Electronic Arts’ CEO John Riccitiello explained his thoughts on the current state of the Wii in a recent interview, including an idea for another price cut.
"I would say they did exceptionally well in ‘07 and ‘08, started tapering in ‘09 and ‘10, and… I think if they were to price down to $99, they would explode," he said. "I think they’ve now got competition, in the form of gesture-based gaming from Sony and Microsoft. If they were to find ways to promote third-party content better, as opposed to first-party content, and would hit pricing, I think the platform would see new life."
On the topic of third-party support Riccitiello further clarified his feelings, stating there’s a lack of focus on third-party content from Nintendo.
"I think it’s a frustration for all third-party publishers, when a platform holder does less to promote third-party content… First-party hardware, first-party content is what makes them great, but it’s actually pretty tough," he responded. "I can come up with a dozen titles in the last decade, but it’s really tough to come up with a dozen great titles that have been platform defining for them that weren’t their own. I don’t care whether it’s Mario or Twilight Princess or GoldenEye; it was their own content. I’m going back to N64, and I can go back to SNES if you want, but they’ve never really been a heavy third-party supporting system. It’s not lack of trying; they start the morning thinking what’s best for their own intellectual property."
