Analyst: Wii 'Inhospitable' For Third-Party Publishers

More consumers in August bought Electronic Arts' chart-topping Madden NFL 09 for the declining PlayStation 2 than for Wii -- does that signify real struggles for third-party publishers on Nintendo's platform? According to NPD results released yesterday, Madden swept the top three spots on the software charts, led by the Xbox 360 version and followed by the PS3 and PS2 editions respectively. But the Wii version of Madden didn't chart until the ninth spot, its performance outdone by Nintendo's own Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Play -- the latter making the top ten for its impressive 19th month in a row. Cowen Group analyst Doug Creutz says that the Wii version of Madden 09 sold 79 percent less units than the PS3 version, and 87 percent less units than the 360 version, despite a larger console install base and a better Metacritic rating. EA Sports' Peter Moore also recently talked to Gamasutra about the Wii edition of Madden, specially designed this year with an "All-Play" feature designed to increase accessibility to the Wii's largely casual install base. "We continue to believe that the Wii is a relatively inhospitable platform for third-party publishers," Creutz says.