Hehe,
I do a TON of interviews, you can never tell where conversations will go, but I do speak my mind. I’m one of the few developers that doesn’t have a publisher PR department breathing down their necks. (Chris Hecker vs EA.)
So while I can, I just say how I feel. The press appreciate that. The question they hate the most is when they ask someone “Which is your favorite console?” and the response HAS to be “Well, I think the’re all great, I don’t have a favorite.”. They know they won’t get that from me.
Here’s the interview in Question: CLICK HERE
500 interviews go by without a blip, but then if you mention something negative about Nintendo, it’s pretty impressive the passion that stirs.
I was alerted to this when I got an email from a guy saying I’m no longer his friend and he has removed me from his LinkedIn.com list. Huh? What for? Oh, because I said something negative about Nintendo!
It’s funny to see all the flames out there, “He hasn’t done anything good since MDK”, “The only good thing he’s done is Earthworm Jim”, “Who does he think he is, he’s done nothing decent since Sacrifice”, “The only games I liked of his were Disney’s Aladdin & Cool Spot” etc. People can’t even agree here.
Some people fight back, “My Wii is collecting dust already”, “The Wii is a party machine”, “I agree, I’ll be playing Halo when it comes out!”.
Do I take my comments back? Hell no. So let me add some detail.
I have a Wii, I bought it the second it came out, I play it often and pretty much every time someone comes over that can’t understand how to play Guitar Hero. (By the way when given a choice Guitar Hero wins every time.) Bowling or Tennis is a GREAT backup for example.
They love it and have a great time.
If my visitors are able to handle full (more complicated) games, then it’s out with Gears of War or something like that. Their jaws are on the floor and they have a great time.
If I’m playing alone, I’m more likely to fire up something on PC. I’ve just been playing through Lost Planet on PC for example. If I have any spare time travelling, I’m on DS or PSP. Currently going through Lego Star Wars on PSP after just finishing all 6 Metal Slug games for a bit of Nostalgia.
I play every kind of game and have every machine. I’ve shipped games on endless platforms, including Nintendo.
The Wii is selling amazingly and personally I’m most impressed at how Nintendo was willing to simplify the controls in a world where everyone chooses complexity. Apple is famous for making the same decision with the iPod and it’s a smart decision.
I’ve met Miyamoto many times and love the guy, when I first met him he told me that Earthworm Jim was one of his favorite Western Characters, Howard Lincoln (who was the head of Nintendo USA) wrote to me to say he had an Earthworm Jim picture hanging in his son’s bedroom! So I’m no Nintendo hater, the problem is that when I say how impressed I am with the design of the new controller, nobody could care less. When I say that I think the new games on PS3 and Xbox 360 are going to make heads turn away from the Wii, then I must be on crack.
So maybe I should be more clear on that. If you are a hardcore gamer, tell me you don’t want to play the list below (in HD.)
If you are a hardcore gamer, I stand by what I say.
Assassin’s Creed
Killzone 2
Halo 3
Crysis
Metal Gear Solid 4
Gran Turismo 5
Little Big Planet
Resident Evil 5
The Simpsons Game
Guitar Hero III
Drake’s Fortune
Haze
Call of Duty 4
Ratchet and Clank
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rock Band
Lair
Madden & FIFA 08
Mass Effect
etc.
I will be playing ALL of these games the first chance I get and I don’t want to play any of them on the Nintendo Wii hardware.
dp