Film fans should (hopefully) get the reference...

We recently heard about Nintendo’s sales targets for WiiWare games, and it didn’t make particularly pretty reading if you’re a developer.

In a new twist, Kotaku has apparently been contacted by a developer “familiar with the subject” and they’ve given what appear to be fairly solid numbers:

North America

If game is over 16MB - 6,000 units
If game is under 16MB - 4,000 units

Europe

If game is over 16MB - 3,000 units
If game is under 16MB - 2,000 units

Once those goals are met, the developer starts seeing a return (which is based upon every sale, not just those made once the target is reached). And that return is split 65/35 between the developers/Nintendo.

Games have two years to hit their mark. If they haven't hit it by then, sorry, no dice.

Interesting that games are divided according to size, which seems pretty arbitrary. On the bright side, though, that profit split is a healthy one, particularly if a small team is able to create a cheap game that beats the sales targets.

Those numbers certainly don't seem that bad, but a few indie WiiWare devs that we've been speaking to have told us that to date they have only made around 50% of the sales needed - which paints a pretty dire picture of the overall health of the WiiWare market.

[source kotaku.com]