Spore's developer: "The Wii is a Piece of $hit"

Polaris

Polaris

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GDC 2007: "The Wii is a Piece of $#&%!"

One of Spore's developers rants about Nintendo's "two GameCubes stuck together with duct tape."
US, March 7, 2007 - During a session at GDC this morning entitled "Burning Mad - Game Publishers Rant," time was taken about half way through to allow developers a chance to spew their own rants. One speaker, Chris Hecker, currently working on Spore at Maxis, took the opportunity to call out Nintendo for not taking games seriously.

"The Wii is a piece of $#&%!" Hecker began his talk, which was called "Fear of a Wii Planet." He blasted a few bars of Public Enemy to set the tone. Hecker said the Wii is nothing more than two GameCubes stuck together with duct tape, and that the console isn't powerful enough to provide the next-gen experience he has been waiting for.

Although he stated the system is "severely underpowered," Hecker noted that he wasn't simply referring to the Wii's graphical capabilities. He wants to spend a console's CPU making games more intelligent, and he has found the Wii doesn't have the power to process things like complicated AI.

Hecker also took Nintendo to task for not taking games seriously enough. "It's not clear to me that Nintendo gives a s*** about games as an art form," he said. To illustrate his point, he searched for references to games as art on all three console manufacturers web sites. While he found numerous such references on both the official PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sites, Wii.com had none at all. He then shared quotes from executives at Sony and Microsoft talking about games as a serious artistic medium, and then a quote from a Nintendo executive saying the company only wanted to make "fun" games.

Hecker ended his spirited rant with two demands for Nintendo: First, recognize and push games as serious art. And two, "make a console that doesn't suck ass."
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http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/771/771051p1.html

What do you think? I'm not interested in next-gen consoles but I must agree with him because Wii is IMO somewhat overrated and Nintendo mostly make fun games for kids and whole family but they not make games as serious art.
 
lol this guy can't be serious...since when is making a game fun a bad thing?:|
 
I agree, graphics suck and wii sports gets old in 5 minutes...if it was just as expensive as lets say an xbox 360, it would do horrible
 
The console is fine, but i would have liked some more power. The thing is seriously underpowered. Even for the games Nintendo is trying to make.
 
He apologized about half an hour later for his comment.

IGN said:
Before beginning a talk entitled "Animating a Character You've Never Seen Before," Hecker took a moment to reverse his previous statement. "I do not think the Wii is a piece of $#&%," he said. He explained he was trying to be thought provoking and funny, but that his rant went too far.

He also said Nintendo should be applauded for their efforts in trying to take gaming in new directions. "It's obvious everyone at Nintendo is serious about games. To sweep all that away in order to get a laugh from the audience was unkind and uncool."
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They wanted to make games that are damn fun to play and succeded. They didn't try to make SUPER FPS GOD GAMES that we want.
 
<RJMC> said:
isnt the art of videogames the playing factor?
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Well, I don't see nothing artistic on games like Mario, Pok?mon, Wii Sports etc. Art of videogames should be integration of things like design, graphics, story, gameplay and other factors.
 
The Wii is brilliant fun with friends but gets boring on your own... really though, with friends it never gets boring and is REALLY worth the money.

Tiger Woods and SSX Blur out on Friday too, can't wait, finally some good games other than Wii Sports.
 
Polaris said:
Well, I don't see nothing artistic on games like Mario, Pok?mon, Wii Sports etc. Art of videogames should be integration of things like design, graphics, story, gameplay and other factors.
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are you like dumb or something?

mario started the games whit styles and storilines and all that stuff we see today
 
I don't buy games to sit and look at them. They're not art. They're fun (usually). Movies are not exactly art either.

And if the arse would make games for PC-only then he wouldn't have to moan.
 
:|

If anyone stands out as an artist of the video game industry, it is singero miyamoto. The art of video games rests not in the technicalities or the visuals of the game, but in the sheer beauty of the design, just as the art of war depends on strategy rather than nice uniforms. Most legend of Zelda games are beautiful, artistic games for this very reason. Simple, fun, brilliant gameplay is more of an art form than pretty graphics or charachters spouting poetry or whatever the hell he thinks is "art".
 
<RJMC> said:
are you like dumb or something?

mario started the games whit styles and storilines and all that stuff we see today
Click to expand...

No it didn't, Zelda could be considered that, if you leave out the PC market. Iwata or some other big shot even said that people would never want story lines in their games.

Nintendo as a company indeed does not explore the full spectrum of what games can be, and they used to not even let companies that do make games for their console, but Nintendo has come a long way and now they embrace a lot of different games for different target groups.
 
**** the Wii.

I can't say I really see the art or beauty in Nintendo's design. I find them fun on fairly superficial level. Consider me a dyed in the wool "mature" asshat that likes brown in his FPS games. I want to see the the progression of AI and photo-realism. I want mind-bending physics. I want to see evolution in storytelling and narrative techniques. I want NPCs that don't require the immense suspension of disbelief.

I personally don't feel the Wii is a platform built to succeed in any of these categories. Some because the specs aren't up to snuff, others because I don't think much of the development behind it is really gearing for it. But whatever. That's me, and everybody else is enjoying it. So it simply won't get my purchase (or much of my praise).
 
Sure it's underpowered. No argument from me there. Sooner or later people outside of Nintendo will come to grips with the fact that there are gamers out there that aren't worried about cutting edge visuals. I look at a game like Twilight Princess and recognize the above average artistic design and while I'm playing I don't even notice the lack of polygons being pushed.

I don't own a Wii, my roomate does so I play it from time to time. Having said all that there aren't many games out for it that I feel like I have to have. There are a few on the horizon I'm excited for, but I'm not ready to purchase my own console yet.
 
Absinthe said:
**** the Wii.

I can't say I really see the art or beauty in Nintendo's design. I find them fun on fairly superficial level. Consider me a dyed in the wool "mature" asshat that likes brown in his FPS games. I want to see the the progression of AI and photo-realism. I want mind-bending physics. I want to see evolution in storytelling and narrative techniques. I want NPCs that don't require the immense suspension of disbelief.

I personally don't feel the Wii is a platform built to succeed in any of these categories. Some because the specs aren't up to snuff, others because I don't think much of the development behind it is really gearing for it. But whatever. That's me, and everybody else is enjoying it. So it simply won't get my purchase (or much of my praise).
Click to expand...

Exactly how I feel.
 
Absinthe said:
**** the Wii.

I can't say I really see the art or beauty in Nintendo's design. I find them fun on fairly superficial level. Consider me a dyed in the wool "mature" asshat that likes brown in his FPS games. I want to see the the progression of AI and photo-realism. I want mind-bending physics. I want to see evolution in storytelling and narrative techniques. I want NPCs that don't require the immense suspension of disbelief.

I personally don't feel the Wii is a platform built to succeed in any of these categories. Some because the specs aren't up to snuff, others because I don't think much of the development behind it is really gearing for it. But whatever. That's me, and everybody else is enjoying it. So it simply won't get my purchase (or much of my praise).
Click to expand...

Well, you play WoW and yet that doesn't contain any of the elements you say you value. It's not really innovative nor does it use a state of the art engine. But despite its modest engine and traditional gameplay elements, it's still beautiful to look at (despite the low res textures and low poly models) and fun to play. And if I can have fun with a game, that's all that matters really. Other games may choose to use different methods to achieve that fun, like innovative storytelling or mindblowing graphics/physics/AI and that's fine too.
 
Nintendo are good at what they do. There are some exceptions but generally speaking Nintendo are good at making time-wasters. There aren't many Nintendo games that offer up a truly deep or emotional experience. The Legend of Zelda being the exception, not the rule.

Then again, I can say the same about most Microsoft and Sony games. Not enough is being done to make games being seen as something that can be beautiful, like art, books or movies. Games do have the ability to affect you on a deep emotional level as good as any book or movie can.
 
Nintendo are good at what they do but it's getting old.

The Wii is fun when playing 4 player tennis but otherwise it's rather meh. I've had one for the past 2 weeks and I barely ever use it (Zelda is so over-rated), I can't wait to get my 360 back.

Maybe by the end of the year there will be some reasonable Wii games out.

----

Also, all of you moaning about how it's all about the fun factor, blah blah, need to realise what he's saying. He's simply talking about the Wii in terms of power and pointing out the truth, it's severely lacking in many areas.

The Wii is just sort of a little side purchase you make when you have some petty cash.
 
PvtRyan said:
Well, you play WoW and yet that doesn't contain any of the elements you say you value. It's not really innovative nor does it use a state of the art engine. But despite its modest engine and traditional gameplay elements, it's still beautiful to look at (despite the low res textures and low poly models) and fun to play. And if I can have fun with a game, that's all that matters really. Other games may choose to use different methods to achieve that fun, like innovative storytelling or mindblowing graphics/physics/AI and that's fine too.
Click to expand...

Well, I obviously can't play games ten years from now, can I?

I play WoW primarily for two reasons:

1.) I'm a big fan of the lore.

2.) I enjoy the social/teamwork aspect of the game. There's little else that can compare to the kind of feeling one gets when your guild comes together, executes their strategy flawlessly, and takes residence among the roster of progressing guilds.

I have yet to see any console game grab my attention in either of those two areas. So it's not just the Wii in that regard.
What I listed off in my first post was a general outline of what I look for, which isn't to say I don't have fun playing anything else. But I have yet to enjoy any Wii game I've played, and I'm not aware of any other titles (present or forthcoming) that have changed my outlook on it.

It's also not just game mechanics themselves. I personally am primarily an FPS fan, particularly mature sci-fi. Again, the Wii has yet to offer me much of substance in this area. Nintendo has been parading out the same damn mascots for years now. And while one can certainly argue that their relative stories/characters should be treated secondary to the gameplay itself, I find myself quite reluctant to engage in their universes because I am tired of them.

This is why I made the effort to say "personally". Many people do like the Wii and its titles. Great! I'm happy you appreciate it. But it doesn't cater to my tastes. At least not enough to warrant a purchase. Hence why I'm more inclined towards the 360 (PS3 lineup is dreadful IMO, and it's almost impossible to avoid the barrage of Japanese crap that will come with it. No offense to the Japanese, but I just generally don't like many of its video game exports).
 
People who dont like the Wii need more RL friends.
 
That guy is full of shit. I've more had more fun and laughs playing the Wii with friends and family over the last few months than with any other platform, by far. If you're a fan of social/party gaming, then this is where it's at.
 
Krynn72 said:
People who dont like the Wii need more RL friends.
Click to expand...

Considering Absinthe knows what a Wii is and states not having bought one, what does that tell you?

And Absinthe: sure, but in the end you play WoW because it's fun (for social/lore reasons) and others play Wii because it's fun (but for the 'uncomplicated entertainment' reasons) so you can't really say one is better when they achieve the same end results. That one of those options is not fun to you doesn't invalidate Nintendo's design choices. Nintendo parading around with the same characters for decades apparently works for a lot of people.

About the Japanese thing: another thing to like about Nintendo is that for a Japanese company, they manage to avoid the whole stereotypical anime garbage. Gotta appreciate that no matter how you look at Nintendo.
 
are there any "good" games coming out for the wii soon?
 
I agree with both Absinthe and the Spore deveolper 100%. The Wii is pretty lame. Fun for a good hour or so, but lame in the end.
 
Krynn72 said:
People who dont like the Wii need more RL friends.
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Righto.

PvtRyan said:
And Absinthe: sure, but in the end you play WoW because it's fun (for social/lore reasons) and others play Wii because it's fun (but for the 'uncomplicated entertainment' reasons) so you can't really say one is better when they achieve the same end results. That one of those options is not fun to you doesn't invalidate Nintendo's design choices. Nintendo parading around with the same characters for decades apparently works for a lot of people.
Click to expand...

I never claimed it invalidated their design choices. Nor did I explicitly say one was better than the other. I said that the Wii is of no interest to me for my own reasons. While it does appeal to many gamers, it has little resonance with myself.
 
You are all greatly mistaken. There are 2 games that makes the wii above all others. Wii sports and Rayman. Both are minigames which require skill. Granted they get broing after 5 mins but when your drunk/high they are endless hours of fun for an entire party.
 
Tyguy said:
are there any "good" games coming out for the wii soon?
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Depends what you mean by "good" games. There's been enough on the Wii to last me and friends 100s of hours so far (I wish the same could be said for my pc)

I've yet to meet someone who hasn't enjoyed playing the Wii. Non gamers, girls, my parents - basically people who would have no interest in any other format - have all come away smiling and wanting to play more. Gaming hasn't been this much fun for a long time.
 
Warbie said:
That guy is full of shit. I've more had more fun and laughs playing the Wii with friends and family over the last few months than with any other platform, by far. If you're a fan of social/party gaming, then this is where it's at.
Click to expand...
Bloody hell, you and most others in this thread need a clue.

> I've more had more fun and laughs playing the Wii with friends and family over the last few months than with any other platform, by far.

He wasn't addressing how fun it is.

> If you're a fan of social/party gaming, then this is where it's at.

That's more or less what he was complaining about.
 
Warbie said:
Gaming hasn't been this much fun for a long time.
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If you mean "this much fun" as in "this much fun in a wide spectrum of people" then yes. But you can't say that it's the most fun thing in a long time, different people have more fun with different things.
 
destrukt said:
Bloody hell, you and most others in this thread need a clue.

> I've more had more fun and laughs playing the Wii with friends and family over the last few months than with any other platform, by far.

He wasn't addressing how fun it is.
Click to expand...

Most of my post was in response to others in this thread, not towards the Spore developer (who is still full of shit - his comments were retarded).

I also hear what you're saying, Vegeta, but for me the Wii has been the best thing to happen to gaming for a long time. I'm bored of sitting alone, hunched over a monitor and chatting to people through a headset while playing the same games over and over. I still enjoy inviting my gaming friends round to play racing games, beatemups etc, but have been doing that for years - it hardly feels fresh.

Being able to play with people who don't play video games, for the experience to be more about the socialising than the game you're playing, is great. It's more like going to a bowling alley or pool hall with friends than staying in and playing video games. Infact, even with my 'hardcore' gaming mates it's far more lively and loud when we're playing the Wii- and not like the usual sessions that are so easily fogotten.

This is how gaming felt when I first got into it as a small kid.

//edit
 
I agree the wii is overated, of all my friends only one has got it and he is basically a nintendo fanboy. Sure its fun for a good hour or so but there are many things that are more fun to do when you get together with you RL friends IMO.
 
With Nintendo it's always the same thing, with the starting lineup I mean. Zelda, Mario and maybe Metroid, every time you got your swords missing in Zelda, new innovations in Mario (how to use jumping even more) and space rats raped Samus so she lost her guns.

From what I have heard from my friends is that the Wii isn't that great. Everyone just says "well yea, it's okay, but nothing more".
 
The only thing, imo, that makes the Wii good, is the fact that Nintendo went innovative. Not the same old stuff...not following the pack. They took it to their own hands to do something amazing and new. Heck, they WERE the first company with the D-Pad, if I remember correctly.

Now to jump out of Nintendo's ass....I don't think I will like the Wii as much as everybody else *yes, I've never played it before.* I think it will be a fun time at first, but then get old, imho. Granted, playing FPS' with the wiimote and actually having to aim is how I've always wanted to do it, but I mean....I don't know, I just don't see myself joining the, "WII IS THE BEST CONSOLE EVAR!" bandwagon. They all have their plus' and minus', but in the end...I just don't care to rank them.
 
Game's aren't the ****ing Mona Lisa. Games are fun, and that's what the Wii is for.
 
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