Epic VP rips on Revolution concept
During a recent next-gen panel discussion, Epic Games vice president, Mark Reign,
was suspect of Nintendo's latest Revolution. One simple statement pretty much sums up his opinion:
"Dont kid yourself, you're gonna see more crappy, cheap, I-wish-I-hadn't-
bought-it gimmick games based around that controller".
Anyone care to respond? [Keep it clean!]
[Thanks, Sucka]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Rob S. @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Did he care to explain why he thought that?
MultiformatGamer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Easily.
He's in Microsofts pockets, and a moron - that enough for you?
Don't get me wrong, I'll probably buy GoW - but he's an idiot. It's blatantly obvious that his games will work better on the Revolution than on a "normal" pad - jelous/scared I'd suggest.
Jake @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Who to trust, the VP of Epic, or the likes of Hideo Kojami (sp?) and all the others that have praised it? Even the media people who got to try the tech demo's said the controller was fun, so I'm going to have to guess that Mr Reign wasn't one of the people invited to play with it.
Adam @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
We'll See.....Im all for Nintendos Innovations!
BloodRiot @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Nintendo fans won't care really. They'll buy it for the new games of all the popular Nintendo franchises.I think it's the casual gamer who will be dissapointed.
Bloo (formerly Glenn) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
9 out of 10 Dentists recommend the Revolution
syco @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Mark Reign has failed.
luis @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
blasphemy! who dares make fun of the almighty nintendo?
xbair @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
No.
urhereimnot @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
this was mentioned in a slashdot article a few weeks ago, but this is caused by the difference between western and eastern cultures. america care more about the image or graphics of a game, whereas japanese gamers tend to prefer stylized, not-necessarily-realistic-but-fun games. without a doubt, the nintendo revolution is leaning towards the eastern side
groovy guy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
One COULD say this is a blow to Nintendo because this is coming from a leading developer of FPS.
HOWEVER, one could also say that hearing this from this type of a developer is a good thing. Look at Epic's list of titles......sequels sequels sequels....of the same title.... so I wonder if they even have the ability to think "outside the box" and start creating these new genre's. A comment from this guy doesn't change my mind on the Rev. Unreal Engine 3 is nice but saying that next-gen is "al about the graphics is the craziest thing i have ever heard. Do you think it makes any difference that you were fragged by that nice shiny-helmeted guy or the somewhat blocky guy? No, you are dead anyways. Sounds like someone is trying to promote his Engine instead of gaming.
I have thought of tonnes of ideas myself for all kinds of ways to use the controller for new types of games, so who knows what developers are thinking.
Wasn't there news that Rev could run Unreal Engine 3?
nyc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I agree its a stupid gimmick and anyone who isn't an infant son or daughter will hate it.
moomer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
wow!
I've never lost respect for someone so quickly before.
Of course I haven't seen the whole video yet, but man, apparently "He insists games will be "all about the graphics" in the upcoming generation" - n-sider.
I've never been more depressed by a developer's opinions about gaming. And from someone in such an important place in the industry too!
These are the people bringing us the Unreal 3 engine right?
KelvinZero @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Prediction: the new controller will be fun for a couple of games, then Nintendo will announce a more mainstream style controller that will end up running most of the games
mat @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
the entry mentions "other western studios" Who is that refering to?
Peter Molyneaux loves it.
Ombre @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I'm a tad surprised, since the controller could work very well with the Unreal games. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
Alkaiser @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I can tell you one way in which he's right:
The Revolution has the potential to create some of the worst games ever made. You know someone's going to make an RPG where to attack, you slash. Slash, slash, slash, slash for 3 hours straight.
Given the fact that 95% of the game designers today are about as "creative" as EA and Epic, here, I don't have a whole lot of faith in the majority of this consoles exclusive's being good.
Nintendo will make something awesome. 3rd party people? Probably not so much.
Seroth @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
So..I guess this means no Unreal game for the Revolution? *cry*
vgpirates @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
That dude is going to be crying when Sony and Microsoft keeps bringing out the same crud every year and Nintendo makes millions with it's awesome innovations. They're just angry because the the new controller, they have to come up with new original games, not the same clone games that Epic games usually comes out with.
joss @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
He also said that "Nintendo make good games. Fact". He was quite clearly refering to the oppertunity it presents to third party con-merchants, willing to cash in on a gimmick game, atleast the way I percieved it. You have to admit he has a point there though. People who will market there game as specifically made for the controller and end up with a useless novelty at the end. Only time will tell how many of those leeches latch onto the bandwagon.
r0Be @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Really the POS spots are going to sell this thing. Based on the vast majority of things I have read about the accuracy of the device, I am really looking forward to it.
I picture the POS spots having some really cool demos, ala the face stretching with N64, that will blow the average shopper away.....
Oh and on topic, he's a graphics whore....big deal, there's lots of em. You can't please all the people all the time and neither can Nintendo. Lucky for me, they please me and enough people to make them a profitable company.
Chance @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
This fella is a minority in the game industry. Virtually all of the developers that have been asked about the Revolution are brimming with excitment for the device.
It may be that since he is a graphics engine developer, his perspective leans toward tech specs rather than inovation. That said, I expect GoW to be a pretty game but get mediocre reviews.
Pick up the new edition of Edge if you want to see what this controller is all about. I'm sure Mr Reign has never even touched it.
babu @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Joystiq, please clear up this quote because they stated specifically in the 20 minute video that you would see.
Dont kid yourself, you're gonna see more crappy, cheap, I-wish-I-hadnt-bought-it gimmick games based around that controller.
He wasnt calling the controller a gimmick, he was calling the games gimmicky because the controller takes away from the focus which is ultimately supposed to be the game - and not the controller. I encourage everyone to actually watch the video please and joystiq reword the post!!!
Techno Mage @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I wouldn't go so far as to say the whole controller scheme is "stupid", but I myself am not particularly fond of it.
It doesn't seem like a safe bet for Nintendo to try to reinvent the wheel at this stage, especially after their last console, the Gamecube, was widely regarded as a flop (although I know that there are many who would argue otherwise).
I agree with KelvinZero, in that it will likely be integral for a few flagship titles, but will die out later. It seems the most logical course of events.
Xpect25 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
He is one Pathetic LOSER!! HAHA!! I have an Xbox and LOVE IT, I have a GCN and LOVE/LIKE it. All I can say is that the RevOlution is gunna be kick a$$!! No game will ever be the same, imagine an FPS, Imagine!! Madden point and pass! You really dont point like Duck Hunt just so you all know, think of it as a C-stick replacement, but you don't aim on the T.V., you can set the controller on your lap!!
Sanitarium @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Wow, they just hire anybody into the video game industry nowadays, dont they?
This guy actually wants a market crash for some reason. If they all thought like him, the video game industry would be in severe danger right now. If all that mattered was in fact graphics, we'd get horrible sequel after sequel with such stale and bland and overused gameplay all the while having slightly enhanced graphics that cost a shitload to get them that much barely noticeably better.
While that may be exactly what the market sounds like today, the situation I just described doesn't have the developers who actually value new forms of gameplay and innovation. You know, like Nintendo and the guys at Sony who created eyetoy and what not.
But we shouldn't be very surprised by this, look at his position, VP. Its not required to be interested in video games or know much about them to be in this position, its all about the money. This person fails to realize the video game industry, he doesn't see that its headed straight for a brick wall with such massively increasing costs of development and a shrinking audience. All he knows is what sells well, not what is good or what is important and will save the industry, just how to make money.
If this comment came from a lead developer at Epic games, you could take it a little more seriousl, even without anything more to back up what the person is saying. But this is just some guy who doesn't know about the video games, just about the money (and yet, he still doesn't realize the market is headed for a crash).
babu @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
IN FACT, the same man later goes on to state
"i think that microsoft and sony have done nothing to adress the issure of first person shooters" - then you hear one of the other representatives comment "luckily the revolution has come" and they all share a laugh. Joystiq you should have watched the video, big mistake on this post.
OMGWTFBBQ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
What you guys mean a remotecontrol/lightgun isn't gimmicky? what what?!
joss @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
omg does anyone actually read the other posts before them?!
OPEN YOUR EYES AND READ!!!
He also said that "Nintendo make good games. Fact". He was quite clearly refering to the oppertunity it presents to third party con-merchants, willing to cash in on a gimmick game, atleast the way I percieved it. You have to admit he has a point there though. People who will market there game as specifically made for the controller and end up with a useless novelty at the end. Only time will tell how many of those leeches latch onto the bandwagon
Inferius @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Look at all the Nintendo fanbois jump on this guy when he didn't even insult the controller :>
The controller is lame though, i kind of wish he DID call it a gimmick cause thats what it is.
fuzzy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
console fanboys make baby jesus cry
I think the guy has a point. The graphics will sell games in the next generation... at least they will sell them to the console gamers that area used to that paradigm. Nintendo might get some new gamers (people who never played games before) with the Revolution... but I don't see it becoming someone's only console if they are a gamer. I think the Rev will most likely be the second console for people who already have a 360 or PS3 because they want something different.
The Revolution is not going to be the second coming of the videogame age.
BallzDeep @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Mark Reign is a close-minded, graphics whore, douchebag. If he could make more than FPSs, I'd might actually respect his opinion. He ignores the fact the summersion into the game is moreso dependant on playability than graphics, ALWAYS. If a game looks great but plays like ass, why would anyone want to play that? A game needs to feel great for it to be truely enjoyable. Mark can suck it; he stinks and I don't like him.
Zolointo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
"All about the graphics"... pshaw. The next-gen still doesn't have enough kick in the graphics department for someone to legitimately make a statement like that. Sure, the games look significantly better in most cases, but so did Quake, Quake 2, and Quake 3 in their times. All three of those contain slightly different variations on shooting things until they die.
The hardware potential is there for someone to put together some amazing games, but houses like Epic would rather stress how cool things look, instead of reducing the amount of crates in their games. Note: An exploding fractalized triple buffered bump mapped shader enhanced barrel is still an exploding barrel.
I love cool graphics as much as anyone else, but after you play the same rehashed platformer/first person shooter/RTS again and again, if there isn't any innovation in the design, the graphics don't really matter. Call me an indie snob, but some of the best games that have been released over the past year (Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari, Cave Story) actually use the medium, versus putting a glossy coat old themes.
Prime example: Quake 4 looks great (aside from everything appearing to be made out of plastic), but you can see in the reviews or by playing it that it's quite lackluster. Hell, the first task you have is to retrace your steps THREE times. And there is a monster that pops out of some pipes! And the floor! And you get to shoot things while riding in a space wagon!
Give me fun before graphics. I'd rather push around a ball picking up elephants and buildings insetad of relishing in how realistic Solid Snake's hairline is. The Revolution looks gimmicky as hell, and the number of studios willing to support the hardware is bound to be limited, but this ain't no Virtual Boy.
Inferius @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
The Revolution will be great if you want Zelda part 43, Metroid part 67 and Mario 3006.. In otherwords, if you enjoy playing three game franchises only, you should grab a Revolution.
Wolf @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
This coming from a guy that f@#&ed up Unreal 2 and Unreal Championship 2. Sure, go ahead, make pretty graphics and s!%*ty ass games. I'm having more fun playing BubbleBobble than I have ever had playing an Epic game. Point in case, the Final Fantacy movie. Awesome life-like graphics, but horrible story.
moomer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Well, has to be said that if this is an out of context quote then shame on Joystiq (in reference to Nintendo). I don't blame N-sider, because they at least have a link through to the video.
If this statement were made by pretty much anyone however, it would be a pretty asanine thing to do regardless of your perspective. Carrying on blindly in one direction is never good for any industry, and any diversity, no matter how poorly implemented, will tend to stabalise and invigorate things. As it is, Nintendo products are (usually) of the highest quality. If anyone checked out that digital mirror thing Sony were doing, then you'd know they have this stagnation problem on their mind as well.
Like the Major said "overspecialise and you breed in weakness; it's slow death"
Ninegauger @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Yeah, instead let's play GTA 2345 and another WWII shooter. Nintendo isn't the only one that relies on franchises.
PickyPants @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Inferius, you sir, are an idiot.
What game system do you play on? How many sequels are there?
I would like to share a bit of Inferius' blog here to show how much of an annoying jackass he sounds like "irl."
"Its my second wedding anniversary today! Already have gotten a nice note and postcard from mummy (thank you) and am looking forward to a good day even though I have our monthly financial meeting to present at today (yuck)."
/pwnt
ZeroCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Nintendo would try to market a controller that functions as a suppository if they could claim it was a "new direction" in gaming. They were the innovators who rejuvenated gaming 15 years ago, and now that they're out of ideas, they keep coming up with wacky gimmicks to make Mario games seem less like the remakes they are.
Yeah, the Rev controller will be different and unique- But the games for it will be all the same junk rehashed to work on the new controller. This way, they don't need to come up with new game premises- They can just sell the same game with a different control scheme and call it revolutionary.
How different is one Mario World game from any other? How unique is each Metroid? I wouldn't gripe if these games were on their third or fourth iteration, but these are the same games we were playing on the NES, but with better graphics and new controls.
You see what will happen, don't you? The Rev will launch with a new Mario platform game and everybody will be all geeked out over the new control scheme, but then Nintendo will keep kicking that dead horse and the control scheme will lose its charm, the Mario, Metroid & other remade games will keep getting released with control tweaks, and by the middle of the Rev's lifespan, only the diehard Nintendo fans will still own one. Everybody else will sell their Revolution to pick up a 360 or a PS3.
All it will take is another WarioWare game- this time one that uses the Rev controller to "THROW!" or "WIGGLE!" or whatever- and people will be like "Oh. Wait. I've played this game before. It's just the controller that's different."
I like Nintendo, but I'm not seeing any REAL innovation from them lately. They just keep cranking out their major franchises (Mario, Wario, Starfox, DK, Metroid, FZero) with slightly better graphics and a new control scheme. And you know what? I've PLAYED Metroid a dozen times. I've PLAYED Mario to death. How many times can I make a little plumber run, jump, land on koopas, and collect stars before it becomes tedious?
I got my answer with the Nintendo DS. Mario 64 DS is the reason I sold my DS, and while I'll probably get another, I'm not really stoked to see more of the same on Nintendo consoles each generation.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Are you trying to piss off the Nintedo fans?
Logan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Well of course he's going to say that. The facts:
1. Epic makes the Unreal Engine.
2. Epic is showing off Unreal Engine (specifically Gears of War) on the basis of it's graphics.
3. The Unreal Engine is more than likely not coming to Nintendo.
4. Epic needs to sell games to make money.
My conclusion? What else is the VP of Epic going to say about Rev when he's got a 360 in his backback?
- Logan
diego @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
The truth is that no one knows yet. No one can say its going to suck or be great. There just arent enough details on it to have a valid enough opinion.
Anyone bashing or praising hardcore is either bitter or a fanboy.
babu @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
How do you get:
[Nintendo fans are in for] the most crappy, cheap, I-wish-I-hadnt-bought-it gimmicks ever.
From what he actually said:
Dont kid yourself, you're gonna see more crappy, cheap, I-wish-I-hadnt-bought-it gimmick games based around that controller than you could ever possibly imagine..
Found at 07:51 of the video
He later goes on to somewhat discredit the 360 due to the possibility of poor graphics.
Will @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Haha I was there at that panel it was hilarious the crowd started booing I just laughed (I am a Nintendo fan though but it was just too funny!)
Inferius @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
PP,
You got me bro. Damn i was 'pwnt'. Time for me to go write a review of EQ1 on my '2 guys and 1 video game' homebrew video game site...
Billy Zelsnack @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Mark is on these types of panels all the time and he speaks his mind. He is always the most outspoken person on the panel and the one with the biggest balls. Just because you disagree with one of his opinions does not mean you should hate the guy. Most of what he says is spot on and helps to push the industry in a better direction.
Kristian @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
"Who to trust, the VP of Epic, or the likes of Hideo Kojami?"
oh sweet comeback!
PickyPants @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Publicity. Sweet.
OMGWTFBBQ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Mark Reign Does not care about Nintendo Fanboys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I'm busy studying a degree in forensic psychology and maaaan, you fanboys would make a brilliant thesis ;)
Revolution is going to be great (I will admit to a slight Nintendo bias backed by nostalgia and hours of fun at their franchises). I will also enjoy a PS3/306 depending on which one I purchase (I guess whichever one gets the next Silent Hill first will get my ).
Last time I checked the majority of us were GAMERS and as such we shouldn't have blind devotion to corporations, but instead critically thought out opinions on what games are good devoid of platform.
You guys should learn to relax and realise that everyone is entitled to their own opinion (when someone states their opinion it is theirs and nothing more can be said. It's not your job to change theirs, just as it is not their job to change yours). Learn to revel in the vast number of opportunities presented to you as a gamer and learn to take joy out of the different avenues the industry has to offer.
It's easier to moan than it is to give praise.