If your dream is to one day FUS RO DAH with a Wii U tablet controller in hand, you may be out of luck. In the latest issue of MCV, Bethesda's VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines is saying that the Wii U doesn't "fit" with its releases, and he's not sure if it will in the future.
Hines stated that Bethesda's focus is on the current generation of consoles, rather than the next wave. "I don't think the current generation of consoles are holding us back. There is still plenty that we are able to do visually, technically and from a story-telling standpoint. And there's this huge built-in audience now."
Makes sense. If they can't figure out DLC for PlayStation, it's probably best not to take on releasing games for an additional console (sorry, I'm still a bit sore about that whole "still not able to play Dawnguard thing").
Speaking on developing content for new consoles, Hines said, "The developers are trying to hit a moving technical target, because the platforms are being built. A new console doesn't just show up a year before launch and is exactly what it will be when it comes out. It moves and iterates along the way...And introducing something like that to games that are in development is always a bit tricky. And that is obviously an element of risk."
Admittedly, this is a difficult time for studios. With no one sure as to when we'll be seeing the next wave of consoles, developers, studios, and distributors are in a bit of a blind spot as to how, when, and for what platforms to release new content to. The Wii U release is allegedly around the corner, but neither Microsoft or Sony have offered much for their new consoles. Hines acknowledges this, saying, "It's then a case of: Are we just making it for the next gen? Or next gen and current gen? And how many people from the current gen that I'm targeting have moved over to the next gen? It does complicate things a little bit. Obviously the changes they are going to make technologically, in terms of the things we will be able to do, are exciting. But it comes at a price."
As for the Wii U specifically, Hines said that so far, the console just doesn't seem to fit with Bethesda's plans. But that might not always be the case. According to Hines, "Whether Wii U does down the road is TBD."
