Today's hottest game video: Wii roundtable

by Zack Stern { Jan 3rd 2007 at 12:00AM }

Today's most-watched GameTrailers video is part three of the site's Bonus Round look at the Wii. These roundtable sequences -- albeit without the table -- feature musician Tommy Tallarico, analyst Michael Pachter, and game producer Peter Wanat sharing their opinions on the Wii.

The industry personalities are worth a listen, although we're most anticipating to the fourth -- and final -- episode; it's billed as their thoughts on the long-term prospects of the Wii.

See the video after the break.

Tags: analyst, Bonus Round, BonusRound, Hottest video, HottestVideo, roundtable

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

lil jamie p @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:35AM

Am I the only one who finds Tommy Tallarico... a little too damn cool? Did he just come from a night club or did that American Eagle shirt come without a top button?

MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:40AM

I stopped watching when they shown Tommy Tallarico, he can go play in traffic.

tactics @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:59AM

fuckin tommy tallarico... that guy annoys me so much sometimes. i can't believe the things he was saying in this roundtable... what a tool. seriously.

-"superfan" tactics.

insertnamehere @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:19AM

I think it is worth noting that Tallarico's most recent game, Advent Rising, had all of the features he championed as what the new consumer would want (huge budget, great graphics, intricate storyline, "mature" content), but was both a critical and financial failure because it failed to deliver in the gameplay compartment (and had some pretty bad technical problems). It almost singlehandedly destroyed Majesco. To be fair, Tallarico's only personal contribution (the musical score) was applauded by even the harshest critics, but the fact remains that all of the things he talks about are simply icing.

And I am glad Wanat called him out on that online Zelda thing. Unless it is some Four Swords offshot, I hope Ninetendo goes bankrupt before they make a online Zelda.

SID SPACE @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:34AM

"Mare-io"? Is his name really that hard to pronounce?

robert @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:42AM

Tommy Tallarico is such a dumb ass, and everyone else in the panel was biting their tongues. Yeah graphics are a factor, but they aren't the most important part of a game. A real hardcore gamer knows game play is the most important part of any game. I know he was invited because he was going to be the devils advocate for the panel but man was he stupid. When Wanat was talking about everyone copying Nintendo when it comes to innovation with the controller and game play mechanisms, Tommy comes back and said, "Well not the audio." WTF?! Copy audio? Men get off the camera you big dope.

Stone Temple Pilot @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:08AM

Yeah seriously, after the first guy said "Mare-io" I figured maybe that was an honest mistake but then the next dude too? Jesus.

Nintendo will always be my company because they don't give an eff about anyone else, they just continue to innovate and give their fans great games. And for the record, Wii Sports has captivated me like no video game has in years. And Zelda is amazing.

Shagi @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:05AM

And a real hardcore gamer knows that real gaming experiences aren't going to be had on a Wii.

rhork. @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:10AM

@moonfire

"I stopped watching when they shown Tommy Tallarico, he can go play in traffic."

Amen.

I don't understand the mindset of his followers. As immature as this may be... The guy's an idiot and I just can't bare to watch him without either turning the channel or critiquing his every word as I throw the remote at the television or slam my keyboard across the desk.

Random Insanity @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:12AM

And a real hardcore Joystiq reader knows that real reading experiences aren't going to be had on a troll's comments.

NotAnElitistPrick @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:06AM

Tommy Tallarico?

Guess someone at Joystiq wanted to post the LAMEST gaming video. He's about as good at predicting the future of video gaming as I am at predicting the lottery numbers.

samfish @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:23AM

It was kind of obnoxious listening to Tallarico. It was almost like listening to Shagi talk. Tallarico's a guy who really doesn't seem to understand what makes a Nintendo game a Nintendo game.
I mean, online Zelda? The *ONLY* way that has a chance in Hell of working is with online co-op...and judging by everything else he's said, both in the video and even some past statements, I kinda doubt he'd agree with me.
...you can't have a "hardcore gamer" style free-for-all deathmatch in Zelda and I can't even imagine how it would still be Zelda if you made it a MMORPG.
Co-operative online only temples and such could be fun, though.

That said, I agree overall with the sentiment that if Nintendo is trying to get the "hardcore" gamers, they're not doing so well yet.

The thing is, though, is that unless Sony gets a NEW franchise that sells systems the way GTA did the PS2, they aren't going to pick up enough steam to really win.

The way it works in the Japanese market screws MS no matter what. Currently, it's sort of a two horse race between MS and Sony, with the Wii kinda wandering around the track talking to everybody in the crowd.
But if Sony's install base stays relatively flat, those major Japanese developers aren't going to look to MS for salvation. They're going to go to Nintendo...and if THAT doesn't work, they'll BEG Sega to come back.

Why would the install base stay flat? Because many 3rd party developers aren't going to get to even START working on PS3 games until late 2007/early 2008, thus no real variety of games until at LEAST 2009. You could say that Sony really shot itself in the foot...and if that's the case, Nintendo kinda just...wins by default.

ManekiNeko @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:44AM

Tallarico's ALWAYS been like this, I'm afraid. I complained about the guy in my old gaming newsletter thirteen years ago, and he called me personally to offer a response. That was by a wide margin the most uncomfortable phone conversation I've had in my entire life.

JR

Robert Jung @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:00AM

Oh, good, I thought it was just me who thought Mr. Tallarico was being a clueless stereotypical-in-a-bad-way "hardcore" gamer. It apparently slipped his mind that even if Nintendo doesn't want to go the way of M-rated "hardcore" gaming, that's not a problem for the Wii as long as Nintendo is open to letting third-party developers do so. Last I heard, the days when Nintendo insisted that developers turn red-hued "blood" into grey-hued "sweat" were long past...

--R.J.

MoonfirePewPEwPEw @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:50PM

"and if that's the case, Nintendo kinda just...wins by default."

Wouldn't it be funny if that was Nintendo's plan all along, sit out the fight and let the competition destroy each other.

AzzX @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:27AM

Almost no mention of the PC... until the last bit. The wii is the only console that complements a PC gamer as far as I can see...

Pedro @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:26PM

I have a saying I think applies very well here.

"The Tommy Tallarico's of the industry do more harm to it that Jack Thompson could ever hope to."

Lord I hate that two-faced son of a bitch. I think it's funny all the things he says in the interview, considering that on his show, he says the complete opposite half the time.

Bob E. @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:10AM

Hmmm. Someone forgot to tell Tommy Tallarico that he is just a
videogame music composer. He is no more qualified to speak of the
gaming industry than someone who answers the phone and makes coffee
at a game developer's office. He thinks he is, and that's his
problem.

And then there's that "analyst" on the panel who guesses at crap no better than we do.

Nick @ Jan 4th 2007 6:38PM

When I want graphics and online capabilities, I sit down at my PC. When I want a quick fun gaming fix, or when friends are over, it's Wii all the way! I've not looked to a console for my "hardcore" gaming needs for years now.

Rootbeer @ Jan 3rd 2007 12:05PM

B-b-but it's TOMMY f'n TALLARICO!

He did the music for "Earthworm Jim" and "Cool Spot"!

He had to take out full-page ads in EGM for his game soundtrack album because his ego wouldn't fit on a half page!

Crackjaw @ Jan 3rd 2007 1:07PM

Tommy did say some bonehead things, on-line Zelda and people not copying audio from Nintendo (huh?), but he did bring up some valid points. I think he overall added to the roud table discussion.

The large appeal for the 360 is the on-line play, but they have a huge competition against the PC; which controls so much of the on-line player base with FPS and MMORPGs.

I would have also added that people, at least the crafty consumer, would want to wait and see how the console war fares before settling down on a system. I think a lot of people held off on buying a 360 just to wait and see how the PS3 and Wii fared.