E3 2014: Devil's Third Is Now A Wii U Exclusive

Talk about a huge role reversal. Nintendo's little Wii U that could is now taking back the reins to control a destiny that at one time seemed completely beyond their control. While many developers and publishers have abandoned the Wii U for one reason or another, Valhalla Studios is embracing the eighth-gen console with their upcoming third-person hack and slash action game.

Joytstiq caught wind of a comment made during an IGN live-stream that revealed that Devil's Third has now become a Wii U exclusive. That's right, the game that originally made its debut during E3 2010 – under the now deceased THQ publishing label – is jumping ship from an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4 multiplatform roll-out, to a sole release on the Wii U alone.

As noted in the Joystiq article, lead designer and creative director for Devil's Third, Tomonobu Itagaki, explained that...

This is pretty good news for the Wii U because the only major complaint left about the system now is that it needs more diverse games that also appeal to gamers looking for more adult-oriented content.

The Big 'N' definitely has their bases covered when it comes to family-oriented multiplayer games and fun-filled adventure titles, as the Wii U will be receiving cleverly designed exclusive games such as Splatoon and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. In addition to this, the company also has the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros., coming out along with a very strong 2015 line-up of games such as Legend of Zelda U and Monolith Soft's highly impressive Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Having a game like Valhalla Studios' Devil's Third join the ranks as another high-profile exclusive to tap into the blood-and-guts shooter crowd is a surefire way to keep Nintendo's market reach extended and vast.

As noted in a short piece on GamesIndustry.biz, Devil's Third was shaping up to be a rather strong multiplatform contender, rolling out on PlayStation and Xbox devices, along with mobile and PC ports in tow. However, all those plans have been completely scrapped in the face of Nintendo acquiring exclusivity of the game.

This is a pretty big thing as it completely alters the landscape for the Wii U's release schedule, giving the system a far more robust and distinct line-up of titles to separate it from the competition.

Still, there's no official release date or window revealed for Devil's Third and this means that the game still teeters on the precipice that determines if it will end up as vaporware or if it will become a sleeper hit. Only time will tell. Hopefully we'll get a release window sooner rather than later.