When Electronic Arts revealed that it has a grand total of zero games in development for the Nintendo Wii U, the obituaries essentially wrote themselves: Nintendo is doomed! The Wii U is a failure like the Dreamcast!
After all, here was one of the industry's largest publishers giving up on a brand new Nintendo console just six months after launch. The Wii U has sold horribly, and if it's not even going to get major moneymakers like Madden and FIFA, there's basically no hope left.
The announcement by EA had many wondering if other publishers were ready to pull the plug, too. Activision announced the next entry in the Call of Duty series but notably didn't mention the Wii U at all. Ubisoft had previously pledged Rayman Legends as an exclusive only to delay the title in favor of a multiplatform release. Would it stop Wii U support as well?
Fortunately for Nintendo and Wii U owners around the world, the answer is no. GamesIndustry International recently asked a Ubisfot spokesperson whether or not the company would "reevaluate" its support for the system in light of its sales struggles. Instead of hedging, the spokesperson said that Ubisoft would continue to support the Wii U.
"As with any new console, it takes some time to grow an established base," he said. "Ubisoft has a varied and high-quality line-up for Wii U, with more big titles on the way including Rayman Legends, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Splinter Cell Blacklist. We're confident that this will help in continuing to attract gamers to the Wii U system and that Nintendo will take steps to ensure that the Wii U is successful in the market."
Considering nearly everyone is writing off the Wii U at this point, these words must be at least a little comforting for Nintendo. Ubisoft has been one of the few third parties that's been able to find success on past Nintendo systems, and though it hasn't quite broken through on the Wii U just yet, Wii U owners will be glad to hear it won't stop trying.
