High Voltage Software is trying too hard. Seriously. The first Wii-related news everyone will read today is the announcement of Gladiator A.D., another achievement under the belt of "Mature" gaming on the little white console.
Now, people might be right when they say that Mature-rated games have an audience on the Wii that's been largely untapped, except in limited form with titles such as No More Heroes and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. But as evidenced by sales figures from other major releases which were supposed to rescue Nintendo from the casuals (Mad World, anyone?), it's clear that actually tapping this market is not easy at all.
That's why everyone needs to take a deep breath and stop screaming, "it's Mature! Everyone who's been asking for Mature games on the Wii needs to buy this!" about games which we haven't even seen, much less experienced. For the most part, these cries stem from a desire for more "mature games" on the Wii - where "mature" means extra blood and swearing. For some reason, people expect a Mature rating to turn a game into a wonderful work of art that will sell gangbusters and rid the Wii of the horrible casual stigma it's acquired over the past three years.
My prediction: it won't happen. Certainly not with Gladiator A.D., and likely not with any other title, either past or future.
To make the Wii attractive to gamers who prefer blood and guts, there must be a sizable library of quality, Mature-rated games on the console. The problem is, no matter what High Voltage Software or Sega do, they can't single-handedly create the required volume of games. And for most other development studios, the target for Mature games has already been decided: Xbox 360 and PS3 owners.
That doesn't mean Wii developers shouldn't create Mature games for Wii owners, of course. It just means they need to stop approaching Mature game development from the same angle they would use for the Xbox and Playstation. Electronic Arts is trying a different tactic with the upcoming Dead Space Extraction. I don't know whether it will work, but it has to have a greater chance of success than Gladiator A.D..
I certainly commend High Voltage for taking the initiative, pretty much before anyone else (The Conduit), to deliver content that operates as an alternative to the casual flood of minigames. But before they go too much further, it's probably time for them to take a closer look at what's succeeded on the Wii and what has failed, and see how they can adapt their Mature visions appropriately.
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