Bethesda: Nintendo should follow example set by Sony and Microsoft

Bethesda Softworks vice president of public relations and marketing Pete Hines has said that the lack of third-party support for Nintendo's Wii U console is a result of the company's approach.

Speaking on an episode of GameTrailers' Bonus Round as transcribed by Gimme Gimme Games, Hines pointed to Sony and Microsoft as examples, saying that Nintendo must "do what Sony and Microsoft have been doing with us for a long time" in communicating with third-party publishers.

"They involved us very early on…they say, 'here's what we're doing, here's what we're planning, here's how we think it's going to work' to hear what we thought," Hines said.

"You have to spend an unbelievable amount of time upfront doing that. If you're just going sort [of] deciding, 'we're going to make a box and this is how it works and you should make games for it'. Well, no. No is my answer; I'm going to focus on other ones that better support what it is we're trying to do."

Last year, Hines commented on the lack of Bethesda support for the Wii U, saying that the company mantra has been, and continues to be, to launch games on platforms that support them. More recently, Hines pointed to hardware as one of a "number of factors" for the lack of Bethesda titles on the Wii U.

The Wii U has sold 3.45 million units worldwide to date, below Nintendo's expectations for the platform. The company hopes to spur sales--and, in turn, third-party interest in the system--by launching several first-party titles this year.