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Third-party development for the Wii U is being affected by the console’s unique capabilities and difficulties with making its games multi-platform releases, Shigeru Miyamoto has claimed.
Speaking to IGN, the development icon said that the need for some businesses to develop multi-platform titles to maximise their earnings was not always compatible with Nintendo’s own ambitions to create unique hardware.
He added however that the console giant had been meeting with developers to convince them that they would be able to create new experiences and build successful titles.
"The fact of the matter is that most third-party licensees from a business point of view, had to create multi-platform titles – and because Nintendo has been trying to create very unique hardware, oftentimes it was not considered the first choice for them to work on multi-platform software," said Miyamoto.
"So it’s the entire company decision-making process that is hindering developer’s ability from making unique titles on Wii U hardware. Once again, my job as one of the developers is to meet with the individual people and convince them that they’ll be able to create brand new entertainment that they really wish to realise. My job is to try to assist them in that fashion.”
Miyamoto also said that any third-party development problems with the Wii U did not stem from any lack of understanding of the technology, as he believes many studios already possess this knowledge.
“When it comes to technologies and techniques and skills necessary for working on Wii U, and what we can provide, I can count on them that they already have that. They know how to do that," he said.
"They are always skilful, and actually they must have some different know-how from what we have. There might be some misunderstanding – as if Nintendo alone had some special know-how, and because Nintendo has not shared those unique, secret protocols with other, third-party publishers have not been able to create the exciting, unique gameplay on Nintendo hardware. But that was not the case."
