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Talking Point: Nintendo Should Make EA Co-operation a Priority

by t27duck
08 April 2013
GN Version 4.0

Remember this moment? Everything seemed hunky-dory with EA and Nintendo a year before the WiiU launch, but then something happened. We went from full support and backing from EA to... well, I'm not really sure if the Wii U is even getting the next Madden game. Nintendo Life believes that it should be all hands on deck in making amends with EA and getting support back from the publisher should be top priority. Obviously this year is pretty much a wash. Even if Nintendo and EA kiss and make up, it's way way too late for EA's developer divisions to get Wii U ports of their current WIP games up and running for a side-by-side release.

While it would be great if the Wii U got the same treatment from EA's flagship series, one must eventually ask: Is it worth it? Obviously, the more games available on a platform, the better. People want Madden. People will play Madden. But, does not having Madden really that big of a hit. Don't get me wrong, losing out on EA franchises is never a good thing. That said, Nintendo still has the support of other heavy hitters like Activision and Ubisoft. Namco is obviously on good speaking terms with Nintendo considering their involvement with Smash Brothers. Plus Capcom and Sega are obviously on board. Should Nintendo focus all their energy on one 3rd party? Or should they instead strengthen their relationships with what they have and continue to make strides in the indie scene? Remember when Square walked out on Nintendo and Final Fantasy went all to Sony? Nintendo survived that, and I think they could survive EA.

Is the lack of EA a hit to the Wii U's catalog and perceived value to the consumer? Yes.
Would having EA titles help the Wii U? Absolutely.
Does Nintendo still have the support of other 3rd parties? Yes.
Does EA need Nintendo to survive? No.
Does Nintendo need EA to survive? I don't believe so.
Will Nintendo and EA put aside whatever differences they have and play nice together? In the short term, probably not.


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