When it comes to sequels, this generation of consoles has no shortage of popular games making comebacks and pushing out iterations at a staggering pace. After wrapping up last year’s best, you’d be hard-pressed not to find any given list containing the number four in there somewhere. On Nintendo’s console, the reception for popular franchises has not been as strong, mostly because the system functions on a different track from where many developers have put themselves going into this generation. When ports are made, they are often pushed off to second-tier development studios and involve utilizing the gimmickry of the system rather than attempting to utilize its motion-control system and minimal graphic capabilities on a new level.

One of the few exceptions to this has been Capcom. While they haven’t pushed out the number of titles that some publishers may have, they seem to be listening on a level that has allowed games like Okami and Resident Evil to wander onto the console. They have even released an exclusive title, Zack & Wiki, a 3D point-and-click adventure game that received a lot of praise and offered an experience that was unique to the Wii and its control system.

This support has not translated to financial success across the board, unfortunately. IGN released some sales figures from Capcom’s Wii titles [link via Destructoid] and the outlook isn’t exactly cheery, especially when it comes to their only new franchise. Resident Evil 4, a remake of the GameCube/PS2 title, has enjoyed the most success with almost 800,000 copies sold, and not surprising considering the strength of the brand and the relatively barren landscape of games for the system that were available at the time of release. Next on the list was the exclusive title Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, an on-rails shooter that followed the entire lore of the RE series and was basically a giant scoop of fan service for the system. On the strength of that, and the fact that it was relatively well received, it only managed half (or 400,000) of the copies that the RE4 remake managed to take in.

Even those numbers for the US alone are not anything to be completely disappointed with. The strength of the Resident Evil brand plays a large role in their success, of course, and the intrigue that came along with a new control system for Resident Evil 4 that worked fairly well, especially for those who had not had a chance to try it the first time. When it comes to the other successful game that was ported onto the system, Okami, which also seemed to be a natural fit to the motion controls that the Wii utilized, the same brand power didn’t quite hold up. Granted, the 165,000 copies it sold in North America were significantly less than the 200,000 that were sold for the PS2 in the same time frame, but the overall sales have shown a reasonable success in comparison with the totals sold worldwide with the PS2 version. It’s a mixed bag, but not a big success for the system considering the clamouring that occurred to bring the experience over. The hardest hit, and the only one that really seems to show a lack of support is that of Zack & Wiki, which has sold only over 100,000 copies since its release.

Whether it is a trend of the buying environment the Wii is in, or not strong enough marketing on the part of Capcom, there is something disheartening about their figures, especially with an exclusive title that is usually ranked in the top ten when it comes to critical acclaim on the Wii. In fact, aside from Umbrella Chronicles, all of the titles that Capcom has put onto the system have been well received, and not enjoyed the same success as other third parties. A lot of that has to do with the audience perhaps already having played the games, with the ports, but when it comes to exclusive titles it seems that the market just didn’t support the style of game that Capcom was willing to put out. Now on the verge of another port in Dead Rising: Chop ‘Til You Drop, Capcom is hoping to pull in a bit more success and demonstrate some kind of proficiency in moving their franchises onto the system.

Not all games can be runaway successes, and it is likely that most of the titles that Capcom has released have turned in something regarding a healthy profit. While those hoping for a Zack & Wiki sequel will likely be disappointed for the time being, the amount of work that Capcom puts into the system will likely change over the next year or so. With profits down significantly and the market showing the Wii as a force that simply can not be stopped, Capcom most definitely wants to be involved in that success, but might not be willing to take gambles on franchises that are untested in that market. Dead Rising will be a very telling example of that, and the first sense of how much emphasis Capcom is going to put on developing franchises exclusively for the Wii will also ride a lot on the popular Monster Hunter series’ latest iteration, another Wii exclusive. It’d be cynical to call their efforts and results so far as a failure, but Capcom has proven to be one of the third parties that is truly interested in the Wii in a way that would draw in fans of their franchises dating back to older systems, or those intrigued at new concepts on other platforms this generation without the desire to move onto another console. As long as they continue to support the system, we’re hoping the markets will support them and they will continue to deliver a mixture of solid experiences we’ve seen, and new ones we want to see.