with some bonus stuff??? YOu werent going to get that stuff anyway seeing as you dont have an HD console. Then the game will flop and then the whole "why dont 3rd parties support Wii? " will start again. Im going wait to see how it pans out, If a HD version does come I'll see how it is, if it doesnt then I'll buy this on the cheap, 3rd party Wii games sales drop like bricks pretty quickly

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bmmb1
bmmb1 (on 25 September 2010)

@roland32 - are you asking from a Wii user's point of view, and HD console owner, or Disney? From the Wii user's point of view, given past experience, announcing a possible HD version before the game has started selling is utter stupidity, since if that person has other consoles besides Wii they just might decide to wait it out (especially since there exists the possibility of additional features when the HD version comes out). Also, there are many great games coming out at the same time. Assuming I want them all (and i for example do), supporting a 3rd party exclusive becomes a factor (and if that game is no longer exclusive, a negative factor). From the HD owner's point of view: this is a game built on motion controls, with motion controller gameplay. 1. It is not clear at all how they could do it well on the Kinect 2. Unless built from the ground up, a Move version may end up being bad (see Aragon't Quest, a Move port). From Disney's point of view: Generally such games sell better on the Wii (e.g. Sonic, Lego games), and that is not even taking into account that there is not enough of a motion control demographic on the HD consoles yet and there won't be enough for some time, not to mention the taste in games of those who will get motion controls on the PS3. So the company might just possibly be wasting its money while irritating some of its main potential market... It's ok to do that if you stand to gain in the end, but if that does not end up being the case, you lose from all sides.

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roland32
roland32 (on 24 September 2010)

What is the downside to a HD port?

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Smeags
Smeags (on 24 September 2010)

@Nordlead The rumor is an on-again/off-again occurrence. Checking GoNintendo, there's been 3 different stories like this, and only in September. Journalists keep asking if the game is going to be ported, and the devs keep saying "It's Wii only" (Spector himself) or I "We'll see. I don't know." (other devs).

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primogen18
primogen18 (on 24 September 2010)

Are developers purposely trying to NOT sell games on Wii anymore? Sure it was a joke when all they did was not advertise or put any effort into games, but now they are putting effort into them then dropping the ball to piss people off. NBA Jam? That's a lead balloon anymore now that a free download on other consoles is more feature rich then the original "wii exclusive". Now they release information leading people to believe this will be the same situation only a month and then some before its' release? Really? Do they see it has a decent amount of pre-orders? Are they trying to lose those? I can't think of a better way, it's like they put all this effort into the game to only try to convince people NOT to buy it... I have to say, I am weary now, and I am not the only one I am sure. This game was a must buy before this info.

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Cheebee
Cheebee (on 24 September 2010)

A 3rd party actually making an effort to create a good game exclusive to a Nintendo console, then announcing they're porting it to other systems after all? How original. -_-'

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atma998
atma998 (on 24 September 2010)

Big deal... IF the game goes multiplat it won't be before early 2012 at least and it will probably sell crap. Don't forget that we're still waiting for the port of the first No More Heroes on HD consoles and the game was almost released 3 years ago on the Wii. And I won't be surprised hearing about an exclusivity deal with Nintendo. So in the end it won't change anything.

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oni-link
oni-link (on 24 September 2010)

@omegarugalav If 3rd parties only kept their word that so and so game stayed exclusive and won't jump wagon for a cheaper price and more content more Wii fans would buy their crap. N/E ways I don't mind this jumping ship as it'll probably still sell more on the Wii anyways (just like the Lego and Sonic games). Besides by the time they port this game everyone who had any interest with the game had already played it, beat it and moved on. Besides a direct to Move port is disasterous look at Aragon's Quest as an example. DIsney should just make a game from the ground up for PS3 Move but seeing how large of an investment it is to make a PS3 game; it's risky especially for an add on.

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oni-link
oni-link (on 24 September 2010)

@omegarugalav If 3rd parties only kept their word that so and so game stayed exclusive and won't jump wagon for a cheaper price and more content more Wii fans would buy their crap. N/E ways I don't mind this jumping ship as it'll probably still sell more on the Wii anyways (just like the Lego and Sonic games). Besides by the time they port this game everyone who had any interest with the game had already played it, beat it and moved on. Besides a direct to Move port is disasterous look at Aragon's Quest as an example. DIsney should just make a game from the ground up for PS3 Move but seeing how large of an investment it is to make a PS3 game; it's risky especially for an add on.

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OmegaRugalv3
OmegaRugalv3 (on 24 September 2010)

As a huge Nintendo fan ... there is no point in keeping it as a Wii exclusive. Wii fans in general do not support good games from third parties.

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Kennyheart
Kennyheart (on 24 September 2010)

HORRAY!

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nordlead
nordlead (on 24 September 2010)

didn't this rumor surface back when the game was first announced?

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Metallicube
Metallicube (on 24 September 2010)

Maybe PS3, but I don't see how that would work with Kinect..

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superchunk
superchunk (on 24 September 2010)

It would make sense so long as they don't also then begin to gimp the Wii version as that's the version I plan on buying.

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Smeags
Smeags (on 24 September 2010)

Here's another interview done a month ago on Epic Mickey. It's interesting to see that the interviewers are always asking Warren/Ramirez/some other JPS/DIS employee if the game is going to the HD consoles. The answers have always varied (depending on the person being interviewed). AG: Yes, seems like a perfect fit for the 360's and PlayStation's motion tech. WS: Sure, it could happen. But I've been a Nintendo fan...well, not as long as I've been a Disney fan (laughs), but a long time, and I've been pretty open about the fact that the Zelda games are some of my favorite of all time. So we're a Wii exclusive and I'm happy about that.

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darthdevidem01
darthdevidem01 (on 24 September 2010)

@morenoingrato Why would you not buy it if it goes multiplat?

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Maneco
Maneco (on 24 September 2010)

Doing something like this would mean killing sales on Wii from many potential buyers whether for having a better experience on the other consoles, whether for being upset with the situation ( me, for example).

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Fededx
Fededx (on 24 September 2010)

They shouldn't port it, it's gonna be a killer app on Wii, with such cutting edge graphics and awesome gameplay... On the HD systems, it would look mediocre, and it wouldn't sell... Besides, Disney games sell much better on Nintendo systems... MUCH better.

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mike_intellivision
mike_intellivision (on 24 September 2010)

This is a difference that makes no difference. In some ways, it is analogous to what N'Gai Croal talked about -- making the Wii the lead platform for multi-platform games and then upscaling for HD. Also, this is just a statement that it is possible. Whether or not there is sufficient sales of the Move and Kinect to create a demand that would make porting the game over profitable is another matter entirely. (Remember, we're talking less than 5M on each console in the next 6 months -- rather than nearly 75M worldwide and growing over the holidays on the Wii). Mike from Morgantown

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kitler53
kitler53 (on 24 September 2010)

zomg - disney handing out another test. the fate of KH3 is on the line!!

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bad22
bad22 (on 24 September 2010)

Move tech is better than Wiimote so it will work for PS3 i hope it comes with better graphics.

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morenoingrato
morenoingrato (on 24 September 2010)

If it goes multiplat I'm not buying it, sorry Disney..... you let me down ***cries***

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Machina
Machina (on 24 September 2010)

I don't see the point at all. 1) It would be released a long time after the Wii version, so it will sell like crap. 2) They'll either need to do a lot of work to upgrade the graphics, or it would get panned critically... and still get shit sales. It needed to be released simultaneously, built from the ground up separately for the HD consoles and the Wii, otherwise one or both userbases will reject it.

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ljlrj
ljlrj (on 24 September 2010)

shit like this why ii dont buy games, it tells me they half ass the game

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baggy
baggy (on 24 September 2010)

would work for psmove as for kinect im not sure...

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cmeese47
cmeese47 (on 24 September 2010)

Bring it to the PS3

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darthdevidem01
darthdevidem01 (on 24 September 2010)

@Soriku Its developed as a Wii exclusive but the game isn't really doing anything the PS3 can't pull right now so it won't harm its quality if they decide to port it to PS3 As for Kinect, dunno how that would work.

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oni-link
oni-link (on 24 September 2010)

@soriku even if they did Wii owners probably would have had the game for over a year and anyone who still cares had moved on i.e. NMH!!!

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Soriku
Soriku (on 24 September 2010)

Sure there's "talks" but we we knew about Move/Kinect for a long time now and this game is clearly developed as a Wii exclusive...

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kain_kusanagi
kain_kusanagi (on 24 September 2010)

Disney will want the money from multiplatform, simple as that. There is no reason this couldn't be done with a regular controller or with optional Kinect/Move support.

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oni-link
oni-link (on 24 September 2010)

just like NMH...obviously everyone who wanted to play that already had!!! Oppss is NMH multi-plat or is it only in Japan?

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oni-link
oni-link (on 24 September 2010)

@fwap you bet especially seeing how the Wii kicks the PS3's ass in terms of these types of games. The Lego and Sonic series on the Wii have pummled it's HD counterparts recently and in the past. Anyways, even if it does go multi-plat Wii gamers have already had the satisfaction of having the first ride and probably done with it when it's all said and done!

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fwap
fwap (on 24 September 2010)

Old news is old. Move's sales certainly won't be encouraging enough to warrant many ports anyway.

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axumblade
axumblade (on 24 September 2010)

This was rumored a long time ago. But it's plausible. I hope this game is as great as it seems like it's going to be.

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