American McGee: Only real next-gen is Wii [update 1]
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Aug 15th 2006 at 10:40AM }
Eurogamer quotes game designer American McGee in an upcoming interview by CVG as saying, "The only truly next-gen console out there is the Wii. Everything else is just a video card and processor upgrade."McGee, whose next game Bad Day LA hits the Xbox and PC in a few months, says Nintendo will "capture the hearts" of gamers while "Microsoft and Sony stab each other in the neck" as they compete over market share.
We've heard one developer pick the 360 over the PS3 before, but this is the first time we've seen someone in the biz say that the Wii is the only step up to next-gen.
[Update: Here's the CVG link. The full interview will appear tomorrow. Thanks, JohnH259]
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 11:49AM
SnapperDragon needs a star, great post.
darryl @ Aug 15th 2006 11:54AM
"That's only "old" if you're 13..."
I'm 31, or 13 horizontally flipped. The old man reference was in regard to how Wiitards seem to think that graphics/physics are "good enough" in games, that we don't want/need more horsepower... because "that's the way it was, and we liked it!".
Sorry if the SNL reference was over your head.
darryl @ Aug 15th 2006 11:56AM
"Or re-TART-ed because I know that's how YOU would spell it."
Nope, I spell it "Wiitarded". Close though, good try.
Matters @ Aug 15th 2006 11:58AM
let me clue you in darryl.
American McGee was a level designer for games like Doom 2, Quake and Quake 2.
You know? The games that were the building blocks to the games you mostly enjoy today?
You're like a Christian who wonders who this "Jesus" guy is and why he's never heard of him. Ok not quite. American McGee is no John Carmack, but he IS significant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_McGee
One thing is for sure. You're showing signs of your age. You've been interested in games for less than 5-8 years or else you would probably know who American was or at the very least you would have heard his name.
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:00PM
darryl, you're leaking stars there, buddy. You've dropped two in an hour.
When's Weblogs Inc going to use the star system to ban users? 3 strikes (-3 stars) and you are permaband (guitar.com misc reference, sorry). It would certainly clean up this place.
r-deezy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:02PM
Has anyone else been to that next-gen Taco Bell where you can swipe your own credit card in the drive-through??
darryl @ Aug 15th 2006 12:04PM
"American McGee was a level designer..."
Ooooh... A LEVEL designer! I'm very disappointed with my gaming trivia, how could I not know about such an instrumental gaming icon!?
Nope, I've been playing games for 25 years... but I'm certainly not as Christian or l33t as you. I'll work on that.
crono141 @ Aug 15th 2006 12:11PM
If he is 31, he's probably that ass comic and trading card shop guy that nobody likes and still lives with his parents, who are like 65.
r-deezy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:19PM
How about the next-gen Mini Sharpies??
Ian @ Aug 15th 2006 12:24PM
Actually I disagree with him and say the opposite. I consider the Wii a next gen system but so far consoles are updated every 5 years to keep up with PC technology and now the Wii is just last year's (or 5 year old) tech. That is the purpose of releasing new consoles every 5 years. Next gen hardware allows for HD gaming and "always on" Live along with stuff that can't be done on last gen systems or the Wii like the ammount of detail and enemies on screen in N3 or Dead Rising. Not to mention games like Oblivion which I would think have trouble running on an Xbox or Wii. People say nothing is improved this (or next) gen but theres lots of things new like the "HD era" and new ideas like XBLA being played out. Look how successful Live Arcade is or Live Marketplace. Along with the ability to do so much more with the hardware.
r-deezy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:25PM
How about the next-gen Joystiq commenters who talk about "gay-gen" and then get everyone to mention him in their posts??
Brian @ Aug 15th 2006 12:27PM
Who the hell cares what American McGee has to say? He's probably the worst "marquee" game designer in the business.
LevelDesignFanboy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:28PM
Man, I'll never forget the level designs for Doom 2, Quake and Quake 2. As I played them I couldn't stop wondering who made them. Those games will always be remembered for their level designs more than anything else, and if you don't know that, you don't know games.
n8dogg @ Aug 15th 2006 12:32PM
Just to clear things up, the N64 wasn't the first to feature analog control. Although the "three horn" was the first to bring it into the mainstream, the honor of bring first goes to the GCE Vectrex controller...
Boy, don't you love useless trivia? >_<
Anyway, I think I'm with the McGee naysayers here. The term next gen simply means the next generation of consoles. You don't say that children aren't the next generation because they're not "innovative enough". Everything designed to replace the current model is next generation. How much innovation brought into the market by each respective console doesn't matter.
Ubersnuber @ Aug 15th 2006 12:35PM
Sony/Ms not innovative?
You should know that calling Nintendo innovative is as old as typing "lol"..(and both are out of fashion)
but its proven that they arent superior in that area afterall, so it surprises me that people still uses this in debates.
Im not saying that Ms and Sony are any better, but lets just say they are all in the same boat.
Enjoy your console of choice and quit talking bs.
Pencil $havings @ Aug 15th 2006 12:37PM
What does French McBasil thing?
nalgae @ Aug 15th 2006 12:41PM
>The PS3 will not only be a gaming system but will allow you to use the internet(and LINUX!!!) that to me qualifies it as next-gen.
Holy smokes! So my PC has been next-gen for the past 10 years at least!
VampireHunter Z @ Aug 15th 2006 12:47PM
@43
Hey! Todd McFarland is a genius and a success. One of the best artists to grace a comic book and all other toy companies should just had over their licenses to McFarland toys (even though I'm not into toys they look damn good).
And as for Next-Gen I'm going with Peter Moore's comparison on the Wii with this one. Live is more innovative than the Wiimote. The Wiimote is just a piece of hardware. One day we will be unconscious to it's novelty due to the fact that it won't change for the next 5 years.
Live on the other hand is always changing. It's a software platform and a service. MSFT will keep adding more to the dashboard and keep listening to user feedback and change Live as necessary. Live keeps evolving and adapting. I can't say that much about a Wiimote which is essentially as-is.
Live is Next-Gen.
Derbeste @ Aug 15th 2006 12:50PM
Darryl:
I actually have something nice to say. Although we clearly disagree on gaming philosophy, it seems we both have a liking for SNL.
Yes. I got the Dana Carvey's "Grumpy Old Man" reference.
And if you feel as I do, the Dana Carvey/Church Lady, John Lovits, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, etc era was the best era of SNL. (come on, guys....Adam Sandler is beyond overrated).
So there. I'm willing (painful as it is), to admit we have something in common. Perhaps we can go from there. If you play nice, you never know what friends you might make. :P
Shad Genki @ Aug 15th 2006 12:50PM
Aren't they all current-gen anyway as soon as they're released? Who cares what is next-gen and what isn't. I'm still not paying more than $300 for a fucking video game system.
hasan @ Aug 15th 2006 12:51PM
Then I can say Wii is also just a video card and processor upgrade + a controller upgrade(PS3 completed the package by followed Wii).
As a designer(Famous one) how come he ignores the software side of next gen? What about all the things MS is doing with XBL? who cares about that(except Sny and Nintendo), crap anyway.
AK @ Aug 15th 2006 1:01PM
So he is blaming the hardware companies, for the developers lack of originality? They are the ones who have the tools for the games, not the hardware companies. All the hardware companies do is give them a platform to build on, it's up to the developers on how to utilize it.
You can not force innovation, it has to develop from within.
How many of the suspected wii launch titles are cross platform ports? Doesn't this go against what nintendo's preaching?
I figured the last thing nintendo would want is a cross platform port, when preaching innovation and something different.
Is it since the Gamecube's third party support was so poor, Nintendo is at their mercy?
Given the what happened with the Gamecube, they are not really in the position to turn down third party support. But at the same time, they don't want to come across as bullish, and tell developers what they can and can not develop, even if it is a cross platform port.
If all they (third parties) are offering is a different way to control the same games, does that justify the purchase a new console just to play them?
Fanboys, please don't take this as a bash on the wii, because it's not. They are my legitimate questions/concerns about what nintendo is offering with its next console. How is nintendo is going to market/differentiate itself, if i can get the same game on a system I already own?
hasan @ Aug 15th 2006 1:03PM
**following
my bad
Jay @ Aug 15th 2006 1:03PM
From a developer standpoint the Wii really is the only next gen machine. The PS3 and 360 are doing very well (or will be in Sony-land since it's not out yet) what PC's have been doing for years. High definition textures with boundless amounts of storage space.
One could argue the Wii is the same, so long as you have a gyro mouse. But, how many games have used that? I'll tell you something, it's certainly a much smaller list than the games that are pumping out resolutions that make 1080i/p cry in shame.
Though that does seem to be the only new thing this generation. The Wii's online system? Well it's free and PC's have been doing that forever. SD, USB, DVD. all been done.
This guy is right. But it only hasn't been done before as gyroscopic mice have never been standard, and a pain to use for GUI/production work. Games are fine, it's all part of immersion.
Sorry SnapperDragon, I liked your mediation style message but really these are not next gen. They are merely following in the footsteps of the PC.
Brian @ Aug 15th 2006 1:14PM
Vampire Hunter Z,
McFarlane is a douchebag and Spawn is the single worst comic book in the last 20 years.
r-deezy @ Aug 15th 2006 1:18PM
I don't really understand how an impressive/unimpressive resume will make his opinion any more/less credible. Has anyone that has posted so far made a AAA title game??? Just because someone has made great games doesn't make their opinion any better. Granted, it might make for a better story... but citing someones accomplishments (or lack there of) does not validate (or devalue) their opinion - especially on something as abstract as the definition of "next-gen".
For example: Michael Jordan & Isiah Thomas making crucial decisions for basketball teams.
LaughingTarget @ Aug 15th 2006 1:20PM
n8dogg -
Actually, generations of people ARE defined by major differences. For example, there are Generation Y, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. Each of these generations have wildly different windows in which they are defined and as a group have major differences between the other two. Baby Boomers were born within an 18 year window between 1946 and 1964, Generation X in a 12 year window between 1964 and 1977 and Generation Y in a 20 year window between 1980 and 2000. Within these windows you find major similarities like fierce Liberalism within Generation X and significant fast food consumption within Generation Y. There was a major change in behaviors to define the generation, not just because an arbitrary number of years was hit nor just because someone was born. There is actually a reasoning behind the generation labels.
In the world of technology, the reasoning is the same. Generations are defined not by simple advancing in technology, but major switches in how the technology operates. Take cellular phones for example. First generation phones were from 1983 until 1990. These phones were those huge bricks that were tied to your car. Second generation phones came around 1990 and signified true mobility as well as a major improvement in network coverage and reliability. Third generation moved from analog signals to digital in 2001. Again, the time difference between them isn't selected around easy to determine numbers nor were any of the generations deemed different because of simple power or cosmetic differences. Many cellular phone manufacturers have tried to call their equipment fourth generation purely because they made a smaller phone or added a memory card into it, but the major carriers have not gone for it, mainly because there were no major differences in a smaller phone over a larger cousin with less storage space. Fourth generation phones will be called fourth generation because of true broadband connectivity, not because they are smaller or have better battery life.
The same is true with game consoles. From the PS1/N64 to PS2/Xbox/GC to PS3/360, there is no major shift in technology that can define them as a different generation. Much like how the original Pentium chip and a Pentium 4 from 2005 are in the same processor generation because they all use 32 bit processing with various efficiency changes between them. PS1 to PS2 ushered in no new ways to play games. All that happened was Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft just boosted power output and improved visual quality. This is an efficiency improvement within a generation, not the signaling of a new generation. If we used the same generation defenitions with home PC processors as we do with consoles, the Conroe would be a 50th or 60th generation processor instead of a 4th because every boost in clock speed would be defined as a new generation.
Wii is a next generation console not because of motion sensor or even that it is meant to be the primary mode of control. The PS3 has a motion sensing controller as well, but that doesn't put it in a different generation than the PS1 or PS2, it simply a younger sibling of the same generation. The Wii's modular controler is what makes the Wii a next-generation system above the N64 and Gamecube.
Instead of designing a full, expensive, stand alone controller, game developers can now include inexpensive shells into their games that piggyback off the main wand. Publishers can feasibly include these shells into each title released as a standard without having to raise the cost of the product. This means developers are no longer hindered by the same controller nor do publishers have to worry about lost sales because the consumer no longer has to purchase a separate controller interface just to play the game. The controller packed in with the game is by default standard because everyone who buys the game gets it at no extra cost. I know this is a very extreme and unrealistic example, but imagine how well Steel Batallion would have done had the game and controller only cost $60 instead of $150.
Defining a new generation is not easy task, especially in a more established industry. Gone are the days where adding a digital stick or shoulder cannons can define a new generation. Don't be surprised if the Wii-created generation lasts 15 or even 25 years and consists of 3, 4, or even 5 different consoles from each manufacturer. Defining a new generation isn't set by arbitrary numbers.
With all the new software compatibility, with all the new features like internet browsing, and even online gaming isn't considered new (Anyone who had an XBand or even an older Atari 2600 knows that online gaming has been around forever), the PS2/Xbox to PS3/360 is not a new generation, just a refinement of the existing one. Like it or not, that is just how it is. No one here can name one major difference between the PS2 and PS3 or the Xbox and 360 to justify a new generation defenition.
socrates @ Aug 15th 2006 1:27PM
This is incredibly stupid. The term "next-gen" has nothing to do with what console people like or do not like. Nor does it have to do with innovation. All 3 consoles are "next-gen", because they are the next cycle of systems from the major developers. It is tautological.
What American Mcgee's Mouth meant to say was that American Mcgee's Brain thinks that the Wii is more innovative than the other two. The Wii's controller is definately more innovative. On the processing side, the Cell is more innovative. As far as games are concerned - that'll take the next half-decade to figure out! (although it is hard to credibly claim that, despite a more innovative control scheme, the actual GAMES of the Wii will be more innovative. The lack of 3rd party support just kills it in this regard, and they don't appear to be rewriting the rules as far as SMB, Zelda, or Metroid was concerned. The last two really innovative Nintendo games were Smash Bros Melee and Metriod Prime 1.)
But the biggest question is why anyone would listen to American Mcgee in the first place. The real scoop on him is here.
http://www.oldmanmurray.com/longreviews/56.html
Kayzai @ Aug 15th 2006 1:40PM
All I can say is - Thank God we are going to have something different with Wii (just like DS).
I was actually tempted to buy a Xbox360 upon it's release. That ofcourse was before i played it's games. And was I bored!!!
What does the 360 and PS3 provide this generation that is so drastically different from the last gen? Nothing!
Wii is definitely going to encourage more new and lost gamers to the fold which is a good thing for both Sony and M$.
Also Who cares if it's NEW GEN or NEXT GEN. All I care about is - is it fun and different and this is was i believe the Wii delivers.
socrates @ Aug 15th 2006 1:42PM
Laughingtarget (#76)-
Wow. Just, wow. That's some grandiose theory you have there. Sadly, it is a lot of crap.
Your claim that the Wii's allowance for completely altered yet absolutely free new control mechanisms BEYOND the motion capture device...is absolutely incorrect. The wiimote itself, obviously, allows for two things: 1. slightly modified ways of achieving already achievable goals in games. example: making the hand-motion to shoot an arrow in Twilight Princess. gameplay isn't changed, just how you do it. 2. games where the motion IS the game, essentially. This aspect is most comparable to the Eyetoy - small minigames that you wouldn't normally play, but are built to make the act of controlling itself fun. Example - the Wii orchestra thing.
Now you're not talking about the above two features...you're talking about ADDITIONAL controllers added on to the Wii. But I don't see why this is any better with the Wii than it is for alternative controllers now. You claim that it would be free - where has Nintendo stated this? that developers would include free alternative controllers?
let's take an exmaple - Guitar Hero (to pick something I'm familiar with. DDR would also work here). There isn't any controller aside from the included guitar that can play that game in that way. With any console, games like that can be made, you just have to buy the included new controller. But you're claiming that this is made easier with the Wii - but you give no examples as to how this would work, or reasons why.
As to the larger definition of generation shift, your reasoning is faulty in that you assume only the console, not the games themselves. You're right, every console has always been pretty much just a technological upgrade. But, take GTA3, one of the most innovative games in the past decade. No one had ever done anything like that, with tight/loose missions happening in dynamic ways within an ongoing immersive world. And that could not have been done on the PS1. Greater technological capacity ALLOWS for revolutions in gaming innovation. We have seen such revolutions happen in gaming on the gamecube/ps2/xbox, and there will be more on the PS3 and 360.
Jake @ Aug 15th 2006 1:44PM
His comments are true considering his rationalization. The PS3 and 360 are essentially computers that play games exclusively and are more affordable and use controllers. We already have PC's that play these games, they just cost a lot more.
But the Wii essentially just has a next gen periphreal with a last gen-ish system. Wii + 360 all the way. (would have been Wii + PS3 but I couldn't wait the 9 months. Sorry Sony, I still love ya and promise I'll get PS4)
MosquitoControl @ Aug 15th 2006 1:51PM
"I don't think the "Xbox 360 offers nothing new" line is appropriate. Did you ever stop and think that maybe some of us like the games and controllers the way they are?"
But just because you like it doesn't make it new. It's the same gameplay, so it's not new.
Don't get me wrong, I adore my 360, but it hasn't given me vastly new gaming experiences.
"Well this comment shows just how stupid McGee is. The only thing Nintendo has going for them is the controller,"
But that's his point - the input will change gaming, or have potential to. Nothing on the PS3 or 360 will. They'll enhance gaming, but not change it.
Which brings up the points of whether games need to be changed, or whether Nintendo's vision of change is for the good. Those are open to debate. But, in my eyes, saying the PS3 or 360 bring anything new to the table isn't. And, again, maybe nothing new is needed, but the lack of anything new depresses me.
Sure, the dashboard is nice, but has it changed gaming? Not at all.
MosquitoControl @ Aug 15th 2006 1:53PM
Furthermore, I refuse to believe Darryl is 31. If he is, well, I'd wager good money he lives at home with mother.
Grant @ Aug 15th 2006 2:00PM
Wow, darryl has the worst insults I've ever seen. I can't believe he still uses Wiitarrd. And "gay-gen"? You probably shouldn't admit to being 31, that's pretty sad.
KR @ Aug 15th 2006 2:22PM
"He probably thinks his hat is also revolutionary and next-gen."
Best comment ever.
Anyway, nice to see those in the industry aren't immune to being sucked in by an unproven gimmick either.
The Wii is a Gamecube with a funny controller...not to mention an online service that is going to disappoint a LOT of people when they realize that you CAN'T play "every old NES/Genesis/TG16 game" on day one, like the fanboy populace would have you believe.
Don't get me wrong, I may pick one up and I'm looking forward ot see what it's offering...but this tired, inaccurate cliche that the PS3 and 360 are "the same" and Nintendo is being brilliantly innovative is bullshit. Maybe next time they'll bring out the Wii again, but with a new HAT...and all you drooling zombies will go nuts for it again.
tactics @ Aug 15th 2006 2:35PM
i thought laughingtargets post was excellent, and well-deserving of the 7 stars it received. i feel like adding the expansion port to the bottom of the wiimote is one thing that people are semi-overlooking, and not thinking about the potential that lies therein. you could theoretically attach *any*thing to that port and have it interact with the game. now, for those of you with imaginations, just let it run wild with that idea for a minute. i'm not going to list examples, because they'll probably seem small-minded compared to what some of your undoubtedly brilliant minds can come up with. that is truly a revolution in gaming: the creator of the game can create (very inexpensively) ANY peripheral for controlling (or displaying contents of) the game he has created... i can't wait to see what they come up with.
i agree with the argument that, "i don't want a whole fucking box full of bullshit controllers that only work with 1 or 2 games lying around!" for sure, but i guess that's just an unfortunate side-effect of getting ultimate control/etc of games as intended by developers.
also, before i go, i want to compliment you Derbeste. thanks seeming to always keep an open mind. there are some people around here that could do good by following your example.
and darryl... i hope you choke.
-"superfan" tactics.
rrtyrty @ Aug 15th 2006 2:52PM
HD is infinitely overrated. My pc powns ps3 and 360.
I play games at 1600x1200 resolution + 4x AA + the highest settings. TRUST ME. ITS OVERRATED.
Yes games look nice and shiny and all, and I can bragg here like an asshole in this stupid forum… So fking what? it dsnt change the fact im playing the same old pirated games over ond over again since the days of my Commodore 64C. things have 2 change. Wii is a step in the right direction IMO
Isurus @ Aug 15th 2006 3:02PM
"The same is true with game consoles. From the PS1/N64 to PS2/Xbox/GC to PS3/360, there is no major shift in technology that can define them as a different generation."
I think that the move to multi-core processors in the 360 and PS3 represents a major shift in technology. Coding for multi-core is vastly different than programming for a single-core processor. I would go far as to say that this change is an even bigger change than the move from dual-analog controllers to the Wii remote. I think that most coders would agree.
"Instead of designing a full, expensive, stand alone controller, game developers can now include inexpensive shells into their games that piggyback off the main wand."
Not so fast. Are you suggesting that it will be cheaper now for devs to create a new controller that plugs into the Wii remote than it would be to create a controller for any other console? It doesn't work that way. The port on the Wii remote is basically the same as a controller port on a console. Think of the remote as a wireless hub for it. In no way do I see how it would be cheaper for devs to create a remote for the Wii than it would be for any other console. If you have any proof that suggest this, I'd love to see it.
"No one here can name one major difference between the PS2 and PS3 or the Xbox and 360 to justify a new generation defenition."
Again, I disagree. In the end, it comes down to the experience that I have with one "generation" versus the other. I can definitely say that experience I have had with the 360 so far is quite different than that I had with the first Xbox. Much of it comes down to the evolution of Xbox Live. Now when I turn on my box I can check for new game trailers, movie trailers, game demos, special features like Artist of the Month, even TV spots are going to be released on Live soon. There is also the full integration of XBL Arcade, which has been a surprise treat for many. Achievments have also added replay value as they give something to work towards doing in a game. It isn't as much the achievement points as it is others being able to see what you have accomplished in a game. Finally, there is the new XNA developments recently released to the press showing that Microsoft is going to be making initial attempts at allowing homebrew on the console. When was the last time you saw this in the console space being willing promoted by the developer of said console? And I'm not even getting into the possiblities that having more advanced hardware allows (such as the 'squad cam' in Ghost Recon or hords of freaking zombies in Dead Rising). All of these sum up to a much different and better experience than that of last generation. In the end, that is all that really matters.
socrates @ Aug 15th 2006 3:15PM
Isurus - you said what I was trying to convey much more eloquently. Bravo. Where are your 7 stars?
n_revolution9 @ Aug 15th 2006 3:21PM
socrates...I kinda get what you're trying to say but using Grand Theft Auto 3 as an example to define the revolution......OF A CONSOLE???? TO DETERMINE WHAT MAKES A CONSOLE NEXT-GEN???? GTA3 was a revolution for GAMING - it practically created its own genre - the sandbox game (although still arguable whether it was copying Ocarina of Time, but that's another story.) If you wanted to make GTA3 for the PS1 could you do it? You bet. If you wanted to make it play exactly like the PS2 version you probably couldn't and the game would look like crap. But would it stil be revolutionary? Hell yeah! There's one problem...That's got NOTHING to do with a CONSOLE revolution.
"gameplay isn't changed, just how you do it. games where the motion IS the game, essentially."
Don't you get it, socrates? That's exactly the point. There is no more distinguishable difference between standard controls and standard gameplay. They're exactly the same thing!! THAT IS NEXT-GEN! THAT'S THE REVOLUTION! Wii wholly qualifies as the only true next-gen competitor.
DocGonzo @ Aug 15th 2006 3:32PM
Ah, the flames, SO GLAD I BROUGHT MARSHMALLOWS
My opinion on the whole 'next-gen console wars' was rooted in my first experience with the 360. My buddy called me up, all excited and breathless, to tell me he scored an XBOX 360 WOOOOO MAN YOU GOTTA COME OVER AND SEE THIS THING (his words, not mine) So I did.
After not being able to boot twice, he let it rest for ten minutes, then managed to start up Call of Duty 2. We played that for a bit, it was as fun as any other FPS-on-a-console (and just as dumb-feeling to control, stupid noobstick) and I left with a generally good feeling about the 360; not enough to justify the hype, in my mind, but I didn't hate it. Later that night I found out that COD2 was also on the PC; having been intruiged by the story at my friend's house, I donned my pirate hat and torrented away.
The next day I was playing, and could only think to myself 'wow this is exactly the same game as on the so-called next-gen xbox 360!' Then I went to rebind my grenade key to my mouse4 (under my thumb) and realized I hadn't tweaked the graphics settings. At all.
On the PC, my Call of Duty 2 looked the same as the Xbox 360. At 800X600. No AA. No AF. USING DIRECTX 7. Needless to say, I fixed all the settings, and was blown away. Textures were real looking suddenly. Smoke was particle effects, instead of semi-transparent clumps of 2D sprites. Bloom lighting, shader effects, I almost shit myself. Then I almost shit myself laughing. I called up my buddy and told him the news; he told me he couldn't get his 360 to turn on anymore and was taking it back the next day and could I come and give him a ride please.
In contrast, EVERYTHING I've heard about the Wii (including the rumors which have been debunked, which I still kinda hopefully believe (3D projection behind the flap I WANT TO HABEEB)) has led me to believe that it is well and true a revolution. I've seen many developer interviews, all saying how intruiging the new controller is, and how many new possibilites there are for them now; I've seen ONE interview for (game I can't remember, some FPS that never interested me in its previous iterations) that said they were not porting to the Wii because of technical limitations.
I mean really. Warioware is the most fun I've ever had with a local multiplayer game, hands down; because it was something that I had never done before. Nintendo is leading the way for fun once again - they always have, IMHO. Look at Mario Party, look at its six sequels, look at the dozens of movie franchises with 'a collection of themed minigames' and the word 'party' in the titles. Look at the DS - it is 5 to 1 outselling EVERYTHING in the handheld market in Japan, and for all its Nintendo franchise hits (NSMB, MarioKart, Animal Crossing, etc) all their OTHER games are outselling them. It took a Gundam game to get a PSP software sale above 100K/week in japan; the DS does this regularly and has for months.
I don't want pretty games, with advanced physics and realtime shadow calculations based on variable geometry. I don't want HDR lighting reflections on people's eyeballs. I just want to have fun. And once again, Nintendo will provide. Just like always.
Pip @ Aug 15th 2006 3:56PM
Isn't this the guy who did the tech support phone line for id software when Doom was released? Had a pet lizard or something on his shoulder all the time or something?
What's next, opinions from an unemployed Acclaim secretary?
MosquitoControl @ Aug 15th 2006 4:20PM
"Isn't this the guy who did the tech support phone line for id software when Doom was released? Had a pet lizard or something on his shoulder all the time or something?"
Isn't David Geffen that guy that was working the mailroom?
courtney @ Aug 15th 2006 4:39PM
man, you Sony fan boys really piss me off. Everyone and their mother is sick and tired of Sony's crap, but they still say it's Jotstiq who is bias. They say that on the other sites too.
Maybe it's becuase Sony is getting what they deserver this time.
socrates @ Aug 15th 2006 5:10PM
DocGonzo -
If you were "blown away" and "shitting yourself" over the graphics of a moderately decent-looking PC game, then your claim that you "don't want pretty games" is clearly a lie. Also, your story about one single launch title for the 360 isn't really compelling enough to weigh entire systems (if anything, it is just a reason why the PS3 is a wiser choice...too many of the 360 heavy hitters are available on the PC anyways, between Halo, Oblivion, Bioware games, etc. That doesn't make the Wii any better)
Your diatribe about the DS outselling the PSP in Japan is irrelevant. Of COURSE the DS is outselling the PSP - the PSP doesn't have shit for games. I'm going to be first in line for a PS3, but I wouldn't touch the PSP with a ten foot pole - I bought a DS for SMB64, and all of the Final Fantasy remakes (NSMB is the worst real mario game ever made, and it is beyond me why people like to play crap like Trauma Center or BrainAge, but at least the DS has some good games).
The argument still goes unanswered that gameplay innovation (which is far more than controller innovation), requires hefty technology. The Wii is capped absurdly low on that point. It ISN'T JUST ABOUT GRAPHICS (although those are a big deal, as your shitting yourself attests to). You can't do interesting things without A. massive processing power and B. really big storage disks to stream those interactive worlds (HD-DVD or Bluray will be required to play most interesting games in a very short while). I'd be impressed with the Wii controller if they hadn't shot themselves in the foot in every other category.
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 5:26PM
So, socrates, this generation has had nothing "innovative"? After all, the Wii is twice to three times as powerful as the XBOX, the tech leader this gen, but it's 'not powerful enough to be innovative'.
I disagree that "most interesting games" are going to need BluRay or HD-DVD within the next five years. Games have barely tripled in size in the last six years... Wii discs will hold around six times the space that GC discs hold. They'll hold three times the space your average XBOX game requires. And discs are hot-swappable, so if it DOES become a problem later down the road, developers can work on better compresion schemes and better ways of making games span multiple discs.
pixelator @ Aug 15th 2006 6:38PM
"the PSP doesn't have shit for games."
Is that why Gamerankings, Metacritic and Gamespot (etc) all list more games rated above 8.0 or 80% on the PSP than DS?
"Maybe it's becuase Sony is getting what they deserver this time."
Heh, yeah YOU aren't biased at all.
tactics @ Aug 15th 2006 6:46PM
he meant he was shitting himself, not because the graphics were great, but because the graphics on his good'ol'pc were blowing the xbox360 away, sillyass.
nice try, though.
i can't wait for all the i-told-you-so's on joystiq and the likes once wii completely dominates everyones ass holes come wintertime.
don't forget: nintendo is holding a lot of information close to the chest still. believe it or not, it's still true.
iwata: "i bet our competitors are still worried about what other technologies our system might introduce"
as they should be.
they promised us a revolution.
"Wii keep our promise"
-"superfan" tactics.
socrates @ Aug 15th 2006 6:49PM
"So, socrates, this generation has had nothing "innovative"?"
Nope, didn't say that.
"After all, the Wii is twice to three times as powerful as the XBOX, the tech leader this gen, but it's 'not powerful enough to be innovative'."
I kind of doubt that - the Wii isn't even going to be 3 times more powerful than the Gamecube, let alone the Xbox. And if you don't think that developers will have games in 2010 that would require more than 3/4 times the processing power than the Xbox...you're sorely mistaken.
And you're oversimplifying what I am saying - there is more to it than raw power being necessary for innovation. When making games, developers can take advantage of the processing power of the 360/ps3 to build games in entirely new ways. Since developers do their best to tailor their games to achieve the maximum results for each console, that means that it will become increasingly difficult for games designed for the big consoles to be able to run on the Wii. By throwing in the towel on this issue, Nintendo is further closing itself off from the possibility of being able to run innovative 3rd party games, and this will be more of a problem the more games advance in the next few years. You'd better really love the Legend of Metroid Brothers, since that's pretty much what you're going to get (not to mention those characters racing carts and playing crappy sports games and whatnot). You just *can't* launch a console that is already outdated graphics and powerwise...the soapbox racer isn't out of the garage yet, and the wheels have already flown off.
On the disc size issue - the largest disc a Wii can handle is a dual-layer DVD. Same as the later versions of the PS2. Disc-swapping doesn't work with games that don't follow linear progressive stages (aka, innovative ones). And you don't have a hard drive to save it to. You think developers won't take advantage of the expanded capacity of next-gen optical discs? Hah.
Sponge @ Aug 15th 2006 10:55PM
You think developers won't take advantage of the expanded capacity of next-gen optical discs? Hah
Well, they will have to use all the extra space for the prettier graphics. The Wii would be able to hold the same game except for the graphics on the disc they have. Same reason the Wii doesn't need to be more powerful. What would be the point of adding a bunch of extra hardware when they won't need to make their games HD?