WiiWare threshold is misinterpreted - dev

By Robert Purchese Published 20 April, 2009

"Sounds a lot more evil than it is."

An anonymous developer has confirmed to Eurogamer that a WiiWare sales threshold - below which a studio makes no money - exists, but says it has been misinterpreted by the press.

"I'm concerned this recent threshold news is generating an artificially negative wave of press. The spirit of the threshold was never to screw the developer - it was, as far as I can tell, a quality control mechanism to prevent the service from getting overrun with a bunch of crappy games," the source told us.

"Once the threshold is crossed, the developer is retroactively paid for every single unit sold below the threshold. I know there has been confusion on that point in the past."

The threshold, according to a freshly-published report by Kotaku, is 6000 copies for a game bigger than 16MB in North America. Smaller games need to sell 4000 units. In Europe the bar is halved, as bigger games need to top 3000 copies and smaller games need to break the 2000 mark.

The report claims WiiWare titles have two years to reach their target. If successful, Nintendo gives the developer 65 per cent of the money made.

"From the stats I've seen and heard developers report, the threshold is easily surpassed within the first day, or at least the first week, for many games," the source explained.

"I hear rumours within the dev community that Nintendo recognises a problem here, where occasionally an entirely legitimate game just doesn't make it, and is looking for a way to make exceptions, to ensure small devs are paid even if the threshold is not reached. Just rumours though, so who knows.

"I just fear this is one of those things that sounds a lot more evil than it actually is," added the source.

Nintendo has refused to comment on the existence of the WiiWare sales threshold, telling us anything that goes on between itself and developers is "private and confidential".

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (14) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • speedjack #1 3 years ago

    "...it was, as far as I can tell, a quality control mechanism to prevent the service from getting overrun with a bunch of crappy games,"

    Shame it hasn't worked.
    Edited by 1 at 20/04/09 @ 14:48

  • Eraysor #2 3 years ago

    Those thresholds are evidently way too low. 6000 sales in two years? Monkeys pressing random buttons could buy more copies than that in that timeframe.

  • Buenos_Estente #3 3 years ago

    Monkeys waggling wiimotes surely

  • mingster #4 3 years ago

    i don't believe those thresholds at all they are way to low.

  • Shakey_Jake33 #5 3 years ago

    I am curious. If a game is a slow burner, but does sell more than 6000 within the time limit, how are the developers paid until then? Obviously I'm talking about smaller (or even indie) developers here, do they just not get paid until they reach the threshhold? It sounds like small developers have to make sure they reach the threshhold quickly just to stay afloat, else they go under before they've had enough time to profit.

    Suddenly the choice of Steam for indie games such as The Path makes more sense.
    Edited by 2 at 20/04/09 @ 15:09

  • DFawkes #6 3 years ago

    I didn't realise they got money retroactively for the threshold. That's not as bad.

    I'm all for the strategy that got the PSone into the market - flood it with anything and everything! A low threshold should discourage real garbage at least, without making Wiiware seem like a bad option. There's some nice stuff on there, as well as some drivel. I'm fine with drivel though, as long as I can avoid it and get the good stuff :)

  • Halo.Jones #7 3 years ago

    So, they get the money once the threshold has been reached. Does that include the interest that has been earned whilst it's been sitting in nintendo's bank or does it go back to nintendo?

  • LazyDan #8 3 years ago

    Christ, how tight does your cynical hat have to be on your head to gripe about something that tiny, that specific and that far into the unknown?!

  • penhalion #9 3 years ago

    @Speedjack

    That one statement about quality control kind of killed that devs argument there and then. Everything he\she\it said after that was null and void.

  • superted1974 #10 3 years ago

    So if a dev is 200 games short they are better off buying 200 copies themselves then they get paid for all the units sold!

    Madness

  • smelly #11 3 years ago

    I dont actually see the devs complaining? In fact all this info wouldve been available to them before they signed up to put games on the system.. i.e. it would be part of the contract.

    if developers cared, they wouldnt put games out on it would they?

    Seems to me the only moaning thats going on is by the forumites who it doesnt effect anyhow!

  • statusjones #12 3 years ago

    @superted1974
    with the split being a very favourable one of 65/35, then if as a developer you were worried about sales and getting paid, you would break even by buying 65% of the required amount

    if you have to buy less then you're into profit (though obviously you have to decide if spending the time and capital on buying all those games is going to be worth it)
    Edited by 1 at 20/04/09 @ 17:29

  • shotgun44 #13 3 years ago

    People will jump on their high horse over anything it seems. Blah blah unfair blah blah blah completely unreasonable blah blah blah blah joke blah 72p interest blah blah fucking blah wait a minute this doesn't affect me...

  • robson_wii #14 3 years ago

    I would suggest graduated returns if the devs are not happy with the payment system. If they get a smaller percentage from 0-2K units then a larger percentage from 2K to 4K etc. It would be interesting to see the full stats for WiiWare titles to see how many get past 6K units. Are there any devs complaining?