Panadero

I think the better question is "And of course, given the hardware sales we've seen since the console's launch, how much does supreme technical prowess really matter to the gaming populace at large?"

I can only hope we're entering an era where graphics aren't the be-all end-all they've been since the post 16-bit era when 3D finally came to fruition. As little as I care about graphics in the long run it would be foolish to dismiss their importance outright - yet there *is* still way too much importance being put on them.

As for the Wii comparison to the original Xbox, it's never as simple as "one is just better than the other". Xbox's abilities on paper trashed Gamecube's abilities, yet when done right, the Gamecube could do many things comparable to the Xbox, and the system was built to be efficient when doing them. I hate to pull out the old cliche, but what's done with the power at hand is more important to what power there is.

Other than time and people just getting used to it, the console's success has helped temper a lot of the joking and criticism of the name. Had the console stumbled out of the gate and continued to do poorly, the name would be just one more thing against it, but things didn't work out that way. For instance, I thought (and still kind of do think) that iPod is a stupid name but its success has ensured that its name is heard a lot and it has eventually just become another word.

Ok, I can't let this slide. jojo, Kutaragi didn't "make" the SNES for Nintendo. He designed the soundchip for it. Given the amazing quality of the chip, I'm of the mind it's the best thing he's ever done. In the end, it's not a lack of intelligence that's led to his perceived insanity, it's hubris.

PikaCHEW indeed.

Sheppy:

While I don't agree with your point as a whole, I understand your concern about his progression from in-the-trenches designer to a more managerial role.
However, even then his role has been much more than "How're things working? OK? Bye". Miyamoto is still very much involved in day-to-day decision making processes with game designs and not just left to his own playground. The Escapist did an issue a while back about how he came down on Retro like a ton of bricks a number of times during the development of Metroid Prime. ( http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/39 )

I see nothing wrong with a little hero worship because people like Miyamoto deserve to be praised for their histories as much as for their current work. Ralph Baer not being worshipped is neither here nor there because he's largely a transparent individual compared to the likes of Miyamoto, Will Wright, and the like. It's not just about being the first, but what you did as the first and how you did it.

We met GameJew at the Wii launch at Universal Citywalk last November. He's a cool guy. Frighteningly dedicated to his cause, but a cool guy.

Unbelievable...The subject of games as "art" - as in, the concept of art and not just the visual impressions - is almost completely independent from the technology used to make the games. If you're going that route, you're dealing with story (when applicable), characterization, and aesthetics. Even from a purely visual perspective, coherent art direction and stylistic flair is much more important to an artistic product than the number of pixels pushed. This constantly stupid hardware stat mongering is one of the biggest reasons games won't be taken seriously as "art" for the forseeable future.

The ONLY valid argument this guy has is in relation to creating decent AI, and thus far none of the consoles have proven to be that proficient in that - though Assassin's Creed has the potential for proving me wrong.

@Vidikron:

I've been DRIVING the Sony hate bandwagon for the last ten years, since when it was just a normal car. Yet I still think this looks neat.

Er..all you have to do to "illegally vote" is use a second Mii. That's why they put a limit on votes per console, so it allows multiple people/Miis per console to vote. Granted, this doubles that limit, but if somebody is so determined to vote more than once one something, all they need is a second Mii.

I actually had the chance to meet Adam Sessler at the Wii launch at Universal Citywalk. Even though I only got the chance to talk to him for a couple minutes, I found him to be every bit as friendly and personable as I thought he'd be. He was just as tired as everybody else but still had a good sense of humor about it.

Nice pointless knock at LA there, too. Like where a nationally aired show that's filmed nearly entirely in a studio is based has a large effect on how commercial it tries to be. *Rolls eyes*